Chapter 223 : Underground snowfall
Arcana sadly turned her Magic Eyes toward Shin, who was holding his two demon swords.
“You are the enemy. I must therefore eliminate you.” (Shin)
Cold air overflowed from her palm, and took the shape of a snow sword.
“But you need not worry.” (Shin)
Shin, with his legs bent backward, held his Pillage Blade in front of him and his God Slasher over his head.
“For that will be impossible.” (Shin)
Arcana took a step forward, then her body turned into light and dashed straight ahead.
This was the order of the God of Brilliance Giosselia, whom she had devoured, at work.
In the blink of an eye, Arcana got behind Shin and swung her snow sword down, scattering sparkles of lunar snowdrops.
However, Shin dodged it without even having to catch sight of her sword, almost as if it were slipping through him.
“Relying on your speed and slipping behind my back results in too many wasteful movements.” (Shin)
When Shin turned around, fresh blood was already spilled on Arcana’s left arm.
When she moved behind him at light speed, he slashed her even faster.
“You’re strong too.” (Arcana)
When Arcana raised her left hand, day turned into night again.
She was using her divine magic power to recreate the night that Shin had stolen from her.
The hill was bathed in the moonlight of the Moon of Creation floating in the dark night, and countless lunar snowdrops fluttered down on it.
“Sleep buried in cold icicles.” (Arcana)
The lunar snowflakes surrounding Shin turned into sharp icicles.
They rained down on him in a blast of cold air without leaving any opening.
Both of Shin’s arms gleamed like flashes of light.
The God Slasher and the Pillage Blade slashed through and scattered all of the countless icicles that were fired at him.
“May snow fall, and light fill the air.” (Arcana)
Lunar snowdrops pointed down on the hill, transforming the entire area into a luminous and fantastic snowscape. The divine coldness of the air drained away Shin’s magic power and physical strength little by little.
In the next moment, Shin’s magic power was reduced to nothing, and his source became one with the Pillage Blade.
He lifted the tip of it above his head.
The sword pierced a jet-black hole in the sky.
Then as Shin swung down the Pillage Blade in a flash, a black line was drawn, as if he split the sky in half.
Shattering like glass, the night was cut apart, and the daylight behind it was revealed.
That was the Seventh Hidden Art of the Pillage Blade: Stunning Night.
By taking away even the night itself, the sword slash cut through day and night, the weather, and the natural magic circle that made use of them.
“Just as my lord keenly noted, your Moon of Creation seems to be incomplete.” (Shin)
The crescent moon Altiertonoa was not only imperfect in its appearance, but also in its order.
That was why Shin could slice through it with the Stunning Night technique. It wouldn’t have been so easy if its true power was unleashed.
However, Arcana muttered, unperturbed.
“May ice fangs pierce a hole of solitude in his chest.” (Arcana)
Lunar snowdrops scattered from her palms, and turned the area into a snowy landscape.
Numerous ice spears shaped like dragon fangs floated behind Arcana.
They were made with the order of Beheus, the God of Piercing.
The ice spears flew toward Shin.
He struck them down, but the spears didn’t shatter. They spun around in the air and flew back toward Shin.
At the same time, Arcana turned into light and swung her snow sword at him.
When he blocked it with his God Slasher, the force of her swing pushed him down, and his feet sank to the ground.
Arcana’s physical strength was greater than Shin’s, perhaps due to absorbing several other gods.
“Burdened with sins, the sword condemns.” (Arcana)
Another snow sword appeared in the distance and flew in, closing in from behind Arcana.
As they were pushing each other back, it skewered her and went straight into Shin’s chest.
Red blood splashed and stained the snowy landscape.
Arcana’s eyes widened slightly.
Despite his unfavorable position and the blind spot Arcana’s body had created, Shin twisted his body just in time to duck the flying snow sword. The blade had only made a shallow cut across his chest.
“That was a nice try.” (Shin).
Arcana quickly retreated at the speed of light, but blood was dripping from the God Slasher.
Her right arm fell off and disappeared as snow.
“Not many people have been able to strike me in such a short time.” (Shin)
From the tip of her armless elbow, a lunar snowdrop fluttered down.
It regenerated the right arm she had lost.
“However…” (Shin)
Shin stepped right in front of Arcana.
He moved slower than her speed of light, yet the way he walked caused her to misjudge the distance between them.
The moment Arcana tried to jump back, both of her legs were slashed by the Pillage Blade, and she lost the ability to move.
Then, both of Arcana’s feet were frozen. Using the order of creation, she would try to escape the curse of the Pillage Blade by recreating her legs from scratch.
But before she could, the God Slasher turned reddish black.
“Third Hidden Art of the God Slasher…” (Shin)
Its blade surged with spiraling, sinister particles of magic power.
Arcana recreated her legs, and the ability to move that was taken from her was restored.
“—Hell.” (Shin)
Arcana was stabbed in the right breast by Gneodoros, and her source was slashed in half.
When Shin let go of the God Slasher, she fell to her knees with a blank expression.
“…Ah…” (Arcana)
Arcana’s source, which had been split into two, was now split into four.
She used her own power of creation and the order of the Keeper of Restoration Nutra Do Hiana to the utmost to restore her source, only for it to be slashed apart by the Hell slash.
As if to endure the intense pain, Arcana grabbed the God Slasher with her hand to pull it out.
However, her weakened body, which was too busy regenerating itself, could not pull it out.
“By the way…” (Shin)
Shin turns his sharp Magic Eyes toward the forest on the hillside.
“How long are you going to stay hidden?” (Shin)
With a flash of his Pillage Blade, the trees in the distance were severed and fell like dominos.
Hidden there were draconid soldiers clad in pure white armor.
They stared in shock at Arcana, who had fallen to her knees.
The deity they believed in had been defeated, and they seemed to have already lost their will to fight, but as if to twist the knife in the wound, Shin spoke.
“If you want to help her, feel free to try. However, allow me to give you just a single warning.” (Shin)
Shin glanced at the soldiers, his Pillage Blade shining.
“I have not been ordered to go easy on anyone but her.” (Shin)
The draconids shuddered from the pressure.
They gulped their spit down.
“…This can’t be… This man… This man was holding back… against the Selection God Arcana… Against a god…?!” (Draconid A)
“…What is the meaning of this…? How can a mere demon who isn’t one of the Selected Eight be so powerful as to be able to contend with a god…? The divine message didn’t mention him…?!” (Draconid B)
“…There’s only one explanation I can think of. It’s that they possess powers that not even the gods can appraise…” (Draconid C)
“No way! Are you saying they surpass the gods? Impossible!” (Draconid D)
“But look! The Selection God is on her knees over there…!” (Draconid E)
“…Who in the world… are they…? What in the world is the Demon King…?! And isn’t this one merely one of his subordinates?!” (Draconid F)
“If so, then how much more powerful is the Demon King of Tyranny…?” (Draconid G)
“…Perhaps we have made enemies of a dangerous bunch…” (Draconid H)
Apparently, they had completely underestimated the power of the Demon King’s army. Facing Shin, who had defeated Arcana, the draconid soldiers were frozen in terror.
『O devout followers of god! Do not fear』(Ahid)
Ahid, who was pinned to the wall by my sword, talked to the soldiers as he watched them.
『A divine message has arrived. Anos Voldigoad the Misfit has resurrected the blasphemous god. All this is the work of the Goddess of Absurdity Genedonov. As servants of god, we must overcome this ordeal.』(Ahid)
At Ahid’s words, the draconid soldiers prayed and seemingly shook off their fears.
『According to the divine message, this battle will result in a thousand deaths. Then the Moon of Creation will shine brightly, and my Selection God Arcana will be freed from the spell of that demon sword.』(Ahid)
