CHAPTER 32: Lanfelt Mansion (2)

Each time the red sword flashed, red blood splattered.

Under the misty night sky, red rain fell, accompanied by screams.

"Aaah!"

"Aaargh!"

Serati continued to sweep through the battlefield.

As expected of an Aura User, a warrior who had transcended the limits of humanity, her sword showed no hesitation.

When she swung her sword, she cut through blades, and when blocked by shields, she sliced through them as well.

However, Boras, who was watching the scene, clicked his tongue inwardly. 'Is it because she's still at the Red Level? Her movements are...'

The stages of an Aura User are divided into five levels.

The Red Level, where one handles an aura that burns like fire.

They are called Red Knights and use a red aura. This level, where they draw out aura to exhibit destructive power that transcends human limits, is known as the Stage of Strong Ability.

Even at this level, one could gain fame anywhere. In remote areas, a single Red Knight could significantly alter the power dynamics.

The next stage is the Blue Level, where one handles aura as calm as water.

They are called Blue Knights and use a blue aura. At this stage, they can control aura with finesse, combining overwhelming destructive power with delicate skill, known as the Stage of Skill Over Strength.

These warriors are known throughout the kingdom as powerful figures, typically invited by high-ranking noble families or serving as royal knights. If they prefer not to be tied down, they often work as top-tier adventurers.

Beyond this, one becomes known as a Purple Knight.

At this level, where the red and blue aura merge into a purple aura, one reaches the Stage of Perfect Unity of Strength and Skill, where the control over aura is completely mastered.

This is the realm of true superhumans who have transcended the limits of humanity, often becoming the leaders of prestigious knight orders or the Empire's strongest knights.

Breaking through another barrier allows one to handle silver aura.

These are known as Silver Knights, or Silver Warriors, a stage where one not only masters skill and power but also surpasses the common understanding of swordsmanship.

This stage allows a warrior to not just imbue objects with aura, but to materialize and wield the aura itself. Imperial Knight Commanders or the Guardian Knights of a kingdom typically reach this level.

Finally, there is the ultimate stage, the Golden Knight.

In this stage, where everything is in perfect harmony, transcending reason, it is said that with just one sword, even the winds and clouds can be controlled.

This is the realm of a God of Martial Arts, virtually an army of one, where only the Four Great Martial Kings have reportedly reached.

Boras, who had once been the Death Knight Lord, was a supreme warrior among the supreme, having even crossed swords with the Four Great Martial Kings in his prime. Thus, Serati's movements couldn't help but catch his eye.

'Ah, that's not how you should move.'

'Ah, you shouldn't do that there.'

'Ah, why so many unnecessary movements?'

Of course, in his current state, he had no right to criticize Serati.

How could someone who couldn't even handle aura dare to look down on anyone?

'Sigh, I should just know my place and focus on my own business.'

Kicking away an approaching soldier, Boras once again focused on the battle.

The soldiers of the Lanfelt estate didn't target Serati alone. The more seasoned ones actually concentrated their attacks on the rest of the group.

Wouldn't it be much more feasible to capture one of her comrades as a hostage rather than face that terrifying Aura User directly?

The problem was that these comrades were anything but easy targets. 

"Explode, Explosion!"

Riltein's fireball struck the barren garden. With a loud explosion, a gust of wind surged, and black smoke billowed up.

KABOOM!

"Charlie's down!"

"Damn it! Fall back!"

"Aim for their backs! Go for their backs!"

"Throw the daggers! Throw the daggers!"

"Hey! How can you shout that out loud?!"

Those trying to strike from a distance were swiftly dealt with by Serati.

"Hmph! Who said I'd let you do that?"

Despite never having practiced together, the two were executing coordinated attacks with remarkable precision. Karnak couldn't help but be impressed.

'As expected of veterans.'

'Indeed. Their experience allows them to coordinate effortlessly, even improvising on the spot.'

But what they didn't realize was that the ones who were truly surprised were actually Serati and Riltein.

'No way, those two...'

'How are they fighting so seamlessly?'

Karnak and Boras moved in perfect sync.

Boras would strike and retreat, Karnak would cast spells, and they continuously shifted positions, yet never showed an opening.

Maintaining the most advantageous positions throughout the battle, they fought with such calm and precision that no matter how many Lanfelt soldiers charged at them, they were like an impregnable fortress, unshakable.

As a result, the number of enemies they had defeated was more than double that of Serati and Riltein.

How could the combination of Boras, who wasn't even an Aura User, and Karnak, a 4th Circle mage, be stronger than the duo of an Aura User and a 6th Circle mage?

'No wonder Priest Alius praised them so highly—there's a good reason for it.' 

'Their battle sense is incredible, really.'

In truth, it was simply because Karnak and Boras had fought together for far too long. They had fought side by side for over a hundred years.

Even if they fought thoughtlessly, their coordination was flawless. In fact, it would be harder for them to be out of sync.

As a result, the soldiers of Lanfelt were being pushed back continuously, unable to find any openings.

Even Alius, who might have been considered a weak point, wasn't one.

Swinging his longsword, he calmly dealt with the approaching Lanfelt soldiers.

Since he had to hide the fact that he was a priest until the necromancer appeared, he deliberately acted like an ordinary swordsman.

Surprisingly, his swordsmanship was quite impressive. While not as overwhelming as the others in the group, he fought steadily, protecting himself and continuing the battle.

"Haah! Take this!"

Karnak and Boras, who had been observing the situation, couldn't help but be amazed.

[At this level, he could easily be considered knight-class.]

[He's even better than our territory's knights. Where on earth did a priest learn to fight like this?]

Eventually, after leaving countless corpses behind, the soldiers began to retreat.

Serati frowned as she watched the enemies withdraw further into the mansion.

"This is strange..."

Despite all the commotion, no additional reinforcements had appeared. But it was unlikely that these soldiers represented the mansion's full strength.

"Could it be that there's no necromancer after all?"

"I doubt that," Alius said, his expression darkening.

The atmosphere of the Lanfelt mansion had changed from earlier. 

"The foul stench of necromancy is seeping out."

The ominous aura grew stronger.

While Serati and Riltein might not have noticed, to Alius, a priest, the air was filled with a dreadfully ominous energy that made his hair stand on end.

"It seems they intend to confront us in a place more favorable to them."

***

BANG!

With a single strike, the thick wooden door shattered. At the same time, Karnak's group charged inside.

Immediately upon entering, they scanned the surroundings, prepared for any sudden attack. Riltein, with his magic wand aimed, frowned.

"It's oddly quiet."

As expected of a noble's mansion, the first-floor hall was spacious.

There were four corridors extending to the left and right, and in the center stood a grand staircase leading to the second floor. The walls were lined with lit candles, making the area fairly bright.

"Over there."

Sensing something, Serati pointed to the top of the stairs.

Three figures dressed in black robes emerged from the shadows.

"Aura User and a high-ranking mage, I see..."

"They must be quite renowned."

"But it's all meaningless before the power of darkness."

With a sinister voice, the air grew heavier. The dark energy was so palpable that even those who were not priests could clearly feel it.

They were the necromancers of the Lanfelt family.

"Behold!"

"This is the true power of necromancy!"

The figures simultaneously unleashed their black magic.

In an instant, pitch-black shadows filled the hall. It was a sight that would make anyone's skin crawl.

...That is, if they were the kind of "ordinary people" these necromancers were used to dealing with.

Alius was quite pleased.

"Oh, are there three of them?"

Riltein and Serati also reacted with satisfaction.

"That should be enough evidence."

"It would be best to take all three of them in, wouldn't it?"

Everyone wore smiles on their faces.

Though they didn't openly express it, Karnak and Boras felt the same way.

[How many Lords of Darkness are there?]

[Looks like they've consumed a fair amount of darkness. Combined, the three of them must be worth at least ten servings.]

[Indeed, big events always come with big rewards.]

Seeing Karnak's group so unfazed, without a hint of fear or tension, the necromancers were enraged.

"You wretches!"

"How dare you mock us?"

Their arrogant demeanor was fitting for Aura Users and high-ranking mages. They must have spent their lives looking down on those like them, who lived in the shadows.

"Let's see how long you can keep laughing!"

Grinding their teeth, the necromancers began to condense the darkness in the air. They were combining their powers to summon a more formidable entity.

"Come forth, avatar of death!"

Soon, the darkness took the form of a grotesque specter wielding a massive scythe. 

"Go, Specter! Drain every last drop of their life force!"

The Specter let out a terrifying wail, exuding an overwhelming aura that filled the area. 

Screeeech!

***

The Specter was a high-ranking undead among evil spirits.

Without the power of a priest, neither swords nor magic were very effective against it. As such, even elite warriors and mages found it difficult to confront if they weren't familiar with fighting the undead.

Its power was so formidable that a single Specter had once wiped out an entire village. The necromancers were convinced that these arrogant intruders would soon be dead. However...

"The light of the Goddess shall punish all that is unholy!"

Alius's oak wand emitted a brilliant flash. In an instant, the Specter's advance slowed. The necromancers flinched and let out a groan.

"What?"

Riltein quickly followed up with his spell.

"Piercing spear of flame, Flame Spear!"

The fiery spears pierced through the Specter's body like skewers, targeting its now sluggish form.

"...What the...?"

At the same time, Serati unleashed her red aura-infused sword.

"Hiyaah!"

With a light shout, she sliced the Specter cleanly in half, causing it to vanish into thin air.

"...W-What?"

Unfortunately for the necromancers, their opponents included a priest and people experienced in fighting the undead.

It took only a few seconds for the Specter they had painstakingly summoned to dissolve into nothing. Serati grinned as she watched the necromancers, now stunned and speechless.

"Now, we just need to capture those guys and head back, right?"

"Yes, indeed. Things are turning out easier than expected."

Normally, they would have extracted the Darkness of Doom and ended it there, but these men needed to testify to the crimes of the Lanfelt family, so capturing them was necessary.

"It seems the earlier battle was more troublesome than this." 

With a slight laugh, the red-haired beauty swiftly leaped forward.

In a blink, she closed the several meters between herself and the necromancers, appearing right in front of them.

The terrified necromancers fell back in shock, landing on their rears. 

"Huh, huff!"

Then, it happened. The heads of the fallen men suddenly exploded. 

Bang! Pop!

Flesh flew in every direction, and blood splattered all around. Alius shouted in alarm. 

"Miss Serati! I said we needed them alive...."

"It wasn't me!"

She turned around in confusion.

Suddenly, the surroundings began to change. 

Woom woom woom woom!

With a bizarre noise, the walls started to distort, transforming into dark red masses of flesh. The floor turned into a squishy, bloody swamp, and countless grotesque tendrils sprouted from the ceiling.

It was truly a nightmarish scene.

Alius was taken aback.

"...What... What is this?"

He had dealt with many necromancers in the past, but he had never seen anything like this.

Typically, necromancers would summon evil spirits, ghouls, or zombies. The more powerful ones might even summon demons from hell, but even then, they would only shroud the area in a thick, ominous aura.

But this?

In an instant, a normal noble's mansion had been transformed into a hellish landscape.

This was an extraordinary feat, altering the very space itself.

Riltein and Serati were just as stunned. This seemed like something out of the legends they had heard as children about necromancers.

"This... Is this actually possible?"

"So it wasn't just a made-up story?"

As the group struggled to make sense of the situation, a voice suddenly echoed.

"Haha, well now..."

The voice came from one of the fallen necromancers.

"An Aura User and a 6th Circle mage... quite the catch..."

It wasn't the voice of the necromancers.

After all, how could it be, when the sound was coming from a corpse whose head had just been blown off?

"Even Inquisitor Alius has come? It seems these useless fools had some value after all." 

Alius recognized the owner of that voice.

"...Bishop Shutraff?"

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