-Thump.

The barrier flickers.

-Thump.

The barrier, flickering with a loud sound, was surging violently as if it would burst at any moment.

I, who was out in the yard looking at the shaking barrier, let out a small sigh and called my comrade's name.

"Hans-nim."

The war was too much for me to handle alone.

"Did you call, Saint-nim?"

Hans, who came out from under the shadow as if in response to the call, bowed and greeted me with a fluttering red rope around him.

"You're dressed very nicely."

He looked like a magician.

Unlike when he only wore shabby clothes, Hans, who was wearing a dark blue robe and rope like a great magician, looked like a palace magician I had seen in the capital.

Hans, who scratched his head as if embarrassed by the compliment, smiled slightly and replied with humility.

"Thank you for your kind words. I was worried that the plundered artifact might be too flashy, but I'm glad it looks cool."

-Rumble...

I, who had raised my head at the once again shaking barrier, asked Hans how long he thought he could buy us time.

"How long do you think the barrier will hold?"

"At shortest, 3 minutes. At longest, about 10 minutes."

"That's amazing."

Being able to withstand the onslaught of an apostle and heretics for 30 minutes was a level that surpassed the barrier of the imperial palace. The time I spent talking with the young lady was quite long.

Despite having created such an incredible result, Hans seemed dissatisfied and shook his head with a humble apology, saying that he should have created an unbreakable barrier instead of a 30-minute one.

"I'm sorry. I should have made an unbreakable barrier, but my skills were lacking and I have caused a nuisance to the Saint-nim."

"...I think it's more impressive than the barrier of the imperial palace."

"Haha... it's not that great. Still..."

Hans looked at the mansion and smiled.

"The mansion's barrier will not break as long as I am alive, so you don't have to worry."

"..."

At Hans's calm delivery of a surprisingly scary statement, I gave an awkward smile and expressed my gratitude.

"Thank you."

Without him, it would have been a difficult battle.

Towards the barrier where the enemies were waiting, I stretched and began to advance step by step.

Black clothes.

A weapon in each of their hands.

Their appearance, with a murderous smile, was more fitting of the title of madman than anyone else.

All the heretics were pounding on the barrier with their respective weapons.

It seemed they had come here with relatively few forces to attack the mansions in the capital and Hamel at the same time, but I was tense because each one seemed to have the power of a semi-knight order.

If it were another nobleman's mansion, not here, they would have the power to annihilate a family in an instant.

Among them, the one who exuded the most ominous aura was their general.

The Apostle of Integrity.

"Is that man in the center the apostle?"

"That's right."

"He looks strong."

The Apostle of Integrity.

In the novel, he was a character with relatively less importance compared to other apostles. He was a character who had a futile end to his life after swallowing the holy sword.

-If I only had this power...!!

The information about him that remained in my memory was that he killed people and made all their abilities his own.

One might think it's a similar ability to Hans, but his ability was a little different.

-Rumble...

The Apostle of Integrity's ability optimized the stolen abilities to suit their use.

Behind the Apostle of Integrity, a black hand began to stretch out into the sky. His black magic, a mixture of numerous spells, began to cast over the barrier with an ominous aura.

"...It's starting."

As soon as the words were spoken, the giant black hand roughly grabbed the barrier and began to strike it.

-Bang!!

With each strike, cracks began to form on the barrier as if it was being overloaded.

-Bang!!

The ground trembles with a single attack.

-Bang Bang!

The wind begins to blow with two attacks.

Hans, who was calmly holding his sword, spoke to me in a low voice.

"Saint-nim..."

It's time.

"I understand."

It's been a while since I've run wild, so I'm not sure if I can do it well.

Three days before the heretics' invasion.

Elishia had explained this operation in detail, adding that the dual spy act would end with the upcoming operation.

-The Apostle of Integrity will be at the Saintess's mansion, and I, the Apostle of Benevolence and the Apostle of Gentleness, will be at the Desmunt mansion.

-...Wow.

-I will remain at the mansion and protect the Saintess.

-Hmm... if that happens, the capital will be in danger...

-Then...

-Let's do this. Elishia-nim and Darbab-nim will take care of the Apostle of Benevolence.

No matter how strong Darbab was, he wouldn't be able to handle two apostles.

-I will take care of the Apostle of Integrity.

The Apostle of Integrity...

-Crack...

Watching the cracking barrier, I slowly took a deep breath.

"Let's go."

At Hans's nod, the battlefield began to escalate.

My gaze and that of the heretics, who were looking at the barrier that was about to burst with a wry smile, began to meet.

We hadn't spoken, but it seemed they were saying this to me with their eyes: 'Once we get past this barrier, we will kill you.'

Really.

"Hoo..."

It's fun.

-Crack...!!!

-Crack crack crack crack!!!

With a 'fizz!' sound as the barrier shattered, the fragments of the barrier began to spread towards the rushing heretics.

Like.

-Swoooosh...!

Like a shotgun blast.

"Keok..!!!"

"Everyone, dodge!!"

By the time the numerous heretics began to charge, using the corpses of their dead comrades as shields.

I took a small breath and muttered in a low voice.

"Thundercloud (雷雲)."

I was a magician in my own right.

It's just that, besides this, I'm clumsy with other magic.

The moment a dark cloud, tinged with a red thundercloud, began to gather in the sky above the heretics' heads.

"Uh...?"

"...Why is the sky."

Numerous red lightnings began to fall.

-Crack...

-Crack crack.

-Kwaaaaaak!!

The archbishops, who were running through the lightning that was falling so thick that it was impossible to see an inch ahead, began to dance with their respective weapons.

-Kill them!!!

-After today, Desmunt will disappear from the empire!!

If I could just wipe them out in one blow...

"I will move first."

Hans, who had blocked my sword thrust, charged forward and began to spread magic towards the archbishops.

"Silent Perimeter."

The moment a deep blue magic circle appeared above the archbishops' heads.

"Keok...!!! I can't... breathe!!"

"It's a magician... quickly..."

The ground they tread.

The air they breathe.

Hans's barrier, which had placed restrictions on everything, began to choke the archbishops.

Hans, with his magician's robe fluttering, relentlessly began to cut down the archbishops' lives and run across the battlefield.

Indeed...

"Titan’s Step"

I'm glad I made him my ally.

While Hans's massacre was taking place on the battlefield.

"Your talent is coveted..."

A giant shadow was cast from the sky, and in an instant, a giant hand began to approach Hans.

"!!!"

Hans raised his trembling eyes and looked at the black hand that had approached him.

Magic didn't work.

-Grind...

To at least not leave the battlefield, he had to dodge that attack, but the black hand, which had already grabbed his hands and feet, was blocking his escape.

If this goes on...

The moment Hans's cold aura, preparing black magic, lingered on the battlefield, Hans, who had let out a sigh at the hand that was lightly cut with a 'swish' sound, bowed his head and greeted me.

"Saint-nim..."

"It's alright. I can easily cut this."

"Saint-nim is indeed...!"

"I would appreciate it if you just didn't call me a god."

I smiled slightly and began to cut down the approaching swords.

"There are a lot."

As if there was no end to them, the countless approaching black hands were struggling to cut off my breath with an ominous aura.

From the looks of it, if you get caught, it interferes with the flow of magic...

-Swish.

As long as I don't get caught.

Through the hands that were being cut off with a short cutting sound, the apostle's venomous smile began to appear before my eyes.

"That sword..."

The apostle, whose eyes met mine, spoke to me with sparkling eyes from between his long, pressed-down robe.

"You were the one who invaded the sanctuary."

In a fleeting moment, I dug into the apostle's embrace and thrust my sword. A fight was not something where you should give your opponent time to speak.

Before he used magic.

"There are too many listening ears, Apostle-nim."

I had to kill him.

-Clang!!

With a deafening sound that rang in my ears, the sword I had thrust was blocked by a black wall and stopped in front of the apostle's eyes.

A barrier that even Caliburn can't cut.

'...Barrier.'

This isn't easy.

As if to solve my doubts, the apostle began to approach, roughly extending his hand from within the black veil.

-Swoooosh!!!

A huge mark like an animal's claw was left where his sharp hand had passed.

It wasn't even coated with aura, but with this much power... even I, who was confident in my endurance, had to be careful.

"What blocked your sword is a unique magic called 'Aegis's Shield'."

"..."

"It was when I was a wanderer in the holy kingdom in the past, I stole the magic of 'Inul,' who was called a hero."

"..."

"This shield, which can block everything and move actively, is a shield that can never be penetrated."

"..."

Just from his words, it sounded invincible, but that didn't mean there was no hope. In the first place, if he was invincible, Caliburn wouldn't have been able to cut his body back then.

"A shield that never breaks..."

I let out a calm breath, held my sword lightly, and changed my stance.

A little faster.

And more concisely.

There is no such thing as a shield that cannot be pierced.

I will cut it.

-Clang!

"I said it's a shield that cannot be penetrated."

"..."

"My shield is an item that even the king of this world would covet, so how dare a human think of piercing it..."

-Crack...!

"You shouldn't even think about it in death."

-Crack crack crack...!! Squeak!!

"What kind of ability do you have?"

"..."

"What kind of ability does your sword have?"

"..."

"I want to covet it. I want to take it, tear it to shreds, and savor it slowly."

-Clang!!

"So."

Numerous black hands around him began to approach as if to swallow me. Seeing the hands approaching like a thief trying to steal the gold bracelet on his hand, I flashed my red eyes and swung my sword once more.

"Give me everything."

-Swish.

I cut it.

"Didn't I tell you? There is nothing in this world that cannot be cut."

The apostle's eyes, from which red blood flowed, began to tremble.

"Why... the shield..."

And.

-Smirk...

He said with a wry smile.

"Betrayal Reversal."

A wind like a blade blows.

The wind, which poured out as if releasing the shock it had gathered so far, became a blade and began to stretch out like a dance before my eyes.

-Crack...

"Saint-nim!!!"

At Hans's urgent voice, I smiled slightly, shook my head, and said.

"Just..."

This much is nothing.

"You call yourself an apostle with just this?"

[The blessing of the progenitor of blood, Caliburn, 'The Box of Ruin,' defends against the target's attack.]

It vanished.

The hero's secret technique, which had driven countless warriors to their deaths, disappeared without a trace.

"Kehehe..."

The 'Aegis Shield' is an ability that reflects the opponent's desire to kill me right back at them.

"Kuhahaha!!!"

It's laughable that it disappears with just a single attack.

"You're mad... you are truly mad!!!"

To obtain this ability, I spent a long time gaining the hero's trust... and even then, I had to fight a life-or-death battle.

For just...

"You are truly... desirable..."

It felt like I would be blinded by the talent of the one who had rendered all my efforts futile with a single blow.

Was it because his desire to kill me was weak... no, that's definitely not it.

Every single strike he delivered was laced with enough killing intent to make my blood and flesh tingle.

If that's the case.

"I want it. Your dazzling talent and that sword you possess..."

"People are punished for having excessive greed."

"Hahahaha!!!"

It must be that all the power that man possesses has brought about this miracle.

The Apostle of Integrity, licking his lips, opened them with a calm smile.

"I am a person who obtains what I desire, by any means necessary. Be it a person or a weapon."

"I am the same. A person who never has anything taken from them."

"Ha..."

The Apostle of Integrity bowed his head and spoke to me. As if asking for forgiveness for his rudeness until now.

"I have underestimated you."

"..."

"As of today, we plan to annihilate the Desmunt family from the Empire."

"I am aware."

"..."

"That you dispatched two apostles to the capital, and that those apostles are the Apostles of Meekness and Benevolence."

"...Well now."

"..."

"Who is it?"

The Apostle of Integrity, with a cold smile, began to emit a chilling killing intent.

"I asked who it is."

"...Think about it. Until your head bursts."

"Ha..."

The atmosphere begins to change.

To the point where the emotion of anger is visible in his eyes, which had been blinded by greed.

"I asked who it is."

His cold words, stripped of politeness, began to blow a cold wind that seemed to engulf the mansion.

"Is it Meekness?"

"I told you to think about it."

"If you had answered properly when I was being polite, this situation wouldn't have happened."

"Then why were you being polite in the first place?"

It shimmers.

The hand writhing behind the Apostle of Integrity's back began to contort into a grotesque shape, as if about to change its form.

"I was trying to respect you, why are you provoking me?"

"..."

"I was thinking of showing mercy to your greedy self, why are you doing something so foolish?"

"..."

"A person can be ruined by their mouth, and they have the power to obtain everything with their mouth, so why are you hastening your demise?"

"...Are you saying you gain power by killing people?"

"Did Meekness tell you that as well?"

"It could have been the Apostle of Benevolence. Elves have big ears, so isn't it likely they'd be liars?"

"...A joke."

The Apostle of Integrity took a deep breath and said.

"Not funny."

At his eerie footsteps, I calmly took a breath and looked at his black hands.

-Guguguguk... guguguguk...

Because I had to be tense to see what he, who had shed his lighthearted atmosphere, would show me from now on.

One thing was for sure.

-Guk...

He wasn't going to hold back anymore.

"Don't regret it."

"..."

"I've now abandoned the thought of just taking your abilities."

Looking at the approaching hands, I thought. What were the abilities of the Apostle of Integrity that appeared in the novel?

The Apostle of Integrity's ability was that of a martial artist and a magician. He primarily used black hands that could extend at will to grab the opponent and pull them into range for a strike.

In particular, those black hands were one of the most overpowered abilities, having led many magicians to their deaths by disrupting the flow of mana.

"Mr. Caliburn."

-Yes, master.

"I'll be borrowing your strength."

-Gladly, if it is my master's will.

Even I had to be careful of those hands. If I were caught once, I would have to give up a bone to escape.

The black hands writhing behind the approaching Apostle of Integrity's back began to drip a green liquid.

Judging by the color, 'poison'.

Not an ordinary poison, but a potent one with strong toxicity that could melt a person's body.

Whatever it was, as long as I didn't get hit, it would be fine... but that was the problem, it wasn't easy.

"Struggle all you want."

"..."

"You won't be able to escape the grasp of greed."

With the Apostle of Integrity's words, the black hands begin to move with a will of their own.

Unlike before, the black hands, now steeped in a greenish liquid, were stimulating my instincts. Telling me it was dangerous.

-Thud!

I swing my sword.

-Kwajajajak!!!

I calmly swing my sword, cutting off the wrist that was trying to grab me roughly.

Like the persistent touch of a stalker, the hands that missed me, as if angry, began to grasp the floor and flail.

The severed arms fall to the floor.

And from the cauterized stumps, new wrists sprouted, repeating the endless attempt to grasp.

Branches.

The countless branches looked like the roots of a tree spreading in a dense forest. To the point where I thought I couldn't pass without cutting them.

[The blessing of the 'Caliburn', the Progenitor of Blood, cuts down 'Evil'.]

And yet, I took one step after another to delve deeper. It looked difficult, but it was the transmigrator's job to make it possible.

And at that moment.

-Flinch.

Feeling a resistance at my feet, I turned my head and looked at my leg. I felt like something was holding me back.

"...Well now."

It's a hand.

I thought if I cut the hand, it would lose control, but a part of the hand that had fallen to the floor had taken root in the ground and was grabbing my ankle.

-Grip...

"This is not good."

-Kuaaaaaak!!!

[Poison Resistance Lv.5 resists the poison of the 'Ancient Species Arcadia'.]

·

·

[Cannot resist!]

·

·

[Poison Resistance Lv.5 Rises to Lv.6.]

·

·

[Cannot resist!]

The moment I tried to cut off the wrist that had dug into my ankle at high speed, a severe dizzy spell hit me, and the tip of my sword wavered.

The poison of the Ancient Species Arcadia.

'This is really not good.'

"Didn't I tell you."

"..."

"That what I once desire cannot escape my grasp."

The hands of Integrity, unable to leave a moment's wavering alone, began to approach quickly.

"Be it a person or an object."

"..."

"Be it a woman or a child..."

"..."

"All of it becomes mine."

Sighing at the arrogant words of the apostle, I clenched my fist and muttered under my breath. With the thought that he wasn't the only one with a trump card.

'Limit Break.'

[Limit Break tests the limits of 'Poison Resistance Lv.6'.]

·

·

·

[The poison of the Ancient Species 'Arcadia' is detoxified.]

As soon as the dizziness disappeared, I quickly gripped my sword and spun my body.

Now.

"Because I'm a person who never has anything taken from me."

Is my chance.

-Slice.

The moment a gruesome cutting sound echoed through the yard, blood began to drip from the tip of my sword.

I could feel it for sure.

That I had cut him.

I, who was flicking the blood from the tip of my sword, looked down at the Apostle of Integrity, who was stumbling, having lost his balance, and spoke.

"I, too, am a person who dislikes having things taken from me. Be it a person or an object, I am a person who will never have anything taken from me."

"...Cough..."

"A person shouldn't live with too much greed. You should know how to protect things too."

I slowly approached the apostle, who was on his knees, and pressed the tip of my sword to his neck.

"Otherwise, you'll die early."

I raise my sword.

To cut off the apostle's head in one fell swoop.

"W-wait a minute, I...!"

I didn't want to know about the villain's past or hidden abilities.

I thought it was ending more anticlimactically than the other apostles, but it was better to end it here, both for me and to keep my promise not to get hurt.

So, even if it was a bit anticlimactic, it was the right thing to do to kill him now.

The moment I was about to cut off the apostle's head with a calm heart.

"Haa..."

With a cold voice, a chilling sensation began to be felt from behind me.

I quickly drew the spare dagger from my waist and swung it behind me. Soon after, with a dull 'klang' sound, I frowned at the trembling dagger.

Because the man I thought I had definitely cut was standing behind me.

"I really desire it.."

"..."

"I'm going crazy with desire for your talent..."

"...You."

"..."

"How are you unharmed."

The Apostle of Integrity, standing perfectly fine, smiled brightly, took off the thick robe he was wearing, and smiled.

Now I can see his face.

A sturdy build.

The face of a man of a similar age to me.

The Apostle of Integrity, his blue hair fluttering, lightly brushed off his clothes, approached the one I had cut, and took his hand.

"The puppet show ends here."

The moment his words ended.

-Crunch.

With a gruesome sound of flesh being torn, the figure of the one who looked exactly like the Apostle of Integrity disappeared.

"Hoo..."

He was cold.

His gaze was so cold that I wanted to take back my thought that it was anticlimactic.

The Apostle of Integrity smiled faintly, looked at me, and spoke.

"Why do you make such a face, hero."

"...Why are you unharmed."

"Let's just say it's one of my abilities."

"..."

"The one you killed was a puppet into which I had injected my ideology."

"..."

"Don't worry. The one you killed was still a person."

"..."

"She was my lover. The one you killed."

"What did you say?"

"My lovely lover."

The Apostle of Integrity, with an affectionate expression, picked up the head of the one who looked exactly like him from the floor and kissed it.

"...!!"

After the grotesque kiss, at the sight of the woman's face slowly changing from the severed neck, my eyes trembled and I clenched my fists.

"What is this situation."

"..."

"I asked what this situation is."

The Apostle of Integrity, who had lightly placed the woman's neck on the floor, smiled faintly and said. 'It is rude to spy on people making love.'

"Her talent is 'Mirror'."

"..."

"A beautiful talent that can create a space of her own within a mirror and store everything."

"..."

"You have just killed my lover and brought me out, who was resting in the mirror."

"...Then, why did you stay still."

"Hmm?"

"I killed your beloved lover, why didn't you appear?"

"Because..."

The Apostle of Integrity smiled faintly and said.

"I coveted her ability."

"..."

"Don't worry. The lover you killed was a murderer who had killed over a hundred people, and a person of the cult."

"..."

"I've been jealous of her ability for the past 10 years. I wanted to kill her, but I didn't covet her ability enough to kill her, so I endured it."

Just as I was beginning to feel disillusioned by his incomprehensible words, the Apostle of Integrity, with a thick smile, snapped his fingers.

"Now..."

-Step.

"It's time to test a new ability."

This is madness.

That man's way of thinking.

I sighed as I watched figures that looked exactly like the Apostle of Integrity walk out from the numerous mirrors floating in the air.

Because I couldn't discern the main body.

His aura.

His face.

And the ominous black hands writhing behind his back. The sight of them, so disgustingly identical, was so unpleasant that it made me frown.

The Apostle of Integrity, with a languid expression, put on a crown he had taken from somewhere and said with a smile.

"Try to survive."

"..."

"It's a gift for your greedy self."

At the situation where the same words were being repeated dozens of times from the mouths of the same person, I sighed and said.

"It's simple."

Because all I have to do is cut them all down.

'Slice.' As the cutting sound quietly echoed through the battlefield, the Apostle of Integrity, with a joyful smile, began to walk calmly.

"As expected, your talent is beautiful."

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. I'll stop playing these games now."

-Saaaaaaaaa...

With those last words, a black wave began to spread from beneath the Apostle of Integrity's feet.

And at that moment.

-K-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k!!!!!!

A huge mouth swallowed the battlefield.