Chapter 398: Chapter 398

Temiran McCleary’s crimson eyes were fixed on the brilliant holy sword pointed at him, his mind racing, desperately searching for a way out of this situation.

‘…I’ve bought some time… but what now?’

The sudden appearance of Heinrich Saint Landguard, the Saint of the Main God Church, the Hero of Light, had thrown a wrench into his plans.

His intrusion, shattering his pocket dimension, ‘Twilight’s Edge’, was a major variable, a threat so significant that he couldn’t even guarantee his own escape.

‘…This is annoying. I thought things were going well…’

His eyes twitched as he felt the sharp, piercing aura of his opponent, a blade poised to strike him down at any moment.

He subtly shifted his weight, probing for an opening, his own aura flickering and shifting, threatening the unconscious girl behind him.

His opponent’s aggressive stance faltered, retreating slightly, then cautiously circled him, waiting for an opportunity.

“Huu— You’re persistent.”

His opponent couldn’t attack recklessly because of the hostage, but this stalemate wouldn’t last forever. It wasn't in his favor.

After all, he was an apostle of a god imprisoned in the abyss, and this place, Auterica, was enemy territory.

‘…I managed to restore my pocket dimension… but they know about it now. There’s no guarantee it’ll hold a second time.’

If it weren't for that old shaman’s interference, if the High Elf had arrived just a moment later, he would have secured his target and escaped without any problems.

A series of unfortunate coincidences had led to this… disastrous situation.

This wasn’t just a coincidence. It was a consequence of his god losing control over causality, the flow of fate itself, which he had been meticulously manipulating until now.

‘…I’ve failed too many times. It’s taking a toll.’

The Immortal King’s appearance, the surge of madness, the Revolutionary’s schemes…

He hadn't been able to orchestrate such large-scale disasters without paying a price.

And he had been operating from the abyss, a hostile and unforgiving environment, which had further amplified the burden.

And most of his gambles, his desperate attempts to turn the tide, had failed.

He had invested everything he had, only to lose it all.

That was why he had been forced to act prematurely, before he was fully prepared as an apostle.

He had hoped to recover his losses and find a way to turn the situation around…

…but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen.

“…This is so frustrating! I’m cleaning up his mess! What am I even doing this for?!”

“I agree, Temiran McCleary. Why don’t you just surrender? It’ll save us both some trouble.”

“Tsk, I wish I could…”

The young boy, his face still childish despite his crimson eyes, smacked his lips at Heinrich’s words.

But he wasn’t free to act as he pleased.

He was bound by a contract, a slave to his god’s will, forced to continue even though he knew it was a sinking ship.

He scratched the back of his head and grumbled,

“What choice do I have? I have to follow orders. Well, you and I are in a similar situation…”

…and then he paused, his gaze shifting downwards.

He had noticed it by chance.

A subtle discrepancy, a slight… distortion in its shape.

He reacted instantly, his body moving instinctively.

…a sound, beyond the range of human hearing, a silent explosion, erupted.

A sudden and unexpected phenomenon, without any warning or buildup.

And then, a powerful gust of wind, tearing through the air, a deafening roar.

“…Too bad. You have good instincts.”

And from the center of the storm,

…a cold, emotionless voice echoed.

The sound of footsteps, clear and distinct amidst the chaos, and then a figure, a man in a long coat, emerged from the dust and debris, his movements slow and deliberate.

He was wiping the blood off his fingertips, his expression calm and indifferent, as if he wasn’t even slightly disappointed.

His crimson eyes were fixed on a corner of the room, where a cloud of dust was slowly settling.

He was holding the unconscious girl in his arms.

Aaron, who had been shielding his grandmother and Lafi from the sudden gust of wind, his eyes squeezed shut, cried out in relief as he saw him.

He was overjoyed, his savior appearing just in time, rescuing his sister.

Of course, he was also grateful to the Saint who had helped them… but as a young boy, he was naturally more attached to Heinz, whom he knew personally.

“…What? When did you…?”

A low growl, emanating from the direction Heinz was looking at.

Temiran, his small body covered in dust, emerged from the dissipating cloud, blood dripping from his arm.

“I didn’t sense any intruders. How…? And this is…”

He looked down at his arm, a frown creasing his brow.

It wasn't a serious injury, but the fact that he had been caught off guard and injured by a surprise attack was… unsettling.

And for some reason, the wound wasn’t healing.

No, it was getting worse, the flesh around it turning black and necrotic, as if infected by a deadly poison.

He tore off the affected area and incinerated it, his face twisting in a grimace.

‘…This isn’t poison. It’s… a conflict between different types of vampire essence.’

A hostile blood, imbued with a foreign consciousness, had invaded his body.

But even after realizing that, he couldn't comprehend it.

This was his body, his territory, and his defenses weren’t weak.

And yet, he was being overwhelmed by a few drops of someone else’s blood?

He didn’t know it, but it wasn’t that strange.

Heinz the Second’s vampire essence had undergone countless mutations and enhancements, its efficiency maximized through evolution.

It was a monster, capable of overwhelming ordinary immune systems.

Heinz the Second, of course, wasn’t planning to answer his question.

He simply smirked, his hand, now clean and bloodless, casually running through his sleek, black hair.

“That’s not important right now.”

A single, dismissive statement, laced with mockery.

Temiran frowned, his body trembling slightly, and then he lunged forward, reaching out with his other hand.

A blinding flash of light, a wave of platinum radiance, expanding rapidly, engulfing the area.

A wave of pure, unadulterated holy power, unleashed like a beast freed from its cage, consuming the space around it.

Temiran, barely managing to block the attack, his hand blackened and charred, gritted his teeth.

“Ugh! A sneak attack! You… Saint… you’re despicable…!”

“Hmm? That’s a strange reaction. Especially coming from someone holding a hostage.”

But Heinrich simply chuckled, amused.

They had been circling each other, waiting for an opening… and he had been distracted.

…Well, he had been the one who created the distraction.

“We’ve talked enough, haven’t we, Temiran McCleary? If you have anything else to say, I’ll gladly listen.”

The silver-haired man, his wings of light unfurled, his body radiating a holy aura, smiled gently.

“Of course, there’s a… small formality we have to take care of first. Just to make sure our conversation is… safe and… productive. Can you… cooperate?”

“…Ha… Hahaha… Damn it.”

The situation had completely turned against him.

Temiran desperately searched for a solution, but his opponents showed no signs of weakness.

‘…I can’t take another hostage…’

He couldn’t target the girl anymore.

That ‘Vampire King’ was protecting her.

He had experienced his power firsthand. He was clearly a dangerous opponent, a natural enemy.

If Saint Heinrich was a hunter, a predator, then Heinz was a… higher predator, a being from the same species but far more powerful.

He was an incomplete apostle, still bound by the limitations of his race, and Heinz, a Divine Blood vampire, the ultimate Blood Ancestor, was his natural enemy.

‘…The other humans… Tsk, that High Elf…’

Lydia, having gathered the injured shaman and the other civilians, was protecting them with a powerful barrier, her spirits standing guard.

She had prioritized protecting the civilians, minimizing collateral damage, rather than joining the fight against him, trusting the Saint to handle it.

He couldn’t risk being caught by her.

‘…It can’t be helped. I have no choice. I have to escape, even if it means some losses.’

He should have acted as soon as the Saint appeared!

He had been too greedy, and now the situation was even worse.

His pocket dimension, ‘Twilight’s Edge’, began to shake violently as he made up his mind.

It was a small world, created from his own will and a fragment of his essence.

It wasn’t just a simple barrier.

‘…This is going to cost me… but I don’t have a choice.’

The world, responding to his will, turned against its inhabitants, its environment becoming hostile and destructive.

The earth cracked open, spewing lava, the air turned toxic, lightning rained down from the sky, and deadly radiation seeped from the ground.

It was a hellish landscape, an environment no ordinary human could survive.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Heinrich’s wings unfurled, and a holy sanctuary, radiating outwards, protected those within.

He couldn’t just… cut through it like before, not with the space itself collapsing and its energy surging uncontrollably… but he could still hold it.

And that was all Temiran needed.

‘…I’ve bought enough time. Now…’

It wouldn't last forever.

Eventually, the energy would be depleted, and the collapsing dimension would be destroyed.

But he didn't have time to worry about that.

“I can hear you scheming.”

“Hmph, that’s all I learned from you!”

Heinz, the Vampire King, blocked his path.

His vampire instincts told him…

…that this was his natural enemy, someone he couldn’t defeat in a direct confrontation.

‘…But if I can just… escape while he’s distracted by the collapsing dimension…’

It wasn't entirely impossible.

Especially since his opponent was… burdened with a hostage.

“Goodbye! I hope we never meet again!”

He seized a momentary opening and slipped out of the pocket dimension,

…quickly sealing the entrance behind him.

It would buy him enough time to escape through an abyssal rift.

‘…It wasn’t a complete loss. I’ve identified the girl with the fragment, so it’ll be easier to track her down next time. And they can’t keep her hidden forever.’

He had lifted the veil of causality. There would be other opportunities.

He took a step forward, and then—.

…his body froze as an unknown pressure, a heavy and oppressive force, suddenly pressed down on him.

His gaze, following the flow of energy, shifted upwards.

A massive magic circle, covering the entire sky above Tarak.

And at the center of the magic circle, directly above him,

…Isea, who had been waiting, a faint smile on her face, looked down at him.

A mage, given enough time and resources, could perform miracles beyond their usual abilities… but she was… special.

“It’s been a while since I had the luxury of preparing a spell so leisurely.”

「Unlimited Power」, a unique skill that amplified her magic power almost infinitely.

And ‘energy’ wasn’t just limited to mana.

Her mental fortitude, her processing power, her very thoughts…

…they were all fuel for her magic, as long as she could perceive and control them.

‘…Well, I’ve only recently been able to do this.’

It wasn't easy to quantify and control such abstract concepts.

She had grown stronger, thanks to the trials and tribulations she had overcome.

And her increased power was a welcome development, with the upcoming battle against the Immortal King.

She looked down at the struggling figure below, trying to escape despite being trapped within her magic.

That was the ‘unknown threat’ the Saintess had foreseen.

She couldn't let him escape.

The massive magic circle, meticulously constructed, its layers complex and intricate, began to rotate, like the gears of a clock.

…as she uttered a single word, a command imbued with her will, a Word Soul,

…time stopped for the escaping predator.

It was just a momentary pause, a brief respite…

…but it was more than enough time for the other predator, who had been waiting, to grab him by the neck.