I Became The Pope, Now What?
chapter-358-30041322

The battle in the mountains raged on simultaneously and brought pure mindless destruction. Many mountains ceased to exist, and many animals died without even feeling an ounce of pain.

Worse than any earthquake, worse than any flood, worse than any storm—it was the wrath of wizards and knights that brought the most annihilation.

"You killed my brother!" Zelfim roared and swung his blazing red sword toward Aurora, who dodged the blade instead of trying to fight the incoming slash.

But she also mocked him, as mindless Zelfim was much more predictable. "Foolish barbarian, it's not just your brother we killed! Don't you remember where we came out of?"

For a few seconds, Zelfim stayed standing on a frozen lake. His face slowly turned black as he realised what Aurora truly meant. His fist clenched on the hilt of his long rare sword, and his breath became rapid. "Y-You killed my people?"

"Not the children. But the rest? Yes!" Aurora replied and prepared for the rapid mindless strikes. After all, a barbarian is a barbarian, no matter how strong they get. Without the training of the mind provided to fighters in the Holy Church, a man can never harness the full potential of their skills.

"You sick monsters! You are worse than those undead!" Zelfim roared in anger.

Aurora didn't stop there. "Says the animal who kills people for fun. You have no moral high ground, filth! You attacked and killed innocents. Your spy killed two hundred children in the town. Your only rightful place is a pyre!"

"Haaaa!"

Zelfim moved to attack, but this time he was more focused on his instincts and less on his skills. His sword slash was amateurish and easy to predict, not to mention he was repeating the same strike again and again. It was immensely strong and destructive but avoidable with ease.

Lady Aurora and Gideon Gracia took advantage of it and collaborated to confuse Zelfim with their strikes. Zelfim didn't have the mindfulness to be able to read the situation around and easily fell victim to the strikes from the two. But worse for him were the ten Archwizards standing far away and focusing a joint magic spell attack on him.

"I will kill you all!" Zelfim raged, his mouth salivating like a hungry bear. He lunged at Aurora but only received a strike from a spike that came out of Earth, thanks to Gideon. Then, slowly but eventually, bruises and wounds started appearing on him and slowed him down.

Seeing him returning to his senses, Aurora decided to add fuel to the fire and break the man's mind. "It's been a few hours since we started. Lord Gideon, I think the Winter Army should have massacred the heretic barbarians on the battlefield by now."

Gideon, the old man, looked towards the direction where the undead battle was going on."At least an hour ago, I believe. Our army is too overwhelming for these skillless barbarians."

Clack!

Clack!

It was no sword but the sound of Zelfim's teeth gritting. His eyes had gone bloodshot red, and veins had taken over his forehead. Most of his clothes had been torn apart by now, and the man, in the true sense, looked like a Barbarian.

"Wraaaa!"

Everything was gone, his people, his brother, his army—Zelfim had lost everything. His power, being a Platinum knight, none of it helped him.

"Gaaa!"

Zelfim just raged like a wild beast, having lost his ability to say anything or even think. He just mindlessly jumped around, waved his sword and tried to hurt Aurora or Gideon. But he fell short as the two Grand Wizards were far superior in skills, and in response to each attempt by Zelfim, the man received ten wounds.

"I… I will.. D-Drink your blood!"

Aurora scoffed and raised her sword towards the sky. "Solis, the watcher of the world, I summon your blessing to incinerate this heathen! Let the heavens strike, so may his head be adorned on a pike!"

Boom!

Thick thunderbolts fell on Zelfim's body, one after another, nonstop. Thanks to Emperor Lich, the weather had become stormy on its own. So Aurora's power of wielding thunder was greatly intensified.

Boom!

Along with Aurora's thunder that created giant, hundred-meter-wide craters, Gideon used his Earth magic to keep Zelfim trapped with stone cuffs. Zelfim could only rage, cry and twist around in that situation.

"Archwizards! Strike him!" Aurora ordered the ten men in the distance, preparing a unique spear for a long time now.

With low chants of magic, the ten wizards came forward carefully with a spear shining in bright golden light. They didn't touch it and only kept it hovering in the air with magic.

"Is this…" Gideon recognised it.

Aurora proudly nodded. "Of course, this is the spear of subjugation, a thing to fear for anyone who holds magic, be it a wizard or knight. Made of Darkstone, the same as Darkstone Cuffs that block one's ability to use Solarium, or absorb it from nature."

"Cuffs don't work on him?" Gideon inquired, as the church held a monopoly on Darkstone, and it was impossible to get outside.

"They don't work on people of his and our calibre, Lord Gideon. That's why he must be stabbed!"

Boom!

Aurora didn't stop using her lightning from a reasonable distance, as they had to keep Zelfim down for the spear to be stabbed.

Gideon used everything he had to just keep the barbarian locked in the place, in the middle of the crater, with his arms and legs spread wide.

"Aaaa!"

Zelfim's muscles started to burst apart, and he summoned all the strength he had left. "I… Will… KILL YOU ALL!"

Crack!

"I can't! He's physically too strong!" Gideon exclaimed. He was panting and had many wounds all over his body. The battle was not easy even for him, same with Aurora, as she had many flesh wounds and a few broken bones here and there. They were barely standing at the moment, but seeing the victory in sight boosted them up.

"Just a little more, Lord Gideon!"

Boom!

Thunder after thunder, on the same spot as the last one. Zelfim's body had gone completely dark as he got burned. But a Platinum Knight's body is stronger than even Mythril, so killing him with thunder was impossible.

"Wraaaaaa!"

Crack!

Bam!

"His hand is freed!" Gideon cursed and used more magic to hold the feet.

"DIE!!!"

Crack!

Zelfim broke his own ankles with no care and pulled his feet out. Then, mindlessly, just using his hands, he dragged himself towards Lady Aurora and Gideon. But even then, he was faster than a man on his feet. Zelfim, the crazy man, even picked his sword with his jaws.

Boom!

Thunder fell again, but Zelfim didn't react.

"He's gone insane. He feels no pain!" Aurora exclaimed and grabbed her sword to prepare.

"Aaaaaaa~"

Cough!

The moment Zelfim threw himself in the air with his arms, he coughed out blood, and his eyes went blank.

Thud!

As he fell down on his face, a spear appeared on his back, plunged right into his stomach, and its tip crossed over to the other side. Zelfim didn't move after that.

"Yes!" Aurora wasted no time and rushed to Zelfim's body and plunged the spear deeper so it was impossible to pull out. "We won… Finally!"

Gideon sat down on his knees and took a calming breath. "Lord Bard's side seems too quiet."

Aurora quickly dragged Zelfim's body. "That's why we should hurry and hope he won too."

…

A strange silence had dawned on the battlefield of Winter Army against the undead. The undead stopped moving suddenly, and the Winter Army also stepped back to safety, according to Sylvester's command of not going on offence.

"Sylvester!" Felix had no care and rushed to Sylvester's body, which had been kicked and knocked a hundred metres away.

Sylvester's body was a bloody, mangled mess, with his arms, legs, backbone, ribs, shoulders, knees, and elbows broken. The flesh wounds were more than he could count, and he had lost almost all his teeth. His face was disfigured beyond recognition.

"M-Maxy! Just wait. I will pour lots of potions in your mouth!" Miraj cried near his head.

But, the truth was, all of the blood that oozed out of Sylvester's wounds evaporated quickly and fed his body with more solarium so he could stay strong magically.

"M-Miraj… Y-You saved me…!" Sylvester whispered without moving his broken jaw.

It was the truth. Just as Emperor Lich was about to kick Sylvester in the face, Miraj somehow jumped in front and acted as a cushion. If not for Miraj, Sylvester knew that the kick would have severed his whole head.

"H-How are yuh?"

Miraj frantically took out the bag of potions and crystals from his belly and poured it all into Sylvester's mouth. "I'm good, Maxy! My body is very strong—Please don't leave me…"

Blood replenishing potions, Solarium potions, healing potions—Miraj poured everything down and helped Sylvester. But, the truth was, he could not even move an inch as everything in his body was broken. And, unless all that was broken was fixed, there was no way to fully heal.

Cough!

"Fuck!" He cursed in whispers as the bloody coughs made his body hurt.

"Max!" Felix reached him and knelt. He was appalled by the horror that was Sylvester's body, and it was a miracle that he was even alive. "Don't worry. I have ordered all the healers to come and patch you up. Lady Aurora has also won, and Zelfim has been defeated! They are coming here as fast as they can."

"S-So we won?" Sylvester whispered and felt rejuvenated. "But, it's useless."

"What do you mean? The undead army has stopped!" Felix asked, not even bothering with the strange invisible magic that kept pouring vials of potions into Sylvester's mouth. Sir Dolorem had ordered him to ignore any anomalies that were helping Sylvester.

"The shadow of the past still haunts… F-Felix." Sylvester whispered a whole sentence as the potions started to help.

"Shadow?" Felix was well aware of what that meant.

He quickly stood up and looked all around. Eventually, he noticed the faint figure of the black robes far away on the other side of the White river in the east.

"Fuck!" Felix cursed. "But we have three Grand Wizards, don't worry!"

Sylvester spoke no more as he had no way to ensure his safety. He had no idea what was the condition of other Guardians, so hoping for help was naive.

Clack!

Clack!

"Stay back!" Felix jumped to his feet, brandished his sword at Emperor Lich, and covered Sylvester. He was ready to defend Sylvester with his life, as evident by the strong scent of anger.

But Emperor Lich ignored Felix and stopped after reaching Sylvester's field of vision. The tall, giant undead with a strange face was as menacing as before, and reeked of death.

Sylvester coughed up more blood and uttered. "So?..."

The Emperor Lich got closer and clenched his palm, which held the blue flame. Instantly, the whole undead army started to retreat after that.

"I'm grateful for your help, bard of Solis—I am Raz Mi'ul Naseer."

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