My World to Free-use

227: Holy vs Shadow?

“Kugh!”And that’s the last one of those who could fight.

[Level up]

Come on, that many kills and only one level. Well, it kinda made sense. They were all low-level scrubs.

“Please… why are you killing us?” One of the remaining survivors asked the ones on the king’s side.

Oops, almost forgot about him.

Slice…

Killing the last one, the servant, I straightened my neck and turned in the direction from where frost chills were coming, along with sounds of explosions as wood splinters carried this far from the force.

I didn’t need to be told where Elizabeth was, but I had no idea who was fighting her. Probably Carlson, but since I never knew what element of magic he specialized in, it could be anyone. But I knew for sure who it wasn’t.

“Wow. You killed them all.” A handsome man emerged from the woods, a shield and a sword slung over his back, his posture straight, his attitude laid-back.

“You didn’t even spare the servants. Couldn’t let your secret come out?” George, the king of this ,spoke as if he knew who I was underneath the armor.

“Funny. I don’t remember killing the servants.” I replied.

“Oh, yes. That was on Lord Carlson’s orders. He wanted to get rid of you, but couldn’t be bothered to search for you among all of them. It was unfortunate, but sometimes, to save time, one has to take some drastic measures.” George replied leisurely.

“Time is money,” I replied.

“Exactly. I mean, killing thousands to kill one heretic is faster than spending resources to flush him out. Better to just burn them all.” George replied with the same leisurely attitude.

“Let me guess…” I asked, getting into a battle stance, “You’re with the church.”

“Right on target,” George replied.

“And if I were to kill you here, right now?” I asked.

“Well, you can’t. But if you did, you would be making an eternal enemy of the church. Sure, they don’t have a paladin like me in droves, but they still have enough to turn this country to nothing.” George replied.

“Lady Elara wouldn’t let that happen.” I countered.

“Lady Elara would be nothing but a statue of stone soon. Her days of battle would soon be over.” George replied.

He wasn’t a loudmouth. He was telling me that because he was confident, nothing could stop this.

But if they had their plans, so did we. We might be at a disadvantage at the moment, but soon, everything will be fine and dandy.

And that was precisely why fighting him right now wasn’t feasible.

~~

Getting into a battle stance in his black armor, Jack positioned his twin daggers before him, as if ready to fight.

George, as confident as ever, simply buffed himself with a divine shield and pulled his shield and sword from his back, ready to fight a battle.

But…

Jack turned immediately and began to run in a certain direction. Elara’s direction.

“Haha.” George chuckled, “I knew you would do that.”

Jack moved through the deeper shadows near a cluster of thick oaks, his form burrowing at the edges as he stayed low.

The armor melded with the surrounding gloom, making him difficult to track.

The twin daggers in his hand left faint trails of shadow as he ran. His agility was enough to rival a master, and each of his steps was precise and economical as he circled through the trees, using trunks and patches of darkness for cover.

Behind him, a distance away, George followed. His golden armor caught the silver moonlight and reflected it in hard, gleaming edges, turning him into a bright target against the surrounding dark.

The holy runes across the plates pulsed with steady white light. He held a massive tower shield on his left arm and a long, blessed sword in his right hand, effortlessly, even as he ran at a speed rivaling Jack’s.

Every movement of his was deliberate and powerful, and even though Jack was a little distance away, he was slowly catching up to him.

George’s voice cut through the quiet as he ran, “You should have died without resistance back there. Now I’ll have to kill you painfully.”

Jack didn’t answer with words. He slipped sideways, staying in the deeper darkness, then used a short repositioning step to appear at George’s flank. He knew running away was useless, as George was currently blessed and his attributes were higher than their already high original point.

The daggers in his hand flashed in a rapid dual-wield sequence, the increased attack speed letting him land several quick strikes against the golden armor.

Damage bit into the metal with each hit; the critical strikes landed when he struck from the side.

One blade drew a thin line of blood along George’s arm before the king could fully turn.

George spun with trained power, shield sweeping outward in a wide arc. The heavy tower shield caught Jack across the chest and drove him backward into a tree trunk.

The impact shook through the armor, but the force only rattled his bones at most and knocked the wind out of him. There was no major injury.

But George immediately followed with a powerful downward strike.

Jack used shadow jump to appear several paces to the side as the blade clattered on the earth where he had stood, sending dirt and roots flying.

“You’re fast.” George spoke as the cut on his arm healed by the divine energy, already moving forward again easily, his shield raised, “But speed won’t save you tonight.”

Jack circled through the trees, using the shadows to reposition and jump. He threw one dagger in a precise arc. The blade spun through the air, trailing shadow, and struck George’s raised shield with a heavy thunk. It bit into the metal before returning to Jack’s hand using a mana thread.

George’s eyes didn’t miss that, and he had already observed Jack’s superior movements, stemming not only from control but also from experience. Something that others would have dismissed when considering Jack’s age.

Analyzing this, George moved quickly because ,while he was behind in terms of control and experience, he was clearly far superior in terms of power.

He activated a buff, golden light flaring brighter across his armor as his movements sharpened and his strength increased. A continuous healing spell was activated, recovering not only his wounds but his stamina as well, at the cost of divine energy, which he seemed to have in droves.

Jack pressed against him from the darkness, using shadow jump to appear behind George. The dagger flashed in another fast combo, targeting gaps in the golden armor, accumulating damage with every strike.

George turned into the assault, his sword sweeping in a powerful horizontal cut that forced Jack to give ground. The blade sheared through a thick branch, sending it crashing down between them.

George charged forward, shield leading. He used the massive tower shield to batter through smaller obstacles, closing the distance with heavy steps.

Jack tried to step away into the deeper shadows, but George’s golden armor pushed back the surrounding darkness, the holy light making it harder to stay hidden for long.

When Jack appeared again from the side after knowing rthat unning away was difficult, George was ready to face him this time.

He slammed his shield outward in a powerful bash that caught Jack across the ribs and sent him staggering. While Jack was well-rounded, experienced, and difficult to attack, all George needed was one good strike to turn the scales of the battle in his favor because of his powerful strikes.

The armor helped cushion the blow, but the force still drove Jack back into the underbrush.

George followed without pause, his sword rising and falling in measured, powerful strikes. Each blow carrying the weight of his immense strength.

Jack used his ability to dodge and weave between the trees, the daggers flashing whenever he found an opening. He landed another series of quick hits, marking the golden plates with damage, but George’s continuous healing spells kept the worst of the wounds closed.

The king’s defense remained solid, shield always in position, sword ready to punish overextension.

“Is it just me, or are you getting slower?” George said as he pressed forward, his voice steady despite pressing the fight, “All that running and hiding is wearing you down.”

Jack didn’t respond. He used shadow jump to appear on George’s flank and threw both daggers in quick succession.

The blades struck the shield and the side of the armor, but George turned with his shield, absorbing most of the impact.

He answered with a powerful overhead swing that split the air. Jack used a short movement skill to avoid the strike, reappearing several paces away as the blade carved deep into a tree trunk.

“You sure are slippery like an eel,” George commented and continued his attacks.

~~

How did you find the battle scene? It's kind of my first time writing in such detail, usually I'd just slash here and slash there, but I'm reading a manhwa these days, and battle scenes in it are epic. Wanted to write as elaborately as I could after being inspired by them.