Before dawn.
The Holy Knights, having completely shed all fatigue with three or four hours of sleep and brought their condition to its peak, began their activities in the darkness.
“First, set up the barrier.”
“Understood.”
The first thing they did before battle was to install a wide-range barrier centered around the church.
This place would soon become a chaotic battlefield where hundreds of Hunters would clash.
The barrier was a countermeasure for this. To protect the nascent city and its residents from the destruction that would erupt from the fight.
“Installation complete.”
“Good work.”
They finished preparations so that the barrier could be instantly activated with the press of a single button.
With the battlefield prepared, it was now time to prepare for battle.
Angela, dressed in plain clothes, gave orders to those gathered before her.
“Arm yourselves, then assemble.”
This was two hours before the battle began.
Silver-gray armor and thick shields. And Holy Knights, bearing various weapons on their backs and hips, exuded a noble aura.
Looking at them, one could understand why the Vatican Orthodox Church's prestige was so high.
Every single one of them possessed skills at the upper echelons of A-rank or higher. And the Knight Commander leading them was on the verge of S-rank.
“If you mess with them, you’ll be utterly destroyed.”
The weight of those armed with thick armor and shields was estimated to be several hundred kilograms. Imagine monsters moving effortlessly while wearing such gear, charging all at once.
Moreover, how terrifying would it be if these people, who would not flinch from death if it was God's will, charged with resolve?
“Is everyone ready?”
“Yes!”
A small reverberation spread around them. Their voices weren't loud, as they were preparing for a surprise attack.
But they were solemn. As if they were prepared to die here.
Towards the infinitely solemn group, Angela opened her mouth with a smile.
“Don't worry about dying, everyone. As long as I am here, none of you will die.”
Her silver armor, interspersed with gold, the menacing mace that looked capable of crushing an opponent's skull in one blow, and the golden shield adorned with a magnificent cross emblem on her back, made her look like a painting.
If a Valkyrie, who once roamed the battlefields of gods, existed in the present era, wouldn't she look like that?
She, who had raised her allies' morale to its maximum with a single sentence, declared.
“From now on, we commence the Church of Light Eradication Operation.”
Gripping her mace in one hand and shield in the other, she shifted into battle stance and uttered her final words.
“All forward.”
Saying so, she took the lead, advancing with the Holy Knights accompanying her.
I turned my head and looked at Seoyeon, who was frozen stiff beside me.
“We should go too.”
“Huh? Oh, right...!”
It was the first time I'd seen her so tense. Even when she experienced a similar operation in China, she didn't seem to be this frozen.
“Why are you so tense? You fought so well in China.”
When I asked, she replied with a bitter smile.
“Because I’ve experienced it once… I guess it’s scarier now.”
“Hmm.”
So that was it.
It varies from person to person, but sometimes the first time is easier. Why? Because you don't know anything. You just do as you're told, and more often than not, it's over before you even realize what's happening.
But those kinds of things usually become harder and scarier after you've done them once. Because now you know what they mean.
Not Hunter versus monster, but Hunter versus Hunter.
Seoyeon, who had realized the brutality of it, looked up at me with a gaze full of worry and continued.
“Will you make a promise with me…?”
“What kind of promise?”
“That you won’t get hurt this time.”
A faint fear lingered in her eyes.
I think I misunderstood. Seoyeon wasn't afraid of the operation itself. She was just worried about me. Afraid that something like what happened when Lu Bu targeted my life would occur again.
Instead of telling her not to worry, I told her the reality.
“As long as you choose the profession of a Hunter, you can’t avoid getting hurt.”
No matter how much you prepare, variables appear, and no matter how careful you are, crises strike. That is a Hunter. A profession where it wouldn't be strange to get hurt or die at any moment.
That's why I can't easily say I won't get hurt. A promise is even more out of the question.
“Th-that’s true.”
At my words, she quickly became sullen, pouting her lips. Was it because she was starting to open up her heart? Every time this happened, her childhood self would suddenly emerge. Even as a child, she'd pout her lips whenever she got upset, and it was still the same now.
I smiled bitterly and continued.
“Still, don’t worry this time.”
“……?”
I usually say I'll come back alive, but I rarely say I won't get hurt.
But this time, it's different.
“I won’t get hurt today.”
Even if all the fanatics of the Church of Light rushed at me, I was confident I wouldn't get a single hair harmed. In this perfectly laid out plan, only one person could pose a threat to me.
Angela Lopez, Apostle of Patience.
A skilled individual like her could even render my preparations meaningless.
But it was fine. She's on our side, isn't she?
“Let’s hurry and follow before we fall behind.”
“Okay...!”
With Seoyeon, whose expression had somewhat recovered, I followed the procession walking ahead. Just then, dawn began to break, and faint light streamed between the buildings rising here and there.
A tall building stood with its back to this light. In front of it, Angela shouted.
“Divine retribution upon these vile enemies who deceive the world and mislead the people!”
“Retribution—!”
The first objective was to quickly deal with the undefended enemies and reduce their numbers.
“Charge!”
The Holy Knights, led by Angela, increased their speed, their footsteps thudding. Instantly crossing the church grounds, reaching the building, she kicked open the firmly closed massive door with a flourish, and her face was painted with shock.
“Ah, no… what is this!?”
In the wide space beyond the open door, hundreds of Hunters stood, looking their way. And they were perfectly armed. As if they had known in advance that we would burst in.
“We’ve been waiting.”
A single voice echoed. The source was atop a platform, dimly visible beyond the hundreds of armed Hunters. There stood a man, his body draped in a pure white robe.
His age was roughly early forties. He had a kind impression. A gentle smile and wrinkles that naturally formed with that smile. A man who looked like a warm, generous uncle.
With a bright face, he spread his arms wide and continued speaking.
“Welcome.”
He was the leader of the Church of Light. An S-rank villain who had gained worldwide notoriety through his terrible abilities. A villain among villains, who had kidnapped hundreds of Hunters and brainwashed thousands of ordinary citizens to use them as his personal cash cow.
The Brain Washer.
“Our church’s prospective believers.”
The malice hidden within his seemingly kind smile bared its sharp teeth.
“Now, brothers! What are you doing? Why aren’t you guiding our prospective believers?”
“Yes, Leader!”
“Let’s guide these prospective believers into the embrace of our God, heh heh…!”
The Hunters, having received the leader's command, charged with ominous laughter, and the battle began.
Angela, startled by this, quickly regained her composure and shouted.
“Don’t panic! Nothing has changed!”
Right. The objective hadn't changed. Eradication of the Church of Light. Of course, it had become a bit more difficult because the operation had been discovered.
The Holy Knights, quickly regaining their wits, took up their swords and shields and engaged.
“I’m going too…!”
Seoyeon, who had been watching the situation beside me, joined in.
“Hmm…”
The battle, which had just begun, seemed evenly matched at first glance, but in reality, our side was at a disadvantage. A single Holy Knight was facing anywhere from five to as many as eight Hunters. With their unique recovery and resilience, they seemed to be fighting well for now, but they would soon show their limits.
“No choice then.”
I had no choice but to play my trump card a little early.
Leaving my allies, who were fiercely battling, behind, I quietly exited the building.
Kim Dojin had spent 4.4 billion of the Guardians' assets to purchase none other than magic stones. And not just any, but ten S-rank magic stones, each costing at least 500 million.
And he had embedded them all around the church grounds.
So, for what purpose did he buy these and bury them in the ground?
To expand the range.
[Activating Ruler's Domain.]
To make this small piece of land, given to him as his own, even grander.
Through continuous research and experimentation, he realized. Everything on that land was his property. Not just mana, but the ground he stood on, the air he breathed, the rustling wind, and even people.
However, he simply lacked the power to control them, and thus couldn't manipulate them as he wished.
What needed attention now was mana.
‘All mana within the Ruler’s Domain moves according to my will.’
All mana naturally residing within the domain was placed under Kim Dojin's will. In other words, it was safe to say that all of it was mana he could use.
Kim Dojin became curious.
‘Can’t I expand the domain further?’
It was natural for the domain to expand as his abilities grew. What Kim Dojin was curious about was not the expansion that came with natural growth, but forced expansion.
And he found it. That the mana and interference required to activate the Ruler's Domain could be established as a spell formula, carved into magic stones, and then deployed.
At the very edge of the line drawn by the Ruler's Domain. He remotely activated the spell formula carved into the S-rank magic stone embedded there.
Soon, another domain was created. And a message.
[Activating Ruler's Domain.]
The other domain thus created naturally interlocked with the domain spread around Kim Dojin.
A domain twice as wide. He activated the spell formula of the magic stone embedded at the edge of the newly drawn boundary.
[Activating Ruler's Domain.]
Repeat thereafter.
[Ruler's Domain...!]
[Ruler's....]
[Ruler....]
Ten magic stones and Kim Dojin. A total of eleven domains interlocked, transforming into one massive entity, large enough to encompass the vast stronghold of the Church of Light and then some.
He felt it. The mana within the forcibly expanded colossal domain felt as if it were all connected to his nerves.
“Hah… this feels amazing.”
He was actually smiling. Not an ordinary smile, but a dangerous grin steeped in an ineffable, distant pleasure.
His gaze turned towards the two groups clashing and fighting outside the building.
“Hmph.”
Amusing. It felt like a grown-up watching a neighborhood kids' fight.
‘…Except for Angela.’
She was, how should I put it? Like an adult who tried to break up a neighborhood kids' fight, got caught up in it, and ended up acting like Lu Bu, smacking the kids on the head.
She was that formidable.
‘Is that what a true Apostle is like?’
It was as if she was demonstrating, "This is the true power of an Apostle who has fully bloomed their potential."
But even for her, the current situation didn't seem easy. More precisely, a crisis was approaching the Holy Knights she led.
‘Looks like they’re reaching their limit.’
Their recovery ability couldn't keep up with the deep wounds. If things continued like this, they wouldn't avoid annihilation.
Seeing this, he decided.
‘I’ll seize the initiative.’
To take complete control of this battle. To do that, he needed to capture the attention of both allies and enemies with a powerful impact.
Just then, something good came to mind.
A grand magic discovered in an S-rank dungeon in England. Known to require such an immense amount of mana that it could never be used by a single person. In fantasy novels or games, it was the pinnacle of fire magic, a familiar ultimate skill to all.
‘Meteor.’
Kim Dojin intended to reveal a shocking truth to everyone at this opportune moment. The uncomfortable truth that Meteor, known as the ultimate fire magic, was not actually fire magic.
When they learned this, they would be gripped by a shock and terror as immense as when they realized that Santa Claus didn't actually exist in this world.