About a minute after the Thousand-Man Slayer Regenshauer was forcibly teleported to the underground chamber by the priests’ yang magic, 〈Trans Prisoner〉.
“………?”
Chesa felt the hairs on her body stand on end.
‘What… is this mana?’
She unconsciously looks toward the ceiling.
From there, she senses a flow of immense energy unlike anything she’s felt before.
Unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar mana.
The next moment.
—Paaaaaat!!
A massive sphere of darkness.
It shatters the 〈Sacred Cradle〉 barrier, which had allowed no intrusions for hundreds of years, in a single strike, and ‘disintegrates’ the ceiling made of holy iron alloy as well.
An utterly unreal sight.
While everyone is stunned,
Chak!
Someone who fell through the hole in the ceiling lands lightly on the floor.
A woman with remarkably bizarre hair.
Swiik!
As the descended woman lightly gestures, the void sphere that caused the series of astonishing phenomena evaporates without a trace.
Afterward, leisurely surveying the faces gathered here, the woman greets Elcoro and the priests with a cheerful attitude.
“Hmm… Hello?”
Long hair like multiple gradients overlaid, a petite woman clad in the black uniform distinctive of the continent’s northernmost region.
The moment I see her, my eyes widen.
“Fuck!”
Immediately after, a raw curse bursts from my mouth.
“…Aiden?”
Chesa, clinging tightly inside the robe, shows great surprise.
But right now, I have no leeway to reassure her.
Has there been a moment as shocking as this since possession?
I can confidently say no.
Everything has gone awry with that woman’s appearance.
The Schnifelt family’s masterpiece, Iris.
The current strongest on Prima Continent, the Part 2 final boss who brought rapid power inflation to ‘Reca Chronicles.’
Considering her appearance timing, she was excessively powerful, and her strength is such that, excluding a handful of monsters appearing in Part 4, no one clearly surpasses her.
But why.
Why is that woman there?
Iris is the one who manifested the Schnifelt blood most densely.
However, as a backlash matching that power, she is more strongly bound by the oath with the Dragon God than anyone.
To emerge outside at such an early time, bearing that risk—I never anticipated it.
“…To avoid the backlash from the curse, she must be cautious with every action, yet she reveals herself at a place like the Sun Cathedral? Is she insane?”
My brain overloads more than ever.
My heart races.
As hyperventilation makes breathing ragged.
[You are in a state of extreme agitation.]
[Initiating mental correction via Serene Clarity (A).]
Right after the message window appears before my eyes, my near-exploding head cools rapidly.
It’s the rapid mental correction effect from the 「Serene Clarity (A)」 trait.
Immediately after.
[MacGuffin No.134 / 『Cathedral Destroyer』 recovered.]
[Achievement points +5,000]
[Recovered a MacGuffin No.250 or below. As a reward, ‘Random Gold Card’ is unlocked!]
The Tripper System notifies the MacGuffin recovery and the unlock of a new card.
From this, I can tell that in the original history, Iris was involved in the Sun Cathedral’s destruction.
Meaning the butterfly effect from my actions didn’t change this event.
Whatever the case, her appearance here is a clear reality.
I hold my breath while maintaining the ‘Insulation’ state.
Tanya Ornick’s unusual behavior.
Recent incidents among external believers.
Based on these evidences, the cathedral side speculated that Clara’s disappearance stemmed from a certain faction’s conspiracy.
And if the mastermind made a move, it was likely during the gathering when the cathedral’s security was most lax.
Thus, the cathedral’s higher-ups requested aid from several powerful external believers for the next gathering.
Elcoro Dubao, their representative, nodded nonchalantly.
He had faith enough to call himself a Dragon God follower, after all.
Of course, he was a man who worshiped money more than the Dragon God, and even in such critical times, he didn’t stop taking bribes to insert outsiders into the gathering.
Truly a hotbed of corrupt believers.
The cathedral side is aware of his misdeeds.
But Elcoro Dubao is one of the Continent’s Twelve Heroes.
In the higher-ups’ judgment, he’s a talent worth overlooking such eccentricities.
Elcoro also knows full well his position is solid.
He is one of Prima Continent’s most famous warriors, with pride to match.
With such an extremely inflated ego, he doesn’t feel great wariness even at the appearance of the woman with bizarre hair.
He merely snorts.
“Hmph! Seems that rat had a companion. Not unexpected.”
“Sir Dubao… That woman looks like a terrifying mage.”
“Don’t worry. Spellcasters are fundamentally frail. Even Tristan Alabur, one of the Triple Stars, couldn’t exert his full power before me.”
“B-But just now, the 〈Sacred Cradle〉 was destroyed…”
“Ha!”
Elcoro bursts into laughter out of sheer absurdity.
He glares at the priest who advised him as if he’s an insect.
“Listen, if that thing on your shoulders isn’t decoration, think a bit. There’s no mage who can destroy the cathedral’s barrier alone, right? She must have hidden some high-cost magitech weapon somewhere and activated it. She can’t use such a terrifying weapon multiple times.”
“That does make sense, but…”
The high priest, still unable to shake off the anxiety.
At that, Elcoro feels immense displeasure.
“Listen, high priest. Why so anxious? Do you distrust this Elcoro Dubao? I didn’t know the Sun Cathedral thought so little of me!”
“A-Absolutely not…!”
“Enough. Quietly prepare 〈Trans Prisoner〉. While you chant, I’ll handle that woman.”
With a deeply crumpled expression, Elcoro draws his beloved mace.
Soon, he steps forward, leaving the priests behind.
Iris, who has been silently watching the scene, asks.
“Done chatting?”
“Yes. Mage. I’ll specially be your opponent.”
“You seem pretty strong?”
“Yes. I am Elcoro Dubao, a member of the Continent’s Twelve Heroes and the greatest toadman warrior. If you have even a shred of honor, state your name before battle.”
“Sorry. It’s a secret. More importantly, if you’re one of the Continent’s Twelve Heroes, that means you’re grouped with that sword saint? So… you’re as strong as Edval Heimfjord?”
Grit!
Elcoro grinds his teeth.
Those who saw his skill unanimously praised him lavishly, but some touched his lofty pride by saying he’s a cut below the sword saint.
“What nonsense… I’m far stronger than that Edval or whatever!”
Hearing that, Iris’s golden eyes sparkle with rainbow light.
Suddenly, her pupils slit vertically like a reptile’s.
It’s the analysis trait, 『Rainbow Evil Eye (S)』.
“Really? Doesn’t look that way at a glance.”
Instead of replying, Elcoro chooses to charge by kicking off the ground.
First strike wins.
When mages engage in battle, they basically need long preparation.
Unless thoroughly prepared, if you close in suddenly and smash the head, even a grand mage like Tristan Alabur has no recourse.
Iris merely watches the Continent’s Twelve Hero-level warrior’s charge with arms crossed leisurely.
Like a child who found an amusing spectacle…
‘Hagel, below that kid.’
Having assessed him, even the small interest vanishes from her expression.
Only annoyance remains.
‘Using Third on this guy is a bit much…!’
Iris brings both hands together.
Multicolored elements gather in her clasped hands.
Compressed and fused to the extreme, the elements lose their individualities and transform into a void sphere that returns everything to nothing.
〈Second-Void〉
The distinct dark sphere shoots forward.
Flying at a speed where even afterimages are hard to capture, it directly hits the charging Elcoro.
Pat!
The next moment.
The corridor becomes a sea of blood.
“………?!”
“W-What?”
The priests preparing 〈Trans Prisoner〉 are greatly shaken.
They only grasp the situation after a few seconds.
The large amount of blood scattered on the floor was part of what had been the human Elcoro Dubao just moments ago.
A warrior belonging to the Continent’s Twelve Heroes evaporates in an instant without leaving even flesh fragments.
“Damn! We need to send that monster to where the dragon tooth soldiers are, quickly!”
“Y-Yes!”
Yet, the priests have a sliver of hope left.
Namely, the fact that the teleportation spell they used on Regenshauer moments ago is nearly complete.
However.
The red magic circle drawn beneath Iris’s feet—the essential for activating the teleportation spell—erases without a trace.
The priests’ faces dye with despair.
“W-What have you…”
“I used a sealing spell called 〈Prescribe Zone〉 when entering. Thanks to covering the cathedral interior with my mana, spatial spells here are already fundamentally blocked. It’d be troublesome for us if you kept using spells like 〈Trans Prisoner〉.”
Saying that, Iris extends her right hand forward, and blinding light generates.
Beautiful beams of light extend from that source.
〈Prism Clip〉
Beautiful.
Right after someone thinks that,
Pashuk! Pushuk!
Piercing the hearts of all priests simultaneously, they all die cleanly without even time to scream.
“Hmm.”
After briefly examining the corpses created by her hand, she soon smashes the tightly closed door to the innermost area and enters.
On the altar in the innermost area is a cape made from dragon scales, 『Flame Dragon Scale (S)』.
Her eyes shine rainbow again.
From the evil eye analysis, divine energy clearly resides in the cape.
Confirming this, she nods satisfied.
“Mm, seems it’s not a fake.”
Well, those stuffy cathedral folks wouldn’t commit such divine blasphemy.
Thinking that, Iris dons the cape made of dragon scales.
Chwaruk!
Drawing it up and infusing mana, she adjusts the 〈Sacred Cradle〉’s filter to ‘entry and exit impossible’ state.
Thus, all Dragon God followers of the Sun Cathedral become trapped inside the building.
“Ah, right, almost forgot.”
Additionally infusing mana, she commands the barrier’s repair.
Then, the ceiling part she destroyed with 〈Third-Void〉 roughly restores.
Finishing the work, Iris activates 〈Sweet Voice〉 spell to send a message to her distant spouse.
“I’ll clean from above, so Resha, kill everything from underground and come up. We’ll meet back in the hall when done.”
She draws a prepared heirloom from her bosom.
A metal plate about 40 cm floats in the air.
Numbers display on it.
『Secret Numbering Counter (S)』
-Dragon God’s shackle-derived curse causality calculation
-Number of personnel to process for secrecy: 881
“So many.”
Iris’s mouth splits into a wide grin.
Time to start cleaning.
Iris descending the stairs with a hum.
I, finally able to breathe, release the ‘Insulation’ state.
“Hoo, hoo….”
Within 30 seconds of that woman’s appearance, Elcoro and the priests are annihilated, and since then, various restrictions stack up, completely reversing the smooth flow.
To summarize in one word.
Worst-case scenario.
The 『Flame Dragon Scale (S)』 has gone to Iris, and the 〈Sacred Cradle〉’s filter is adjusted according to her will.
The problem is that woman activated 〈Prescribe Zone〉, fundamentally blocking spell activation in the cathedral interior.
If someone of Iris’s level, not just anyone, activated this spell, then my prepared escape means, 〈Padio Blink〉, also becomes useless.
Thus, the remaining path is one.
<Iris Schnifelt>
[Level: 77/83]
[HP: 13] [Strength: 17] [Agility: 16]
[MP: 42] [Mind: 01] [Senses: 14]
[Divinity: 08]
[Traits: Sub-Dragon (S+), Rainbow Evil Eye (S), Dense Elemental Amplification (S), Energy Condensation · Extreme (S), Snowfield Star (A), and 5 others]
[Skills: Compression Fusion (S), Snowfield Secret Yin Magic · Extreme (S), Four Seasons Heart Method (A), Snowfield Mana Cultivation Method (A), and 4 others]
[Description: Age 49, human. Current head of the Schnifelt family. Wife of the Thousand-Man Slayer Regenshauer, the family’s masterpiece who manifested all traits at theoretically highest levels.]
Snatching the Flame Dragon Scale from that monster and readjusting the barrier’s filter.