I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 691: Lukewarm Water and Cold Ice (2)

"Sister!"

The remaining priestess sisters cried out in alarm at the sight of Catherine flying so far away she was no longer visible to the naked eye.

"Oh dear. You ladies there, stay still. Are you thinking of interfering in a sacred one-on-one battle?"

Helia, who had sent Catherine flying, used her phantasmal beasts to keep the priestesses in check.

Though she spoke playfully, Helia was serious.

She was already struggling to deal with Catherine, and if the priestesses joined in, she would definitely be at a disadvantage. In that case, it would be better to quickly cut off the priestesses' breath here.

The priestesses also sensed this and hesitated.

They weren't weak, but they were no match for Helia, who could manifest ancient monsters into reality.

"Smart ladies."

Confirming that the priestesses wouldn't interfere, Helia climbed onto the back of a pterodactyl-like monster and flew after Catherine.

'I hope she flew all the way outside the island.'

Just as she was wondering if Catherine might have crashed somewhere, a golden beam of light flew from the distance and pierced through the pterodactyl.

"What a surprise."

Helia escaped from the pterodactyl engulfed in golden flames and summoned a new flying phantasmal beast to mount.

It was a large bird with a human face.

"Too bad. I was hoping to end this quickly."

Catherine appeared with her golden wings spread wide, speaking with a smile.

That wasn't all.

In Catherine's right hand was a spear made of light, and in her left hand was a shield of light.

Behind her, the form of a gigantic giant rose up, looking down at Helia.

"Ha. This is really ridiculous. Are you really using all the powers possessed by the priestesses?"

Catherine handled all the sacred arts and abilities used by the priestess sisters.

How was that possible?

"No. I was thinking wrong. The priestesses' abilities originated from your power."

Catherine smiled as if it was the correct answer.

Catherine wasn't using all the powers of the priestesses.

Rather, it was the opposite.

The priestesses were using Catherine's power.

"And your power is, in fact, a fragment left behind by Arkenis, the saint from the distant past whose lineage has now been cut off."

After Arkenis' death, the Church had made tireless efforts to create a saint.

But the lost power of the saint had no intention of returning to the Church.

So the Church used the fragments of power that Arkenis had left in the Church to create a saint with them.

Countless children died through countless experiments.

At the end of the tower built with those deaths, one finished product was born.

Saint Catherine.

She showed tremendous compatibility with the saint's power and, though insufficient compared to the real Arkenis, came to possess tremendous sacred power and strength.

There were results other than Catherine too.

The current priestesses were the failures of the artificial saint project.

Though not all of them, they were given the position of priestess because they could handle at least part of the saint's power.

Helia clicked her tongue inwardly.

'If implementing just part of the real thing's power results in that level, just how strong was Saint Arkenis' power a thousand years ago?'

Helia knew that Arkenis was strong, but since she had never fought her directly, she didn't really know her true capabilities.

She only knew the fact that even Surna had been defeated every time.

She had mocked Surna back then, but actually facing the saint's power made her feel like a fool for having done so.

"Ah, how annoying. I don't have a taste for exhausting fights."

The moment Helia faced Catherine's intense aura, she instinctively knew this fight wouldn't end easily.

If she didn't take this seriously, she would die.

Just looking at the golden giant that appeared behind Catherine showed that.

It looked ready to bring down the great sword in its hand at any moment.

There was no way she could fight half-heartedly while leaving something like that alone.

"I have no choice. Then I'll get a bit serious too."

Helia activated her authority.

Her fighting method was always simple.

Using her authority to create phantasms with substance.

In a way, it could be said that beyond phantasms, she was changing reality itself into something else.

Behind Helia, who was riding the flying phantasmal beast, a gigantic body appeared.

A large body covered in countless scales.

Sharp horns rising like a crown above its head.

An elongated protruding snout and ferociously protruding teeth.

-Flap!

Every time the large wings wrapped in membranes flapped, storm-like winds swept around.

Dragon

The absolute ruler and supreme species from the distant past that had now become completely extinct and was only mentioned in myths.

Not just one dragon over 100 meters long from head to tail, but three of them appeared.

ROAAAAAR!

The dragons roared.

The noise pushed through the air and tore through the atmosphere.

Leading the dragons was Helia.

"Fight with me, uncles."

Before the world called her a demon, in the harmonious era when various races lived together, the title Helia held was Dragon Princess.

Because Catherine had left to fight Helia, the remaining priestesses didn't know what to do.

If only they had been left behind, they would have gone to the castle, but Rene was also with them in this place.

Catherine had asked her sisters to take good care of Rene.

Since it was a request from their respected eldest sister, the priestesses couldn't leave Rene in danger.

Then they had to make a choice here.

Stay in this place until Catherine returns?

Or risk danger and head to the castle?

What prompted that choice was the plant offensive that arose by turning the ground upside down.

At first they wondered if it was a phantasmal beast that Helia had left behind, but it wasn't.

The three priestesses moved with tremendous reaction speed without panicking in that split second.

"Camilla! Please take care of that girl!"

The army of trees that burst through the ground instantly created a forest.

The trees moved, extending branches and roots, and two priestesses stepped forward, raising their sacred power to confront the forest.

Priestess Ariel and Priestess Lucia immediately recognized whose attack this forest was.

The very person who had summoned the giant tree that Catherine had defeated, the one blocking the gate.

If they entered the fight with a half-hearted attitude, they would be defeated.

"Let's retreat."

The last remaining priestess, Camilla, forcibly dragged Rene away as they retreated.

"What about those two? We have to go help them!"

"The sisters are strong, so they'll be fine. What's important now is your safety. Big sister said to definitely protect you. So I must protect you no matter what."

The forest's offensive chased after Rene, going beyond Ariel and Lucia.

Camilla and Rene had to keep running to avoid that wave.

Camilla used sacred arts to create a golden hemisphere around them.

The flood of trees was blocked by the barrier and could no longer push in.

But Camilla was also bound in place as she had to maintain the sacred art.

Camilla spoke reassuringly to Rene, who was trembling with anxiety.

"You don't need to worry. Among the sisters, I have the lowest combat power, but conversely, I handle sacred arts specialized in protecting someone."

That was why the other sisters had entrusted Rene to Camilla.

"I can hold out for at least an hour or more."

"An hour, then after that..."

"If the enemy's offensive continues, I can't guarantee what happens after that. So we have no choice but to wait for big sister to finish fighting and return quickly."

At that moment, the trees that had been pounding the barrier stopped moving.

Just as they wondered what was happening, the trees split left and right, and a girl revealed herself beyond the barrier.

'That child is...Sedina Roschen.’

Rene immediately recognized her as Rudger's assistant professor.

Sedina glanced at the golden barrier and then glared at Rene with cold eyes.

Though she didn't speak, those eyes seemed to be questioning why she had come here.

Priestess Camilla was equally surprised.

"...To think such a young girl caused this massive flood of trees."

Camilla instinctively realized that Sedina was not an ordinary mage.

Controlling trees so freely to this extent was impossible unless one was a Colour Mage.

Though priestesses were strong, they weren't at the level to fight a Colour Mage one-on-one.

"For now, you're unnecessary, so I'll have to get rid of you."

Sedina declared in a cold voice.

When she extended her hand, the surrounding trees moved and coiled around the barrier like snakes.

-CRRRRRACK!

The trees wrapped around the hemispherical barrier applied strong pressure with all their might.

Under the tremendous force squeezing with all the strength of a giant's grip, Camilla bit her lip.

'Too strong!'

The power of the trees responding to Sedina's seriousness was beyond ordinary magic.

Her protective sacred art, which she was confident in for defense, began to crack.

At this rate, she would be captured.

'What should I do? I need to at least send this child to safety...'

Camilla's worry didn't last long.

Suddenly, Rene approached her and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"You, what are you trying to..."

Just as Camilla was about to ask something, both of their figures disappeared from the spot like a mirage.

They didn't rise into the sky, nor did they sink into the ground.

They literally vanished.

Seeing this, Sedina's eyes widened.

'That magic!'

Sedina had seen magic similar to that before.

How could she not know? It was the same as the spatial movement magic used by Rudger, whom she admired more than anyone.

However, there was a difference.

While Rudger used shadows as a medium to designate coordinates and move, Rene could move without such unnecessary restrictions and processes.

'Did she escape? Where?'

She never dreamed that Rene would use such magic.

Now she seemed to understand why the saint and priestesses had brought Rene to this place.

'An ability to leap across space. This is too dangerous. She could send dangerous enemies directly to the teacher's side.'

Being able to leap across space with someone regardless of terrain and geography meant having an overwhelming advantage on the battlefield.

She had to find them.

Sedina immediately read information from the plant roots scattered in all directions.

The ground of this battlefield was in a state where seeds she had planted had taken root and spread an intricate wide network.

As long as they didn't leave Bretus, they couldn't escape Sedina's eyes.

'Found them.'

Rene had appeared at a place over 1km away from here. Naturally, she was with Camilla, who had moved together.

'To move such a distance in an instant.'

With a little effort, moving even greater distances wouldn't be impossible.

'I have to catch her now.'

Sedina was about to immediately pursue Rene, but had to stop in her tracks after hearing news from the plants.

Ariel and Lucia were pushing through the dense forest like bulldozers, approaching Sedina.

Because she had revealed herself to catch Rene, Sedina had also been located by them.

Seeing the priestesses approaching at high speed, wreathed in golden flames, Sedina bit her lip hard.

"Don't interfere with teacher!"

Trees grew thick around them, and flower beds bloomed in full.

The Holy Cross Crusaders pushed in like a tide.

There was no hesitation in their advance.

Their purpose was to quickly break into the castle.

Therefore, they bypassed places where battles were taking place as much as possible and passed through quickly.

"We've finally arrived."

"Is this the castle at last?"

Having reached the castle entrance, they swallowed hard seeing the tremendous traces of destruction carved at the entrance.

As if a flood had occurred, the ground was sticky with mixed water and soil, and the terrain was a complete mess as if it had been plowed over once more.

Moreover, there were traces of a hastily grown forest and the remains of that forest being burned.

"Just what happened here?"

The Holy Crusaders' contemplation couldn't continue long.

The light of Galahad Castle grew stronger and a roar echoed from inside.

They had no time to be surprised or leisure to judge this situation.

"Everyone move! We don't have time to dawdle here!"

The crusaders rushed into the castle en masse.

"They've finally come."

Surna felt the presence from outside.

At the point where the cardinals had already burst in, the castle entrance was as good as breached, but it was still faster than expected.

"Anyway, wasn't this sufficiently anticipated up to this point? At least the castle's structure itself has changed, so their movements will be delayed further."

"That would be fortunate."

"Since the inside has narrow and complex paths, it will actually be easier to block than outside."

Of course, they had also deployed separate forces for defense inside.

"You said it would be easier to block?"

"Yes."

"For something that's supposed to be easier to block, wasn't it breached too easily?"

Though it was a statement without context, Rudger understood well enough.

"Considering the opponent's capabilities, this is natural."

Rudger muttered this while lightly waving his hand.

The wave of mana that arose following that gesture scattered like powder, completely clearing away the water barrier formed in the air.

"Oh my. I didn't expect to be discovered so soon."

"Appearing like this is only good once or twice, how about changing methods soon?"

"I'll have to do that next time. Do you have any good methods to recommend?"

A brazenly responding voice.

Rudger looked at Casey Selmore, who had reached this place.

By her side was Betty, who had also prepared for battle stance in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

"Casey Selmore. Have you come to kill me?"

"Thinking of the current Holy War, naturally defeating the Demon King would be right, but..."

Casey stared directly at Rudger without avoiding his eyes.

How long did they exchange glances?

Casey withdrew her mana.

"The current you doesn't look at all like the Demon King people talk about. At least that's how I see it."

"From what you're saying, it seems you have another purpose."

At the words that pierced to the essence, Casey readily nodded.

"Yes, that's right. I need your help. That's why I came looking for you."

"To me, the Demon King?"

"Sister is coming."

Casey's concise words contained a lot.

"To kill you."