I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 215

"Grr... ugh...!"

"One... great... cycle..."

The voices of the minions, filled with breaths and magic, echoed from all directions. Grapes dropped their yellow flesh with a squelch, and with each drop, the poisonous mist grew thicker.

Buzz—

Insects swam through the mist, only to be struck down by arrows that followed. The arrows pierced their thick shells and wings, imbued with magic.

"Run! Kitty! Don’t fall behind!" However, Thesaya, the one who had shot those arrows, didn’t even realize she was imbuing magic into her arrows. Charlotte, cradling Ian to keep his head from bobbing, growled and picked up the pace.

Swish—

The waves of mist moved faster than the minions. To the group, it seemed like yellow tides were closing in from both sides. But their sprint was swift enough. They could make it through the monastery gates before the toxic waves engulfed them—if they could break through the barrier of minions howling beyond the gate.

At least Mev was confident they could. Despite not being clad in divine light, her charge at the front did not slow down.

"The unity... of the cycle...!"

"Wo... arrgh—"

The minions facing Mev moved almost simultaneously. Each extended their hands forward and clacked their toothless jaws. With every movement, faint poisonous spores floated around them.

"Philip!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Mev, turning her body slightly, raised her dual sword to her chest and shouted. Philip, following behind, lifted his sword as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Woosh—

A veil of light erupted along the blade, enveloping Mev as she extended forward, forming the Barrier of Light.

The barrier was the first to cross the monastery’s fence.

Sizzle—

The bodies of the minions and the spores they emitted began to burn. Despite this, they thrashed their outstretched hands as if they felt no pain.

Crash.

Then, an armored knight slammed into the minions like a cannonball, crushing and scattering four or five of them. Mev didn’t stop swinging her dual sword with all her might.

Crack.

A sweeping arc tore through everything in its path, ripping and bursting apart rather than slicing cleanly. The minions, burning under the holy veil, were shredded like rotten meat. Though the charge slowed slightly, Mev's sword never stopped.

The vast arcs formed by her dual swords whirled in infinite patterns, relentlessly cutting down the enemies. Occasionally, her shoulders, elbows, and steel fists struck out to fill the gaps in her sword’s trajectory.

Crack! Smash!

Even as the shimmering Barrier of Light around her faded, her movements didn’t stop. To Philip’s eyes, she was nothing short of a human pulverizer. It made sense; the body of a paladin blessed by the gods was fundamentally different from that of an ordinary human. Her muscles were denser and more flexible, and her bones were as hard as steel.

"Don’t worry about the rear!" Yet Philip, an ordinary human, did not fall behind.

He had learned from Mev and Ian and had internalized combat techniques through countless repetitions and drills. His body gained strength from the divine essence contained within his sacred artifact. The holy-infused sword pierced and struck down the minions, that attempted to exploit any gaps. The round shield on his left hand did not exist merely to push away the hands of the minions.

Smash! Smash!

The shield, reinforced with Imperial steel, was as effective as a bludgeon. Even as he swung and stabbed, Philip would occasionally extend a broad holy barrier to burn the poison spores and create space for the group. Of course, he could only cover one side, but that was enough.

"Roar!" Charlotte, cradling Ian, also did her part. Though both her arms and shoulders were dedicated to safely holding Ian, her orange eyes gleamed more fiercely than ever. Her mane whipped violently, and her fur stood on end.

Thud!

In an instant, her knee guard smashed into an approaching minion’s head, crushing it like a watermelon. She spun and lashed out with her other foot. Her steel boots, sharpened like claws, slashed through the oncoming minions like blades. But she couldn’t cover every direction. The moldy minions, devoid of fear and terror, continued to close in on her, reaching out and snapping their jaws.

"...!" Charlotte's brow furrowed as she landed in a crouch. Several minions had evaded her kicks and were reaching out from close range. Just as she was about to twist to protect Ian—

Thud, thud.

Arrows thudded into the heads of the nearest minions. As their heads caved in and they collapsed, "What are you looking at? Run!" Thesaya shouted, catching Charlotte’s eye.

Smiling, Charlotte immediately launched herself forward again.

Thesaya quickly drew two arrows from her quiver. "If only Ian were fine...!"

She shot two more arrows in quick succession, causing two insects climbing over the fence to lose their balance and fall. The group could focus on the enemies on the ground thanks to her. Running at the rear, Thesaya provided omnidirectional support and ensured not a single insect reached the group.

Woosh!

From a certain time onward, her arrows never missed their mark. She always had two or three arrows between her fingers, firing them in rapid succession. What she couldn’t achieve in practice, she now did effortlessly. Yet there was no sign of pride or satisfaction on Thesaya’s face.

"Faster! Redhead! Move faster!"

The toxic mist was now rolling over the monastery’s walls. Not only was the space they had cleared filling up again, but the creatures following them were also pouring in.

From goblins and trolls to various beasts, and even gigantic creatures that seemed haphazardly molded from clay, all were entangled in their rush to be the first through the gate. Fortunately, this slowed their advance somewhat. However, it was still too many for just the four of them to handle.

"Grr..."

"The great... unity..."

On the other side, minions continued to emerge from the monastery atop the hill, climbing the stone steps. The unnatural darkness beyond the wide-open gate had already spewed out dozens more minions.

"I’ve survived this long... I won’t die now. Never...!"

Even as she spat out the words like a spell, Thesaya kept shooting her arrows without stopping. Veins bulged around her eyes, and blood dripped from her nose, though she didn’t notice.

Crack! Smash!

The group steadily broke through the encirclement. Mev, eyes fixed on the monastery ahead, swung her sword relentlessly. At some point, she forgot to even catch her breath, cutting down minions that once were lepers and monks like a machine. Her efforts were making a significant impact. The end of the minions blocking their path was in sight. The number of creatures emerging from between the buildings and beyond the monastery gate was also dwindling.

Boom... rumble...

The main gate of the monastery, which had been wide open, began to close. No one was there to close it, but the heavy wooden doors moved on their own, sealing the darkness behind them.

—-Hahaha...

A low, soft laugh echoed in Mev's mind. Her green eyes, visible through her visor, flared with cold fury.

"----!"

Her movements, which had slowed, quickened once more. She slashed, stabbed, and struck everything in her path, wielding her entire body like a weapon.

Crack!

Finally, she broke through the wall of minions that were blocking her way. But instead of rushing forward, she continued to cut down nearby minions to clear a space.

Smash—

Her dual sword, now tinged with a reddish hue, eventually broke. But she continued to swing the broken halves without hesitation.

"My lord! Run! Everyone, run!" At Philip's shout, Mev finally dashed toward the firmly shut gate.

Charlotte, carrying Ian, followed, breaking through the encirclement.

Philip, watching her soaked in spores and blood, turned his head.

"To the brilliant light... Glory be!" He shouted with all his might, extending his sword imbued with light.

The radiant barrier burned the toxic mist and the minions beyond it. Thesaya, shooting arrows over her shoulder, passed through the barrier. She glanced back at Philip, with her face smeared with blood.

"Thanks, freckles!"

"Save it for later. Run!"

Thesaya had already sprinted ahead, leaving Philip behind. The Barrier of Light, which had been blocking their path, flickered momentarily. Philip, who had been holding on as long as he could, finally ran with all his might. This gave the group a sufficient lead over the minions.

The toxic mist that had been surging toward them also slowed, creating a gap between the group and the approaching danger.

Once inside...

Philip's gaze was fixed on the arched monastery building. It was about the size of an ordinary church, but it was clear that its interior was anything but ordinary. Even just looking at it, he could feel his vision distorting around the building. If they could get inside and close the door again, they would buy more time to escape from the minions and the toxic mist.

"The door! Open the door!"

Realizing the gate was still shut, Philip shouted as he stepped onto the stairs. However, the door remained closed, even with Mev pulling with all her might. Charlotte, having carefully propped Ian against the recessed wall beside the gate, joined in, but nothing changed.

"What are you doing? Open it!" Thesaya, still shooting down the flying insects, shouted.

Mev, straining with all her might alongside Charlotte, finally gasped, her voice ragged. "It’s not opening...."

"What?!" As Thesaya turned sharply, Philip, having reached the top of the stairs, approached the massive door. He tried pushing and pulling it with all his strength before leaning against it, panting.

"Damn it, it really won’t open."

"So what do we do?! We have nowhere left to run!" Thesaya, reaching for her waist, grimaced in frustration. "I’m out of arrows!"

She angrily tossed her bow beyond the stairs and rushed to the door.

"Eek...! Eeek!" She almost hung onto the door, straining with all her might. The only result was a more severe nosebleed.

"Don’t waste your strength... pointy ears..." Charlotte, pulling her away from the door, looked back beyond the stairs. "We’ll need our real strength for that."

"What do you mean, you idiot? Ian. Ian? Wake up! Ian?" Thesaya crawled over to Ian.

She slapped his cheek a few times but got no response. Turning her head, she suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Huh...? What...?" She muttered in confusion before collapsing to the ground. It was a symptom of magic exhaustion. She had used up too much magic in a short period.

"Rest... beside Ian." Charlotte's hand pressed down on her shoulder.

Thesaya looked up sharply. Despite her dizziness, she saw Charlotte unfastening the straps of her battle ax.

"What are you thinking? No, kitty." Thesaya grabbed Charlotte’s calf.

Charlotte wasn’t in good shape either. Her body was covered in spores, and she bore numerous scratches and bites on her arms and neck. These were injuries sustained while protecting Ian. They were beyond the purification powers of Della Lu’s grace. The poison had already spread through her body.

"There’s no other way...." Mev, who had been sitting and catching her breath, struggled to her feet.

Philip finally looked at her again. Though he couldn't see her face due to her visor, he knew she must have been filled with exhaustion. No matter how blessed by the gods she was, she was still human. The toll of fighting so many enemies alone on the front line was immense. Moreover, the foul air, filled with spores and poison, was rapidly taking away their strength.

"...." Philip turned to look behind him.

The yellow wave of mist had crept closer, with silhouettes of the minions endlessly stretching through it like shadows. He then turned back to look at Ian, Thesaya, Charlotte, and finally, Mev, who wasn’t even holding a weapon.

A single thought crossed his mind at that moment. Finally, the moment he had anticipated since their journey to find the dark mage with the mysterious fixer in Agel Lan had arrived.

However, the trembling in his eyes subsided. If he couldn’t avoid it, he would at least ensure it wasn’t in vain. He felt warmth in his right hand. Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, he looked at Mev.

"I’ll buy us some time."

"... What? By yourself?" Mev, panting heavily, looked at Philip.

However, Philip was no longer looking at her.

As Charlotte furrowed her brow, Philip spoke again. "Charlotte. Thesa. Restrain our lord. Immediately."

"... What do you mean, Philip? Why suddenly—"

"Immediately! This is our best option! Do you want Lord Ian to die too?" Philip's sudden shout snapped Charlotte out of it.

Realizing what he meant, she lunged at Mev, tackling her to the ground.

Crash—

Mev, taken by surprise, was knocked over, and Charlotte quickly pinned her down, pulling her arms behind her back.

"Hey, pointy ears!"

"Huh...? Ugh!" Thesaya, who had been blinking in confusion, instinctively moved to hold down Mev’s legs.

Mev, gasping for breath, finally spoke up. "Philip, you’re not thinking—"

"Please, avenge me, my lord. These two are only following my request, so don’t be too harsh on them." Philip quickly turned to Charlotte and Thesaya.

"... I will remember you as a true warrior," said Charlotte.

"Freckles, you’re not. You really..." Only after hearing Charlotte's words did Thesaya realize what was happening. As she tried to let go, Philip extended his sword.

"Please don’t. Thank you both for granting my request."

"No, Philip? Don’t do it. Let go! Let go now, Charlotte!" Mev, struggling, shouted in desperation.

However, Charlotte only loosened her grip on the arm slightly, while pressing down even harder on the back. Philip, glancing at the approaching toxic mist, smiled at Mev.

"I regret not being able to bid a proper farewell. It was an honor to serve you, my lord."

"No! Philip! Stop! Please...!" Ignoring Mev's desperate cries, Philip descended the stairs.

The toxic mist and the advancing minions seemed strangely slow and vivid to him.

Is this how Lord Ian sees the world...?

As he pondered this, Philip gripped his sword with both hands, reversing it. Kneeling on one knee, he planted the sword’s tip into the stairs and closed his eyes. He could feel the remnants of divine power in his ring.

If only it could buy them some time.

"Brilliant light that dispels the darkness...." Reciting his prayer, Philip channeled all his remaining divine energy into the relic.

Swoosh—

A faint Barrier of Light emerged around him, quickly covered by the toxic mist.

Contrary to his hopes, the barrier lasted only a few seconds. The toxic mist broke through, enveloping his entire body. But Philip neither fled nor ceased his prayers. He sincerely wished for Mev to receive the blessing of the Stern Goddess and succeed in her revenge.

He prayed for Ian's survival so he could one day eradicate the darkness from the continent and ensure that no more orphans like himself would ever be born. Even amidst the agony of his flesh burning, he prayed with all his heart.

Then, in an instant, the pain disappeared. A radiant light shone upon him.