Chapter 12: Deals that never work (10)

The prayer of the anointed one shall not cease.

Even in the face of severe trials, the prayer of the saint does not end.
The prayer only concludes when the entire prayer is recited.

As a saint with few proper attack skills, her abilities to heal and protect her allies are unmatched.

Especially due to her passive ability, once she begins a prayer or unless attacked by something surpassing divine power, she cannot be interrupted.
This proves she is not merely a saint in title.

However, the problem is that I am a low-level saint in the early stages of the game, and the enemy is a late-game boss monster.

“Let’s see how long you can hold out, shall we?”

“…Damn it.”

Boom! Boom!

Each time the Incubus’s claws struck around me, the deafening sound hurt my ears.

For now, my divine power is holding, but as the Incubus said, it’s only a matter of time before the barrier breaks.

With so few attack skills, and even those being conditional, there is no other way.

Even if I managed to land a valid hit, every one of the saint’s skills begins with reciting a prayer.

In this situation, reciting a prayer would disable the passive effect.

I briefly considered using another defensive skill, but this is the best option given the lack of time.

“You must have a lot of time on your hands, huh?”

“…This is different from what I expected.”

“Aren’t you aligned with the hero? Why should I bother pretending in front of you? Crazy fool.”

At my sudden burst of profanity, the Incubus seemed slightly disappointed, but I don’t have the patience to maintain that damned saintly act even in this situation.

This is not the time to worry about appearances or the gaze of others.

What I need now is the mental fortitude to desperately struggle, and I have something to rely on for that.

“The hero has no intention of killing me, anyway.”

Yes, the hero needs to corrupt me to avoid the death ending and achieve their goals.

The Incubus’s collaboration with them must be due to their allure skills.

Since the hero’s mesmerizing gaze doesn’t work on me, they summoned the king of succubi, Incubus Cain, and Succubus Lilith.

But what to do? Succubi might work, but as a man in spirit, the Incubus’s allure won’t affect me.

“Hmm. The hero asked me to capture the saint alive, but…”

“…Damn it!”

Crash!

With a single blow, the barrier made of divine power shattered like broken glass.

Moreover, the shock from the shattered barrier hit me directly.

Instinctively, I could tell the attack was meant to kill, without regard for my survival.

“Anyway, this deal was never going to be completed. Time for you to die.”

Mother… What a messed-up group of people to align with that worthless hero.

“O Eternal Guide, protect those who seek to follow you.”

I hastily recited a prayer, but once again, the barrier crumbled like paper.

“Let none harm them in any way.”

Damn it. Isn’t the Incubus supposed to specialize in special abilities rather than strength? Why is their punching power this strong?

“Raise them to the glorious place where they partake in the body and blood of God, and always keep them pure.”

Crash!

Even as I recite the prayer to restore the barrier, it instantly dissipates.

It’s only natural. This isn’t the barrier generated by my passive ability, and such a short prayer can’t do its job properly.

Still, I can’t just sit back and die.

“Bless all their deeds, that they may bear the fruit of grace.”

Crash!

The Incubus’s attacks were relentless, and the delay in regenerating the barrier became increasingly noticeable.

Damn it. This godforsaken deity. How does it make sense that a saint’s barrier is being destroyed by mere punches from an Incubus?

“Are you done flailing?”

The barrier is no solution. It’s merely a stalling tactic, consuming divine power until it’s drained.

What I need now is something to turn the situation around.

Luckily, Cain, the Incubus, seems to be letting their guard down.

If they hadn’t, they would have continued their attack the moment the first barrier broke.

They probably want to toy with me for a little longer.

And that means I still have a chance to reverse this situation.

“No, this isn’t over yet, you bastard!”

The location I’m in is Delos’s shop. The corpse lying in front of me is proof of that.

And where there’s a shop, there must be goods imported for sale.

Thankfully, Delos seems to have stocked a variety of items, including potions imported from the Holy Kingdom.

If the contamination isn’t too severe, any liquid will do.

Better yet, a potion imbued with divine power from the Holy Kingdom would be ideal.

Any liquid infused with a saint’s divine power becomes holy water.

And holy water reacts to divine power and burns brightly, turning into sacred flames that incinerate anything with demonic energy.

The Incubus seemed to realize this as they lunged to stop me from reaching the potion.

Could I possibly be faster than that demon?

“…Ack!”

Clang!

In a fleeting moment, as if answering my concerns, something shattered the window and entered the shop.

Their attire was simple: plain fabric and a black-dyed leather vest.

But the brilliant blonde hair shimmering in the moonlight and the rapier in hand were unmistakable.

Natalia stood there, piercing the Incubus’s eye in an instant and standing protectively in front of me.

“Sarah, are you okay? I thought things seemed noisy during my walk, but I didn’t expect this…”

“Natalia!”

Yes, this lecherous knight refused the hero’s advances today. Unlike Laura, who is probably oblivious to everything and just indulging in s*x.

A king.

No, today I am a knight of the great Rozahan Kingdom and a proud lady of the esteemed Nighthart family!

“…Damn trash daring to oppose me, the king of nightmares!”

“I’d like to hear your story, but it doesn’t seem like the right time. Sera, leave the front to me!”

Even though Natalia accurately pierced his eye, Incubus Cain’s wound healed instantly.

As expected of a late-game boss and the king of nightmares.

But the true strength of a saint reveals itself only when there’s someone fighting at the front.

The situation has turned in our favor.

‘Oh God who desires peace, look upon those who keep faith and dedicate themselves to justice and peace today.

Grant them steadfast strength and courage to overcome hardships.’

I reinforce Natalia in every aspect of combat—strength, reflexes, endurance.

Although her lightweight clothing provides no defense, an attack can’t harm her if it doesn’t land.

Natalia begins with a thrust that carries her full weight.

The Incubus, not foolish, catches the blade and attempts a counterattack with his other hand.

Yet Natalia’s left hand, always positioned to protect her vitals, deflects his strike.

The battle resets to square one. In the continuous exchange, Natalia consistently chooses optimal moves, leaving no openings for the enemy.

The foundation of swordsmanship is the seamless blend of offense and defense, an art of parrying.

Natalia skillfully exploits the enemy’s strength against them, using her left hand to create openings, and with each encounter, Cain’s wounds multiply.

However, the problem remains: the wounds are shallow, and as a demon, Cain’s regeneration far surpasses that of any human.

“That pitiful rapier can’t do a thing!”

The rapier is effective as a self-defense weapon due to its relatively long reach, provided the opponent is unarmored.

However, it lacks the durability and killing power required for serious combat.

Natalia usually carries a rapier for its convenience compared to military weapons.

As an adventurer, she often travels to places where military-grade arms are outright forbidden.

Until now, she only faced underwhelming foes, where a rapier sufficed.

Most of the firepower came from the hero’s overwhelming stats or Laura’s magic, after all.

But now, against an opponent who clearly surpasses her level, her weapon is ill-suited.

Even with full armor and a longsword, she’d be at a disadvantage.

With a rapier, the limitations are undeniable.

After a few exchanges, the Incubus likely realized Natalia lacks the firepower to deal a decisive blow.

With that realization, Cain shifts to an all-out attack, throwing caution to the wind.

‘Those who believe in the Lord shall be saved, even in the flames of baptism.’

Of course, such carelessness will cost him dearly.

“Natalia, the sword!”

I had already finished reciting my prayer.

The store’s plentiful stock of potions had long since turned into holy water.

At my signal, Natalia deftly caught the airborne holy water on her rapier.

The rapier sliced through the holy water, tracing a trajectory straight at the enemy.

By itself, holy water might have little effect—demons dislike it, but stronger demons barely feel its sting.

However, if it’s sacred fire ignited by holy power, especially that of a saint, the story changes entirely.

“Burn, all of it!”

The shop interior blazed so brightly that it didn’t seem like nighttime anymore.

But the fire only consumed those imbued with malevolence or the holy water itself, leaving everything else untouched.

“Argh! What is this?! How could it burn like this?!”

Incubus Cain was having a decidedly different experience.

And my sacred fire must be much hotter than he anticipated.

Back in the holy kingdom, I was often criticized for being subpar in healing, shielding, and buffing spells for a saint.

But when it came to igniting sacred fire, even the inquisitors gave me high praise.

Perhaps it’s my personality.

Even now, I desperately wish to be the protagonist of this world.

And I’ll admit, seeing the twisted faces of people I dislike brings me far more satisfaction than protecting anyone.

“It’s over.”

“Wait! Don’t kill him yet!”

The Incubus writhed in agony.

Seeing this, Natalia, perhaps out of a knight’s sense of honor, moved to grant him a merciful death.

I blocked her path.

The magic stone, Eureka, the Eyes of Enchantment, and the late-game bosses—this world had changed far beyond my expectations, and I needed to understand its inner workings.

“Now, what’s your purpose? How did you obtain the magic stone?”

“Kuh… Do you think I’ll just tell you?”

Ah, so his smirk means, “Go ahead and kill me.” For someone who looks like a dandy playboy, he has surprising grit.

I recall a lesson from my mentor back in the holy kingdom, who taught me how to handle sacred fire: “God sees all His people. When you encounter demons, capture them and baptize them in sacred fire.”

At the time, I thought of a famous Korean proverb, “Water knows the answer.” It seems the wisdom of the elders holds true.

“Well, it’s fine. There’s still plenty of holy water left.”

Holy water knows the answer.

This demon may still be reluctant to speak the truth, but one anointed by God never lies.

Today, I’ll ensure this damned demon truly experiences the joy of baptism.