Hunt the Witch Queen!! (Part 2)

However, this move, the Primordial Runes, really startled her, after all, it was a true Age of Gods Magecraft, and it completely countered her fire element in terms of attributes.

Click, click...

Like the crackling sound of wood burning in a fireplace, the thorns that should have been as hard as steel before her eyes continuously dissipated under the scorching of the flaming sword, burning into ashes that drifted on the ocean. At this moment, her defenses, which had filled her with confidence, were also pierced by Rovey's flaming sword.

Hansa seized the opportunity, closing in on her body and unleashing a powerful punch to complete the objective he had failed to achieve during his previous sneak attack. He aimed a heavy blow at her abdomen, intending to pierce it.

--Bang!

A muffled explosion, like a rumble of thunder, rang in my ears.

Dressed in priest's robes, Hansa had already approached the area in front of Lita with his terrifying speed that was completely beyond human capabilities, and then unleashed a powerful punch with the force of thunder.

The next moment, the atmosphere and the dissipated magic were shattered by a punch. The punch, which was written as a fist but read as a cannonball, accurately struck Lita's frail body, punching a huge hole in her chest. Her internal organs were also flying around in mid-air.

"It was... that easy?"

Seeing that the attack had succeeded, Hansa's expression did not show joy. Instead, it became somewhat strange, and his eyes revealed more disbelief.

The next moment, things unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

Lita, whose chest he had just punched through, showed no sign of pain. Instead, she gave him a strange smile. In that brief moment, the gaping hole in his flesh transformed into a thicket of dark, twisted thorns that tightly bound his arm, attempting to take root within it. Then, vibrant roses, imbued with immense magical power, began to bloom upon it.

"This is...?"

Hansa quickly realized something was wrong and immediately tried to pull his arm back. However, the thorny vines that grew from Lita's flesh were as tough as steel, firmly rooted in his arm, making it impossible for him to break free for a moment. Moreover, the flowers on them bloomed into bewitching blossoms in a short instant.

—Boom!!

It was another deafening roar that shook the entire night sky. The dazzling rose flames erupted once again on the train, but this time the result was the same as before.

Just as the rosebuds were about to explode, Rovey's flaming sword slammed down through the gap between Hansa and the rose bushes, easily severing his connection to the thicket and preventing Hansa from taking the explosion head-on and suffering severe injuries.

"Huff... huff, that's really exaggerated... even with that kind of opportunity, I couldn't seize it, and I almost got checkmated instead..."

Hansa, who had managed to escape in the final moments of the explosion, retreated back to Rovey's side. Recalling the scene where he had almost brushed with death, he clutched his chest, gasped for breath, and his previous playful smile was gone, replaced by lingering fear.

Then, Hansa raised his head and looked at Lita, who had just completed the coordinate transfer again by relying on her shadow, and gained a new understanding of the so-called Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.

No wonder they say only Burial Agency can deal with this kind of monster.

This level of strangeness is something that ordinary Executor simply cannot contend with.

Putting everything else aside, just that one blow alone, if it weren't for Rovey's timely help, he would be lying on the ground unconscious, even if he wasn't dead.

In just one exchange, even though he had the upper hand, he was almost instantly killed by his opponent, which clearly shows the difference in strength between them.

Similarly, Hansa wasn't the only one in a bad mood at the moment. Seeing that her plan to eliminate one person was ruined by Rovey's Flame Sword, her eyes grew increasingly disgusted with the primordial fire from the Rune.

It is important to know that there is compatibility among Magus.

If Rovey only knew modern Western-based Magecraft, then she could easily overwhelm him in terms of compatibility, thanks to her own mystique and expertise in Western Magecraft.

However, when faced with that Flame Sword that incorporated Rune from the Age of Gods and seemed to have the aura of the Puritan Church, she, as Dead Apostle, was instead restrained by it.

When the sword struck her, the injury was not only the burning damage from the primordial fire, but also the purifying damage from the same source as the Church.

What a troublesome kid...

Just when Lita and Hansa were both particularly wary of the people on both sides.

—Bang!

Quite abruptly, a strange sound rang in their ears.

It sounds like something smashed through steel and climbed up from below, just like what Hansa did before.

Rovey and Hansa turned their heads to look, and saw that a huge hole had suddenly been torn open in the sheet metal under the carriage, and a broad hand emerged from it. The hand looked extremely old, but it was also very large. The marks left on it were very similar to Hansa's, clearly indicating that it had been through countless trials.

At this moment, the other party is also proving this to them through their actions.

The power emanating from his palm was so immense that the veins on it bulged out continuously. His fingers and nails involuntarily reminded people of some ancient, sharp claw-like weapon. He easily tore through another layer of the train's roof, allowing the figure to emerge from below and enter the battlefield above.

"Finally found this place? You're really slow... Servitor."

Lita Roggean glanced at the suddenly appearing giant, a strange smile playing on her lips.

Then, as if in response to her words, the massive figure who had torn through the roof and leaped up from below exerted tremendous force with his legs, leaving two huge footprints on the sheet metal beneath his feet. His body then soared high into the air, crashing down like a meteor into the center of the three-person battle. While the sequence of movements was impressive, it was still remarkably fluid and graceful; even professionally trained stunt performers would find it difficult to execute with such perfection.

If this were a circus performance, his brilliant act would surely have garnered applause from the audience, but here, it would only send chills down Hansa's spine.

"High-ranking Dead Apostle..."

Since the pretense of civility had been broken, the guard who had been following Lita since she got into the car no longer needed to conceal his presence from them.

"And this is not necessarily an ordinary high-level Dead Apostle."

Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from the other's body—an aura powerful enough to tear a tiger apart with bare hands—even the optimistic Hansa was momentarily overwhelmed.

One is a highly skilled Dead Apostle with specialized physical abilities, and the other is Lita, the Dead Apostle Ancestor who possesses Jewel-Grade Mystic Eyes and is proficient in countless types of Magecraft.

This combination is just too powerful.

It's not that Hansa is deliberately being pessimistic or underestimating his predecessor; he genuinely feels that even if Senior Ciel arrived here with the Holy Scripture Armor, facing this duo, he would likely suffer a great loss, let alone eliminate them.

The combined fighting power of these two guys is definitely not as simple as one plus one.

"Ah, it seems we're really in big trouble now. We have to deal with two high-ranking Dead Apostle at the same time, and one of them is even one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. Seriously, I was just rated as an outstanding Executor by the bishop and assigned to the [Burial Agency] assistance team, and the difficulty of the mission has skyrocketed to this level. I must ask the bishop for leave when I get back."

Hansa scratched his head, looking troubled.

He even misses Narbareck, the madwoman from the Burial Agency, a little now.

After all, in this situation, she is probably the only one who can easily handle it.

"Heh... You lowly rat actually dares to dream of going back alive? How arrogant! Servitor, go and tear him to pieces right now."

Lita's smile was chilling, her voice icy, as she directly ordered her servants to tear Hansa apart.

The attendant, upon receiving the order, moved like a machine that had been started. His massive body trembled violently, and he charged toward Hansa without hesitation. His speed and momentum were like that of a high-speed truck, and the mere commotion caused the dome beneath his feet to shake uncontrollably.

"Good timing!"

Upon seeing the other party heading towards him, Hansa, who also possessed an inhumanly powerful physique, ran towards it without hesitation.

The two figures collided violently.

Iron fists of different sizes began to clash in the night sky, the wind whistling past their ears.

The collision of their mere flesh and blood was like the clash of weapons, even producing a resounding clang at the moment of contact. The powerful gusts of wind erupting around their limbs were clearly visible, a phenomenon caused by the shockwaves from their punches shaking the atmosphere.

"This strength is like a joke..."

Hansa looked grim.

His punch was actually deflected back by the other party.

The burly guard didn't waste any more words. Seeing Hansa being overwhelmed by his physique, he clenched his fist and punched him in the face again.

This time, Hansa dared not fight head-on, and could only rely on his agile footwork to fight and retreat, letting his opponent's fists keep hitting the air, making a series of loud bangs in his ears.

One swing, multiple misses, but these events did not shake the man who kept attacking. He was like a machine, focused only on completing his master's task; nothing else mattered to him.

At this moment, the only option is to continue the attack!

Die!!

Just as he was pressing his advantage, using his superior physique to relentlessly push his opponent into a corner, until he seized Hansa's weakness and prepared to deliver a final, devastating blow that sent him crashing into the sea, Rovey immediately raised his finger, drawing several red runes that flashed across the night sky. These runes then followed the trajectory of his magic, extending directly to Hansa's feet and erupting with a blinding light from his body.

"Huh? This is..."

The next moment, Hansa, who could only parry before, suddenly felt a surge of power erupting from his body, a feeling like flames burning fiercely in his blood.

Immediately afterwards, a red glint flashed in his eyes, and then he clenched his right fist and stopped dodging. Instead, he directly retaliated against the iron fist that the tall figure was throwing down, causing the figure to stagger.

Rovey's support directly gave Hansa a power that could suppress the monsters.

He used Rune to enhance his physique, temporarily bringing it to a level comparable to that of Dead Apostle.

Although such methods cannot directly determine the outcome of their battle, they do give Hansa a chance to fight their opponent fairly.

"What amazing methods! Truly worthy of Mr. Crowley!!"

Feeling that his strength in all aspects had been enhanced to more than three times its original level, Hansa, who had been looking bitter, suddenly became happy. He then punched the previously aggressive high-ranking Dead Apostle back without any hesitation, and didn't forget to give Rovey a thumbs up during the punch.

"Don't be careless. Given your condition, this protection will only last about ten minutes. An attack of that magnitude just now wouldn't kill him, and he'll be charging back soon. So, follow my instructions from now on. You'll handle the servant. As for your date with Lita Rojaan, I'll personally go through with it. Is that alright?"

Rovey spoke calmly and then methodically explained the subsequent battle plan to Hansa.

"Huh? Are you serious? Mr. Crowley, are you really capable of Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors all by yourself?"

Hansa's expression was solemn. As he spoke, he took out several short sword-like weapons from his pocket and held them between his fingers.

The next moment, with the infusion of magic, the top of the short sword immediately transformed into a silver blade, which shot out from between his fingers, forming a shape like a giant steel claw.

This thing is a special ceremonial garment created by the Executor of the Church for easier carrying and dealing with the Dead Apostle — the Black Keys.

"Don't worry about leaving it to me. Just focus on doing your job. He's just an ordinary Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. I don't really care about him."

As he spoke, Rovey raised his finger again, his gaze piercing like a sword as he looked straight at the Dead Apostle Ancestor, who was standing opposite the train watching the spectacle unfold.

Having said that, he didn't give Hansa any time to think or refute.

The enormous figure that had just been repelled charged towards them once more. Seeing this, Hansa didn't say anything more. With the amplification of the Rune, he also mustered his spirits and charged directly at the target.

Take care.

He put aside his previous laziness and spoke to Rovey with great seriousness.

"Um."

Rovey paid no attention to this, or rather, he had no intention of paying any attention to it, as if he had not seen their battle at all, and instead focused his attention on the enemy in front of him.

Facing Lita, who stood at a distance, deliberately keeping her distance to avoid the Red Cross's pursuit, he raised his fingertips and used another Magecraft—

"Listen, the ancient whispers, the call of abundance. The divine radiance of the Northern Europe gathers upon the blade of the rune."

"The earth's bounty, the sky's blessing, the flames' jubilation—now, Sword of the God of Abundance, fight for me!"

The hymn, full of Northern Europe style, was uttered, and the red runes engraved on his fingertips, imbued with the power of fire elemental spirits, began to rise around him once more. Then, a blazing magical power emanated from his body, and nine crimson swords, symbolizing the nine worlds of the World Tree in the Northern Europe system, floated around him.

The next moment, nine flaming swords in a distinctly Northern Europe style suddenly streaked through the air, flames burning on their blades and emitting a blazing red light. The flaming swords shot relentlessly towards Lita, their speed so great that they were almost impossible to catch.

However, just as the sword light was about to touch the enemy, more dark thorns suddenly rose from the shadows on the ground, coiling towards the nine flying swords like black venomous snakes. The vines entangled the sword light, hissing, yet steadily blocked the attack of the nine flaming flying swords.

"Using Rune to simulate other Magecraft from the Northern Europe Magecraft base, you're getting more and more interesting... However, if you think you can defeat me with just that, then you're being a bit too naive."

"While the runes of the Age of Gods are powerful and versatile, even the most powerful Magecraft depends on the user. Right now, you've only learned how to apply them; you haven't even unleashed the full potential of this Magecraft. How could you possibly break through my Mystic Eyes with such limited methods? And remember, I haven't even gotten serious yet!"

Lita Rojaan glanced at the nine flaming swords that had been captured and frozen in place by her Mystic Eyes of the Rose, then slightly raised her Mystic Eyes. The Magus's figure was reflected in her Rose Eyes, and a rare hint of pleasure and anticipation appeared in her rose-like eyes.

"In that case, come on! Use all your wisdom, display your bravery, and do everything you can to please me! Let me see the true power of the foundation of Northern Europe mythology."

"Fill the emptiness in my heart with your struggles. After your despair, I will make you my companion and keep you by my side forever, until... the end of eternity!"

"... Is that so? If you can handle it, then feel free to give it a try."

Even after realizing that his technique had been captured by the opponent, Rovey's fighting spirit remained high, and his voice was now somewhat loud.

As Lita said, his understanding of the basics of Northern Europe Magecraft is at best that of someone who can use it, but he is far from being a true master.

With the help of the Primordial Runes, he fully demonstrated many spells he had learned but never had the chance to use, and used Lita in front of him as a live target to test their power.

However, relying solely on the Age of Gods Magecraft was still insufficient to completely defeat the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors before him.

It wasn't that his Magecraft was weak, but rather that Lita Rogan was too strong. The Magecraft she used wasn't modern Magecraft, but rather Age of Gods Magecraft Age of Gods.

Without any preparation, relying solely on Rune to fight against the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, who had lived for hundreds of years, accumulated vast mysteries, and possessed Jewel-Grade Mystic Eyes, was indeed too much of a stretch.

If the person here were replaced by Aozaki Touko instead of Rovey, let alone achieving his current level of suppression, simply surviving would be an extremely difficult task.

However, that is ultimately a hypothesis. In reality, he can never fight without any defense or preparation.

After all, a qualified Magus is one who makes a relatively appropriate plan based on the goal.

"So... Show Time."

Just after Rovey finished speaking, Lita Rojaan, standing in the shadows, seemed to realize something. She looked down at her feet and felt that something unexpected and huge had happened in the carriage.

"What's this?"

An unusual magical force... no, it should be many forces, countless unusual sources of magical force began to emerge in the train carriage, and they even gradually connected together in a corresponding order.

"One of the Five Great Elements that constitute the world, the great primordial flame."

Instead of answering Lita's question, Rovey used High-Speed Divine Words at that moment, and then faced Lita to unleash the massive contingency plan he had been preparing for her and the entire Mystic Eye Train since he boarded the train.

"That is the light of grace that gives birth to life, that is the light of punishment that sanctions evil."