City of Witches Chapter 270

The sword aura Eloa unleashed had cleanly sliced through 45 meters of soil and bedrock as if cutting through cake.

Yet the foundation didn’t collapse, and no rocks fell—meaning the slash that carved through the ceiling was flawlessly precise, without a single wasted motion.

Light streaming through the ceiling, now carved into an elongated V-shape, hung like a curtain of radiance.

Facing each other across this majestic wall of light were Siwoo and the Enemy Knight.

A 1.8-meter-tall man clad in Black Armor, gripping a sword.

A 2.5-meter-tall monster clad in crimson armor, holding a red spear.

Siwoo had faced many opponents whose size difference was considerable when fighting Homunculi.

The first shadow monster he ever killed was about the size of an intercity bus, and the mother hound monster he later fought was as large as a low-rise villa stomping around.

But perhaps because the enemy before him now took human form…

Or perhaps because forty red eyes beneath the helmet were all glaring at Siwoo in unison…

A mere difference of two heads in height felt suddenly, overwhelmingly vast.

“Listen well, Siwoo.”

A subtle battle of nerves, each probing the other’s openings.

Eloa recited to Siwoo the abilities possessed by the Enemy Knight.

“His strength is already greatly depleted. Your successful ambush means his body has slowed and dulled considerably. Meaningful shock should still linger in his frame.”

“Yes. Please also tell me about the Red Branch.”

Siwoo, still not taking his eyes off the Enemy Knight, slowly shifted his footing.

The Enemy Knight also began moving in the same direction, mirroring Siwoo.

One man and one monster, slowly tracing the same circular orbit.

An object that allows the magic contained within to be used semi-permanently.

Among such items, those that are not single-use are called Artifacts.

However, when the magic embedded in an Artifact serves not merely as magic but as a medium to assist innate magic, or when it exhibits innate magic itself, it is granted the higher designation of Ceremonial Artifact.

The Ceremonial Artifact that makes the Enemy Knight such a troublesome foe is also that Red Branch.

Even roughly categorized, it possesses at least three distinct effects.

“The Red Branch is a troublesome Ceremonial Artifact. First is the Distortion Field. It acts as a barrier blocking magic and impact, while simultaneously attempting to transfer distortion the moment weapons clash.

You might endure it once or twice, but prolonged exposure will be agony. Never engage it head-on for long.”

No matter how powerful the magic, nothing in this world can exert its effects without paying some price.

Not just the Enemy Knight, but the Red Branch itself must incur significant cost.

The fact that the Red Branch, which distorted the present to regress to the past and resurrected the White Knight infinitely, can no longer raise the White Knight is one piece of evidence.

“A barrier extends from the Red Branch. Its speed isn’t particularly fast, but its power is absolute. Be especially wary of the trajectory swept by the spear’s blade.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Lastly, trust in yourself. Are you ready?”

Siwoo slowly digested Eloa’s advice and nodded.

Watching Siwoo’s back, Eloa wondered if this choice was truly right.

Siwoo had accurately grasped the battle situation.

The Cowardly Witch’s greatest combat assets: the Enemy Knight and the White Knight.

Eloa had poured all her remaining power into annihilating the White Knight and weakening the Enemy Knight.

If they retreated here, the Enemy Knight and the Cowardly Witch would hide themselves again.

Sua and Tiferet had been unable to locate Sochtil’s workshop for months.

The very fact they could raid the workshop now was thanks to information provided by the captured Della.

If the Enemy Knight, already skilled at concealment and escape, went into hiding again, there was no guarantee they could find him.

Then someday, Sochtil, restored to full and perfect condition, would bring calamity to the Mortal Realm.

As a public enemy, she would spare no means or methods to quickly prepare a Plan B, and it was obvious countless more sacrifices would arise in the process.

Even so, was there no better way?

No matter how much she trusted Siwoo, it was agony to sit idle, unable to do anything, and watch him risk his life.

But Eloa’s pondering didn’t last long.

Because the Enemy Knight, spear in hand and glaring at Siwoo, began to move first.

-Thud!

Compared to when his strength was intact, the speed was markedly slower.

But that was only by relative standards.

For Siwoo, it was all he could do to perceive the Enemy Knight, who had merely blurred before, now seeming to leap forth before his eyes.

-Kwaaang!

His sword, swung belatedly for defense, collided with the Red Branch.

The obliquely swung spear blade clashing with the Shadow’s sword.

And then…

“Kuh-hck!”

Siwoo realized Eloa’s advice—to never face it head-on—was absolutely correct.

Merely crossing blades made him feel as if his insides were about to burst from his mouth.

The shock of the Distortion Field, flooding through the sword tip, through his fingertips, throughout his entire body, made Siwoo’s steadfast armor ripple like waves.

The extreme impact and strain had disrupted the magical formation.

Not giving Siwoo, who had barely finished recomputing to keep his armor from dissolving, even a moment to catch his breath, the second strike unfolded.

The Enemy Knight, spinning his spear like a windmill, swung it with full force at Siwoo, whose posture was broken.

A strike amplified by centrifugal force, followed by a red barrier extending like tree roots to attack with a time delay.

The only option given to Siwoo was to pull his body back.

-Bwoong!

The spear blade grazing the tip of his helmet shattered it like a cracker.

But the barrier that followed struck Siwoo squarely in the chest.

“Ggaaak!!!”

“Siwoo!”

He shouldn’t have been reassured just because the barrier’s speed was slow and it didn’t carry substantial magic power.

The barrier the Red Branch poured forth with each attack was attempting to distort Siwoo’s ‘very existence.’

For a Spirit Body formed of flesh, will, and magic power combined, ‘distortion’ was nothing less than a deadly poison.

Under normal circumstances, that would have been the end.

It should have been Siwoo’s demise, but Siwoo was still alive.

The Guardian’s Contract had acted like Autonomous Defense, seizing hold of Siwoo as he was about to vanish.

The moment his fading consciousness returned, Siwoo raised his sword again.

“What kind of monstrous bastard…”

He hadn’t been optimistic that this would be an easy fight.

His left eye, which revealed the flow of magic power, was warning him that the Enemy Knight still retained considerable strength.

The red spear slid through the Enemy Knight’s grasp.

Gripping the spear’s end, the Enemy Knight brought it down with all his might, as if to split the earth itself.

Siwoo retreated once more.From the Red Branch touching the ground, root-like barriers once again bloomed, targeting Siwoo.

That was the problem.

The enemy knight's movements were clearly not normal right now.

They seemed somewhat unnatural and awkward, leaving plenty of openings to exploit.

It didn't even seem impossible to step inside the spear's reach during such a large movement as now.

However, the presence of barriers that seemed to assist between each movement was unbearably irritating.

They were numerous and dense.

Judging by their earlier power, they couldn't be ignored and advanced through.

In terms of pure physical ability, the enemy knight was superior.

Under normal circumstances, it might be different, but at this moment when the option of 'clashing with the weapon' couldn't be chosen, inferiority in technique was also confirmed.

So, where was the key to leading this fight to victory?

Magic.

The Red Branch wielded various forms of Magic.

Ultimately, what made the enemy knight difficult to deal with was the existence of that Magic.

Then, what if one read the flow of magic power and found a way to counter it?

"Bloom!"

Siwoo, amplifying his magic power while stepping back from the enemy knight who sought to continue his relentless assault without a moment's respite.

Particles of shadow, like ink spreading in water, were simultaneously released, concealing Siwou's traces.

He had converted the amplified magic power into shadow particles and used them like a smokescreen.

-Krrrr

The enemy knight seemed to falter, taken aback by the suddenly appearing shadows.

But upon realizing it was Magic composed of very small particles, he expanded his Distortion Field.

For shadows without a firm physical form, not yet having undergone solidification, the Distortion Field performed an absolute Counter role.

The smokescreens, pushed away by the Distortion Field, vanished cleanly as if erased by an eraser.

-Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

What shot out through that momentary gap, weaving through the cumulonimbus clouds like a guided missile, were four strands of Ribbon, their ends sharply twisted to resemble morning glory buds.

For the enemy knight, whose vision was narrowed to less than 3 meters, this was an unforeseen attack.

Nevertheless, he swung his spear, shattering and tearing apart all the Ribbons.

Siwoo was watching this from within the shadows.

Scattering the shadows in smokescreen form wasn't merely to blind and escape.

It was used as a test sheet to understand the characteristics of the Distortion Field.

Siwoo's eyes were diligently interpreting and estimating the series of magical actions shown by the Red Branch.

He had already obtained one meaningful piece of information.

The Red Branch's overpowered nature was evident at a glance.

In Close Combat, it transferred the distortion wave upon contact to the opponent, building damage from inside the body, and against external Magic, it spread out like a curtain, warping the Magic's structure.

To this extent, it was like holding a cheat item issued by a game company to create an unbeatable boss mob.

If you can't get close and you can't stay far, how on earth are you supposed to fight it?

But through the test just now, Siwoo discovered one thing.

Namely, the characteristic of the Distortion Field.

The Distortion Field is usually concentrated inside the Red Branch like a shrunken balloon.

While spreading it out wide like an inflated balloon can block external Magic, as the surface area increases, perhaps the tensile strength decreases, causing the intensity of the distortion itself to lower.

According to Siwoo's hypothesis, if the Distortion Field was inflated to block the shadows, then Close Combat could be continued while minimizing its effects.

To confirm this, Siwoo rushed at the enemy knight, seizing the timing before the Distortion Field had contracted.

The shadows that had billowed up like clouds scattered in a gust of wind as Siwoo's sword was swung with a sharp sound.

-Kwaaaang!

It was a surprise attack carried out after hiding his form until the very end, but the enemy knight definitely reacted.

He blocked the sword that was coming down diagonally with the Red Branch.

Siwoo gritted his teeth and braced for any potential impact.

-Pachuchuchu!

However, only red barriers sparked and flew off, and the pain coming back wasn't severe.

It merely churned his stomach with a nausea-inducing unpleasantness for a moment.

But this alone wasn't enough.

As long as those barriers interfered, even without the Distortion Field, overpowering the enemy knight by force was impossible.

"Bloom!"

Siwoo hid within the shadows again while drawing out magic power through four repeated amplifications.

His left eye throbbed from the reckless magic power amplification; he converted it all into shadows, densely covering the entire tunnel.

The sight also resembled black smoke billowing from a fire.

-KouzaK——!

The enemy knight let out a cry that sounded displeasing even at a glance and brandished his spear.

The Distortion Field easily pushed away the shadow smokescreen.

In truth, the shadows Siwoo was creating now had no special effect.

Unless they clung closely to the body, maintaining form like armor or a sword was difficult, and as for making Ribbons, the number of Ribbons Siwoo could handle was limited to four.

At best, the actual effect would be obscuring vision and slightly hindering magical actions.

So, was there no chance of winning?

Siwoo asked himself.

No.

There were still things he could do.

Author's Note (Author's Afterword)

One more chapter will be up at 12 o'clock!

It might be a bit late, you know.