Clash—!
"Ugh."
Heinrich groaned as he deflected the incoming black beam aimed at him with "Blessing: Light Blade."
The magic shooting down from the sky at all times was enough to keep him disoriented.
[Screech!]
Slice—!
In the midst of it all, Heinrich coolly analyzed the situation while slicing through the undead charging at him with his light blade.
First off, whether the trial had a minimum of conscience or if there was some backstory with that lich... he wasn't sure.
The absence of top-tier undead like death knights among them was a stroke of luck.
'If they were here, it'd truly be overkill.'
Even among liches, there was a significant gap between the one before him and Hans from before.
From the nearly infinite dark magic supplied by the "Fragment of the Immortal King" to various abilities including "Vile Wisdom" and "Forbidden Knowledge."
Of course, this lich, having evolved step by step, might be more experienced than Hans, but the starting point given to each was different.
'Not to say that the opponent is easy, though.'
The tremendous dark magic and the magical prowess honed over long years were not to be underestimated.
He was not an opponent that could be defeated by recklessly charging in alone.
'I can't even summon other avatars...!'
Leaving aside whether it was possible to summon additional avatars in the trial's virtual space, the cooldown for the interdimensional transfer circle hadn't even reset yet.
Due to the different flow of time, although more than a month had passed for Heinrich since entering the trial, only five days had gone by outside.
He had no choice but to tackle the trial with his strength alone.
'Well, it's not like Heinrich is fighting alone, though.'
The moment he was about to advance further, smashing the skulls of skeletons with his elegant swordsmanship.
Once again, a violent flow of dark magic emanated from the lich in the sky.
In the midst of fending off the undead that disrupted Heinrich's movements, an enormous energy quickly wove a destructive mystery with a complex structure...
'Multiple shadow blades. A feint? This can be parried like before.'
The magic was thoroughly analyzed by Hans before it even completed.
'Dark attribute activation-type coordinates, binding and destroying the designated target... Hell chains. This is dangerous, I need to avoid it. Starting coordinates are twenty-one. 9 o'clock upper, 12 o'clock lower, 4 o'clock mid-lower...'
And a mystery that had been unraveled was no longer a mystery.
He kicked away the duergar he was facing and swiftly threw himself forward.
[Growl...]
Clatter clatter—!
As Heinrich moved, slashing at several points in the air with "Blessing: Light Blade," the undead attempting to grasp him were brushed aside.
Crack—!
Sizzle!
Each time his blade passed, the incomplete magic coordinates were destroyed by the opposing force contained in his sword.
Swoosh—!
Shadow blades sprouting from the ground obstructed his path, but he parried what he could and when it was impossible, he endured with his body, focusing solely on his goal.
The number of coordinates he managed to destroy before the magic activated wasn't high, but what use was a net already torn?
In the end, the black iron chains that shot out from the belatedly completed coordinates failed to achieve their purpose and were futilely nullified.
In this manner, Heinrich managed to avoid the attacks that posed a danger to him, even if it meant sustaining some damage.
[...You dodge quite well, repeatedly.]
Not once or twice, but after such situations repeated several times, it was natural for the lich to become infuriated.
Initially, the lich had intended to enjoy the spectacle of his opponent struggling, but as these earnest attacks were also easily evaded, it inevitably began to irritate him.
[Indeed, you're quite skilled. That sword of light as well. Well, that's why you've made it this far alone.]
The lich then changed its mind.
Acknowledging the opponent's capability, he resolved to crush him with all his might.
As he set his mind to it... the dark magic around him surged, rushing towards him.
'Now!'
And that was the moment Heinrich, who had been hiding his abilities and waiting for an opportunity, had been waiting for.
With "Blessing: Amplification," divine power surged into his sword, rapidly increasing.
Fueled by that, the size of his light blade explosively expanded.
And then, aiming at the lich, fully concentrated in the sky...
He immediately used "Blessing: Leap" to jump right above the lich's head.
Whoosh—
[Huh?!]
It was the perfect opportunity for Heinrich to move next to the lich, exploiting the brief moment the lich was distracted, completing a high-level spell.
With bursting light, Heinrich appeared out of thin air.
If he had recklessly used leap, he would have been intercepted by the lich as soon as he finished moving.
Even though "Blessing: Leap" had a very short activation time, using it to get close to the lich without any preparation was akin to suicide.
Sorcerers always prioritize their safety, preparing several means to deal with crises.
And the lich had the ability to instantly hit him with multiple spells using that to his advantage.
[Impossible!]
Even now, several spells were being completed around the
lich, who had quickly cancelled what he was casting.
'Always active defensive barriers, energy field eruptions, radial curses, and automatic counterattack systems...'
However, the lich had given Heinrich too much time.
He propelled himself towards the lich with divine power bursting from his back and legs.
With the divine power enveloping his body, he resisted the curses radiated in all directions and sliced through the black flames with his elongated light blade.
Then, his sword, having cut through the strange force pushing him away, smoothly penetrated the lich's defensive barrier.
[...What?!]
This sequence of actions was not just due to the power of "Blessing: Light Blade," which was highly effective against dark magic.
While the lich nonchalantly threw a few spells, testing the waters, Hans had successfully deconstructed and
reverse-engineered their magical system.
Following Hans' knowledge, Heinrich naturally dismantled the connections of the spells, following the flaws in their magical structure and the flow of magical energy with his light blade.
All these actions were carried out in an instant with his strong physique and skilled weapon handling.
After all the lich's defensive measures were neutralized by the flash-like swing of the light blade...
Crash—!
The light blade dug into the lich's shoulder.
[Ack!]
The lich, sliced from one shoulder down to the chest area, fell powerlessly to the ground with Heinrich, who had plunged the sword into its chest.
Boom—!
Dust exploded upon impact, obscuring the view.
"Ugh...!"
Heinrich staggered to his feet from within the dust, wiping the blood dripping from his mouth.
'Pouring so much divine power into my body, to counterattack in that situation...'
The attack was inevitable due to its close range.
In the process, Heinrich, repelled by the lich, calmly sliced through the undead rushing at him, regaining his momentum.
'...The miss was the problem, after all.'
He intended to split the lich's head in two, but the lich reacted in that brief moment, twisting the attack path.
[Grrr... How dare a mere paladin...!]
Of course, that doesn't mean the damage the lich sustained was minor.
The light blade, filled with abundant divine power, was fatal to the lich as well.
Even now, the wound was not healing, and the holy white flames were flickering, hindering the lich's use of dark magic.
'I can't delay any longer. I'll end this quickly.'
Although he managed to distance himself from the original battlefield as much as possible by radiating divine power while falling from the sky with the lich, the area was still considerably populated with undead.
If the ones from the original battlefield were to join in, the situation would become even more difficult.
"Huff..."
Divine flames fiercely blazed around Heinrich, burning away curses and healing his body.
His superhuman body was quickly recovering even during brief moments of respite.
'Here I go!'
With his eyes wide open and senses sharpened, he dove through the rising dark magic and pouring black magic, carrying the top one-strike instructor on his back.
***
No matter what black magic was used, he could preemptively perceive it before completion.
He could disable the perceived magic by cutting through its vulnerabilities with his supreme light blade.
His robust body would not easily weaken, even if it allowed a few hits.
Even if he sustained injuries, they would be instantly healed through the harmony of his self-healing ability and holy techniques.
His vast divine power seemed to spring forth endlessly.
With efficient movements established through training and his elegant swordsmanship, he cut down the enemies blocking his way.
And finally...
Whoosh!
The light blade, plunged into the skull of a skeleton, emitted a bright light, splitting the lich's torso down to the waist in two.
Whoosh—!
As the holy flames rose from the cut surface, consuming the lich's entire body, the lich murmured quietly.
[...Not bad, paladin of the order...]
His body, destroyed beyond regeneration, was slowly turning into ash and crumbling away.
[That sword of light, and your eye for deciphering all my magic... The order really did raise a hunting dog with a firm resolve.]
Even if the lich was caught off guard and unexpectedly struck, Heinrich's level was definitely not ordinary.
He calmly acknowledged this, even mocking his opponent.
[Kekeke... But unfortunately for you, I do not die. I merely lose my freedom for a while.]
As long as his separated essence was not destroyed, the lich was an immortal being who would never die.
[What will you do now? It seems you've used up all your trump cards. If we meet again... there will be no such luck as this time. Kheheh.]
Despite the taunting, Heinrich, battered from the battle, showed no reaction.
He just stood among the remains of the undead, breathing heavily, quietly observing the lich turning into ash.
[Yes, it was a decent diversion. Thinking about what kind of despair I'll give you while my body recovers seems like a good way to pass the time. I'm already looking forward to our next meeting...]
And finally, when the lich completely turned into dust and scattered...
<The third trial has ended. Proceed through the gate to the next stage.>
Where the lich had been, a brown door now stood alone.
"...Even though I couldn't deal with it completely, is this really the end?"
Since it was just a process to assess qualifications, perhaps it wasn't deemed important.
The lich, who had been so talkative as if it had something up its sleeve, was merely an entity created by the trial, like a character in a game.
Yet, Heinrich didn't move through the door. Instead, he crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.
'Hmm... It seems quite risky, but it might be possible.'
And he immediately made a decision.
It would be better to make sure things were done thoroughly if he was going to do them at all.
'Even though it's a virtual space, leaving things as they are would feel uncomfortable. It bothers me.'
Before proceeding with his plan, he lightly touched the gate.
Just like during the first trial, the energy around him was drawn in, and his tattered body was instantly healed.
The restoration of his damaged armor was an added bonus.
'Hmm, good. The effect is definite.'
Feeling internally satisfied with his body, which had become even more robust through the trials, he closed his eyes and concentrated, gathering his divine power.
Then, thinking of a specific location...
He used "Blessing: Leap" to head straight for that place.
Fizz—!
Despite the barrier around the location resisting, Heinrich poured an overwhelming amount of divine power through "Blessing: Amplification" and forcefully entered the inside.
"Phew— That was close."
The gloomy and dark underground chamber had an eerie atmosphere.
This place, considerably far from the previous battlefield, was barely within the range limit of the "Blessing: Leap," which had grown with him.
'The air is thin here. Can't stay long.'
But since there was no need to stay long, it wasn't a concern.
Heinrich quietly looked around and, upon finding what he wanted, approached it with a faint smile on his lips.
To it, placed on an altar and carefully preserved with various barriers, he said,
"Hello? We meet again so soon?"
Woong—
The 'source of the lich,' vibrating faintly as if in dismay.
The lich probably hadn't anticipated they would meet again so quickly.
That's why it had been so verbose before disappearing.
But Heinrich hadn't just been watching silently as the lich turned to ash.
Precisely speaking... it was thanks to Hans, who had worked hard out of sight, through Heinrich's senses.
Analyzing the flow of dark magic felt as the lich disappeared, he had traced it back to the source's coordinates.
For Hans, the Immortal King, it was a relatively simple task.
Woong—
Woong!
Woong—!
The source of the lich, vibrating and emitting dark magic.
Even without a voice, its intent seemed clear.
Crack!
Of course, Heinrich, having no intention of dialoguing from the start, unhesitatingly swung his light blade, splitting it in two.
"Phew— Now I feel a bit more relieved."
He watched the source enveloped and disintegrating in divine power, smiling contentedly.
At that moment,
<...The third trial has ended. Proceed through the gate... to where the Holy Sword lies.>
The will of the trial echoed in his mind once again.
But the content was different this time.
'Oh? Did I get bonus points?'
It seemed like a generous judgment.
Enough to skip an entire trial.
'It feels somewhat panicked.'
But it ended well, so it wasn't that bad.
He smirked and boldly moved to the gate that appeared before him, opening it wide.
Feeling a bright light envelop his entire body... he stepped forward.
Thus, Heinrich was able to successfully complete the trials to obtain the Holy Sword.
All thanks to the full support of the 'Immortal King.'