The New Gate (LN)

“Will Shin and the others be alright?”

After Shin’s party left, Lilishila’s group was waiting in her room .

In the current situation, even if they acted, they wouldn’t accomplish much . As it was unthinkable that only Eline was under Bulk’s command, acting carelessly would have been dangerous .

Waiting without doing anything, though, was painful not only for Lilishila, but also for the knights at her side .

“Shin and Yuki will not have any trouble even if they face Eline head on . What we should worry about is the movements of the enemy’s other troops . ”

Casting Lilishila’s worries aside, Shibaid leant against the wall of the corridor leading to the entrance . His words were filled with the absolute trust he felt towards Shin .

Not knowing that Shin was a High Human, Lilishila’s group was probably worried at the thought of a head-on battle against Eline . Eline’s fighting ability was just that great .

“Well then, it appears it is time for us to move too . ”

Less than an hour since Shin’s party left, Shibaid spoke while staring at one point in the room .

“What happened?”

“There’s a group of people walking in this direction . Judging from the fact that they are not hiding their hostile intentions, they must be Bulk’s lackeys . ”

Shibaid’s words made Lilishila feel more anxious .

On her side there were 4 people, Shibaid included . Even if they were all competent fighters, depending on the enemy numbers, they might be at an overwhelming disadvantage .

Shibaid’s party left the room, thinking it would be dangerous to fight inside . As they got out, there was a group of people heading towards them .

Leading the group was none other than Bulk himself .

“Oh my, where are we going now?”

“Nowhere that may concern you, Father Bulk . ”

“My apologies, but I do have business with Lady Lilishila . If you would kindly accompany me, I am sure Her Highness the Holy Woman would be pleased as well . ”

“Kh…!”

The sly grin formed by Bulk’s lips made Lilishila feel goosebumps .

If it was possible, she would have crushed him to the ground, then and there . Her clenched fist and teeth expressed that wish very clearly to anyone who would look at her .

Someone then put a hand on Lilishila’s shoulder .

“Lady Lilishila, it appears you do not need to accompany this charming fellow anywhere anymore . ”

“But…could it be that…!!”

Lilishila, who had understood the meaning implied by Shibaid’s words, completely changed her expression .

“Yes, I just received contact from Yuki . They are heading here as we speak . ”

Shibaid nodded strongly, and not only Lilishila but also the knights erupted in cheers . At the same time, their hostility flowed freely to the group blocking their way .

“W-what’s with those looks? Have you forgotten what it means to defy me!?”

“How could I forget . Or rather, it’s impossible for me to forget . ”

Lilishila could not contain a chuckle, as her body was wrapped in highly dense magic power .

Bulk, feeling the danger emanating from Lilishila’s clear intentions of attacking, drew his weapon and stepped forward .

Those behind him also took out their weapons .

“Ko, Konig! Protect me!! You all too, step forward!!!”

“Konig? It can’t be, you too…?”

Looking at the knights before her, Lilishila too said that name, with surprise in her voice .

Konig was a knight that was dispatched to Balmel, and by that logic, he was not supposed to be here at Palmirack .

“Lady Lilishila…I apologize . . ”

“Do not apologize . I am aware of the circumstances . ”

Konig, who had stepped forward as well, showed eyes clearly filled with regret .

His struggle to stop the body that was moving against his will was palpable to Lilishila, who was also well versed in the ways of fighting .

His regret was felt by the people opposing him, as if it was their own .

“Flee, I beg of you…! Or I will cut you down…!”

Konig’s arms slowly reached the blade at his waist . The brilliantly decorated weapon was the legend-class magical sword 『Haufer』 .

『Haufer』, unsheathed with a brilliant sound of metal, sparkled with an almost transparent silver gleam, in utter contrast with its owner’s will .

“Is that a real magical blade?”

As he drew the magical blade, an overwhelming pressure emanated from Konig’s body, as if to crush his opponents . Despite his manipulated state, his strength did not waver an inch .

Lilishila’s party, who was prepared to fight, could not help stiffening before Konig’s presence .

“Ha-hahaha . What happened to all your confidence and boasting?”

Noticing Lilishila’s party’s hesitation, Bulk had regained his composure and was now jeering at them, standing right behind Konig .

None of them, however, had lost to Konig’s aura of pressure .

“Well then, I suppose we should start by stopping this man . ”

These nonchalant words were spoken by Shibaid .

His equipment was the same as when he joined with Shin’s party, light gear covering only part of his body .

The only difference was the silver-colored gauntlet he was now wearing . Lines of black mixed with silver grain covered the whole item .

Shibaid had materialized one of his original pieces of equipment .

“Hmph . Konig is one of the most capable upper class chosen ones . If I were you, I would not boast so quickly . ”

Bulk, enjoying the view of Lilishila’s party being pressured by Konig, bit back at Shibaid .

To Bulk, it looked like Shibaid was just bluffing .

“You petty scum…do not think that you have angered only Lady Lilishila . ”

As Shibaid uttered those words, the pressure bearing on Lilishila’s party suddenly vanished .

Immediately after that, as if the pressure had simply changed targets, the knights standing before Bulk kneeled to the ground .

They looked as if an unseen giant was pushing on them with all its weight .

“W-what the…gah…!”

The sight of his knights groveling had shaken Bulk, who too was forced on his knees slightly later .

A pressure so strong, trained knights succumbed to it: it was impossible for Bulk to resist . He cried, lying on the ground like a flattened frog .

Originally, techniques that pressure the opponent with one’s aura or spirit did not have the effect of pushing the opponent down physically . The pressure was felt simply on an emotional level .

However, in Shibaid’s case it was slightly different .

“I have heard of all your despicable acts . You will not escape me . ”

Shibaid’s deeply resonating voice shook Bulk’s eardrums . As if responding to his anger, the pressure emanating from Shibaid grew even more intense .

At the same time, the floor around Shibaid started cracking .

Shibaid’s main job is Holy Knight . Its role is to be an iron wall, a shield to repel enemy attacks .

If we were to compare skills that attracts the enemy’s attention and pressure enemies into submission . Shibaid boasts the best aptitude among all the support characters .

Against enemies with great difference in abilities, it even manages to pressure them physically .

“The church headquarters…is vibrating…?”

Konig, the only one of Bulk’s entourage still on his feet, looked at Shibaid with disbelief in his eyes .

Konig felt that Palmirack itself was resonating with Shibaid’s anger .

“I know you are being controlled, Sir Konig . As I have no way to break that collar, I will have to be somewhat rough…I trust you will understand . ”

“…I would rather be killed than for my blade to slay those without sin” .

“Your spirit is truly commendable . ”

Shibaid’s words provoked an explosive acceleration in Konig’s movements . The afterglow following his blade swings painted streaks of light in the air .

As a weapon worthy of its “Legendary” grade, 『Haufer』 sliced through the air with little resistance, aiming at Shibaid’s neck .

It all happened in an instant .

Being controlled allowed Konig to perform a movement he would normally find difficult, a swing at his maximum speed .

The blade, however, was stopped right before meeting its target, by a silver gauntlet .

“!?!”

A sharp metallic sound . It was 『Haufer』’s cry after grinding against the gauntlet .

The shock of the impact and the difference in quality between the two weapons resulted in only 『Haufer』 to be damaged .

A result which left Konig wide-eyed and speechless .

Immediately after that, the gauntlet, which had stopped 『Haufer』, vanished in thin air, together with Shibaid himself .

“… . . Go to sleep . ”

The instant those words reached Konig’s ears, he was already drawing his blade…only to be hit vertically into the air .

Where Konig was standing just before, now stood Shibaid, his fist raised in the air . The armor which saved Konig’s life so many times on the battlefield now bore a deep dent in the shape of Shibaid’s fist .

Konig, blown in midair by Shibaid, crashed against the ceiling with roughly the same speed as he had stepped in to swing his blade .

“Gwah!!”

A counter performed after blocking the opponent’s attack .

That single blow was enough for Konig’s body not to follow its master’s will anymore .

Yet the emotion filling Konig’s chest was not surprise .

Towards the existence of an overwhelmingly powerful warrior, capable of dealing with upper class chosen ones with ease, who did not accept or forgive evil .

Towards the fact that a person like that appeared before him .

“I am…thank…ful…”

After uttering these words, Konig lost consciousness .

“If you lose consciousness, you cannot move even under manipulation, is that it?”

Shibaid went closer to Konig’s body and confirmed that all strength had left it .

As he did not know how the control worked, Shibaid put restrains on him to be sure .

“I cahn’t, beliive it…”

Watching Konig be defeated so easily left Bulk flabbergasted .

The other knights too seemed to grasp just how dangerous an enemy Shibaid was, and they were desperately trying to crawl away to safety .

“Lady Lilishila, could I ask for your help in restraining them?”

“Of course . ”

Shibaid captured the higher-leveled knights, while Lilishila took care of the rest . Bulk tried to flee too, but he was obviously captured as well .

“H-how dare you treat me like this!!”

“Your subordinate in the other room has been defeated already, did you know?”

Bulk was cut off as he was trying to talk . Shibaid informed him about Eline’s capture and Hermie and Millie’s rescue .

Bulk’s expression was one of utter shock . Considering that Lilishila’s party turned against him, he realized that Shibaid must have been speaking the truth .

They did not need to endure humiliation to protect the controlled ones any more .

There wasn’t a reason anymore not to oppose him directly .

“You have done as you pleased more than enough…”

Probably because of the anger within her, a heat haze was surrounding Lilishila as she walked towards Bulk .

Her beautiful features hid a strong aura projecting a “I will beat you till you’re an inch away from death!!” vibe, was abundantly clear to anyone who would look at her .

Her pressure was so fierce that even the valiant knights present stepped back .

“I-I don’t deserve to die in a place like this!! Teleport!!!”

Under the weight of Lilishila’s pressure, Bulk frantically chanted the keyword .

It was the same teleport crystal stone that Shin had used before .

“No! Wai-”

Bulk disappeared before Lilishila could prevent it . It was as if he never was there in the first place .

“Kh…! To think that he had a teleport crystal stone that was supposed to be lost…!”

Lilishila’s expression was distorted by regret . The other knights too were left stupefied by Bulk’s sudden disappearance .

Differently from Lilishila, however, Shibaid showed no sign of apprehension .

“Do not fret, Lady Lilishila . Bulk hasn’t escaped us yet . ”

“But he already completely disappeared…”

“This building is the High Human’s – Cain’s – base . A crystal with such low purity can’t teleport outside its walls . ”

“I-is that really true?”

“I have lived my share, you see . I have had the chance to learn about this Palmirack from High Elves and High Lords . He is likely regretting trying to escape right now . ”

Shibaid nodded with confidence, which let Lilishila feel at ease .

Some time later Lilishila, who had reunited with Hermie’s party, felt as if something akin to Bulk’s screams reached her ears .

◆◆◆◆

“Your comrades?”

“Subduing Lilishila’s party while the main force is headed to the Holy Woman . That much is easy to predict . Thus we only needed to set a fitting opponent in wait for them . ”

“Ridiculous…Konig will be accompanied by other upper class chosen ones! No matter how strong your comrades might be, they too surely have their limits!”

Konig, a warrior close to Eline in ability, was heading to Lilishila’s location . Shin did not know Konig very well, but he was not worried in the slightest about the possibility of Shibaid’s defeat .

“If that Konig is close to you in terms of strength, as you say, then it will be child’s play . ”

Even if there was another chosen one on the same level as Eline, Shibaid would not have trouble defeating him . It was a definite fact .

Shin spared no expense to reinforce his support characters, his companions were not to be trifled with .

“Well then, now that you know that there is no way left to stop us, let us talk about what to do with you . ”

“Eek!”

Shin walked closer to Eline, slowly . The latter, remembering the punishment he had just received, let out a cry and tried to flee .

No matter how much of an upper class Chosen One he was, not enough time had passed for him to recover . The type of movement available to him was on all fours at most .

Maybe because all he had in mind was to run away as fast as possible, Eline crawled away with a speed Shin and Wilhelm did not expect . He could not truly escape, obviously . Shin gradually closed in on the distance between them .

“S-shit!! Why am I…why is this happening to a chosen existence such as I . . !!!”

As if he failed to grasp his current situation, Eline was muttering senseless words .

Eline had advanced for several mel when it happened .

His body started convulsing wildly, with jerky movements like a puppet with unoiled joints .

“What’s going on?”

Shin was puzzled at Eline’s sudden strange movements .

“Aaah…gah…why? N-no…NOOOOOOOO!!!”

Eline screamed out of the blue .

Perhaps he had been hiding something in card form, Eline was holding a short sword with a black blade in his hand . After that, right before Shin and Wilhelm’s eyes, Eline stabbed himself with that same blade .

“What the!?”

The sudden insane act stopped both Shin and Wilhelm in their tracks for an instant .

The moment the blade penetrated Eline’s body, his HP gauge, as it appeared in Shin’s eyes, instantly dropped to 0 .

Instant death .

“Gah…i…”

Eline whispered something, spat blood and dropped to the ground . A mixture of fear and confusion remained on his face .

“Give me…a break…suicide all of a sudden? Is this a sick joke?”

Unable to understand what had happened, Shin grimaced at the blood flowing from Eline .

“We don’t know for sure . That bastard sure didn’t look like someone who was thinking of offing himself . ”

It was clear that it had not happened because of Eline’s will . His movements, as if under someone’s control, led Shin to think of a certain item .

Shin drew closer to Eline and examined his neck, arms, legs . However, not a single submission item similar to Millie’s could be seen .

“So, he wasn’t controlled via an item?”

“Looks like it . Did he have any abnormal statuses?”

“No, it didn’t look like he was affected by anything…”

Shin checked Eline’s general status display, but found no trace of status abnormalities .

He wasn’t controlled by an item, nor under the effect of confusion or brainwashing . It was a very odd situation .

(Could it be something I’m not aware of? Or is there something I missed…?)

As the game turned into reality, it was highly possible that something not existing before now did . However, it could simply be that Shin had forgotten about it .

Even a long-time player like Shin could not remember all events and in such detail .

“I can’t think of anything related, but it’s probably better to check with Schnee too . ”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, it could be something I forgot about . ”

As Shin mentioned that Schnee and the others might know something about it, Wilhelm nodded in approval .

“It’s surprising that there are things that even you don‘t know . Anyway, he was raised by Bulk since he was a child . The Summit Faction likely did something to him, not that I pity him though . ”

Rather than an item, he could have been under the effect of magic . If that was true, that could perhaps also explain his contorted personality .

Wilhelm, having heard of Eline’s feats from Jai, did not have any compassion to spare .

Memory manipulation by an item could delete memories but it could not affect the person’s personality . And Eline who actually used this type of item, said as such .

Even after such a death, it was clear that he wasn’t worthy of pity .

“We got the information, but I can’t call this a pleasant way to close the curtains . ”

“I feel the same . The body…I suppose we can leave it here . ”

This room too was inside Palmirack .

As with the chosen one who exploded, after some time passed the corpse would be dispersed .

The two removed all of Eline’s equipment and items, searching for what could have been manipulating him . Not even Shin knew of a way to preserve corpses, thus they left it to be dispersed .

As Shin left the room with Wilhelm, a Mind Chat from Shibaid reached him .

“(Shin, we have subdued Bulk’s subordinates who attacked us . )”

“(They came to you then, as expected . What happened to Bulk?)”

“(He ran away with a teleport crystal stone . However, the crystal seemed to be quite low in purity . He should have fallen in the maze section . )”

“(Please give me a second…yes, I found him . Leave the rest to me . )”

Shin, who had activated Palmirack, could use part of its functions even without the control console .

He used the search function he had previously used to find Wilhelm and confirmed that Bulk was moving within Palmirack .

Even a teleport crystal stone of the highest purity would not allow instant escape if used inside Palmirack .

Even Shibaid, whose fighting-oriented job did not grant especially high appraisal ability, understood that the crystal stone used by Bulk was a low purity one . Such a crystal stone would not allow the user to flee, but instead would transport him directly to the maze section, built for intruders .

As he closed the Mind Chat with Shibaid, Shin called to Wilhelm, who was walking ahead .

“Listen, Wilhelm . It looks like Bulk ran away . I’m going to go catch him, so go ahead and join the others . ”

“He ran away? You don’t need any help?”

“I already know where he is, so no problem . He can’t get out, or rather, he ended up in the maze section we used for training . If we leave him there, he’s going to die . We have information to extract from him too, so I’m going to secure him . ”

“Looks like his luck finally ran out, eh? I’m going ahead then . Make sure you give him a good scare . ”

Wilhelm, with an evil grin, walked on through the corridor .

After seeing him off, Shin used Teleport .

◆◆◆◆

“Aaaahh!! Eeeekk!! What, what’s going ooon!”

Forcing his pudgy body to an awkward run, Bulk cursed his fate .

Bulk, church priest and central member in the Summit Faction at the same time . After gaining a pawn such as Eline, he had stained his hands in all sorts of evil deeds .

Drunken by the vision of attaining High Human status, he had slain not only monsters but also other humans .

He was responsible for the death of many humans with special abilities, offering them in ritual sacrifice .

After gaining control of the Holy Woman and the knight guarding her, thanks to an item obtained by chance, he even managed to control a girl with the “Star Reader” title . In that moment, he thought that the whole world was moving to help him become a High Human .

“Shit!! Someone of my caliber is not supposed to end in a place like this… . . ! Bwah!”

Bulk was running frantically, but finally his unhealthy lifestyle caught up and his feet tripped each other up . He fell to the ground and, unable to break the fall, was struck badly all over his body .

“Gaah! Where is this place supposed to be anyway! I used the teleport crystal, so why am I not outside!?”

Bulk flew in a fit of anger while squirming because of the pain .

He was supposed to have been transported outside Palmirack, but he found himself inside a dark cavern instead . The unexpected situation was already pushing Bulk’s frail spiritual fortitude to its limits .

“Grrrrrrrrrrrr—”

“Eeep!”

What eroded Bulk’s spirit the most was the roaring cry which would sometimes resonate in the cavern . The cry, clearly coming from a monster, was coming closer and closer to Bulk’s position .

He could not see where the corridor lead, no exit was in sight, nor were any of his guards escorting him .

The increasingly louder roar was shaking Bulk to his core .

“Da-damnitall!!!”

“Yo”

A hand touched Bulk’s shoulder as he was about to run again . As Bulk turned around, his field of vision was filled with the figure of a man emerging from the darkness .

This new surprise caused the already tense Bulk to utter an incomprehensible scream: “KWESDRFIGYYFIJIKIIII!!”

“Fijiki” is the only thing I could make out from that . ”

Bulk had jumped up, crashed back down, and was now looking up at the face of the young man who talked to him .

“W-what in blazes is going on!! But no matter! You, take me out of here! Now! I am a church priest, you shall be amply rewarded . ”

Bulk, in a state of confusion because of the extreme situation, barked his orders without confirming the young man’s identity .

To such a Bulk, the young man talked with a smile and a menacing tone .

“Hahaha . Your face is the only joke we need here, pig bastard . ”

“W-what did you say? I’m a priest of the church, I said!!”

The young man walked closer to Bulk while cracking his knuckles . The closer he came, the farther Bulk crawled .

In that moment, Bulk finally understood that the young man had clearly hostile intentions .

But it was far too late .

“I have a bunch of things to ask you . You better answer if you want to stay in one piece . ”

Eyes lit up in the dim darkness .

A completely artificial smile .

Hostility so palpable that his instinct was screaming to run away .

It was the manifestation of fear, a terror the likes of Bulk had never experienced before .

Bulk had no room to crawl backwards anymore, and part of his clothes had started to become slightly damp . A faint scent of ammonia pricked the two men’s noses .

“Let’s start talking . ”

Bulk’s screams resounded through the barely lit corridors .

◆◆◆◆

Lilishila’s party had reunited with Hermie and Millie, led by Schnee, and was in a joyous mood .

Lilishila shed tears of happiness at the sight of Hermie’s neck, finally free of the black collar; seeing her in tears made Hermie cry as well .

The knight cheered loudly, confident in Bulk’s downfall .

As Wilhelm arrived, Millie, who had been eagerly awaiting him, ran up to hug him .

“Oh, nice cheery mood here folks . ”

“Here you are . Hey, it’s still alive right?”

“He’s not dead yet, nope . I doubt he’ll be able to continue being a priest though . ”

Wilhelm sighed while talking to Shin, who had joined them with some delay . Millie was still stuck to him and wouldn’t let go .

The reason was an unconscious Bulk, carried by Shin’s left arm .

Seeing the priest with white eyes, drooling and sometimes trembling would have provoked the same question not only from Wilhelm but from anyone who witnessed it .

“Shin-sama? What did you… . ”

“I just squeezed information out of him . I’ll let the church decide what to do with him next . ”

Shin handed Bulk over to the guard knights and opened a Mind Chat with Schnee and Shibaid .

“(According to Bulk, there’s a high chance that Filma was captured by the Summit Faction . It looks like 『Exvaine』 was given to him by someone claiming to be from the Faction . )”

The two’s eyes narrowed after hearing Shin’s information . They could not remain indifferent after hearing that a comrade might have been captured .

“(Is there no information about the ritual site?)”

“(Someone was supposed to come pick him up . I know the date, but who knows what this messenger will do . )”

“(Any other clue?)”

“(Nothing . I had the impression that he doesn’t know anything either . Looks like they deleted the important parts of his memories . )”

Making Bulk sleep and using an item like the manipulation collar on him wouldn’t have been difficult . Lilishila’s method too would allow a similar result, if used with ill intentions .

“(Spiritual type skills are a real pain . )”

Right next to the rejoicing Lilishila group party, Shin’s could not feel at ease .

◆◆◆◆

After Shin and Wilhelm left, something started moving in the room where Hermie had been captured .

“Uuh . . ghaah…”

The figure awkwardly standing up was none other than the man who was supposed to have died on the spot after piercing his own chest, Eline .

“Kaah, he’s finally dead!”

Eline’s smile was even more distorted than before . More than half of his face was covered with a tattoo of thorns .

“This guy’s contortion was of decent quality, but it was pretty obnoxious . ”

Eline talked as if concerning someone else . To a third party’s eyes, he would look like he had become someone else .

“Aaaah, having a body is really fantastic after all . Better not waste any more time here though, let’s hightail it before that monster notices us . ”

The words coming from his mouth clearly showed how the spirit inhabiting the body was no longer Eline .

Something was controlling Eline’s body . With a small chuckle, Eline’s body vanished into the darkness as if melting in it .

Nothing else was left .

◆◆◆◆

Tiera, who was heading to the inn after parting ways with Shin, was suspicious of the lack of any pursuers . She tried asking Kagerou and Yuzuha, but apparently there were no hostile presences in the surroundings .

Tiera too was worried about Millie, but she knew well that with Shin’s party heading to rescue her, there was nothing for her to do .

Tiera climbed onto the inn’s roof and stood gazing at Palmirack . She let slip a small grumble .

“They told me to stand guard from outside, but I can’t see anything . Someone that could slip away from Shin and the others…who could ever do something like that?”

She ended up wondering if she was really being of help to them .

Yuzuha and Kagerou, who were on lookout, drew closer to her as to reassure her .

“Kuu”

“Gruu”

“Thank you . Should something unexpected happen, I’ll do my best . ”

Tiera answered to the two and focused her sight on Palmirack .

Her focus then paid off, as she perceived unrest among the spirits around Palmirack .

Tiera followed their trail with her eyes and saw something fly from the roof of a building on the edge of Palmirack .

“What’s that?”

Tiera’s excellent eyesight allowed her to recognize the flying figure as humanlike . However, there were two pairs of wings sprouting from its back .

As far as Tiera knew, all Bird-type had just one pair of wings . None of the ones Tiera knew had two .

In addition, those two pairs of wings were one animal-like and the other insect-like, completely different types . It was clearly something abnormal .

The fact that the figure looked almost transparent must have been due to a skill .

“What in the world is that shadow? Is there any skill we can use to track it?”

Yuzuha activated a skill after Tiera’s request . A bird-like something, melting in the moonlight, danced in the sky and flew after the shadow .

“Did something happen to Shin and the others…?”

Tiera then was informed of Millie’s rescue by a late message .

The shadow she had witnessed .

That very shadow would decide the next destination of Shin’s party .