Chapter 36

The fire grass that attacked the holy knight intended to launch a surprise attack.

However, this operation was nothing more than a trap set by the holy knight. Unaware that they were being manipulated like puppets, they rushed into the entrance of the trap.

"Got you!"

One of the holy knights shouted and activated his magical equipment. His magical equipment was a rare area-type, which had the power to affect a specific area. His ability was to control mud.

The ground turned into a swamp, and the fire grass's magical equipment users were instantly immobilized. However, the Holy Knight Order had worn magical boots from the beginning to utilize his magical equipment. With these boots, they could move freely even in unstable terrain.

"Attack!"

"Oooooooooo!"

Thirty holy knights began their assault on the fire grass. The fire grass's magical equipment users, immobilized by the mud, were nothing but targets. They were quickly reduced in numbers.

Due to their initial setback, their morale plummeted quickly.

"Damn... Why!?"

"Run, run!"

"Those holy knights... What dirty bastards!"

"Shit! My feet are sinking, I can't move!"

"Help meeeeeee!"

After all, the fire grass's magical equipment users were poor at group actions. They had no chance against the Holy Knight Order, who were well-trained and knew how to leverage their numbers. Especially in such unstable terrain.

The fire grass was quickly reduced in numbers.

"Could our attack have been exposed!?"

"Master Goldy! If we keep this up!"

"Shut up! I know that!"

Goldy threw his magical equipment, a short sword, to attack the holy knights. His magical equipment was a combination of weapon-type and creation-type, allowing him to continuously generate short swords with his magic.

This was his method of attack, using thrown knives.

However, the unstable ground made it difficult to aim, and it was hard to generate much power. Moreover, being immobilized, they could easily become targets of magic.

Even Goldy was getting anxious.

"Damn it! Retreat!"

Weighing his pride and the organization's survival, he chose the latter. This ability to make such judgments was why Goldy, despite his bad personality, was given a leadership role.

He could assess the situation.

However, the Holy Knight Order was not about to let them escape after all this.

"Don't let them escape! Eliminate them all here!"

The morale of the Holy Knight Order, who were advancing favorably, was high. Indeed, not a single holy knight had fallen yet, showing how one-sided the battle was.

Still, the fire grass tried to at least let Goldy escape.

"Burn, you damn holy knights!"

"Blow away!"

"Die, you bastards!"

The fire grass's magical equipment users tried to hinder the holy knights' pursuit with their own magical equipment. The holy knights, who had cornered them, did not want to suffer major injuries, so the desperate attacks managed to slow down their pursuit.

"Now, Goldy! Escape quickly!"

"Sorry. Stay safe, all of you!"

This attack was a major failure. With a bitter expression, Goldy attempted to escape. Using his magical equipment's thrown knives to keep the holy knights at bay, he tried to secure a route.

Finally, an opportunity arose.

"There! Let's go!"

"Right!"

"I'll cover you!"

Goldy and a nearby A-rank magical equipment user companion tried to escape from the battlefield. The swampy ground slowed their progress, but they were almost free.

Just a few steps away from freedom, Goldy shouted to his companion.

"We're heading west! Meet at that branch!"

"Got it. Stay alive."

"Make sure to treat us, Goldy!"

Then, the three of them planned to split up to avoid being tracked. However, this was a naive plan.

In the heat of battle, they failed to notice arrows flying from a different direction.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Ugh..."

Three arrows simultaneously pierced their heads, and they fell to the ground.

A man with a bow and arrows appeared from the gap between the trees.

"Got 'em, boss."

"Great. Let's join the carnival, shall we?"

"Oooooooooo!"

The ones who appeared were the dark organization, Red Claw.

Moreover, their boss appeared in person.

His magical equipment was deep red claws, capable of cutting through anything with heat.

"First, we need to get rid of this mud, right?"

The boss of Red Claw said this, and a subordinate with ice-controlling magical equipment froze the mud. The water in the mud froze instantly, making the ground slippery. The Holy Knight Order, with their magical boots, seemed unaffected, but the fire grass's magical equipment users were thrown into further confusion.

"Let's go, boys!"

The boss of Red Claw led the charge, diving into the chaotic battlefield. He started by slicing the fire grass's magical equipment users trapped in the frozen mud with his heat-infused claws. The claws, sharp and powerful, could cut through even armor.

When the claws met armor-type magical equipment, they sometimes bounced off, but in such cases, a subordinate with water-controlling magical equipment would suffocate the target. The fire grass, caught off guard, had already disintegrated.

"Kill, kill! Kill the holy knights!"

"This is our chance to make a name for ourselves!"

"The fire grass is on its last legs. Don't let a single one escape!"

"It's a festival! A bloodbath!"

The Red Claw's magical equipment users, full of bloodlust, faced the holy knights without fear of death. However, the holy knights were starting to show signs of fatigue.

The dark organization's magical equipment users were stronger than expected, and the battle was more difficult than planned. To become a holy knight, one had to be at least a B-rank magical equipment user. However, the Red Claw, emboldened by their successful ambush, had high morale and were determined to avoid casualties.

For the Holy Knight Order, this operation was crucial to eliminate the dark organization. The thirty holy knights sent as bait were strictly ordered to avoid death.

"We have magical boots. Don't worry about the ground!"

"Don't break the formation of three. Be cautious of ambushes."

"That magical equipment is the boss of Red Claw! Be careful. He's fast!"

They formed groups of three, back to back, to eliminate blind spots and defend. With their numbers at a disadvantage, they had no choice but to defend to avoid death.

However, this was a puzzling situation.

Normally, choosing to defend was done with the expectation of reinforcements. If reinforcements or hidden forces were present, defending made sense. However, without such support, they would eventually be defeated. Some members of Red Claw considered the possibility of reinforcements. The possibility of hidden forces was not considered from the start.

They did not know this was a trap set by the church, so they did not notice the puzzling nature of the situation.

"Push! Crush them!"

"We'll kill the holy knights ourselves!"

Considering the possibility of reinforcements, they needed to act quickly. Red Claw planned to crush the fire grass with a surprise attack and then eliminate the holy knights. With the boss of Red Claw leading the charge, their morale was at its peak. They were now fighting with sheer determination.

However, the situation changed again.

"What...?"

The boss of Red Claw was the first to notice the anomaly. With senses as sharp as a beast, he detected an unusual odor in the air. He immediately recognized it as a drug.

Being familiar with the underworld, he quickly identified the drug.

(This is a paralyzing poison...!)

However, his body showed no signs of discomfort. He had already built up resistance to such paralyzing poisons. A stronger poison would have affected him, but such drugs were difficult to produce in large quantities.

Still, the ability to spread a moderate paralyzing poison over such a wide area was limited to a few organizations, especially now that mid-level and lower dark organizations had been destroyed.

"Damn... The Lotus Flower is involved too!"

The Lotus Flower, a dark organization specializing in drugs, including narcotics, had spread a paralyzing poison with moderate potency over the area. This was a powerful poison, considering the quantity required. The boss of Red Claw, with his resistance to poisons, could withstand it, but many others could not.

"Ugh... My body!"

"Damn! What is this?"

"It's not an enemy attack! Who did this?"

"Protect those who can't move! We didn't expect this!"

The fire grass, already on the verge of destruction, the high-spirited Red Claw, and even the Holy Knight Order did not expect a drug attack. The Holy Knight Order had considered the possibility but deemed it unlikely due to the difficulty of producing the required quantity.

Despite the expertise of the Lotus Flower in drugs, spreading such a quantity would have caused noticeable movements. However, the Lotus Flower was one step ahead of the church, which had failed to monitor their drug trade routes effectively.

This was the result.

"Ha ha ha ha! What fools."

"To gather in one place like this?"

"What a perfect target for paralyzing poison."

"Now that you can't move, you're really targets, aren't you?"

"Exactly. Let's do it."

The Lotus Flower's magical equipment users emerged from the surrounding trees, leering at the immobilized or slowed fire grass, Red Claw, and Holy Knight Order magical equipment users.

The paralyzing poison prepared by the Lotus Flower was vast. The Lotus Flower's magical equipment users had taken counteracting drugs in advance, so they were unaffected by the paralyzing poison.

"Attack! We, the Lotus Flower, will win!"

Believing they had outsmarted the Holy Knights, fire grass, and Red Claw, the Lotus Flower launched a simultaneous attack, prioritizing the paralyzed holy knights.

One of the Lotus Flower's magical equipment users lunged at a fallen holy knight with a sword—

"I won't let you."

The magical equipment user's right arm was severed.

Standing in front of him was a holy knight who resembled a noble prince. A man so famous that everyone present recognized him as the strongest.

"Wh-What! Why is Celshtar Altrain here!"

An S-rank magical equipment user and the awakened strongest holy knight, Celshtar, who was supposed to be in Alta, was here. He had not been seen or felt, as if he had teleported to the scene.

"Hehehe. My deputy is very competent. He outsmarted you all."

"I am honored by your praise, Commander."

Following Celshtar's words, his deputy appeared by his side.

In this quiet battlefield, Celshtar and his deputy stood out. Celshtar, suddenly appearing with a storm-like aura, could not be ignored.

"Run, run, run, run, run!"

"I won't let you."

A Lotus Flower magical equipment user, who happened to be fighting near Celshtar, tried to flee but was mercilessly impaled through the heart with a magical rapier.

"Ah!"

The man fell, blood splattering. Celshtar wiped the blood off his rapier. No one saw the moment he pierced the heart.

"Too fast..."

In the silence, someone's whisper could be heard.

However, Celshtar ignored it and instructed his deputy.

"Prepare the barrier. Don't let anyone escape."

"As you wish."

The deputy whispered to a magical device, and a blue-white barrier enveloped the area. This was a large barrier that could be activated by multiple holy knights using positive magic simultaneously.

It was prepared to eliminate all the dark organization members gathered here without letting anyone escape.

The deputy then addressed the stunned dark organization magical equipment users with a smile.

"To help you understand the situation, let me explain. My magical equipment is area-type... My ability is teleportation. I can instantly move over any distance with my magic."

Using this ability, he brought Celshtar from Alta and positioned the holy knights to set up the large barrier.

---

*Snap...*

"Huh?"

Celshtar heard something snap in the sky. Everyone present looked up, following his gaze.

White light exploded, striking the air and making a sound.

It was clearly a magical or magical equipment-based lightning attack.

The Eighth Tier of Wind Magic, *Great Discharge*, had been activated.