Chapter 96: Fusion Familiar

Arthur’s figure appeared directly in front of Yukina Himeragi. With his overwhelming strength, he effortlessly blocked Astarte’s attack.

“Oh? Such power... unexpected.” The Exorcist narrowed his eyes at Arthur. He was shocked that Arthur had stopped that terrifying strike with just one hand.

The two massive hands formed by magic were no match for Arthur. Enveloped by the Wind King’s Barrier, the evolving magic power was enough to shatter them in seconds!

The magic surged and spun—once again, it was the Wind King’s Barrier at work. Arthur showed no mercy. In a single instant, Astarte was overwhelmed and defeated. The Exorcist tensed, watching her retreat.

“Command received…” Astarte murmured. In an instant, her body vanished into the storm of magic power enveloping her.

The next moment, a massive humanoid creature materialized on the battlefield.

“Quickly defeat them, Astarte! I’ve figured out how that Snow White Wolf works! Once I return, I can modify you—and then, you’ll surely make my dream come true!!!” the Exorcist yelled, overcome with madness.

But no one responded to his insanity.

Arthur stared at him with disdain—not out of arrogance, but because the man’s devotion to the Church had become warped, almost perverse.

“Yes,” Astarte responded coldly. Thoughtless and emotionless, she couldn’t comprehend principles or ideals.

Arthur assessed the transformed Astarte. The Wind King’s Barrier alone might not be enough this time. Excalibur, the Holy Lance, and the Holy Bow—all were too powerful for a half-hearted fight. It was time to use that weapon.

His right hand began to glow with golden light.

A majestic, radiant golden greatsword appeared in his grasp.

“Such holy light! That light should never be defiled by mortals like you! Astarte—kill them!!” the Exorcist commanded.

In response, gray-white orbs of light began to pour from Astarte’s body like cannonballs, speeding straight toward Arthur.

He barely moved. Magic energy flared around him, and his Direct Perception activated. Arthur dodged one orb, cleaved another in half, then summoned a small wind shield on his left arm, blocking the rest.

The deflected orbs struck nearby structures, causing massive destruction.

“What a terrifying fellow…” the Exorcist muttered, then grinned and charged forward, axe in hand. But blocking his path was a coldly gleaming spear—wielded by Yukina.

“Sorry, but this is our fight,” Yukina Himeragi said firmly. Her weapon blazed with surging magic power.

“Then come!” he roared.

They clashed once more in a flurry of attacks.

Meanwhile, Arthur continued fending off Astarte’s relentless barrage. But now, his attacks became increasingly aggressive.

He still hadn’t performed a True Name Release—perhaps out of reverence for beauty, he avoided unnecessary destruction. Until now, he had only defended.

But Arthur knew that defense alone wouldn’t end this.

Magic Power Release!!!

Waves of raw magic burst from his body. The Wind King’s Barrier surged to life again, gusting toward Astarte and halting her advance.

“Very good,” Arthur murmured. Everything was going according to plan. All that remained was to eliminate the Exorcist.

Arthur reached for another weapon—a bow—materializing in his hand. (He could very well have qualified for the Archer class.)

The bow radiated with dazzling brilliance.

Arthur didn’t bother with a True Name Release—it wasn’t necessary. His pure magic was already overwhelming.

There were no physical arrows, only glowing threads of light.

With a thought, they solidified—turning into arrows of pure magic. Fired at incredible speed, the arrows tore through the air, streaking light across the battlefield.

“Not good!!” the Exorcist shouted, diving and rolling to the side. His movements were graceless—but they worked.

“Oh? He dodged.” Arthur wasn’t surprised. If the Exorcist couldn’t evade a casual strike, he wouldn’t be worth the effort.

Arthur’s magic flared to the limit. The Wind King’s Barrier expanded fully. He summoned the Wind King Hammer, blasting Astarte aside with a hurricane force.

Drawing the bowstring once more, he summoned a real arrow of light this time—not an illusion, but a tangible force of divine destruction.

The bow bent like the autumn moon sweeping across the sky.

The arrow flew like a meteor tearing through night.

The crossbow fired like a green wave swallowing the sun, faster than lightning or wind!

Arthur drew, aimed at the Exorcist—then loosed the shot.

“Can you dodge this?”

Whoosh!!!

A flash of light blinded the Exorcist. Pure instinct honed through countless battles made him twist—just one centimeter—and by some miracle, the fatal arrow missed his heart.

But the force was too much. Even glancing him, the arrow pierced through flesh.

Blood poured from his side. The Exorcist stared at Arthur, gasping in pain. Arthur simply conjured another arrow.

“In that case, let’s try again,” he said with a calm smile—a smile that, to the Exorcist, looked like the devil’s grin.

“No!!! I can’t die yet!!! Hasn’t my relic been retrieved!? No!?” the Exorcist screamed, desperation in his voice. “Astarte!! Magic Fusion!!!!”

“Command received. Fusion command acknowledged. Executing.”

In an instant, a gray-white light exploded from Astarte, engulfing the Exorcist.

At the same moment, Arthur’s arrow flew.

BOOM!!!

Golden light lit up the entire night sky.

It was so intense that no one could keep their eyes open.

“So strong…! This is Teacher Arthur’s power!!!” Kojo Akatsuki looked on in awe. The immense power was still surging. The blast of magic swept him off his feet. The image of Arthur’s towering form was burned into his heart with admiration.

As the light faded and darkness returned, a massive gray giant appeared before Arthur.

This was the Exorcist’s final form—the result of sacrificing his life to achieve Fusion Familiar!

Though the Familiar preserved his existence, using a human body as a core was far too costly. His life force was draining rapidly.

“I… I will definitely kill you!!!” the Exorcist howled.


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