The White Whale, although a magic beast, possessed considerable intelligence. After trapping everyone with its dense fog, instead of pursuing them further, it first chose to recover from its injuries.
While the group was entangled with Sloth, the White Whale, hidden within the fog, seized the opportunity and unleashed its ultimate attack, the "Vanishing Mist," trying to wipe out Julius and the others all at once.
The moment they heard the whale's cry, Julius and the others sensed danger. However, as they tried to withdraw, they realized their feet were completely immobile.
"Your feet are being bound by that guy's 'Invisible Hands'!" Subaru reminded them as he noticed the panic on Julius and his comrades' faces.
"What's the point of saying that now?! I already knew you were useless!" For someone as agile as an assassin, the inability to move was deeply unsettling.
Venomous Thorn also tried using his poisoned dagger against the "Invisible Hands," but the attempt was in vain. The "Invisible Hands" had a physical form, but they weren't made of flesh and blood. Whether the poison would work or not was uncertain, and Thorn couldn't even pierce them with his dagger.
Currently, the group's key fighters had their legs bound by the "Invisible Hands," and with the "Vanishing Mist" approaching, the situation was dire.
However, this couldn't entirely be blamed on Subaru. He could see the "Invisible Hands," but as an ordinary person, his vision was limited, especially in such a foggy environment. Sloth used the fog as cover, sending his "Invisible Hands" crawling along the ground—something no one could easily detect.
"Saint-level Ice Magic: Frozen Fortress!"
With Julius and the others immobilized, and the "Vanishing Mist" rolling in, just as they were at a loss, the air temperature suddenly plummeted, and a massive ice wall rose from the ground, standing between them and the approaching mist.
The mist collided with the thick ice wall, which rapidly began disappearing before their eyes. It wasn't melting or shattering but rather being erased as if it had never existed.
Fortunately, as the ice wall was being erased, the concentration of the "Vanishing Mist" gradually lessened. In the end, the hundreds of meters long and several meters thick ice wall was reduced to just a few centimeters, but the mist had dissipated entirely.
"I spent a long time circling around Lugnica, killed quite a few magic beasts and bandits, but never encountered anything really formidable.
And you guys—you were supposed to be handling the relatively safe merchant activity. Can someone tell me how you ended up provoking something like this?"
The one who had arrived and saved everyone with such powerful ice magic was none other than Wood himself.
Ice magic wasn't particularly rare—even Emilia was quite proficient with it. However, Emilia could not yet cast such a spell instantaneously on this scale. Puck could, but it had sealed its powers to stay with Emilia and would rarely intervene.
Wood had come looking for Anastasia and the others after finding the letter Mimi left for him when he returned to the mansion. As the heir to the Hoshin Trading Company, Wood quickly recalled information about the "White Whale" from his memory.
Upon confirming that the creature was one of the Three Great Beasts, and that it had troublesome abilities, Wood grew concerned and followed the map Mimi provided to find the group.
What he didn't expect was that the situation was even worse than he imagined—besides the "White Whale," the Witch's Cult's Sin Archbishop of Sloth had also joined in.
He also hadn't anticipated that not only were Anastasia and Crusch's forces fighting the White Whale, but even Subaru's group had been dragged into the chaos.
"Do you think we wanted to get involved in all this? We're victims here! If your sister and Crusch weren't hunting the White Whale, and we hadn't been mistakenly caught up, we would've reached the next city by now."
Honestly, amidst everything that was happening, Subaru was probably one of the calmest people present.
After all, no matter how dangerous the "White Whale" or the "Sin Archbishop" was, even if there were a hundred of them, Subaru wouldn't care—he had no reason to fear. Even if he died, his "Return by Death" ability meant he couldn't really die; time would simply reset.
And in the next loop, he'd choose a different route to avoid the White Whale entirely. He had no ties to Crusch or Anastasia, and they were Emilia's rivals anyway, so Subaru had no reason to risk himself to save them.
"Have you ever thought that maybe it wasn't them who got you involved, but you who got them into this mess?" Wood retorted, watching Subaru claim innocence like a bystander. He had long since realized Subaru's ability to draw trouble was unmatched.
First, it was Elsa the Bowel Hunter, then the Sword Saint, and then the Beast User Meili. Even during a supposedly safe trade trip, Subaru had managed to run into the White Whale and the Witch's Cult.
Wood had spent the past few days hunting with Rem, fighting countless magic beasts, but none of them were significant. Subaru, on the other hand, had picked the safe route with an elite guard and still ended up in danger—that kind of luck had to be supernatural.
"And who might you be? An enemy of the Great Witch? Such laziness—what punishment shall I grant you? Ah, my brain trembles..."
Seeing Wood, Sloth tilted his head at an eerie angle and stared at him with bulging eyes. When he couldn't understand why this unanticipated person had appeared, Sloth's expression turned manic. He first clutched his head as if in pain, then bit his fingers until they bled, with no hint of pain in his face.
"Who is this madman supposed to be?" Wood asked, confused by Sloth's bizarre behavior. At first, he didn't even associate him with the Sin Archbishops of the Witch's Cult.
It wasn't until Julius and the others warned Wood that he sensed imminent danger. Wood instantly leaped away from his spot, even having the presence of mind to kick Subaru away from the threat.
"Boom!"
The moment Wood moved, the ground where he had stood cracked open, with a clear handprint depression on the rocky surface.
"Wood, be careful. This guy is one of the Sin Archbishops, and his ability involves using these unseen hands to attack. Julius and the others got caught off guard because of them, but for some reason, I can see these 'Invisible Hands.' Let me work with you to take down this lunatic."
Subaru, who had been kicked away by Wood, rolled across the ground before standing up and shouting.
"No need. Just find a safe spot and stay out of my way. If you die, it's a hassle for me, and I don't want to have to go through all this trouble again. It's just some invisible attack—troublesome, but hardly invincible."
Subaru was about to warn Wood not to underestimate Sloth. Julius and the others had been caught because of carelessness, but Subaru's words were cut off as the next moment proved him wrong.
Sloth launched his "Invisible Hands" towards Wood, but Wood, without Subaru's warning, moved as if he anticipated the attack. He dodged the grasp of the "Invisible Hands" effortlessly and, in a few swift moves, was right in front of Sloth.
A flash of silver swept through the air, and Sloth's crazed expression turned into one of shock, his pupils expanding to their limits.
Wood flicked the few drops of blood from his sword, looking at the still dumbfounded Sloth. "It seems your ability isn't just for offense—it's also quite a decent defense."
Wood was certain his blade had connected, but the damage inflicted on Sloth was negligible, much less than expected. The only explanation was that Sloth had used those unseen things to shield himself.
"Can you also see my 'Invisible Hands,' like that witch's favored boy over there? Are you also loved by the Witch?"
Ignoring the speed and swordsmanship Wood had displayed, Sloth couldn't comprehend how his perfected "Invisible Hands" had failed to catch the knight in front of him. It was something he could neither understand nor accept.
"So, those things attacking me are supposed to be hands? I'm afraid I can't see your so-called 'Invisible Hands,' and I don't know this witch of yours, nor would I ever accept her so-called affection.
If your 'Invisible Hands' are simply invisible with no detectable aura, then frankly, they aren't much of a threat."
Upon hearing Wood's words, the expression on Sloth's face—which had been one of bewilderment—quickly twisted into one of rage.
Members of the Witch's Cult were fanatical believers in the Witch of Envy, Satella, and Sloth was the most devout of them all. Wood's dismissive remarks about the Witch's love and the value of the Sin Archbishops' powers were nothing short of blasphemy.
With an explosive surge of power, more "Invisible Hands" appeared, larger and more potent, reaching out towards Wood like an inescapable net.
Subaru, who could see the "Invisible Hands," found himself overwhelmed. Even knowing where they were, there were so many that it seemed impossible to avoid them all.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? Sometimes, intuition perceives far more than the eye can see.
Humans have five senses, but for a swordsman who has refined their heart, body, and technique to a certain level, perception goes beyond mere sight."
"I'm not like Rem and the others of the Oni tribe—I can't smell the so-called 'Witch's Scent.' But I still have my hearing and touch.
The 'Invisible Hands' are physical, and I can hear the subtle changes in the wind as they move. Combined with the humidity and temperature shifts after my ice magic, those slight disturbances are more than enough for me to sense their presence."
Wood dodged the attacks of the "Invisible Hands" with agility and continued speaking with an almost casual tone.
"Even if you can evade my 'Invisible Hands,' these hands are unique to the Sin Archbishops of the Witch's Cult. No magic or swordsmanship can easily break or sever them.
You might manage to dodge for now, but how long can your body endure? Once you tire, I will tear you apart with my powers!"
Sloth finally understood that Wood was an anomaly, but as long as he kept his distance, Sloth believed he held the advantage.
However, when Wood heard Sloth's words, he simply smirked.
"I may not be Reinhard, without the Sword Saint's blessing to cut through anything, but there are very few things in this world I cannot sever. I'm afraid your 'Invisible Hands' aren't among them."
As if to prove his point, Wood didn't dodge the "Invisible Hands" this time. Instead, he firmly gripped his sword, and the surrounding winds began to gather around the blade.
"Tear it all apart—Hyakki Yagyo Style, Wind Attribute Sword: Kamaitachi!"
The sword traced a silver arc through the air, and a fierce wind, like a weasel wielding a sickle, carved a deep gash into the earth.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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