A beautiful, fair-skinned woman with silver hair stood before him, dressed in a dark, gothic dress that reached down to her feet.
Her presence was overwhelming.
Her heterochromatic eyes bore into him with unsettling intensity, as if she were inspecting someone who owed her a debt.
"Judas..."
Even a normal person like Rose felt something was off and couldn't help but stare at her nervously.
"Miss Rose, stay behind me."
He whispered as he stepped in front of her.
A bead of sweat trickled down his face and fell to the floor.
'Isn't she that insanely strong woman who arrived with Belle?'
This was only the second time they had met, yet Judas could already tell she was dangerous.
His instincts... they were screaming warnings at him.
'Level 7... someone as monstrous as Ottar.'
At least on par... or perhaps even stronger... than the strongest adventurer in Orario, which many considered as the objective truth.
"I finally got to see you. And I see that the guild wolf girl is here as well."
Alfia said, her soft smile laced with something far less warm.
"You're the child who rode the carriage with me and my niece, aren't you? It's nice to see you again."
"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am."
Judas replied, giving a respectful nod.
"Why are you so nervous? It's not like I'm going to kill you or anything."
Alfia said, her smile never faltering.
'That smile... it doesn't suit her at all.'
Judas felt something off about the way she smiled...it was fake.
No... it was as if she were forcing herself to smile.
"How is Belle doing? She should have joined a Familia and started her adventuring journey by now."
He tried to engage in small talk, attempting to gauge her intentions.
"Oh, my useless niece? She's doing fine, and her training is coming along nicely."
"But it seems like she isn't doing as well as you, despite having similar starting points. Am I right, Silent Saint?"
Silent Saint... that was the unofficial alias the people of Orario had given him after he revealed his miraculous healing magic.
Along with The Savior, Judas now bore two unofficial nicknames that would probably stay until the gods themselves awarded him an official one during the Denatus.
'A Denatus hasn't even been held yet, and I'm already getting nicknames left and right.'
Judas thought as he stared at the woman, who now had her eyes closed.
'My ears, enhanced by the Falna, can't even pick up a heartbeat or the sound of her breathing, even when she's this close... it's as if this woman hates noise itself.'
No matter how much he tried to pry, he was completely unable to read the woman before him.
"I'm embarrassed to hear your praise," Judas replied.
"It was a nice conversation, but I have to go now. My companions are waiting for me."
Judas and Rose turned to leave, but before he could take another step—
"Where are you going? I'm not done yet."
Alfia's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, her fingers like iron clamps locking him in place.
Judas froze, then tried to pull away... yet her grip didn't budge. Not even an inch.
"Hey, let go. I don't think I have any business with you."
His voice stayed calm, but his body tensed as he reinforced himself to the limit with his magic, [Body Reinforcement].
"Oh? Did you get stronger? I sensed movement of magic power inside your body... a magic that boosts your status, perhaps?"
Alfia commented in a casual tone.
Realizing this was going nowhere, Judas cast every single one of his strengthening spells, amplifying his stats to Level 4.
"That's better, but not enough."
Alfia said as her grip tightened further.
Cracks began to form on the paved ground beneath his feet.
'...Still nothing?'
Judas' heart pounded as a bead of sweat ran down his temple.
Her grip felt immovable... as if he were trying to break free from chains bolted to the earth itself.
"It's useless."
Alfia said flatly.
"Judas!"
The sound of Rose screaming reached his ears.
Then... the world blurred.
Before he could react, the ground vanished beneath him. The wind howled past his ears—
Then came the impact.
CRASH!
Judas' back slammed into cold stone, spiderweb-like cracks spreading across the wall behind him.
The shock rattled his bones, but he staggered back to his feet.
"Shit..."
He glanced around... and realized he was standing atop Orario's city wall.
'Did I just get thrown all the way here?'
They had been in the middle of town seconds ago.
"What do you want?"
He demanded, turning toward Alfia.
She stood a few feet away, her face calm, serene... yet cold enough to freeze the air around her.
No response.
The air shifted.
A magic circle flared beneath Judas, its pressure so suffocating that the stone beneath his feet cracked and splintered outward.
Yet Alfia stood still, unshaken, her gaze locked onto him like a predator toying with its prey.
'What is she planning?'
She stood completely still... just quietly observing, as if waiting for him to make a move.
"Still not talking?"
Judas ran out of patience and fired a deadly beam of light toward her... a searing laser that evaporated everything in its path.
'Gone?'
Judas blinked. Alfia had vanished from where she stood.
"My, what an impressive casting speed. Even faster than mine."
"Completely instantaneous... who taught you?"
A chill crawled down his spine as her voice whispered from behind him.
Judas spun, unleashing a roundhouse kick aimed at her head.
The force tore through the air with a violent gust.
'It hit!'
Feeling the impact on his leg, Judas assumed he'd landed a direct hit—
But it was an illusion.
"That kick... I'll give it nine points."
He realized Alfia had casually caught his leg, her expression still calm and indifferent.
"Out of ten?"
Judas asked with a nervous smile.
"No... out of one hundred."
She said, then hurled him across the distance using his leg.
"I see... I was trying to be gentle, but it seems that approach isn't working."
"I should've just stuck to my usual methods."
She added as she saw him emerge from the rubble.
"Gentle? Are you kidding me?!"
Judas barked in disbelief.
After being dragged across Orario like a ragdoll, her words felt almost insulting.
For the first time, Alfia's face twisted slightly... her frown showing a hint of irritation.
"Noisy."
The air shifted violently. An invisible force slammed into Judas' chest like a massive weight.
His instincts screamed at him—
Not to fight. Not to counter. But to run.
'What... what is this?'
He had never felt anything like it.. not against the Juggernaut, not against the Freya executives, not even when he encountered situations when death had seemed certain.
Judas' gaze snapped to Alfia's glowing hand... raw power gathering in her palm like a coiled serpent ready to strike.
The sheer pressure made his bones tremble.
"Gospel."
The chant was brief... a spell of devastating force that attacked with walls of sound.
Simple, yet overwhelming.
Entire squads of elite adventurers had crumbled before it.
Judas knew one thing...he couldn't afford to hold back.
"Full Power!"
His body flared with light as he pushed [Body Reinforcement] beyond its safe limit.
『Wrath of the Celestial Titan!』
Blue lightning danced around him.
The two forces collided, and the resulting explosion created a giant crack that nearly split the city wall in half.
Then came the thunderous shockwave... reverberating throughout Orario, shattering nearby windows, loud enough for everyone in the city to hear.
"Judas!"
Rose's eyes widened in horror as she watched the scene, her scream drowned out by the panicked cries of the crowd around her.
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