Published: August 10, 2026
"Gettilt!"
The moment Raobroot pointed his weapon at us, multiple shields appeared in front of me once more. Without moving away from Eckhardt and Justox, who were drinking healing potions, Ferdinand deployed several shields. In the same way, Hartmut and Clarissa, as well as the other close aides, also raised shields and took defensive stances, wary of the previous attack.
Just after confirming that more shields had appeared in front of me, Raobroot, who was holding a weapon and pouring mana into it as he protected the altar, shouted,
"Eliminate the enemies of the true Zent! Capture Ehrenfest's saint! She will become the saint of the Central Temple for the sake of Jurgenschmidt!"
The Central Knights Order around him split into three groups and began to move. A portion on the left ran toward Anastasius and the others, who had collapsed outside the range of the healing I had cast and were unable to move, as well as Heisshitze and the others who were giving them healing potions and protecting them.
A portion in the center kept a close eye on Raobroot's movements while raising their weapons.
A portion on the right immediately drew their stave bows and began firing.
"Huh!?"
The arrows were not aimed at me, but at Ferdinand and the area around him. A barrage of arrows flew one after another. The instant I realized Ferdinand's shields were already set in front of me and drew a sharp breath, Justox, Eckhardt, who had stood up, and the Arensbach knights around them hurriedly raised shields to block the arrows.
"Lady Rosemine, please raise a shield too!"
Leonore cried out sharply.
There was no time to simply feel relieved that Ferdinand and the others were managing to protect themselves. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raobroot swing down his sword. A mass of rainbow-colored mana was flying toward me with the force of something rapidly growing larger and larger.
"Gettilt!"
I did not have the leisure to chant a prayer and raise Shutzelia's shield. The huge rainbow light slammed into the shields, destroying them one after another. Ferdinand's shield burst and vanished, and even though it somehow held, Cornelius Brother and Laurenz, who were standing in the front line and maintaining shields, let out pained groans.
"Angelica, Matthias! Switch front and back! Lady Rosemine, raise the wind shield immediately!"
Leonore gave her orders in a rapid-fire voice.
Even during the ditter match against Dunkelfelger, I had blocked the opening attack with Gettilt and then raised Shutzelia's shield. Creating even a little bit of a safer space was important. I offered my prayer.
"O goddess of wind Shutzelia, who governs protection, come at my side..."
The Guard Knights switched front and back, and Cornelius Brother and Matthias reached for healing potions. But before they could, the knights who had been waiting around Raobroot, weapons ready, unleashed one rainbow-colored mass of light after another. Rainbow-colored mana attacks of every size and shape came at us in irregular succession. The two of them raised shields before they could reach for their healing potions.
Some of the attacks were not very dense with mana, while others were heavily packed with it. Now that Ferdinand's shields had been destroyed, the barrage was quite severe. Feeling mana being sucked into the Gettilt shield, I continued my prayer.
"...let your wind shield keep those with malicious intent from drawing near, into my hands."
With a sharp, metallic sound that seemed to ring through the area, Shutzelia's hemispherical shield was completed. A pillar of yellow noble-colored light rose up, and the members of the Central Knights Order looked on in surprise. Perhaps many of them were not used to seeing rituals.
For the time being, this should let us avoid mana attacks somehow. The Guard Knights, who had been subjected to the continuous rainbow attacks, relaxed their bodies a little.
"Stay on guard and drink healing potions immediately. Our opponents are the Central Knights Order."
Leonore gave her orders while glaring at Raobroot and the others in front of the altar with her dark blue eyes. No matter how much the political upheaval had reduced the number of nobles and lowered their quality, the Central Knights Order was made up of excellent knights drawn from each territory.