Banishment is Fine: As a Genius Saint, I Can Shine Anywhere. - Chapter 4

There was no time to analyze the situation.

Each time the monster crashed against her barrier, Meteora’s staff trembled violently, growing unbearably hot—as if screaming that it had reached its limit.

Her palms burned, as though she were gripping searing iron. While holding tightly she forced her staff forward with all her might.

“Enough already—! Just—stop it!”

With a sharp cry, she thrust her staff outward.

The barrier, which had only been absorbing the attacks until now, suddenly expanded, forcefully repelling the monster.

“Gugyaaaah!”

The beast tumbled backward, in pain.

A surge of triumph swelled within Meteora—but only for a moment.

“Hah… Hah…!”

Exhaustion hit her like a tidal wave. The immense effort of reinforcing the barrier had drained her completely, and her legs buckled beneath her.

As she collapsed to her knees, the barrier thinned drastically, becoming almost nonexistent.

“Lady Meteora!!”

Chuli’s scream rang out in panic.

Meteora struggled to lift her head, but her vision blurred from sheer exhaustion.

Through her hazy sight, she saw the monster twisting its body—preparing to attack at her once more.

(I can’t—! This is the end—!)

Despair threatened to consume her.

“—Right there!”

A voice cut through the chaos.

Lionel soared high into the air—and slashed at the monster’s throat in a single, fluid motion.

Zan!

A sharp slicing sound echoed before, a beat later—

“GIIIIIEEEEEEK!”

The monster let out a bone-chilling screech.

A fountain of thick, purple bl00d gushed from its severed throat.

At the same time, a small, shimmering orb flew from the wound—Lionel snatched it mid-air.

The moment the orb left the monster’s body, a shocking transformation occurred.

Its grotesquely massive form began shrinking at an alarming rate, shriveling down to the size of a regular monster—one no bigger than a house.

(What…? What just happened!?)*

Everyone stared and looked dumbfounded.

Holding his sword high, Lionel shouted, “Seal!”

The rampaging beast dissolved into a swirl of violet mist, which was swiftly absorbed into the gemstone embedded in his sword’s hilt.

The monster was gone.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the battlefield.

But—

“GYAAAAAAAAH! AAHHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH!”

A shriek of agony shattered the momentary peace.

Every head looked toward the source of the scream.

“Grandpa! GRANDPAAAAA!”

A child’s wail rang out.

Meteora, still weak, clung to her staff and forced herself to move toward the commotion.

“Nooo! Grandpa!”
“Don’t touch him! You’ll melt just like he did!”

A knight had rushed ahead, restraining a frantic young girl.

Beyond them—

An elderly man lay on the ground, twisting in torment.

Thick, purple smoke billowed from his legs.

A dark pool of bl00d surrounded him—the same bl00d that had burst from the monster’s throat.

(The monster’s bl00d…!)

When Lionel had struck the fatal blow, the toxic liquid had splattered—and some had landed on the old man.

“Aah… ahhh… it burns… it burns!”

His face twisted in agony as he thrashed, his legs hissing as smoke curled upward—as if he were being burned alive.

Chills ran down Meteora’s spine.

(The monster’s bl00d is poisonous!)

Her horror deepened as black spots rapidly spread across the old man’s skin.