A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

The former banquet hall, now designated as the practical demonic combat training site within the palace lobby, had devolved into utter pandemonium.
Those incapable of fighting desperately fled in every direction amid the chaos, while even trained combatants proved largely ineffective against the demons.
Only weapons imbued with spells or luminous forces could harm demons – exceedingly rare armaments in ordinary circumstances.

Yet the clerics Sophia had assembled moved organizationally and agilely without particular difficulty against the demonic foes.

“Hey, back off for a moment! Big one incoming!”
“Damn spell-casters! They’ve disrupted our augmentation spells!”

Despite such occasional dissonance, their overall coordination remained sound.
Currently, twenty clerics swarmed each demon in specialized formations.
Ten melee combat specialists formed the vanguard while ten experts in spell-combat and support magic comprised the rear guard, collectively maneuvering in set patterns to control the demons’ actions, steadily depleting their stamina through methodical assaults.

‘Indeed, just as Lady Chazelle instructed. The formations are functioning properly!’

These twenty-person squads represented special group tactics Sophia had prepared specifically for them.
Admittedly, the formations lacked stringent sophistication. Sophia believed overly intricate formations excelled for pitched battles involving numerous moderate-strength combatants, but proved suboptimal for concentrated multi-pronged assaults against fewer yet formidable adversaries.

The precise formation patterns mattered less than enabling each operative to contribute their utmost toward the tactical objective at hand, or potentially beyond their limits.

To facilitate this, Sophia had adapted MMORPG raid concepts and RTS area-of-control positioning mechanics from her previous life into an arranged system taught to the clerics. The basic approach:

First establish general axes based on the I Ching and ancient military strategems to determine positioning frameworks. Then within those frameworks, each operative assumed designated roles to compel specific enemy responses, dynamically adapting their stratagem to the demons’ subsequent actions.

Evidently, this approach retained some efficacy even against demonic adversaries.
Perhaps the initial Immovable Bright King ambush had overwhelmingly disoriented the demons, depriving them of situational awareness to respond rationally. In any case, they never regained lucidity afterward.

The clerics relentlessly pressured the demons, denying any respite to recover composure. Continuously constraining their mobility, inflicting crippling wounds, ambushing with paralyzing and debilitating toxins while assailing with demoralizing psychological taunts – they exploited every potential opening.

Grazing attacks were deflected, powerful blows evaded. And the vulnerabilities following such vented fury presented prime counterattack opportunities where clerics swarmed mercilessly with weapons and spells.
Then the Immovable Bright King’s luminescence would cyclically re-emerge, renewing the demonic torment.

To the demons, it felt like ants trapped in an antlion’s conical pit or beasts mired within quicksand – an inescapable hellish cycle.

Yet the clerics refrained from recklessly rushing to slay their quarry. Optimizing their practiced formations, they rotated roles to ensure every member gained sufficient combat experience – each guaranteed at least one chance to withstand demonic attacks directly and retaliate accordingly. An utterly humiliating experience from the demons’ perspective, naturally.

Among them, a demonic berserker with ram’s horns and hooves wielding a massive maul eventually raged:

{You wretches…is this how you wish to insult us?! Going to such demeaning lengths to slaughter us?! Must you so indiscriminately mob and violate us…just to sate your bloodlust?!!}

However, its impassioned outrage failed to elicit any empathy or persuasion from the surrounding humans.
Were not demons the very ones who constantly insinuated themselves among mortals to sow discord, corruption, curses, violation and death? Having originated from the most avaricious and arrogant embodiments of egotistical power-lust, their self-portrayal as victims in adversity rang utterly ludicrous to those who had endured demons’ perpetual malignance.

Meanwhile, the initially panicking nobles had been safely evacuated by the clerics. Just as the demonic subjugation procedure was arranged, the clerics rotated to facilitate the nobles’ retreat accordingly.

Preserving those nobles represented an important consideration for the clerics. Although most lacked abilities to combat demons directly and required protection, they nonetheless occupied vital sociopolitical roles within the kingdom of Rotaringhia.

Should any perish and trigger domestic instability, numerous adversaries would undoubtedly exploit the ensuing turmoil.

Of course, not all nobles remained passively safeguarded. Some had courageously assisted the clerics in evacuating others from the outset, occasionally wielding heirloom artifacts effective against demons to provide support.

If the Count of Monferrato Salvatore di Paci represented the former category as the Crown Prince’s chief adviser, the latter applied to Fiore di Liberi, the Fencing Guild Master loyal to the Seventh Prince.

A seasoned and exceptionally skilled fencer, Fiore alone would have proven ineffective against demons. However, the single-edged sword Ascalon sheathed at his waist, faintly luminescent, empowered him against malefic entities.

As Fiore roused his combative spirit against the demonic forces, Ascalon continuously emanated protective radiance while blessing him to inflict wounds upon demons.

Intuitively grasping the clerics’ raid formations’ mechanics, Fiore prudently maneuvered without obstructing their primary efforts, contributing measured harm against the demons.

Amid this chaos, the Elada Diocese’s priestess Xanthippe Andreadis Karnasos, a nymph half-breed, excelled through her innate affinity for nature magic.
Born amongst celestial fae like nymphs and their human hybrid offshoots, Xanthippe possessed formidable inborn sorcerous talent – particularly attuning to naturalistic spells through her spiritual kinship with primal elements and flora/fauna.

Even while intensely battling demons, her nature-attuned magic robustly supported her assigned twenty-person squad.

“Ampelia, deste to kako brosta sta matia sas! (Vines, bind the evil before your eyes!)”

Luminous vines lashed out to ensnare a demon while the ground transmuted into swampland entrapping its feet. Condensed light even manifested bear and eagle avatars to intercept attacks on her comrades’ behalf – shouldering multiple roles simultaneously.

However, although each squad controlled one demon among the many separate engagements within this confined space, catastrophe eventually became inevitable.

“Xanthippe, look out!”

Distracted by a comrade’s warning cry, Xanthippe turned just as another squad’s demon unleashed a lethal curse directly toward her:

{By the name of the ■■■■■ Eternal One, be undone!}

Xanthippe realized instinctively:
‘I can’t evade this.’

Attempting to unleash the Immovable Bright King Technique to dispel the curse required stabilizing her spiritual core first – not yet feasible so soon after her previous activation. For a fleeting instant, her cerebral vessels constricted as a kaleidoscope of life flashed before her eyes.

‘Is this how I die?’

Ah, she had still so much left to experience, so many years ahead – or so she had assumed. Lingering regrets involuntarily swirled amid that rapid retrospective. At that very moment:

“Ascalon, blade that cleft the Evil Dragon – show your power!”

Fiore di Liberi whipped his sheathed heirloom sword from his waist, its luminescence reminiscent of the Immovable Bright King Technique’s brilliance. Without hesitation, he swung down upon the rapidly approaching curse.

Kwaaak! His strike bisected the malefic spell like an axe, instantly shattering its core structure with overwhelming force. Despite its malign intensity, the curse immediately dissipated like dispersing foam.

“Kuh, are you unharmed?”

As the radiance faded, Fiore dropped Ascalon with a clang before collapsing, glancing back at Xanthippe behind him to inquire about her condition. Through a spellcaster’s perceptive eyes, Xanthippe could discern what had transpired.

That oddly-shaped single-edged sword seemed an heirloom only permitting draws through proper rituals. Fiore had forcibly unsheathed it haphazardly, resulting in his astral musculature shriveling from excessive spirit depletion – a severe yet temporary affliction.

Despite recognizing its futility, Xanthippe instinctively channeled luminescence and healing incantations toward the man while feigning composure:

“Thanks to you, good sir.”
“Heheh, I’m relieved then…But this means I can fight no longer. My apologies.”
“You’ve displayed more than enough valor already.”
“Kuh, thank you.”

However, their exchange could not continue further – the fierce demonic battles still raged unabated.

+++++

Observing these events, a sly smile crept across Sophia’s lips.

“Fortuitous timing. I had considered intervening prematurely, but an unexpected variable arose instead.”

Well, all the better. This ensured she could respond optimally to the forthcoming circumstances.

“I ought to recompense him separately later.”

Perhaps transfer some premium theater tickets. Granting these graduated clerics temporary leave might not be unwarranted either. Pondering such thoughts, Sophia’s gaze sharpened abruptly.

“Is that not so?”

Simultaneously with her words, an ominous tremor began emanating from the banquet hall floor. The quaking rapidly intensified until –

Kwashaang! Urrrrrrng! The central lobby abruptly collapsed inward, forming a gaping dark chasm.

{Pitiful mortals, to be swept aside in an instant!}

Emerging from the pit revealed a muscular, batwinged demon with a dragon-like tail and ram’s horns. Swiftly taking flight while inflating its barrel chest, Sophia simultaneously drew a deep breath as she levitated into the airspace before it.