Chapter 808
The One Who Will Kill You. (3)
Ghislain staggered and stepped back a little further.
His eyes shook violently in disbelief. It was because the unthinkable had become reality.
‘Why…….’
Why was the Pope the Adversary?
Why did Ernhardt look exactly like the Adversary?
Why was the Salvation Church……searching for the king while standing at Ernhardt’s side?
No matter how he looked at it, Ernhardt was undeniably both the Pope and the reincarnation of the Adversary. To doubt it in this situation would be strange.
And yet, the questions gnawed at him. If the Adversary from a thousand years ago had truly been the Pope……there was no way Ereneth and Arterion would not recognize that face.
Ghislain looked at Ereneth.
She was still weeping tears of blood, writhing in agony. Even so, she struggled to rise, determined to fight the Adversary.
‘Why did she point to Julien……?’
Ereneth had designated Julien as the Adversary. There was no way she could have mistaken the faces of the Pope and Julien.
Then suddenly, a thought struck Ghislain.
‘Ereneth does not know the Duke of Delfine’s face.’
She had never seen Ernhardt’s face.
The nobles of Ritania and the key figures of the army all knew Ernhardt by sight. But Ereneth, who had only lent brief aid in battles, did not.
Even when Ghislain raided the Duchy of Delfine, Ereneth had been occupied fighting Gartros alongside the Northern Army.
Only now did he realize how unfortunate that was.
If only he had shown her a portrait of Ernhardt, they might have had far more clues.
‘So there was more to it after all.’
There had to be a reason why Ereneth, who had surpassed even the Dragons and the Transcendents, had marked Julien as the Adversary.
But there was no time left to ponder further.
The aura of the Adversary grew ever greater, swelling outward as if to devour the world.
Kuuuururururung!
Soon that aura stained even the heavens black.
The boundary between day and night collapsed, and the world was stripped of all light.
If not for the Divine Power radiating from Deneb, everything would have been swallowed in darkness.
The Adversary’s crimson-glowing eyes pierced through Ghislain.
“I will ask you again. Who are you?”
“……I am the one who will kill you.”
Ghislain answered with his bloodied face.
No matter the circumstances, that would never change.
Even if he could not kill him now, a thousand years later, it would be he who slew Ernhardt.
Kwaaaaaaah!
Ghislain once more summoned the Power of Will.
His body was shattered within, his energy exhausted. His strength, weaker than before, could never possibly overcome the Adversary.
Even knowing that, Ghislain stepped forward and swung his sword.
Until now, no attack had ever reached the Pope, but now the situation had changed.
Here stood Deneb, the Saintess.
The Divine Power she radiated, the perfect counterforce to the darkness spewing from the Adversary, seeped into Ghislain’s sword, making it shine brilliantly.
Kwaaaaaaah!
Ghislain’s blade cut through the Adversary as if cleaving the world itself.
The darkness shrouding the Adversary shuddered as though being torn apart.
The effect was undeniable. Yet the Adversary’s strength was simply overwhelming.
The rift in the darkness sealed in an instant, and the shadow quickly returned to its complete form.
“Kh…….”
Ghislain, having already exhausted every ounce of strength, coughed up blood once more and collapsed just as he stood. He no longer had the power to remain upright.
“Your struggling ends here.”
With that chilling voice, dozens of streams of darkness burst from the Adversary’s body, surging forward as though to pierce through Ghislain.
Kwooooooooom!
But the darkness never touched him.
It was Ilaniel who stood before him, radiating blinding light to repel the shadows.
Her energy spread like a shield, wrapping around Ghislain. At the same time, Grondal’s halberd drove straight into the Adversary’s head.
Kwoooom!
Using that opening, Ilaniel seized Ghislain and pulled him back. Still radiating her aura, she drew Deneb and all the Julien Mercenary Corps with her.
Meanwhile, Grondal relentlessly swung his halberd, hammering the Adversary.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Each savage strike pushed the Adversary’s body back, little by little.
And yet, even as he took every blow head-on, he seemed to suffer no true damage.
The Adversary, his crimson eyes fixed calmly on Grondal, raised one hand.
“……Is this how it is done?”
He muttered to himself, then stretched out his hand toward Grondal’s flank.
Kwaaang!
Darkness exploded, and Grondal was hurled away in an instant.
Before the Adversary could press the attack, Ilaniel surged forward with her aura blazing. At her side were the Elf Elders.
The Dwarf leaders, too, entered the fray.
The rest held back. Anyone who was not a Transcendent would only get in the way of battling the Adversary.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaaaang!
The terrifying assaults of the Transcendents rained down upon the Adversary. Countless spirits transformed into flame and wind, rushing at him.
But even as he withstood the entirety of that storm, he remained unscathed.
The shadows rippled a few times, but his flesh bore not a single wound.
“……”
The Adversary, still under their barrage, raised his hand and stretched it forward. At once, the darkness flared.
Kwaang!
Each time his hand extended, a Transcendent was struck down in futility.
It was as though he were testing the extent of his own might, raising the power of each strike gradually.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
None withstood his assault twice. With a single blow, Transcendents were sent tumbling, their limbs shattered, coughing up blood.
Thanks to Deneb’s Divine Power, they were at least spared from instant death.
Kwaaang!
Only Ilaniel and Grondal barely managed to endure. They were not blown away, but even so, they were forced back, staggering without stability.
The Adversary gazed at the darkness blazing from his own hand and muttered in a low voice.
“Is it so good to finally revel in freedom? Yet you rampage far too wildly……. You are a being that belongs within me……. Power without control is worse than having none……. Yield to my will and reveal all things to me…….”
It was as if he were conversing with the darkness that had taken root inside his body.
Speaking with unhurried ease, he drew out more strength.
Kwaaaaaaang!
“Khugh!”
Grondal groaned, bracing his legs with all his might. But his body carved deep furrows into the ground as he was driven back for a long stretch.
Ilaniel could not even hold her stance and was thrown to the floor, rolling as blood trickled from her lips.
Grondal shouted as he saw her.
“Damn it! Were you really weakened that much?”
Ilaniel had suffered a permanent loss of life force in the battle against the Prophets. Because of that, she could no longer summon her former strength.
Kuuurururur……
The sky sank ever deeper into darkness. The aura spilling from the Adversary only swelled without end.
Wiping the blood from her mouth, Ilaniel spoke.
“Do not stop. While the Saintess is here, we must destroy him.”
Deneb knelt with eyes closed, praying. From her, the light spread outward, growing ever more intense.
Though the world seemed swallowed by darkness, a radiant brilliance rose from her, opposing it head-on.
Chiiiiik……
The darkness emitted by the Adversary sizzled and burned away each time it touched the light.
Even the shadows that had burrowed into the bodies of the fallen were extinguished by the Divine Power.
Moreover, that power weakened the Adversary’s attacks, allowing the Transcendents to regain themselves and rise again.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Once more, the clash between the Transcendents and the Adversary began. As much as the darkness expanded, so too did the domain of light, letting the Transcendents summon greater strength than before.
Seeing them, the Adversary spoke.
“Indeed…… you are worthy of the name Saintess…….”
Truly, Deneb’s Divine Power was something that vexed him greatly.
But it was fine. He had not yet unleashed his full might.
He only needed a little more time to rein in the power that had suddenly swelled and was running rampant.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaaaaang!
Light and darkness flashed, the heavens roared, and the earth crumbled.
With every light gesture of the Adversary’s hand, the Transcendents were torn and broken apart, yet they somehow struggled back to their feet to attack again.
But everyone felt it. They could not hold out much longer like this.
Unlike themselves, whose strength drained rapidly, the Adversary’s power only grew stronger and stronger—even in the presence of the Saintess’s Divine Power.
If not for that countering light, they would already have been torn to shreds and killed.
Beside Deneb, Ghislain, lying on the ground, struggled to rise. But his body would not obey.
“Ughhh……”
A pained groan escaped him.
The very fact that he remained conscious was a miracle. His soul and Astion’s body had fallen so far out of balance that the rift between them only widened by the moment.
“Ghislain!”
Ereneth, who had barely driven out the Pope’s aura and recovered, was the first to rush to him.
She cradled his body, trying to share her own energy, thinking he had collapsed simply from exhausting his mana.
But Ghislain’s body rejected even the smallest thread of power.
When the others hurried over, Ghislain forced out words.
“Quickly…… go and help in the fight. He must be destroyed while Deneb still stands…….”
Without the Divine Power, they had no hope against the Adversary. They had to strike now, while Deneb held firm.
His companions nodded grimly.
Though their own energy was greatly depleted, this battle could only be borne by the Transcendents.
Ghislain grasped Julien’s wrist.
“Julien……. You must go and persuade the others…….”
“The others?”
“Yes……. Those damn fools from the Holy Empire just standing around watching……. The Holy Empire’s Transcendents and High Priests must join us…….”
Julien nodded. Indeed, there were many Imperial Transcendents and High Priests present here.
But they were frozen, unable to grasp the situation—despite having heard the Adversary’s words with their own ears.
While the others surged forward to continue the fight, Julien rushed toward the Imperial camp.
As expected, the Imperial Army wore dazed expressions, simply staring blankly at the battle.
Julien stood before them and shouted loudly.
“Help us! We must fight together!”
This time they only looked at him awkwardly, their confusion plain as they struggled to make sense of what was happening.
Then Julien’s eyes fell on the only familiar face among them: Cardinal Porisco.
Julien rushed up to him, speaking urgently.
“Hurry, move the Holy Empire’s Transcendents and High Priests!”
“Y-you…… wh-what is happening here? Why is His Holiness…… radiating the same power as the Salvation Church……?”
“He is the King of the Salvation Church! The Adversary who stands against the Goddesses!”
“H-how could His Holiness…… how could it be…….”
“You heard him yourself! If we don’t stop him now, everyone here will die! We must unite with the Saintess and stop him!”
“Th-the Saintess has yet to be acknowledged by us……”
“Get a hold of yourselves!”
Even at Julien’s shout, the people could not recover their senses. It was simply beyond reason.
Porisco stammered.
“In the Imperial Capital…… in a place overflowing with Divine Power…… how could the aura of the Salvation Church exist…….”
If such a power had truly been within the Pope, it should have been discovered long ago. No, he would not have been able to hide it, nor even endure it.
That was why, even seeing it with their own eyes, they could not grasp the situation.
But there was no time for explanations. Julien himself hardly knew the truth.
So he lied. Ghislain would explain it properly later.
“The true Pope died long ago. That man slew him and secretly took his place. Only now has he revealed his true identity. We knew of it—that is why we never handed over the Sacred Stones.”
“W-what are you saying…….”
Porisco swallowed hard. To assassinate the Pope and usurp his seat? In a place surrounded by countless priests and knights, it should have been impossible.
If not, then it meant a demon had been in the Pope’s place from the very beginning. Either way, it defied explanation.
Julien had learned much from Ghislain. Among them was the lesson that sometimes, you simply pressed on with conviction.
“There’s no time for debate. If we delay any longer, everyone here will be in danger. We must help in the fight at once.”
“Th-that……”
“Hurry! Even the Great Chieftain of the Elves and the King of the Dwarves are fighting now! Restrain him first—think later!”
“A-alright.”
Porisco turned, immediately calling upon the Imperial Transcendents and the other Cardinals.
“As you can all see, His Holiness…… no, the one known as the Adversary of the Salvation Church has revealed himself. We must subdue him at once.”
There was no objection. They too were beginning to realize how grave the situation was.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Imperial Transcendents all drew their swords in unison.
There were twelve of them in total. The blades they raised gleamed with dazzling azure light.
Behind them, countless knights and soldiers locked their shields and leveled their spears.
Soon, six Cardinals traced the sign of the cross, unleashing waves of Divine Power.
A radiant white barrier spread in every direction, enveloping the Imperial Army. As the High Priests joined in, the flood of light swelled like surging waves.
The mages too summoned their power, inscribing countless magic circles into the air.
At the forefront, Duke Stauffen, commander of the Imperial Army, leveled his sword.
“All forces……”
He hesitated briefly, searching for the right words.
But Duke Stauffen now knew.
Who truly bore the light.
So he gave his command according to his conscience.
“……Protect the Saintess.”
“Waaaaaaah!”
At last, the Imperial Army joined the battle.
Their steps, clad in light and steel, thundered across the earth.
