Evian

As soon as they entered the fog, the presence of their surroundings couldn’t be felt.

It wouldn’t be particularly surprising.

Scarlet looked around and once again adjusted his grip on the morning star in his hand.

He also readjusted his grip on the shield, which boasted a weighty presence.

Fear comes from the heart.

Hardening his mental defenses, Scarlet solidified his own mental world, cold and heavy, as if sinking into deep water.

The will of humans is more firm than anything,

Faith towards the Cheonsin is stronger than anything.

Even if wicked things wag their tongues, they shall not be shaken.

Judging by the slack still in the ropes tied to each person’s waist, most must still be maintaining formation.

The Hero and the Saint must surely be nearby, so at times like this, they must not falter in their position as the Church’s Special Forces.

With each step, a squelching sensation was felt through the ground.

The feeling of silver greaves sticking with each step naturally evoked displeasure.

A strange silence surrounded them.

With each movement, the sound of armor and Scarlet’s unique mechanical sounds from each piece of armor should be heard—

This unreasonable degree of silence was truly awkward.

Scarlet took a deep breath.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, organizing his thoughts.

He reached out to touch the rope on his waist.

The rope, still with plenty of slack, reminded him again that his comrades were nearby.

“The Cheonsin comes, so burn away fear and fill with courage.”

“The Cheonsin comes, so cut through my enemies and open the path, He says.”

“The Cheonsin comes, so do not be afraid…”

The golden radiance surrounding Scarlet’s body flashed brightly once again.

The Church Knight Order, and among them the Crusader Order directly under the Infula Church Territory— and among them, the one-man army of the Crusader Special Forces, Scarlet.

The endlessly rising holiness and the brilliantly flashing golden aura are also proof of his faith.

He couldn’t tell how long he had been walking.

It was certainly a long time, but no matter how much he advanced, the end of this fog was nowhere in sight.

There was still slack in the rope, but even if he called out loudly for his comrades, the sound was swallowed by the fog without even an echo returning.

Nevertheless, Scarlet kept walking.

His physical strength was slowly being worn away, but there was an inexplicable judgment that if he sat down to rest, his mental strength would start to erode first.

He had faced all kinds of monsters.

He had faced monsters as large as houses, and mental monsters with eerie glowing eyes.

But a phenomenon like this thickly rising fog was something even Scarlet was encountering for the first time.

‘Everything depends on one’s mindset. I must maintain composure.’

Even so, he kept his senses on high alert, wary of the claws of monsters that might strike from anywhere.

You understand?

At the sudden sound of a man’s voice, Scarlet’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

That voice he could never forget— that very voice that remained in his memory as his most precious memory.

Abandon the idea that a shield is only for defense. You must think that a shield can also be an excellent weapon. Understand?

Scarlet unconsciously readjusted his grip on the shield.

The center grip held in his hand, which should never sweat inside the gauntlet, felt as if it was slipping with sweat.

“…Who are you?”

Scarlet’s voice lowered thickly.

That voice should absolutely not be heard in this place.

Don’t think of the shield and morning star as defensive gear and weapon. Rather, think of it as holding weapons in both hands.

“I didn’t ask who you are.”

Scarlet’s voice rose sharply.

For him, hearing the voice from his most precious memory here was more than a little displeasing.

Scarlet stopped and looked around.

The surroundings covered in thick fog showed nothing, and moreover, there was no sense that someone was speaking to him from there.

I absolutely cannot condone this!

“I didn’t ask who you are!”

Of all things, those words.

That voice, the voice from when he was most angry.

His hand holding the morning star was trembling slightly.

Do you think the Cheonsin will condone this fact!? Did the Cheonsin teach us to do this?!

“You!”

Scarlet let out a roar of anger.

As soon as he burst out in anger, the surroundings were momentarily cleared of fog as a golden radiance exploded outward.

However, as if nothing had happened, the sea of fog pushed back in, covering the surroundings again.

I absolutely cannot condone this!

That’s enough. It’s already been decided.

Whose decision is this? They’re my comrades! They’re also my younger siblings that I care for! Didn’t I say I would take care of them!

We can’t do that. It’s already gone too far. Step aside.

The voices weren’t heard for a while after that.

Scarlet stood rooted to the spot with his head lowered.

The morning star in his hand was trembling finely, and the shield was also making light metallic sounds as it shook.

Then make me your enemy. Isn’t this why the Cheonsin no longer shows His face? A Cheonsin Church abandoned by the Cheonsin, how fitting!

…Watch your words.

Did I say anything wrong? Why don’t you drive me out too? O great and mighty Pope, His Holiness Arczel IV! It’s lamentable that this Cheonsin Order led by Your Holiness has become so rotten!

I said watch your words!

Scarlet raised his head, which had been deeply bowed.

Scarlet knew well what followed after this.

All these events had unfolded before his eyes.

The Crusader Order that left the church in this way— and the previous Crusader Special Forces Commander.

The previous Crusader Special Forces Commander who protected Scarlet to the end, leaving instead of him.

“…To try to mock me by using him.”

Scarlet, who had been hanging his head, slowly raised it.

His eyes, hidden behind the visor, flashed eerily, burning as if light was shooting out.

The holiness that had been rising from between the pieces of armor was now beyond just rising, it was exploding outward, and the holiness that couldn’t escape through the armor gaps began to burst out from his entire body.

“You shouldn’t have touched that. You shouldn’t have used him.”

Scarlet gripped the morning star.

The rising holiness took form and condensed above his head.

The holiness that had gathered in a pale form finally revealed its shape, becoming a brilliantly golden morning star.

Above Scarlet’s head, a morning star several times larger than his body floated.

That which used holiness itself was something that only a few in the Crusader Order could wield, allowed only to those who could call themselves true servants of the Cheonsin—

No, that wasn’t it.

At this moment, Scarlet was not moved by the Cheonsin or faith.

The memory he had not forgotten but had carefully enshrined in a corner of his heart,

That man’s back view,

That voice,

Those traces.

That man who should not be used for such deceptive nonsense,

To these unidentified things that so blasphemously use him—

Punishment.

Anger.

Hatred.

He poured it all into this morning star.

He contained it all in this morning star.

Scarlet’s eyes flashed.

“Begone.”

Scarlet slowly raised the morning star.

Following his hand movement, the morning star floating above his head also raised its head.

The morning star of holiness itself, showing its majesty even more as it rose.

The morning star of holiness itself, overwhelming viewers with its size alone.

It flashed, scattering golden radiance.

“No one shall deceive me—!”

With Scarlet’s roar, his morning star struck the ground.

At the same time, the morning star showing its majesty above his head also struck the ground with its enormous size.

A thick cloud of dust rose.

The sea of fog that had been covering everything cleared almost instantly, revealing the surroundings.

The church knights scattered here and there were in quite a sorry state.

Some sitting down holding their heads,

Some crouched on the ground crying and begging forgiveness to someone,

Some fallen on their backsides screaming at something unknown not to come closer.

Among them, only Rudvik and Bigrind remained composed.

Scarlet ran to Rudvik and Bigrind as soon as he found them.

“Are you alright, Hero, Saint?”

“Yes, we’re fine. Are you alright too, Sir Scarlet?”

“Yes. Is the Saint also alright?”

“…Yes. I’m fine.”

Although her complexion looked somewhat pale and tired, Bigrind tried to correct her expression and nodded.

The holiness rising from Scarlet was almost invisible.

Also, as the Saint, Bigrind could tell— the holiness felt from Scarlet was now almost gone.

“The fog will soon rise again, won’t it?”

“It probably will.”

Rudvik’s gaze stopped at one place.

And following Rudvik’s gaze, a light of shock arose in Bigrind’s eyes.

Scarlet also followed their gaze, turned around, and inhaled sharply.

There was a tree.

Where there should have been catacombs, a huge tree had grown.

With a trunk so thick that it would take two or three adult men to encircle it,

A tree rising so high that one had to crane their neck to look up at it.

Not a common reddish-brown or brown tree, but a tree entirely dark red in color, exuding an ominous aura just by looking at it, revealing itself before them.

Bigrind bit her lip hard.

At the base of the tree, where it had taken root, those things began to crawl out one by one from the ground.

They were the dead.