episode_0147

**The Power of Fire and Ice**

“Hwaaaap!”

“Heeup…!”

Provoked by Dio V Runner’s relentless taunts, the Priest quickly rushed at Dio V Runner and effortlessly swung his heavy hammer towards him. Dio V Runner dodged the hammer by crouching and rolling to his left, then extended his arm, aiming the flamethrower at the Priest.

“Fire Orb.”

“Impossible!”

Dio V Runner, who had dodged his attack, immediately unleashed flames from his flamethrower at him. The Priest used the Goddess’s blessing to generate a protective barrier around his body, blocking Dio V Runner’s flames. He then grabbed his hammer and charged at Dio V Runner again. Seeing his flames were ineffective, Dio V Runner extinguished them and jumped to his right, avoiding the Priest’s hammer. Noticing the floor tile slightly dented where the Priest’s hammer had struck, Dio V Runner rummaged through his pocket for another orb, thinking.

*’That hammer is heavier than I expected. It takes Aria’s strength to break these floor tiles, but a single strike from that hammer dented the floor… I definitely shouldn’t underestimate him…’*

“Oh, Almighty One in the heavens! Retribution upon the impudent…!!!”

“For some reason, I just can’t help but underestimate novices like you… Red Orb.”

The moment the Priest began his prayer, Dio V Runner, having rushed up to him, muttered that he couldn’t help but underestimate the Priest, then extended his arm and unleashed flames from his flamethrower. The Priest, who hadn’t used the Goddess’s blessing beforehand, hastily blocked Dio V Runner’s flames with his hammer, then tried to tackle Dio V Runner with his body. Dio V Runner dodged the Priest’s charge by leaping to his right again. The Priest put out the small flames on his body with his hand and shouted at Dio V Runner.

“How dare you… how dare you interrupt my sacred time of prayer to God…!!”

“Ah… so you need to offer prayers even during a fight to increase your chances of winning? Then why don’t you keep praying to your God? Pray to that so-called God of yours so I won’t disturb you while you pray. And be sure to add that you can’t possibly win against me.”

“Aaaaaaaargh!!!!”

As Dio V Runner provoked him again, the Priest was re-energized. He grabbed his hammer and charged at Dio V Runner. However, this time, the Priest aimed for him faster and more precisely. Seeing this, Dio V Runner unleashed flames from his flamethrower and shouted at the Priest.

“Offering prayers in the middle of a fight. And such a long prayer just to use a skill… You have too much leisure…”

“Hwaaaap!”

“…!!”

The moment Dio V Runner was criticizing the Priest for offering a prayer to use an ability, the Priest swung his hammer amidst the flames, causing the flames to scatter and vanish. As the hammer approached him, Dio V Runner quickly retreated, dodging the hammer, then stood up and looked at the glaring Priest, thinking.

*’That was close. Did the Goddess’s blessing or whatever it is activate again?’*

“Hmph… There is no possibility of you defeating me, Otherworlder! I repeat, unlike you, I am protected by the Goddess! And as you just saw, I can disperse your flames with this hammer! I have a means to perfectly counter your attacks!”

“A means to counter? Look at you! You haven’t even seen all my skills, yet you’re getting full of yourself just because you neutralized a few attacks. If you rely solely on that ‘Goddess’s blessing’ or whatever and charge in, you’ll end up with a broken nose [a proverb meaning to suffer severe consequences due to overconfidence]. Don’t you know that?”

“Then try to burn me with your boasted flames, Otherworlder! If you can, that is!”

As Dio V Runner tried to advise him, despite the Priest having a means to counter his attacks, the Priest scoffed and grinned, then charged directly at Dio V Runner. Dio V Runner quickly pulled a red orb from his pocket and attached it to his flamethrower. Seeing this, the Priest began to mock Dio V Runner.

“Hahaha! No matter how many flames you unleash, I have the Goddess’s blessing! Such flames are powerless before the Goddess’s blessing….”

“Flame Shooting Orb.”

“….!?”

The moment the Priest, now closer to Dio V Runner, swung his hammer, asserting that flames wouldn’t work on him due to the Goddess’s blessing, he felt something upon seeing the flame mass fired from Dio V Runner’s flamethrower. He frantically retreated and blocked the flame mass with his hammer. After clashing with the Priest’s hammer for a few seconds, the flame mass dissipated. Seeing that the Priest had sensed something and hadn’t ignored the flame mass, Dio V Runner pulled back and then pushed forward as he spoke.

“Impressive. Is it because you’ve fought many times before? You certainly have good instincts, don’t you?”

“That just now… wasn’t fire…?”

“Do you think I haven’t encountered someone like you who can withstand widespread flames before? If you condense and release it, the power becomes stronger. Like this! Flame Shooting Orb!!”

“…!! Oh, Almighty One in the heavens! Grant me the courage to press forward!! Hwaaaap!!”

As Dio V Runner aimed his flamethrower at him and fired several flame masses, the Priest frantically chanted a prayer, then began deflecting all of Dio V Runner’s flame masses with his hammer, which glowed yellow. When Dio V Runner stopped firing, the Priest took a deep breath and said to Dio V Runner.

“I admit it. I realize you are not someone to be taken lightly. I don’t know if my prayer was weak, but that flame mass certainly felt like it could break through even the Goddess’s blessing protecting me.”

“Are you foolish? It’s not that your prayer is weak, it’s that your ‘Goddess’s blessing’ or whatever it is, is just that weak. You still can’t admit it.”

“Hmph…. I’ll see how long those blasphemous words of yours last. I… Pyron, the Intermediate Priest, will surely put an end to your impious self!!! Oh, Almighty One in the heavens!! Grant me the authority to deliver final judgment!!! In your name, I shall smite this heretic who defiles the world!!!”

“Heretic? Well… from his perspective, I suppose I am.”

Intermediate Priest Pyron slammed his hammer into the floor and began to chant a prayer. Pyron and his hammer began to glow yellow. Seeing Pyron call him a heretic, Dio V Runner pulled an orb from his pocket and began attaching it to his flamethrower. Then Pyron grabbed his hammer and charged at Dio V Runner, shouting.

“Your weakness!! You can easily figure it out if you remember that you’ve only used ranged attacks until now!!! Your weakness is that you are helpless when attacked at close range!!”

“Oh, a strategist has arrived. Then by all means, challenge me, Intermediate Priest!!! Black Orb, Flame Shooting Orb!!”

Incredulously, Dio V Runner reacted to Pyron’s words that his weakness lay in close-range attacks. He retreated, firing black flames from the flamethrower on his left arm and flame masses from the flamethrower on his right arm. However, as Pyron withstood the black flames, deflecting all the flame masses with his hammer, and charged at him, Dio V Runner realized that Pyron’s recent prayer wasn’t merely a bluff.

*’He’s enduring black flames that even dragons struggled against… That prayer just now must have had a real effect, huh?’*

“The death knell of your demise is ringing, Otherworlder!! Consider your arrival in this world your misfortune!!!”

“But didn’t I just say it? How dare you get full of yourself in the middle of a battle without even seeing all my skills!!!”

“….?! A pained gasp…”

The moment Pyron swung his hammer at Dio V Runner again, Dio V Runner crouched and adjusted the orb attached to the flamethrower on his right arm with his other hand. A sword-shaped flame burst forth from the flamethrower, piercing Pyron’s abdomen. Pyron, feeling the pain in his abdomen, involuntarily stopped his arm and stared bewildered at the sword-shaped flame that had pierced his abdomen.

“Th-this is… what on earth…?”

“Flame Sword Orb. You should have considered that I could apply the method of changing flames into a mass in a different way. Farewell, inexperienced Priest.”

“Th-this damn it…!! Oh, Almighty One in the heavens!! Grant me your blessing….”

“Who do you think will give you the leisure to chant that prayer in the middle of a fight? Know that war is too brutal to allow you to finish all those prayers. Black Orb.”

“Kuaaaaaaaah!!!”

Dio V Runner left Pyron with one last piece of advice—that there wasn’t enough time to chant prayers during battle—then unleashed black flames from the flamethrower on his left arm, incinerating Pyron. Having defeated Pyron, Dio V Runner dusted off his clothes and muttered.

“Hmph… So, an Intermediate Priest is strong enough to be compared to a dragon. And there must be more than one of them… This might be a bit much to handle…?!”

The moment Dio V Runner, who had realized that Intermediate Priest Pyron was strong enough to rival a dragon, was feeling troubled at the thought that there might be stronger Priests than Pyron, he heard something breaking from inside the passageway. Dio V Runner was greatly perplexed, thinking.

*’What is it?! No way… Did the Saintess and Priests already find another entrance?! If so… Damn it… There’s no need to stay here anymore…!! Zeke!! Aria!! I’m coming now!!’*

Realizing that the Saintess and Priests had already entered the passageway leading to the biological experimentation lab, Dio V Runner hastily ran further inside. Meanwhile, Yuria, who had been searching for traces of the Saintess and Priests, was carefully observing the unfinished statue of Goddess Camilla she had found earlier, from outside the room.

“Hmm… I can’t understand why they made such a statue… You said the main material of this statue was the same as that strange orb, didn’t you? That means they could inject divine power into this as well…”

*’Perhaps they’re trying to do something with divine power, Mom? I changed like that because of divine power, after all.’*

“Now that you mention it, that makes me even angrier… I don’t know what scheme those bastards have up their sleeves, but how dare they do such a thing…? If I catch them, I’ll twist their hands off and…”

“Whose hands are you twisting?”

“….?”

Tiavel showed Yuria a message suggesting that the Saintess and Priests might be trying to do something using divine power, reminding Yuria of the pain Tiavel had endured when she was turned into a monster by the Saintess. Yuria vowed not to let the Saintess and Priests get away with it. At that moment, a blonde fairy flapped her wings and asked her whose hands she was twisting. Yuria was startled and quickly turned her head towards the fairy, then let out a dry laugh and spoke, emitting cold air from her hands.

“Hah… I didn’t know this… Is it because I’ve only seen human Saintesses until now? I didn’t know there would be a Saintess from the fairy race…”

“Ah! My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Renbu, a Saintess. This place is important to the Saintess and Priests, so… would you quietly leave on the condition that you don’t reveal anything about this place outside?”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then… we’ll have to forcefully expel you or eliminate you on the spot.”

When Yuria asked what she would do if she refused to leave, Renbu smiled sweetly and, joining her hands together, replied that she would either forcefully remove her or eliminate her on the spot. Yuria frantically extended her arm backward and shouted at Tiavel.

“Tiavel!! Hide somewhere!!”

“Is she your daughter? How unfortunate. A normal parent would have readily complied with our words for the sake of their child… But you, because of your greed, are about to lose your daughter as well…”

“How dare you speak of eliminating my child in front of me? If you dare lay a hand on my daughter, I’ll tear you to shreds…!!”

At Yuria’s shout, Tiavel frantically hid behind a box. Renbu looked at Yuria, emitting a yellow gleam from her eyes. Yuria began to form chunks of ice in her hands, and Renbu, anticipating Yuria’s attack, began to chant a prayer.

“Then… farewell. Oh, Almighty One in the heavens…”

*‘…!! That prayer… it’s the same prayer as Aria’s!!’*

“I ask that you smite the heretic who obstructs our path with your power. Grant your power to me…!!”

“….!!! Whoaaah!!”

Renbu chanted her prayer and then extended her hands towards Yuria. As beams of light shot forth towards her from Renbu’s hands, Yuria frantically extended her own hands forward, combining the chunks of ice she had been forming to create a giant ice shield. Renbu’s light beams and Yuria’s ice shield began to clash. Taking advantage of this, Yuria began emitting cold air to freeze the surroundings.

“The Black Saintess would have a stronger attack than that?! I can easily block an attack of this level with my shield!!”

“Hmm… So you’re freezing the surroundings to change it into an environment favorable to yourself… But the one in the heavens is already looking down on everything. So such a trick won’t work on me.”

“…..?! Wh-what…?!”

Yuria, who was freezing the surroundings with cold air, suddenly noticed something when light burst forth from Renbu’s body, and she was greatly perplexed. It was that her cold air was no longer spreading through the surroundings. More precisely, the cold air would only freeze her immediate vicinity and wouldn’t spread any further, leaving Yuria greatly bewildered. Renbu spoke to Yuria.

“Your power is incredibly weak compared to His power. To begin with, our power is the very power of Goddess Camilla. Do you truly think you can exert enough power to defeat the Goddess?”

“Then… what about this?!”

Realizing that Renbu was trying to suppress her power with Goddess Camilla’s power, Yuria formed chunks of ice around her and then sent them flying towards Renbu with her own power. Renbu, using the characteristic small body of a fairy, effortlessly evaded Yuria’s ice chunks and began chanting a prayer again.

“Oh, Almighty One in the heavens. I wish to bind the sinner in your name, so please lend me your power…!!”

“…?! Th-this…!!”

The moment Renbu chanted her prayer, chain-shaped light burst forth from Renbu’s hands and wrapped around Yuria’s arms, greatly perplexing her. And at that moment, the chains from Renbu’s hands embedded themselves into the walls on either side, binding Yuria’s arms. Renbu slowly approached Yuria and spoke.

“You won’t be able to break those chains with cold. That’s because they were created with the Goddess’s divine power.”

“Damn it…!!”

“Hmm… By the way, your power… it might actually be useful. If you join us, you could supplement our forces…”

“Ha… As if I’d go crazy and join you…”

“Oh my. This isn’t a request. I’m going to make you.”

“What…?”

Yuria was greatly perplexed when Renbu said she would make her join the Saintess and Priests. At that moment, Renbu slowly floated up towards her head and explained to her, raising her right index finger.

“Our divine power can control the emotions of others, you see. So… if I erase completely the fighting spirit in your heart with Goddess Camilla’s divine power… what do you think will happen?”

“…?! Wh-what…?! Wa-wait!!”

“Hehehe… Don’t worry. I will specially bring you into the order, even though you’ve lost your fighting spirit. And you, reborn as a Saintess, will only possess a heart for Goddess Camilla…”

“….!!!”

As Renbu explained that they could control the emotions of others and said she would erase Yuria’s fighting spirit completely, Yuria tried to vehemently resist, her arms bound. But with her arms restrained, there was nothing Yuria could do, and Renbu simply placed her index finger on Yuria’s forehead.

“Welcome. Body to be reborn as a new Saintess.”

BONUS: (Special Chapter) What If – #4

[This is a special chapter I’m uploading after always forgetting and finally remembering…! Sorry for the delay…]

1. What if Aria didn’t follow Zeke’s plan in Chapter 94?

“No. That’s not the plan. Leave the rest to me, Aria. You promised, didn’t you?”

When I stopped her from judging the Snow Woman, Aria let out a deep sigh, recalling the thought I had just sent her. Subdue the Snow Woman, but don’t kill her. But Aria, perhaps finding it truly distasteful to spare the Snow Woman, scowled, gripped her staff tightly, and walked forward…? Uh… huh?!

“No, Zeke-nim. If you keep showing mercy, everyone might start to look down on you. Rather than seeing that happen…!!”

“A-Aria?! Wh-What are you doing…?”

“…!!”

As Aria, stating she didn’t want people to look down on me if I kept showing mercy to others, began to do something, I, dumbfounded, reached out to try and stop her. But Aria had already stabbed the Snow Woman’s shoulder with the sharp tip of her staff, and the Snow Woman began to scream upon seeing the puncture wound on her shoulder.

“Screeeech!!!”

“You were also looking down on Zeke-nim, weren’t you…? And if Zeke-nim shows you mercy, you’ll clearly look down on him even more… Do you think I’d just stand by and watch that happen…?”

“Ugh… Aaaah… Th-This crazy woman…!!”

“Your last words are for the otherwo—”

“Stop it, Aria!!! What are you trying to kill her for!!”

As Aria raised her staff high to strike down and kill the Snow Woman, I hurriedly unleashed demonic energy to restrain her. Afterward, I apologized to the Snow Woman and explained Aria’s situation, barely managing to clear up the misunderstanding.

[Zeke is still working hard…]

2. What if Zeke could break free from Eli’s restraint in Chapter 101?

“But you’re not going to feel secure with this, are you, Eli? Before, Aria didn’t know my location and was at a loss… but it’s different now, isn’t it? The location of this place where I’m confined, to the current Aria, is just…”

“Mister~ I… told you I made a lot of preparations, didn’t I? You didn’t think I would overlook something like that, did you?”

“…Eli. Do you really have to go this far? Really… humiliating people… even humiliating your own family, did you have to do this…!!”

“Heheheh… I just told you, didn’t I~? All countermeasures against that Saintess are already in place, Mister! I’m telling you, it’s better to just give up!”

To my question asking if she really had to pursue me while humiliating people, and even her own family, Eli simply responded with a crazed laugh that she had to… I had hoped for a different answer… If this is what Eli thinks… then I can’t do anything about it.

“Heheheh… Don’t worry, Mister. If I keep you confined here until the sun rises, we can escape from that Saintess~!”

“I want to break free from you right now… Are you really not going to reverse your decision?”

“That’s what I said…?”

“That’s a shame, Eli.”

As Eli turned around, stating she wouldn’t reverse her decision in response to my question, I stood there, having burned through all the ropes with a power aptly mixed from Iruvan’s flames and magic, breaking free from the restraints. Eli, seemingly not having anticipated this, began to stammer, and I summoned Trahan before glaring at Eli and saying,

“Then it’s time for some education.”

“Eh… Ehhh…?”

[It is said that Aria cast something akin to a curse afterward.]

3. What if Zeke’s mercy was ignored in Chapter 106?

“So many. Installations. That’s why. I couldn’t detect them.”

Aria, having shattered the last remaining Cheollyang orb on the floor, aimed her staff at Eli. Eli, overcome with fear, collapsed on the spot. I, seeing this, let out a deep sigh and said,

“Let’s just spare her, Aria….”

“I knew Zeke-nim would say something like that. But today, I suffered every humiliation imaginable at the hands of this damned wretch. No matter that it’s Zeke-nim’s request, I cannot grant it this time.”

“Ah… Aaaah… Mi-Mist…er…?”

As Aria recalled all the humiliations she had endured from Eli today and retorted to me that she absolutely could not forgive Eli, Eli slowly turned her head toward me, trembling. However, when I turned my head away, ignoring her, Eli began to feel immense shock and terror, and Aria, approaching Eli, glared at her with an eerie, expressionless face and said,

“Now… you, her older sister, also need to know what kind of torture your younger sister, Melian, endured to become like that, don’t you?”

“Ah… Aaaah… Screeeeech!!!”

After enduring several minutes of torture that completely broke her mind, Eli’s sanity shattered just like Melian’s. Furthermore, the Riera sisters did not accept Eli, and it is said that Eli was welcomed nowhere.

[Zeke sparing her at that time was Eli’s greatest fortune.]

4. What if the dragons’ power was equal to Aria’s and Dio V Runner’s in Chapter 114?

“These insignificant wretches!!!”

“Uwaaaaaah!!!”

Suddenly, Aria interrupted, taking issue with how the Green Dragon was speaking as if it were showing mercy when it had no intention of sparing them anyway. The enraged Green Dragon lifted its foreleg and was about to smash down on their location. Aria and Dio V Runner, with great effort, managed to block the Green Dragon’s foreleg. The Green Dragon, seeing the two blocking its foot, said in surprise,

“Remarkable…!! To block my foreleg. I didn’t know humans capable of blocking a dragon’s foreleg existed in this world… If I exert more power…!!”

“Hyaaaah!!”

“Black Orb!!!”

The moment the Green Dragon was about to exert more force to completely crush them, Aria let out a battle cry and transformed into Saintly Radiance, and Dio V Runner began to unleash black flames from his flamethrower. The Green Dragon, feeling pain, hurriedly withdrew its foreleg and saw that it was wounded. Other dragons, seeing this, spoke in unison as they looked at Aria and Dio V Runner.

“It seems these humans know how to hunt dragons.”

“Then there’s only one answer, isn’t there?”

“Kill them. Everyone, prepare your breath attacks.”

“…!!”

As the dragons prepared to unleash their breath attacks all at once to kill them, I saw it and slumped to the ground on the spot. However, Aria and Dio V Runner, seemingly not giving up, began to gather power to use their powerful abilities. And the moment the dragons’ power, Aria’s, and Dio V Runner’s clashed… the dragon’s nest vanished from the map…? N-No!!!

[It’s always Zeke’s burden.]

5. What if Aria used Saintly Radiance in Chapter 120?

“Haaah… It seems I’ve spent too much time… Well then… Where is that Puppet Master… I’ll have to search all the houses, won’t I?”

Aria, having dealt with all the puppets, began to swiftly survey the building to find the Puppet Master. But at that moment, as a thought suddenly crossed her mind, Aria stopped walking and began to ponder something deeply. Then she looked at the second floor of the inn where Zeke was sleeping, smiled sweetly, and muttered,

“Aww~ For me, not being able to see Zeke-nim’s face is nothing short of torture, you know? Rather than spending time in such torture, even if it might be rude to Zeke-nim later… it would be better to deal with this in one go, wouldn’t it? Now~ now… sniffing the scent of this outer robe Zeke-nim wore… Huuuuh~!”

Aria, deciding that it was better to ask Zeke for something rather than lose time seeing his face, began to sniff the scent infused in his outer robe to do something. Then, parts of Aria’s hair color gradually began to turn yellow, and Aria awakened into Saintly Radiance. She then smiled sweetly and immediately began to run toward somewhere. Meanwhile, the Puppet Master, who was inspecting the puppets inside a tent, smiled sweetly, seemingly satisfied with the puppets’ condition, and said,

“Good! All puppet preparations are complete! Now, if I just send them to that Saintess…?”

The Puppet Master, firmly believing that the puppets would defeat Aria as he wished, was about to send them to her. However, a sudden, massive beam of light pierced through the tent and swept away all the puppets in front of him, leaving the Puppet Master dumbfounded. And at that moment, Aria, who had entered through the hole in the tent, smiled sweetly and said,

“If you lose the bet… what did we say would happen?”

“…..”

As Aria defeated all of his puppets with a single attack and, with an eerie smile, asked if he remembered what would happen if he lost the bet, the Puppet Master began to tremble with fear of Aria.

[If Aria hadn’t cared about her hair color, this might have happened to everyone…]