Ch.109109. Declaration of Holy War (2)

Due to the sudden explosion, the evacuation procession was thrown into chaos, and the spies who had been captured without harm all died before they could be interrogated.

The soldiers who had been guarding the spies were caught in the explosion, suffering severe injuries—some even losing their arms—resulting in a major accident and loss of combat strength. However, Son Sang-hui had already requested reinforcements from the Balhut Cult headquarters in anticipation of such a situation.

“What… what happened here?”

“You’re alive! You arrived at the perfect time!”

Thanks to this, Choi Yu-na, the leader of the Balhut Cult, arrived with reinforcements at the perfect moment. For the allied forces who had lost arms and legs, her appearance was nothing short of hope.

The allied forces collected severed limbs from the ground and asked Yu-na to reattach them. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Yu-na began treatment without asking any questions about what had happened.

Using divine magic, she instantly healed all the wounded, and simultaneously…

“Turn Undead!”

She cast Turn Undead magic in the area where the allied forces were staying to prevent any more undead from rising.

No one knew how effective this would be. From the Balhut Cult’s perspective, this was their first engagement with a Necromancer, and having no information was frightening.

Jin A-yeon, who had led the resistance against the Cult of Immortality at Ulsan Airport, simply said:

“They didn’t use suicide attacks like this when they fought us.”

“Is that right?”

She shook her head, indicating this was a new tactic.

In reality, when the Cult of Immortality had the upper hand, why would they need to use suicide attacks against Ulsan Airport? They could have won with sheer numbers, so there was no need to waste valuable mages on suicide missions.

“That’s impressive, by the way.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Yeah. To be honest, when I saw limbs being severed, I thought there was no hope. Even healers struggle with reattachment.”

Jin A-yeon, who had been severely injured and was sprawled on the ground nearby, watched in amazement alongside Son Sang-hui as Yu-na treated the allied forces.

Using sacred magic to heal patients and purify the undead and the land, she looked like a saint from legends. Watching this scene, Jin A-yeon also:

“Wow. That’s more effective than I expected! Thank you so much, Sister!”

“Hehe. Please take better care of yourself next time. Life isn’t something to be thrown away.”

Having been treated by Yu-na last, she was now standing perfectly healthy.

Despite having minor wounds all over, Yu-na had healed her perfectly without leaving a single scar. Jin A-yeon looked at her with genuine admiration, though when Yu-na advised her to be more careful:

“Well, that’s impossible. If I don’t do it, someone else will have to. As the strongest, I can’t leave my duties to others, right?”

Despite Yu-na’s nagging, A-yeon replied with a regretful expression that it was impossible, boasting about her strength.

While it might have seemed like mere bragging, her actions had saved many lives, and those who followed her could fight with less burden. If she hadn’t stepped up at the right time, Ulsan Airport might have suffered many more casualties long ago.

“Thank you for the treatment, Lady Yu-na.”

Son Sang-hui, who had apparently also been treated, expressed her gratitude to Yu-na while examining her now scar-free wounds.

Upon hearing the name, Jin A-yeon finally seemed to realize who she was talking to and looked at the smiling Yu-na with shock.

“Yu-na… as in, the leader of the Balhut Cult?”

“Yes. This is Lady Choi Yu-na, leader of the Balhut Cult and Dragon Priestess.”

“What? Really? No way. Is it okay for such an important leader to be in such a dangerous place?”

In response to Jin A-yeon’s question, Son Sang-hui confirmed that the girl standing before them was indeed Choi Yu-na, leader of the Balhut Cult.

Faced with the sudden appearance of the ruler of the Balhut Cult, Jin A-yeon looked back and forth between Yu-na and Son Sang-hui with a dumbfounded expression.

As the leader of the Balhut Cult, Yu-na was naturally the ruler of Gyeongju and the highest authority in the cult. Was it really okay for her to be in such a dangerous place without hesitation? Shouldn’t she be protected in the safest possible location?

“Hehe. I’m the strongest Awakened in the cult.”

“Oh, really? Hmm… you’re different from the rumors. The complete opposite of what’s commonly known.”

However, Yu-na proudly declared herself the strongest Awakened in Gyeongju, seemingly amused by Jin A-yeon’s bewildered expression.

She puffed out her chest and put on her most impressive face, but given Yu-na’s small stature, she looked more like a cute little girl imitating a cool pose rather than someone imposing.

As Yu-na struck her pose and made her declaration, Jin A-yeon nodded in a half-dazed state, still looking Yu-na up and down as if she couldn’t quite believe it.

“In Japan, you’re known as a young girl like this, but here you’re rumored to be either a decrepit old person or some pervert. There’s no fact-checking to know who’s real.”

“Ah, I know about that. A greedy pig, an old woman… there are all sorts of stories, right? I often search for rumors about me on community forums. I search my name sometimes too.”

“You’re not exactly known in a positive light… I don’t think you’d hear anything good on those forums.”

Yu-na seemed to be aware of these rumors, as she smiled and listed the things said about her on community forums. Jin A-yeon responded with a flustered expression, saying she probably wouldn’t hear anything good.

Of course, the Balhut Cult had swallowed up Gyeongju and even Pohang. Other regions, fearing their growth, wanted to suppress the cult’s expansion. Even at this moment, they were criticizing the cult’s growth and prosperity, spreading countless baseless rumors.

“What can internet rumors do now? They’re just spreading false information from the comfort of their homes.”

“Still, it’s awkward for me to say this as your ally now, but you’re being criticized as a cult.”

Just as fake news, cyber attacks, and exaggerated reporting gained fame before the apocalypse, in today’s world, rumors could be maliciously exaggerated and an organization’s credibility could be easily undermined.

On communities outside those controlled by the cult, information was selectively chosen to benefit their narrative and maliciously distributed, making the Balhut Cult a public enemy in this apocalypse.

In fact, since it was a cult that no one had heard of before the apocalypse, even without malicious distribution, the word “cult” alone could generate plenty of malice and fear.

“I hear that a lot too!”

“If you hear it so often, don’t you think about changing it?”

And the reputation of Choi Yu-na, the cult’s leader, was the worst of all!

She was known either as the worst villain or her appearance was distorted, as just happened. She didn’t hear a single good thing about herself.

Naturally, community forums were filled with criticism and slander about Yu-na, but she brushed it off as something she heard often.

Her response was so refreshing that Jin A-yeon couldn’t think of a counterargument.

“People only hear what they want to hear anyway, right? Even if we try hard to argue for the legitimacy of the Balhut Cult on forums, those who don’t want to believe won’t believe.”

Yes, even if Yu-na or the Balhut Cult claimed their innocence on community forums, people are foolish creatures who only hear what they want to hear.

Moreover, for camps that want to use Yu-na and her Balhut Cult as external enemies to strengthen their internal unity, they would continue to maliciously distort and claim her as an enemy of the Korean Peninsula, even if she claimed innocence.

Was there any need to persuade such people?

“Besides, all this infamy… can’t it all be resolved by proving ourselves through strength and achievements? That’s the logic possible in an apocalypse.”

After all, in an apocalyptic world, most problems could be solved with power.

“Well, I can’t deny that.”

Even Jin A-yeon couldn’t deny Yu-na’s fierce statement about resolving everything with power!

Jin A-yeon herself had proven her skills and strength by recapturing Fukuoka City and was now respected in Ulsan, where Han Seong-geun had yielded the leadership position to her.

In this era, if you had strength and achievements, you would be treated as a hero regardless of any infamy.

That’s why Yu-na could remain confident despite the bad reputation of her cult and herself.

“Ah, thanks for the treatment. I’m Jin A-yeon, the leader of Ulsan Airport.”

“Jin A-yeon? Ah! I’ve heard a lot about your reputation. You’re the hero of Fukuoka City, right?”

Belatedly, Jin A-yeon thanked Yu-na for the treatment and introduced herself.

Upon hearing her name, Yu-na finally realized that the girl before her was the hero of Fukuoka City.

The fact that Yu-na immediately recognized her as the hero of Fukuoka City suggested that Jin A-yeon’s name was well-known throughout the Korean Peninsula.

“Hahaha. You don’t need to call me that. Well, I did do some heroic things. Yeah. Since it’s come to this, should I claim to be the representative Awakened of the Korean Peninsula like Kim Su-ho in Seoul?”

“That wouldn’t be bad!”

When Yu-na acknowledged her fame, Jin A-yeon, though embarrassed, proudly puffed out her chest as if to say, “This is the kind of woman I am,” proud of her accumulated achievements.

Seeing this, Yu-na thought she was an interesting person and wanted to talk more with her, but:

“I’d like to talk more with A-yeon, but first…”

“Business comes first, right?”

Thinking that field assessment was more important than small talk or conversation, Yu-na turned to Son Sang-hui, who was waiting nearby, to ask about the current situation.

“Yes, Son Sang-hui. What happened here? If reinforcements were needed.”

“The Cult of Immortality attacked the refugees.”

At Son Sang-hui’s mention of the Cult of Immortality, Yu-na’s expression rapidly cooled, and she spoke with a chilling look as she observed the traces left by the cult.

“So they attacked first. That means they’ve picked a fight with our Balhut Cult.”

With a tone suggesting “How dare they touch the Balhut Cult first,” Son Sang-hui nodded and began to explain the situation.

“Yes. I’m not sure if this was the action of a lower-ranking member going berserk or if it was ordered from above…”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Pardon?”

However, before Son Sang-hui could finish her explanation, Yu-na cut her off, saying it was fine.

Because the moment they attacked:

“I don’t want to share the same sky with those like the Cult of Immortality.”

The Balhut Cult and the Cult of Immortality were destined not to coexist under the same sky.

What might have been a light greeting from the Cult of Immortality had crossed a line for the Balhut Cult, marking them as entities that must be eradicated.

“Ah.”

“Let’s take this opportunity to sweep away all the heretics settled in Ulsan. Purify them with fire.”

“Huh?”

Yes! Yu-na was now thinking of a religious war… a holy war.

Not only had they dared to attack the lost lambs who relied on the Dragon God, which alone would warrant death, but they had also dared to harm her precious soldiers. Yu-na could never forgive the Cult of Immortality.

In Yu-na’s mind, there was no thought of negotiating with the Cult of Immortality; they had become mortal enemies who could not live under the same sky.

Kill the heretics. No mercy!

“To think there are those who believe in false gods despite the presence of the Dragon God. And they’re on the verge of controlling all of Ulsan? Absolutely unforgivable. What is that, enviab— I mean, it’s dangerous.”

Above all, the fact that they occupied Ulsan, which the Balhut Cult coveted, made it even more unacceptable.

Yu-na mentioned the danger of the Cult of Immortality with a serious expression, saying their actions could never be forgiven.

Of course, due to a slip-up, she accidentally revealed part of her true intentions to Jin A-yeon.

“Hmm. Can I reconsider my position? I’m starting to think the Cult of Immortality and the Balhut Cult might be two sides of the same coin.”

Seeing this display, Jin A-yeon sighed, wanting to reconsider which side to choose.

If one were to judge by appearances alone, there didn’t seem to be much difference between the Cult of Immortality and the Balhut Cult. Was it just her imagination? The thought naturally arose.

With that pitiful saint speaking so viciously with a sinister expression, it was only right to be disillusioned.

“She’s just… uncompromising when it comes to matters of the Dragon God and religion. Usually, she’s down-to-earth… and quite accommodating.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Thankfully, Son Sang-hui provided additional explanation, which helped push away the thoughts forming in her mind.

But still:

“And now?”

“Now… I think only the Dragon God Bahamut could stop her.”

“God is dead! Well, he’s been dead for a while!”

Hearing that only the Dragon God could stop the rampage before her eyes, Jin A-yeon could only sigh.

“Ahem. I’ve shown an unseemly side. Anyway, let’s escort the refugees. A-yeon, what are your plans now?”

“Hmm, well…”

Having regained her composure quickly, Yu-na smiled brightly—the complete opposite of her sinister appearance moments ago—and asked A-yeon about her plans.

A-yeon had two choices:

Continue accompanying the evacuation operation to Gyeongju.

Or leave the rest to the reinforcements and return to Ulsan Airport, the battlefield.

“I’ll go to Gyeongju too. I need to see the refugees safely settled.”

However, Han Seong-geun’s request was to evacuate the refugees to Gyeongju, and that task was not yet complete.

Moreover, hadn’t Han Seong-geun himself asked her to see and judge the Balhut Cult firsthand?

Jin A-yeon decided to continue accompanying the evacuation operation to observe the current state of the Balhut Cult directly.

“Yes. Then, we’ll treat you as our guest. Son Sang-hui, let’s depart as soon as the cleanup is done. I’ll take care of the wounded.”

“Yes, Lady Yu-na.”

With that, Yu-na nodded with a reliable expression, saying she would treat A-yeon as a guest, and instructed Son Sang-hui to restart the evacuation operation.

Even if more injuries occurred, with her abilities, they would quickly recover and return to the front lines.

Moreover, now that all the spies inside had been caught, there were no more forces to hinder the refugees, and the evacuation operation would proceed safely, but:

“And tell Jeong Dong-geon to declare a holy w—”

“Let’s consult with Lord Bahamut first.”

The sight of Yu-na sincerely trying to declare a holy war was concerning.

“Ah, I almost forgot. I should ask for the God’s opinion first.”

‘Is this really okay?’

…I’m not sure either.