Ch.1140Even in Death, I Won’t Go Quietly

The Late Dawn.

“Mmm…”

In the bedroom of the private mansion bestowed by Eleonora, the current regent of Hestella, on behalf of the queen to the members of the Heavenly Sword Corps.

‘What is this sensation…?’

Suddenly awakening from sleep, Demian carefully raised his upper body so as not to disturb Millia lying beside him, then slightly turned his head to look out the window.

‘Killing intent? No, no, it’s different. I don’t sense hostility.’

It was a strange presence that was irritating to his nerves like when Haschal released her killing intent, but unlike her, there was no gloomy terror or ferocious murderous intent.

‘Is it calling me…?’

It felt as if someone outside the window was earnestly tapping on his nerves instead of the window, calling to him.

The sensation was too intense to ignore. After briefly contemplating what to do, Demian finally quietly headed outside the mansion.

【 Skywalk 】

A short-distance spatial transfer using coordinate movement. Demian’s entire body was enveloped in light, faintly flashing, and then in the next moment, he disappeared from the bed with a pop.

– Woooong…!

Immediately after, he reappeared in the garden outside the mansion with a beam of light.

“I don’t know who you are, but you were calling me, right?”

Demian muttered in a tone full of caution as he glared into the garden’s undergrowth.

“I came as you wanted, so if you have something to say, why don’t you come out?”

He drew out a pair of wings behind his back to cover his bare upper body, and grabbed the hilt of the holy sword that suddenly protruded from a small subspace above his shoulder.

He was ready to swing the holy sword and blow away anything at the slightest suspicious sign.

“……”

“If you won’t come out… well, suit yourself. The garden can always be replanted.”

As Demian was finally about to draw his holy sword and swing it while glaring at the undergrowth with narrowed eyes that gave no response.

“…Hasty, so hasty. What if I’m not an enemy?”

As if finally deciding to reveal himself, someone who had been hiding in the shadows cast over the garden stepped forward, parting the undergrowth.

An old man wearing elaborate but tattered priestly robes.

His white hair and long beard were disheveled as if he had no leisure to maintain them, and his complexion, full of fatigue, was as pale as a corpse.

He looked like a terminal patient with not much time left to live.

“Huuuh…”

Not just his face, but his body was also in serious condition.

His left sleeve hung empty, swaying without contents, his right foot dragged along the ground like a cripple’s, and the skin revealed between his robes was covered with dark scars that looked like blood vessels.

Demian smelled the lingering dark mana from those scars. A familiar smell. The stench of decay reminiscent of death, characteristic of undead monsters.

“…Who are you?”

Demian lowered his posture slightly and half-drew his holy sword.

Gram, imbued with the power of Karma, glowed with the sacred characters engraved on its blade and vibrated faintly. It seemed ready to unleash a tidal wave of pure white lightning when swung.

Too cautious, you say?

Not at all. For Demian, this was a natural response.

‘Who is this old man? His appearance is shabby, but his aura itself is not much different from Haschal’s…’

Even though he tried to recall if he had met him somewhere before, he couldn’t remember anything about this powerful stranger who suspiciously emanated lingering dark mana.

It was actually extremely prudent of him to speak first instead of cutting him down immediately.

“I am Heirek Greml, the last priest of Zarem. …I am not an enemy, so do not be so wary.”

The old man spread his one remaining hand forward as if he had no intention to fight, and revealed his identity to Demian with an old-fashioned greeting.

Heirek, the Holy King of Zarem.

The name of the former demigod who had saved Haschal when she was in danger, and who had confronted Bellona’s knights while facing the dying Invidius.

“…I don’t know that name. And I’ve never heard of this Zarem either.”

Of course, Demian had returned to the east before the sleeping Haschal had awakened, so he had never heard such names.

“You don’t know…? Didn’t you hear from Ausrine’s successor?”

“Hear what?”

“This is troublesome… where should I begin explaining…”

Heirek, who hadn’t expected Demian to not even know his name, exhaled a faint sigh of perplexity and recalled the not-so-distant past.

The events that had unfolded after he had teleported Haschal to safety.

—-

Several days ago.

After directly confronting the Undead Duke’s army of Garmerlic to obtain the neutralized Invidius, Heirek had managed to cut down nearly half of the enemy forces after a hard-fought battle.

Although he had lost an arm in the process, such an injury was merely a flesh wound that could be treated once he had some respite.

“…Impressive. To endure this much with that aged body.”

“Even a rotting demigod is still a demigod, is that it?”

Such a valiant fight that Arthur’s side, which had been confident of victory, showed admiration mixed with tension.

With the anxiety that the tide of battle might turn if they let their guard down, Bellona’s knights raised their vigilance and focused all their attention on Heirek’s every move.

Thoroughly, so as not to carelessly overlook even a small gesture, the movement of his lips, or a quiet prayer.

That must have been why.

【 Insects gathering before a corpse… how dare, how dare you consider me prey that you’ve already caught…! 】

They failed to notice the final desperate act chosen by Invidius, who had collapsed with a fatal wound and been left unattended, driven by rage.

– Kugugugugung…!

In fact, it would be difficult to say they were careless.

Invidius’s injuries were fatal wounds that could never be recovered from by his own power, even in his avatar form.

It seemed he would pose no threat to them even if left alone, and turning their eyes toward him would mean giving a critical opening to the opponent they were currently fighting.

Logically, all Invidius could do now was to lie helplessly and writhe.

Or abandon his avatar and return only his spirit to the void, becoming a mere insect that had lost all of his immense divinity.

Of course, even if he saved his life that way, it would be impossible to regain his lost power, so he would likely end up either degenerating into a mindless monster or meeting his death as their prey.

That’s why Bellona’s knights didn’t guard against Invidius much.

After all, what they needed was not the evil god’s spirit but the divinity dwelling in his avatar, so if he left his avatar behind, it didn’t matter to them whether he fled or not.

【 I cannot allow it. I will not accept it…! Be cursed, be cursed…! I will curse you eternally. You, that woman, those insects in the heavens! 】

The problem was that the actions of those who have completely lost their minds with anger sometimes far transcend common sense.

Having been defeated by Haschal again, albeit due to third-party interference, and then losing her right before his eyes, Invidius’s anger had already crossed the critical point.

On top of that, those who he could have easily torn apart and killed if he had been in good condition were now disputing ownership of him as if he were some kind of trophy right before his eyes.

The torrent of emotions that had gone beyond anger to hatred or grudge blazed like an active volcano, leaving only one goal in the evil god’s mind.

Revenge, like a death struggle.

【 I thought with all my might. And I realized. What you would hate the most. What I must do…! 】

Instead of trying to recover his physical condition somehow or preserving just his life to hope for another day—the “sensible” desperate measures—Invidius threw everything he had as a detonator for revenge.

The divinity remaining in his avatar. His soul that had lived for thousands of years. The slightest possibility that he might be able to rise again someday. His future, power, and life, all of it.

【 I swear on my fading soul. None of your wishes shall be fulfilled! 】

In his rage that was enough to drive him insane, Invidius burned everything he had left to summon an enormous power.

Haschal had already taught him the method. By showing him the power of the stars that transcended limits by burning divinity and soul right before his eyes.

By imitating that power and exerting it with all his might, Invidius gained the strength to accomplish what would have been impossible, though only once.

“Wait, what on earth is he doing…?!”

“Oh no…!”

Arthur and Heirek, who had finally noticed that Invidius’s condition was unusual, looked toward the fallen evil god with a start, but by then it was already too late.

【 Watch as you burn and perish. Contemplate as you disintegrate. Your failure! 】

With a final howl like a dying declaration, Invidius loaded all the power he had raised into his broken divine core and detonated it.

The power that exploded became a huge pillar of black flame that pierced the heavens.

– Kwaooooooo!

Though he had been defeated and fallen, this was the final self-destruction of a being who had been a god, burning everything he had without reserve.

The power contained within was so immense that even the ripples spreading outward were enough to engulf and burn everything around.

“This is insane…! Retreat! Retreat!”

“Kuk…! This cannot be blocked…!”

Those flames engulfed both the Undead Duke’s army and Heirek without distinction, bringing the fierce battle to an end with no victor.

No one fully achieved their purpose.

Invidius, who had desired revenge, ironically met eternal death, leaving only ashes behind, while Arthur’s side retreated after losing troops without any significant gains.

Heirek, who barely managed to escape, was a bit late in his timing, adding serious injuries to his already weakened body.

One could say that only Haschal, whose goal was the subjugation of Invidius itself, somewhat achieved her objective… but well, at least she herself would not agree with this.

The pillar of black flame that the evil god had raised by burning his soul and body was aimed not at the surrounding rabble from the beginning, but at Heaven’s Wall hanging in the sky.

– Kwadeudeudeudeuk!

Those flames penetrated the weakening Heaven’s Wall like an awl, creating a massive hole in its center that would never be repaired.

A permanent destruction mark where cracks spread like ripples, growing wider and wider.

It was the achievement of Invidius’s grudge and obsession, who had tried to inflict fatal damage on the human gods, including Haschal, even if he died.