Ch.140Sacred War

# 1.

The War Between Demons and Humans.

Just as countless wars have their own names, this war too had a name,

“The Holy War has begun!!”

With Asha’s declaration filled with holy power, the battle against the Abyss began.

The first to join was the Light, able to move in an instant thanks to Grand Sage Marin.

Selena at the rear,

Marin in the center,

Gardner and Asha at the front.

The four heroes, instantly forming their battle formation, leaped toward the Abyss that was taking shape with a squelching sound.

“Gardner’s shield is second to none in the world!!!”

【<Iron Wall (SSS+)> activates!】

CRASH!

The moment the reassembled shield collided with the hastily erected barrier of the Abyss,

Cracks spread across the pitch-black barrier, creating an opening large enough to break through.

Selena’s briefing followed immediately.

“Not yet.”

The threads of exploration that had been spread throughout the entire territory now concentrated around the imperial palace, gathering strength, allowing her to detect even a speck of dust.

【<Threads of Detection (SSS)> discover a gap.】

Right after Balkan’s shield created an irreparable gap, Selena shouted.

“Now, Marin!!”

“…Yes.”

The air vibrated with her command.

【9th Circle Holy Magic – <Walker of Paths> activates.】

An unbelievable amount of mana erupted from her small frame, transforming into a massive wave that pushed against Asha’s back,

With a single leap, Asha rose above the Abyss’s head and unleashed her holy sword.

【<Holy Sword (Ex)> is unleashed.】

【<Asha Mirabel (Ex)>’s unique characteristic – <Hero (Ex+)> activates.】

【Resistance to <Evil> increases exponentially.】

A sun rising again in the sky where the sun had already set.

The brilliant golden light illuminating the surroundings gathered into a single blade, condensing in an instant,

The hero swung her holy sword.

SLASH!

Golden fractures appeared everywhere the sword’s path touched, and the Abyss, in the midst of releasing its second seal, was no exception,

Crumble.

Its pitch-black body was vertically bisected and fell with a thud onto the cold floor.

“『…Impressive.』”

A pure admiration for strength, uttered while looking down at its own split body.

However, as additional attacks came flying in immediately, the Abyss raised a finger.

【Warning.】

【<Abyss (Ex+) – Merging> activates its 1st skill – Annihilation.】

【Annihilation approaches.】

Something terrible that could erase an entire area just by grazing it.

“Gardner’s shield is—!!”

“Shut up, you idiot!!”

Selena, stopping Balkan, hastily added.

“Only holy power can block that!!”

A thin, dense darkness falling slowly.

Asha, spinning her body in an instant, reached out toward the golden gap she revealed.

【<Holy Communion (Ex+)> activates.】

Golden hands emerging from the gap simultaneously with the skill activation.

…Rustle.

Like taking prepared food, one hand grasped the Annihilation and scattered as they mutually destroyed each other.

A massive consumption of holy power.

An ordinary cleric would have collapsed, coughing blood, before even summoning it.

“Are you alright, Asha!?”

“…It’s enough.”

Selena immediately realized.

That this was not bravado but sincerity.

As long as this war of attrition didn’t continue, she would be fine for now.

“Then now’s our chance—”

Just as Selena, having assessed the battle situation, was about to give the next instruction through her threads of detection.

“『I wonder.』”

The Abyss, smiling with its mouth torn wide, raised even the hand of its severed body.

“『I don’t think so?』”

The sky immediately darkened.

【Warning.】

【<Abyss (Ex+) – Merging> activates its 1st skill – Annihilation. (x100)】

【Annihilation approaches as rain.】

Malice so difficult to handle even with just one thin strand now filled the sky like rain.

A pitch-black malice that could make one lose the will to fight just by facing it.

Even heroes are ultimately human.

The line at which they despair is simply higher than ordinary humans, but it still exists.

“Damn… Asha. You have to block them all, somehow.”

Even Selena, who had always given clear instructions in any situation, could only say that much.

So Selena prepared for death.

Even for a hero like Asha, it seemed impossible to completely block all of that.

She steeled herself, knowing that even a single graze would mean certain death.

But Selena didn’t know.

A hero is a hero among heroes.

Just as heroes are superior to ordinary people, so too are heroes superior to other heroes, whether in strength or spirit,

“Don’t worry and prepare the next move.”

“…What?”

“Just like you’ve always done. Think about what we should do after I block this.”

That’s what it meant to be a hero.

Crunch.

After gritting her teeth so hard they might break, Asha leaped into the air.

Selena’s judgment was correct.

It would be impossible to completely block all hundred Annihilations raining down.

But she had to do it.

-Is it… alright for me to desire happiness?

-It’s not greed. It’s what you deserve.

Because she wanted to be happy now.

She had to block all hundred Annihilations falling from the sky,

-My fate… is to give up such natural things?

-No. There is no such fate. And even if there were… I would free you from it.

Because only then could the hero who had saved her return from the Abyss.

Hadn’t she even made a promise?

-Hold back the Abyss.

-…What?

-I’ll save the commander… no, him somehow, so until then, hold back the Abyss.

-But Nahan is in danger because of me—!!

-Enough. Because he’s in danger because of you, take responsibility and do it in his place.

To hold back the Abyss by any means necessary until Nahan was saved.

A life saved thanks to that man.

Only now, as death became frightening, did the anxiety she had forgotten all this time bloom.

‘…Can I do it?’

No,

‘Will I survive to meet that person again?’

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

There was only one thing she needed to do now.

-Whether you use that damn Light, or ask our members for help. Just hold out somehow.

To hold back the Abyss.

【<Holy Communion (Ex+)> activates.】

And so, as she activated Holy Communion again, reaching out toward the black Annihilations,

【<Shadow Movement (Ex-)> activates.】

Thud.

Along with the sound of someone stepping on the ground, impossible to hear in the sky, someone appeared.

“This seems like a good spot.”

A calm voice, as if familiar with everything.

Behind it followed a familiar voice heard somewhere before.

“Hie, hieek!! H-high!! It’s too high!!!”

“Be quiet and just block that.”

“A-aren’t you scared at all!?”

“For a cold heart, nothing is—”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying!!!”

Despite the playful voice, a brilliant and massive holy power bloomed.

【<Sacred Domain (Ex)> activates.】

A massive golden dome firmly established itself beneath the hundred Annihilations.

Crack,

Crackle.

They vanished upon impact, and even their remnants mixed with the light and disappeared completely,

“Now can we go down?!!!”

“That would certainly be… Hmm? A hero?”

“Eh?! Where?! Ugh, it really is. How annoying.”

“…?”

It was the moment when the Goddess’s Sword, the hero, and the Goddess’s Shield, the saint, fulfilled their roles.

# 2.

After the Light, the next to join was the worst yet strongest outlaw group – the Black Wolf.

The reason it took so long to join was because of the battle with the elders who had traveled with them, but this was still ongoing.

After moving to the ground together thanks to Castler, Ruby quickly proposed,

“Let’s split up.”

One group to deal with the elders and remaining forces, the other to face the Abyss.

“Those staying will be me, Dallan, Hanryang, and Pedro. You know why without me explaining, right?”

Though she stepped up because the first commander, Black Wolf, and the second commander, Lactea, were absent, the members agreed without complaint.

2nd Elder – Hanryang,

3rd Elder – Pedro,

The rest – Ruby & Dallan.

Those with unfinished business here were selected.

So Yuria asked,

“Then who will command our group?”

“Let’s go by age.”

“Huh? But that would be you, Castl—”

【<Shadow Movement (Ex-)> activates.】

That’s how they came over, and those who joined the Light were three in total.

Luna and Puppy,

Yuria,

Castler.

In the end, it was rational since the saint who could oppose the Abyss had moved.

But the Light didn’t see it that way.

“…How can we trust you?”

From their perspective, the <Black Wolf> was the enemy who killed <Ian Red>.

“I’d rather die than accept your help.”

“…Then I’ll lend you my feet instead.”

“Please just be quiet, Castler.”

“See! Even now you’re joking……”

In the end, Asha revealed everything.

That Ian Red was actually Black Wolf,

That he had saved her and been captured by the Abyss,

And that the vice-commander, Lactea, had jumped in to rescue him.

“…No wonder the energy felt.”

Unlike Selena who immediately accepted, Balkan and Marin were confused.

“Why on earth…?”

Marin, because of the reason they had been deceived,

“So to summarize, Ian Red and Black Wolf are dating? …Strange. I thought priests weren’t supposed to engage in homosexuality…”

Balkan, because he truly didn’t understand.

Fortunately, the sudden confusion didn’t last long.

【<Abyss (Ex+)> attempts to merge with <Dragon Elder (???)>.】

【2nd stage seal is released.】

【<Abyss> gains mental freedom.】

【3rd stage seal release begins.】

【Seal release in progress… 0%】

Because the Abyss, having merged both body and mind, had regained complete freedom.

“『Now I feel truly awake.』”

The form of a human sculpted from darkness, replacing what had been a mass of black mud.

With an aura more serene yet more vicious than before, Castler briefly proposed,

“We just need to hold out until the commander and vice-commander return. That should be enough for now.”

Naturally, the result was unanimous.

# 3.

Meanwhile, inside the <Nightmare>.

【Until mutual destruction… 00:04:23.】

The time that had passed outside during their long stay was just about 5 minutes.

【<Mind> is breaking.】

【1/3 deducted.】

【When fully deducted, <Abyss> will be able to pinpoint <Lactea>’s location.】

A few days after the genius girl, knowledgeable about good, began learning about evil.

Finally coming of age on her birthday,

“Reina, you fool.”

“S-sister…?”

She began to repeat the nightmare of the past.