Ch.167Atonement (2)

The rain falls steadily.

The sky was clouded with dark clouds as usual, but something felt different. An angel’s intuition was always right. Especially when it came to detecting the movements of great enemies ordained by fate.

“The hero has been vanquished.”

Archangel Commander Asriel gazed southward. No power could be felt from the lands once occupied by the Crusaders.

“Is there no urgent report from the southern border?”

“There is a messenger from Central Command.”

There was no wavering. Asriel’s aide swiftly handed him a parchment in response to his question.

A predetermined defeat.

It was an arrangement to channel divine power to Durin, so no one was surprised.

Perhaps the lower angels might be confused, but those stationed on the eastern front were all heaven’s elite. They were carrying out celestial will, so they rejoiced that everything was proceeding according to plan.

“The order is to withdraw our forces.”

It was time to reduce unnecessary casualties. The eastern front was merely a device to pressure the World Tree and heighten tensions. Since the World Tree had built solid defenses around the Great Forest, they could now retreat.

“It will take them a long time to mount another offensive.”

“Will our forces now head south?”

Someone’s question drew Asriel’s attention. He answered with a gentle smile.

“Naturally. With the hero defeated, the path to the central region has opened. We must form a containment line before heresy spreads further.”

However, damage control was the priority. Losing the south was acceptable, but they didn’t want chaos to spread to the central regions.

Since a great demon had hunted down the hero and greatly boosted morale, heaven needed to send a commander to stabilize the situation.

“What happens next depends on Lord Krazael’s will.”

The grand picture beyond what a military leader could see. It was likely part of the Light God’s magnificent plan.

After all, they had waited patiently for a thousand years for this moment.

“No, in truth, it wasn’t patience but arrogance and incompetence.”

“General, what do you mean by that suddenly…?”

“Pay it no mind. I was merely reflecting on our defeat.”

“We only have victories ahead of us. Please keep your spirits high.”

The loyal aide bowed his head as he spoke. He harbored no doubts. He wished only to move as the Light God directed and achieve their purpose.

“Yes. That faith alone should be enough.”

Asriel watched his subordinate’s brightened face before turning his gaze southward again.

“Everything must be part of God’s plan.”

#

At the same time.

The throne room of the Demon King’s castle.

“Lucretia has been eliminated. Complete occupation of the southern human realm.”

“General Berdia, commander of the southern forces, has submitted a victory report.”

“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

The demon realm was enveloped in a festive atmosphere.

It was a historic day marking the end of centuries of decline that had troubled them.

In truth, they had thought it would be enough just to deal with the fled Demon King.

With the legions only recently rebuilt, excessive hope would have been poisonous. The demon realm had been content with merely glimpsing fragments of the prosperity achieved during Demon King Istria’s reign.

Such modest hopes had now crossed the horizon to fulfill a grand dream.

“Finally… we’ve finally done it.”

Exhausted from reading the continuous stream of reports, Serphin leaned against the throne. She had been monitoring the situation since receiving word that Lucretia and Durin had engaged in battle.

Only after staying up all night and seeing the narrative conclude with a favorable ending could she finally sit comfortably.

“It’s been a long struggle.”

“You’ve fulfilled the aspiration of the Green Horns. You’ve proven that even one not of the Primordial Bloodline can lead the demon realm admirably.”

Praise be to you.

Some began singing royal praises, not missing the opportunity. Serphin’s expression momentarily soured, but she managed to endure.

The deep, water-like temperament she had learned from Durin helped her maintain her composure.

“Though this is a day to celebrate victory, the war is not yet over. Let’s receive Berdia’s follow-up report.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

She quickly restored order in the hall and maintained the flow of the wartime cabinet.

They had only eliminated internal enemies; the external threat remained intact.

That fact continued to make Serphin uncomfortable.

‘While we’ve been fighting traitors in civil war, heaven’s movements have remained calm.’

Heaven had shown similar behavior throughout Durin’s campaigns, causing many demons to disregard them.

Initially, it was clearly due to arrogance. The belief that white wings would always triumph had led them to defeat.

But wasn’t it different now?

Durin’s countless victories should have taught them a bloody lesson. They should understand how powerful a demon who returned alive from the demon realm’s wasteland could be, and how much impact they could have on the world order centered around angels.

They’d had more than enough time to recognize and be wary.

Yet they remained unmoved.

“It’s almost as if they wanted Durin to succeed.”

While everyone else was chattering excitedly, Serphin sank into deep thought, tapping her fingers on the throne.

-What does heaven want?

-Demons will reclaim divine power and challenge them again.

-They seem confident they can repel us even at great cost.

-Why endure such losses when an easier path exists?

‘What is the Archangel thinking… no, what is the Light God trying to achieve by guiding the flow of fate this way?’

The more she thought, the more complex it became. She was so serious that the commotion around her faded from her hearing.

Serphin was thus alone in her worries amid the joy of victory when…

“Your Majesty!”

A messenger’s voice roused the king. Looking up, she saw a harpy messenger rushing into the throne room.

The commotion quieted. All eyes of the court officials turned to one place.

“Urgent news, Your Majesty.”

The harpy, kneeling in reverence, held a dispatch in hand. The captain of the royal guard immediately took it and presented it to Serphin.

“Urgent news?”

Serphin slowly examined the contents.

“……”

The king remained silent as she read the message.

A moment of stillness. An uncomfortable quiet descended upon the throne room.

“Captain of the Guard.”

Serphin called out softly. The towering Durahan immediately stood at attention.

“I await your command, Your Majesty.”

“Prepare to mobilize all forces immediately. The observatory has reported a threat.”

At that moment, confusion swept through the throne room. Though no one raised their voice, all swallowed their anxiety.

The observatory was the domain of sorcerers. This meant heaven was on the move. Moreover, the demon currently stationed there was not the High Sorcerer but the Witch of Prophecy.

Uncertainty was rapidly approaching certainty.

“Sigh… joy doesn’t last long, does it?”

Serphin sensed that the time for her to take action was approaching.

“A war ordained by fate is coming.”

#

The San Moriano Cathedral, shrouded in serene darkness.

They had returned to this fateful place where they first set foot in the human realm.

Durin, Berdia, Ursael, and Rudmila—all the highest leadership except for Yoannina, who was in charge of the eastern front, had gathered in one place.

The punishment of traitors was that important a ceremony. Especially when the subject was the former Demon King and of the Primordial Bloodline, it was necessary to conclude matters perfectly.

“It was here that I learned about the goddess.”

Durin gazed at the half-collapsed cathedral wall. The damaged mosaic depicted the torso of the red goddess.

“Forgotten powers and duties we should have fulfilled were stored here together.”

“To think they were preserved for over a thousand years without being seized by angels. Truly remarkable.”

Berdia marveled. The blue-horned demon, who had previously focused solely on battle, was filled with curiosity as he observed the shadows of the world.

Ursael answered in his place.

“It was arranged by the deity. I heard there was actually a lock that could only be opened when a hero arrived—a mechanism chosen by the Creator God.”

“Not a demon, but a hero. What could that mean?”

This time it was Rudmila. The wisdom of the Demon King’s castle was focused on exploring this new mystery.

“If fate led this way, it clearly envisioned a future where heroes and demons work together… From our perspective, it could be interpreted as humans and demons uniting to resist the corrupted heaven.”

If the entity known as fate had judged the world to be wrong, it might have painted such a picture.

But Rudmila, who had studied countless scriptures and ancient records, declared this hypothesis incorrect.

“But you know what? No matter how I think about it, this entity called fate doesn’t make judgments. It’s closer to watching and enjoying the flow of the world.”

“It’s written that it prefers stories that remain balanced, without favoring either side.”

Ursael smiled slightly.

“Among the celestial laws, there’s a separate record collecting unofficial histories. That’s what it says there.”

“Ah… this is really difficult. I have no idea how this flow is going to progress.”

The demons’ continued success. Heaven’s downfall. Chaos in the human realm.

It clearly favored the demon realm. It seemed as if fate was raising one hand in their favor, which only increased their questions.

“Should we just accept the good fortune…?”

“That’s the wrong attitude for a sorcerer, Rudmila.”

Durin walked past them. He was the one who moved forward on behalf of those lost in contemplation.

“Don’t surrender yourself to the flow.”

“That’s easy for you to say when the wave is so massive, Durin. No one but someone of your caliber could withstand it.”

Durin stopped at the grumbling complaint.

“Do you remember the first verse of the scripture?”

“Who wouldn’t know that? You recite it every day.”

Everyone recalled that familiar line about opposing angels and ruling over humans.

“To oppose. That is our duty.”

He moved forward again.

At the same time, an aura of death emanated from him. The withered ankle shadow flickered beneath the regent’s boots.

“I cannot show weakness before mother.”

WHOOSH!

A strong wind blew. Black energy spreading from Durin instantly engulfed the San Moriano Cathedral.

“Remember this, all of you.”

The goddess’s power manifested.