Ch.326Chapter 326 – Sacred Ground

Emiris appeared again.

While surprised by this fact, my mind was quickly assessing the situation.

‘How on earth?’

When she appeared using Kara’s body, it was somewhat understandable.

At that time, Kara was a saint of the Emiris Order.

As someone who used Emiris’s divine power the most and was most accustomed to it, it made sense that she would take over her body to appear.

But Hakan was different.

Not to be rude, but Hakan didn’t seem like a particularly devout person.

I was shocked by the fact that Emiris had possessed Hakan’s body.

And then I noticed the ominous purple gem glowing in his abdomen.

‘Wait.’

Come to think of it, Chris had been saying all along that this gem had a strange aura, mixing black magic with divine power.

And of course, it was made by the Emiris Order.

I shouted without thinking.

“That damn gem was the cause…!”

It wasn’t difficult to deduce that Emiris had descended using that gem as a medium.

Of course, it might not be possible with just any gem, but only with special ones.

However, since this gem had been used to control the sea dragon, it wouldn’t be strange if it had undergone some special processing.

‘…If that’s the case.’

If I could destroy that gem, I might be able to cut off Emiris’s intervention.

Thinking this, I reinforced my wings.

I transformed into a form with the fastest speed and strongest penetrating power.

“Kay?”

“I don’t know how this will turn out, but…”

I said while spinning my magic lance.

“I’ll pierce through with this!”

Immediately after, I expelled all my magic power and flew at Emiris at maximum speed.

Since it was just a mass of flesh with Hakan’s face floating on it, Emiris would have no way to avoid this attack.

I thrust forward my fiercely rotating magic lance and flew at Emiris at full speed.

[I won’t fall for the same trick twice.]

Emiris’s low voice reached my ears.

And the next moment.

A barrier made of divine power formed around Emiris.

I thrust my lance forward, intending to pierce right through it.

But my magic lance failed to penetrate Emiris’s barrier.

‘So you were prepared for this.’

Last time in Ferarius, I had pierced through Emiris in this form and rescued Kara.

For him, it must have been a painful memory, so I expected him to prepare countermeasures.

I observed my lance.

It was breaking through Emiris’s barrier bit by bit.

‘It’s not so solid that it can’t be penetrated.’

If it were, my lance would have bounced off the surface of the barrier.

The lance was managing to dig into the barrier.

It was breaking through, but the progress was extremely slow.

And soon I understood why.

“You’re filling the inside with divine power and replenishing it as it breaks, aren’t you?”

In a way, it was a battle of attrition.

He compressed divine power inside the barrier to block physical attacks, and as my lance dug in and broke through parts of the barrier, Emiris refilled those areas with divine power.

[A simple powerful barrier would be penetrated by you, otherworldly soul.]

Emiris said quietly.

[But even you cannot pierce through a space filled with my divine power in one go.]

I heard his voice, gloating as if he had won.

[What will you do now, otherworldly soul?]

“You’re blocking with a crude method and then bragging about it.”

While countering his provocation, I had to grit my teeth.

Filling the space with an enormous amount of divine power to physically block attacks and continuously maintaining it.

This was a crude defensive method that ordinary clergy could never perform—only possible for a god who was the source of divine power.

‘Damn it.’

After thrusting my lance for a while, I gave up and pulled back.

There was no point in continuing to try to penetrate when he would just keep refilling it with divine power.

His determination not to be pierced so easily like last time was evident.

“Then, with this!”

Sera shouted loudly and sent a piece of paper charging toward Emiris.

Soon, a faintly glowing powdery substance scattered from it and covered Emiris’s body.

Emiris immediately looked at Sera and spoke.

[Pseudo-divine power. Divine chaff. That substance that annoyed me back then, alchemist.]

“With this, you won’t be able to create barriers!”

Sera said confidently.

However, Emiris looked down at Sera and smiled.

[Indeed. With this, I cannot use complex divine arts smoothly.]

Emiris surprisingly admitted it readily, saying it was because the powder with pseudo-divine power interfered with it.

But.

[However, if it merely interferes with divine arts rather than absorbing or blocking divine power itself…]

A strong silver aura erupted from Emiris.

[You cannot break this barrier that simply overwhelms with quantity.]

Sera frowned slightly.

But her face didn’t show acceptance of defeat.

“…Still, this will prevent you from using complex attacks.”

Sera said.

“And the transmission of divine power won’t be very smooth either. Eventually, that barrier will weaken.”

[Your words are correct.]

Emiris readily acknowledged Sera’s statement again.

And then.

[That is why I must make the most of this time.]

With those words, silver divine power rose from Emiris into the sky.

And simultaneously, Emiris’s condition changed.

Like a heartbeat, the masses of flesh began to pulsate.

“…You can’t be.”

[This is just a temporary vessel I’m using anyway.]

Emiris said quietly.

[I wonder if you all will survive when I pour in all my power and cause this entire area to explode.]

“What’s with this obsession with self-destruction!”

I shouted at Emiris.

However, Emiris simply smiled and said without much response:

[The divine power I’ve already put into this body is sufficient. Even if interfered with, I only need to maintain the barrier.]

Emiris said.

[You have no way to stop me.]

Silver divine power began to shine strongly from the masses of flesh.

It was evidence that the countdown to self-destruction had begun.

I watched this scene, gritting my teeth, and quickly thought.

‘…Should we retreat?’

By now, all the resistance forces had evacuated, and only the elite troops were engaging in combat while withdrawing.

If I could somehow get word to Sia to escape, or if I flew at top speed to rescue her, we might be able to get outside the blast radius.

And then, a mocking voice came from Emiris.

[You clearly said that you would surpass Idea without abandoning anything.]

How does he know about the conversation I had alone with Idea?

While wondering if gods are also good at eavesdropping, he continued speaking.

[If the divine power I’ve infused into this body explodes, this entire area will be obliterated. Both the innocent and the guilty will all die.]

Soon Emiris provocatively said.

[Isn’t it amusing that you, who said you wouldn’t abandon anything, are now willing to sacrifice innocent people?]

“You…!”

Just as I was about to shout what nonsense he was spouting when he was the one who had dragged everyone into this, someone else shouted in anger before me.

“A being who calls himself a god is willing to drag in innocent people!”

Chris began to get angry.

And Emiris, borrowing Hakan’s body, turned his head toward Chris.

[Are you asking the obvious, fake?]

“There are your own people in here! There are clergy who serve you!”

Chris shouted loudly.

“Are you willing to sacrifice them too?!”

Emiris gave no answer.

And perhaps they had heard the conversation around us.

Near us, one of the holy knights of the Emiris Order who had been fighting against knights from Florence or the kingdom stopped combat and shouted.

“O God, please do not abandon us!”

“Save us!”

If it were me, I wouldn’t even think of calling that monster-like Emiris a god in this situation, but those fanatics seemed to think differently.

Perhaps they recognized him as Emiris after hearing our conversation, despite his monstrous appearance but still emitting an enormous amount of divine power?

Whatever the reason, there was desperation in their actions as they directly addressed their god.

Whether shocked by their sudden actions or by Emiris’s declaration to self-destruct, the soldiers who had been fighting them were now just watching without trying to stop them.

And the holy knights of Emiris bowed toward Hakan, who was possessed by Emiris, and desperately cried out.

“Please withdraw your anger! Have mercy on us!”

By now, the sounds of fighting had ceased, and everyone was looking at Emiris.

They were praying for their god to take pity on his servants and show mercy.

At the very least, they were begging him not to choose to destroy the entire area.

Whether moved by their sincerity or not, Emiris paused for a moment.

And then.

[I would make any sacrifice to kill you, otherworldly soul. Fake goddess.]

He didn’t even look at them.

“O God, please look upon us…!”

“At least give us assurance that we can go to the divine realm mentioned in your scriptures!”

The fanatics of Emiris cried out urgently, but Emiris did not look at them.

He only looked in our direction, at me and Chris.

It was as if those unworthy didn’t even deserve to converse with him.

[For perfection, the imperfect must be discarded.]

Emiris looked down at us and said.

[I will sacrifice whatever is necessary.]

Emiris’s words ended.

I gripped my weapon tightly, about to retort something.

And once again, someone spoke before me.

“…Since Ferarius, I’ve been thinking.”

Chris looked at Emiris.

“You are not a god.”

[A fake goddess dares to discuss what a true god is.]

“I am certainly a fake, but…”

Chris was furious.

“You, who abandon those fearful people, those who have worked and prayed for you—you are not a god.”

[All things of these insignificant beings exist for the sake of the divine. Fake.]

Emiris answered, looking down at Chris.

“Kay once said something.”

Chris said quietly.

“That a god cannot come before people. People believe in gods for themselves, not the other way around.”

Golden divine power began to emanate from Chris.

“Those people don’t need to sacrifice themselves for you. Moreover, they shouldn’t be helplessly caught up in your schemes to kill us. You have no right to force that upon them.”

Chris spoke resolutely.

“If you, the real god, will abandon your followers, then I, the fake goddess, will save the followers you’ve abandoned.”

Emiris looked down at Chris with a displeased expression.

And as if mocking her, he quietly said.

[And what can you do, fake?]

“What you refuse to do.”

Chris didn’t look at Emiris.

After bowing her head briefly, she murmured quietly.

“…Somehow, I think I vaguely know what’s possible now.”

After murmuring that, Chris turned to look at me and our companions.

“Kay.”

Chris took a slight deep breath.

And then she spoke.

“Will you protect me?”

“Of course.”

I returned my armor to its original form and raised my halberd.

Then Chris looked at Emiris and said.

“…You’ve been supplying your divine power through that gem as a medium, haven’t you?”

Closing her eyes, Chris said quietly.

“Then, I’ll cut that off for you.”

Chris quietly began to recite a prayer.

“‘I pray to my great god.'”

An enormous amount of divine power began to gather around Chris.

[…You, surely not. No, impossible. How could a fake without followers…?]

Emiris’s eyes trembled with agitation.

Then, with surprised eyes, he looked in one direction.

[Could it be that replica…?]

He seemed to have noticed something, his eyes darting around.

And meanwhile.

A massive amount of divine power gathered around Chris.

“‘As you have said, to be a shepherd for the lambs and protect them.'”

Chris’s incantation began.

[I won’t allow this, you fraudulent fake…!]

Light began to descend from the sky.

It was clearly an attack aimed at Chris.

I quickly flew toward the light and deflected it with my halberd.

[Don’t interfere, lowly one…!]

“You’re the one who should stop interfering!”

Soon, what appeared to be Emiris’s attack—purple beams of light—began to fall from the sky.

Guessing that these were attacks using the divine power he had sent up to the sky before his transformation, I began to deflect all of them.

I flew around, deflecting his attacks.

“‘I shall follow your will as a shepherd.'”

Chris’s golden wings spread.

Once again, an enormous amount of divine power gathered around her, and Emiris launched another attack to stop it.

[You think I’ll let this happen!!]

Once more, beams of light descended from the sky.

I deflected them with my halberd, using my body to block the attacks.

[If you’re willing to use your body to block…!]

A larger beam of light descended from the sky.

I tried to deflect it with my halberd.

The beam suddenly split into three.

“…You bastard!”

“Kay, don’t worry!”

Eve shouted.

When I turned to look, I saw Eve with a new sword imbued with magic power, and Sera had gathered floating papers to form something like a shield.

Soon the split beams disappeared against their defenses, and Sera shouted.

“Leave what you miss to us!”

“Kay, keep intercepting!”

I nodded to them and flew through the sky.

I flew freely, intercepting Emiris’s attacks.

[You, vermin…!]

Emiris intensified his attacks, and we continued to block them.

And even during this moment.

“‘As I lay them down on this land, tend to their wounds, and vow to protect them.'”

Chris continued her incantation, gathering a massive amount of divine power.

“‘I beseech you to bestow your blessing upon this land.'”

The amount gathering was so enormous that the air seemed to vibrate with each accumulation.

[Damn it, stop!!!]

Emiris began to struggle desperately.

But Chris continued her incantation.

“‘I hope it may become a sanctuary where those who have lost their way can find the right path.'”

As she reached the end of her incantation, she opened her eyes.

“‘Thus, make this place your sacred ground.'”

“‘So that your shepherd’s staff may drive away evil.'”

With Chris’s clear voice, an enormous amount of divine power erupted from her.

Under the blue sky, golden divine power began to adorn the heavens like a curtain.

“This is…”

Something like a barrier was being erected around this area.

Everyone watched with wide eyes as the golden space formed.

And facing the trembling Emiris.

Spreading her golden wings, Chris spoke.

“I declare this land as my sanctuary.”

The golden divine power began to vibrate.