Chapter 334

R̃éã​d̂ ̈​õ​n̂ ̂K̃ãt̂R̈êàd̂ï​ñĝ​C̀äf̀é

In the dim light of dawn.

The day becomes night, and night becomes day.

A sacred sight, as if the sky were divided in two.

And at the same time, caressing the earth was a golden veil.

It looked as if the aurora, which should have remained in the upper atmosphere at high altitudes, had been pulled down.

Illuminating the city, caressing the ground, and pushing away the dawn.

In this scene, more like a fairy tale than reality, I instinctively felt that something was seriously wrong.

I know that light.

I know that dawn.

I knew the flash that divided the world in two.

The completed form of the Sun Sword.

The ultimate that Eugene could reach.

The technique that earned Eugene the title of Heavenly God in many regressions.

Always, at any time.

That dawn heralded the end of war.

No matter who the opponent was, no matter what means or methods they used.

The moment the dawn rose, all events were concluded.

Truly, a Heavenly God.

A god reigning from above the sky.

The strongest sword completed by the four seasons.

A new guardian of humanity, surpassing even the God of War.

The light of hope was now unfolding in the sky. It was impossible. Eugene was here now. He hadn’t even been completed as the Chosen One yet, and his body was switched with Astaroth, making it difficult for him to even move. The symbol of the Heavenly God couldn’t be engraved in the sky. It shouldn’t. It must not.

‘No way…’

I couldn’t believe it.

But denying it wouldn’t change reality.

I stared blankly at the sky with a dumbfounded face.

Astaroth had recreated Dawn.

Using Eugene’s body as a catalyst, she had touched the majesty of the Heavenly God.

I understood what that meant.

‘Yoo-seong… Lucille’s hero is in danger…!’

I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t even want to consider the possibility. But I couldn’t help but think of it. The strongest man. The hero who had left an unforgettable wound on the King of Devil Gods. The God of War who protected humanity. Yoo-seong. The possibility that he might be defeated. Maybe if he was in his prime, but could the weakened Yoo-seong withstand Dawn?

‘Even Astaroth wouldn’t have been able to perfectly recreate Dawn. It would be far behind the original. But…’

My heart began to beat fiercely. A premonition beyond mere intuition sent a chill down my spine. The original owner of my body was a Blessed Saintess. Even if I had lost most of the blessings, the fact that I was a Saintess remained unchanged. I was a girl who received the grace of the four seasons. I became more sensitive to matters related to the hero.

‘It’s dangerous…that person is in danger…’

A creeping sense of unease crawled up. What was happening over there? I couldn’t lose Yoo-seong here. He was humanity’s last line of defense. If we lost the God of War, humanity would no longer be able to withstand the devils’ offensive. It would be like the pillar supporting humanity collapsing.

Moreover, even apart from such public reasons, I didn’t want to lose him. Because he was Lucille’s hero. Because he was the man she had truly loved. Because he was the hero who had protected humanity for so long. He was like family to me too. I couldn’t let him die. I couldn’t lose him so futilely.

‘But how? What can I do to help Yoo-seong?’

I had become someone close to a god, but I couldn’t even participate in the fight against the devils. If I tried to help, I would only be a burden. I couldn’t even qualify to stand before the devils without becoming the pinnacle of humanity.

‘Eugene can’t fight.’

His soul was rejecting his new body.

He could barely move, so there was no way he could fight.

‘Leo and Anastasia…’

Of course, it was impossible.

Children with the potential to surpass even captain-level monsters.

A golden generation with the talent to rise to the same level as the heroes of the past.

However, that was only a distant possibility.

It was only a future that had not yet come, a future that might not even come.

They were certainly outstanding supernaturals as of the current time.

But that was only outstanding among ordinary supernaturals.

They would have to worry about their lives simply by being caught up in the fight, let alone participating in it.

The same was true for Seri and Regina.

No, in the first place, they were struggling with trauma, so what could they do?

They were doing their best just by maintaining consciousness even after recognizing Astaroth’s existence.

‘Alice and Frey…’

Monsters of talent.

If they had reached the captain level…

…No.

It was still impossible.

I knew it was going to be difficult from the beginning.

If I thought it would be helpful, I wouldn’t have told them to run away together.

Yoo-seong and Astaroth’s battle was beyond what even captain-level fighters could handle. 

It wasn’t just any devil, but a devil who had taken over the body of a Chosen One. 

In a situation where it wasn’t even certain that experienced and veteran captains would be helpful, it was too early for Alice (Frey), who had just reached the captain level, to intervene. They had plenty of talent, but practical experience. Those were things that couldn’t be grasped with talent alone.

‘Then external support…’

Except for Yoo-seong, the greatest force on the human side was the captains.

Their blades could reach the devils.

If they had numerical superiority, they could even kill devils.

In other words, if there were not enough of them, it would end with the blades being out of reach.

Like Captain Jin of the 7th Unit five years ago.

If all the existing captain-level fighters came together, there might be a chance. However, the captains were an asymmetrical force of a thousand people. 

They were not gathered in one place and were constantly on the move. They guarded the barrier and watched out for the rifts that might open at any time. 

How much time would it take for the captains scattered all over the country to hear the news and rush over? 

No matter how optimistically I calculated, it didn’t seem like they would be able to arrive in time.

‘Then the Four Seasons…’

The gods of humanity.

The masters of supernatural abilities.

The ones who chose the Chosen One.

They could help Yoo-seong.

‘…If they were going to help, they would have done it already.’

I learned something from reading Lucille’s memories.

The Four Seasons are bystanders.

They think the process doesn’t matter as long as the result is good.

For example, if they judged that Yoo-seong’s death would be helpful…

They would throw Yoo-seong away without hesitation.

They were the kind of people who used even Lucille, whom they had whispered that they loved so much and bestowed blessings upon so generously, as a tool if they needed to. 

You shouldn’t interpret gods with human eyes. What they see is not a microscopic perspective, but a macroscopic one. You shouldn’t expect warmth, and you shouldn’t beg for help.

‘…Yes, originally, there was only one Chosen One per era.’

The current situation, where there are two Chosen Ones in the same era, is unusual. There can only ever be one person sitting on the throne. If there are two kings, who should sit on the throne? 

Yoo-seong stepped down from the throne himself, and the gods chose a new king. At this point, what was important to the Four Seasons was Eugene, not Yoo-seong.

I couldn’t expect help from the Four Seasons.

They might help, but there was a high probability that they wouldn’t.

If they had intended to intervene, they wouldn’t have backed down even when Yoo-seong threatened them.

From the moment they left my body, it was as if they had declared that they would withdraw from this situation.

‘Then there’s no way…’

…There isn’t.

Nothing comes to mind.

I can’t expect outside help.

But there’s nothing I can do by stepping forward myself.

What can Lucia, who only has super regeneration, do?

Meat shields can only be used when the difference in level is moderate.

I would explode in one hit, so I wouldn’t even be able to buy time.

‘I’m so…powerless…’

…Come to think of it, is it natural?

I haven’t always tried to solve problems myself.

Because I know that I’m not directly helpful.

‘Lucia’ is not strong.

That’s how it was in the ‘novel’, and that’s how it is in reality.

In the end, it was the protagonist who solved the problems.

The heroine’s role was to assist that protagonist.

Even Lucille promoted the awakening of the Chosen One to end the war, and did not try to solve it with her own power. Her limits after losing her blessings were clear, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t overcome them. What would Lucille have done in a situation like this? In a situation where she couldn’t expect outside help, would she have had another way? If only she, not me, had been here…

‘…No, don’t run away from reality. Lucille is gone. She entrusted everything to me and left to find peace. What’s left is my share. It’s my job that I have to solve.’

Think.

If there are no means, create them.

If there are not enough methods, devise them.

There must be one. Don’t judge the Four Seasons’ inaction negatively. The fact that they are standing by means that this situation is not so desperate. If there was really no answer, even they would have rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward. Even though Yoo-seong threw it away, it was still a powerful card. It means that it’s not a light card that can just be consumed.

Think as positively as possible.

If you’re soaked in negativity, you’ll only lose motivation.

What is my greatest strength?

Unplanned positive thinking.

…Huh, now that I say it like this, it’s a bit ambiguous. Is it a strength? It must be, right? Anyway, it’s a strength. Lucia said it was a strength, so it’s a strength.

Let’s organize the current situation again.

Eugene’s body was taken by Astaroth.

Astaroth recreated Dawn with Eugene’s body.

She divided the sky with the dawn that separated day and night.

Given Yoo-seong’s personality, he wouldn’t have avoided Dawn even if he could.

If he avoided it, a mass slaughter would occur, so he would have stopped it by any means.

Even if Dawn is incomplete, Yoo-seong is also incomplete.

In the end, there is a high probability that Yoo-seong is in a dangerous situation.

So what is most needed now? There’s no need to think about it. It’s power. It was the power to assist Yoo-seong. One or two captains won’t do. At least not without the power of a devil-level individual, it’s hard to expect. In other words, you need at least three captains. Even this was the minimum condition. Is there a way to meet that level of power right now?

“…”

“Lucia?”

The girl tilts her head.

I withdrew my gaze that I had been staring at.

If Eugene immediately adapted to Yui’s body, maybe.

Yui’s body was a vessel for a devil, so Eugene gained a vessel for a devil.

The moment Eugene adapts to his body, it is unknown what kind of synergy there will be. Perhaps he will immediately gain power comparable to a devil. Or maybe even more.

But Eugene’s instincts are rejecting his body, so it’s impossible right now.

Too bad. It’s really a shame. If Eugene fully takes the vessel of the devil, he can solve this situation…huh? wait a minute.

Devil’s vessel? Eugene got the vessel of the devil? It’s just an empty vessel, but Eugene has more than enough strength to fill that vessel completely, right?

But you know what?

Come to think of it.

Is Eugene the only one who has the vessel of the devil in the first place?

There is one more vessel that is full of contents.

By chance, in this place.

‘I’m also a vessel of the devil.’

I am the successor of the Blessed Saintess and at the same time,

A vessel containing the devil, Belial.

Ah, I see.

…I saw a way.

A way to be helpful.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
2024 is here.

As usual, it is the end of service.

Ehehe.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Sweet talking a mentally disabled person is much easier than sweet talking a sane person!