Ch.42Ep.42 Clashing Beliefs

Barjai’s Crescent Blade and the Necronomicon.

These are the first weapons that come to mind when thinking of Yog-Sothoth.

Barjai’s Crescent Blade has the ability to cut through “space” itself, regardless of what stands in its way.

Because of this, it’s considered the most suitable item for summoning Yog-Sothoth to the mortal realm.

The Necronomicon is a grimoire containing all the magic from every dimension.

The magical power required to use it is abnormally high, but simply using it at all is catastrophic.

In terms of magic, no grimoire can match the Necronomicon.

In terms of physical power, no weapon can surpass Barjai’s Crescent Blade.

And the Barjai’s Crescent Blade that Veichel used wasn’t even the one possessed by Yog-Sothoth.

It was merely a degraded version.

Nevertheless, it was fatal to her body.

Her left arm had rotted and deteriorated to a state beyond complete recovery.

That wasn’t the only problem.

The aftermath of using the space-cutting skill made it impossible to maintain the boundary that exists only once in the past, present, and future.

A massive explosion engulfed Radios and Veichel.

“Cough! Ugh…”

Fortunately, Veichel had anticipated this and prepared accordingly.

Radios had the very space constituting his form cut through.

He was caught in the explosion without even having time to prepare.

Even though life signs could still be detected, his chances of survival were close to 0%.

He had suffered damage he’d never experienced before, followed by an explosion that shook heaven and earth.

Surviving this would be impossible.

“Now… it’s all over…”

She hadn’t used even a fraction of her Order, but the price was her left arm.

At this rate, she might end up needing prosthetic legs too.

Whooooosh.

Suddenly, the wind blew and cleared away all the dust.

Veichel, feeling an inexplicable uneasiness, turned her head toward where she could sense Radios’s life signs.

What she saw was…

“…A goblin?”

“Got you.”

[Using skill: ‘Divine Killing Bullet’.]

[Target acquired.]

[Target, ‘Veichel Breate’, possesses an Order.]

[Will to kill applied!]

Bang!

Radios, who had been holding his breath and aiming his gun at Veichel until the end…

Took advantage of the moment when his target completely stopped, and immediately fired.

This time, he had learned how to control the recoil, so the result was naturally—

“Aaaaargh!!”

A direct hit.

Veichel collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon.

Radios threw Astrape to the ground and caught his breath.

But he couldn’t relax and celebrate yet.

‘I really thought I was going to die…’

If he hadn’t used the goblin mask during the explosion, he would have ended up like that.

The attack he experienced for the first time chilled him to the bone.

At times like this, he felt grateful for the goblin mask skill that Kraud had given him.

Without the goblin mask, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat Cthuga, let alone Patrick, the apostle of Tulcha.

“Bleeegh!”

Naturally, to use the Divine Killing Bullet, he had to tap into the source of magical power again.

As a result, Radios was experiencing hellish pain, though he wouldn’t die thanks to the goblin mask.

Even though he kept vomiting blood, it regenerated.

The area around him was already covered in the blood he had thrown up.

Originally, he had planned to use the Divine Killing Bullet only after obtaining an Order.

But the attack had been so shocking and penetrating that he had no choice.

“Still… is it over now?”

He could hear Veichel’s faint breathing, but its frequency was gradually decreasing.

The Divine Killing Bullet that had pierced her heart was disrupting her body’s composition.

But Radios couldn’t relax until the very end.

Would Veichel suddenly pull out Barjai’s Crescent Blade without a Plan B and slash away?

That couldn’t be. Veichel would definitely find a way to get up again no matter what.

The proof was…

“…As expected.”

Crack. Crunch. Crunch crunch!

Like a zombie forming…

With the sound of bones finding their places, Veichel, her eyes rolled back showing only the whites, rose to her feet.

“That just now…”

“It’s called a gun. I heard it’s a weapon that otherworlders used in their world.”

“…You hate otherworlders so much, yet you use their tools?”

Perhaps because only the whites of her eyes were visible, Radios couldn’t guess Veichel’s emotions.

Whether it stemmed from anger or despair.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just using their culture to beat those bastards.”

“You… have always been like that. Using everything available to you, always seeking only victory.”

Just like Namgung Ihyun.

However, the difference between Radios and Namgung Ihyun…

“You always valued people, but that woman only valued victory. In fact, you two can be considered the same person.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’ll erase you. So you won’t go down the wrong path again.”

Rumble.

Veichel, with her one-armed body, created a magnificent magical spear unlike anything seen before.

It could be considered a divine spear of unparalleled beauty.

The name of that spear was…

“Gungnir.”

The divine spear plundered by the Outer God forces when they brought down the forces of Norse mythology.

More precisely, the divine killing spear.

There were no spear-wielders among the Outer God forces.

Then, a spear master appeared and pledged loyalty to the cult, and this person was Veichel.

Eventually, she was chosen as the owner of Gungnir.

Veichel had never used Gungnir even once until now.

Because…

“It has the drawback of consuming Order each time it’s used, but I have no choice.”

It consumed Order, shortening Veichel’s lifespan.

Perhaps the Outer God forces had anticipated this and given Gungnir to Veichel for that very reason.

Even if she turned her blade against them, she was destined to die soon anyway.

“Aren’t you tired of this?”

“Of what?”

“Endlessly pulling out new tricks. Can we please just end this now?”

The person who said this was Radios.

His insides had been completely turned upside down from using the Divine Killing Bullet.

Of course, thanks to the goblin mask’s effect, the wounds themselves had healed, but…

‘The pain is still accumulating. And now that the goblin mask has been exposed, I’m screwed.’

Using the Sword of Judgment might give him a chance, but if she uses her Order, even the Sword of Judgment would be useless.

Didn’t she completely shatter the underworld summoned by the Sword of Judgment using her Order when they met last time?

“Veichel. There’s nothing to gain by continuing here. You know that, right? Considering how you called Namgung Ihyun ‘that woman’…”

“…”

“You probably want to annihilate the Outer God cult just like I do. Am I wrong?”

This was truly the last hand he was extending.

Let’s kill the gods together.

Let’s kill the gods and create a world solely for humans, and live comfortably.

Radios reached out his hand.

But at the same time, he knew that the Veichel he knew would never take this hand.

“…I am Veichel Breate. Sub-apostle of the Cult of the Boundary Dweller.”

“I understand your answer.”

Boom.

Negotiation failed.

Radios swallowed his bitter feelings and picked up Astrape, which had returned to its original form.

“I’ll give you the last gift I can offer… rest in peace.”

“That’s my line.”

“…Flashing Celestial Sword.”

He declared the end.

It was the final battle where they both staked everything.

***

“Aaaaargh!!”

“You’re getting quite rough. But continuing like this will only harm you.”

“Shut uuuup!!”

“Let’s resolve the resentment you’re harboring before you leave.”

Bang! Boom! Boooom!

With each punch, a mountain ridge exploded, buildings cracked and collapsed.

This was the scene created by Arsia.

As she awakened her own Order, she recklessly released energy from within her body.

Kraud guided her attacks toward himself so that she could awaken it on her own.

Of course, he took no damage.

Just by creating a veil with his Order, no harm could reach him.

This was possible because he possessed a Divine Order.

If he had a regular Order instead of a Divine Order, it would have been absolutely impossible.

“Diiiiiie!!”

“Oh my!”

Crash!

How could a woman who usually only used magic be so rough?

Surely the path she established wasn’t one of violence.

“Child. Keep pondering what your Order might be.”

“You can do it. Believe in your abilities.”

“Mindlessly expending energy is actually harmful.”

“I don’t know what you’re feeling right now, but surrender yourself to it.”

“I don’t mean to be consumed by it. Surrender yourself and become one with it.”

“It’s about you controlling your own power.”

Kraud continued to offer advice to Arsia while withstanding her attacks.

If even one word entered her mind, she would be able to awaken her Order.

Perhaps thanks to all this effort…

After rampaging for a while, Arsia suddenly became quiet and sat still, not moving.

“It seems she’s started.”

Flash!

A pure white light leaked from Arsia’s body, and the surrounding air began to be drawn into her body.

Yes.

She faced the path she wanted to take and accepted it as her aspiration.

When that light subsides, she will probably emerge as a completely different person.

“Not even thirty years old… obtaining an Order through an honest path rather than tricks? Hah!”

Both Radios Magnum and Veichel Breate had failed, or rather…

To be precise, they would have failed.

Radios is a chosen one who walked the proverbial flower path, gaining numerous opportunities.

Meaning he was destined to awaken an Order someday.

Though he had never actually faced Veichel, Yog-Sothoth’s Order flowed from her.

Meaning she rejected her own path and borrowed someone else’s hand.

Perhaps that’s why Kraud saw Arsia as a truly talented human.

‘If the Outer God cult hadn’t invaded Kadinant, this talent would have disappeared.’

He never thought he’d see a human not even in their thirties awakening an Order.

But well…

“I don’t feel too bad about it.”

Wanting to talk with Arsia after she generated her Order…

Kraud stood still and watched over her final stage.