Ch.43Ep.43: Clashing Beliefs

“Argh!”

“Haaah!”

Boom! Crash! Rumble!

Veichel, who released her Order, and Radios, wielding the Sword of Judgment and the Demon Mask, collide head-on.

Having already decided to use her Order, Veichel had been showing a completely different level of power.

But the reason Radios could still hold his ground was because…

Veichel had lost an arm while using the Varzai’s Crescent Blade.

And the gunshot wound from the Divine Bullet made it difficult for her to properly control her magical power.

If these two disadvantages hadn’t overlapped, Radios would have already been rolling on the ground.

‘I must succeed! I can’t back down anymore!’

He uses the Flashing Heavenly Sword not as a one-time attack, but continues to wield it in battle.

An ordinary magic sword would be completely inadequate against Gungnir, the divine spear of Asgard.

“Piercing Wing-Breaking Spear.”

“Tch!”

Crash!

Of course, he occasionally launched counter-attacks using skills copied with Divine Fragment: Replication.

The most effective one was the Piercing Wing-Breaking Spear.

As the name suggests, it was a single spear that breaks wings while piercing through.

If he could just land a hit, it would cause insane damage.

But in terms of skill proficiency, Veichel was far superior.

This was only natural.

While Radios had merely copied the skill, Veichel had endured the process of creating and mastering it.

The Divine Bullet that could have turned the tide had already been used.

He had run out of options that could change the course of the battle.

Now all he could do was hold on with all his might until Veichel couldn’t withstand her own Order and self-destructed.

“Haaaaaaaa!!!!”

“What now…”

At some point, Veichel began screaming as if her ears would fall off.

Radios could feel an invisible energy slowly leaking from her body.

Simultaneously, a system window appeared before his eyes.

[You can use the Authority: Outer Devouring.]

‘Outer Devouring…? Like with Cthuga?’

For a brief moment, a terrible chill ran down Radios’s entire body.

Outer Devouring was the authority of the Blind Idiot God that had completely devoured Cthuga.

But why was it responding to Veichel?

“Is Yog-Sothoth… appearing?”

This was insane.

If the Dweller at the Threshold appeared here, the fight would be the least of their worries.

“Veichel! Snap out of it, Veichel!!”

“Aaaaargh!”

“Damn it! Veichel!! Are you really going to lose your mind to something like that?!”

“Shut uuuup!!”

Crash crash crash crash!

When Veichel threw Gungnir, Radios hurriedly created a shield with magic to block it.

Boom!

“Urgh!”

But it was impossible to block it completely.

His abdomen was pierced at a speed too fast to even detect.

Fortunately, Radios had a demon’s body, so he could restore it instantly.

The problem was that Veichel began clutching her head as if in agony.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!”

“This is crazy… How should I–“

Woooong.

A blue haze rises from Radios’s right hand as he was wondering what to do first.

On a hunch, Radios reached out toward Veichel.

The haze rushed toward Veichel like chains.

“..!”

That’s when it happened.

The pure white energy emanating from Veichel suddenly froze.

The energy tried to hurriedly return to Veichel’s inner self, but…

Click. Click. Click. Click.

As the blue chains bound that formless energy, the Outer God’s energy dissolved within it was gradually…

‘Being absorbed?’

It was building up.

His mental strength, which had been suffering from pain, gradually recovered, and his magical power, which had been draining away, increased.

As his vision became clear again, he had the leisure to survey his surroundings.

At the same time, he looked at Veichel.

She was showing only the whites of her eyes, completely motionless.

This was his chance.

With the massive power flowing into him now…

‘I can forcibly break the 4th seal!’

He couldn’t guarantee that Hades hadn’t interfered.

In fact, the first three seals seemed to have been easily broken.

But the 4th seal hadn’t broken even after facing a life-threatening crisis with Cthuga.

So he thought there must be a clear answer to releasing the 4th seal.

As a result, Radios was able to deduce that ‘Order’ was the answer.

The problem was that obtaining Order in his 3rd stage state was nearly impossible.

Radios knew his body’s condition well.

The only reason he could fight and win against opponents with Order was entirely due to the Sword of Judgment and the Demon Mask.

If Arsia or Tiaran had these skills, they too could have matched beings with Order.

It was like competing against beings with Order while being on performance-enhancing drugs.

Could such a body properly awaken Order without doping?

If not, then…

‘I’ll force it open. I’ll break through the limit that’s been holding me back!’

Crack. Crackle.

Something inside him made a crushing sound.

Radios frantically absorbed the formless energy emanating from Veichel.

As this cursed standoff continued…

Ding!

[4th seal has been released!]

[You’ve come even closer to Order!]

[5th seal becomes more solid!]

[5th seal will be released when Order is acquired!]

Just as the system notification appeared…

Boom!

“Urgh!”

His right arm, which had reached its limit from absorbing the continuous Outer God energy, burst.

But it quickly regenerated thanks to the Demon Mask’s effect.

Meanwhile, Veichel was falling from the air.

Thud.

She finally seemed to regain consciousness, breaking her fall with eyes darkened by heavy circles.

“What was… that just now.”

“Yog-Sothoth tried to descend into Kadinant through my body.”

“What?”

“But I fought it off. The problem is that I can no longer use Yog-Sothoth’s Order.”

As she said, her body no longer emanated any Order.

It was as if her connection with Yog-Sothoth had been completely severed.

“Veichel. Now–“

“So what if my connection with Yog-Sothoth is broken. Nothing is irreversible, Radios.”

“…That’s right.”

Why couldn’t he let go of his attachment?

How many times had he resolved to cut it away?

‘Perhaps I’m still not ready to let you go.’

Radios formed a twilight sword of perfect length for his body.

He released both the Sword of Judgment and the Demon Mask.

Now all he had left was a single sword and his magic.

Veichel could understand what he meant.

Let’s end this.

Let’s finish this insufferable fight with a single strike.

“That’s fine with me.”

Whoosh!

She too responded to Radios’s will by forming a magic spear.

She wouldn’t use Gungnir.

More accurately, she couldn’t.

She gripped the spear with her prosthetic arm, which now felt just like her previous arm.

She pointed it at Radios.

“Radios. You always take me to new worlds.”

“…Veichel.”

“I’ll pour everything I have into this.”

Boom!

A brilliant life force and Order bloom from Veichel’s body.

However, this Order felt neither like Yog-Sothoth’s energy nor an Outer God’s energy.

It was a radiant Order that reflected only Veichel Breate’s identity.

Yes.

She had awakened her Order during the fight with Radios.

“The Order that only I possess… it’s Struggle.”

“Struggle. Yes, that suits you well.”

Veichel Breate’s life had been a struggle.

She had fought against the world since birth, then against those who opposed the gods, then against magical beasts.

Against otherworlders, against the vermin of Olympus, and finally against Radios.

She had lived a life of fighting from the very beginning.

“Into this single strike…”

“…I’ll put everything I have.”

Swish.

Radios pulled back his left foot and infused his twilight sword with magic.

Why was it?

In this scene where they were preparing their final attacks to kill each other…

The memories of their enjoyable sparring sessions, where they sought to improve their skills, came to mind.

“…Here I come.”

“I’m coming too.”

Tap!

The man and woman simultaneously pushed off the ground.

The man with a sword in his left hand, the woman with a spear in her right, they charged forward.

A duel between a being with Order and one without.

Naturally, the one without Order should meet death.

But they rejected such an obvious outcome.

In their eyes, the killing intent to definitely end each other remained until the end.

One step, two steps forward.

The memories they had shared until now flashed by.

Tears welled up.

They streamed down their faces.

They approached each other.

Getting closer, bit by bit.

And then.

Squelch!

The spear and sword pierced each other’s hearts.

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“…Cough!”

“Why..?”

But the result was different than expected.

Radios’s twilight sword had perfectly pierced Veichel’s heart.

But Veichel’s spear was just a model with no blade, only maintaining the shape.

Clang.

Veichel dropped the spear from her hand.

Radios hurriedly caught her collapsing body.

“Veichel! Veichel!!”

“Radi…os…”

“Why did you do that! Why at the last moment–“

Tap.

Veichel struggled to raise her arm and cupped Radios’s cheek.

Her steel prosthetic arm was cold, so cold.

But somehow, Radios felt a warm heat from that arm.

“If we both die… how would we… destroy Olympus…”

“Veichel! You!!”

“I couldn’t bring myself to kill you… Want to know why?”

Veichel continued to speak while coughing up blood.

Radios knew she was already beyond recovery.

Her life force was depleted, and her heart was torn.

She couldn’t possibly survive.

Therefore, he could only listen to her words.

Veichel looked at Radios’s despairing face and revealed a faint smile.

“Because… I liked you.”

“..!”

“No, to be precise… I still like you.”

Again.

Once more, he was tripped up by emotions.

But saying it like this made her feel relieved.

Is this what the human heart is like?

‘I have… no regrets.’

Veichel searched her pocket and handed a syringe to the confused Radios.

“What is… this…”

“It’s a serum that breaks the brainwashing used on me by those Olympus creatures.”

“..!”

“The Underworld Messenger. Make sure to recruit him as an ally.”

“…Veichel.”

She was dying.

She was dying, so why was she calmly giving him this?

“Instead of giving me this— Veichel?”

Radios, who had received the syringe, suppressed his emotions and looked down at Veichel.

But from her…

“Open your eyes. Okay? Hey, open your eyes. Hey? Veicheeeeeel!!”

No more.

No warmth could be felt.