Ch.53Heretics and Apostates – 2

Evil Spirit.

That was the first thought that came to Serena’s mind as she watched Christine charging toward her, drenched in blood from head to toe.

A monster that moves solely on instinct, without any belief, technique, or reason, coveting everything in sight.

That monster, said to continue rampaging even with its head severed once intoxicated by blood, was exactly like the Christine before her eyes.

She could easily avoid such an attack—one that relied solely on physical prowess and charged in with such crude methods. But Serena had no intention of doing so.

Because her lord was behind her, because there was a lord she had to protect with everything that made up the human called Serena Elizabeth, the option of dodging simply did not exist from the beginning.

Even if Serena were to twist her body and avoid the attack, that mad woman would never reach her lord. Charlotte was standing firm beside her lord, after all.

Mana nullification was a concept that returned the flow of mana directed at Christine to nothing, not one that blocked all magic activated around her.

So naturally, the moment Christine approached, they could escape to safety using magic. But Serena didn’t like that idea.

Why should her lord have to flee when she was here? As a knight, that was absolutely unacceptable.

Then there was only one answer.

Head-on confrontation.

Serena ran forward, facing Christine. Her image was reflected in those eyes covered in darkness without a single point of light.

Christine clenched her fist. It was an ordinary fist, not yet imbued with holy power.

Of course, even that ordinary fist contained enough power to pierce through a human body and tear limbs apart with a single blow, but it was slightly insufficient to land an effective hit on Serena.

No matter how devoid of mana it was, her flesh and blood wouldn’t be penetrated by such a thing.

“How dare you use that filthy body to approach my god…!”

“How ironic that you’re introducing yourself.”

The fist flew toward her. It was a punch that followed an honest trajectory, without any technique or skill. The target was clearly Serena’s left eye.

Naturally, she had no intention of taking such a simple attack.

Serena suddenly stopped her body that had been moving as if about to pounce on Christine.

She accomplished the impossible feat of completely ignoring the acceleration and inertia of her charge as if it were nothing.

Then she closed her eyes. Ignoring the mad woman who resembled an evil spirit, ignoring the pungent smell of blood wafting through the air.

She gathered all her consciousness and channeled it into controlling her body. She focused entirely on each extremity of her limbs.

She gauged how far the fist had reached by reading the flow of air, and left it to her instinct to determine which direction to dodge.

Mana enveloped Serena’s body.

Her legs, instantly gaining tremendous propulsion, kicked the ground sideways. It was at the exact moment Christine raised her fingers to gouge out her eye.

Serena’s body disappeared to the side as if teleporting. She raised the World Eater.

The mana surrounding her body disappeared feebly right after, but she had already achieved her purpose. Serena swung her sword.

The World Eater dug precisely into Christine’s neck. However, the blade that could slice through steel like paper was too easily blocked by Christine’s skin.

That was enough. The unnaturally tough skin couldn’t completely absorb the impact, and Christine’s body staggered, greatly altering the trajectory of her fist.

The blood-soaked nun then tumbled ungracefully across the floor. Serena calmly watched as Christine flew away with a clattering sound.

But Charlotte’s reaction was the opposite. With wide eyes and trembling clenched fists, she was processing what Serena had just done.

‘Did she erase that woman’s existence from her mind in that instant…?’

Charlotte had already thought of a way to deal with Christine. However, it was merely a theoretical countermeasure.

Ignore Christine whether she charges or not, treat her as if she doesn’t exist, and envelop the body with mana when leaping to the side or behind.

It sounded simple, but if even the slightest thought about Christine mixed in during the process, it would immediately fail—a method with enormous risk.

Yet she had done it. As if it were nothing.

From the moment Charlotte noticed Christine’s arrival, she had perfectly understood what she needed to do.

And very regrettably, she also had to accept that the only action she could take right now was to flee.

It was a conclusion her pride could hardly accept, but there was no choice. Christine’s mana nullification was that absolute.

So absolute that even Charlotte, who had come closest to the truth of the world, couldn’t solve it without touching the very concept of mana.

She had tried countless times to use teleportation magic to fling that damned woman somewhere on the continent. But the magic itself wouldn’t activate.

Yet it had been different two days ago when she had summoned the man who would be her consort to the palace, not knowing that mad woman was nearby. At that time, she had been brought along with the teleportation magic.

Strictly speaking, Christine had merely “allowed herself to be brought along.”

To think she would react to such subtle hostility. A terrible sense of powerlessness weighed on Charlotte’s heart.

The moment she thought about erasing her hostility toward that woman, she was already backed into a corner. Because that very thought of erasing hostility triggered the mana nullification.

‘Is it so easy to withdraw everything about oneself in an instant?’

Charlotte could be considered the antithesis of Christine.

Even in battle, she constantly thinks of strategies, anticipates what will happen next, lays down dozens of backup magic circles, and contemplates dozens more to use separately.

But because of that, she was conversely powerless before Christine.

Serena had no way of knowing Charlotte’s psychology. Seeing Christine immediately getting back up, Serena steeled herself once more.

Contrary to Charlotte’s assumption, momentarily erasing the very concept of Christine was absolutely not an easy action for her either.

Moreover, for some reason, all her specs had improved compared to when they fought in the forest just two days ago.

Her punches were still slow, and she still swung her limbs haphazardly. They were still attacks that could be avoided if one wanted to, and couldn’t land an effective hit on Serena.

But the danger was definitely different.

Perhaps she actually grew stronger each time she sacrificed victims in that manner.

Her lord had once explained that whatever Christine firmly believed should happen would come to pass.

If she believes she becomes stronger through such acts, then undoubtedly she will.

Christine got up from where she had fallen. Then, walking toward Serena with staggering steps, she sobbed.

“Why, why do you heretics block my path to God? How dare mere sacrificial offerings interfere with my devotion to God? My God is right before me, yet how can you prevent me from kneeling and bowing my head before Him?”

It was a sob filled with heart-wrenching anguish.

Serena swallowed down the disgusting emotion that rose to her throat. Every emotion in those words was real.

That mad woman truly believed that all humans except herself and Serena’s lord were nothing but living sacrifices.

“It’s too disgusting to listen to anymore, so shut that mouth.”

“Ah, my God… Please chastise me for my unworthiness, unable to worship You even with You before my eyes. How can I atone for this sin?”

Tears streamed down Christine’s face. It was beyond absurd.

“Christine.”

From behind, Serena heard her lord calling Christine. She forcibly suppressed the urge to turn around and advise her lord.

To say there was no need to pay attention to such a mad woman, that everything was fine, and to focus only on herself.

If her lord would do that for her, Serena was confident she could offer infinite love in return.

“That’s enough now. You said you came here not to fight but because you had something to tell me. Let’s stop here.”

“I’m fine, my lord. If you would just entrust this to me—”

“That’s not the issue.”

Hearing a sigh, Serena felt her heart sink with shock.

What if her lord was disappointed by that slip of the tongue? What if she said she no longer needed Serena?

Serena had no intention of continuing this pitiful life if she heard such words. The World Eater began to tremble faintly.

Every nerve in her body focused on the next words to come from her lord’s mouth. If Serena’s worry became reality…

“I mean you don’t need to fight here, Serena.”

“…Pardon?”

Serena, who had been trembling and preparing to behead herself, paused.

Christine was still crying and praying, unable to overcome her emotions, and Charlotte had not yet recovered from her shock.

Confirming there was no one to interrupt their conversation, Serena carefully turned her head and met her lord’s eyes.

Contrary to Serena’s expectations, there was only warmth in those black eyes.

As soon as she confirmed that emotion by seeing the gentle smile on her lips, Serena’s worry melted away like snow. And that empty space was filled with viscous love.

“I’ve been saying it all along. You don’t need to fight among yourselves. Of course, I know you three don’t get along, but—”

“My God.”

A cold voice cut off the words. Serena glared fiercely at the source of that voice.

Christine had stopped crying at some point and was now fixing Serena with an empty gaze, sending her a look filled with malice.

Her face was already quite grotesque with blood stains partially washed away by tears, and now her expression was ferocious as well.

Most people would lose their will to fight and run away just from seeing such a sight.

“Why does God speak directly with such heretics?”

“I told you to stop, Christine. No more fighting. I’ll listen to your prayers all you want afterward, so calm down for now.”

“It’s all my fault. Because I, in my inadequacy, failed to dispose of these heretics in time, those evil beings have clouded Your clear eyes and dared to flick their filthy tongues at You.”

“Christine!”

“My lord, please step back. She won’t listen to reason.”

Sensing that speaking calmly would be useless, Serena blocked her lord who was about to raise her voice.

Christine bowed her head deeply and muttered a few unintelligible words. When she raised her head again, the atmosphere had completely changed.

White energy tinged with yellow began to rise from Christine’s hands and heart. Serena frowned.

Enveloping herself with that energy meant she was now seriously intending to kill Serena.

“Christine, you—”

“As God guides His lamb, dare not question that path.”

The blazing white energy grew even stronger. The bloodstains disappeared, burning away where the energy passed. Christine’s body, now completely enveloped in light, had returned to a perfectly clean state.

“Those who reach the end shall find eternal rest in God’s embrace.”

Holy power.

The power said to burn all things deemed heretical began to overflow from Christine.