Ch.81Descent (3)

The Sun Shining Brilliantly Above the Dark Clouds

The majestic presence of God, visible daily in the celestial realm. Those who sleep in worship will awaken with warmth at any moment.

“The situation in the human realm is not good at all.”

A massive temple built upon a glass-like transparent floor.

This noble place where the archangel resided was perfect for looking down upon the human realm. Here, they could observe what trials their creations were enduring and devise ways to extract the maximum amount of faith from them.

“Following the Demon Lord’s advent, it seems the demons of the underworld have also established a foothold.”

Archangel Commander Kraziel.

He gazed down at the darkened continent. The once beautiful garden of the gods was now stained with blood and vengeance. A chain of hatred had begun to consume itself, gradually losing its light. The dark clouds blocking the celestial light revealed the darkness.

“Shouldn’t you descend now?”

“……”

“The two core powers of the demon realm are both gathered in the human world. Isn’t this an opportunity to eliminate them all at once?”

Rupiel, his assistant, advised. From the secretary’s perspective, there would never be a better opportunity.

“All those who ignored the will of heaven and focused solely on conquering the demon realm have been purged. Even Azakiel eventually met his downfall.”

“He was truly a self-righteous one.”

“Though he was a steadfast angel as a warrior, he lacked in all other aspects. In the end, he lost all his followers.”

“That’s fortunate for us.”

Kraziel smiled. He was still looking down at the human realm.

“Now we are the only faction that can hold the light of heaven. The others won’t dare speak up. What power do they have? What do they possess?”

“They will express their discontent nonetheless. They might organize committees and protest politically.”

“We can simply send them down to the human realm whenever that happens. Don’t we have enough accumulated faith anyway?”

The Archangel Commander made a small gesture with his hand. Divine power gently floated and lingered at his fingertips.

“The Papal State alone is sufficient to maintain this celestial realm. They simply don’t receive enough of God’s love.”

“So you’ll wage another proxy war this time as well?”

Secretary Rupiel clenched his teeth.

What a wicked and selfish being. How could God arrange for such a person to sit in the Archangel Commander’s seat?

Never had he resented heaven more than now.

“If necessary, you may go down yourself. I merely protect my position.”

“You’ll eventually be devoured by the demon realm.”

“We didn’t fall even 500 years ago when the demon realm was at its strongest. They couldn’t even set foot in heaven.”

“But this time they’ve seized the dimensional gate!”

“And they destroyed it. Unable to think of crossing over. That’s the demon realm for you—the actions of foolish and weak demons.”

He was adamant. The Archangel Commander refused to bend his will.

Rupiel, feeling this was his last chance, revealed his true thoughts.

“The flow of fate has been unsettling recently.”

“……”

“Divine power blooming in the demon realm is pounding on the great world wall. Do you still intend to just watch?”

“Rupiel.”

Kraziel finally turned around, wearing a benevolent, confident expression.

“In my thousand years living as God’s servant, I have never once been defeated by demons.”

“Archangel Commander!”

“I witnessed the fall of the primordial Demon Lord, and I saw the end of Kaldrago who led their golden age. During their resurgence, it ended merely at the level of our celestial warrior commander. Even now, they’re engaged in an all-out war with the likes of the disgraced Azakiel.”

He was full of composure. His approaching footsteps were remarkably light.

“I acknowledge that the human realm is in danger. That’s why I’ll dispatch the warrior commander this time as well. Do you agree?”

“As an observer who foresees the future and as your secretary, I express my concerns. So please…”

“I won’t hear any more. There are still too many in heaven who don’t follow me. I need to focus on controlling them more for the time being, so I can’t pay much attention to the human realm.”

Kraziel walked past his secretary. He paused briefly before leaving the balcony.

“Unless the currently quiet Demon Lord suddenly advances on the Papal State.”

“……”

“When that happens, let me know. I’ll recognize it as an urgent situation and prepare to descend immediately.”

Creeeeak—

SLAM!

The door closed.

The Archangel Commander turned his back on the stained continent. He didn’t look back. He failed to fulfill his duty as one who serves God.

“One’s as bad as the other.”

Rupiel fell into despair. The present was bleak, with all those who once shouldered the sacred heaven having changed.

“Nevertheless, I will not give up.”

The angel gripped the balcony until it nearly crumbled. Even now, dozens of voices were rising up, pleading with him.

-Save us.

-Is this truly God’s will?

-I don’t want to die like this! Please!

Rupiel closed his eyes. Not to ignore them, but to humbly accept everything.

If the Archangel Commander would avoid it, then at least his assistant would listen to it all. He would convert their desperate prayers into divine power.

“I’m sorry I’m so powerless.”

A single tear falls.

Rain fell upon the world once more.

#

“I have a strangely bad feeling.”

Ludmila looked up at the sky. It was still dim.

It seemed worse than the demon realm for a human world. Having lived in a world illuminated by a red moon, this scene of such indifferent neglect seemed strange to her.

“Have they truly abandoned the human realm?”

“That can’t be. Just as there were those who didn’t let go when our demon realm was collapsing, there must be those in heaven who still hold onto their duty.”

“I suddenly feel sad thinking about the past.”

“We overcame it, so now we must move forward.”

Durin looked ahead. The ruins they first warped to were being fortified.

After Ludmila sent coordinates through her sorcery, the Demon Lord’s castle immediately dispatched an advance party. Warriors strong enough to withstand the dimensional wall had appeared in the human realm.

“Sir, the installation of the temporary walls is complete. Even if those heavenly bastards come, they won’t break through easily.”

Southern Army Assault Captain Verdia confidently pounded his chest. Honestly, it was just a hastily constructed stone wall made from debris, but it showed his determination not to back down from battle. Durin praised the warrior’s spirit.

“Good, Verdia. I’ll carry out my mission here, trusting in you.”

“I will dedicate my everything to you, so please achieve what you desire.”

“That’s excessive, put it away.”

Durin mercilessly walked past Verdia. Ludmila, chuckling, followed behind.

“You haven’t changed.”

“I don’t have time for childish games. Just give me the information about other ruins you got from raiding the nearby monasteries.”

“You’re no fun. No fun at all.”

Despite saying this, the sorceress pulled out a piece of parchment from her bosom. Signs of weathering were visible throughout.

“I’ve prepared a strategic map so we can know our position in the human realm.”

“You’ve drawn a continental map? But why is it so worn?”

“I overlaid it on the ruins area. I used sorcery so you could easily find your way.”

Durin unfolded the parchment. As the sorceress said, small markings were engraved on the old map.

Their current position was connected by lines, making it immediately clear where they needed to go.

“One to the east, two to the west.”

“All ruins occupied by the Dark Order.”

“I still don’t understand the Demon Lord’s intentions.”

“Few do. She was always a demon who did as she pleased.”

Ludmila shrugged her shoulders. As someone leading the hero as a scout, she observed the current situation.

“In the end, to acquire information about the ruins, awaken the hero as arranged by the Prophecy Witch, and activate the warp gate, we need to conquer all of these.”

“Is there another way…?”

“As you know, advancing on the Papal State. You don’t want that, right?”

“It would only create more trouble.”

Above all.

“I wonder if the Demon Lord will leave us alone. Her power must have grown even stronger while acting as a saint here.”

“I found that impressive too. After losing her power source from the demon realm, she created a whole new environment here. It’s something worthy of being recorded in scripture.”

“It’s regrettable that such a strategy came from the mind of a woman we must kill.”

“Think positively—we might need to use it ourselves someday.”

Though it’s just a foothold now, they will gradually expand. Starting from the southern, remote continent where Durin is positioned, if they devour the entire human realm, heaven will lose its power. A ruler who has lost divine power loses their reason for existence.

Of course, they will descend before that happens. They will meet the Archangel Commander.

That moment will be the great turning point that determines the fate of the demon realm.

“I must prepare for that day.”

“Let’s decide which ruins to go to first.”

Ludmila pulled out another parchment. It was a copy.

The sorceress smiled faintly, urging Durin to make a choice. A new fate to be engraved on the widely spread map.

That must be what she wanted to see.

“It’s been a while since I’ll see the Demon Lord’s face.”

He chose the approaching fate without hesitation.