Chapter 83: Spring of Rudera (4)

The Tower of the Labyrinth, Second Floor

The Sanctuary of the GM

“The GM has sent an angel…”

The Beast King stared blankly at the broadcast screen.

An angel had descended upon the Academy in reality.

Before the future of the continent could be ruined by terrorists, the GM personally took action.

The fact that the GM had sent an angel to save innocent young people suggested many things.

That the GM would never tolerate terrorist acts that opposed Him.

That the GM was on the side of the innocent, the weak, and the young.

And that He could exercise His omnipotent power not only in Rudera but also in reality.

“My great Lord…”

The Beast King’s face was filled with joy.

Even though his precious daughter was captured among those terrorists, there was nothing to worry about.

For the Lord was with her.

“He sent an angel… not me? But I am His only apostle!”

In contrast, the face of Princess Rebecca, who stood behind him, was twisted in a grimace.

Like a woman betrayed by her lover.

• As expected of the GM!
• He even healed us! He gave us strength! He gave us treasure! He saved us! He did everything for us!
• This is the fate of those who dared challenge the GM without even properly recognizing His greatness.
• Ah, GM, take me!

“Damn it.”

The Flame Emperor gritted his teeth.

Thanks to the pre-planned operation, they had managed to gather countless viewers for the broadcast, but the atmosphere in the chat was far from what he intended.

‘We were supposed to capture the Academy students, spread our cause across the continent, and expose the GM’s false beliefs, rallying people to our side!’

But with the GM’s angel descending in reality to resolve the terrorist incident, things started to spiral out of control.

Instead of achieving their goal, they had only provided an opportunity for the faith in the GM to grow even stronger.

“Pophrus Ambroel.”

At that moment, the angel called out the Flame Emperor’s name.

The angel slowly descended from the sky, as if stepping on invisible stairs.

Behind the angel, a pair of wings spread wide, exuding a divine presence that overwhelmed all who saw them.

“To free Rudera from the GM? Ungrateful, foolish Satan.”

The angel’s eyebrows trembled with rage.

“You are ungrateful. Without Him, there would be no Rudera, and you would not enjoy its blessings.”

Though the angel had always appeared cold and emotionless, like a machine born from the will of the gods, in that moment, he showed emotion, like a loyal servant of the divine.

“For rejecting the Lord’s grace and dragging the innocent into danger, you should be condemned to eternal punishment, but be thankful.”

The angel looked down at the Flame Emperor with a contemptuous expression, as if gazing upon something insignificant and filthy.

“The Lord loves you so much that He grants you another chance. Repent immediately, seek forgiveness, and His mercy will be upon you.”

“Forgiveness… you say. Ha…”

All eyes were on the Flame Emperor, watching intently to see how he would react.

“In the beginning, there was no one in the universe. Not humans, not dragons, not even gods.”

Whoosh.

Suddenly, flames engulfed the Flame Emperor’s body.

“No one should rule the world! No one should be its master! Not even the creator of Rudera!”

As the space around him distorted from the heat, the Flame Emperor rose, defying the angel’s oppressive aura.

“So, you dare challenge the Lord.”

The angel’s face twisted into a grimace, like a wrathful deity.

“Arrghhh!”

Roar!

The Flame Emperor launched himself at the angel.

Boom!

The angel extended one hand toward him, and he froze in mid-air.

“For those who challenge the Lord, there is only merciless judgment.”

The angel clenched his outstretched fist.

Crack! Crack!

White spears materialized in the air.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

They shot down towards the Flame Emperor.

Whoosh.

The Flame Emperor’s body was consumed by flames, burning away into nothing.

Whoosh!

But then, from behind the angel, the Flame Emperor reappeared, surrounded by blazing yellow flames. 

In his hand, a fiery sword materialized, burning fiercely.

“Do you think this is enough to stop the indomitable will of humanity?!”

Splat!

The Flame Emperor’s flaming sword pierced through the angel’s chest.

“Arrghhh!”

As he let out a scream, the Flame Emperor squeezed every last ounce of power from the flames, unleashing a torrent of fire so immense it could melt the entire Academy.

The scene was one of utter destruction, as if the King of Fire Spirits had gone berserk.

Having poured out all his strength, the Flame Emperor retracted the flames and took a step back.

There was no way even an angel could survive that. 

Surely, it must have been reduced to ashes.

The Flame Emperor was certain.

His power, augmented by Rudera and his newly strengthened body, was something no one could withstand.

But—

Thud!

Suddenly, the angel’s hand shot out from the smoke, gripping his throat.

“The reason the Lord showed you mercy is that you had not yet harmed anyone.”

“Urgh…!”

“But now, in your quest for liberation, you seek to harm the innocent. Are you discarding even the false pretense you created?”

As the smoke cleared around the angel and the Flame Emperor, the students below could be seen watching in awe.

The Flame Emperor’s rampage was powerful enough to engulf the entire Academy, but thanks to the invisible, intangible barrier surrounding them, everyone outside remained unharmed.

“The GM has saved us!”

“This is a miracle!”

Students, witnessing the barrier hold back the fiery explosion, burst into cries of joy and faith.

“Phew. That was close.”

Hiding in a corner of the auditorium, Albus let out a sigh of relief and lowered his hand from the command panel.

Just before the Flame Emperor’s massive explosion, he had quickly deployed an indestructible barrier to protect the students, thanks to the guide’s advice.

“That could have been a disaster.”

If he’d been even a little slower, all the students’ clothes and belongings would have been thoroughly roasted.

He had granted the students invulnerability the moment he realized the terrorist threat and confirmed his authority to use his power, but clothes and belongings hadn’t been included.

If the flames had reached everyone, the entire auditorium would have been left with nothing but a room full of naked students.

Boom!

While Albus sighed in relief, high above the auditorium, the angel was subduing the Flame Emperor.

The Flame Emperor, seeing that his final attack had caused no damage, stood there, dumbfounded, as the angel restrained him.

“Good thing I trusted him.”

Albus smiled, impressed with the guide’s competence.

Determined to protect the students from the terrorists, Albus had used the power of Rudera, which could now be employed in reality, and created an avatar.

Since he couldn’t reveal his own face and openly declare his connection to the GM, he had sent in a proxy.

When the angel first descended upon the auditorium, Albus had been controlling it.

Initially, Albus had intended to handle the terrorists alone, but midway through, the guide had intervened, asking to take over.

Feeling a bit awkward about pretending to be the GM’s angel, Albus had entrusted the task to his reliable AI, which had never let him down.

As expected, the guide easily subdued the Flame Emperor and captured him.

“Well done, guide.”

• All for your sake, master.

With a flick of the angel guide’s hand, the other members of the terrorist group were bound in white chains that appeared out of thin air.

In an instant, the entire group that had attacked the Academy was wiped out.

• Master, it seems the [Ruderafication] of this area is about to be undone.

At that moment, the guide delivered shocking news.

“…What?”

• The Academy grounds have been altered by a special device, transforming it into a space with the properties of Rudera. Initially, the transformation was expected to last another half day, but due to the overwhelming energy used, the distortion is beginning to fade.

‘So, the overuse of power caused it to be undone early?’

It seemed that the process of Ruderafication via capsules consumed some of the ambient mana in the atmosphere, much like magic does.

• I will detain the captured terrorists before the Ruderafication is undone.

“Alright.”

Once the Academy returned to normal, the guide wouldn’t be able to exert its power here anymore, so the terrorists would likely be sent to Cartesia.

Albus nodded, knowing they couldn’t just leave the terrorists behind.

Whirr.

As the angel began to fade, the terrorists bound in golden chains also disintegrated into dust.

“The GM is taking the sinners away!”

“The Lord Himself is delivering judgment!”

The students, released from their silence, cheered at the sight.

‘It’s just a warp, though.’

Sensing the Ruderafication fading, Albus naturally blended into the crowd of students.

He had no idea.

That the warp performed by the guide had not transported the terrorists to a place within the continent.

That people from reality could be sent into Rudera.

And that one member of the group had escaped the guide’s grasp.

“Huff… huff… huff.”

A shadowy figure, barely escaping the Academy’s barrier, gasped for breath.

As the shadows covering her body dispersed, a single adult woman revealed herself.

“That fool. Couldn’t even buy us enough time.”

Angered by the Flame Emperor’s incompetence, the woman covered her face with one hand.

Her face twisted and bubbled under the influence of mana, then smoothed out, revealing her original, beautiful appearance.

“But now, I must admit… Her words were not a lie.”

The woman, once the supreme ruler of the Empire, pulled out the capsule the Flame Emperor had used from her coat. 

Then, she incinerated the terrorist uniform she had been wearing.

“That strange being, the one controlling the angel, is oppressing my darling. And I must defeat that evil god to save him.”

Mana gathered in Leah’s hand.

“Just wait a little longer, darling.”

I will defeat that evil god and free you.

I swear it.

Whoosh!

Leaving behind only faint traces of warp magic, she disappeared without a trace.