episode_0180

Reclaiming the Glaive

“Ha… I can’t believe I was so well known by you all. Well, I have interfered with your affairs quite a bit recently. But now that I think about it, it’s a bit unfair… Before, those who simply tried to stop me… didn’t they start attacking me with murderous intent after Ruam? Thanks to that, I had no choice but to reduce your numbers…”

“We saw that you could become a significant obstacle to us at that event, which led us to the conclusion that you must be eliminated.”

“Wow… So my power is stronger than or equal to yours? Should I consider this an honor…”

“An obstacle is just an obstacle. Nothing more, nothing less; an ambiguous existence. Think about it. Who would leave a bothersome loose thread uncut? It means your actions are too disruptive and annoying, so we will kill you… It doesn’t mean your power is stronger than our faith and belief, so don’t be mistaken, heretic.”

While Viola and Gid provoked each other with the large gate between them, Cecilia and the others who arrived at the gate were bewildered to see Gid and Viola recognizing each other and exchanging taunts. Then, Dio V Runner stared intently at Viola and quietly asked Gid.

“Hey, Gid. Who is that woman? Do you know her?”

“She’s a knight named Viola Blossom, whom I saw at the Last Point Tournament. But it seems she’s a Saintess rather than a knight.”

“Hmm… How strong is that woman? Do you know?”

“I don’t know what kind of fight happened because I left during the event… but afterward, I went back to Ruam and asked about the results, and it seems she lost to Aria in the finals. In other words, she’s weaker than Aria.”

“So, she’s not stronger than Aria, but strong enough to reach the finals…”

When Gid explained that he had heard that the one who fought Aria in the finals when he revisited Ruam was Viola, who was now before their eyes, Dio V Runner realized she was a considerable skilled fighter, even if weaker than Aria, and nodded. Then, Viola chuckled as she looked at the other non-human beings behind Gid and spoke.

“It seems there are all sorts of races here. Ah…! You, with the strange attire. I’ve heard stories about you from other Saintesses, so I know you well. They say you also actively interfered with our activities…”

“Your intelligence network is ridiculously good. Then you also know that you can no longer harvest Tiamel, don’t you?”

“We’ve already harvested enough Tiamel, so it won’t affect us much. Don’t you realize that we have more than enough Tiamel to deploy a thousand spheres in that facility?”

“…Damn it. I should have noticed that.”

When Viola revealed that they had more than enough Tiamel and had deployed a thousand spheres in the Lebarud facility, Dio V Runner cursed in frustration, saying he should have noticed it sooner. Then, Merzel, who had been listening to the entire conversation from behind, let out a deep sigh and walked forward, asking Viola.

“Your relationship and past events are not important. What is important is that you are currently expressing hostility in a cemetery where fights should not be started. Are Saintesses and Priests planning to fight here?”

“This place is a tomb not protected by Goddess Camilla’s blessing. So it doesn’t matter if we cause trouble here.”

“Your arrogance pierces the sky, believer. How dare you try to divide everything based on the being you believe in. I’ve seen your kind for a long time and know full well. Your end will be truly miserable and tragic.”

“You seem to be the gravedigger of this place… A mere gravedigger dares not evaluate our god. Heretics like you, who do not serve Goddess Camilla, will truly meet a miserable and tragic end.”

“When did I insult your god to warrant such words, believer? I was merely lamenting your very way of thinking.”

Merzel, deeming Viola’s attitude unworthy of respect, began to argue with her, and everyone around them started to take a stance. Seeing everyone but herself taking a stance, Cecilia, fidgeting nervously, quietly said to Merzel.

“Me… Merzel…!! You said you wouldn’t fight anymore…!! Are you sure you’re alright?!”

“Thank you for your concern, Cecilia. But this is Grovel, a sacred cemetery honoring the demons who were good and benevolent but met innocent deaths. Yet, those people ignorantly dismiss this place as nothing. Furthermore, fights shouldn’t be started in any cemetery… And just now, that person dared to say they would start a fight here. Therefore, as a gravedigger, I need to protect this place. In addition… if the conjecture Yuria explained to us earlier is correct… then I, too, cannot remain still here; I must do something.”

“What…? You have to protect Grovel…!! That’s the life you wanted, Merzel!”

“Of course, Cecilia. But… those people will definitely continue to come here later. Seeing that they came here without anyone’s help, it’s crystal clear that this place’s location has been revealed to others. Therefore, it would be more appropriate for me to temporarily leave this place and help eradicate the root cause. So, Cecilia, please destroy all the statues erected throughout the world, as Gid instructed, along with the others.”

“What…? Then what about you?!”

“How dare you speak of heresy in front of us… I will never forgive you!!!”

The moment Merzel was asking Cecilia to destroy the statues of Goddess Camilla outside, as Gid had mentioned earlier, Viola, who had been listening to the entire conversation, bristled at Merzel’s words about committing heresy in front of them. She swung her spear and crumpled the iron-barred gate. Tiavel, watching this, gasped in surprise and hid behind Yuria, while Dio V Runner attached an orb to each of the flamethrowers on his arms and shouted at Viola.

“Alright. So you want to fight, Saintess. I’ll be your opponent…”

“Dio V Runner!! You and the others, leave this place and do what Gid said!! Jid Looprian!! While I tie these people’s hands, quickly get out of here and do what you intended to do!!!”

“How dare you…?! This aura…!!”

As Merzel shouted for Dio V Runner, Gid, and the others to leave, saying she would stop their pursuers, Viola picked up her spear and began to stride towards Merzel. However, a divine power suddenly emanated from Merzel, and she began to release a yellow aura from her body. Viola realized what the aura was and was greatly astonished, while Dio V Runner, watching from the side, sighed deeply and said.

“Ah… So she really was an angel… Phew… Alright, Merzel. I’ll do as you wish. Yuria, Cecilia!! Let’s go!!”

“Understood, Dio V Runner. Tiavel, hold onto me tightly!!”

“Jid Looprian!! We trust you and will continue with our original tasks!! So you must complete what you planned!!”

“Understood, Dio V Runner!! I’ll see you again later!!!!”

As Merzel demonstrated her sincere resolve to stop Viola with her entire being, Dio V Runner, trusting Merzel, took to the sky with the others and began to leave Grovel. Jid Looprian drew two swords from his waist and quickly began to depart the area. As they were flying away, Cecilia, worried about Merzel confronting Viola alone, looked back and stretched out her hand, shouting to Merzel.

“Merzel!!!”

“Do not worry, Cecilia!! I can easily defeat such ignorant people…!! So don’t let these obstacles hinder you, and quickly do what you must!!”

“The enemies are beginning to retreat!! Scatter and pursue them!! I will stop this heretic angel!!”

“Yes!!!”

At Merzel’s shout, Cecilia, trusting her, continued to leave Grovel with Dio V Runner and Yuria. As everyone began to depart, Viola ordered the others to pursue them. With only Merzel and herself left in Grovel, Viola lamented and said to Merzel.

“Haaah… Goddess Camilla would be truly saddened if she saw this. To think that an angel who once helped us… would betray us all like this…”

“…Don’t even bring up that past, ignorant believer. The War of Heaven and Demons was nothing short of our dark history, bringing terrible nightmares to the innocent…!! The War of Heaven and Demons was a noble war…? Only lunatics could think that…!!”

“Haaah… To think that an angel who was our role model and paragon would express such hostility towards us… She must have fallen and become a fallen angel…”

“Ignorant one. This is your final warning. If you dare mock us with that ignorant, foolish mouth of yours, I will cleave you in half.”

To Merzel, fallen angels were angels who had realized their atrocities and had gone mad from grief and despair, so Viola’s ignorance, not understanding or knowing their sorrow, was truly an insult. But Viola, completely oblivious to this, scoffed and set her spear, saying to Merzel.

“They are beings who have fallen completely after abandoning Goddess Camilla’s faith and trust… Do you think they are worthy of respect, fallen angel!!!”

Viola, letting Merzel’s warning go in one ear, scoffed at Merzel to the very end and thrust her spear, attacking Merzel. Merzel then grabbed a broom leaning by the gate and swung it to block Viola’s spear. And at that moment, the broom transformed into a glaive, blocking the spear. Viola was startled and thought.

‘Her weapon suddenly changed?! Is it a summoning ability!’

“Didn’t I warn you, ignorant believer, who serves a goddess consumed by mere inferiority? If you mock us with that ignorant mouth of yours… I will cleave you in half…!!”

“Ha…!! But you also use divine power, just like us, fallen angel!! I’ll use your power against you…?!”

Merzel’s weapon had changed for only a moment. Viola, concentrating on the divine power flowing from Merzel’s glaive, which was touching her own spear, intending to calmly use Merzel’s divine power against her, felt something and was greatly perplexed. Merzel immediately added more force to her glaive, repelling Viola backward. Viola, thrown back by Merzel’s power, recalled what she had just felt and, still perplexed, asked Merzel.

“What is it…? What is it?! That divine power you’re using…!! It’s clearly divine power, but why does it feel so alien?!”

“…Ah… Ignorant believer. You continue to display your ignorance endlessly. You, a fool who doesn’t even properly understand divine power, dare to raise your voice to whom?”

“Shut up…!! You unpleasant creature…!! What exactly is that divine power?! What is that alien divine power that it doesn’t react to my own divine power?!”

“The answer is simple, believer. My divine power is different from the divine power of that mad goddess you fools borrow and use. This divine power is my own, so you can’t help but feel an alien sensation… can you not!!!”

“….!!!”

Merzel explained that the divine power she possessed was her own, unlike the divine power of Goddess Camilla that they wielded. Then she rushed forward and swung her glaive, and Viola desperately blocked Merzel’s glaive with her spear. Merzel then reached out her hand behind her and unfurled a barrier of divine power large enough to envelop all of Grovel. Viola momentarily retreated and, with a bewildered look, asked Merzel.

“Did you put up a barrier to protect that cemetery? But a barrier of that size would put a great burden on you… Is that cemetery truly so important to you?”

“That cemetery is my very life. No… it’s more valuable and more sacred than my life. Even if I die, that cemetery must remain in this world.”

“Let me ask one more thing. Divine power is originally power received from a god… But for non-divine beings to be able to create such power… Is that even possible?”

“Why the change, believer? Just a moment ago, you spoke to me with a confident expression, as if your faith was unwavering, so why are you looking at me with such a bewildered expression now?”

“…!! This is maddening… I suppose I need to quickly eliminate you and return to repent…!!”

When Merzel asked why Viola had spoken to her with a confident face just now but was now speaking with a bewildered expression, Viola, startled, punched herself in the cheek to regain her composure and immediately swung her spear, attacking Merzel. Merzel, in turn, calmly began to parry Viola’s spear, retreating step by step. As Merzel continued to parry her spear, Viola remembered something and was greatly flustered.

‘Th-this feeling…!!’

“Are you perhaps thinking that the power I just exerted on you feels exactly like when you fought Aria back in Ruam? I heard from Gid that you lost to Aria… Don’t you know that Aria’s power is stronger than this?”

“I know that well… But I realized something afterward…!! That Goddess Camilla deliberately let Aria Ritt go…!! And the moment she spoke of what she would do with Aria Ritt later… I was certain. Our plan to make the entire world serve Goddess Camilla… to make everything in the world become Goddess Camilla’s power, would never fail!!!”

“…If R.S had seen this… he would have pulverized all of you. But instead… we will do that to you.”

“Try it then!!! Oh, Almighty One in the heavens!! Grant me the power to judge heretics!!!”

As Merzel provoked her, saying she would pulverize them instead of R.S, Viola began to chant a prayer. Viola’s spear then began to glow yellow, and feeling her spear enhanced, Viola immediately struck the ground, causing the surrounding earth to shake. Merzel, quickly stepping back, saw that the vibrations Viola caused did not reach Grovel and exhaled deeply, saying.

“If I keep fighting you, Grovel, protected by the barrier, might also take damage. This won’t do. I need to finish this quickly.”

“Go on, try it, fallen angel!!! I will… you…!?”

“Can you still not feel the difference in our abilities? You’re an arrogant one in many ways, Viola Blossom.”

Judging that continuing the fight would surely damage Grovel, which she was protecting, Merzel began to fiercely emit a yellow aura from her hands and feet. The moment Viola heard Merzel’s words and turned her head to provoke her, Merzel, who had already moved to her side in the blink of an eye, asked if she hadn’t noticed the huge difference in their abilities. Viola belatedly realized Merzel was already next to her and was greatly flustered. And at that moment, Merzel strongly struck Viola’s abdomen with the flat side of her glaive.

“Sacred Blow.”

“…!! Cough… This… this feeling… Ugh…”

When Merzel powerfully struck her abdomen with the flat side of her glaive, Viola recalled Aria striking her abdomen back in Ruam and then lost consciousness and collapsed. Merzel then looked at Viola, who had collapsed beside her, and sighed, saying.

“There’s a mountain of information I need to extract from you, so I couldn’t cleave you in half, Viola Blossom. Phew… I wonder if Cecilia is safe… and the others too…”

Merzel, having vented all the pent-up frustration about being unable to kill the collapsed Viola, regained her composure and looked at the sky, worrying if Cecilia and the others had safely departed. Then she took Viola’s leg and calmly began to leave the area, making Grovel transparent with her barrier so that no one would notice it.