episode_0352

Chapter 352 – Sacrifice

Boom!

“Ugh…!”

It was the first effective hit.

Ursila couldn’t withstand the sudden surge of amplified power and retreated with a groan.

I immediately followed up, unleashing a barrage of attacks.

Crackle crash!

Hundreds of punches rained down in a single second.

Though seemingly light at first glance, each one contained enough force to topple a mountain.

Ursila summoned tens of thousands of tentacles and Leviathan’s arms to strike me down, but it was futile.

I could now withstand Leviathan’s attacks with pure physical strength alone.

‘I have to end this now!’

There isn’t much time.

My demonic energy was starting to twitch; it felt like it would flare up any moment now.

“Ursila! Surrender!”

I gave her one last chance.

Even though I’d already declared it, I didn’t want to beat Ursila with my own hands.

However, she was stubborn.

“…I’m sorry, but I won’t. I’d rather die and become one with you.”

“You fool!!”

Thwack!

My fist slammed into Ursila’s side.

Even with controlled strength, it was powerful enough to make an ordinary person explode from their side outwards.

Of course, Ursila, who had absorbed Leviathan’s power, wouldn’t die from just this much.

“Ugh…!”

She clutched her side and used immense demonic energy to compress the surrounding space.

Enormous pressure weighed down on my entire body.

It was so powerful I couldn’t move an inch. If I forced myself to move, my limbs would break.

“This is nothing!”

But to me, such things meant nothing.

Injuries could just regenerate, and pain could be endured.

I ignored whether all the bones in my body would turn to dust and continued to advance, pummeling Ursila’s entire body. It pained me to feel like a violent spouse, but there was no other way to make her come to her senses.

“I’ll never give up on you!”

“Augh! Ugh… a gasp!”

When I deliberately targeted only her painful spots, even Ursila began to groan.

Whether I stab with a dick or a fist, the results aren’t that different.

‘Once this is over, I’ll stab you with my dick too!’

I’ll make her pay for putting me through this trouble.

Gaining even stronger momentum, I activated a skill I had kept hidden.

“Ursila!!”

[Using Rapist’s Aura.] [Rapist’s Aura: Overwhelms the opponent with immense presence. Effect increases against females. If the opponent has already been violated, all stats are greatly reduced.]

“Ugh…!?”

The moment the shout spread, Ursila’s movements instantly froze.

She quickly resumed moving, but compared to before, every aspect, starting with her reaction speed, was noticeably slower.

I exploited that opening.

“Surrender quietly!”

A straight punch that broke through her defense slammed into Ursila’s abdomen.

Thump!

“Keugh!”

Her back bent at a 90-degree angle.

It pained me to see her in agony, but it was unavoidable to subdue her.

Still, it was fortunate that I controlled my strength so her uterus didn’t rupture. She’ll have to get pregnant later, right? I want a child that looks like Ursila.

Thud!

As I withdrew my fist and stepped back, Ursila fell to her knees on the ground.

A blow imbued with authority could not be regenerated even with infinite demonic energy.

“Ursila. It’s over now. I won.”

“……Even after all this, ugh! To think I couldn’t win…”

Ursila laughed forlornly, as if realizing her plan to monopolize me had ended.

Fortunately, unlike her earlier words about becoming one even in death, there was no sign she would actually throw her life away.

If she hadn’t given in until the very end, one of us truly might have died.

I stood before Ursila.

“As I said before, I have no intention of giving up on you. If the Church of Light tries to oppress you, I’ll stop them no matter what. So now, stop being stubborn and let’s go together. Okay?”

“…Alright. Instead, hug me.”

“What?”

“I said hug me. Someone beat me up so much I can’t even stand.”

Ursila made a joke, spreading her arms out to her sides.

I chuckled.

“Alright. As much as you like.”

And as I lowered my posture to embrace her.

“Danger!!”

A warning shout came from behind me, and someone pushed me away.

As I turned my head, flowing silver hair caught my eye.

‘Skadia?’

What’s this sudden act?

Could she have thought Ursila was luring me into complacency to attack me?

Just as the question arose, a jet-black thorn extended from beyond my sight.

Thrust!

The thorn pierced Skadia’s heart.

Crimson blood surged between her dazzling silver hair, creating a stark contrast.

Thud!

I stared blankly down at the fallen Skadia.

It was utterly difficult to grasp what had just happened.

I came to my senses only after the metallic scent of blood stung my nostrils.

“Skadia!!”

I quickly cradled Skadia in my arms.

Her eyes trembled, and then they reflected my face.

“Ruan…”

“…Why did you do that? Why!”

When were you going to stab me in the back, and now you’re making a sacrifice?

It’s outrageous and absurd, it makes me angry.

“I’m sorry… cough! Cough!”

Skadia seemed to know it too, apologizing, then spewing out mouthfuls of blood.

It was black blood, as if signifying her life was fading.

Her already pale face was now completely ghastly white, like seeing a ghost.

“Don’t open your mouth! Stay still. I’ll heal you.”

“I’m truly sorry… for betraying you.”

“I told you to be quiet!”

I don’t want to hear apologies.

Right now, I just wanted her to live.

I barked, quickly channeling the Primeval Flame into the hole in Skadia’s chest.

If it was the Primeval Flame, imbued with the power of the Phoenix, such an injury could easily be restored.

Or so I thought.

‘Damn it! It’s not working?’

The black thorn that pierced Skadia’s heart, having been created by authority, possessed considerable resistance to the Primeval Flame.

If I added my authority, I could eventually expel it, but Skadia’s breath would run out faster than that.

Just then, as I bit my lip tightly, Skadia’s pale white hand rested on the back of my hand.

“I still regret it. I shouldn’t have betrayed you. I should have gone with you instead of being so stubborn. Then things wouldn’t have turned out like this for us.”

She didn’t stop talking, even as she continuously coughed up blood.

And her next words brought me a shock.

“Then… I too… could have become your lover, right? Not a master and a living sex doll… but lovers.”

“…What? You… what do you mean by that…”

My brain couldn’t keep up with the sudden situation.

‘A living sex doll?’

Could Skadia have known I was Eunrang? But why didn’t she say anything? Why did she just let it happen?

I have no idea.

But whether I was bewildered or not, Skadia continued to whisper.

“I regretted it all this time. I wanted to somehow turn back. If only I could be forgiven, I wanted to atone no matter what.”

“You…”

“So it’s a relief. That I could be… even a little helpful. With this much… will you forgive me?”

Skadia’s eyes were slowly closing.

In front of that, there was no room for any past betrayal.

“I’ll forgive you. So don’t die. Because if you die, I’ll never forgive you.”

“…Really?”

“Yes! So please, I beg you. Stay alive!”

At my desperate plea, she smiled.

“It’s a relief. Truly… a relief.”

And then, as if satisfied, she closed her eyes.

“Skadia!!”

Her body temperature was steadily growing cold. She would die in a few seconds now.

‘This fucking shit!’

Just before I lost my reason to uncontrollable rage, a hand rested on my shoulder.

“Ruan. Calm down.”

“Roxana…”

“I’ll save Skadia somehow. So you take care of the Pontiff. Understood?”

“The Pontiff…”

I finally recognized Skadia’s enemy.

The Pontiff was blankly admiring a half-formed crimson-black gem from a short distance away.

The aura emanating from the gem felt very familiar.

‘Ursila?’

But Ursila is behind me, isn’t she?

As I made a bewildered expression, not understanding what was happening, Ursila stood beside me.

She had a severe injury on her side.

“Leviathan’s heart was stolen.”

“Stolen? You mean that gem is it?”

“Yes. The Pontiff’s goal was me from the start. Thanks to Skadia, I avoided a direct hit, but about half of it was still taken. …I’m sorry.”

“So, you’re saying I and Skadia were completely out of his mind? That bastard…!”

I had no intention of leaving him alone from the start, but now I have even more reasons to kill him.

And it wasn’t just me.

“Hand over Leviathan’s heart!!”

The Dean, who had by now dealt with all the Dark Cult members including the custodian, brought his greatsword down upon the Pontiff.

Despite being exhausted from fighting countless Dark Cultists, his greatsword still possessed the strength to shatter mountains.

The Pontiff’s response to that was simple.

“Retreat.”

Roar!

As he extended his hand, a jet-black vortex swirled from its center, deflecting the greatsword.

It didn’t stop there; with an irresistible suction force, it pulled in the greatsword while simultaneously distorting its shape.

The greatsword, made entirely of mithril, bent and crumpled like plastic.

“Kuaaaagh!!”

The Dean, who had been resisting with immense physical strength, ultimately couldn’t endure and had to retreat.

If he had stubbornly held on there, he might have been swept away along with his greatsword.

Having defeated the Dean, the Pontiff once again focused his gaze on Leviathan’s heart, then raised it high.

Hummm!

The Pontiff’s authority enveloped the heart, causing it to resonate.

Ursila cried out.

“We have to stop him!”

“Do you know what he’s trying to do?”

“Yes. He’s trying to make Nephelina descend by using the heart’s power.”

“Descend?”

“Yes. We absolutely cannot let him.”

If Nephelina descends, everything will be over.

Even if Ursila’s obsession with me was great, she wouldn’t want to possess me as a corpse.

Of course, we can’t just charge in without a plan.

“Are there any weaknesses?”

“You.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. The Pontiff is currently using Leviathan’s power. Which means it’s antithetical to your flame. I’ll draw his attention as much as I can, so you aim for an opening. Just one good hit is all it takes.”

“One hit… Let’s try it.”

Although Roxana had to withdraw to save Skadia, Ursila joined instead.

The duration of the Rapist’s Aura was still quite long, so it wasn’t insufficient to face the Pontiff.

I looked around at my companions.

“Everyone, be careful. Don’t you dare die.”

I didn’t want to experience loss again.

Only after hearing everyone’s replies did I charge towards the Pontiff.