Chapter 283
Chapter 283
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 283
Chapter Title: Advance (1)
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“Bro. You okay?”
Young Abel asked. The night breeze brushing against his cheek felt cold. Cain, who had suddenly bolted off and left him behind, was sitting there in a daze at the edge of the village.
“...”
Cain didn't answer. Tear tracks stood out starkly on his pale cheeks. He had just realized that his newfound power couldn't bring the dead back to life.
His changed body no longer felt the cold. But inside his shattered heart, a bone-chilling north wind howled. Abel approached cautiously and pointed at Cain's mouth.
“Bro, you've got something on your mouth.”
“Huh...?”
Cain wiped his mouth with his sleeve without thinking. Bluish stains smeared across the fabric. It was the giant's blood he had gulped down right before his stomach nearly burst.
He turned his head and finally took in Abel's face. The little boy, shivering violently in an oversized coat that didn't fit him at all, came into view. In that moment, Cain realized it: this child was all he had left.
“...Yeah. I'm fine.”
“What do we do now? There was this huge bang, and then Mom and Dad were gone.”
“Don't worry. I've got you.”
Cain wiped his mouth clean and stood up. Just as this kid believed he was his brother, Cain decided to believe it too. That this boy was his twin. He took Abel's hand and flashed a grin.
“Let's go, Abel. Together.”
.
.
.
“Mm.”
Abel opened his eyes. He must have dozed off for a moment. A familiar sight unfolded before him: an unnecessarily oversized and ornate chair, furniture all painted stark white. It was the sanctum of the cult leader at the pinnacle of the main temple.
“...Damn it all.”
Abel muttered as he rubbed his eyes with his index finger. It had been ages since he'd dreamed—and of all things, a memory from tens of thousands of years ago.
Tsk. He clicked his tongue at the liquid on his finger. Memories he'd buried deep in the recesses of his mind were resurfacing one by one, but he shook it off by wiping his hand on his pant leg.
“You were wrong, brother.”
Abel murmured. The end was truly drawing near now. Soon enough, whose vision was right would be made clear.
He swept back his hair and was about to step forward when—knock knock. Someone rapped on the door.
“Holy Leader. May I enter?”
“Come in.”
It was a familiar voice. The door opened as Abel gestured, and a woman in ornate robes stepped inside. It was Archbishop Lutancie, in charge of protecting and surveilling Iril.
“I've come to report on the situation. Miss Iril's exorcism is proceeding smoothly.”
“Good work. No health issues, I take it?”
“None whatsoever. She's sleeping soundly, so no need to worry. And as you instructed, your blood is fulfilling the exorcism role perfectly. It seems it'll take far less time than expected.”
“Good. That's what I figured.”
Abel nodded. It was just as he'd anticipated. He was lifting the curse on Iril's body to awaken her power.
The moment the shackles Cain had implanted snapped, Iril would fully gain the authority to grant wishes.
The primordial effect, as expected.
Abel smirked. The key to breaking Iril's curse—which no exorcism rite could touch—was his own blood, as he'd conceived from past experience.
Abel had once extracted Cain's blood and transfused it into himself. That was back when Cain had used his wish to save Dahinar and fallen into a deep slumber. It was from then that he'd gained the ability to wield the giants' powers.
It hardly mattered now, but he regretted never fully uncovering Cain's secret to the end. There had to be some connection to the star giants. Abel patted Lutancie's shoulder as she finished her report.
“Well done. I need to step out for a bit. You can handle the rest from here, right?”
“Yes. I won't disappoint you.”
“Perfect.”
Abel left the room. Lutancie stood alone in the empty sanctum. Once his footsteps faded completely, she let out a deep sigh.
“Hoo...”
No matter the circumstances, things were moving too fast. Even back when she'd first joined as a lay believer, it hadn't felt this hectic.
“Where to this time...”
She muttered to herself. She worried he might be gone for another long stretch, like recently.
It wasn't concern for his safety or fear of defeat. With the countermeasures Abel had personally set, nothing like that would happen. Plus, they had Iril as a hostage.
But his attitude—adrift, detached, unlike the faithful merely awaiting the stars' descent—bothered her. He didn't seem like a man facing the final act. Or maybe it felt like he was looking at something else entirely.
Of course, all she could do was follow orders, so Lutancie quietly focused her mind to prepare a telepathic broadcast. Soon, her voice echoed in the minds of all the faithful.
****
“Grab it! Don't let it escape no matter what!”
“If we don't take it down here, it's all for nothing!”
The soldiers' shouts rang out under the afternoon sky. The long, grueling battle was finally nearing its end. An alliance army numbering at least ten thousand moved in perfect unison, weapons gripped tight.
The magic circle blotting out the sky finally spat out one giant before vanishing. After a brief self-introduction, the giant—much like Duaru in the Dragon City—began rampaging indiscriminately.
-Basagia enacts judgment.
The central alliance camp, which had been relatively peaceful, turned to rubble in an instant. Explosions from surging spears of light carved massive craters into the ground. Each thunderous boom claimed dozens, hundreds of lives.
“These damn monster bastards!”
“We have to handle all these scraps ourselves!”
The summoned familiars, called forth using feathers as catalysts, were racking up casualties too. These artificial beasts, devoid of fear, charged the alliance troops even as they trampled their own kind.
“Groooar!”
“Kaaaaagh!”
Unlike Duaru's familiars, these took the form of wolf-like beasts. The explosions from clashes between their light-formed bodies and weapons filled every gap on the battlefield.
But it wasn't as hopeless as the Dragon City. The once countless familiars had noticeably thinned out. Even the giant Basagia was surrounded in the heart of the fray, struggling.
“Hup!”
Naviroje ducked low to evade the giant's spear and swung her blade. Slash! A flash of sword light—and the light spear shaft snapped in two. The giant's brow twitched.
『...!』
Her greatsword, infused with Ronan's blood, glowed a boiling crimson. Naviroje pulled back after momentarily disabling the giant, then bellowed.
“Pour it on!”
Arrows and projectile spells rained down from all directions at once. The giant hurriedly tried to assume a defensive stance, but an invisible force restrained it.
Krunch! Sudden pressure crushed its shoulder, freezing it in place. The giant, scanning the enemy lines, intoned flatly.
『You, is it.』
“H-Hiii!”
Asel gasped as their eyes met. He hadn't expected the giant to pinpoint him from so far away. It was his telekinetic spell pinning the giant down.
『Impressive. Such power from a mere mortal.』
The giant murmured in faint admiration. Even straining, it couldn't straighten its back.
Judging the mage needed to go first, it silently opened its palm. Light particles gathered to form a new spear—when boom!! A volley of arrows and spells struck home.
Groooo... As the explosion's winds cleared, the giant's even more battered form emerged. Azure blood dripped from wounds, pattering on the ground. It staggered, then spoke.
『Ephemeral... ones...』
Its voice lacked strength—not just from this hit. Since the battle began, damage had steadily accumulated, far from negligible.
Its twin wings hung in tatters. Scars riddled its body in over ten varieties. Its once flawless form resembled a ragged potato sack.
It was the fruit of the alliance army's desperate efforts, armed with Ronan's blood. They had pierced the stars' blessings and inflicted meaningful wounds on the giant.
Compared to before, when even archbishops' blessings repelled them, it was a giant leap. The giant spread its wings as it surveyed the surroundings.
He didn't know how it had come to this, but the situation looked grim. Boom! A gale of light swept the battlefield as its wings unfurled.
“Urk...!”
“Th-the bastard's fleeing!”
Soldiers at the front were flung back as if struck. The few remaining trees and tents flew away.
“Whoa!”
Asel's telekinesis unraveled under the sudden surge of power. At this rate, it'd get away. A hopeless scenario by rights—but the alliance troops didn't look so grim.
“Please...”
“Come on, you wizards.”
If anything, they clenched their fists in anticipation. Whoosh! As the giant took to the air, Adeshan's voice rang in every alliance soldier's mind.
[Now!]
A powerful mana wave spread across the battlefield simultaneously. Krunch! The ascending giant smashed headfirst into empty sky.
『Mmgh...!』
Azure blood sprayed from its torn forehead. A solid hit. Onlookers cheered.
“Yes! We blocked it!”
『This is...』
The giant narrowed its eyes. A translucent barrier enveloped the area like a cage. Spiderweb cracks radiated where it had hit.
A high-tier defensive spell activated remotely by mages from the Dawn and Full Moon Towers. Those who drank Ronan's blood could manifest anti-giant magic for a limited time.
『Futile efforts.』
But the shock soon subsided. As the giant recovered and poised to hurl its spear at the barrier—whoosh! A massive black mass soared overhead. Reflexively looking up, the giant spoke.
『You...?』
Shadow fell over its face. It whipped its spear around, but Zaifa was already descending, polearm raised to its zenith. His freshly forged crescent blade gleamed the same crimson as Naviroje's.
“Die here, you vermin.”
Zaifa growled. As the giant opened its mouth to speak—slash! The polearm arced through the air and crashed down on its face.
The sensation of cleaving flesh traveled up Zaifa's arms. BOOM!! Almost simultaneously, Zaifa and the giant plummeted into the battlefield's center.
“...Tough son of a bitch.”
Zaifa glanced down at the giant. With the polearm buried in the middle of its face, it moved no more.
Dust clouds shrouded the area, delaying the soldiers' cheers. Zaifa spun the spear shaft once irritably.
“When the hell is Ronan showing up?”