The Great Forest's Madness and the New War God's Decree
The Great Forest trembled. Srrrrrrrr!Thud. Thud. Thud.
From the black hair that had been released, madness gradually began to surface in their eyes. The Dark Spirit God watched them for a moment before bestowing a blessing upon them.
"I have specially drawn out your latent potential to its limit. Now work hard, my children."
⟨ Spirit God's Blessing ⟩
Slash—!Stab—!
Even in the eyes of the Spirit Kings who had possessed the High Elf Queens, only madness could be seen. All their spirit power began to surge to an extreme degree. And then they turned all that power against the very subordinates they had once sworn to protect.
"Her Majesty the Queen has fallen!"
"Everyone, run!"
The colossal power that had elevated her to the throne as a hero of the High Elves now exploded against her own kin. Gooooooo—!Urrrrrrrrrrr—!
A giant of flame incinerated the High Elves. An ice dragon appeared, freezing them solid before shattering them into pieces. A colossal woman of water drowned them or drained every drop of moisture from their bodies, turning them into desiccated mummies. The earth split open to swallow them whole, while vibrations in the air tore their bodies apart at the molecular level.
The High Elf legions, faced with the onslaught of the very High Elf Queens they had revered, could neither fight back nor flee. They simply died in helpless confusion.
"Your Majesty—!"
"Stop them!"
Srrrrrrrrr!Puuuuk—!
The High Elf Queens sliced open the Little Queens—the future hope they had cherished more than life itself—with their own spirit swords. The High Elven Knights who charged in unarmed, hoping to subdue them with their bodies, were annihilated by the fused power of the Spirit Kings.
At that moment, only one thought filled their minds.
The High Elf Queens squeezed out every last ounce of their power to the absolute limit, slaughtering their own people without mercy. They continued until their bodies transcended their limits and teetered on the brink of collapse.
Yet from the very beginning, this war had been broadcast somewhere else.
Uuuuuung—!
Humans watched in terror as the High Elf Queens went mad and massacred their own kin. This was the Holy Empire of War, where the former War God had died just one day earlier and a new one had taken his place.
Brrrrr—!Brrrrrrrr—!
Every believer, priest, cardinal, and even the Pope—excluding the Saintess and her holy maidens who had already departed as hostages—prostrated themselves on the floor, trembling in fear. Before them stood a black mage who had appeared at the former War God's descent altar. Two demon kings' heads were impaled upon the Lord Slayer spear that sealed the War God.
"…."
The black mage who had suddenly appeared in the Holy Empire of War silently raised a massive screen in the air and stared at it. The Pope and cardinals who had rushed over in panic froze in place the moment they saw the former War God reduced to a mere decoration on the spear. Then they watched in utter horror as the so-called invincible High Elf Empire of one billion souls was brutally crushed by only five spirit goddesses.
Having witnessed the High Elf Queens slaughtering their own people under the influence of the Dark Spirit God, the black mage spoke so that every single person in the Holy Empire of War—his new followers—could hear.
"The High Elves truly are a race of unshakable faith. To abandon everything for the god they once served… they are true martyrs."
His voice carried a faint trace of sorrow. Everyone shuddered. The noble and mighty black mage they knew was not one to show mercy to his enemies.
"Heaven belongs to them. You too should follow their example. Martyr yourselves for the former War God and ascend to Heaven."
"!!!"
"!!!"
Uuuuuung—!
Once again, a colossal star appeared in the sky above the entire Holy Empire of War and began to descend slowly. The new War God was forcing them all to martyr themselves for his predecessor.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaaaaaa—!"
Screams erupted from the mouths of the Pope, cardinals, priests, and every believer of the War God. As they stared at the massive star falling toward their heads, the Pope and cardinals began to shriek desperately.
"We will faithfully serve the new War God!"
"It's true! Didn't we send the Saintess and the holy relics first?"
"Please believe us! We will do anything you ask!"
Goooooo!
The falling planet suddenly stopped. The Pope, who had been sighing in relief thinking his desperate pleas had worked, nearly fainted at the next words he heard.
"I dislike how weak the Pope of the War God is."
"!!!"
The new War God's cruel words left them dizzy. The Pope was stunned speechless at the implication that the Holy Empire of War must be destroyed simply because he himself was weak.
The cardinals looked at the black mage in disbelief, only for lightning to strike their own heads next.
"It makes no sense that the cardinals' divine power is weaker than that of ordinary priests."
"!?"
"!?"
The cardinals' bodies began to shake uncontrollably. While enjoying more power than kings, they had let their faith weaken. They had stopped training their bodies and abandoned ascetic practices meant to strengthen their divine power. Instead, they had indulged in banquets and luxury, causing their faith to wither until their divine power had fallen below even that of ordinary priests. The new War God had now exposed this shame before the eyes of every citizen in the empire.
This is the end.
The Pope felt rage rising from the high priests and holy knights prostrated beside him. Their murderous glares bored into his back. But they were not exempt either.
"The high priests and holy knights are never on the battlefield. They only stay inside the temples."
At the scathing remark, the high priests and holy knights lowered their heads in shame. They were no different from the cardinals, only to a lesser degree. The brave and pure had died fighting on the front lines while praising the War God. They had fled to the rear like cowards and survived. That disgrace was now being laid bare before the world, and the stern divine decree shook the entire Holy Empire of War.
"The weak priests you sent cannot decide the outcome of wars. Instead, they die meaningless deaths without even saving themselves. Why do you send the weakest priests to the battlefield first? Who told you to discriminate against priests and forbid sending them to war?"
Most of those who managed the temples began to shiver, their teeth chattering. The greatest source of income for the Holy Empire of War came from dispatching mercenary priests to battlefields. They were sent to other nations' wars, served for a fixed period, and received payment. Of course, the powerful, those who offered bribes, or those who swore loyalty were assigned to safe positions in the main temple. The ones without connections or talent—the unnecessary priests—were sent to the most dangerous fronts where the mortality rate was extremely high. And now that truth had been revealed.
"Y-you… you…!"
The Pope of the War God looked around with an incredulous expression before his face twisted with rage.
"The lives of the War God's followers are war itself—an endless effort to grow stronger. Yet the weak have conspired to drag down the strong and have made themselves even weaker."
The followers of the War God were left speechless. They had indeed slandered and framed those better than themselves to pull them down, while ignoring or insulting the weak and feeling satisfied with it.
"Weak, incompetent, cowardly, and vile. If there is anyone among you who does not fit this description, step forward. I shall exempt you from divine punishment."
Goooooooo—!
Silence engulfed the Holy Empire of War. Humans naturally prioritized their own safety and comfort, so no one dared to claim innocence.
"You are all guilty. The only path to Heaven now is to martyr yourselves immediately."
Gugugugugugugugung!
The colossal planet drew even closer, hovering directly above the empire. The Pope of the War God wept as he cried out in desperation.
"O great War God! We can change! Please give us a chance!"
The black mage looked at the Pope, who had risen to his feet with arms spread wide in a heartrending plea to the divine. Tears streamed down the Pope's face, his expression more earnest and sincere than anyone else's. It was a face that could move anyone's heart. Yet the answer that came was completely unexpected.
"The Pope of the War God is only a 6th Circle? That is what displeases me most."
"Huk—!"
Their new War God was merciless. The Pope stood frozen like stone as the new War God's voice rang in his ears.
"You have not yet betrayed me. Very well—I shall give you a chance."
To the Pope, who had become the mastermind behind the mass forced martyrdom and had gone rigid, those words sounded like gospel from Heaven itself. He hurriedly prostrated himself again as the black mage's incantation echoed.
Looking Back at Oneself, Past and Present Are the Same
Paaaaaaaah—!
Holy light burst from the old Pope's body. The wrinkles on his face vanished, and his skin regained its elasticity. His white hair turned into lustrous black, and his missing teeth regrew. Muscles swelled, and his protruding belly tightened once more.
"Ooooooh—! Youth has returned!"
The steel-like muscles he had desperately trained in his younger days on the battlefield returned to the Pope's arms and legs. Jijijijiji!Jijijijijik! The papal robes, tailored for his aged and shrunken frame, swelled and tore apart. The powerful physique of his youth—the body that had once seemed capable of anything—had returned to the Pope.
"The Pope of the War God must be the strongest in the Middle World. Do you agree?"
"Of course! The strongest must be the War God's Pope!"
Drunk on the sudden return of his youth, the Pope spoke without fully realizing what he was saying.
"In three days, hold the papal selection ceremony. There shall be no distinction of race. Accept everyone—from dragonkin to demonkind."
"Huk—!"
The command was so outrageous their jaws dropped. If a demon became Pope, it could turn the entire Middle World against them.
"Aside from the condition that the Pope of the War God must be at least a 7th Circle Master, there are no other restrictions. Only strength qualifies one for the position. To the one who becomes Pope, I shall grant this."
Uuuung—!Uung—!
A pitch-black suit of armor radiating dark light appeared. On its surface, black energy flickered around engravings of a spear piercing demon kings' heads, radiating pure malevolence. A blood-red cape fluttered despite the lack of wind.
The black mage willingly explained the armor.
Grade: Divine Artifact
Material: Pure Demon Adamantium refined from demon king blood
Effect: Absorbs fighting spirit on the battlefield to deflect all attacks below the 7th Circle. Raises the wearer's circle by one stage. As long as the wearer is recognized as Pope by me, they shall neither die nor age.
Restriction: Can only be worn by 7th Circle Masters or higher.
"!!!"
"!!!"
The strongest humans alive were currently 7th Circle Masters. If this armor could deflect all attacks from the 7th Circle, its value was nearly infinite. And if it raised the wearer's circle by one stage, it had already surpassed the realm of divine instruments. It would immediately elevate the wearer to the level of a lower god—an 8th Circle Master.
An 8th Circle is the realm of the gods.
Even Durandal, the holy sword of the hero bestowed directly by the Lord God, only borrows the power of the 8th Circle. It cannot elevate a hero into a lower god.
The Dragon Emperor, guardian of the Middle World, was an 8th Circle user. In other words, whoever wore the Protection of the War God would become the strongest being in the Middle World.
Ddddddddd!
The Pope suddenly wanted to rip out his own tongue for having said that only the strongest could become the Pope of the War God—right before receiving such a divine artifact.
"This is merely proof of the papal office. The real reward is this."
Uuuung!
A ring adorned with a brilliantly sparkling black gem appeared in the sky.
Grade: Divine Artifact
Effect: Permanently applies the 10th Circle magic Looking Back at Oneself, Past and Present Are the Same. The wearer shall enjoy eternal youth and immortality. This divine instrument has no restrictions.
Everyone's mouths hung open, unable to close. Humans, who lived merely a hundred years compared to the highest races of the Middle World that lived for thousands, were the epitome of short-lived species. Even 7th Circle Masters, the transcendent among humans, only lived up to two hundred years. Therefore, humanity's greatest dream had always been eternal youth and immortality.
The Protection of the War God that turns one into a lower god!
The Oath of the War God that grants eternal youth and immortality!
The treasures that could turn humanity's eternal dream into reality were floating right before their eyes. The moment everyone saw the armor and ring descending from the sky, their entire bodies began to tremble.
There will be countless strong ones willing to sell their souls to obtain the Protection of the War God.
There will even be kings willing to offer their entire kingdoms for the Oath of the War God.
Becoming the Pope of the War God meant obtaining both. But because the current Pope was weak, they would have to hold a selection tournament with these items as the prize.
The Pope of the War God's vision grew blurry and his head began to spin.
Doooooooong!Uuuuuuuuung!
A massive magic circle rose above the grand plaza of the descent altar, illuminating everything and emitting a gentle resonance. The sound that rang out like singing was a magical incantation, and a wall of light surrounded the plaza.
An arena enchanted with undying immortality magic. Those who fight here will neither die nor suffer injury. If they possess the will to fight, they may battle eternally. Decide the next Pope here.
Another astonishing miracle had descended. The Pope could only believe that the new War God truly desired the strong. His hands, clutching the ring and armor, swelled as if they might burst.
"Do you desire it? Temporary Pope of the War God?"
"I desire it—! O great god! I beg for it even if I must wager everything I have!"
With his newly youthful body, the Pope's emotions surged wildly. The extreme devotion offered to the god transformed into divine power that further strengthened his revitalized physique. Yet the path to becoming an 8th Circle transcendent was still unimaginably far.
"Then win. War grants Heaven to the victor and Hell to the defeated. My divine power belongs to those who fight. I wish for my Pope and followers to battle and achieve victory."
"I will definitely fight and win to meet your expectations! O great War God!"
The thought that their new War God was a human-born black mage had already vanished from the Pope's mind. What had been done directly to his body was a miracle of the great god, merely called magic. And the divine instruments that manifested such miracles were right before him. Faith surpassing fanaticism was now engraved into his heart.
"I leave the rest to you. Carry out my will completely. If you waver, remember what I have done today."
"Please entrust it to me—!"
The Pope bowed deeply in reverence. A fierce fighting spirit and murderous intent began to flicker in his eyes. The command to carry out his will completely had awakened the warlike spirit from his youth, filled with blood and scars. Looking at his rejuvenated body and mind, he realized just how rotten everything had become. There was much work to do.
"In a battle presided over by the War God, there is no defeat. Only victory exists."
Together with the long-forgotten divine decree, the bloody wind of a purge led by the Pope began to blow across the Holy Empire of War.