Chapter 84
Chapter 84
11. A War Without Faith -4
KUUUNG──!!
My vision flipped. My body flew through the air.
[Impact Conversion: 58%]
CRASH!
I rolled across the floor, smashing through a luxurious chair with my body. The smell of blood stung my nose, and bright red blood trickled through my teeth. I could feel my lifespan being shaved away in chunks.
I barely managed to get back on my feet, only to be knocked flat again, and it pissed me off. Getting up after being knocked down burns way more stamina than you'd think.
Sprawled on the ground, I caught my breath and thought. Two more hits⋯⋯ plus a little extra. If he hits me just a bit harder, two hits would finish the charge cleanly. I can endure that much.
Just two more hits⋯⋯
"UOOOAAAAAAAH──!!"
With a THUD, the giant Olmun took a running start and leaped high into the air, despite his massive frame. Then a fist like a battering ram came crashing down toward where I lay.
"⋯⋯Shit, move!"
I spat out a curse half-mixed with a battle cry and rolled away. Getting hit by that would kill me.
No matter how close the summit is, you still have to filter out the attacks you need to filter. More than anything, getting pinned under that massive body would be bad. If he mounts me with this little stamina left, I won't get out. A moment of greed could send me straight to the grave.
THUD-!!!
The fist slammed into the spot I'd barely escaped. The floor shook, the ceiling lights swayed back and forth, and accumulated dust rained down.
"UUUUUUU-!!"
"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"
And into the spot I'd dodged from, the Moon-Shadow Faction holy knights swarmed with their eyes rolled back. Every single one of them had lost their minds, drooling and foaming at the mouth like people infected with rabies.
At that point, even an idiot could tell what kind of power this 『Moon Shadow (月影)』 character wielded. It was madness. A sinister power, befitting the Hell Path.
"Hup!"
THUD! THUD! CRRRUNCH!
[Impact Conversion: 61%]
I barely absorbed the holy knights hurling themselves at me like cannonballs. My center of gravity nearly collapsed, but I planted my legs at an angle against the ground and held on. My shield arm and knees throbbed.
Grab. Brutal hands seized my shield and hung on. I stabbed at their gauntlet-covered hands with my dagger, but even as fingers flew off and blood spurted, they wouldn't let go.
I didn't have the strength to shake them off by force. In that case, I had no choice but to borrow someone else's. THUD THUD THUD THUD—I heard the giant charging, shaking the ground. I steeled myself and took a deep breath.
I counted to three in my head. Count to three, then switch positions. One, two.
"UOOOOOOO──!!"
Three.
"HYAAAP⋯⋯!!"
I squeezed out every ounce of strength, pivoted half a turn on my shield, and reversed—grabbing onto the holy knights instead. Then I pressed my body as close to the shield as possible.
Soon, the massive fist slammed into us—the whole tangled mass.
BOOOOM──!!
[Impact Conversion: 73%]
Me and the holy knights I'd used as cushioning went flying in all directions like bowling pins. I somehow righted myself in midair. If I rolled across the floor one more time, I didn't think I'd be getting back up.
Thud.
I shifted my weight back and forth and fortunately landed on both feet. My wrist throbbed. It felt like the bone was out of place, but I could still move it, so that was good enough.
Remaining charge: 27%⋯⋯ A direct hit from one punch filled about 20%, but this time I'd taken the hit with the holy knights sandwiched in, so the charge was a bit short. Maybe I should've just taken it clean without the trick. Now I'd have to endure two more hits.
"Noah Won-!!"
BANG! BANG! FWISH!
Andersen's bullets rained down. But they had no real effect. The target was so big that even careless shots landed, but all they did was punch a few small holes in that enormous body. To bring down Olmun with bullets, she'd need to hit a vital spot like his eyes.
"UUUUU──"
So this was actually poison. The holy knight Olmun tilted his head at a bizarre angle, then started clawing at his skin and glaring at Andersen. The aggro had shifted. I gritted my teeth and shouted.
"Don't pull aggro, Andersen!"
"I believe using terminology that requires explanation is inappropriate in this situation!"
"I mean don't draw his attention! If the attack swings your way, I can't block it for you!"
"Worry about the breath you've barely caught! I'll dodge it at least once!"
I did need a moment to breathe, but I'm the tank here.
But it was too late. I didn't have the time or stamina to run over there and throw myself in front of Andersen, and if I did, we'd both just die. All I could do was pray she could dodge. She must have pulled aggro because she had some kind of plan.
Catch your breath. Breathe, Noah Won. Control your ragged breathing.
Huff— huff—
Amid my short, gasping breaths, the giant Olmun charged at Andersen with a thunderous THUD THUD THUD THUD! Andersen stood her ground, aiming her gun at Olmun. As if drawing him in.
Can you dodge it, Andersen? You can dodge it, right?
WHOOOOSH──!
And at the moment the giant Olmun swung his arm as if swatting a fly—
"Light."
Andersen tossed a flashbang—pin already pulled—hidden in her nun's habit sleeve into the air. I hastily covered my ears and turned my head away.
BOOM-!!
"UAAAAAAAH!!"
BANG! BANG!
Through the deafening boom and blinding light, I faintly heard gunshots overlapping. When my vision cleared, I saw Andersen had started a game of tag.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
She kept the giant Olmun's attention scattered with gunfire, maintaining distance just outside the precarious range of his flailing arms.
It didn't seem like a deliberate, precise evasion luring him into a paper-thin margin. It was simply that her backpedaling speed roughly matched the blinded Olmun's forward advance.
But she succeeded. Good. I'd caught my breath again too. At that tempo, she could hold out until I pulled aggro back. Let's go.
That was when it happened. When Bishop Seldicto of the Binder Faction began chanting a spell.
"O 『Master Binder (主縛)』⋯⋯!!"
"—Savidero, stop him!"
"M-me? No, giving me orders—I-I'll do it! Kneel and prostrate yourself!"
Wobble. Seldicto's knees buckled under the authority bestowed by the Serpent-Subduing Young Lord, but his chanting showed no sign of breaking. Couldn't you have slammed his head into the ground, Savidero?!
In desperation, I grabbed a broken chair leg and hurled it.
WHIIISH-!
"Bind the feet of that wicked saintess! ⋯⋯Guh, GAAAH!"
THUNK-! The sharp end of the chair leg buried itself in Seldicto's eye socket as if sucked in. But before that, Master Binder's authority had activated. A black cord stretched out and shot toward Andersen before she could even react.
And her ankle was bound.
"⋯⋯Hut!"
Her evasion had been barely holding together. That single moment of hesitation was enough for the giant's fist to catch up to her. Andersen was a split second from being shattered to pieces. I was half-unconsciously about to summon lightning when—
"O Holy God, protect her!"
FLAAASH-!
With a brilliant radiance, a thick golden barrier enveloped Andersen. The light was emanating from none other than the Pope.
"Your Holiness⋯⋯?"
THUD-!! CRRRACK-
The giant Olmun's fist pounded against the barrier. Spiderweb cracks split across its surface, but it held for one hit. Andersen used the opening to put plenty of distance between them.
Bishop Bento, having missed the chance to deal with the saintess, screamed as if in agony.
"Pope, why are you doing this now? You already joined our side. You utterly wrecked the saintess's plan! Do you think she'll spare you after you sabotaged her, you fool?!"
"I-it doesn't matter. I must accept the punishment for my sins⋯⋯"
Pope Soleo looked at Andersen, coughing shallowly over and over. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. With eyes full of regret, he repented, however late.
"I'm sorry, Andersen⋯⋯ I was blind."
"⋯⋯Your Holiness."
"I shouldn't have tried to stop you, thinking you would suffer the same pain I did. I should have cheered you on to overcome it. It's far too late, but even now, I want to fulfill the duty of a proper father⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
A flash of unexpected joy crossed Andersen's eyes. Andersen's long, relentless efforts had finally changed even her adoptive father, who had fallen into despair and helplessness. Her efforts had at last been acknowledged.
If this weren't the middle of a battle⋯⋯ the two of them might have poured out their hearts as much as they wished. For that reason alone, I'd better wrap this up quickly.
Separate from that—there was something strange.
The Pope's words didn't sync with his lips. Even now, in the silence, his lips kept moving, saying something. I soon realized.
The priests chanted spells to draw out the authority of their bestowed gifts. The Pope was likely doing the same. The Pope, who had quietly tucked himself into a corner after the battle began, had been chanting some spell this whole time.
"Holy knights, seize the Pope!"
"S-seize His Holiness⋯⋯?!"
Bishop Bento had also belatedly reached the same conclusion and given the order.
"The Church of the Holy God has fallen into decline. We forgot the teachings the Holy God bestowed upon us. We abandoned our faith. I did too! We, who gave up prematurely and threw everything into the gutter, have no right to lead the church. If that is so, then everything must be passed on to one who is worthy. Is that not right—?!"
"Stop him, I said stop him-!!"
"Therefore, I shall truly pass it on here and now. Saintess Andersen⋯⋯ the true name of the Holy God! Cry out that true name, my child! And go forth to fulfill your will!"
And then, the Pope completed the spell.
『────』.
A soundless word made of light. That was the essence of the spell.
No one heard the name. But Andersen definitely did. The knowledge the Pope should have passed on long ago was transmitted in an instant along the light, and now she knew how to draw out the Holy God's power dwelling within her.
Wrapped in sacred radiance, Andersen moved her lips silently. It was clearly a silent prayer, yet I could hear it clearly. As if someone had granted me permission to listen.
The true name of the Holy God was 『Sun God Model Hathor』.
A fragment of a star fallen to the landing site.
KU, KUGUGUGUGUGU──!!
Intense light erupted from Andersen's center. She looked like a small sun. The priests fell to their knees one by one, and the giant Olmun couldn't even scream, writhing in agony.
"Was the Holy God not weakened⋯⋯?!"
Bishop Bento's lament reached my ears. Indeed. For a god in decline, this presence was⋯⋯ utterly overwhelming. It reminded me of the moment I'd witnessed the 『Sky Roamer』.
This power was on par with the sun god fragment that had taken the name of 『Apollo』. No⋯⋯ perhaps clearly beyond it. This was B-rank Hunter power!
KEEEEEEENG──!!
The madness blanketing the area—the power of 『Moon Shadow (月影)』—flared with a cold light, as if resisting. Moonlight and sunlight contended. With cracking, splitting sounds, space itself vibrated.
In the clash of divine powers, sunlight seized the upper hand. For a moment, the sun drove back the night—
And soon the area was wrapped in warm light.
[-> Download Slot 2: 『Sun God (8) Hathor/Sekhmet』 (Downloading⋯⋯ 0.00001%)]
I'd had a similar experience before.
My memory was hazy, but when I met the 『Sky Roamer』⋯⋯ I had been inside a massive storm. A space where layer upon layer of thick gray clouds spiraled and churned, constantly shifting shape as if trying to obscure my vision.
It was the same when I encountered the 『Glass Sword Lord』. He had appeared before me in some colosseum-like arena, taking the form of a knight made of glass.
It was the same now.
I was at the top of a massive pyramid. Above, an abnormally enormous sun blazed in the sky, and below, a desert stretched out covered in torches and banners. It felt like a grand military encampment.
Suddenly, two characters surfaced in my mind. 『Garden (庭園)』. It was a somewhat random word, but for some reason, I felt that calling this space a garden was correct.
If this keeps overlapping, it's safe to call it a common trait. Does every higher-ranked hunter end up cultivating a garden?
As I waited with those thoughts, I sensed a presence beside me. Then a benevolent voice seeped in.
-I acknowledge you.
"⋯⋯Holy God."
The Holy God was a woman with a cow's head. I'd never studied foreign faiths, so I wasn't sure⋯⋯ but I thought there was a being like this among the Egyptian gods. Just like with 『Apollo』, it overlapped again.
Just as 『Moon Shadow』 had interfered with this planet and sown its story, had the Holy God also once sown a story on Earth? Or was there a more fundamental reason from the start—
No, this wasn't the time for such thoughts.
"Is the battle over? What about Andersen?"
-No. I have merely invited you into a space where time flows slowly. The saintess has also been invited, just as you have. I can do no more than this. You must finish the battle yourselves.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"⋯⋯So if I go back out, it'll be exactly as it was when we were fighting. From what I saw, you pushed back that otherworldly god who wields moonlight. Couldn't you just burn all the bishops to ash with that power?"
-Impossible.
"Don't tell me you're about to say something like, you have to earn it with your own hands for it to be a legitimate achievement⋯⋯"
-I suppose I can tell you. Since you carry a fragment of 『Apollo』.
Her glossy black bovine eyes turned toward me. As if I'd already seen it before, she skipped most of the explanation and said only this.
-It is because of Unification. We possess a desire to return to the primordial one.
The hair on my neck stood up. That bullshit.
I remembered the carriage-man from Sohye's world rampaging and spreading the Zombie Virus. That bastard had thrashed around like a madman, insisting he had to become one. Was this so-called Holy God the same?
-I am the same. The impulse to burn this entire planet as a beacon and merge with the other sun gods tormented me. I could not allow that. As long as the lifeforms of this planet regard me as their god, I bear the duty of a god.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
-So I separated that desire for Unification into another self. I fought against my own desire. I still do. That is why I cannot reach out beyond.
Half of her face contorted grotesquely, twisting into the shape of a lion. Those blood-red eyes stared at me, dripping with gleaming killing intent. It was a complete 180 from the benevolent, gentle cow's eyes.
As the lion's head encroached further, the distant drumming—BOOM—BOOM—drew closer. Along with the sound of countless soldiers marching in step. It was a vivid symbol of war.
The inherent power was different too. Compared to the Holy God's energy I'd felt at the 『Grand Sanctuary』, that lion-headed energy seemed to possess an entirely different nature from the start.
So⋯⋯ she was suppressing a split personality.
The Holy God hadn't weakened after all. She only appeared weakened because she was fighting another version of herself. But then, there was the fact that the Holy God's influence seemed to wane over time.
-Correct. The yearning for Unification takes precedence over my very existence. I am losing. As of now, I am not even strong enough to face the moonlight.
In other words, the god was slowly going mad.
A chill ran through me.
If that was the case, the power dwelling in the 『Grand Sanctuary』 belonged to the cow-headed side. Then what if—if the conclave had been completed and the Holy God's power had been devoured entirely, all that would remain would be the lion head suppressed by the Holy God.
If that happened—the remaining malevolent personality would have been unleashed and could have swept across this planet. I'd thought it wasn't that important, but the conclave vote had essentially been a world-destruction switch.
Thank god. We stopped it.
Anyway.
⋯⋯Ever since being invited here, one question had been circling in my head. Calling Andersen was only natural, but why had she called me?
But after hearing all this, I had a hypothesis I could hardly believe, and I asked half-doubting.
"Are you hoping I'll resolve that for you?"
-Correct. I have watched you through the child's eyes, and now I know that your nobility is without flaw.
"Nobility is⋯⋯ no, before that. I don't have the ability to stand against B-rank Hunter power. My body would burst and I'd die."
Even if I could connect to that inner wasteland, it would be the same. I'd only barely suppressed the plague fragment in Sohye's world because there was a "vaccine." If I'd fought it head-on, I would have lost. Even Sergios had freaked out and suggested we run, hadn't he?
When I showed reluctance, the Holy God smiled faintly. Meanwhile, the lion head, slowly increasing its share, bared its teeth and snarled savagely.
-It is not a matter for now. Someday, kill my desire for Unification. Kill the other me. If you do, I shall become yours.
⋯⋯So she wanted me to grow until I was capable of it, then take down the other personality of a B-rank Skill. And the reward was her—the B-rank Skill itself.
A distant, far-off promise.
But seeing Andersen's face, I had no reason to refuse. If I ever had the ability—why would I refuse a deal that could save my friend's world and massively increase my combat power?
Right. Someday, I would return here and do it.
-⋯⋯I entreat you.
Had she heard my silent resolve? Or had she simply run out of strength to maintain this garden? Before I could even speak the words aloud—the garden began to crumble.
Light enveloped me once more, and I was expelled from consciousness.
I opened my eyes.
This was inside the 『Grand Sanctuary』.
My condition? The same. I felt like death. Still battered and ragged. Couldn't you have used a little power to restore my stamina, Holy God?
The enemies?
"U, UUUUUUU──."
They were the same too. The moonlight I'd thought had cleared was now rippling like an aurora, even denser than before. The giant holy knight Olmun still looked full of power.
Then what had changed?
As I quickly scanned my surroundings, Andersen spoke to me.
"⋯⋯Noah."
"Andersen⋯⋯? In your hand, what is that."
And then I realized. The move the Holy God had placed in our hands.
A ballot.
In Andersen's grip was a clear ballot.
My mind snapped alert. Now, while everyone was dazed from the Holy God's temporary descent—this was the chance. I ran with all my strength toward the holy knights blocking the path and shouted.
"Vote!"
"⋯⋯Yes!"
Saintess Andersen ran too. The target was the great bowl at the center of the 『Grand Sanctuary』. The place where the vote was held.
Among the people gathered here, there was only one properly functioning ballot. Just put it in, and the conclave would be complete. Just put it in, and we could use the power the Holy God had left behind!
"The ballot! No!"
"Throw yourselves at them if you must—stop them!!"
The victory plan was set. Complete the Holy God ceremony, and win!