Chapter 267: I’m Coming to See You Now (4)
Chapter 267: I’m Coming to See You Now (4)
“O… Reckless Roar! Hear my final roar!!”
With those words, Jeff used his one good hand to rip his own heart from his chest.
His hand reached toward the sky as if offering it to someone. The moment I saw the heart pulsing atop his palm, I had a gut feeling.
Something was very wrong.
The Holy Knights, who were far more expert in these matters than I was, seemed to share the sentiment, as they hurriedly channeled their Holy Power.
Though not as powerful as their initial strike, the combined effort of four elite Holy Knights was still formidable. A massive wave of Holy Power surged toward the dying man.
…But it was a moment too late.
Squelch!
The pulsing heart melted into a viscous liquid, and a substance resembling red mud began to swell in size.
The sludge expanded, swallowing not only the dying Jeff but also the other half-dead cultists nearby. With every body it consumed, it ballooned several times over, eventually pushing back the incoming Holy Power and soaring into the sky.
“These bastards never just die quietly!”
“Well, obviously! They’re damn fanatics!”
Iona and I cursed as we frantically gathered mana to prepare for whatever was coming next.
I didn't know what it was, but the best course of action was to tear it down before it could be completed…!
I’ve never been one to be stingy with mana, but this time, I poured it out as if I were throwing it away, unleashing a barrage of spells.
Flames roared, and a frigid blizzard exhaled frost. Iona, for her part, tried to clear the sludge using Blood Flame and blood explosions.
However, we only managed to gouge the surface; we weren't dealing any real damage.
No matter how sturdy a barrier might be, it should be impossible to withstand this much magic without taking a scratch.
That left only one possibility.
The Evil God, Reckless Roar, had intervened directly.
If he had devoured the sacrificed believers and added a portion of his own power to the mix, that level of defensive strength made sense.
The only thing that might work was Holy Power from the lineage of the Good Gods, but…
Perhaps they had exhausted too much already. The light enveloping the Holy Knights' weapons had grown noticeably dim.
It couldn't be helped.
“That’s enough, fall back for now! It’s not working, so let’s all attack at once the moment whatever is inside jumps out!”
“…Tch!”
“Understood!”
The Holy Knights gritted their teeth but followed my lead and retreated.
Watching them, I began casting. Iona also started preparing her strongest spell, Tepes.
With eyes wide and spells ready, the moment we completed our magic, a change occurred in the sludge that had been surging upward like an inverted waterfall.
It gathered into a sphere at a single point in the air… and then scattered in all directions.
“…Huh?”
I waited a bit longer just in case, but absolutely nothing happened.
No manifestation of a fragment of Reckless Roar, no horrific monster being spat out, not even an explosion.
There was no sign of anything.
Just as I was about to relax, wondering if the ritual had been a dud.
“Student Yandel. Look over there.”
Iona frowned and pointed. At the end of her finger, I saw a shroud that had completely covered the Great Temple before I even realized it.
“Ah.”
Are you kidding me?
*
“Ah.”
As if a switch had been flipped, the chapel suddenly plunged into darkness.
Helena, who had been offering prayers for days without proper sleep or food, let out a faint gasp.
There had only been one other time when this place, which should always be bright with the Authority of Righteous Light, had been submerged in such darkness.
The first was when Righteous Light had overexerted her power to make Helena a Saintess, and the second was now, as they barely held on while surrounded by the Evil God’s army.
In the former case, the light had naturally returned as Righteous Light recovered, but what about now?
Had something happened?
Suppressing the rising tide of anxiety, Helena spoke directly to her god.
‘O Righteous Light. Has something gone wrong?’
Though prayers are often called a plea to the gods, few truly expect an answer.
However, for Helena, it was different. The consciousness of Righteous Light actually resided within her.
‘Yes. For some reason, my connection to my main body has been severed.’
The tone was far too casual for a god, but the heavy presence imbued in the voice placed a great burden on the human mind—especially when one’s physical condition was failing.
Helena’s nose crinkled slightly at the dull ache of a headache.
Knowing full well that Helena had been holding on with minimal sleep and food, Righteous Light kept her explanation as brief as possible.
‘It seems to be a barrier similar to the one that isolated Clara in the past. Clara will explain the details!’
‘I understand.’
Helena gave a small nod and focused her mind on the medallion she held in her hand.
Immediately, a will—too vivid to be called a mere residual thought—stirred within and spoke to her.
—Ugh. This again?
“Lady Clara. Regarding this barrier…”
—Of course, I should tell you. Let’s see. Where should I start?
Though her voice trembled slightly, perhaps due to past memories, Clara continued her explanation with relative calm.
—First of all, this is a barrier that severs the connection between a god and their believers.
“Does that mean the supply of Holy Power is cut off?”
—Exactly. Since the connection with Lady Righteous Light is severed, you won't be able to receive Holy Power from the source as you usually do.
Clara advised her that the Holy Power already stored in her body wouldn't suddenly vanish, and that while it would put a strain on her, she could hold out until reinforcements arrived if she used it sparingly.
Clara even taught her how to slightly alter the structure of the barrier to reduce Holy Power consumption, comforting her like a kind older sister.
Righteous Light watched the scene and fell into deep thought.
She had managed to deflect the situation for now, but was it really okay to tell these children the truth?
That it wasn't the Great Temple that was isolated, but her own main body, which existed on a different plane.
That the believers spread across the entire continent would soon lose their Holy Power.
That she might soon cease to be Righteous Light.
And… that they were all about to die.
Could she really say it?
Righteous Light agonized over it. In all her long existence, this was the first time she had felt so utterly powerless.
Finally, she reached a conclusion.
She whispered to her Saintess, who was trying her best not to lose her smile despite her fear.
‘I’m sorry. Just take a deep rest for a moment. …Everything will be resolved by the time you wake up.’
“My Lord…?”
Helena tilted her head at the incomprehensible words, but only for a moment. Suddenly, her body slumped sideways like a doll with its strings cut.
Just before she hit the floor, a pair of lion ears sprouted from her bright blonde hair.
Righteous Light had forcibly suppressed Helena’s consciousness and risen to the surface herself.
As if she had guessed everything, Clara spoke.
—…My Lord. Are we well and truly fucked?
“Yes. Was it that obvious?”
—Of course. Helena might not have noticed yet, but I served you for nearly twenty years, didn't I?
“Ahaha. I guess so. I’m sorry.”
—There is no need to apologize. It might sound strange coming from me, but we did our best. It’s just that they were more cunning and powerful.
“Yes. But still, I’m sorry. You only just came back to the world as a residual thought, and now you’re about to die again.”
—Having died once, dying a second time isn't all that scary. By the way, My Lord, you…
Righteous Light shrugged at Clara, who trailed off.
“The only thing I can do for Helena is to take her place in the moment of death, right? I want her to meet her end as peacefully as possible.”
—I’m sure she will.
The two continued to talk for a long time after that. Like old friends trying to say everything they hadn't yet said. Or like children struggling not to fall asleep.
But everything has its limit.
—The charged Holy Power is starting to run out.
“…I’m sorry. The remaining Holy Power is…”
—Needs to be used to maintain the barrier as long as possible, right? For the sake of the people still left inside the Great Temple?
Clara cut Righteous Light off mid-sentence.
It was a rudeness she would never have committed under normal circumstances, but there was something Clara absolutely had to say while her voice could still reach her god.
—My Lord. You who bring light to the world like the radiance of the sun. Your choice is correct. So, do not feel sorry for me. On the contrary, it was an honor to serve you.
Whether in the past or the present.
She did not resent her god at all. She believed her god had simply made the right choice, as she always did.
With a voice that was growing increasingly faint, Clara uttered her final words.
—…You are still, and always, Righteous Light.
“…….”
With those words, the voice vanished completely. It wasn't that Clara’s residual thought had disappeared from the medallion; she simply lacked the power to speak.
Knowing this well, Righteous Light gently stroked the medallion.
Then, she whispered softly.
“Yes. You’re right. I am Righteous Light.”
Helena was asleep, and Clara was silent.
Because she was born of light and had been praised all her life, the darkness and silence she had never experienced before felt incredibly cold.
When humans feel anxious, when they encounter something they cannot possibly handle, they offer prayers to a god.
Hoping that a transcendent being will save them.
Then, what should a god do when they are wandering in despair?
Whom should they seek?
To whom should they pray?
Who… will save them?
Righteous Light shook her head with a bitter smile.
She was a being who saved others, not one who was saved.
From the day she met the First Priestess long ago, she had become a god.
And so, Righteous Light resolved to fight until the very last moment.
Just as she always had.