Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: 057. Archangel - (Complete)
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Beatrice Ludenfeld headed straight for the Great Cathedral the moment she received her liege Ciris's command.
No one stood in her way.
Every time Beatrice drew her sword and took a step, all obstacles oxidized into incandescent white heat, as if shaped from sunlight itself.
By the time she reached the heart of the Great Cathedral, it was utter pandemonium. In the half-collapsed hall of the cathedral, Archbishop Balua thrashed about wildly with wings of divine power unfurled.
One priest impaled on the black blade of divine power.
Beatrice didn't hesitate and swung her sword to free the priest.
"...What in the world is going on here?"
In truth, she had already heard the rough outline from Ciris.
The First Princess Ciris Leisander's most closely guarded secret.
The repeating time.
Ciris was an observer who had already witnessed the moon's fall to ruin several times.
Since Beatrice, her closest confidante, already knew that crucial fact, understanding the situation wasn't difficult.
"Indeed... So he sought heaven's aid to obtain divine power."
The corruption of the Erebos Royal Academy's archbishop.
It was one thread of the downfall Ciris had described.
If that was the fate of someone who sought a god's power, then so be it.
Beatrice scowled. Not just because Ciris's tale had become reality.
'This level of opponent... held off by just two cadets and one priest?'
The archbishop cloaked in divine power was undoubtedly a formidable foe.
Yet that formidable foe had been stalled by a mere two cadets and one priest. For at least several minutes.
It was an absurd scene, no matter how you looked at it.
But having witnessed it with her own eyes, denying it would be even stranger.
"Rest easy. I'll handle things from here."
She spoke first to the priest cradled in her arms.
This must be the Leo that Ciris had mentioned. Aside from his dark skin, golden hair, and sturdy build, there was nothing particularly noteworthy. The energy flowing through his body was that of an ordinary human.
"Priest, you're bleeding badly. First, we need to stop the..."
The moment Beatrice reached for an emergency potion in her bosom.
Clasp.
Priest Leo grabbed her wrist.
"No time for that. The full wipe pattern is coming soon."
"...Full wipe, pattern?"
She furrowed her brow at the nonsense, but Priest Leo continued without regard.
"Knight, help that red-haired cadet right now. She's handling the left wing, so you take the right."
"..."
Beatrice's eyebrow twitched.
A mere priest was brazenly issuing orders to her, a swordmaster and royal guard knight.
How outrageous that was could be seen in Instructor Chiron standing nearby.
"P-Priest! What are you saying?! This is the royal..."
"Royal or not, didn't you come here to save lives? Then quit yapping and help."
Leo said it through gritted teeth in pain.
"No, giving orders to a royal knight is... against protocol..."
"That's not my problem. Just listen to me. If we don't move fast, everyone's in danger."
As Chiron floundered, Beatrice narrowed her eyes at Leo.
At first, she thought he'd lost his mind from blood loss. But Leo's gaze was steady without a hint of delirium. It wasn't bravado or fear-induced babble.
'The one Her Highness has her eye on...'
The last time she visited Erebos, First Princess Ciris Leisander had smiled while speaking of Leo.
Ciris smiling was rare. For one living in repeating time, stimuli were nonexistent. For her to smile while mentioning this priest...
"Haa..."
Beatrice sighed. Even if it cost her life, she wouldn't doubt her liege's judgment.
"...I'll let this slide just once."
In the end, Beatrice gently laid Leo on the ground and stood.
"The right wing, you said."
"Yes. Among the feathers on its right wing, the one glowing an eerie red is the regeneration core. Sever that, and it'll be defenseless. You can parry the tentacles rising from the ground, but the divine power torrents from the wings—dodge or deflect them unless you have no choice."
"Noted."
Thud.
Beatrice drew her platinum sword and charged at Balua. She wanted to fight her own way, but with Ciris's earnest request, she followed Leo's instructions for now.
Slash!
The blade aura of white yang cleaved the second feather from the right, the one with a different hue.
Surprisingly, the divine power weakened in an instant. Regenerating flesh crumbled, and rampaging mana scattered without direction.
She followed up by slicing the divine power tentacles surging from the ground, and they withered away futilely.
'What in the...'
Beatrice was inwardly stunned but didn't stop her strikes. Following Leo's guidance turned what she thought would be a grueling battle into something that flowed like water.
Too precise to be luck. Even she had only vaguely sensed the mana flow intuitively, yet this priest pinpointed it with certainty.
Not coincidence. He knew the monster's ecology, its weaknesses, perfectly.
Slash.
Beatrice swung, nicking the tip of Balua's wing.
"Not there! Above the head! Strike when the black ring gathers!"
The priest shouted desperately. Beatrice scowled and looked up. Indeed, a halo hovered above the archbishop's head.
Charging there was suicide. The archbishop had no openings. But Beatrice leaped without doubt.
At the same moment.
Grind!
Mana churned.
Sophia, handling the left wing, severed the red feather within, collapsing Balua's stance for a brief instant.
'Hah...'
Now he was even creating openings.
Godlike command. Astonishing.
'Interesting.'
The reason her liege Ciris watched Leo.
Not just luck or peculiarity. This man had the insight to break the cycle of doom.
——Fwoosh.
Beatrice condensed aura into her sword.
Following another's orders—not her princess's—for the first time, swinging her blade. But it didn't feel bad.
Dancing on the stage he set? Worth trying once.
——Flash.
Above all.
Beatrice herself was intrigued.
By that golden-haired priest.
*
——Boom!
The sky crumbled.
No, the world sustaining Balua shattered. The halo shattered, severing the pillar of divine power pulsing above his crown. The forcibly bound divine power backlashed like a waterfall.
[Kuhk...]
Balua vomited black blood.
Pain as if his soul tore apart assaulted him.
Sprouted wings melted like rotting flesh. The divine power flowing through his veins turned to poison, burning his organs.
Crunch.
Balua slammed into the ground.
"Ah, aaah..."
How did it come to this?
Just minutes ago, Balua felt he owned the world. That was divine power. Absolute dominion over gods. Twisting laws, ignoring causality and morality. He thought tasting that fruit would make all plans smooth.
Yet Balua failed. To a handful of humans.
A plan invested over twenty years. How could that golden tower crumble to a few sword strokes?
He couldn't accept it.
Couldn't acknowledge it.
"Not yet, not yet..."
Archbishop Balua clawed across the sticky floor. Black blood dripped from his fingertips. Though his body collapsed, a sliver of divine power remained within.
Even if flesh broke, as long as the 'vessel' endured.
Yes. If his perfectly crafted masterpiece remained, he could start anew.
"...E, Elise..."
Finally, crawling Balua stopped before Elise Aurora de Lua.
Torn vestments. Exposed skin. Garb somewhat vulgarly revealing.
Not saintly, yet paradoxically brimming with life more than ever.
Daughter, sacrifice, now salvation.
Balua laughed wretchedly and opened his mouth to Elise.
"Help me... Elise..."
A grating metallic rasp from his throat.
"Haven't I... Haven't I raised you so well...? Took you in... fed you, clothed you, taught you..."
Sublime sacrifice. To make Elise a saintess, Balua poured immense effort. Thus, Elise must become his vessel. That was right. That was providence.
"Not too late... Come here... Offer your body..."
Balua forced his half-melted facial muscles into a grin. Closer. Her feet visible.
"We... will become gods together... Purify this filthy world... Become eternal immortals..."
Just grab that ankle. Fuse his flesh to her leg, pour in his soul. Then, completion.
"My daughter... hurry..."
"First, one correction."
Elise's response was ice cold. She looked down at Balua with chilled eyes and bit her lip.
"I'm not your daughter. Not even an adopted one. And I'm no saintess."
Elise turned to Chiron and extended her hand. The swordsmanship instructor didn't grasp her intent at first but drew his sword from his waist upon meeting her gaze.
"I'm tired of walking paths others made for me."
Elise smiled brightly, raising the sword with minimal courtesy.
Balua's eyes trembled.
"...In the end, you've ascended beyond the mundane."
Balua muttered, and Elise plunged the sword down.
A golden arc pierced Balua's chest, skewering the black chalice pulsing within.
*
——Rumble.
Archbishop Balua met his end.
The black pillar linking to the heavens reversed, sucked into the void like massive ink, just as it had appeared.
At least this incident's conclusion matched the game perfectly.
"Ha, haha..."
Half-sprawled on the ground, I let out a hollow laugh.
Eventful, but Act 3 was over.
"Priest..."
Elise approached me, supported by Helena. Her clothes torn and dirtied, but her expression clearer than ever.
"Thank you, and I've decided."
Elise gently took my hand and pressed it to her cheek.
"From now on, I'll live for myself. Not as anyone's puppet or the cathedral's saintess... just as 'Elise.' All thanks to you, Priest."
"Is that so?"
Elise choosing her own path.
Great, welcome news, but...
Not the priority now.
"By chance, Lady Elise, can you use holy power?"
"No. The drug's effects haven't worn off yet. And I used up the power in the handkerchief just now..."
Elise tilted her head.
"Is something wrong?"
"Hmm."
Problems galore.
The biggest one...
"Master! B-Blood...!"
Sophia screamed.
Only then did Elise grasp the severity, mouth agape.
Blood from my shoulder had soaked half my priestly robes red.
"...*Gurk*."
Tension released, forgotten pain and dizziness crashed like a tidal wave.
Surviving this far was a miracle.
Battle excitement, adrenaline, and cheat-key Beatrice's arrival kept me going. But without proper hemostasis, yelling commands—my body couldn't be fine.
"P-Priest! Open your eyes! Priest!"
"Master! Don't die! Waaah!"
Screams faded distantly, like underwater.
Vision blackened.
I passed out cold.