Chapter 212
Chapter 212
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Lucifer Who Leads Evil - 4
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The red eyes floating in the sky were visible only for a brief moment. By the time I doubted my own eyes and looked up again, they had long since vanished.
It felt too unsettling to just dismiss it as a misperception.
The sky was already blood-red anyway, with something vaguely sun- or moon-like in red hovering there, so I wanted to believe it was nothing, but there were too many nagging details for that.
While I was lost in thought, Lucifer forcefully hurled the wooden root spear in his hand. The throw was so powerful it sounded like a cannon firing.
It was the opening pattern of phase 2.
A massive pillar formed from intertwined and twisted roots shot forward like an arrow. The spear was also cloaked in the dark crimson aura unique to demons.
Its sharply pointed tip tore through the nearby air as it hurtled toward me at tremendous speed. I cleared my stray thoughts. Now was the time to focus on the fight again.
I clenched my left hand, preparing to cast black magic. As my stamina drained away, a black magic circle formed on my left hand. The sound of the spear tip slicing through the air grew abruptly closer.
I thrust my left hand forward at the precise timing. The spear, charging with enough force to pierce everything in its path, was sucked into the magic circle on my hand, breaking down and getting absorbed.
I yanked my arm back. My tightly clenched fist trembled faintly. A sinister black aura writhed around my forearm all the way to my elbow, plain as day.
Lucifer, who had created another massive spear from wooden roots, thudded down to the ground. His wings flapped vigorously behind his back.
At the same moment, an arm tangled in wooden roots burst out from the river of bubbling blood. Its owner soon revealed itself.
It was like Lucifer scaled down to half size—something roughly my own height. Its entire body was covered in wooden roots, and it held a spear in its right hand.
Unlike the main body, which at least had one eye protruding on its face, this thing's face was blank. It was a wonder how it could even see ahead like that.
Blood dripped from its body in thick drops. Steam rose faintly.
‘One down for now.’
The developers must have wanted to emphasize the Demon King concept, because these things only spawned relentlessly in phase 2.
And it wasn't just one. Three more staggered out, identical to the first.
They positioned themselves between Lucifer and me, aiming their weapons at me one by one. Each carried a different weapon.
The first one had a spear, the second a longsword and shield, the third a greatsword, and the last a massive bow.
‘Dealing with them won't be a big issue.’
With my current specs, that was true. Knocking them out wouldn't take much—an enchanted Wingless Nightmare could do four or five in a row. That hadn't changed even in hardcore mode.
The real problem was that, unlike vanilla, in hardcore mode they kept getting reinforced until the phase ended. Not just four, but more.
If I ignored them, I might end up fighting a legion of dozens of these clones.
I changed the attributes of Wingless Nightmare. The blade returned to its gray hue. I placed my still-ominous left hand on the upper part of the crossguard and slid it upward like a caress.
Black flames ignited along the path my hand passed. Thanks to the ash-to-ash magic boosting the firepower, the flames burned fiercer than before.
Lucifer extended the hand holding his spear. Taking that as the signal, three of them charged at once. The bow-wielder stayed put, nocking an arrow, so it was the exception.
‘The one in front first.’
I finished my calculations and shifted position slightly. It was set so that as the bow aimed at me, the backs of the charging ones would align. The bowstring twisted sideways accordingly.
These things had the trait of swinging their weapons recklessly, allies or not.
With a twang, the arrow launched. Their dumb AI was unchanged—it embedded in the rearmost one's occipital bone instead of hitting me, on the same diagonal line.
The greatsword wielder, approaching only to get randomly attacked by an ally, staggered with its head drooping. I took a few steps forward.
Seizing the moment as the sword one swung its weapon, I swiftly retreated. The blade tip narrowly sliced empty air. As it recovered its stance, I swung Wingless Nightmare.
Black flames burrowed beside the shield, incinerating the wooden roots. Scorched roots crumbled to the ground in clumps.
Now it was time for an attack from behind. Without checking, I rolled sideways to evade. A spear immediately stabbed into where I'd been.
Clang! The spear tip bounced off the innocent shield. The spear clone staggered from the recoil.
Right in front, the greatsword was raised with both hands. One of the clones had recovered and hoisted it. As it prepared to swing, I rolled away again.
The diagonally swung greatsword smashed the spear clone's ribs instead of me. Something snapped, and the struck body floated into the air.
The root human, bent like the symbol ‘<’, flew in the direction of the swing and collided heavily with the shield one. The shield bearer staggered as well.
The greatsword clone, having magnificently disabled two with one swing, took an arrow to the back of its head with a twang! Its head snapped forward.
Thank goodness their intelligence matched the game's.
“Servants of God, lambs of the faith.”
Floretta's voice echoed to the people gathered under the radiant sunlight. Hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of eyes focused solely on the two figures.
The Pope of the Sun and the Pope of the Moon.
“For countless ages, we have pleased the Sun and the Full Moon. We have sung for God's joy and prayed for His grace. We have praised the brilliant Sun and the cool Full Moon. We have cast aside all we possess and advanced solely for God.”
Standing closest were, naturally, Stella and Selene.
Stella stood with the mace's head on the ground, handle pointing skyward. Selene gripped her rapier firmly, tip aimed downward.
Margarita's position was a step away from the inquisitors and interrogators. Not quite on Stella and Selene's level, but higher than a holy knight—such an ambiguous rank had been assigned to her.
Her armor was slightly different too. It was perfectly pure white like the other holy knights, but three black lines were drawn across the chest.
“We have found rest in God's embrace.”
As Floretta finished, the world fell silent. Even with thousands gathered, not a clink of armor could be heard.
Floretta glanced at the plaza's people for a moment before speaking again.
“Yet beyond this world, things exist that obscure the light.”
Her emerald-like green eyes gleamed with resolute will.
“Things that seduce humanity, mock the faith, and jeer at God. Deeds too vile to speak aloud, committed without a second thought.”
As if responding, brilliant sunlight descended upon Floretta from above. It looked as if she stood within a pillar of light.
“Today, we shall bring punishment upon those wicked beings.”
This time, Luna stepped forward.
Floretta naturally retreated a step. As Luna spoke, a full moon appeared in the still-daylit sky, bathing her in light. It was miracle enough to warrant the name.
“We shall ensure they can no longer defile God's name.”
Her amethyst eyes swept over the thousands in the crowd.
“We shall triumph.”
Her soft, gentle tone rang out crystal clear.
Inquisitors and interrogators. Dozens of battle nuns under their direct command. Hundreds more battle nuns a step below. Hundreds of holy knights clad in pristine white armor.
And finally, thousands of believers solemnly witnessing the Pope's declaration of holy war. Not one failed to hear the voice resounding across the plaza.
“Rise, lambs of God. With your hands, awaken true faith in the wicked, and fulfill what God desires.”
Floretta returned to her position. The small sun atop four pairs of wings in her right hand began to shine.
Luna stood straight. The small full moon atop four pairs of wings in her left hand shone as well.
The sacred relics symbolizing sun and moon gleamed so brightly that even nonbelievers could feel their power.
Raising the relics to head height, Floretta and Luna whispered in booming voices. A contradictory expression, but fitting.
“May the merciful Sun illuminate all places.”
“May the compassionate Full Moon embrace all things.”
Floretta and Luna fell silent after those words.
No thunderous cheers or applause followed such a speech, as usual. If anything, it was eerily quiet, sending chills down spines.
The ordinary believers knelt, offering sincere prayers to the Sun and Moon, and to Their proxies about to wage this holy war.
Stella's battle nuns refrained from cheers as well. They simply struck the ground a few times with their shields to express their emotions.
Selene's battle nuns did the same. They quietly held their rapiers vertically before their faces, blades pointing skyward.
The holy knights followed suit. They knelt on one knee, bowing their heads toward the light shining above.
They knew not what mighty foe awaited. Not what trials would unfold. Dozens or hundreds of demons might charge at once. They could lose their lives all too easily.
Yet the Popes, who hadn't left the grand cathedral in decades, had emerged to bless them personally—and they would fight at the Popes' sides. That alone elevated morale boundlessly.
And on top of that, the sacred relics crafted by God Himself.
The sun and moon atop the relics began to glow. Light gathered between the two Popes, and within a massive circle, another world opened.
Those who glimpsed the scene inside retched at the horror.
The ground was barren of life, parched dry. The sky was a dreadful blood-red. Blood flowed like water in the rivers, and mountains rose not of earth but of human skulls.
Hell itself.
Toward that hell, the Popes stepped forward. Spotless high heels crushed the dry dirt. Expressionless eyes stared straight ahead.
Over the demons who had luckily survived outside Kaikilia and Delta's paths, the sun and moon began to rise.