The Evil God's Gaze, Part 5
When she pulled the trigger, thunder struck. Seraphina's worries—that this **Thunder Staff** might be nothing more than a loud, empty noisemaker, or perhaps another cruel trick played by the evil god—vanished in an instant. The thunder pierced the Cardinal's chest in a flash, effortlessly tearing through his robes woven from celestial silk. Blood stained the white fabric crimson. It was an absurdly disproportionate outcome for a mere twitch of a finger. It was a sight truly worthy of a gift from an evil god, but...
"Ugh, *whew*... *gasp*... Ah, so that's where you were."
Seraphina was not the only one who enjoyed a god's favor. Despite his pierced chest, the Cardinal did not fall. Instead, he calculated the trajectory of the wound to pinpoint her location. The old man took another step forward. This time, he moved directly toward where the girl was hiding. A faint smile played on his lips as he spoke with chilling composure.
"...You have ruined my precious robes. But I shall forgive you. For it is the duty of a godfather to embrace the mistakes of his child."
Renatus calmly stared in the direction the thunder had come from. Their eyes met through a gap in the debris. His pitch-black irises seemed to swallow Seraphina's ruby-red eyes whole. Seraphina froze at the surreal sight. The old man continued to speak to her in a gentle, paternal tone.
"So stop hiding, child. When speaking to an elder, one must look them in the eye."
"..."
Seraphina did not bother replying to Renatus's nonsense. Instead, she squeezed the trigger again. Her movement was slightly more frantic than before. *Bang!*
"I recall teaching you at least that much etiquette back when you were at the convent... *cough*—*gasp*—"
The thunder tore through the old man's throat. Flesh splattered. His voice cut off instantly. Renatus clutched his throat before he could finish his sentence. He teetered precariously, looking as though he would collapse and die at any moment. But even that was short-lived. When his hands reflexively dropped from his neck, the old Cardinal's throat was already fully healed. It was the same for his chest, which had been pierced first. Despite his blood-soaked robes, not a single scar remained on his body.
"...It seems my teachings were insufficient. To think you still do not realize that a mere toy like this cannot negate His divine protection." Renatus sighed in disappointment. Pointing a finger toward the spot where Seraphina was hiding, he lectured her in a booming voice.
"My child, have I not told you time and time again? As the eighteenth servant of Order, I have been bestowed with His divine Authority. So long as my faith in Order does not waver, this power remains absolute. Yet you dare to look down upon the star that sits at the high seat of the Pantheon."
As he spoke, Renatus's face was filled with unwavering self-assurance. It was the expression of a man who did not doubt for a single second that his faith was the absolute truth. While it was a common look among high-ranking clergy who had attained the rank of Cardinal... Seraphina found his face utterly repulsive. During the month she had spent bound in the depths of the Holy Order's dungeon, the old man's expression had been exactly like that.
"Oh, of course you would say that! When your so-called great constellation has to resort to torture just to beg for believers, you'd better have a high rank like that to make it worth your while!" Seraphina screamed before she could stop herself. Her location was already compromised anyway, and the sheer resentment bubbling up from his self-righteous sermon made it impossible to keep her mouth shut.
"Unwavering faith? Ha! Is that something the order with the most **Heretic Inquisitors** should be bragging about? Is that what you say after kidnapping and brainwashing people? No wonder your order has the fewest believers among the three major religions!" The girl sneered with venomous sarcasm. She wanted to shatter that serene composure. She wanted to see the old man's face twist in rage. Yet, there was no anger in Renatus's response.
"My, my. Child, your tongue is sharp. You sound as though you are angry. I truly cannot fathom why... Won't you tell me?" The old Cardinal's voice held nothing but disappointment, confusion, and grief. It sounded less like a clergyman confronting a heretic and more like a father gently admonishing a wayward child. That tone, still treating her like a foolish little girl. That question, asked with genuine incomprehension. Naturally, the girl found herself at a loss for words. This wasn't the reaction she had wanted. A suffocating silence fell between them.
"...Ah, I had hoped it wasn't so. Could it be because of the faith correction you underwent before you ran away? Is that why you seek to flee from the embrace of Father Order?" Renatus broke the silence, speaking as if the realization had only just dawned on him. His voice was low and soft. Even as he spoke the truth, he looked utterly incapable of understanding it.
"Ha... Haha, ha!" A hollow laugh escaped the girl's lips. *To betray the God of Order simply because you underwent a little 'faith correction'? Common sense dictates that such a thing is impossible—* That was the exact assumption dripping from Renatus's question. The fact that he couldn't even comprehend that his actions were wrong provoked Seraphina more effectively than any deliberate insult ever could.
"Sigh, have I not told you countless times? It was a necessary measure. I knew you dreamed of a different life, but—" Seraphina refused to listen to another word. Any lingering hope that he might offer a belated apology was shattered. The girl resolved not to show this old man even a shred of respect.
"—You did things that anyone on **The Continent** would call torture, and you still dare to call it correction?!" *Bang!* The girl fired back. Both verbally and physically. She struck to cut off the old man's defense. But it did not reach him. A hand and voice trembling with injustice could not shatter absolute fanaticism. And so, the old man's sophistry continued. It coiled around the girl like a curse.
"—I simply could not allow it. Finding a handsome husband and traveling the world? Yes, if it were any other child from the convent, I would have gladly given my blessing!"
"Then why did you do it to me?!" the girl screamed. *Bang!* Another crack of thunder echoed, missing him by a wide margin.
"Because your talent is far too dangerous! If you were to join any order other than Order, the balance of **The Continent** would collapse. And if the Demon King of **The Continent** were to lay his hands on you, you would become a living catastrophe!" The old man spoke as if stating an undeniable truth. And just as she had in the depths of the church's dungeon, Seraphina refused to accept it. Possessing exceptional talent as a priestess—was that a valid reason to deny someone their entire life? A room that was brightly lit twenty-four hours a day. Forced to recite scriptures repeatedly without sleeping or eating, surrounded by holy hymns that never ceased for even a single second. A hell of light where divine magic wouldn't even allow her to go mad or pass out... Was that truly enough justification to throw a human being into such a place? Tears welled in the girl's eyes as she recalled the most agonizing moments of her life.
"I never had any intention of joining another order! I had absolutely no desire to serve the Demon King!"
"But my child, the future rarely goes as planned. Just look at where you are now."
"...You could have just talked to me when I left the convent."
"Hahaha, what a foolish notion. I raised you myself. Do you think I do not know what a stubborn troublemaker you are? Persuasion through words would have only delayed your flight. It was never a fundamental solution."
"So that's why you kidnapped me? Why you locked me up in a cage like an animal?"
"I had no other choice back then. Forcing you to devote yourself to Order, even through coercive means, was the only way. It was the best I could do."
"What utter nonsense...!"
"But! My child. Seraphina, beloved of the gods. You are different. You still have a choice. Even after everything that has happened, you can still choose."
"..."
"Come back to the Order, even now. After a period of atonement, you can become a priestess once more." Renatus made the offer with absolute sincerity. Seraphina did not hesitate. Instead, she spat back with raw contempt.
"Ha! Would you, if you were in my shoes? I don't believe in Order anymore. I refuse to become a hypocrite who only pretends to be righteous. I refuse to become a disgusting monster like you!"
"..." Her answer left the Cardinal speechless. A brief silence fell over them once more. Seraphina thought it was because of some lingering shred of guilt within the old man. She believed her words had shaken Renatus, even if only a little. She hoped so. She was wrong. A moment later, the old clergyman asked, looking genuinely bewildered.
"A hypocrite... I see. My child, you call the great Order a hypocrite. Is that why you have offered your faith to an evil god instead?" This time, it was the girl who was struck dumb.
"Did you think I wouldn't know? I am well aware that your faith has strayed from Order and turned toward another wicked deity."
"—You can't even use *Sense Gaze*, so how can you be so sure?"
"Seraphina. Though all my senses have been offered to Order, it does not mean I am entirely blind to the gaze of other entities. I can still feel the weight of an eye resting upon us."
"..."
"I have known since the moment I crossed the Gate that there are far more constellations in this universe than those on **The Continent**."
"...Ha!"
"How else could you have survived after crossing the Gate completely unprepared? It would have been impossible unless you had somehow managed to charm a heretical constellation." Renatus continued in a bitter voice, as if he were revealing the harsh truths of the world to a wayward child.
"But tell me, child. That heretical god you serve... how long do you think it will look after you?"
*Bang!* Hearing Renatus's words, the girl hastily pulled the trigger. It was an instinctive reaction. She felt that if she listened to whatever Renatus was about to say next, her resolve would truly waver. The unleashed thunder pierced the Cardinal's eye, blowing away half his face and splattering flesh. Yet, the old Cardinal did not stop lecturing her. He healed his wounds as if winding back time, using even this gruesome display as leverage for his persuasion.
"That thing in your hands. The evil god's gift. Yes, now that I have felt it myself, I understand. It is a weapon that allows even a mere child to slay a seasoned warrior. Especially in this magicless world."
"...!"
"There is no way such a weapon could have been crafted by human hands alone. A god must have intervened. But what could possibly be the intent of a god who unleashes such a weapon upon the world?" Seraphina wanted to scream that he was wrong, but her mouth felt clamped shut, refusing to move. It was because Renatus's words struck a chord with her own secret doubts.
"Ah, my foolish child. The god you worship desires nothing but a war of all against all. It is an evil god that finds amusement only in slaughter and war! That is surely why this wretched world has fallen into such ruin!"
"...Shut up."
"My poor child, why can you not see it? That thing in your hands is no proof of a god's favor! It is... Seraphina, it is nothing but a brand marking you as its plaything."
"Shut your mouth!" Ultimately, the girl could not contain the emotions surging within her. Rage, anxiety, and despair erupted like a dark wave. She had lost everything in a matter of days. The only thing she had left was her connection to her new god, and now even that was being dismissed as a lie. The fact that she couldn't easily refute his words plunged Seraphina into even deeper despair.
*Click—* Seraphina abandoned her cover and stood up. She flipped the selector switch on her **Thunder Staff** to full-auto. She blindly pulled the trigger, resolved to empty the remaining catalysts. *Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!*
Thunder poured down like rain. Even the old Cardinal had not anticipated such an onslaught; he hastily threw himself aside while forming a hand seal.
"...What is this?!" For the first time, a crack appeared in Renatus's serene facade. The old man quickly ducked and formed a hand seal. A golden radiance materialized, forming a protective wall before him, deflecting the downpour of thunder. Seraphina felt a surge of joy at the old man's first sign of agitation. It was perhaps the first moment of genuine happiness she had felt since crossing the Gate.
*Click, click—* But the moment of joy was fleeting. The catalysts for the thunder were depleted in an instant, leaving behind nothing but a hollow echo. And Renatus was still alive. His bewildered voice carried over the wind.
"Damn it... What kind of monstrosity did that mad god put in the child's hands?!"
Seraphina did not bother to answer. Instead, she focused entirely on analyzing the situation. *I missed too many shots...!* It was due to the recoil of full-auto fire. A few stray strikes of thunder had managed to shatter his shield and wound him, but it wasn't enough to end the Cardinal's life. *But the fact that he was forced to defend himself for the first time—* meant that her attacks were a genuine threat to the old clergyman. Seraphina's mind raced. *Mana is extremely scarce in this world. Once his divine power is spent, it won't recover easily.* Even in a barren world like this, the Cardinal's ability to cast a defensive spell was impressive, but he wouldn't be able to do it a second time. Seraphina saw a glimmer of hope. *Just one more shot. Just one!* Frantic, the girl scanned her surroundings. Her slender hands scrambled through the ruined building, searching for spare catalysts to reload. A flurry of thoughts crossed her mind in that split second. *I put them somewhere when I was testing it yesterday... Where was it? It was near where I slept. Ugh, why are there so many obstacles here? If only someone could just tell me where they are—*
*—Ah, of course! The gaze of the god!* Seraphina remembered the evil god's gaze a moment too late. The gaze that had watched over her and guided her to what she needed. *If only it would show me where the catalysts are!* Seraphina prayed in her heart and activated *Sense Gaze*. Her skin, which had grown numb with rage since seeing Renatus, became hyper-sensitive once more, painting the world in a cold, silvery hue. And indeed, it was there. The evil god was still watching over the girl. Four pillars of light were pointing in directions all around her. Seraphina turned her head with a surge of joy. But in the next instant, she was struck by an incomprehensible bewilderment.
*What? There's nothing there...?* There was nothing where the evil god's gaze rested. Forget catalysts; there wasn't a single useful object in sight. A question mark bloomed in her mind too late. An ominous premonition flashed through her, and that premonition immediately manifested as reality. Renatus's sorrowful voice revealed the answer.
"...I did not wish to take you by force, considering this is our first reunion in so long. But I have no choice. Bring her down." The Cardinal gestured. At that moment, four men materialized beneath the silver pillars. No, they hadn't materialized. They had been there all along. They had been standing right behind her long before Seraphina even noticed. Their presence was only now being revealed.
*—Don't tell me they've been invisible since they entered the city!* The four Hunters who had crossed the Gate with Renatus. Knowing they were closing in on Seraphina, the Cardinal had prepared this trap as a contingency.
"Mmph!" A Hunter's thick hand clamped over the girl's mouth.