Chapter 98: Apocalypse?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98: Apocalypse?
Thud.
“...?!”
Eri, who had just slammed her forehead on her desk, shot her head up in surprise.
“...Did I doze off again?”
How many times had it been now? Such a thing would have been unimaginable back at the Magic Tower. It seemed she had grown far too lax lately.
Stretching languidly, she grabbed her staff and left the room.
She figured a walk might help wake her up.
She passed through the second-floor hallway and went down to the first, but there was no sign of anyone in the inn. That wasn't strange, of course. She had rented out the entire building for her research.
However, in stark contrast to the quiet inn, the outside was in an uproar.
The noise was so loud it could be heard clearly even from inside.
Is something going on?
Puzzled, Eri stepped out of the inn.
“..?”
She froze, confronted by a scene so surreal it defied imagination. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things. But nothing changed.
Is this a dream?
Had she failed to fight off her drowsiness and fallen asleep? Given her recent poor state of mind, it was plausible she was having a nightmare. Just as she was thinking it seemed quite likely…
“Eri!”
She saw Neria running toward her from a distance. Dressed in a cloth shirt and light leather armor, she looked as if she had rushed over in the middle of a sparring session.
This is awfully detailed for a dream.
Eri slowly pulled back her middle finger. It was a simple test to determine if she was dreaming: bend a finger back. If it didn't hurt, it was a dream. If it did, it was reality. She hadn't even bent it yet, but the skin pulled taut and pained her.
It seemed this wasn't a dream after all.
This isn't a dream?
This situation, where some massive tentacle monster was covering the royal palace and the sky was shrouded in dark clouds and strange purple particles?
What in the world happened while I was dozing off?!
The answer came from Neria, who had run all this way to find her.
“The royal palace suddenly collapsed, and that thing came out?”
“Yes. Right after Ophelia led us out, the palace crumbled and it appeared.”
“What is this…”
Eri stared at the tentacle monster with a somewhat dazed expression. Only now did she realize that the magic power flowing from the monster was extraordinary in both quantity and quality, and it felt bizarre.
It seems to be a demon…
A high-ranking one at that.
Could that be one of the legendary Four Heavenly Kings?
How did one of the Four Heavenly Kings get to Lupus?
Though they had been despondent for a while after Cloud left on his own, they hadn't been idle. His concerns had been plausible, even if he had departed alone.
They had sought an audience with the king and advised him to significantly strengthen the city's defenses, which the king had accepted.
In truth, that was all they could do.
It wasn't as if the three of them could search every corner of the vast city of Lupus every single day.
And that alone had been sufficient.
The guards' regular patrols had increased, and at times, even knights were sent out on patrol.
Thanks to this, the security in Lupus had been very stable.
So they had finally been able to breathe a sigh of relief, only for this thing to appear in such a manner. It was beyond disconcerting.
CRRAAASSSHHH.
The Four Heavenly King swung a giant tentacle, and the entire area collapsed, sending building fragments flying high into the air.
Watching the debris fly, Eri spoke.
“Where’s Ophelia? Where is she? Don’t tell me she’s over there?”
“Ophelia is the one who can most effectively counter that power. She’s probably staying behind to protect people. Eri, we have to go help her, quickly.”
“What about the Knight Order? The royal court mages? What are those arrogant bastards who always strutted around doing now?”
“...I don’t know. They were all likely inside the palace.”
“...”
The monster had appeared from within the royal palace. Anyone inside at the time would have had a slim chance of survival.
We have to face that thing by ourselves?
Eri’s mind went from faint to completely blank.
The Four Heavenly Kings.
In the legends, they were always defeated by the Hero, so she had never given them much thought. But now, just by looking at that monster, Eri could feel the true weight of that name.
We can't win this now.
No, she wasn't even sure they could win it later.
The only thing she could be certain of right now was that, as they were, there was no way they could defeat it.
Eri had no desire to throw herself into a fight with no chance of winning.
That would be a pointless death.
Just as she was about to mention a well-packaged escape called ‘retreat’…
Her eyes fell upon the fleeing citizens.
They were being killed by stone fragments flying from afar, falling and being trampled to death by others, or murdered by robbers taking advantage of the chaos.
Her eyes also took in the half-destroyed city.
The city, which had possessed its own beauty despite being humble compared to the Empire, was losing its light.
Looking at it all, Eri felt no pity or guilt.
She felt fear.
What if she ran away from here?
She might be able to save her own life, but what then?
She, a companion of the Hero, would become an object of ridicule for having pathetically survived by fleeing from a demon.
Disgrace to her family. Shame of the Magic Tower. Coward. Deserter. All sorts of dishonorable labels would stick to her, and she would lose so much.
And most of all, what kind of expression would Cloud make when he found out she had run away?
The more she imagined it, the more terrified she became.
“Eri? What are you doing? We don’t have time for this!”
Neria shouted at her from the side, but Eri didn't move a muscle. Finally, frustrated, Neria said she would go on ahead and was about to run off.
Just then, a massive purple tentacle came toward them… more precisely, toward the castle entrance.
“Aaaahhh!!”
“Wh-what is that!”
The citizens who spotted the tentacle tried to flee in horror, but it moved faster. And Eri, manifesting a pre-memorized incantation, was faster still.
[Magic Shield]
Five layers of a translucent barrier materialized between the citizens and the tentacle.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Four layers of the shield shattered, but the final one held. Though cracked, it had successfully blocked the tentacle.
[Hellfire]
[Magic Missile]
A red magic circle appeared in front of Eri.
Magic missiles passed through the circle, and the projectiles, which had been mere clumps of pure magic power, were now wreathed in the flames of hell.
Infused with hellfire, the magic missiles easily pierced the tentacle. Eri controlled the missiles to create countless holes in it, and the tentacle eventually went limp.
Every eye in the vicinity turned to her.
Normally, she would have reveled in the attention, but not now.
“H-Hey, you, the young lady mage? Protect me! As for money—”
Thwack! A middle-aged man was sent rolling across the ground after being struck in the face with her staff. He screamed, but Eri didn't even glance his way.
She looked at the distant Four Heavenly King with a face full of irritation and resignation.
“Dammit… I really don’t think we can beat that thing…”
*
The upper-class district.
The streets, once as overflowing with leisure as they were with wealth, were now a scene of utter pandemonium. Located in the city center, the district was close to the royal palace.
The high concentration of demonic energy made it hard to breathe, and tentacles of all kinds, from massive to small and thin, roamed about, wreaking havoc.
This place, once an object of envy and aspiration for the commoners, had become a pit of despair.
But even in that despair, a small hope existed.
On the outskirts of the wealthy district.
A golden light shone at the boundary separating the rich from the common folk. Not even one of the Four Heavenly Kings could breach that sacred light. Demonic energy that touched the light was purified, and tentacles were burned away.
“W-We’re saved. We’re saved now!”
“Oh, Goddess Iries… Thank you. Thank you…”
The people protected by the sacred light felt a wave of relief.
They had no doubt that the Goddess’s blessing would continue to protect them.
However, the ones actually borrowing the Goddess’s power did not look so bright.
This was especially true for Ophelia, the core of the barrier.
This can’t go on.
There was no problem with the barrier's effectiveness.
The barrier of light, created by the prayers of ten clerics and a Saint Candidate, was completely blocking the vile energy.
The problem lay elsewhere.
“This way! Quickly!”
“You idiots! Run instead of letting out those stupid screams!”
Neria and Eri, having joined Ophelia, immediately began rescue operations. The rescue itself wasn't an issue. The two women were quite capable in their own right. With soldiers and guards also helping, the rescue proceeded smoothly.
The problem arose from that very word, ‘smoothly.’
Because the rescue was proceeding so smoothly, the number of people entering the barrier increased dramatically. This meant the inside of the barrier was starting to get cramped.
Soon, it would be so full that they wouldn't be able to accept any more people.
One might think they could simply expand the barrier, but doing so would mean sacrificing other things.
Things like the barrier's density and its ability to be maintained.
Since none of these aspects could be considered unimportant, Ophelia couldn't make a decision easily.
If only more people from the church were here…
If even half… no, a quarter of them were here, she wouldn't have to worry about this. But including herself, there were only eleven of them here—a mere handful of the many church officials.
Where could they all be?
Did they preach love and devotion, only to run away in fear when it was their turn to be devoted?
Were they such cowards?
Were those the kind of people who had tried to teach and control her, telling her to follow the will of the gods?
Negative thoughts filled her mind.
Ophelia shook her head vigorously, trying to banish them.
They must all be doing their best elsewhere.
Perhaps they would see this light and come to help. If so, her job was to hold on until then…
“I-I can’t take it anymore. This is insane!”
A young male cleric stopped praying and stood up. Despite his youth, he possessed abundant holy power and was being promoted by the church as a promising talent.
“What are you doing? Please, resume your prayers at once.”
“Saint Candidate. I can’t… I can’t do this anymore. I have to live.”
“Stop. I can’t let this pass as a joke…”
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!”
The cleric bowed his head deeply and then dashed toward the outside of the barrier.
“Wai— Stop! It’s dangerous if you go out…”
Ophelia fell silent.
The cleric had cast his own barrier as he ran, and the tentacles couldn't break through it.
How did this…
Her eyes widened as she turned her gaze to the monster occupying the space above the palace.
…On purpose?
Did it let him go on purpose?
The Four Heavenly King let a cleric go?
Why?
…Ah!
Realizing the intention belatedly, Ophelia turned her gaze to the other clerics. Two of them, who had been watching nervously, began to rise, intending to flee like the first one.
“Seize them!”
At Ophelia’s shout, the dazed citizens snapped to their senses and grabbed the two clerics who were trying to escape.
“Let go of me! Let go!”
“You crazy son of a bitch. A priest, trying to run away?!”
The two struggled but were quickly subdued. It would have been better if it had ended there, but the citizens, infuriated that they had been about to be abandoned, threw the two to the ground and began to beat them.
“Stop! Stop it! This is not the time for that!”
“Shut up! Do you know how much fucking money I’ve donated to the church?! And this is how you repay me? Getting fat off my money? Then spit it back out, you bastard!”
The citizens ignored Ophelia’s attempts to stop them. Bound to her position to maintain the barrier, she couldn't move to intervene more forcefully.
She pleaded with other citizens to help, but they too were indifferent.
The fact that the clerics had tried to abandon them seemed to have left a deeply unpleasant impression.
So, instead of stopping the assault, they chose to monitor the other clerics. They approached the praying clerics and applied silent pressure.
As if to say they wouldn't be let off so easily if they even tried to escape.
Even Ophelia, the Saint Candidate, was not free from such pressure. They watched even her with distrustful eyes.
The holy power gathering around Ophelia steadily decreased. It was only natural. There was no way anyone could pray properly in this situation. Everyone was just thinking of how to escape, not praying sincerely.
As this situation continued, even Ophelia began to feel her patience wear thin.
She bit her lip hard.
Ah… really…
Why are they acting like this?
If they would just do as they’re told.
Their chances of survival would increase, so why do they keep acting on their own?
Why aren't Neria and Eri here yet?
Cain… why did that son of a bitch run away and make things so hard?
Why aren't the church people here yet?
I’ve made the light this bright, shouldn't one or two of them have shown up by now?
Just help me.
I'm struggling, too.
I'm scared and exhausted.
Why do I have to suffer like this in the first place?
Because I'm a Saint Candidate?
It's not like I wanted to be one.
I didn't want it, but they just pushed it on me, calling it the Goddess's choice.
They have their own expectations and just keep piling burdens on my shoulders.
When things go well, it's their credit, but if they go wrong, it's my fault.
Damn church.
If my parents hadn't abandoned me, I would never have associated with them.
Why did my parents abandon me…
Ah, right. That was also a destiny bestowed by the Goddess, wasn't it?
Haha. Right. It was.
That damn goddess.
She can go get her ass fucked by the Demon King—
-Ah… Ophelia… my daughter… you have finally crossed the line…
A clear voice, delivered directly into her mind.
Ophelia flinched.
She knew instinctively whose voice it was.
“…Goddess?”
How?
She hadn't said it out loud, just grumbled her complaints in her head…
Ah.
Ophelia remembered she was in the middle of praying.