Chapter 334
Chapter 334
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Great Will (3)
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"Ah! If you're talking about the archdemons, I've taken care of a few."
It was a casual tone, as if recounting everyday life.
"I ate some bread yesterday."
Lindal and Lu-Rah's thoughts lost their balance entirely.
In Lindal's case, he clutched his forehead and staggered in place.
Even though he had shed his mortal body long ago, it was a reflexive action.
He simply lacked the confidence to handle the current chaos with his mind alone.
"Capturing an archdemon means..."
"...you drove it away somewhere?"
After exchanging glances for a while, the two beings reached a reasonable conclusion.
The extraordinary feats Rishir had shown so far!
That could explain even the unrealistic scenario of a mortal banishing numerous archdemons.
"Ah, well—how do I explain this."
Seeing their bewildered reactions, Rishir fell into thought as well.
His eyes darted between the upper left and upper right. His hands busily gestured in the air as if assembling something.
"Ah."
Suddenly, an exclamation mark popped up over Rishir's head.
It was an intuitive expression even these two transcendent beings, detached from the mortal world, could grasp immediately.
"Think of it like catching an animal and cooking it. Basically, I dismantled and destroyed them piece by piece. To the point where revival or regeneration is impossible—"
"I ate some bread yesterday."
"And I cooked up some archdemons too."
His overly intuitive phrasing struck them with another wave of severe cognitive dissonance.
"Did you use the power of the true holy sword...?"
A moment later.
Lu-Rah spoke in a trembling voice.
Lindal eyed Rishir's presence with quivering eyes.
It was a natural reaction for them.
For this very moment.
They had dreamed of nothing else for eons.
The embodiment of the great will that would cleave immortal darkness and open the path of light.
The birth of the true holy sword—
They believed without doubt that it was the only way.
"Of course. I couldn't have done it alone."
Rishir raised the true holy sword in his left hand as he spoke.
"Subjugating the archdemons—that was undoubtedly achieved together with the holy sword."
Ah.
Deep sighs escaped their lips.
Sighs so profound they were beyond measure.
Lindal covered his face with his palms.
Lu-Rah looked upward.
Soon, they began to laugh.
Sounds that could almost pass for sobs.
Plip.
Plip, plip.
Plip-plip-plip—
"Ah."
The sensation of colliding droplets.
Rishir looked up at the sky.
Rain was falling from the heavens.
Plip.
Plip.
Before reaching the ground, the droplets hit something prematurely, making sounds.
Lowering his gaze again, a single gravestone entered Rishir's view.
Its surface gleamed as if freshly placed.
The surrounding grass and flowers were meticulously tended, forming a harmonious whole.
Butterflies fluttered around the stone, carrying the fragrance of blooms as if soothing its occupant.
Whoosh—
A breeze rustled the grass and flowers.
It guided Rishir's gaze like a gentle hand.
"Ah."
Rishir's eyes followed the wind.
Across the endless expanse of the field—
Brushing past the gravestones filling every corner.
Each stone was surrounded by different grasses and flowers.
The butterflies and insects soothing them varied in color and form.
Plip-plip.
Plip-plip.
The rain fell without cease.
Every gravestone soaked it in without exception.
The sound of droplets bouncing off the stones.
The sound of them pooling and trickling down.
The field filled with their chorus.
Amid it all, Lindal was still laughing.
Rishir unwittingly closed his eyes.
Plip-plip.
Plip-plip.
Then, it seemed as if laughter like Lindal's echoed from all directions.
Laughter that sobbed fiercely yet was unmistakably joyful—
Plip-plip.
Plip-plip.
Too many voices to remember each one.
They were names, existences, faces.
In truth, the world remembers few of them.
It does not recall the wills and sacrifices of those who burned their bodies to spark feeble flames.
Plip-plip.
But they are here.
Plip-plip.
Clearly remembered, sharing this moment.
As parts of the great will—
At the end of the great will—
"...the lights that had flickered gathered as one to illuminate the world..."
Lindal's gaze turned to the void.
The field stretching to the horizon filled his eyes completely.
"Now, you shall always be by our side..."
Plip-plip.
Plip-plip.
Plip—
Plip.
The rain stopped.
Now, the field was bathed in warm sunlight piercing the clouds.
"Rishir."
A voice called as he gazed entranced at the scene.
Rishir looked at Lindal.
"..."
Lindal, who had first called Rishir with excitement, slowly closed his mouth.
He couldn't fathom expressing his current emotions in words.
"Could you tell us more details?"
So Lindal changed the subject unnecessarily.
"About the moment the holy sword cleaved the darkness."
"Ah, gladly."
Lindal listened intently to Rishir's tale.
Lu-Rah drew near beside him—
And soon, the other holy swords joined as well.
Rishir, sharing their emotions,
Began explaining the events in vivid detail, exhilarated.
"...And so, the holy sword was in one hand. And—"
"And? You're saying you held something else besides the holy sword?"
"Pardon? Ah. Yes. In the other hand, I held a demonic sword. One holy sword and three demonic swords—... Ah."
Rishir, recounting the situation calmly, suddenly stopped.
An awkward silence descended on the gathering.
"My lord... You remembered me and my brethren..."
The woman in black, standing at a distance and gauging reactions, clasped her hands hesitantly in感動.
"So, in my story, Holy Swords 1, 2, and 3 of the vanguard—"
Rishir sweated profusely, trying to save the world for everyone.
"...!"
It happened abruptly.
Lindal's demeanor shifted dramatically.
His eyes widened as he began scanning the surroundings.
"Lindal!? What's wrong!?"
Even Lu-Rah, who had sensed Lindal's true nature and kept her distance—
Could not help calling his name, forgetting everything.
Indeed, Lindal's anomaly was far from ordinary.
"This is...!"
After pacing restlessly and scanning about, Lindal finally steadied himself and swung his arm forcefully.
The idyllic field faded—
And the familiar crystal reappeared.
"...!"
Rishir and his companions, seeing the world Lindal revealed through the crystal they stood upon, were stunned.
Just moments ago, no traces of darkness remained there—yet new darkness now descended.
A void so empty it swallowed even darkness—
"Lindal, has a new archdemon appeared!? Tell me the location, and I'll head there right—"
"No...!"
"!?"
Lindal urgently cut Rishir off.
"This isn't that... Not like an archdemon fragment—..."
"Not like an archdemon fragment...?"
The characteristic smile vanished from Lindal's face.
His expression rigid, he muttered repeatedly.
Why?
Wasn't it completely gone?
Why has it returned?
A moment later.
Regaining his composure from the frenzy, he spoke.
"We can't waste time like this. Gather power immediately for a grand ritual. Before it fully descends—"
Lindal's gaze fixed on a point in the crystal.
The part retaining the strongest light among all—
"The Church."
The name slipped from Lindal's lips.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"No choice now. We must borrow their power...!"
Lindal steadied his breath and closed his eyes gently.
His hands clasped neatly.
In that instant.
His body began emanating light as radiant as the sun.
"..."
Rishir, watching from close by, let out an exclamation.
In this moment.
He clearly understood the origin of divine power.
Similar to what he had felt from the saintesses before—
Yet more fundamental power emanated from him.
The Lord God.
It clearly guarded its followers' side.
Within the leeway permitted to him—
Rishir momentarily forgot his situation in excitement.
The church members he had met flashed in his mind.
Along with their devout faith.
The thrill of realizing their faith pointed true!
It was like witnessing a miracle firsthand.
"...Huh?"
Then it was.
Rishir began looking around with a strange expression.
"Lindal...?"
Lu-Rah cautiously called his name.
Not without reason.
"..."
His face, sensing the faithful, was gradually darkening with shadows.
"Lindal! What's happening!?"
As shadows threatened to cover his entire face—
Lu-Rah could no longer hold back and raised her voice.
"It's my fault..."
"What...?"
Lindal.
Despair trembled in his voice.
"Because I am so feeble... They lost faith in the light..."
Lindal broke his constraints for the first time.
Bearing immense cost, he directly communed with the faithful.
As the being they believed to be the Lord God—
He spoke to them.
...No response came.
The implication was clear.
The Church.
Those who believed in the great will and the reality of light.
They had lost faith.
"..."
Lu-Rah, knowing the church's devotion, was speechless.
Suffocating silence filled the space.
Meanwhile, the void in the crystal expanded relentlessly.
"No."
Rishir spoke then.
"They have not lost faith."
Lindal's gaze slowly turned to him.
"Then why... doesn't my voice reach them...? Why can't they sense my presence...?"
It was a realm incomprehensible to a mortal like him.
Yet somehow—
Lindal found himself seeking answers from him.
"They didn't fail to sense your presence—"
Mid-sentence, Rishir irritably scratched the back of his head.
A sigh accompanied his mutter.
Ha.
How to explain this.
He steeled himself and continued.
"They clearly heard your voice and responded clearly."
"...How would you know?"
"I can hear it."
"?"
In this moment.
Rishir could feel the wills of countless church members directed at the Lord God.
The saintess.
Their wills coalescing through her, the Lord's apostle.
"Why can you..."
"Sorry. I impersonated the Lord God briefly once, so maybe that's why."
"...Impersonated the Lord God?"
Lindal felt pure bewilderment.
Impersonating the Lord God.
Undoubtedly, a violently novel phrase to him.
"How on earth— No, why..."
And it succeeded, no less.