Chapter 507
Chapter 507
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 507
Chapter Title: Divine Power (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The supreme leader of the Papal Court, Pontiff Sairon.
He was the strongest transcendent in all of humanity in Nocternia, a guardian deity who had upheld the religious world for long ages.
From the start, as a cleric treated as a natural predator of vampires alongside the Slayers, he had lived over a century to ascend to the pontiff's throne.
That alone made it easy to guess how extraordinary he was.
Of course, his life, born into this chaotic world, hadn't been all smooth sailing.
No, for someone different from others since birth, every moment of living had been a trial without exaggeration.
'The filthy curse clinging from the moment of birth, and the damned fate I had no choice but to bear. How many brushes with death has that brought me over the years.'
To reach his current position, he had truly weathered countless twists and turns.
Disdain and persecution from those around him were par for the course, and the life-threatening crises he barely escaped by sheer luck were beyond counting.
Yes, but...
'Damn it, even so, isn't this a bit much?'
...He could declare it with certainty.
This moment was the greatest crisis of his over-century-long life.
"Impressive. Even if I was caught off guard, I didn't expect there to be someone in this world who could recognize me."
An insurmountable wall approached.
An inevitable death he couldn't possibly evade.
The judge come to claim his long, hard-fought life.
"First time seeing you in person, but... yeah, you're the Pontiff of the Papal Court, right?"
Heinz 2nd, the pinnacle of vampires, flashed a faint smile at the frozen pontiff.
A cold sneer that chilled the blood more than no smile at all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Heinz stroked his chin.
'Pontiff Sairon... never thought I'd run into him here.'
Gazing down at the white-haired youth before him, pale-faced and sweating profusely.
No matter how you sliced it, facing him one-on-one seemed daunting, but that was none of his concern.
"I see. So that's how you noticed my presence..."
He nodded slowly, scanning the pontiff up and down with newfound interest.
More precisely, tracing the faint, familiar trace lingering in his blood.
"A half-vampire, half-human hybrid, huh?"
"......"
A child born between those two races: a Dhampir.
Even for him, with his vast experience, this was his first time seeing one—a rarity of the highest order.
Vampires lost reproductive ability upon turning and propagated only through blood infection, an alien race by nature.
Thus, a Dhampir was a miracle that pierced impossible odds.
'Heard legends about them a few times. Vampires with vampire powers but none of the weaknesses—natural-born vampire hunters.'
In a way, they transcended vampire limitations, an evolutionary leap.
Plus, an instinctive enmity toward vampires and detection senses sharper than any tool—humanity's staunchest ally.
'Beyond the transcendent realm, that detection ability must have played a part in sensing my presence.'
That explained piercing his "Existence Denial."
As Heinz nodded inwardly in realization,
"Who... exactly are you? How can a being like you exist in this world?"
the youth looked up at him with a stiff expression, forcing the words out.
His superhuman vampire detection told him the truth: even throwing everything at this monster before him, victory was impossible.
Even his ingrained hostility couldn't fully manifest.
No, at this point, "monster" didn't suffice.
If he had to name the sensation...
'A... god?'
The pontiff swallowed hard, clenching his fists.
As the pinnacle of clerics, he held no faith—not even a speck.
Strictly speaking, gods were objects of love and hate for him.
The Papal Court's clerics, devoted to the divine, had taken in and protected the wandering outcast, neither fully human nor vampire, offering guidance.
But the god had also ordained his cursed birth.
Upon reaching transcendence and glimpsing worldly secrets, his deep dive into divine existence was natural.
'This world's gods care for neither humans nor vampires. They merely stoke inevitable conflicts and observe the earth.'
Mastering divine mysteries—the "light magic" of other worlds—to transcendence let him peek at cosmic laws.
And so he knew: no god would ever descend to this earth.
'That's what I thought.'
Just recently.
A twist in cosmic law hit the Ameria Continent.
From the site where high vampires worldwide gathered, traces of divinity—once theoretical—began emanating.
'So I holed up researching the truth. No solid results yet.'
Then S.O.D. reported a user of divine power appearing.
No wonder he rushed to Ameria.
...Though he never imagined sneaking out for snacks after ages away would land him in this mess.
"Well, seems you've already guessed."
"...An outer god from another dimension. An incarnation of the vampire overseer god..."
"Heh, correct. As expected, as sharp as they say."
A smile that froze the blood just looking at it.
Sairon swallowed hard facing it head-on, steadying his shaking mind with measured breaths.
'He must have heard about me from the vampire clan lords.'
Pontiff and vampire clans were sworn foes.
Thus, he was enemies with this outer god they served.
And he couldn't win.
'Still... I can't just give up.'
Suppressing surging despair, he gritted his teeth.
Without his restraint, humans would truly become vampire livestock.
Especially the Papal Court, humanity's vanguard alongside S.O.D. Slayers—obliterated.
To protect his cleric family, he had to resist, no matter the odds.
'Even if it costs my existence!'
As he steeled himself to unseal and unleash all power,
"No need to tense up. I have no intention of harming you here."
Unexpected words reached his ears.
Sairon hesitated, cautiously looking up.
At the incarnation showing no hostility, as promised.
"Why?"
"Hm, rather, I want to ask you. Aren't you half-vampire yourself? Why would I harm you?"
"...I've never once considered myself a vampire."
A voice laced with iron conviction.
No matter how dire, he wouldn't bend on this.
That faith from his saviors was the sole anchor letting a neither-nor mutant exist as a "human."
"Pfft— this is priceless. Such a shame. Without my constraints, I'd turn you into a true vampire right now."
Yet despite his firm refusal, the other made no move.
Just gazing regretfully, spouting enigmas.
'Constraints?'
Sairon's eyes twitched.
A stray clue slipped out.
His mind raced, electrified.
'Come to think of it, why is this incarnation here?'
With that power, he could raze the city in a blink.
Hadn't he reshaped Karan Kal's terrain?
Yet here, no destruction—just wandering, hidden from notice.
Why?
What target?
What drew him here...
'...Divine power.'
The answer came easily.
He himself had come for it.
His thoughts linked to S.O.D. intel.
"I see. Did the battle with that otherworld divinity right after descent impose some restriction? Can't rampage freely like before?"
"......"
No reply.
Just a chilly stare.
But that bolstered Sairon's conviction.
"Coming here yourself... planning to use the apostle of that divinity somehow? To lift your constraints."
"......"
"Still here, so it didn't go as planned? Or... needs more time?"
The youth's blue eyes sparkled like gems.
Hope piercing despair.
No longer cowering, he stood tall, meeting the incarnation's gaze with Nocternia's top warrior's aura.
"My thanks. You've clarified our priorities."
"You..."
A guttural growl like from hell sent chills, but knowing the other couldn't act first removed the fear.
Though best not to push too far, unknown constraint limits and all.
"The Papal Court will go all-out too. We won't let you have your way."
This provocation should be fine.
Watching fury rise in the arrogant vampire god's eyes,
Nocternia's religious head, Pontiff Sairon, smirked confidently.
'Good. He bought it. Better than expected.'
Unaware the foe was just as pleased.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In truth, the encounter with the pontiff was an utter surprise for Heinz.
'Who'd expect to bump right into him there. And one who could see through me.'
His meeting with Kang Taesan must stay secret.
Exposure could brand his friend a vampire spy, facing execution.
Yet harming the pontiff was off-limits.
With humanity on the back foot, his fall would collapse plans before launch.
Besides, transcendent and Dhampir—hard to subdue swiftly.
'Just Heinz being in the city might raise flags, but a plausible excuse helps.'
This encounter's gains were top-tier.
Leader of Nocternia's most influential faith, Papal Court.
Humanity's final bulwark, the world's strongest man.
His opposition would sink any new religion before it spread.
Yet Heinz 2nd stimulated his fears, securing not tolerance, but full cooperation.
'Mere persuasion as allies never yields this.'
Turning accident to opportunity with wit and quick thinking!
He couldn't help but praise himself.
'Even at full throttle, he'll need time. To shorten it, what we need is...'
He didn't know yet.
That the pontiff was a madman beyond imagination.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Pardon? W-what did you just say...?"
Kang Taesan stammered, bewildered.
As if unable to believe his ears.
Bluntly put, his face mirrored a passerby's shock at a lunatic.
"Sheesh, a young guy like you already so slow on the uptake."
But ignoring that, the white-haired youth across from him continued nonchalantly.
In solemn tones unfit for his boyish looks and clear voice.
"Fine, once more."
Pontiff Sairon grinned, blue eyes gleaming.
With a spark some called zeal, others madness.
"This time, let's change the Papal Court's symbol to..."
His finger pointed to a large structure in the corner.
"...that."
A sleek metal model shaped like the letter H.
The otherworld god's holy symbol, brought out by Kang Taesan.