Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: Star Pulverizer (8)
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Vitares staggered, his balance shattered. His facial muscles, exposing their vivid crimson cross-sections, twitched violently. A mix of thin cerebrospinal fluid and red blood trickled down, soaking his face.
Yet Vitares did not meet his end.
"Ugh... kgh..."
Creeeak—crack!
As if flailing his hands wildly, he yanked the axe free from his own forehead. Kadim furrowed his brow sharply.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. In the past, Hendark, the "Star that Pierces Truth," had taken an axe to the forehead and emerged unscathed as well...
But this was different. This time, the blade hadn't been stopped by tough skin or a sturdy skull. Elga's divine power reinforcing his resistance, his thick brow ridge, his solid cranium—the axe had surely sliced through it all, turning the contents of his head into mush.
A fatal blow that even the mightiest Arch Paladin couldn't withstand. And yet, the bastard was still moving...
Schlop, schlop...
The cracks in his skull fused back together in an instant. Kadim's expression hardened. No wonder he hadn't worn a helmet. The guy was starting to pull off shit that wasn't even human.
Vitares, too, couldn't hide his shock. Who could stay calm after having their skull split open out of nowhere...?
"Elga, what in the world is this...? Damn it..."
"......"
But he quickly masked it, glancing at his frozen comrades. The arrogance from before returned to his blood-smeared face.
"Ha, as expected of barbaric heretics... A welcome without even a shred of civility. Then again, without an ambush like this, you never stood a chance at victory..."
"Pretty sure your side struck first."
Vitares's eyebrow twitched as he ignored Kadim's words.
"Fine... I understand your desperation, a mere mortal daring to defy Elga's radiant star. Still, it wasn't a pleasant experience, so I'll seal this axe away for now."
Whoooosh—!
Divine power concentrated in one arm. The hand gripping the axe haft rose high, then slammed down with terrifying might.
――――――—Boom—! Kwagwagwagwa...
The lightning bolt pierced the ground, burying itself deep underground. It sank so deep that even the gravitational "Recall" effect failed. Having exacted his petty revenge, Vitares smirked in satisfaction.
"Don't rush it, heretic. You should at least know who took your life, so you have something to wail about in the pits of hell, no?"
"......"
"I'll say it once more. I am Vitares El Akrathia Durektasion, the seventh seat of the Decagram. The honorable epithet adorning that position is 'the Star that Reaps Li—'"
"No, stop! Gah, don't say it! You, you can't say it!"
His grandiose introduction was cut short again. This time, it was Angelion, the "Star that Spreads the Gospel," who interrupted.
"Guh, the epithet! Don't say the epithet, Lord Vitares! This guy, he seems to know something about our 'stigmata'..."
But that warning, too, was interrupted midway.
Poo—crack!
"...Guhk!"
Angelion's massive head crushed under a brutal stomp.
Now that he'd found the whereabouts of the old man's masterpiece, there was no reason to keep these guys alive. Kadim indifferently scraped the brain matter off his sole against the ground. Gray matter filled with star-like gospels smeared across the floor.
At least the "Star that Spreads the Gospel's" final advice got through.
He realized it now, but Angelion being here was extremely suspicious to begin with. He'd clearly heard that Delutana had fallen in the saint's chamber... Vitares stopped boasting about himself and showed strong wariness.
It didn't matter to Kadim, who had already seen through it all.
"So you're the 7th seat, the 'Star that Reaps Life.'"
"...!"
"I've already dealt with the 8th. When are the other two Decagram coming? I'd prefer to clean them all up at once."
Confusion and doubt flashed through his mind. Vitares answered hesitantly.
"...I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting. I'm the only one here. Four Decagram mobilizing at once? Unless you're planning to wipe cities off the map, that wouldn't happen."
"......"
Kadim clicked his tongue. He realized too late that he'd been fooled by that bedridden Arch Paladin. Something had felt off, but he'd hoped that part was true...
Two wasn't quite enough to shake the feeling of incompleteness, but there was no choice. For now, he'd placate the old man's soul with this much and deal with the rest later.
Of course, the most urgent task was retrieving the old man's "masterpiece" first.
"That hammer looks like a pretty damn good weapon, by the way."
"......"
"Where'd you get it?"
Vitares subtly pulled the hammer haft closer without answering. Kadim chuckled inwardly.
"Didn't expect an Elga zealot to wield another god's 'divine weapon'."
"...This hammer will be purified with Elga's consecration and made my new 'divine weapon.' Even if it's a heretic's abomination, discarding a dwarf god's armament of unparalleled performance would be a waste. Of course, before that... I'll smash your body with it first."
"I see. How about handing it over to me and dying cleanly instead?"
"...What?"
"That hammer was originally meant for me by a certain blacksmith. Hand it over nicely, and I promise a quick, painless death without all this drawn-out suffering."
Thud. A casual kick nudged the corpse that had lost its limbs and head.
Vitates, stunned by the absurd proposal, soon trembled with rage. Angelion was a rival and a thorn in his side, but still a full member of the Decagram. He couldn't just stand by while a lowly heretic mocked and desecrated the church's stars.
"We are Elga's spear, Elga's will, Elga's incarnation, the foremost agents of Elga... Do you, a worm not even worthy of that, dare touch us—the radiant ten 'stars'—and think you can handle the consequences?"
"Seems like it. I've already crushed one."
"Ha... You saw clearly that my rank dwarfs the 'Star that Spreads the Gospel,' didn't you? Even your best shot was for naught, and you still think you can win?"
"Won't be hard. You're no immortal god."
"...!"
The red-haired holy knight froze as if struck in the vitals. In that moment, Kadim rummaged through his inventory and pulled out the giant weapon suited for facing another giant: the jet-black battle axe that called forth death and ruin, Judgment of Atala.
Vitares glanced at the emblem on his chest. Suspicious that the stigmata's effect had been exposed. But Kadim said nothing, merely raising the axe haft high. He'd dragged things out long enough.
From here on, it wouldn't be clever tongues, but the weapons in their hands that would settle the debate...
His heavy stomping steps signaled the start of battle.
Kwa—bang!
Kadim struck first. The ground quaked, closing the ten-meter gap in an instant. The approach was so swift that Vitares couldn't prepare a proper defense. He raised his hammer late, but its immense weight bound his movements.
Regardless of the enemy's plight, the merciless black gale swung down.
―――Whoosh—boom, kwang—!!
Vitares barely blocked the axe blade by thrusting out his hammer haft.
"Kgh..."
Zing. Shock reverberated to his bones. A groan escaped, his brow furrowing involuntarily. To handle the hammer's weight and the enemy's superhuman strength, he focused his mind and poured all his divine power into both arms.
Kadim pressed the assault relentlessly. He twisted the axe head back, then swung a reverse slash. When the opponent dodged by stepping back, he masterfully controlled the inertia for a chain attack.
―――Whoosh—boom, whoosh—boom, whoosh—boom!!
A relentless barrage without respite. By speed alone, it felt less like a giant weapon and more like a swift sword.
A reckless counterattack would leave a fatal opening. Despite gathering his divine power, all Vitares could do was evade or defend. Even that grew precarious, and eventually, he took a devastating blow without a proper response.
――――――Plush—crack!
"Gahk!"
A direct hit to the chest.
The decagram emblem split in two, muscles and organs turning to pulp. And it didn't end there. The superhuman force on the axe blade shattered his entire skeleton, burying half his body in the ground.
Creeeak! Creak creak...
Of course, the wound healed in an instant this time too. But it wasn't without effect.
"How much 'lifespan' do you have left now?"
"...!!!"
"You've come back from being turned to rags twice already. Can't be much remaining."
Vitares's eyes bulged as if they might pop out.
It was certain now. His suspicions had turned to conviction. This bastard knew the effect of his stigmata.
The stigmata Vitares bore, "Star that Reaps Life." Its effect: heal external wounds at the cost of remaining lifespan.
Like swapping "mana" for "lifespan" in Melissa's unique trait "Mana's Grace." The cost was steeper than mana, but until it ran out, he was effectively immortal—just like her.
And that wasn't even its full power.
"Ha, I don't know how you learned about the 'stigmata'... but no need to hide it now."
"......"
"Don't worry. I still have plenty of 'lifespan' left. Exactly how much...? Enough to use this much without a care."
"......"
"......Infinitely so."
Vitares pressed his fist to the stigmata and declared resolutely.
"Lord of Eternal Light! I beseech you, grant your agent the power to annihilate evil! I offer this life born of light, '1 year' as tribute!"
The moment the declaration ended, the Arch Paladin's aura changed.
Whooooosh—!!
A flush mixed into the pure white mist. Wind pressure swept the floor fiercely. Elga's divine power swirled like a tempest, his muscles swelling unnaturally.
Offering "1 year" of lifespan to empower himself.
"Hraaaaaah—!!!"
True to its name, the "Star that Reaps Life" burned life to gain power against foes. He swung the hammer with all his might for his first credible attack.
Whoooosh—!!
And it shattered just as before.
――――――Plush—crack!!
"Ehek, keke..."
Sacrificing just "1 year" couldn't close the gap. Vitares quickly erased his inner dismay and began offering more lifespan.
Even paying "3 years"...
"This life born of light, '3 years' as tribute!"
Even "5 years"...
"This life, '5 years' as tribute..."
Even "10 years"...
"Th-this life, '10 years' as tribute..."
Plush—crack!
"Ehek, kughhhh..."
The result never changed.
Every time, he couldn't land a single proper hammer strike before his body was torn apart. He barely kept up a few steps, but the mad heretic's power still toyed with the holy knight flailing from an unattainable height.
At this point, even Kadim started feeling puzzled.
"What are you?"
"......"
"You've openly sacrificed 20 years, and factoring in the times you've died and revived, it's several times that. Why do you have so much lifespan, like some turtle spawn?"
"Heh, heh, kehheheheh..."
Vitares let out a deflating sneer. He shed the facade of panic, subtly revealing the composure beneath.
He knew well his boundless potential. Throughout the fight, he'd never truly felt threatened.
If he wanted, he could match this monstrous heretic "evenly," slightly overpower him, or even "absolutely" dominate. He'd held back only because the cost—lifespan—was too precious to waste frivolously.
But in doing so, he'd wasted even more pointlessly... It was time to stop toying around.
He grinned ear to ear and declared.
"...Ten thousand years."
"...!"
"My lifespan nears 'ten thousand years'... What you've whittled away in your struggles is but a fleeting instant, shorter than a blink in my eons-long life..."
"......"
For a moment, Kadim wondered if the holy knight had gone mad from too many blows.
Even long-lived elves rarely reached a thousand years. Across earth and heaven, only gods or dragons possessed such longevity. Even Melissa, a grand archmage, had thrashed about just to scrape three hundred more... What nonsense...
But upon reflection, it wasn't impossible.
There were three ways for humans in this world to exceed their allotted lifespan: divine blessing, demon pacts, elf blood. And this guy was in a position to draw endlessly from one.
"Divine blessing."
"Elga bestowed upon me the blessing of longevity reaching eternity's end. Moreover, to extend it further, a thousand priests in the saint city are sealed away for life, praying... I simply didn't want to waste even that long life on executing a single heretic..."
"......"
"...You don't seem like an ordinary heretic. A demon... Yes, your atrocities match what the archbishop seeks. For a 'demon' like you, I'd gladly offer a mere 'thousand years' of my time..."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
The pure white mist became a blizzard. His frame and muscles swelled to match the barbarian before him. Vitares gripped the hammer in a stance far more solid than before.
Kadim calmly raised his axe haft as well.
His initial shock had faded. "Ten thousand years" was just theoretical wordplay—not an absolute guarantee for this guy.
"Wasting years like that, plus losing lifespan every time you're pulped... You'll definitely live less than ten thousand."
"Ha, still shorter than you, who'll die soon? After your bones turn to dust, I'll live on for thousands more years, exalting Elga's glory!"
"No, that's overly optimistic. My guess is your remaining lifespan is more like ten from now..."
...Mid-sentence, Kadim activated the "Hydra's Tattoo."
Woooong—!
Vitares scowled deeply. "Ten years" would be ridiculous enough. Ten months? He'd think him insane. Ten weeks or days? Pure terror-induced delusion.
But Kadim's prediction was none of those.
A crimson flash surged. Suddenly, Vitares's vision flooded red.
――――――――Creeeak—crack!!!
Dizzying impact and agony struck his throat. His senses paralyzed as if pinned to a frozen timeline. He tried to scream, but only wind escaped his lips. In his blurring vision, a bloodied axe blade and headless body suddenly appeared.
"...!!"
Vitares finally realized what had happened.
The berserker with glowing red eyes looked down at the severed neck and murmured indifferently.
"9."