Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Zenith's Sword (2)
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The power of the wind boasted truly tremendous speed.
Cradled in Bayril's arms, Jamie could barely keep his eyes open against the fierce wind that felt like it would tear his skin. Even under the protection of aura, it was this intense—if he'd tried to endure that speed with bare skin, his entire body would have been flayed.
They exited the forest in an instant.
In the distance, the marquis's vanguard forces formed a siege line.
Spotting Jamie and Bayril, they waved large prepared flags.
"We'll head to the marquis first."
"Got it."
The marquis deserved to know the rough situation.
Bayril accelerated.
The distance to the army under the marquis's command was considerable, but the raging wind carried them to their destination in a flash.
The waiting marquis rushed toward them in a heartbeat.
"Jamie!"
He tightly embraced his unscathed grandson, who had returned safely.
"You rascal! Do you know how worried I was? Any injuries? Weren't you scared?"
The marquis examined his grandson's body all over with reddened eyes.
It felt a bit overwhelming, but Jamie said nothing.
"I'm fine, Grandfather."
"Good... you look it. Truly, truly fortunate."
"But I'm not the important one right now."
"What do you mean? If not you, then who?"
"Marquis. The goddess's apostle is in danger."
Bayril, who had been listening beside them, cautiously spoke up.
"What?"
The marquis couldn't help but be shocked.
The demonkin had been exterminated without leaving Mirene Forest.
So why was the goddess's apostle in danger?
"This isn't the time. We have to hurry. Otherwise, my friend might die!"
At the word 'friend,' the marquis recalled Jamie's relationship with Riki.
But it didn't make sense.
From Mirene Forest to the church was the opposite direction across Appton—how could he know of the danger?
Still, he couldn't press further.
Jamie's expression was too grave and urgent.
"Sir Onyx! Hurry!"
"I'll go swiftly."
Bayril seemed to trust Jamie's words.
Was the goddess's apostle truly in peril?
As that thought crossed his mind, a certain figure flashed through the marquis's head.
"...Sable."
"Grandfather, what did you just...?"
Jamie doubted his ears for a moment.
Why would Sable come up from the marquis's mouth?
But the marquis offered no explanation. He simply looked gravely at Bayril and made a request.
"Take me with you."
"It's dangerous!"
The adjutant nearby jumped in alarm at the marquis's sudden declaration, trying to stop him.
Bayril and Jamie thought the same.
"We don't know how dangerous it is. Stay here."
"Yes, Grandfather. It's risky."
"Kid. You may not know, but you shouldn't say that."
The marquis chuckled dryly, then dropped the smile and looked at Bayril.
"I have a feeling I must go."
"...Marquis. You can't."
"Even your adjutant is stopping you. Please stay here."
"No. I feel I must go, no matter what."
Sable wouldn't leave his mind.
Ever since hearing about him, the image had only grown stronger.
Where had that guy vanished to?
The marquis didn't know about him, but he knew Sable was hiding considerable skill.
Bayril could tell the marquis was dead serious.
"If it gets dangerous, you must flee without looking back."
"Don't worry."
"Marquis..."
"You prepare for any contingencies. Assemble a quick-response unit and follow us."
"...Understood."
Orders were absolute.
With a Sword Master along, their lives wouldn't be at risk.
The adjutant departed to carry out the command.
"Hurry. Didn't you say it's urgent?"
"Come here."
Bayril scooped Jamie into his arms again and drew the marquis close.
He wasn't sure if this was the right call, but the wind already enveloped them.
"It'll be fast."
Boom-!
The three figures shot into the sky at tremendous speed.
Ras recalled the day he was first appointed as an Inquisitor.
How elated he'd been when his skills were recognized.
He who'd been called a genius—even adults in the neighborhood couldn't match him.
The same when his faith earned him the paladin rank.
But seeing the Inquisitors taught him he was a frog in a well.
There are heavens beyond heaven.
Once he accepted that, he trained relentlessly, and the thrill of reaching that position after endless effort was indescribable.
Naturally, he'd since learned of even greater heavens, but his confidence in his prowess overflowed.
And now, that pride shattered once more before this transcendent being.
"You alone can't stop me."
Sable's cold gaze pierced down.
No attack landed on him. Instead, wounds kept multiplying on Ras's body.
'Even holy power can't heal them.'
Stronger holiness overwhelms the weak.
Different types amplified the effect greatly.
Ras continuously summoned holiness to heal, but Zenith's holiness embedded in his wounds interfered.
"Brother, you okay?"
"Ras, big brother...?"
Riki and Anna called out worriedly.
Ras staggered, straining to rise. He didn't know how many holes riddled his body, but he knew he had to save those kids.
Even if he died, he had to save them.
"It's pointless."
Blood erupted from Ras's shoulder.
"Brother!"
"Why, big brother?!"
Ras couldn't respond to the calls from behind.
Despite taking hit after hit, he couldn't grasp the attack pattern.
Sliced without a swing.
Blocked, yet struck.
Attacks with much omitted.
"Can't figure it out, can you? Why I keep hitting you. How the attacks fly. Right?"
"...A Sword Master."
"Only now you get it?"
Beyond overwhelming power, his attacks defied logic.
But if a Sword Master, it made sense.
The special power gained upon transcendence.
That power could freely produce such irrational phenomena.
"Causal Reversal. That's my domain."
Hard to grasp from the name alone.
But obligingly, Sable briefly explained his power.
"Simple. It just swaps the order of cause and effect. Understand?"
"Swapping cause and effect?"
"Yes. If I attack you, you get wounded. Causal Reversal pushes the 'I attack you' cause back and pulls the 'you get wounded' effect forward."
"That's absurd..."
Ras doubted his ears.
Even for a Sword Master called transcendent, Causal Reversal defied reason.
"The world has many monsters. Regrettably for you, I rank quite high among them."
There are always heavens beyond heaven.
And even greater ones above.
Ras couldn't even gauge the gap between them.
"I told you—no matter what you do, you can't block it. This is considerable mercy."
Sable's gaze turned to Riki.
"If I'd meant to kill the goddess's apostle from the start, he'd be dead regardless of your interference."
How to fight such a foe?
No method came to mind.
He glanced back. Riki gripped Anna's hand tightly, watching him.
"If you flee, I'll let you go. With the plan failed, political battles are inevitable anyway... I can afford that mercy."
He was mocking them.
Grinning arrogantly with utter leisure.
Convinced the situation wouldn't turn.
The frustrating part was he was right.
In that despair, Ras gripped his sword hilt tighter.
"...No matter what kind of monster you are."
Using his sword as a cane, he painfully rose.
His legs trembled, his grip failed, but he somehow straightened his back.
"I won't abandon these kids."
"If nothing else, your durability is impressive. Surviving that many cuts and stabs."
Paladins were tough by nature, but Ras's tenacity went beyond.
At this point, it wasn't his body holding—it was his spirit.
Though even that seemed at its limit.
"Boring."
Sable swung his sword.
Even without power, a Sword Master's strike.
Ras in his wrecked state had no way to block.
That moment.
"You bastards...!"
As the blade reached Ras's throat.
"How far will you go to satisfy yourselves?!"
A massive, potent holiness exploded from behind.
Sable was pushed back by the sudden shock. With wide eyes, he stared at the erupting holy power.
'What is this...?'
Caught off guard by the abrupt situation, he quickly regained composure and assessed.
'The goddess?'
Only she could suddenly unleash such holiness.
First, deal with that immense power.
Sable activated Causal Reversal, pulling forward the result of erasing Pyro's holiness.
But the holiness didn't vanish—instead, massive wounds carved across his body.
Grievous at a glance, yet he muttered indifferently.
"Failed?"
Causal Reversal was mighty, but proportionally flawed.
Fail to provide cause matching the result, and you pay the price with your body.
Rare for a Sword Master, but this was an exception.
'What kind of holiness is this.'
A curtain of light enveloped them like a great wall.
Strong enough to repel even Causal Reversal.
Sable held back, waiting for them to emerge.
The holy barrier slowly lifted.
Revealing three figures inside.
Sable's eyes narrowed.
"This is troublesome."
He saw Ras standing unscathed, then scanned around.
Beside him, Riki stood wreathed in potent holiness, face furious.
Anna clung tightly behind her brother.
"Tch. Did the goddess descend?"
With the apostle in peril so many times yet no appearance, he'd thought something happened.
'Too complacent.'
Not fully an apostle, but still one. If she willed descent, it was simple.
But contrary to expectation, no goddess descended.
"I can't take it anymore. You, and that repulsive god you serve! Why do you only commit such horrific, vile acts?!"
Riki spat his rage-filled words.
"To you, are all people just bugs?!"
"...The goddess didn't descend?"
"Answer me!"
Rumble-!
Holiness resonated with Riki's shout, booming loudly.
Sable stared at Riki, then spoke.
"Not particularly."
"Not particularly? Then what were your deeds? My friend died because of you. I nearly did too, same for my sister and friends. You toyed with my life, tried to destroy everything!"
"Merely the will of a holy god."
"Not holy. Zenith isn't a god. He's a demon. A vile demon!"
"That's how it is. To some, gods are demons, demons gods. Regrettably, the god I serve appears a demon to you."
Blasphemous words, but he didn't care.
Because Zenith treasured his sword most.
"Sophistry! Nonsense! Don't rationalize your ugly crimes! You and that evil entity you serve are trash!"
"In a world where the weak die to trash."
"I can't forgive you. I decided that day."
An ominous power began flowing from Riki's body.
Had the goddess granted such power to this child?
"Lost in thought?"
Ras, now close, slashed fiercely.
All wounds healed by potent holiness, his movements razor-sharp.
But Sable didn't dodge.
No need.
"Healing doesn't change who you are."
Clang-
The blade split in two.
Ras saw the aura on Sable's finger.
That single finger had pulled the 'result' of breaking the sword.
But the blade regrew.
The mantle of light fluttered, lunging for Sable's throat.
"Goddess. If you wished to protect your lambs."
Ras collapsed, spewing blood.
Three holes in his chest.
"You should have come yourself."
Sable, sword in hand, launched at Riki concentrating vast holiness.
No more miracles like before.
"That wrong choice will lead you to ruin."
Now within reach, Sable swung unhesitatingly.
Pure force.
"Brother!"
Anna clutched her brother's clothes tightly.
The holiness split.
Riki saw the approaching blade and clenched his fists.
Was this their grave?
That instant.
A blue beam shot from behind Sable at near-light speed.
The mighty Sword Master staggered from the sudden ambush.
Riki's eyes widened.
This was a huge opening.
Riki raised his hand. Solemnly compressing holiness to land a solid blow.
"Eat this too!"
A holy orb the size of two fists struck Sable.
A blinding explosion erupted.