Chapter 102
Translator: uly
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Tehilla
Now, only one event remained before hearing the truth from a thousand years ago.
"What do you mean?"
While Bulki was flustered, the angels who had received the command all began drawing their weapons.
"We shall surely seek out and eliminate the kin of sin."
"The kin of sin?"
All the angels' weapons took the form of the same sword. And they all gleamed with a golden light. Dayagnel clutched her son Dabvagnel and watched the others. The Hero's party stepped forward to confront the angels. There was no way to know what was really happening.
"W-Wait a second!"
Bulki drew his own sword and hurriedly looked toward Yam's seal. But Yam and Cheret were nowhere to be seen. With no other choice, Bulki began pleading directly with the archangel.
"We are foes of the Demon King, and I am the Hero chosen by Glory Mir Cheret! Yam, the Mir of Gehae, guided us and will vouch for our goodness. Great Archangel, we have no reason to fight the celestial race, and we came to uphold Or's will!"
Seeing this, the archangel raised his arm again, halting the command. As if sharing some will, all the angels froze in place. Tehilla looked down at Bulki and spoke.
"I, Tehilla, know of your nobility. However, when Yam brought you here, he encountered Saar-the terrifying name symbolizing gluttony, kin of sin-and devoured them. Thus, that essence must have transferred to one of you who were nearby. That existence can never manifest Or's will. Nay, if there's even a chance Saar could enter, it would be more beneficial to kill everyone except you, Hero. For the kin of sin is a threat to this world."
The kin of sin is an existence.
Thus, even devouring the body of Saar with its thousand arms wouldn't end it there. Surely, it had transferred to someone riding Hosekhhatar.
But Bulki, knowing nothing of the kin of sin, couldn't comprehend the archangel's words at all. Of course, the archangel had no idea what Bulki was hesitating over either.
"I cannot understand. A Hero saving this world needs no such risk."
"W-Wait just a moment!"
Bulki desperately tried to grasp the archangel's words. So, Saar was the kin of sin, and that existence had possessed someone on Hosekhhatar. Thus, they intended to find and kill that person?
Would that make the kin of sin disappear?
Or would it transfer to someone else?
"Even if the kin of sin is in one of us, won't killing that person just pass it to another?"
"Correct. That's why we'll imprison you all. We'll interrogate one by one to find the kin of sin."
"And what happens to the one who has it?"
"They die."
And they would continue, killing every last risk factor.
"That is more beneficial."
The archangel showed no intention of yielding. Nor was there time to identify the kin of sin right now, and it didn't seem Or's will would be granted easily like this. Bulki glanced back and gathered his thoughts.
What would you have done?
In this reversed world, with the vanished celestial race from myths, Or's corpse, and now the kin of sin. Each time he encountered divine beings, Bulki thought of the wisest human he knew-his friend. And he pondered what that friend would have done.
Iven, what would you have done?
"I cannot allow that. Stand down, celestial race. Great Archangel. I, Bulki Sonain, am Or's Hero."
Bulki pointed his sword at the archangel. The archangel, intrigued by Bulki's choice, drew his own sword, illuminating it with light. That massive golden blade clearly signaled that the Hero and they had inherited power from the same existence. From this god turned corpse.
"Sh-Shainelius, what in the world is going on?"
"I-I don't know either."
The great archangel who appeared to hunt the kin of sin. The Hero drew his sword to protect the innocent, but the one being who could resolve it-the Mir-had vanished. Amid this hastily scripted play unfolding atop a god's corpse, Rondnel and Shainelius slowly drew their swords.
"Is that your good, Hero?"
Bulki, refusing even the sacrifice of one for the sake of the entire world, trying to protect everyone. But Great Archangel Tehilla had no intention of calling this good.
"Good born of ignorance is merely another evil."
"Everyone, battle stations! Those who can't fight, get back on the ship!"
The Hero knows nothing of the truth. Why the kin of sin is dangerous, or how that primordial thing connects to the current tale. Thus, he must be tested. The archangel drew immense energy from the land through his wings. His sword radiated even brighter than the Hero's, and soon, the power of a survivor from that first Demon King assaulted the Hero.
Boom!
As the archangel swung down, light exploded outward like heavy smoke. Bulki barely blocked with his sword, but he couldn't even raise his arms for a counterattack.
"Ngh!"
But how could he falter after coming this far?
[Formation - Rock Guarding the Sword].
With unyielding conviction, he protected his surroundings. Seeing this, the archangel continued his assault wordlessly. Swinging back, swinging again, leaping to smash down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Vast light erupted wildly as Bulki and the archangel's attacks tangled chaotically. But the archangel's sword power and might were overwhelming even for the Hero, leaving Bulki unable to counter and gradually pushed into a defensive corner amid the exchanges.
"Shainelius!"
Rough Waves-Enduring Barrier.
"Damn it!"
Forest Arrows Piercing Impurity.
Boom!
But Bulki wasn't the only one on the defensive. Rondnel raised his shield to protect everyone with a ward, and even Shainelius's arrows fired through her ward inflicted no significant damage on the angels. They were guarded by some unknowable light, which was no impurity as Shainelius's ward intended.
"We sacrificed everything in enlightenment, and that is true good."
Tehilla, intent on ending this tedious skirmish, absorbed light through his wings again and created another sword of light in his other hand.
[Judgment of Glory].
Boom!
Bulki lunged at the opening, but another sword had already formed. No, one more at the end.
"Gah!"
It pierced Bulki's body. Enveloped in light, Bulki felt excruciating pain that nearly robbed him of reason. Unable even to scream, he collapsed as if struck by lightning.
"I shall say it once more. Bind the Hero and imprison the rest. I will personally seek out and capture the terror."
The Hero was this weak. Not yet. He wasn't ready to bear the truth. The archangel sheathed his sword and commanded the angels again. And then, she finally stepped forward.
"Wait!"
Healer Liliet had appeared at the Hero's side unnoticed. No one in the Hero's party had noticed, and even Archangel Tehilla tilted his head in confusion at missing it.
"What are you?"
A strange woman. Her aura felt human, yet her presence was like an illusion, intangible. Tehilla drew another sword and aimed it, determined not to overlook an unpredictable threat at this moment awaited through the celestial race's total sacrifice.
"Imprison us and wait, merciful Great Archangel. Then I shall find the terror and offer it to you."
"I shan't ask again. What are you?"
Liliet's voice didn't reach the others or the unconscious Bulki, but in this moment requiring caution, she answered more precisely.
"I am the witch Liliet. Praise the mute from the lowest place, Tehilla. I know the trials prepared by the archangels and the Mir."
Ah, so that's how it was. Promnain's will had carried through to reach this point. Tehilla, moved that their sacrifice had finally borne fruit, sheathed his sword.
"I know not how a witch came to be at the Hero's side, but if it's Promnain's will continued, then good. I trust you to convince the others and shall wait a bit longer."
"I thank you for the Great Archangel's mercy."
"Tell the Hero nothing of the trials we prepared."
"I shall uphold the Great Archangel's command."
In this tale, it wasn't just the Mir and angels pulling the strings. Nay, perhaps the witch and devil were weaving an even greater scheme. As a privilege only those knowing all truths could enjoy, they began slowly steering this story.
"Wh-What's going on here?"
"How did you stop the angels?"
Liliet, returning with the archangel, took the Hero from him, laid him down, and continued her explanation.
"As you know, the celestial race are not our enemies. As a healer originally, I know a bit of witchcraft knowledge, so my explanation worked. First, let's go to the prison they mentioned, and I'll explain more. Don't worry. The Hero-no, we'll all be fine."
Liliet treated the Hero while gazing at the angels. They created a passage through light in the air.
Probably ascending that pillar of light would take them to the prison they spoke of, and once there, the chance to be forgotten from their memories would come again-no further explanation needed.
"Everything will be alright."
Liliet smiled with the witch for the first time. All preparations were finally complete. The time had come for the truth that only the Hero among the protagonists didn't know to be revealed.
"I believe in you, Bulki."
The final event before hearing the truth from a thousand years ago. Now, the Hero must overcome the three trials prepared by the archangels.