Chapter 913: The Penitent
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 913: The Penitent
"So... I was the one who got hooked?"
Bloodstains still marred the ground, though they were fading under the relentless wash of the rain.
Despite his limp, the priest moved with startling agility. He dragged Krit, who held the Saint’s Eye, into the wooden shack and slammed the door shut, bolting it tight from the inside without so much as a backward glance.
A flimsy wooden door would hardly stop a real threat, but the sheer fluidity of his movements—so practiced, so natural—proved that this entire sequence had been rehearsed.
This was a trap.
And she had walked right into it, completely unaware.
"I see. He wasn't the real informant. You were."
Sister Elinde’s eyes flickered as she took a long, hard look at the man before her.
He possessed the distinct features of a Slav—a high bridge to his nose, deep-set eyes, and a towering frame.
But Elinde could tell at a glance that the face was a fabrication, a masterfully crafted disguise. Even his physical build had likely been altered. It was impossible to discern his true identity through his appearance alone.
"You noticed the anomalies in those corpses and tried to use them as a breakthrough to uncover the truth of this city?"
Sister Elinde sighed softly, whether out of frustration at her own lapse in caution or pity for the man’s naivety. "What made you so sure that such a clumsy report would actually bait someone?"
"I wasn't sure," Muen replied, glancing at the silhouette of the city beyond the cemetery. "I just figured that since this city is clearly maintaining some kind of facade, any anomaly that threatens to crack that illusion would eventually have to be dealt with."
Due to the mist and drizzle, even the silhouette was blurred, yet the towering buildings and ancient streets felt profoundly real, down to every brick and tile.
And yet, that very reality was the mist, the curtain... the falsehood that Muen sought to tear down.
"There is no such thing as a perfect 'disguise' in this world. A fake is a fake. No matter how well you play the part, cracks will inevitably appear. You know this better than anyone, which is why you tried to dispose of those bodies the moment they appeared. So... it seems I’ve succeeded."
"Is that so..."
Elinde sounded almost wistful. "I must admit, you are clever. However..."
"However?"
"It is useless. Everything you have done is futile. A waste of effort."
"You've already been forced to show yourself, yet you still spout such arrogant nonsense," Muen sneered.
"This has nothing to do with arrogance, nor does it matter whether I revealed myself. I am simply stating a fact."
Elinde looked up. Even knowing she was caught in a trap, her eyes remained eerily calm. "From your words, I can tell you haven't even brushed against the edge of the truth. You are still running in circles within your own self-righteous assumptions, naively believing you can find a way out.
"But it is impossible. After all that talk... you are still no different from everyone else in this city. You are merely a fish, believing yourself to be swimming freely in the vast sea, unaware that you are already entangled in an invisible net. Everything you do is in vain."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Muen countered. "Perhaps you are the hole in that net?"
"Heh. Stepping into a trap does not mean I have lost."
Elinde’s fingers twitched. Majestic Holy Light descended like a brilliant silver galaxy, swirling around her.
This was the Goddess’s favor, the most sacred radiance. Though she had been slightly injured by the initial ambush, she remained supremely confident in herself—or rather, in the Goddess’s grace.
"You can change nothing. The ending is already written."
"The ending... is written?"
Muen murmured the words back to himself.
He thought of Gaius’s invitation within his soul. That old bastard was clearly plotting something heinous here, yet he had the gall to invite Muen to "witness the ceremony."
Just like the nun before him, the man was so confident... or rather, so arrogant.
It was an irritating attitude.
"Then let me see it for myself."
Muen took a step forward.
"The source of your arrogance."
Muen still didn't draw Elizabeth.
Instead, he threw a single punch.
The simple fist looked unremarkable; it didn't even stir more than a faint, cold breeze.
Even Elinde remained composed as she faced the strike.
"Do you really think the same trick will work on me twice?"
Elinde decided that while this man had some wit, it was limited. Most of the time, he seemed remarkably foolish and stubborn.
"You only caught me earlier because I didn't have time to manifest the Holy Light. Do you think I’ll make the same mistake twice?"
The fist swung toward her, its movement many times slower than the previous ambush.
Yet, despite the slow pace, Elinde did not underestimate him. To guard against any further tricks, she immediately condensed a Holy Light Barrier.
The Goddess’s light was sacred and merciful. While its offensive power wasn't top-tier except against the twisted and the profane, its defensive capabilities were legendary. It was said that the Saintess, whose realm was slightly lower than Elinde's, could use the power of Holy Light to hold off a Crown Level expert for a time.
As a Head Nun of the Church, Elinde’s command over the Holy Light was formidable. Though her attunement wasn't at the Saintess's level, even a peak Fifth-Tier Martial Artist shouldn't be able to break through in a short time...
"Eh?"
Before the thought could even finish forming, a gasp of shock escaped her.
Reflected in her pupils, the man’s sluggish fist didn't hit the Holy Light as expected. Instead, it passed right through...
It passed through...
It passed through...
It passed through?
Elinde’s expression twisted with disbelief and horror. The Holy Light was a gift from the Goddess, a supreme divine power, and the very foundation of her confidence. Why was it acting as if this man didn't exist?
"Sorry about that."
Muen’s fist slammed into Elinde’s delicate frame. His other hand was behind his back, surreptitiously stroking a Goddess Statue.
"It seems the Holy Light... prefers me!"
"Ugh..."
Elinde’s face contorted. Blood sprayed from her mouth and nose as wave after wave of tremors from that plain-looking fist surged through her flesh.
Though her body had been tempered by Holy Light for years, she couldn't match the physical toughness of a true top-tier Martial Artist. Moreover, even a top-tier expert wouldn't be able to take a hit like that at point-blank range!
"Holy Light...!"
Elinde forced a breath and called out. The vast Holy Light surged back, desperately trying to mend her wounds, yet the light still refused to hinder the man in the slightest. It wouldn't even harm him, allowing him to press his advantage and close in.
It was exactly like an innocent girl being led astray by some blonde bastard, practically handing over the family fortune to him!
But Elinde had no time to dwell on that, because—
BOOM!
Another punch!
Still plain, still simple, but the entire cemetery seemed to shudder from the impact!
"Pfft..."
More blood erupted. The speed of the Holy Light’s healing couldn't keep up with the destruction of her body. Elinde’s spine was nearly snapped; she was a wretched sight.
Yet, as a Head Nun, her combat experience was vast. Even in this dire state, she managed to find a desperate opening for a counterattack.
Within her consciousness, sustained by the Holy Light, she pointed a finger at Muen.
If the Holy Light was useless, she would use magic—
"Using magic right in front of me at this distance? Are you looking down on the most pure-blooded brawler on the continent?"
Muen’s figure vanished in a flash.
It was as if a slow-moving tortoise had suddenly mastered dimensional travel. The heavy, sluggish movements Elinde had seen moments ago were replaced by a speed so great she couldn't even see an afterimage.
She only saw her own hand—from the fingers to the palm, the wrist, and finally the arm—shattering bit by bit until it was completely gone.
"Do you have any idea... how much value there is in only being able to learn the Illumination Spell?"
Muen returned to his original spot as if he had never moved. He pulled out a handkerchief and calmly wiped the blood from his knuckles.
Elinde’s vision was stained crimson. Her spine was shattered, and she had lost all ability to resist.
The warm, sacred radiance still swirled around her, but it could no longer heal her.
"My Holy Light... what did you..." Elinde’s eyes went wide, trying to track the light as it began to dissipate.
"Your Holy Light?"
Muen looked down at her and mocked, "Isn't it pathetic? A traitor to the Holy Light, still trying to rely on it?"
"...This light... was given to me by the Goddess..."
"Does the Goddess know you betrayed her to crawl in the mud with those bastards from the Salvation Society?"
"I never betrayed the Goddess... never..."
"Heh. Save the excuses. You can explain yourself to the Goddess in person."
Muen leaned down, gripped Elinde by the throat, and lifted her up.
"Ah, wait."
Muen remembered something and added with mock pity, "It seems you won't even get that chance."
"You..."
Elinde’s pupils shrank. Sensing something, she began to struggle frantically.
But how could her broken body escape Muen’s iron grip?
"I have no choice. You seem like a tough nut to crack, so I’ll have to use some... darker methods."
Muen locked eyes with Elinde. His pupils suddenly became abyssal.
Elinde’s eyes turned pitch black in response. Within that eclipse-like darkness, tiny sparks of flame began to manifest deep within her irises.
It wasn't her eyes that were burning—it was her soul.
"AAAAAAAH—!"
A piercing shriek echoed through the night. Muen immersed his mind, calling upon the Black Book to reconstruct the images hidden within her soul fragments.
There were seals placed by the Holy Light within Elinde’s soul, but they posed no obstacle to him. Muen easily bypassed them, witnessing the span of Elinde’s life.
Praying to the Goddess.
Praying to the Goddess.
Praying to the Goddess.
The first half of Elinde’s life was mind-numbingly dull. She was the most devout servant of the Goddess; though she hadn't joined the Choir, she had selflessly dedicated her entire existence to her faith.
Everything in her soul seemed to revolve around her belief in the Goddess.
"Strange... how could someone like this betray the Church?"
Confused, Muen continued to dig deeper.
Then, just as Muen began to think her life would remain a monotonous loop, a figure appeared before her.
It was a blurred silhouette, its true form hidden by a mysterious power, but Muen recognized him instantly.
The Salvation Holy Lord, Kaya Gaius!
"You are the Goddess’s most devout believer. Surely, then, you have heard the 'noise'?"
"Noise?"
"Indeed. The Church will tell you it is merely a common interference during prayer, but that is a lie."
Kaya Gaius reached out a hand.
"Do you wish to know the truth behind the 'noise'? Do you wish to meet the Goddess you worship face-to-face? Do you wish to know the 'Human Sin' that has been inflicted upon her?
"Come to me. I will tell you everything. I will show you... the truth."
"..."
The phantom memories played out like a dream. Muen experienced it all from a first-person perspective. Though he didn't see Elinde’s specific answer, the current outcome made it clear she had been swayed by the Holy Lord’s silver tongue.
"These fanatics... they sure love their smoke and mirrors!"
A rock-solid faith was a double-edged sword. Elinde was likely an expert at hunting ordinary evil cultists and was nearly immune to corruption from an Evil God. But against an enemy like the Salvation Holy Lord—someone who had split from the Church itself—a single line like "Don't you want to see your idol? You can't see her because the Church is lying to you; follow me and I'll take you to her" was all it took to lead her astray.
"No, now isn't the time for that."
How the wicked, blonde Holy Lord seduced innocent maidens didn't matter right now. What mattered was the plan they were executing in this city!
Muen focused, driving the Black Sun to grind down and devour Elinde’s soul.
As more of her soul was consumed, the images became clearer. He saw Elinde making contact with members of the Salvation Society, preparing to assist them with a task...
He was on the verge of the most critical information. Muen poured all his mental energy into the search. In this mist-shrouded city, this fish he had finally caught was his only way to break the deadlock.
But suddenly...
A sharp pain shot through Muen’s arm.
Startled, he looked down. Elinde had somehow regained a flicker of consciousness. Her one remaining hand was clamped tightly onto his arm.
The darkness in her eyes was being scorched by fire, leaving them almost entirely hollow, yet she forced her gaze to lock onto Muen’s.
"Muen... Campbell..."
She croaked out his name.
"Everything you do is futile. You still... can't change anything."
"...Why?"
"Because..."
Elinde’s mouth curled into a grin, looking like a mocking demon. "You’re too late."
Too late?
"Don't give me that shit."
Muen tightened his grip, nearly snapping her neck. "I haven't seen you win yet!"
"You’re too late... too late... it’s already over... the end is written..."
"Shut up!"
The black flames roared, and Muen delved deeper into Elinde’s soul.
But he could no longer see the memories of her dealings with the Salvation Society.
He saw only a void of pure, blinding white.
And within that white void, Elinde knelt, her hands clasped in prayer toward the nothingness before her.
No, it wasn't a prayer. It was...
"I repent," Elinde said.
...
The rain stopped abruptly.
The blood pooling around the corpses ceased its flow.
In the far distance, a woman of elegant stature folded her umbrella. She reached out a hand and pointed toward a certain direction... with a gentle flick of her finger.