The current situation brought her to a breaking point.
However, there was no hint of hesitation in Deia’s eyes as she spoke fiercely.
Although she looked ready to pull the trigger imdiately, Mul just smiled broadly and pushed people aside as he approached her.
“I admire your spirit. Judging from your emotional outburst, it seems like that man is quite precious to you.”
“Can you simply stand by when your family is being slandered?”
“Family? Hmm, do you really think of him as a family? That man who is an outsider?”
“…What?”
Mul’s question sharply pierced an unintended wound. He was speaking about the existence of Kim Shinwoo within Deus.
“I know. You can’t abandon your family; but for the greater cause, there’s a need to endure sorrow.”
The devotees that were crowding around him folded their hands again, as if praying.
Deia and Findenai felt uneasy, as they felt like these people were worshipping the white-haired man in front of them instead of a God.
“He is the one who will bring this continent to ruin. He defies the will of the gods and is a man who will lay waste to what They have foretold.”
“Keep your bullshit to yourself.”
Due to the strange pressure from Mul and his devotees, Deia missed the timing to speak.
Findenai, who was unconcerned about the surrounding situation, imdiately intervened as she rested the axe on her shoulder.
“You’re saying Master Bastard will destroy the continent? What a load of bullshit! That man caught and defeated four Demon Lords in the Clark Republic.”
“…”
“He is the one who gave freedom to the cold and cruel Republic.”
Findenai hesitated for a mont, but since Deus was not here anyway, she confessed her true feelings honestly.
“And he’s my hero, you motherfucker.”
“…Pfft”
“You’re laughing? Should I split your head?”
Unlike Deia, who fired a warning shot to exert so kind of pressure, Findenai had no hesitation in striking the man on the top of his head with her axe.
Noticing Findenai’s mood, Mul tried to soften the mood a little by apologizing sincerely.
“I’m sorry, but I think differently. Is it right to call him a hero just because he killed a few re Demon Lords?”
re Demon Lords.
Was the god backing this man really that great?
Or was he simply slandering and belittling the demons in terms of the concept between good and evil?
There was no way to know this answer right now.
“Now is not the ti for the Clark Republic to collapse yet. In fact, it was never the ti in the first place.”
“…It was never the ti?”
This ti, even Findenai could no longer hold herself back. She kicked the ground as the axe on her shoulder was suddenly filled with strong killing intent.
Fwoosh!
Her shoes spewed white smoke. They were the War Shoes, the equipnt she had obtained after destroying Clark Republic.
When Deus first saw Findenai, he ntioned that the gear she had was insufficient.
Hand of Hemomancy, Landing Machine, and the Axe of Pangu.
They were Findenai’s drop items in the ga [Retry], and they were also equipnt that would maximize her combat power.
Currently, Findenai possessed two of the three items.
On her hand, she had the Hand of Hemomancy that Deus gifted her, and on her feet, were the War Shoes, which was around the sa level as the Landing Machine.
Only the most important weapon, the Axe of Pangu, was missing. Findenai’s imposing atmosphere was sowhat similar to that of a chapter boss’.
However, to put it bluntly…
Kwwaaaaang!
She was just imitating it.
She was still lacking the destructive power that ca with her most important weapon.
The axe went straight for the top of Mul’s head, but the latter simply extended his hand and blocked Findenai’s axe directly.
White light enveloped Mul’s hand, making the axe warm.
Still, Findenai’s killing intent was ever fierce.
“Have you seen the blood flowing within the Republic? Have you heard the people’s screams? How could you talk such bullshit about finding the right ti?”
Fwoosh!
Smoke ca out of the War Shoes, making Findenai’s body float in the air, spinning her at the sa ti.
Pulling the axe back, she twisted her waist and slamd her foot toward Mul’s face.
However, the result was the sa.
This ti, the white light showed the figure of the goddess stopping Findenai’s foot.
From an outsider’s view, it seed like a warm embrace.
However, Findenai widened her eyes upon feeling the direct touch. She imdiately activated the War Shoes and pulled back.
“Stop it! If you fight him now, it’ll only put that man in a good position!”
Although she understood Findenai’s overwhelming emotions, Deia still had to say sothing.
It was not advisable to stir up major trouble at the mont due to political or public backlash.
However, ignoring Deia’s outcry, Findenai glared at Mul and the white light.
“Is that… supposed to be a god?”
Findenai took a glance down at her right foot and the axe which were touched by that light.
The area that ca in contact was grotesquely distorted, as if gnawed at by insects.
Outwardly, she appeared elegant and archaic.
However, Findenai instinctively sensed sothing quite disgusting within that deanor.
It wasn’t sothing like a demon, but sothing more bizarrely twisted.
“How dare you—! To the Soul Whisperer!”
“Let’s take her out! Protect the Soul Whisperer!”
“Let’s just kill her! We act on behalf of God’s judgnt!”
The eyes of the devotees who witnessed Mul being attacked flared up as they rushed towards the two.
“Stop.”
However, Mul reached out his hand to calm them down.
“It is because they are ignorant that they sincerely believe Deus Verdi is a great entity. We need to show them rcy and forgiveness. That is what God wants from us.”
“What a load of crap.”
Findenai boldly said that such things weren’t necessary, but Mul continued speaking with a smile.
“I know very well why you’ve co to see . It must be to find Deus Verdi.”
“…”
“You should go back to Loberne Academy; he has returned.”
“What?”
“He’s returned?”
Deia and Findenai looked doubtful. Deus, who had been missing for a month, had now returned?
“He fought Demon Lord Lehric for a month and seems to have surprisingly won; the Dream Demon Manor collapsed as a result.”
“The Demon Lord Lehric?”
“Dream Demon Manor?”
Although the several difficult words he uttered were hard to just let go, Mul gestured without further explanation.
The devotees who were surrounding Deia and Findenai began to slowly make way for them.
The extended path seed to urge the two won to return.
“Let’s et again at the Palace.”
In response to the clear signal for them to leave, Findenai gritted her teeth as she was not finished yet.
However, Deia grabbed her arm and shook her head.
She realized that continuing to fight here would only further tarnish Deus’ image, and killing a man like Mul would instead be a aningless endeavor.
Instead, they might even revere him as a martyr.
There was nothing more troubleso than a dead hero. The public would rise against them like lava, using his na as both an excuse and motivation.
It was necessary to destroy Mul’s image, which had now firmly rooted itself in the minds of the crowd.
They needed to impose a form of social death on him.
However, as they were now, it would be impossible for Deia and Findenai to say anything that could change the situation.
“Let’s retreat.”
After all, nothing good could co from pushing this animosity any further.
Besides, she wanted to imdiately confirm whether what he said about Deus returning was actually true.
Whether Findenai shared the sa sentint was unclear as she briefly glared at Mul before sighing deeply.
Click.
She folded the axe, returning it to its baton form.
“If Master Bastard hasn’t returned, I’ll kill you.”
Of course, before leaving, she needed to show him so attitude. Findenai then turned and followed Deia.
***Late at night, Aria sat on a bench at Loberne Academy while staring blankly at the sky.
Watching the full moon rise, mories of a ti when she had secretly drank with her friends while enjoying the night scenery suddenly flooded back.
Though, it couldn’t really be called ‘back then’.
Considering the ti fra, she was in her third year back then, which now seed more like the future for her current self.
Yet, feelings of regret would return when she recalled tis like this. However, she no longer wanted to live in the present while being swayed by the past.
Should I try it with the other kids now?
Her friends from the first round were still her friends in this one.
After the vacation ended, sneaking away with her friends to have a small adventure didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.
But Professor probably wouldn’t like it.
If you are a student, you should act like a student.
That was what Deus wished for her. Also, when he saved her back then, didn’t he tell her to experience things as much as she could now?
She would naturally experience attending drinking gatherings once she beca an adult, but it wouldn’t be as thrilling if she did it now.
Well, I’m just pondering about things.
It was like saying you wanted to travel but didn’t make specific plans.
Despite thinking this, Aria didn’t actively prepare for such activities.
“Yawn.”
After yawning, Aria began to think it was ti for her to return to the dormitory. With Deus back, her anxiety had disappeared, and she was now able to cheerfully stroll around, enjoying the moon for the first ti in a while.
“Hello?”
Yes, that was what she planned to do.
However, she suddenly heard a sweet voice from behind. The soothing tone seed to reassure her of its harmlessness, and for a mont, Aria felt her body relax.
She imdiately infused mana into her body and distanced herself.
Then, Aria saw a man with white hair standing behind the bench where she had been sitting.
Smiling warmly, Mul greeted her. But when Aria felt no danger coming from him,, like how every rose has its thorns, it made her more cautious.
However, Mul bowed deeply towards her instead.
“You are a great being chosen by the gods to save the continent. It is an honor to finally et you.”
“…”
“Given the circumstances, I sincerely apologize for not coming in person. But I have co to deliver an important ssage.”
“…Huh?”
“I know you must be confused right now. However, you must realize the weight of destiny on your shoulders, and the cunning tricks of the vile man who played you!”
“So, you’re the one who goes around claiming you’re the real Soul Whisperer, huh?”
Still standing behind the bench, he showed a positive attitude with a smile.
“Yes. And I was sent by the gods to aid you…!”
Kwaaaaaang!
A blue fireball flew rcilessly towards the spot where he stood, engulfing the surroundings.
Smoke rose in the midnight air.
The remnants of blue flas scorched the grassy lawn of the academy, and Mul, who had stood atop it, was also engulfed in fire.
“Keeuuuh!”
His lower body, which had been hidden by the bench, was revealed. It was sothing resembling tree roots or tentacles embedded in the ground, with only the upper part resembling a human form.
Aria realized the aning behind his words ‘the current body is not the main body.’
“So, the disgusting appearance of the god you worship is no different from that in the Dream Demon Manor.”
A sharp voice sliced through the night air.
Mul imdiately frowned as he eyed the man slowly approaching.
“Deus Verdi.”
Mul showed a different deanor from what he presented in front of Findenai, Deia, and the devotees.
His fierce enmity was directed towards Deus.
However, Deus stood calmly in front of Aria, separating the two.
“What business do you have with my student?”
“Your student, huh?! She is a great figure! She is the one who is destined to save the continent!”
“Are you talking about her destiny as a hero?”
In fact, there had already been several ntions by certain absolute beings regarding the destiny that Aria possessed.
For example, Lehric once told her at the general store that she should sell her destiny as a hero to him.
“Yes! She is…!”
“Enough.”
It was hard to listen any longer.
Deus clicked his tongue and interrupted Mul.
“If you are going to spout nonsense about your so-called divine words or whatever, get lost right now. It is annoying to listen to you.”
“What do you know…!”
Feeling that his god had been insulted, Mul glared at Deus while gritting his teeth.
However, Deus instead let out forced laughter in response.
“I probably know much more than you.”
For instance…
“Do you know what they seek at the end of the continent?”
“How dare you babble about understanding Their intentions in front of !”
Deus continued speaking as he shaked his head at Mul, who was seething with anger.
“I will not say they are evil, but I can assert that they are not entirely trustworthy beings.”
He couldn’t explain the reasons in detail.
However, this was a piece of sincere advice from the perspective of the one who had seen the ending of this world many tis.
Reviews
All reviews (0)