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102
Observing the scene, Owen held back a quiet sigh. Despite setting out to request cooperation from nearby temples, how did things turn out like this? His cold gaze settled beyond the priests, in the direction of the temple he had personally visited a few days ago.
The excuses they made were still vivid in his mind – they couldn’t move without concrete evidence, they were short-staffed due to priests being dispatched elsewhere… It was impossible not to notice that they were deliberately ignoring what was happening in the village.
‘Once this is over, I’ll need to settle things properly.’
At the time, seeking quick cooperation was more urgent than arguing about their faults, so Owen left that temple without hesitation. It was while moving to temples in other areas that he encountered Leriana and the priests following her.
‘Oh, Owen! What a surprise to see you here!’
The moment he faced that familiar face, Owen made a quick decision. Rather than wasting time moving from here, it would be better to move with them.
‘The Celestial God has given a revelation…’
Before long, he realized that their destination was the same. Just as the Demon God had given a revelation, so had the Celestial God.
Although her face was as lively as any of her peers, Owen, seeing Leriana after quite some time, could more clearly than anyone else present realize how she had changed. Her eyes, full of vitality, also held the sharp gaze of a seasoned swordsman.
As they returned to the vicinity of Bemos Village and prepared to enter, Owen suddenly raised his head.
“This is…”
An ominous aura resembling death energy. It was surging from not too far away. The sensation was enough to send chills down his spine and make his hair stand on end, almost choking him.
It wasn’t difficult to pinpoint the source of this energy. Not only was the dense, thick aura clearly revealing its trail, but it was also coming from their destination.
Bemos Village. That strange air was rising from there.
“We should go together,” came Leriana’s firm voice from behind. No one tried to stop her. Everyone present instinctively knew that something, something unsettling, had occurred in the village they were heading towards.
Owen, who let out a small sigh, felt the same. His complex eyes showed faint worry and anxiety. Although he knew very well that those who had entered the village were more capable than anyone… it was unavoidable when faced with an unknown phenomenon.
“It feels similar to the energy of the Lost Lands. Could it be that this land…”
“There’s something in the sky!”
Casia, who had been readying her sword, was about to ask Owen. Her eyes, honed like a blade as if she was about to rush into battle at any moment, belatedly looked up at the voice of a priest waiting behind.
Something dark blue revealed itself in the blue sky. It swelled with a fierce momentum before bursting and breaking into small pieces. As it lazily floated in the air, it gradually descended, eventually swallowing an entire village whole. It almost created an illusion as if a giant black curtain had wrapped around everything.
“Could that be… a specter?”
Someone’s murmur was heard. It was a strange voice, as if in a dream, seemingly unable to believe the situation unfolding before their eyes.
But everyone present sympathized with the emotion in those words. The scene they were witnessing completely defied their common sense up until now.
The large veil covering the village was created by a swirling mass of dark blue clusters. Each one scattered an eerie energy, and the sound they emitted resembled wailing ghosts. The unpleasant sensation that humans couldn’t help but feel naturally grew stronger.
The dense darkness that one dared not look into, and the vivid spectral energy rising from it. Leriana’s face, which had been blankly staring at the sight, grew cold.
“Inside there…”
Are those two in there?
The shock was brief, and the anguish even briefer. Biting her lip, she shook off her thoughts and immediately stretched out her hand. The brilliant holy power gathering at her fingertips finally produced a massive greatsword. Her hand, with fine calluses, grasped it without hesitation.
“I’m going in immediately.”
A sharp winter wind blew in her soft pink eyes, reminiscent of finely ground flower petals mixed to create a color.
The unwavering tip of her sword pointed precisely at Bemos Village. Perhaps all her efforts until now were for this day.
‘So that I can be of help.’
Leriana made a silent vow. Today, at last, she would not only catch up to him but also make sure to hear his words of gratitude.
* * *
As the sun was completely obscured, only pitch-black darkness remained. The only light illuminating the interior came from the faint flames lit in shops and houses, with nothing else existing. It was as if time had reversed, presenting a scene of night before their eyes.
Silence descended upon the village that had turned to night. The undulating darkness seemed to have devoured all living beings.
When Arpel realized that what was covering the sky was the specter itself, his face quickly crumpled. A strange unpleasantness rose at the fact that the sensation brought by those pitch-black things was none other than familiarity.
“It doesn’t look like there’s a way to wake up the fallen people,” Rohan spoke in a low voice, having calmly assessed the situation in the meantime. There were more than just a few villagers lying sprawled on the ground. Probably not just in this central area of the village, but throughout, there would be an overflow of people suffering from the same symptoms.
And they were all showing symptoms of the ‘curse’ – what they had nicely packaged as God’s punishment. Not only the people who had comfortably just called out to God, but even Maisen, who had driven them into the pit of heresy, hadn’t escaped its clutches.
Rohan’s expression hardened as he confirmed that the spectral energy sprouting inside their bodies was becoming increasingly clear. There was only one person who could perform such an absurd act. The superior of Maisen, an executive of the Salvation Church.
“Well… this is unexpected.”
The clearly audible voice was somehow strange to be someone’s voice. Clack, clack. The large footsteps that shouldn’t be heard mingled with it, creating a peculiar reverberation that finely shook the air.
An unmistakable, tingling presence arose. The being, carrying an intense, chilling aura stronger than any opponent they had met so far, showed no sign of trying to hide itself.
The problem was that the arrogance couldn’t be challenged due to the overwhelming spirit behind it.
“I sense magic from both of you. Are you pawns of the temple… tsk. I thought he was useless, but to this extent. It’s good I got rid of him this time.”
Baggy clothes covering the entire body, and a bizarre mask completely hiding the face. It was an outfit with an almost obsessive will to not show any skin. The figure walked slowly, its fluttering clothes wrapped around it, seemingly imbued with terrible laziness.
“So.”
Suddenly, a clear flame rose in the eyes set in the mask.
“Which one is the vessel?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“My, what a gutsy child. Pretending not to know even with me right in front of you.”
It felt as if the face behind the mask was grinning broadly. As Rohan’s face crumpled mercilessly, Arpel grabbed him.
“Be careful. This man is different.”
“I know. You said he was an executive…”
“No. That’s not it.”
The eyes looking down at his hand were complex. The tips of his straight fingers were trembling slightly. He had a sudden intuition. Perhaps this feeling he was experiencing now was close to ‘fear’.
The executives of the Salvation Church are those who have directly accepted ‘specters’ into their bodies. Arpel, having power of the same lineage, could feel it more clearly than anyone else.
This man is a being far more terrible than specters. The spectral energy rising insidiously reeked of blood. It was an afterimage proving that he had brought countless bloodbaths.
“It might be dangerous.”
Of course, it wasn’t that Arpel was scared after witnessing power on a different level. Nevertheless, he felt clear fear because he wasn’t the only one here. It might have been because he knew that Rohan, this impossibly kind child standing next to him, would ultimately not abandon the village and would protect this place.
If he gets hurt, if he’s injured, if he were to die… His darkened eyes continuously painted the worst possible future. Rohan, who was meeting those eyes, couldn’t possibly misunderstand Arpel’s thoughts.
“It’s okay, Arpel.”
The voice bringing a small whisper was gentle. The soft laughter spreading quietly was only beautiful. As if asking to believe in him.
“Owen will bring other people soon. I just need to hold out alone until then.”
“…Okay, I understand.”
The moment of hesitation was brief. In the end, Arpel chose to give up his human form and return to being a sword, according to Rohan’s will.
Tension, trembling, and a sense of responsibility. In that intense whirlpool of emotions, Arpel closed his eyes silently. Until the very last moment, he couldn’t voice the words he wanted to say.
‘Will it be different if people come?’
Even so, you’ll be the strongest one. It’s clear that you’ll be the one fighting at the forefront, the one getting hurt the most.
But facing those firm eyes, he couldn’t hold him back. As if those solid eyes were binding his body… He couldn’t utter a word, not even saying that he didn’t want him to get hurt. So there was only one option Arpel could choose.
“Oh?”
He had to protect Rohan from that monster, no matter what.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
