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139
A massive bolt of lightning struck before them.
The lightning that poured from the gaping hole in the sky hit the ground with a blinding flash, instantly sweeping across the area. Everything the light touched shattered and burned. Strong winds whipped through, shaking tree trunks and snapping branches.
Though they couldn’t see through the light spreading with a ferocity that threatened to devour the whole world, they could feel it all. The ground trembling as if wailing, the sharp sound of the wind, and the screams of the forest being swept up in it all.
A wave of holy power poured down a beat later.
Strangely aware of the holy power that eerily avoided his vicinity, Arpel thought that if divine punishment existed, it might be something like this.
Considering the incomprehensible voice heard just before the lightning struck… this unbelievable phenomenon really did seem to be divine punishment.
The flickering light soon faded. Only a stark white afterimage remained in the eyes of those who witnessed it. Rohan, slowly blinking as if trying to get used to the world reclaiming its light, carefully grasped Arpel’s hand.
“…Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. You saw it yourself.”
Clear worry shone in Rohan’s trembling eyes.
He must have felt the strange flow of holy power, yet his reaction suggested that the memory of losing consciousness when engulfed by holy power before remained vividly etched in his mind. Despite seeing with his own eyes that Arpel was unharmed, he still showed anxiety.
Arpel suppressed the urge to caress Rohan’s cheek to reassure him. Even though Arpel always prioritized Rohan, he knew the current situation didn’t allow for such indulgence. Instead, he squeezed Rohan’s hand firmly before letting go, offering comfort through that gesture.
Only after feeling the tight grip of Arpel’s hand and seeing his gaze, warm as ever, was Rohan able to suppress his rising anxiety. He turned around and nodded to Casia.
“Let’s go.”
Casia’s gaze, which had been frantically alternating between where the lightning struck and where Rohan’s group stood, finally settled. Her steps then anxiously moved forward towards one place.
Soon, they came upon a half-destroyed grave site. The round mound of earth, whose owner was unknown, seemed to have collapsed long ago, with the ground cracked open. With such a massive lightning strike hitting this place, it was no wonder the surroundings were in ruins.
“There’s a path here,” Casia said, calmly surveying the area. Whether due to the collapsed ground or not, a place that should have been cleverly hidden between the graves was now exposed. The stairs leading down looked quite deep at first glance.
“If you’re uncomfortable, you must tell me,” Rohan said.
“I understand,” Arpel replied.
“…Promise me.”
“Yes, I promise.”
Even as they followed Casia down the stairs, Rohan kept looking back at Arpel behind him. Though gradually fading, strong remnants of holy power still clung to the descending path. Rohan seemed unable to shake his worry about whether it was affecting Arpel negatively.
Yet he didn’t openly express his concern… likely out of consideration for Casia, whose every step betrayed her anxiety. He really is a kind child, Arpel thought, reaching out to pat Rohan’s head.
The descending stairs were in better condition than expected. Though it seemed quite severely collapsed from the outside, surprisingly, the inside appeared unaffected by the divine punishment. Casia, who had been anxiously worrying about whether the path might be blocked, seemed to find some relief in this alone.
And finally, when they reached the underground…
“……”
Casia’s face turned pale, and her breath suddenly stopped. As soon as they entered the underground area, Casia abruptly halted, and Rohan tilted his head to peer ahead.
Over her shoulder, he could see something long and black rolling on the ground. At first, he thought it was part of a broken structure, but the longer he looked, the easier it became to recognize what it was.
This was someone’s arm, burned black.
Though completely charred, it wasn’t so damaged as to be unrecognizable. Judging by the amount of holy power still lingering, it seemed to have been burned by the lightning that had just struck. Casia fell into confusion upon seeing it.
Rohan momentarily made a peculiar expression. It was understandable. Overly worried about Leriana, she had likely become fixated on the thought that Leriana might have met a similar fate upon seeing someone’s arm.
She seemed mentally overwhelmed to the point of being unable to properly assess the situation. Rohan, silently clicking his tongue, reached out towards Casia. He intended to lightly shake her shoulder.
That is, until Arpel suddenly spoke up.
“It’s a man’s hand.”
“…Ah.”
His dry voice was more objective about the situation than anyone else’s. Perhaps because of this tone, Casia quickly regained her composure. With a soft sigh, she lowered her head, seemingly realizing her own unseemly behavior.
“I’m sorry. I unnecessarily…”
“It’s okay. It’s understandable,” Rohan responded in a matter-of-fact voice, withdrawing his half-extended hand. Having been in a somewhat similar situation of potentially losing someone dear, he could understand Casia’s attitude better than anyone.
“Besides… if this truly is the work of the Celestial God, They wouldn’t have allowed Leriana to be harmed.”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Slowly, though with a calmer voice, Casia agreed.
This was both an unchangeable fact and a comforting reassurance to quell her anxiety. Casia seemed to find quick stability in it. This was evident when she didn’t panic upon discovering someone’s corpse not long after they resumed walking.
Like the arm they had seen earlier, it was a thoroughly burned corpse. Despite being blackened, the mouth that must have screamed until the very end and the expression twisted in agony were too vivid. And beyond the charred corpse…
“…Arpel. Step back.”
A small, humming vibration flowed into their ears. At the same time, the faintly spreading power was undoubtedly pure holy power. As soon as he recognized this, Rohan grabbed Arpel’s hand. It was an instinctive action that emerged without conscious thought.
Casia, who approached the gap where light was leaking through in place of the two who had stopped, soon returned holding a holy sword.
“Why is this…”
Even in her hand, the large sword continued to emit small tremors. While Casia, who held the sword, was anxious not knowing the reason, Arpel, being a sword himself, was different. He could hear the sword’s voice, a faint consciousness gathered into a cry.
The sword, temporarily able to use its power freely thanks to the Celestial God’s mercy, was making a request. To find Leriana and save her.
Though clumsy, it was a firm will. Arpel obediently raised his hand in the direction the holy sword indicated.
After that, things were resolved quickly. Casia, heading in the direction Arpel pointed, immediately found Leriana. Though she seemed to fall into confusion again seeing Leriana with her eyes closed… after Rohan carefully checked her condition and said she was merely asleep, Casia regained her composure.
“Rohan. Are you okay?”
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
The holy sword turned into light as soon as it touched Leriana’s wrist and was absorbed into her body. What remained were one burned corpse, one arm, and the collapsed underground prison. Nevertheless, Rohan’s pale face showed no signs of returning to normal.
Arpel, quietly observing Rohan, willingly voiced the answer he wanted to hear.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Unlike before, when he could hardly predict the reason, this time was different. Hadn’t he realized just a day ago that Rohan was still sensitive to the previous ‘experiment’?
Leriana imprisoned, her holy sword separated from her, the corpse of a believer burned to death in front of her, and the faint remnants of spectral energy around. It was an arrangement with too transparent an intent. Even if it was a distant past he hadn’t experienced directly, it was enough to overlap significantly.
“Nothing happened. Leriana is safe, and the sword is fine. Let’s go back to the temple and wake Leriana first. We still have things to talk about. And… if it’s okay, it wouldn’t be bad to go around together like before.”
Arpel continued speaking softly as they followed Casia, who was carrying Leriana on her back. In a monotone voice, he recited the ordinary days that would return in the near future, holding Rohan’s hand and leading him.
As they climbed back up the stairs they had descended, their vision grew brighter. The anxiety that had seeped in gradually diminished and finally disappeared. It was when the full morning sunlight settled on the heads of the four people.
***
Leriana recovered quickly. Not only did the holy power inherent in her body heal itself, but the priests who confirmed her return all rushed to pour their holy power into her. Only after barely dismissing those who looked ready to prostrate themselves did the situation seem to settle somewhat.
The investigation of the half-destroyed underground prison was left to Nephia. Belatedly realizing that the three had returned sooner than expected amidst the commotion over Leriana’s safe return, she showed quite a grave expression, saying she would immediately dispatch priests to investigate.
And, a few minutes later…
“Sia…!”
Needless to say, Leriana opened her eyes safely.
She had been staring blankly at the ceiling, but as soon as she saw Casia, she burst into tears. Casia, startled by the tears falling like a waterfall, ended up hugging Leriana when Rohan, who was behind her, gently pushed her back.
Arpel, who had been staring blankly at the two having their emotional reunion, glanced at the smiling Rohan and only then thought, Well, all’s well that ends well.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
