Chapter 746

Chapter 746

A Decision Must Be Made. (3)

Ilaniel’s wound was severe. Most of the organs in her abdomen had been destroyed.

Even for a Transcendent, it was an injury one could hardly survive, but she was forcefully clinging to life with her immense strength.

Still, if things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before she died. She was drawing on all the energy she had left just to sustain her life force.

“Hurry, tend to the Great Chieftain!”

The Elders urgently poured the energy of nature into Ilaniel’s abdomen.

The energy of nature certainly had a healing effect. However, it only enhanced recovery; it wasn’t something that could miraculously heal such a wound at once.

If all the Elder-level figures had combined their efforts, there might have been a chance, but right now there was another problem.

Tssssss...

“Damn it! The resistance is too strong!”

The energy of Rahmod lingering in Ilaniel’s wound was interfering with the healing.

The darkness was rampaging as if it were alive, devouring her life force.

She had to hold her shattered organs together by sheer force of will, while simultaneously suppressing that dark energy.

The Elders wiped sweat from their brows as they struggled to purge the energy Rahmod had left behind.

But the darkness was too powerful. Had Ilaniel not been holding it back, it would have consumed and destroyed her body long ago.

“Great Chieftain!”

Ereneth reached out with trembling hands, tears streaming down her face. She too possessed strong energy and had wanted to help.

But seeing Ilaniel collapsed like that, the deeper her desire to help, the more resentment surged within her.

“Why did you do this?!”

Her voice cracked with sobs.

She loved Ilaniel so dearly that the thought of her dying from such wounds was unbearable.

Why had she made such a choice?

“If the Great Chieftain dies… we’re all going to die anyway!”

Ereneth knew the enemy’s scheme. They had counted on Ilaniel sacrificing herself to protect everyone, and they had exploited that.

Ilaniel too had surely understood the enemy’s intention, but she hadn’t been able to abandon the others.

And so, she had fallen and the tide of battle had turned to despair.

Now the Elves would lose this war, and they would all perish.

If that was to be the outcome, then what had Ilaniel sacrificed herself for?

“Even if we all die… you should have stopped him, Great Chieftain. Even if it meant sacrificing us… you should have stopped that bastard…”

“Ereneth…”

“You should have lived. Great Chieftain… you should have captured him and survived, even if alone!”

Ereneth’s voice was full of anguish.

Why was it that Ilaniel, who had done such a noble thing for everyone, had to die?

At that moment, Ilaniel reached out with trembling effort and gently caressed Ereneth’s cheek. It was a soft and warm touch.

“Well… I don’t really know myself… I didn’t mean for it to happen… but I just couldn’t stand by and watch… that’s… simply the nature of the Elves…”

Ereneth bit her lip hard.

She hated that so-called nature of the Elves.

A race that remained stagnant, making no progress because of their beautiful ideals.

That noble instinct had rendered the strongest of the Elves so powerless.

Humans were different.

They knew when to sacrifice the lesser for the sake of the greater. That was why they now ruled the continent.

…I will never live like the Elves…

She made a vow.

Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, she would live for a greater cause.

It was a resolution she carved deep within her heart as she watched Ilaniel dying before her eyes.

So that such meaningless choices would never be repeated.

“Don’t die… please…”

Tears streamed down her face as Ereneth poured all her energy into Ilaniel’s body. As the Elders added their strength, the darkness subsided slightly.

But the energy Rahmod had left behind was overwhelming. Rahmod had clearly given his all to ensure Ilaniel’s death.

If Ghislain hadn’t appeared to help, Ilaniel would have perished immediately.

Lionel rushed forward, shouting urgently.

“I can use divine power! Let me help too!”

He fully understood the gravity of the situation. If Ilaniel died, none of them would survive this place.

Such was the sheer might of Rahmod. His presence alone was a terror that dominated the battlefield.

Fwaaah!

Lionel unleashed his divine power with all his might. His only thought was to somehow save Ilaniel.

Yet even with divine power poured into her, the darkness did not easily dissipate. It merely faltered for a brief moment, as though taken aback.

Lionel quickly turned his head, searching for Deneb.

They needed every helping hand now. Even the weakest divine power could make a difference.

“What are you doing?! Don’t just stand there, help us! Use that crude divine power of yours!”

“Y-yes!”

Deneb, whose divine power was weak, had hesitated to step in. Now that she had been called upon, she felt strangely relieved.

Of course, Julien, standing nearby, was trembling with the urge to cut Lionel down for that remark.

Fwoosh!

Deneb too poured out all the divine power she had. Naturally, it didn’t do much.

It couldn’t even properly heal the surrounding wounds, let alone dispel the darkness.

But her heart was more earnest than anyone’s.

She wanted to save Ilaniel. She couldn’t bear to watch this great Elf die.

Goddess… please… grant me strength…

Deneb focused solely on Ilaniel’s wound and the darkness writhing within it, unaware of how rapidly her divine power was draining.

Before she knew it, the sounds of the world had vanished, and even time itself seemed to come to a halt. But she didn’t notice any of it.

In that moment, only the darkness and Deneb remained in this world.

As she confronted the darkness, Deneb suddenly felt a strange sense of curiosity.

...It’s in pain.

The darkness that touched her divine power seemed to scream, as if desperately trying to flee from it.

It was common knowledge that the energy of the Salvation Church was the natural enemy of divine power. The stronger the divine power, the weaker the energy of the Salvation Church would become.

But that was simply the observed result there was no explanation for the reason or the process behind it. Nor was there any mention of emotions being involved.

Yet Deneb could feel it clearly now.

That darkness… was afraid of something.

“Ah…”

Only then did Deneb begin to understand.

That thing did not belong to this world.

It was an existence that was not permitted to be here.

It was an existence that grew stronger by feeding on fear.

And so, if one could face it without fear—

That thing would be nothing.

At that moment—

Fwaaaaaaaah!

An immense light burst forth from Deneb’s body.

It wasn’t simply divine power. It was as if all the convictions, hopes, prayers, and good deeds Deneb had upheld throughout her life had condensed into a single explosion of light.

Lionel, shocked, instinctively stopped healing and stumbled backward. The Elf Elders nearby reacted the same way.

Even Rahmod, who had been charging in to finish Ilaniel, came to a halt.

And moments later—

“Huh, huh, huh?”

Ereneth’s eyes widened as she let out a startled sound. Everyone present, including the Elf Elders, wore looks of astonishment.

A gentle light was rising from Ilaniel’s body.

Where her abdomen had once been soaked in blood, not a trace of the wound remained.

The torn skin had healed smooth and whole, as if new, and the blood that had poured forth was gone as though time had reversed itself.

Ilaniel exhaled softly and slowly raised her upper body, like someone waking from a long sleep.

Seeing this, Deneb smiled softly, filled with relief.

“Thank goodness...”

Thud.

She then collapsed on the spot, as if every ounce of strength had left her, and lost consciousness.

Ilaniel gazed at the fallen Deneb for a moment.

This child...

It was unbelievable.

No matter how exceptional a Priestess, they should not have been able to heal her wounds so easily. The energy Rahmod had left within her was simply too formidable.

Even if the Pope himself had come, he would not have been able to heal these wounds so easily.

Yet someone who appeared to be an ordinary Priestess had done it. Even Ilaniel, who had lived for countless years, found it difficult to comprehend.

Could it be...

For ages, all races had shared one great wish.

To end the war with the Demonic Abyss.

And with that wish came an ancient prophecy just as old that one day, an agent of the Goddess would appear to lead all people of the world and bring an end to the Demonic Abyss.

It was a tale known far and wide, but in the end, just a tale. Ilaniel had never truly believed that prophecy would come to pass.

Yet now, for some reason, that story had surfaced in her mind.

All because of the miracle shown by a frail human Priest, if only for a brief moment.

Perhaps...

As such thoughts crossed her mind, Ilaniel turned her head once more.

Ahead of her stood Rahmod, his expression grim. Now was not the time for idle thoughts.

“See to it that this child is well cared for.”

Ilaniel entrusted Deneb to a nearby Elf, then began walking toward Rahmod. Ten Elders followed behind her.

Rahmod spoke in a heavy voice.

“A miracle beyond reason has occurred.”

“Such is the grace of the Goddess.”

“They are but old beings who have long withdrawn from this world.”

“The same could be said for the deity you serve.”

“...You do not appear to be in fighting form. You cannot defeat me in that state.”

Rahmod’s words were true. Though her wounds had been healed, Ilaniel had already expended much of her strength.

If they fought now, Rahmod would inevitably prevail.

Ilaniel smiled calmly.

“That would be true if this were a one-on-one fight.”

“...”

Rahmod looked at the Elders standing behind Ilaniel.

They too were exhausted. If he fought them, he could kill at least half of them. No, if he gave it his all, he might be able to kill them all.

But what would come after? If he poured his strength into the Elders, he would eventually fall to Ilaniel.

...That cannot happen.

Even after sacrificing four High Priests, they had failed to kill Ilaniel. That loss had been bitter enough.

In such a situation, he could not allow himself, one of the core strengths of the doctrine, to be martyred as well. A martyrdom must be certain to benefit the Church.

It ends here.

They had come so close to success. Just a little more, and it would have been theirs.

But then an unexpected miracle had occurred. All because of a worthless human he had paid no mind to.

Rahmod’s body slowly rose into the air. He spoke in a dry tone.

“No matter how I calculate it, this is no longer profitable to us. For now, I shall offer my respects to the Goddess’s blessing.”

“...”

Ilaniel said nothing. No taunts, no rebuttals, not a single word.

She merely stared at Rahmod with calm, unwavering eyes.

Rahmod, after meeting her gaze for a moment, turned away.

“Executor. We’re withdrawing. Order the Orcs to advance.”

Boom!

Munaref, whose punch had been blocked by Ghislain’s staff, wore an expression of deep frustration.

The man before him looked half-dead already. A little more pressure, and he could have finished him off. But now the order to retreat had come.

Ghislain, his eyes sunken, grinned through the blood pouring from his nose and mouth.

“I won.”

“...Y-you bastard.”

“I’ll give you this one chance to run. Go on, run. Cough!”

Anyone could see that the one who had lost was Ghislain, coughing up blood and on the brink of death. And yet, he continued to provoke his enemy.

Crash!

Enraged, Munaref threw a final, powerful punch. He intended to land at least one last hit before leaving.

But two Elf Elders suddenly appeared, blocking his strike.

From behind them, Ghislain spoke boldly.

“You’re a weak one. I’ll let you go this time, but know this, if we meet again, you’ll die. Cough! Damn, why am I bleeding so much.”

“Grrr...”

Munaref ground his teeth in fury. That man was insufferably annoying.

Last time, he had wasted time and ran away, and now again he had a knack for getting under his skin.

“Just you wait. Next time, I will take your head without fail.”

With that, Munaref followed after Rahmod.

At the same time, the Orc advance began.

Kraaaagh!

More than half of the Orcs were already dead. There were no Priests of the Salvation Church left, no Black Mages.

And yet, the remaining Orcs once more charged at the Elves in a frenzy. They had no other choice.

Watching this, Ilaniel spoke quietly.

“Let’s go. We will make sure they can no longer defile the forest.”

Ilaniel advanced toward the Orc horde. Eight Elders and all the Elves followed her lead.

Boom!

Ilaniel struck the Orcs with relentless force. The Elders too swept through their ranks one by one.

The Orcs, already at a disadvantage, began to crumble helplessly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ilaniel unleashed her power without holding back. With each flick of her finger, light burst forth in every direction, the earth twisted, and the Orcs were shattered.

She knew full well—

That from afar, Rahmod was watching her every move.

So Ilaniel kept her composure, destroying the Orcs with grace.

So that he would not see—

That she had been weakened.

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