Chapter 767

Chapter 767

My World Is……. (2)

Julien felt his vision gradually blur.

In truth, even after reaching the realm of a Transcendent, it had been impossible to catch up to Munaref.

Munaref had already arrived and was reaching out toward Deneb.

In that situation, the only thing Julien could do was block Deneb with his own body.

……

That was all. Having unleashed all his power, he no longer had the strength to protect himself.

That was why Munaref’s attack pierced straight through his chest.

But Julien couldn’t collapse like this.

‘Until Ereneth arrived……’

Ghislain and Grondal were held by the enemy. Rahmod and Tagmah were also in a perilous state, but the only one who could come to help right now was Ereneth.

Somehow, somehow, I had to endure until then.

‘Just a little longer……’

Julien held Deneb in his arms with all the strength he had.

His own life no longer mattered.

Only the thought that he must protect her filled his mind completely.

It was then.

Paaaaah!

A radiance so brilliant it defied description washed over Julien’s body.

Ah……

Even in his dazed consciousness, he smiled. He instinctively understood that Deneb was safe now.

The light was warm, like a mother’s embrace.

A comforting, serene warmth that could shield against even the blades of a cruel world and envelop every wound.

The pain that had been spreading from the hole in his chest slowly dulled. Wrapped in that warmth spreading through his body, he slowly lost consciousness.

Soon, the light spread in all directions, filling the surroundings.

Everyone stood transfixed, staring at that light.

The sight was like a miracle. Like divinity itself had descended directly.

But not everyone could welcome the light in the same way.

Chiiiiiiik!

Kuuuuugh!

The Priests of the Salvation Church all let out pained groans with tormented expressions.

The light burned their flesh and blood. Even breathing was an agony they could not endure.

Not even the mighty like Rahmod and Tagmah were exceptions. No, stronger than the other priests, they suffered all the more.

In contrast, for everyone else, the light had an entirely different effect.

It wrapped their wounds, erased their pain, and lifted up their shattered bodies and hearts.

Ghislain laughed loudly as he felt his body recovering.

The others could not comprehend the phenomenon that had just appeared. Even Grondal only stared blankly at the light descending from the sky.

So, that was why.

Until now, this phenomenon had clearly never been properly observed or recorded.

That was why Deneb could be called the First Saintess.

Channeling.

A connection to the great being beyond the dimensions.

Only a Saintess could manifest such a miracle.

At this moment, Deneb had unfolded it into reality.

Once this power was unleashed, no one could escape it. For this was a power and judgment that most powerfully intervened in the laws of the world.

No matter how strong Rahmod and Tagmah were, there was no way they could withstand this power.

In all the future histories, not a single person would ever endure it…

Ghislain briefly thought of Alfoi but shook his head fiercely. That had only been an event born of coincidence upon coincidence.

Chiiiiiiik!

Even as his body was consumed by searing pain, Rahmod could not tear his eyes away from Deneb.

“Wh-what is this… How could such power…”

It left him speechless.

A divine power so overwhelming it defied belief.

That power was now utterly dominating the space in this entire area.

The parts of his body that the light touched were burning away. And that wasn’t the only problem.

‘M-my body won’t move properly.’

A vast, invisible pressure pressed down upon him from every side. He could not even flee.

Rahmod panted for breath and looked toward Ghislain.

In this incomprehensible phenomenon, all were gripped by shock but the one before him alone was smiling.

Rahmod asked in a trembling voice.

“Do you… do you know what this power is?”

“Channeling.”

“What… is that?”

“A connection to the Goddess.”

“……!!”

Rahmod’s gaze trembled violently. Tagmah, Ereneth, Lionel, and Grondal were no different.

A connection to the Goddess. None of them had even heard of such a thing, let alone imagined it.

“How could a mere human possibly be connected to a god?”

Even as the suffocating pressure closed around him, Rahmod slowly turned his head.

Deneb was holding the unconscious Julien in her arms. From her body, the light continued to pour down from the sky.

Rahmod muttered in a dazed voice.

“Why is this happening… This is absurd…”

A god, who should no longer be able to interfere in this world, was intervening.

He could understand that this priestess was acting as the medium. But he still could not comprehend how such a thing was possible.

Then, all of a sudden, he noticed that light was rising from another place.

No… could that be…

From the necklace Deneb wore, a powerful light was flowing out. More precisely, it was the jewel attached to the necklace.

That light was linking the light from the sky to Deneb herself.

“A Sacred Stone? Are you telling me that woman… that she can truly wield a Sacred Stone? That she… is truly a vessel capable of containing the power of a god?”

To Rahmod, Ghislain spoke with a sly grin.

“Yes, Deneb is the true Saintess.”

“Saintess…”

It wasn’t as if no one had ever borne the title of Saintess before. But until now, it had been nothing more than an empty name.

Merely a symbolic status given to a priestess who had achieved certain deeds or possessed especially strong divine power.

But today, everyone in Valskrum had come to understand.

What a true Saintess was.

One to whom the goddess answered. One who brought the goddess’s authority down to this earth.

From now on, the weight carried by the name Saintess would be different.

Ghislain slowly twisted his sword and asked Rahmod.

“Just now, you called it a Sacred Stone, didn’t you? What do you know about it?”

Rahmod did not answer immediately.

He stared into Ghislain’s eyes for a long moment before speaking with difficulty.

“So, you people… truly know nothing of the Sacred Stone.”

……

“Even the Pope… clearly does not know. If he did… he would never have left that woman… alone like this.”

“Hmph… So, the Sacred Stone can indeed deal you bastards some fatal blow.”

“No matter what you do… you will never know… what the Sacred Stone is used for.”

“Well… whatever it is, I imagine it’ll harm you in some way. For example… maybe it’s something necessary to seal the Demonic Abyss?”

At those words, Rahmod’s expression hardened. Ghislain watched him for a moment.

He had spoken only out of knowledge of the future, but it seemed he had struck closer to the mark than expected. Still, he couldn’t be certain just from that reaction alone.

Even so, it was now certain that the Sacred Stone could affect the Demonic Abyss. And on top of that, Deneb had awakened.

That alone made it worthwhile to have acquired the Sacred Stone.

Rahmod no longer exchanged any more words with Ghislain.

His gaze was fixed on one person alone, Deneb.

He had already judged her to be dangerous enough. Now that she had awakened as a true Saintess, she absolutely had to die.

Grrrrrk!

Rahmod clenched his teeth, tightening his hold on Ghislain even more. As he burned through his life force, his hair turned stark white.

“Executor… hurry… kill that woman.”

At Rahmod’s command, Munaref also clenched his jaw and forced his body to move.

Kuuuuuugh!

Munaref, too, was burning within the pouring light. But he knew well just how dire the situation was.

He couldn’t endure this light for long. Each breath spread a searing pain as if his chest itself were aflame.

Gaaaaaah!

With a roar, Munaref pulled the hand he had driven into Julien’s body free.

Then, igniting even his life force, he tried to strike at Deneb.

But he couldn’t extend his hand. And it wasn’t because of the pressure crushing his body.

“Th-this can’t be…”

One of his arms was already gone.

Precisely the part that had been driven into Julien’s body.

Without even realizing it, his very existence had evaporated as if it had been erased.

“U-uaaaargh!”

Munaref, seized by terror, screamed as he staggered backward.

Then his eyes met Deneb’s as she held Julien.

That gaze looked indifferent, as if it held no emotion at all. Yet at the same time, an awe-inspiring majesty emanated from it, something no one dared to defy.

Within the storm of divine power, Deneb murmured softly.

“Goddess. Unfold your will here.”

Paaaaah!

Once more, a wave of light swept across the battlefield.

Munaref was engulfed by the torrent of divine power crashing down right before him.

“Guaaaaaaaah!”

Thick black smoke poured violently from his body.

The darkness could not endure the light and burned as it struggled to escape.

In the end, Munaref collapsed and rolled across the ground.

“S-spare me! Gaaagh!”

He had lost all will to fight. Even the deep, unshakable faith within him had been shattered.

Only the primal instinct to survive now ruled his mind.

The light did not stop. Soon, it began to spread so widely it seemed it would engulf all of Valskrum.

Far away, the dwarves who were still fighting felt the sudden arrival of that sacred light.

They were filled with astonishment, and at the same time, an incomprehensible change coursed through them.

“Wh-what… huh?”

Their wounds closed.

Their broken bones realigned.

Strength returned to legs that had been about to collapse in exhaustion.

“My body… it’s healing?”

And before their eyes, an even more unbelievable scene was unfolding.

Grrrrraaaaah!

The undead and chimeras rushing from every direction writhed in agony and fell.

The undead touched by the light turned to a handful of ash, scattering in the wind. The grotesque chimeras were torn apart as the black magic sustaining them unraveled.

Gaaaagh!

The black mages and priests of the Salvation Church were also writhing in torment, their bodies twisting as they were engulfed by the divine flames.

The dwarves still did not know the true nature of this miracle.

But they instinctively understood one thing, this was the moment to strike back.

At that instant, a shout erupted, echoing across the entire battlefield.

Uwaaaaaaaaah!

“Now! They’re collapsing!”

“This light is on our side! Press the attack!”

The dwarves roared in unison.

The fire returned to their eyes.

In the hearts of the warriors who had been consumed by despair, the flames of victory began to blaze.

The dwarves clad in iron shouted as they charged.

With each swing of their weapons, undead were sent flying and shattered, while the chimeras were torn apart without even managing to resist.

Even the black miasma that had filled the sky was pushed back and vanished before the light.

“We can win! The light is helping us!”

“Keep pounding them to the end! Smash all this darkness to pieces!”

“The darkness will fade, and we will burn bright!”

From every direction came the shouts of the dwarves. Those cries were now nothing less than a declaration of victory.

Rahmod, his face haggard, still had his gaze fixed only on Deneb.

Ghislain slowly drew the sword he had driven into Rahmod’s abdomen. The darkness that had bound him had already burned away and vanished.

But Rahmod did not spare Ghislain so much as a glance. His eyes remained locked solely upon Deneb.

At last, in a voice steeped in despair, he spoke.

“We… we have made the gravest mistake of our lives.”

Rahmod’s voice held deep regret.

He had sensed the danger far too late. When they had spared the Great Chieftain of the Elves, he should have realized it then.

That their greatest threat was that woman.

From now on, the Church would face an even harder battle. That woman, now called a Saintess, would trample them beneath the power of the goddesses.

And ironically, it had been themselves who had helped her awaken as a Saintess.

Not only had they failed in their task, they had created an enemy stronger than any other.

That thought filled him with an aching sense of sorrow and guilt.

As Rahmod stared blankly at Deneb, Ghislain raised his sword.

“You were truly a strong one. So strong I almost wanted to fight you with my true body.”

……

“If you have any last words, I’ll hear them. A courtesy owed to the strong.”

Only then did Rahmod finally turn his gaze to Ghislain.

His eyes were now calm and composed.

“I, too, pay my respects to the strength you have shown. Even in death, I will not forget you. But…”

Rahmod continued, looking into Ghislain’s eyes with profound solemnity.

“On the day when the most noble light falls, our King will appear.”

It was both a warning and a proclamation.

And perhaps the last hope that someone could stop the Saintess.

Ghislain’s eyebrow twitched very slightly.

He had seen in dreams the one who stood against the Saintess.

The Adversary.

It must be that man, he spoke of.

Ghislain said no more.

Quietly, he brought his sword down upon Rahmod’s neck.

Sgak!

Rahmod, the supreme warrior and the Prophet who in the dreams of Ghislain had been called an Apostle.

His head fell to the ground.