=================
The chosen heroes of the Creator Deity all turned their backs.
The sharp tip of the Holy Sword, which had punished the Demon King’s Army and the cultists, began to point toward the Holy Kingdom.
They must think this is a legendary betrayal.
The beings who had turned into adversaries were none other than the heroes and the Saintess who symbolized the holiness of the Creator Deity.
“If the Hero of All Times joins us… we have a good chance.”
To discuss the possibility of victory against Ilkeron Nebiaku and Sirelle Beilred was the height of arrogance. They had ruled as the sword of the Holy Kingdom, akin to demigods that symbolized the majesty of the Creator Deity.
But—
Maximilian turned to the side of the allies.
As he appeared, the mood changed dramatically.
The footsteps of the Holy Knights, who had been charging even through the lightning strikes of the White Dragon descending from the sky, became heavy. They witnessed the strongest hero of all time turning against them.
Zebeline, who had been engaged in fierce confrontation against the Holy Kingdom’s forces, let out a sigh of relief. Then she turned her head to gaze at the Hohenberc brothers.
“I’ll go first, so just follow me.”
“That’s your role, brother. Stand back.”
Edan and Maximilian sparked their elbows at each other, volunteering for the first strike.
Is a collaboration really possible?
Doubts and unease crept in, as they had bickered every time they fought.
“How dare you…! I’ll eradicate you all at once!!”
Taking the childish antics of Edan and Maximilian as provocation, Sirelle raised his sword high.
As he lifted the blade, a fierce whirlwind began to swirl.
A red storm imbued with divinity.
The violent wind, maximized for destruction, swept the ground like the claws of a beast, targeting Edan and Maximilian.
“I’ll block it.”
-Do as you please!
Maximilian swung his Holy Swords with both hands to counter the red storm.
At the same time, Edan unleashed hundreds of muskets, launching counterattacks.
“Master, I’ll handle the traitors!”
“I’m fine. I can fight.”
If they couldn’t block the traitors now, capturing the First Saintess would be impossible forever. This was a special operation mobilizing all the cardinals, and it had to succeed.
It is the will of the great one.
He would soon descend to the earth himself.
The time was drawing near.
Thus, they had to carry out the great one’s command by any means necessary.
Ilkeron and Sirelle crossed through the battlefield while dodging the countless bullets. Edan and Maximilian also retaliated in kind.
“……!”
Crash!
The Black Cardinal squeezed out his vitality to activate the Area of Swiftness. He swiftly positioned himself behind Edan, aiming his sharp blade.
However, the ambush failed with the sound of metal clashing, as Maximilian intercepted the strike.
“Indeed…! You’ve reached the area too.”
“Of course.”
Even Edan couldn’t catch up to Ilkeron’s movements as he activated the Area of Swiftness. It was a speed beyond comprehension.
But Maximilian saw through that speed.
He even managed to follow the trajectory of the sword.
Maximilian activated the Area of Swiftness at the same time as well. To prove this, the black star, Procyon, with its inky blade, emitted a strange sword’s aura.
“Disaster of War! I’ll eradicate you, who mocked the Creator’s majesty!”
-How dare you? You, who’ve always been second place, should know your place.
Invincible Sword,
Sirelle Beilred.
She was the impeccable powerhouse acknowledged by all Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom.
Fast swordsmanship inherited from the Black Cardinal.
Determined valor that punishes all evils and unyielding faith towards the Creator Deity.
And armed with the supreme Holy Relics that perfectly mimicked the Holy Sword.
The Invincible Sword never knew defeat.
Even when battling countless powerful figures representing the Demon King’s Army and cultists, she triumphed over them all. Having overcome trials that bordered on the absurd, she became the strongest Holy Knight favored by the Creator Deity.
It was only natural to feel fear against the Disaster of War, who could match her in combat.
-Rain down.
A torrential downpour of bombardments poured down like lightning.
The disaster’s punishment fell to shatter the phony Holy Sword.
Even the Black Cardinal had given up on blocking and decided to evade the attack. Witnessing the endless barrage heading toward him, Sirelle swallowed hard and raised the Holy Sword.
Gah!
Boom!
Maximizing the output of the Holy Sword, he fired the red storm.
But the limits were evident.
How can one block a torrential downpour with an umbrella? The howling red winds began to yield as they screeched under the relentless bombardment.
If swept away, he would die.
He would become ashes, leaving not a single fragment behind.
The siege weapons that filled the sky unleashed flames, continuing their bombardment. Sirelle had to face the disaster’s punishment with a look of despair.
“Sirelle!”
“Master…!”
Just when the overwhelming destructive projectiles were about to drop on him,
An interloper barged in.
Ilkeron, having invoked the Area of Swiftness, embraced Sirelle and pulled him out of the bombardment’s range.
-You should’ve properly bound them. Can’t even do that?
“……”
The ferocious showers of bullets rendered part of the Holy Sanctuary into a desolate wasteland.
Statues of past heroes and saintesses, the numerous churches that had stood for hundreds of years, vanished without a trace.
Even the victory towers of the Holy Kingdom, celebrating the triumph of the Third Racial War, turned to ash, yet Edan merely expressed regret for missing the target.
“Edan, look over there.”
-What now?
Maximilian extended his blade, speaking.
Turning his head in the direction where the blade pointed, Edan narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.
“Could it be…! Edan! The cardinals of the Holy Sanctuary are trying to open the gates to the Celestial Realm!”
-Damn. That’s troublesome.
The priests of the Disaster God had previously opened a passage connecting the Valtarian Empire to the Chaos Realm. Similarly, the cardinals of the Holy Kingdom aimed to pry open the gates to the Celestial Realm.
What on earth is happening?
Is it possible that the gates to the Celestial Realm opening means angels of the Creator Deity will descend?
This doesn’t feel right.
A foreboding aura seemed to flow through his entire body.
Immense Saintly Power dispersed into six streams, shooting up like pillars. As the scenery unfolded, illuminating the sky pure white, he felt a breath-stealing sense of urgency.
Damn, I didn’t even realize the cardinals were scheming while dealing with that old man. But did Maximilian just find out? That shouldn’t be possible… Has the strongest hero of all time really not known that the upper echelons of the Holy Kingdom were trying to open the gates to the Celestial Realm?
Could it be that Maximilian, who had been acting under the orders of the Holy Kingdom until now, really was unaware of the truth?
He looked at Maximilian with suspicion.
Despite a massive upheaval happening right in front of him, Maximilian’s expression remained calm as usual.
“So this is why you brought the Disaster of Famine to the Sanctuary.”
-What does that mean?
“To have the messenger of the Creator Deity tame the Disaster of Famine. Surely the esteemed cardinals wouldn’t believe they could control the Disaster of Innocence with mere human strength.”
-So in the end… the messenger of the Creator Deity is behind this whole situation?
Ilkeron, Sirelle, and the upper echelon of the Holy Kingdom were merely cogs in the machine.
The one pulling the strings was a being from the Celestial Realm.
Even the beings of the Celestial Realm feared the world’s end to the extent of intervening. They must have mobilized the Holy Kingdom in a desperate plan to somehow prevent the world from meeting its demise.
-Let’s put the conversation aside for now. We need to block the ruckus of the bright lights shooting into the sky. Come to think of it, the angelic temples serving the Creator Deity were in the center of the Sanctuary.
If they could destroy the temples acting as a medium for the massive spell, they could block the gates connecting to the Celestial Realm.
It should be simple.
Ilkeron and Sirelle had retreated, and the Holy Knights who had been mobilized for battle were now incapacitated, swept away by lightning.
Edan stretched out his hand, moving all the siege weapons he had deployed into the air. It seemed he intended to bombard the center of the Sanctuary and erase it without a trace.
“Stop, Edan.”
-What? The esteemed hero wouldn’t dare stab his own brother in the back, would he?
The murky-hued Holy Sword moved.
The sharp tip precisely aimed at Edan.
As Maximilian warned in a heavy tone, Edan clicked his tongue, asking. His question was almost mocking, but Maximilian maintained his emotionless facade.
“Just let it be. We need the Seraph for the completion of our plan.”
-Wait, the Seraph?
Now he understood why Maximilian, who had disappeared severing all ties, had returned to the Holy Kingdom and allied with the cardinals.
The descent of the Seraph.
That was the goal of the Saintess Party.
Surely, they didn’t plan to capture Zebeline by assisting the Seraph serving the Creator Deity. They certainly intended to use the descent of the Seraph for their scheme.
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