As soon as I entered the fog, I felt the absence of any presence around me.
It wasn’t exactly a shocking revelation.
Scarlet looked around and adjusted his morning star once more.
He also readjusted the hefty shield boasting its substantial presence.
Fear originates from within.
Steeling his mind, Scarlet sank into a cold, heavy mental state, akin to submerging in deep water.
The human will is unwavering above all else,
and faith in the divine is stronger than anything.
No matter how much sinister beings chattered, he would not waver.
The ropes tied around everyone’s waists still had plenty of slack, indicating most of them were maintaining formation.
Surely, the Hero and the Saint are nearby; now more than ever, he should uphold the prestigious standing of the Holy Knight Brigade.
With every step, he felt the squishy ground beneath him.
The sensation of his silver greaves sticking to the muck was enough to evoke irritation.
A peculiar silence enveloped the area.
With each movement, there should have been the sounds of his armor and the unique clinks of Scarlet’s gear, yet—
this utterly ridiculous level of quiet was genuinely unsettling.
Scarlet took a deep breath.
Inhaling deeply, then exhaling slowly, he cleared his mind.
He reached for the rope at his waist.
The still-loose rope reminded him that his comrades were nearby.
“The divine descends, igniting courage and extinguishing fear.”
“The divine descends, commanding my enemies to part and opening the way.”
“The divine descends, fear not…”
The golden radiance surrounding Scarlet suddenly flared up, shining brightly.
The Cathedral Knights, particularly the Holy Knight Brigade directly under the Infura Church Region, and amongst them, the elite unit of the brigade—Scarlet.
Endlessly ascending divinity and the dazzling golden aura served as proof of his faith.
Who knows how long he had been walking?
It was clear he had been at it for a while, yet this fog showed no signs of receding no matter how far he advanced.
The rope still had slack, but even calling out his comrades’ names yielded no echoes—only the fog swallowed his voice whole.
Yet Scarlet kept walking.
His stamina was gradually wearing thin, but he fearfully acknowledged that sitting down would likely sap his mental fortitude first.
An unclear judgment that mental strength would begin to wear down first.
I’ve faced all kinds of monsters.
I’ve battled creatures as large as houses and those pesky mental monsters with their wicked glances.
But I’ve never encountered a phenomenon like the thick fog encompassing me right now as Scarlet.
‘Everything depends on your mindset. You must maintain your composure.’
Still, my senses are on high alert, wary of the monstrous claws that could strike from anywhere.
– Got it?
Suddenly, a man’s voice interrupts, and Scarlet comes to a halt.
That voice, one he can never forget—the most precious memory etched in his mind.
– Forget the idea that a shield only defends. You must think of the shield as a powerful weapon, understood?
Scarlet instinctively tightened his grip on the shield.
It felt as if the center grip, wrapped in gauntlets, was slipping due to sweat that shouldn’t even exist.
“…Who are you?”
Scarlet’s voice dripped with intensity.
That voice shouldn’t be heard here.
– Don’t think of the shield and morning star as just armor and weapon. Instead, think of them as weapons in both hands.
“Did I not ask who you are?”
Scarlet’s voice turned sharp as a knife.
Hearing that most precious memory’s voice here was quite unsettling for him.
Scarlet stood still, scanning his surroundings.
The dense fog made it impossible to see anything, and he didn’t feel anyone speaking to him either.
– I absolutely cannot allow this!
“Did I not ask who you are?!”
Of all things to say, it had to be that.
That voice—the one from the most furious moment.
His hand gripping the morning star trembled slightly.
– Do you really think the Heavenly Deity will allow this!? Did the Heavenly Deity instruct you to do this!?
“You bastard!”
Scarlet burst out in a roar.
As soon as his anger erupted, a golden light burst forth, dispersing the fog momentarily.
But just as quickly, the fog surged back in, swallowing everything around him.
– I absolutely cannot allow this!
– Stop it. This has already been decided.
– By whose authority was this decision made? It’s my comrade! He’s my dear younger brother! Did I not promise to take care of him!?
– That’s impossible. You’ve come too far already. Step aside.
The voice was silent for a while.
Scarlet stood tall in place, head bowed.
The morning star in his hand trembled slightly, and the shield made a clinking sound, echoing a shallow metallic tone.
– “You’re turning me into an enemy, aren’t you? No wonder the Celestial God hasn’t shown his face again. A Church of the Celestial God abandoned by the divine, how delightful!”
– “…Mind your words.”
– “Did I say anything wrong? Why not just kick me out too? The great and mighty Pope, His Holiness Akzel IV! It’s a pity that under your leadership, this Church of the Celestial God has rotted to this extent!”
– “I said to mind your words!”
Scarlet raised his previously bowed head.
He knew well what followed.
Everything unfolded right before his eyes.
Thus, the Holy Knight Brigade departed the Cathedral—and the former commander of the 13th Special Holy Unit.
The former commander who left, protecting Scarlet instead of abandoning him.
“…To think they’d use him to mock me.”
Scarlet, who had been looking down, slowly lifted his head.
His eyes, hidden beneath the visor, gleamed in an eerie flare, as if light was firing out.
The divine energy, once just flickering between the gaps in his armor, was now explosively bursting forth, and the divine energy that couldn’t escape was beginning to emanate from his entire being.
“It shouldn’t have been touched. He shouldn’t have been used.”
Scarlet gripped the morning star tightly.
The rising divine energy took shape, gathering above his head.
The pale essence coalesced and finally revealed itself as a brilliantly golden morning star.
Hovering above Scarlet’s head was a morning star several times larger than his own physique.
That which was utilized as the divine itself was granted only to those few who could claim to be true servants of the Celestial God, even among the Holy Knight Brigade—
But not now.
At this very moment, Scarlet was not moved by the Celestial God or faith.
He hadn’t forgotten, yet he had carefully stored that memory deep in his heart.
The figure of that man,
His voice,
His traces.
That man, who must not be manipulated by such ridiculous illusions—
Must be punished.
With rage.
With hatred.
He poured all of it into this morning star.
He contained all of it within this morning star.
Scarlet’s eyes sparkled.
“Vanish foully.”
Scarlet slowly raised the morning star.
He slowly raised the morning star.
Following his hand movements, the morning star floating above his head also lifted itself.
A divine morning star that, as it stood tall, showcased its majestic presence.
Just its sheer size overwhelmed anyone who dared to look.
It sparkled, scattering a golden glow.
“No one shall lead me astray—!”
With Scarlet’s thunderous shout, his morning star slammed down to the ground.
At the same time, the morning star that had been flaunting its majesty above his head crashed down toward the ground in its enormous size.
Thick clouds of sand billowed up.
The mist-covered sea of fog suddenly dissipated, revealing the surroundings.
Scattered about were the cathedral knights, looking utterly flabbergasted.
Some were sitting down, clutching their heads,
Others were curled up on the ground, crying and begging someone for forgiveness,
And some were sitting in a daze, screaming for anyone to stay away from them.
Amidst these folks, only Ludvik and Priest Vigrind remained composed.
As soon as Scarlet spotted them, he rushed over.
“Are you all right, warrior, saint?”
“Yes, we are fine. What about you, Scarlet?”
“Yes. Are you okay, Priest Vigrind?”
“…Yes, I’m alright.”
Though his face appeared somewhat pale and tired, Vigrind forced a smile and nodded.
The divine aura that usually emanated from Scarlet was barely visible.
Additionally, being a saint, Vigrind could sense that the divine aura emanating from Scarlet was now nearly nonexistent.
“Do you think the fog will rise again soon?”
“Perhaps it will.”
Ludvik’s gaze suddenly fixated on one spot.
Following Ludvik’s gaze, a look of horror appeared on Vigrind’s face.
Scarlet also turned to see what they were looking at and gasped.
There stood a tree.
Where the catacomb should have been, a giant tree had sprouted.
With a trunk thick enough for two or three adult men to hug and towering high enough that one would need to look up to see the top.
It wasn’t a common reddish or brown tree; it was veined entirely in dark, menacing reds, exuding an ominous aura as it revealed itself before them.
Vigrind bit his lip.
From the ground where the tree had taken root, things began to crawl out one by one.
They were the dead.
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