Chapter 73: S2. Resentment Grazing The Stars – 4
The white cowl held the meaning of praising His greatness and reminding oneself of their own ignorance. Ridiculous things like morality and laws were worthless. When compared to Him, who possessed infinite wisdom, the thousands of years of human civilization appeared utterly insignificant.
The world revolves around those who are superior. No one places the poor and powerless at the center of the world. Most humans look up to and follow those who know and can do much.
This is simply the instinct of the human species to flock together.
Then, how could one not serve Him?
He possessed the greatest wisdom in this vast universe. He existed beyond the confines of time and space, capable of erasing the Earth with a single wave of His hand. To put it in human terms, He was the Emperor, while humans were reduced to mere beggars.
Serving Him is as natural as throwing away a useless rock for a diamond that radiates brilliant light. The universe’s scales clearly tilt toward Him.
The fanatic wandered through the library, lost in religious ecstasy. He kicked over a bookshelf and burned a book with his cigarette. Astronomy and geography—merely useless and vain knowledge.
Thus, failing to get accepted into Miskatonic University or making minor mistakes, such as killing his parents out of sheer annoyance at their nagging, were inconsequential from a cosmic perspective.
He saw others who shared his faith.
Some looked up to the sky in prayer, some enlightened the oblivious humans left in the library about the truth, while others struggled to pry open the vault of the evil heretics.
Abraham.
The Cult Leader had warned that that damn old man’s research could disrupt His coming. If He had truly decided to descend, it was beyond the abilities of a mere old man to stop it.
The Cult Leader said we were in a situation where we needed to plead, saying, “Please look this way.” If a beggar wanted to ask for money from the Emperor, there shouldn’t be a mad old man blabbering nonsense beside him.
It was nearly time. The sacred ritual of beseeching and longing for Him was almost upon them. In four days, on a fine day, July 14th, the Cult Leader and the Saintess would ignite a great beacon of fire by sacrificing countless humans.
His heart raced wildly. His body trembled, drenched in a cold sweat. The fanatic couldn’t decipher whether his feelings were ecstasy or horror.
Then…
A blue light flashed from the ceiling of the library.
Could this be a divine revelation? Had He recognized their sincere devotion and gifted them with a blue star as a sign? If so, it would truly be a glorious occasion…
From the blue light, a shadow writhed. And soon, it took the form of a person. Not just one. Three.
Three people appeared from the ceiling and plummeted down.
A man with a scar running down half his face drew a longsword in midair. The white light reflecting off the blade was so dazzling that it momentarily blinded the fanatic. This, something, something feels wrong…
That was the last synapse firing in the fanatic’s brain.
Slash—!
Bennett landed, effortlessly slicing the fanatic in half. He had already assessed the situation upon his summoning from the ceiling. He shouted.
“The Cult Leader isn’t here. Let’s quickly assess the situation and escape!”
“I’ll take out the left!”
“Then I’ll handle the right!” Niolle signaled with her body.
Tara infused mana around her fist, while Niolle opened a grimoire. With his fully recovered mana, Bennett surged ahead, scattering brilliant light from his sword.
The unexpected ambush threw the fanatics into a panic as they fell one after another. One of them saw the three faces and screamed in shock, his eyes nearly popping out.
“⋯⋯You—you all should have died to the Cult Leader’s power!”
How could you defy death! HOW COULD YOU DEFY DEATH-!!
Tara, twirling in her Saintess garb, delivered a roundhouse kick to the stunned fanatic. The sheer shock caused him to react slowly, and the exaggerated slit of her skirt revealed Tara’s lower half.
Bennett, busy slicing down a fifth fanatic, shifted his gaze toward Tara. The image of her black lingerie panties lingered in his mind like an afterimage.
Whack—!
The fanatic fell as his neck snapped. Tara stepped on the fallen fanatic’s corpse and let out a triumphant roar.
“Yeah, you bastards! We’ve returned from the dead to avenge Abraham-!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯What’s with that look, Bennett?! What’s wrong with wanting to avenge Abraham?!”
“No, I’m just pointing out that you should notice our outfits have returned to normal. We re-entered after an emergency escape, after all.”
Tara’s brain momentarily short-circuited. Indeed, she had felt no resistance when executing the kick. The robes she’d changed into from Isaac would have felt a bit restrictive.
As she looked down, she saw it: a full-customized lewd Saintess outfit. So I did that in this…?
Her face flushed a vibrant red as she shouted.
“⋯⋯What are you looking at, you idiot!!”
“I was trying to assist, assist!”
Whoosh—! Bam—!
The sound of two projectiles slicing through air reached their ears. Grotesque spears made of bone and flesh pinned the fanatic against the wall. Tara and Bennett turned their heads in sync, only to see Niolle place her index finger to her lips.
[Shhh.]
“⋯⋯It’s because of you that I got scolded, BENNETT!”
“Don’t make me laugh… The magic is incoming, stay focused!”
Creak, Crunchhhh.
“Waaaah—!”
The primary attack method of the fanatics involved launching invisible projectiles generated from self-sacrifice. When he first saw it, he had no choice but to rely on his instincts to block or dodge, but thanks to his preparations, he now had a countermeasure.
Bennett extended a hand toward the oncoming projectiles.
“Spatial Expansion!”
[23, 47, 59!]
The spatial expansion spell allowed for the creation of artifacts strapped to backpacks. Since it wasn’t his major, his proficiency was mediocre, and the output was pathetic—able to temporarily inflate the space of a finger’s width by two at best.
Whoooooooom—!
With Niolle’s keen eye, he had just enough power to deflect the projectile’s trajectory. By curving the space very slightly, he could change its direction. In other words, it was a sort of magical parry.
The invisible projectile veered off its path, slicing through the ceiling and vanishing.
“Staying up all night learning really paid off…”
[It worked!]
Ordinary fanatics stood no chance against the three who had counters ready for their main attack. The library was quickly cleared out without a hint of damage.
Tara, bloodied hands soaring, stretched her body. Then she made her way toward Abraham’s vault, praising Niolle.
“Good work, Niolle. Your parrying was impressive!”
[Thanks, Tara.]
“I cast the spell, though.”
“What, you want to hear that you’re amazing or something?”
“⋯⋯That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what else, pray tell, did you mean…?”
The party arrived in front of the safe. Several dents indicated where the fanatics had attempted to break in. Bennett squatted down, entering the password. ‘0714’.
With a squeak, the safe opened.
Inside lay disorganized stacks of research materials. They appeared unharmed. Bennett began gathering the materials and handed them to Tara.
“Tara, you take care of this.”
“Huh, me?”
“You’re the strongest in defense here. Since you can use Holy Magic, you’ll have the best chance of surviving alone in case of an emergency.”
“⋯⋯No, you should keep it.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”
“Seriously, you do it!”
Bennett stared directly into Tara’s eyes. She shifted her gaze, as if hiding something. Why? He couldn’t force her if she was reluctant to take it, so Bennett kept the research materials for himself.
“First, let’s move. We’re heading back to the secret safehouse on Carter Street.”
Bennett took the lead. Tara followed closely after, and Niolle kept pace at the rear, keeping a scrutinizing eye on Tara’s back.
Tara felt nervous and anxious. Ever since she started doubting God after Abraham’s death, her Divine Power had been gradually diminishing. This explained her reliance on basic physical enhancements only.
In the worst-case scenario, her Divine Power could vanish entirely.
Without Divine Power, Tara was just a girl from a clothing store. Not being a Saintess didn’t trouble her, but abandonment terrified her. So yet again, she postponed the weight she carried.
===============================================================
Note: Players should always have short-term goals. To avoid getting lost, clarify what you can and must do at this juncture.
===============================================================
On their way back to Carter Street, Tara was left wearing her overly revealing Saintess outfit, as she couldn’t find anything else suitable.
Whatever change might have occurred in her sentiments, back at the Academy, she had roamed confidently in the bustling streets dressed like this. But now, each time Bennett looked back, she snapped at him to keep his eyes forward.
“⋯⋯Can one develop a sudden sense of embarrassment?”
“Bennett, I can hear you, you know-?!”
“I said it so you’d hear it. I just don’t understand.”
[Bennett is duller than I thought.]
“⋯⋯?”
A dialogue laden with questions unfolded on their walk. The city’s atmosphere felt somewhat different than before. After Abraham’s mansion was devoured by something, countless monsters had been unleashed.
Perhaps that’s why, if one listened carefully, the bustling noise of the city could be heard easily.
A figure, clutching a phone, yelled to the police, claiming to have seen a monster.
A fanatic tried tempting people to believe they could protect themselves against monsters if they took refuge.
In an abandoned alley, someone’s severed arm was left behind.
Looking at the worsening security and escalating chaos within the city, it sparked a strange sense of futility and loss, reminiscent of watching a tower meticulously built from trump cards collapse.
It felt as though the value of a single life had diminished.
Maybe the current state of the city bore a resemblance to a battlefield.
As you strolled past an apartment complex, you discovered a trail of blood leading into a dark alley, suggesting someone had been dragged away. Given that the blood hadn’t yet dried, it appeared to have been a recent attack.
While there might still be a chance to rescue that person if you acted now…
[Let’s just pass by.]
“⋯⋯Niolle?”
[I see the monster’s footprints. Probably two of them. There will be chaos during the battle, and then the fanatics will swarm again. The dragged person seems to be already dead.]
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Niolle cut off her emotions. Her heart ached, but it didn’t sting as badly if she turned a blind eye to her feelings. After all, she couldn’t afford to make another mistake.
Then Tara chimed in.
“If we’re going to fight anyway, wouldn’t it be better to deal with them now?”
Tara wanted to achieve as much revenge as possible while her Divine Power remained. With hope that perhaps the Goddess would restore her strength if she actively employed her Divine Power for saving others.
Niolle and Tara’s gazes met Bennett’s. He made a decision.
“We’ll save that person.”
[⋯⋯Why?]
“I believe Tara has a point. We should reduce their numbers while we can. Plus, you want to save that person, right, Niolle?”
[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]
“He said not to lose yourself.”
Bennett lightly patted Niolle’s back and entered into the alley’s gloom. After a brief silence, both of them dashed after him.
Fifteen minutes later.
The group had dealt with two monsters and three fanatics, thus rescuing three civilians.
As a result, the fanatics flooded in, and the chase began anew.
Meanwhile, someone was filming the scene with a camera from afar.
===============================================================
We shouldn’t have saved them. If only I could have somehow stopped it…
With such thoughts swirling in her mind, Niolle ran forward, a gloomy expression etched on her face. Bennett, running alongside her, interpreted her expression and muttered.
“I don’t understand why you’re regretting my decision. Which way should we go from here?”
Right.
Following Niolle’s lead, the group swiftly turned. Tara gritted her teeth, panting heavily.
“Those crazy fanatics! For how long are they planning to chase us?”
“Well, it would have been nice if you’d used Enhancement Magic earlier!”
“⋯⋯ I just didn’t feel like it!”
[12, 56, 78!]
“Spatial Expansion!”
Woosh—!
The invisible projectiles sliced through corners of buildings, shooting off into the sky.
Thus, this exhausting chase continued. Perhaps they needed a major fight to break free from this relentless pursuit. As Bennett fiddled with the handle of his longsword, a hand suddenly shot out from up ahead.
“⋯⋯An enemy?!”
“No, wait.”
A woman was waving her arms.
She looked familiar. It was Sally, the reporter they had previously saved by defeating fanatics. She worked at the New Life Newspaper, and she had mentioned that the office was located on Carter Street.
“Over here! Hurry in! I’ll hide you!”
“What if she’s lying?!”
[She seems to be genuine!]
“⋯⋯Let’s accept her help. Get inside!”
You decided to trust the reporter and sprinted into the building. The fanatics pursuing you couldn’t trace your whereabouts and left empty-handed.
===============================================================
The entrance featured a staircase that led straight up, and at the turn, a haphazard barricade had been set up.
“Things have been pretty chaotic lately. Especially since I drew attention from the Order of the Silver Twilight…”
Sally struggled against the barricade that she was attempting to push aside. Observing that it appeared to take at least five minutes, Bennett stepped forward to assist.
Creaaak.
“Wow, you’re strong, huh? I even saw you cleave through a monster in one swift stroke.”
“⋯⋯Were you watching us?”
“I was filming you with a telephoto lens from the rooftop. I even caught you saving others. That’s why I invited you in. You all seemed trustworthy. Plus, you saved me last time…”
Sally gave them a thumbs-up and proclaimed, “Good job!”
Bennett gently tapped Niolle on the shoulder, nudging her to appreciate the one she had rescued.
[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]
As they ascended the stairs, a glass door came into view, emblazoned with the logo of the ‘New Life Newspaper.’ Upon entering, they found the windows completely draped with curtains and bolted shut with wooden boards.
It was pitch dark inside due to the absence of any light sources.
Sally fumbled in the darkness, quickly igniting a candle with a lighter. While the glow was insufficient to illuminate the whole room, it was just enough to discern individual faces.
“It’s a bit dim since if I turn on any lights, they might realize there are people in here. Hope that’s alright?”
“No issues here.”
“First off, thanks for letting us hide!”
“It’s nothing; just repaying the life debt you saved. Honestly, I’d love to treat you to a meal, but… you see, there’s a place nearby that makes fantastic handmade burgers. Unfortunately, the chef got snatched up by a monster.”
Reporter Sally sighed in exasperation.
“That’s the world we live in now. I thought it was merely some pseudo-religion, you know? Even if I poked around, it seemed like a scam, just about money and harassment. Who would expect our lives would turn into a horror movie?”
“⋯⋯You must have been quite shaken.”
“But it doesn’t look like a signal for people to just give up and die! Right before my eyes, there are good people with superpowers working to save others. Are you like some covert government-supervised super mutants?”
Tara tilted her head, baffled by the nonsensical talk.
“I don’t quite comprehend what you’re getting at.”
“If it’s classified, I won’t pry further! Speaking of which, I have something to show you! I discovered this during my infiltration.”
Sally bent through the darkness once more. She then bumped her head on a corner and let out a panicked shriek, “ACK!” Afterward, she produced a notepad and returned with valuable information about the organization.
“A call-up order has been issued to all members of the Order of the Silver Twilight. On July 14th, which is just four days away, they’re planning to hold a gathering known as a ’Summoning Meeting,’ where all followers must attend, and actively gather living sacrifices.”
“⋯⋯July 14th, is it?”
“Yep, definitely. They must be plotting something dreadful. I can’t even begin to guess what it could be… but I assume you all have a better understanding than I do, right?”
As Sally spoke, Bennett realized what this information implied. This was information regarding the date on which their summoning ritual would take place.
In many ways, the reckoning day was drawing ever closer.
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