### Chapter: 219
The sound of white flames roaring spread across the Holy Kingdom of Freeman.
The intense energy of the white flames could even be sensed by the opposing forces approaching from a distance.
‘What the…’
The eyes of the Celestial Lord, Tersada Beakis, widened.
This energy was unmistakably what he had felt from Kraush.
Which meant the one facing down the World Erosion that had infiltrated the Holy Royal Palace was indeed Kraush.
Tersada’s gaze flicked up to the palace sky.
Amidst the chaos, the white flames blazed brightly, illuminating the surroundings.
‘So, it was this strong.’
He had already suspected his strength, but never did he think Kraush could output this much power.
‘I thought just playing the role of a puppet hero would suffice.’
This was far from being a puppet status.
Tersada’s eyes gleamed with a quiet light.
He didn’t view Kraush’s actions during the saint’s debacle as purely negative.
His goal had been to erase the saint’s meaning, a symbol of the Holy Kingdom’s bad habits.
From the very beginning, he had handed over the authority to determine the saint’s treatment to Kraush.
Of course, with the condition that he become the new hero of Freeman.
‘So, the refusal I received that day wasn’t a flat-out denial.’
Kraush had not only become a hero who cut off the bad habit of Freeman’s saint but also stood as a defender against the World Erosion.
As his name spread, so too would the name of the newly reborn Freeman due to the religious revolution echo far and wide.
“Jenics, Inquisition Vice Commander.”
“Yes.”
Jenics, the vice commander of the inquisition, responded promptly to Tersada’s call.
“Make sure to uproot the Holy Royal Family’s roots.”
Moreover, seat someone as the puppet king who will exclusively worship pure religion.
Tersada didn’t need to voice that instruction.
Jenics, aware of the meaning behind it, bowed his head and vanished.
Now, it was time to bring forth a new hero.
*
As Freeman twisted in anticipation of the religious revolution…
Kraush silently gazed at the white flames blazing before him.
When he held his breath in focused silence…
Whoosh!
Kraush immediately swung his sword at the staff piercing through the white flames.
Clang!
In an instant, Kraush struck against the staff, staggering back a step.
The power contained within the staff was beyond his imagination.
Even while maintaining the Celestial Feature, he felt the push of power against him.
That clearly meant his opponent was seriously irked.
Within the burning white flames, outlines of his opponent began to take form.
As Kraush swung his sword with all his might, he too received a good dose of backlash.
His right arm and half of his face were scorched and marked with burns.
Yet, for Kraush, that level of injury was merely a minor annoyance.
After all, considering he had unleashed enough power to blow his target away right in front of him, sustaining such injuries was laughable.
Kraush had indeed grown stronger, but he still hadn’t reached a level where he could take on a refined opponent like Ignis.
‘I never thought I’d win right away.’
Even injuries of this magnitude were worthwhile.
Kraush would surely solidify his reputation as a threatening presence in their minds.
‘Just seeing my flames should make them wet their pants.’
He would definitely uproot the origin of Ignis with his own hands.
“It’s hot.”
The one wielding the staff, Ignis, surveyed his own burns with astonishment.
Upon realizing that Kraush had set a trap, Ignis enveloped himself in smoke.
Since it provided a defensive effect, it could withstand most impacts.
However, Aura would halve the power of the World Erosion.
For that reason, Ignis’s smoke was completely dispelled, and he suffered direct damage to his body.
‘No. Even without the Tuhwang power, I would have been hurt.’
Kraush’s firepower was simply outrageous.
‘I wanted to kill him if at all possible.’
Ignis gazed at the burning white flames that still glimmered on Kraush’s body.
It seemed he was already preparing for his next attack.
Furthermore, Blavi was rapidly descending from above.
The opposing forces were now closing in.
Continuing the fight here would be a disaster.
‘Time to bail.’
Upon returning to Ignis, he’d definitely get an earful about his failure to secure the area.
But he’d surely make his threat known to them.
“I’ll see you again soon.”
With that, Ignis who had just deflected Kraush’s attack with his staff, backed away, a grin plastered on his face.
It was because a black spatial gate had opened behind him.
The Black Witch had come to support him instead.
“Enjoy your old age while holed up!”
Even as Kraush continued to taunt and swing his sword, Ignis was not willing to take any further punishment. He wrapped himself in smoke and dove through the spatial door.
“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other for a long time.”
As Ignis spoke, he raised a hand above his head.
Then he realized his head was bare and showed an expression of disappointment.
His fedora had flown off in the explosion of white flames.
It was something he had left behind in Ignis’s world, and now it was lost.
Though disappointed, it was not worth his life.
Ignis vanished beyond the spatial door, leaving Kraush’s face firmly etched in his memory.
As Ignis disappeared, Blavi arrived late to the scene.
If Blavi had utilized his secret techniques, he might have been able to capture Ignis.
But doing so might have harmed civilians.
Especially during a festival when crowds were everywhere.
He returned his Heavenly Sword, Yinyang Moon, to his earring and turned to Kraush.
There, Kraush was kneeling amidst the dying white flames, breathing heavily.
His figure, drenched in cold sweat, was clearly in a serious state.
“You’re going to die if you keep using your body like that.”
“I’m, I’m just trying to survive!”
Kraush replied while hastily cooling his body with his ice technique.
Seeing this, Blavi gently lifted Kraush.
“Just like last time, I’ll get you out of here.”
He was referring to when he’d whisked Kraush away as a VIP during the Agares battle.
“W-what a hassle.”
That was the last thing Kraush remembered before closing his eyes.
He trusted Blavi would handle everything from here.
*
The religious revolution in Freeman stirred winds across the globe.
From the deposition of the saint to the change in the Holy Kingdom’s monarch…
Massive events unfolded one after the other.
As a result, special news reports spread around the world for some time.
Late September.
It was only natural for such events to occur as autumn rolled in.
Moreover, the enthronement ceremony of the new monarch was also hastily executed.
The newly crowned monarch was none other than Tersada Beakis, already a candidate for the position.
“This guy’s taking all the roles—king and emperor all by himself.”
As Kraush flipped through the reports, he felt a sense of disbelief.
He was still in Freeman.
Due to the events that unfolded, he needed treatment and time to recuperate.
Of course, most of that treatment involved enduring Astria’s tirades as she cared for him.
Kraush’s eye caught on the words regarding the deposition of the saint.
Freeman had firmly eradicated the bad habit of the saint.
But Astria had also played a crucial role in this matter.
After all, she was the one who had personally removed the saint.
Since it was impossible to eliminate a living saint like Astria, they had granted her the new position of Archbishop in Freeman.
‘Essentially, they don’t want to disregard the existing saint since they’ve secured power. Makes sense,’ Kraush mused.
Once they were seated tightly in their positions, it was hard to let go of the saintly image entirely.
In a sense, it was more about interpreting things to fit their tastes.
Creak—
Just then, the hospital room door swung open.
As Kraush peeked out, sure enough, there was Astria.
She peeked her head through the open door.
And when she locked eyes with Kraush, her face went pale, and she quickly withdrew her head back behind the door.
Kraush stared at her with an exasperated expression.
Just hours before, she had been fussing over him with her treatments.
Now she was hiding like this, which left him bemused.
But Kraush couldn’t entirely blame Astria’s reaction.
While she must have been entirely focused on her treatment at that moment, now reality likely hit her.
The confession she had blurted out in front of Kraush.
“Astria.”
When Kraush called her back, she hung on to the doorframe, reluctant to enter.
Her unconventional upper body made full entry a challenge, but there she was, trying her best.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“I, uh, I don’t have a particular reason.”
Astria’s eyes darted around, clearly flustered.
As Kraush had expected, Astria was now haunted by memories of her confession.
Just recalling them caused her face to redden significantly.
Naturally, she hadn’t expected her feelings to tumble out of her mouth.
As Kraush remained fixed on her, her face gradually turned crimson.
Finally, when she looked like a cherry tomato…
“Y-you’re the one to blame for this!”
She burst out, deflecting all responsibility.
As Kraush blinked in disbelief at this unexpected rebuttal, a chuckle slipped out.
Reacting to his laughter, she trembled her arms slightly.
Feeling mortified by her embarrassment, no longer able to hold on with dignity, she added, “What’s so funny? Are you laughing at my confession? What am I supposed to do now…”
Before long, Astria started to choke up, feeling wronged.
After finally admitting her feelings, she felt bewildered by the depth of her emotions.
Little did she know how deep her feelings for him really ran.
As Astria hung her head low, Kraush rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.
Ever since hearing her confession, he had been thinking intensely about it.
After all, Kraush couldn’t ignore Astria’s feelings.
From before the reincarnation to now, Kraush had built quite a significant connection with her.
The bond between them had deepened significantly, tied together in ways that couldn’t easily be undone.
‘The young hero of Freeman.’
Kraush’s reputation was firmly entwined with Astria’s, as they were now viewed jointly in the eyes of the people.
After the fervor surrounding the religious revolution and the invasion by the World Erosion, they elevated Kraush to heroic status.
With his past achievements during the Cardinal Merei Beakis era, the reception was extraordinary.
He had become the hero acknowledged by the newly reborn Holy Kingdom that discarded its old ways.
Naturally, Kraush’s renown had surged unbelievably.
And without a doubt, Astria’s name became tied to his.
No longer was she merely a saint.
Despite receiving the title of archbishop in Freeman, she wouldn’t enjoy the respect they may afford her there.
‘For the future, I need to keep Astria by my side.’
With that thought, Kraush halted his neck rubbing.
Astria had directly conveyed her feelings through her confession.
So it was only fitting for him to respond.
“Astria, I’m already engaged to someone.”
When Kraush spoke solemnly, Astria’s expression gradually calmed.
“…I know.”
She was already aware, yet somehow still developed feelings for him.
“I also understand what you want to say.”
Clearly, she expected Kraush to urge her to forget about him, given his engagement.
But she simply wouldn’t back down after putting her heart out there.
“You’re worried now that I don’t have a place to go, right?”
Astria astutely read Kraush’s unvoiced thoughts.
“You think I have nowhere to go. Even if I finish at Rahern Academy and return to Freeman, no one is going to welcome me back.”
“That’s…”
“So,”
Astria boldly stepped forward to where Kraush lay on the hospital bed.
Suddenly, she grabbed the collar of his shirt with fervor.
Kraush, bewildered by her actions, looked at her as Astria’s face flushed close to his.
“Make sure to take responsibility for me. I mean no matter what I do, I’m going to cling to you.”
“What the…?”
Before Kraush could finish his question, Astria’s lips feathered softly against his.
When Kraush’s eyes widened in surprise, Astria kissed him hard before pulling away sharply.
Her face flushed even more as she shyly brushed her hair back.
Simultaneously, she bore a smile that was far beyond merely bashful, decidedly alluring.
“Since I’ve given you my lips, don’t even think about running away.”
The limits of the Saintess had been breached.
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