Chapter: 496
Seeing the magic circle stained black, Yuden immediately swung her sword.
It wasn’t a mere probing move. It was a single strike aimed to sever the opponent’s head with overwhelming power.
The attack, akin to light, which could be called the pinnacle of the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship, pierced through sound and flew toward the Apostle of the Void.
In that moment the sword was swung, Yuden was certain her blade had made contact.
Her intuition, honed through countless battles over a long period, foretold Yuden’s victory.
The outcome in reality proved her words correct.
As the Apostle’s body and head severed, a red liquid splattered around.
“What do you think the Void is, Sword Saint?”
Yet, the Apostle’s voice did not cease. Even though his head had risen into the air and was rolling on the ground, it still emitted sound.
“Many scholars say the Void is a space of nothingness, a hell devoid of all positive elements governing the world.”
“Saintess! Ducal Young Lady Partlan! The power!”
“I’m already doing it!”
“The energy lurking here is too strong!”
Since they arrived in this chamber, Phoebe and Joy had been trying to repel the power of the Void.
Yet, they couldn’t shake off all the energy simply because there was just too much of it.
Even Phoebe, blessed with divine grace suitable for her position as a saint, and Joy, who possessed incredible talent that would make professors want to recruit her, were struggling against the sheer force.
“Dammit. This won’t do; I can’t even afford to look around at the situation. I have to disrupt their plans, even if it means accepting some sacrifice!”
As Yuden scrunched her face and prepared to swing her sword again, the Apostle’s head was still filled with nonchalance.
“Some say the Void is a force not worth discussing. They wonder why they should care about something that is nothing.”
Once again, Yuden’s sword swung, severing not only the head rolling on the ground but also the followers of the Void lurking within, yet the Apostle’s voice continued to echo within the room.
“But that’s not true. The Void is not like that. The Void is purity. It is pure white that is not tainted by anything.”
As the Apostle continued, the scene in the room began to change.
Those who had just been sliced by Yuden regained their intact forms.
The previously dark magic circle turned a pristine white.
The scenery outside the darkened window transformed into a whiteness greater than any snowy landscape.
The Apostle’s eyes, gazing at the party, shifted to a blank, colorless state.
“There are far too many things existing in the current world. Over long ages, many things have accumulated, far removed from purity.”
Yuden, hearing the Apostle’s nonsense, temporarily withdrew her attack.
If I just recklessly keep attacking, the situation won’t change. It’ll just waste my energy. What is this really? This is different from simply healing that guy’s body.
I’ve dealt with enough losers like that. If they were like that, I would’ve killed them until they could no longer revive.
“Countless contaminations stacked on top of purity are staining the world black. If this continues, everything will turn black to an irreversible level.”
“So, are you saying you’ll just blow it all up and reset?”
“Exactly! Yes! By returning this world to its initial state, everyone can start anew from purity!”
The Apostle of the Void declares. A world without class. A world without capital. A world without discrimination. A world without nations.
“The Ducal Young Lady Partlan was born privileged, so she wouldn’t understand! I get it! That’s what power is! But the other two wouldn’t be like that, would they? You, who experienced hell growing up in an orphanage, Saintess! You, who were a bottom-tier mercenary, Sword Saint! You know how garbage the existing order is!”
His voice grew louder, veins bulging, but neither Phoebe nor Yuden showed any signs of agreement.
Phoebe looked down on the Apostle’s madness with a sympathetic gaze, while Yuden merely shook her head as if it wasn’t worth responding.
The Apostle, meeting their gazes, blankly stared before bursting into heated laughter, as if his mind had snapped.
As laughter began to fill the room now gradually turning white, Joy slipped between Phoebe and Yuden and spoke in a small voice.
“Attacking them right now is meaningless. No matter how hard we attack, we’ll just go back to the beginning.”
“…Please explain in detail.”
“It’s the Apostle’s power of the Void. What happened just now returned everything to nothing.”
Joy recalled what Lucy had written in her notes as she continued her explanation.
The origin of the power of the Void starts with casting oneself into the Void.
Because it is nothing, it can become something else.
Most followers can only cast themselves into the Void, and even that is limited, but the Apostle of the Void is different.
Favored by the Evil God of the Void, the Apostle can make not only themselves but also the surrounding phenomena nothing.
Even if it means their own death.
“According to Lucy’s explanation, there’s a limit to it, but…”
The scene the Apostle of the Void presented seemed far removed from any limits. Perhaps it’s because he was granted overwhelming power from the magic circle at the Academy.
Not only sustaining a dungeon of the size of the 100th floor but also bestowing various positive energies within the Academy, while maintaining barriers against outside interference, the power of the magic circle allowed him to perform what could only be called miracles with ease.
“Young Lady. If we approach the magic circle, can we sever the connection with that guy?”
“Theoretically, yes.”
Having learned from Erginius, the architect of the magic circle, Joy believed that if they could just reach the magic circle, they could break the connection.
Was that all? With Phoebe by her side, breaking down the Evil God’s energy that had tainted the magic circle wouldn’t be difficult either.
The problem was that before they could intervene with the magic circle, just getting close to it was the challenge. How could they step forward against beings who could turn death itself into nothing?
“…This is becoming quite troublesome.”
Yuden felt equally lost in the current situation. It wasn’t difficult to slice through the people standing right in front of her.
Regardless of what they did, she had the confidence that she could make everything irrelevant.
But then what? All she does would turn out to be nothing.
Hmmm. I might have to just keep swinging my sword until the output from that magic circle reaches its limit.
“I think I can be of help.”
Just as Yuden and Joy’s faces turned troubled, Phoebe took a step forward.
The warm divine aura surrounding her painted the pure white and turned the world back to its original colors.
Could it be that even the Divine’s influence couldn’t be ignored? The Apostle of the Void, having just laughed seconds ago, now squinted his eyes as he looked at Phoebe.
“Help? Are you talking about the false saint created by the Jushin Church?”
At the Apostle’s words, Joy’s eyes widened, and even Yuden turned in surprise, but Phoebe’s expression remained calm.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Hahaha! You’re saying something funny! What can you possibly do? What can someone who should be the disgrace of Jushin do? If that’s the case, you might as well just start over! In purity, even a sinner like you can become pure.”
“I decline. You, who are nothing.”
Even amidst the Apostle’s provocation, Phoebe smiled, and the Apostle’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“That trial, that hardship, that sin—everything composes who I am now. What use would it be to return everything to nothing?”
“Then perhaps your true faith might be acknowledged?”
“You really know nothing at all. I have already received recompense from Lord Jushin.”
“…What?”
Phoebe revealed her divine aura. Not the simple divine grace used by the clergy of the Jushin Church, but something warm like the sun.
As the great divine presence spread around, the power of the Void receded, and the pure white landscape began to take on color.
“Unlike the petty being you serve, Lord Jushin is an infinitely merciful being.”
Standing in the middle of it all with confidence, Phoebe smiled brightly as she gazed at the Apostle of the Void.
“To embrace a sinful person like me.”
“…Bravado.”
“I find it understandable that you wouldn’t comprehend. The deity you serve likely doesn’t know of such tolerance.”
Even in front of the bloodshot eyes of the Apostle of the Void, with countless enemies targeting Phoebe, amidst the many threats infused with the power of the Void, Phoebe remained composed.
Not because she wasn’t afraid of the situation.
Not because her life was worth nothing.
It was simply because she believed.
She believed in the great Lord Jushin, who pushed her forward just moments ago. And in the Apostle of Jushin, who had laid out this whole situation.
“Why do you look so unhappy? According to your words, if everything is to return to purity, what I said should also disappear?”
“If you desire to return to the Void so much, I shall grant that.”
Phoebe released her magic in the face of the Apostle’s hostility.
The magic Lucy had used to perform miracles in the past. The magic that now belonged to her.
The domain of the Divine spread out centered around Phoebe.
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