Chapter: 505
Arthur was barely involved with the magic circle when a little kid appeared beside him.
“Good job. You managed to regain control before being completely taken over.”
“Did you sever the connection with the other magic circles?”
“Yep. Now there’s no way to be taken over by the Evil God…”
“That’s enough! Hurry and let me out! I still have a lot to do!”
“Wait a moment. I need to explain something to you.”
“That can wait. No, I’ll come back later! I’ll bore you with my story then.”
“Huh?! Just a moment! Just a tiny bit! A tiny bit is all I’m asking, you impatient brat!”
Leaving the kid’s rant behind, Arthur hurriedly glanced around as he exited the trial space.
Damn it. Where did the others go?
What happened outside while I was in trial?!
Lucy Allen doesn’t seem like someone who’d easily be taken down. But just in case…
‘…I’m sorry.’
As Arthur recalled Lucy’s tearful face, he nervously made his way outside.
There were no traces of battle in the corridor.
This suggests that the others must have gone outside to prevent someone from invading in here.
Emerging through the broken wall using all sorts of means, Arthur was greeted by a maid-like spirit.
Upon seeing Arthur, she immediately bowed her head and then turned to leave.
Is she saying to follow her?
Knowing that the spirit was under Adri’s command, Arthur followed without suspicion.
Well, it seems like it’s not the worst-case scenario.
If things were truly spiraling out of control, there wouldn’t be any composure like that. How long has he been running like this?
The sounds of battle reached Arthur’s ears.
Clink… a joyous sound as if something was bouncing off metal.
Boom!
An angry voice, incomprehensible to anyone.
Is the battle still ongoing!?
Following the sound, Arthur quickened his pace, only to find a battle between a tiny girl and a monster.
With ominous black ooze dripping from its body, the monster radiated an indescribable sense of intimidation.
Yet the girl standing opposite wasn’t daunted in the slightest.
Her red hair was drenched in blood, losing its original hue.
Her face, smudged with blood and dust, was dirtied.
Her once neatly arranged armor was tattered.
And despite her trembling arms and legs nearing their limits, the girl was chuckling as she deflected the monster’s lethal attacks.
Isn’t she scared?
No way.
Even if she pretends to be strong, she’s a fragile little one inside. She must be afraid of dying.
Does it not hurt?
Of course, it does.
As the Apostle of God, she’s still human.
She cannot be devoid of pain.
Isn’t it hard?
That’s nonsense.
With ragged breaths.
Wobbly legs.
Shaking gaze.
All proving she’s reached her limit. How could it not be hard?
That kid is just holding on. She’s merely enduring.
Keeping all the pain she experiences buried deep inside, just like when she lost the one who loved her.
The moment Arthur realized this, the scenery in his eyes changed.
Lucy Allen was glowing.
In the dark, underground scene tainted with shadows, only around her shone a bright light.
Like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
As Arthur stared blankly at Lucy fighting, only snapping out of it when he saw the monster being flung away.
Gggrhhh…
As he healed his oddly shaped arm, a scream involuntarily escaped him.
The power of this skill is quite appealing, but the backlash is too much.
Just one attack and my arm is wrecked!?
At least since I’m an Apostle of God, I’m trying to make use of it. A regular person would have scoffed at this trash skill.
Muttering complaints inwardly, he heard footsteps beside him.
“Lucy Allen! Are you okay?!”
“Do I look okay to you, oh-so-incompetent prince?♡ Do you think being part of the royalty means regarding the bodies of the lower folks as doll joints?♡ Incompetent, lazy, and willful yet a sympathetic tyrant!♡ Puhaha♡ This is a bit amusing♡”
“…Seeing how you have time to spout nonsense, I guess you’re fine.”
With his intention to scold the incompetent latecomer, Arthur made “huff” sounds of relief while shaking his head instead.
This kid really has no sense. If I’m unable to do anything right, at least be a proper punching bag.
If she had yelled as usual, he could’ve laughed along comfortably.
This is no fun.
Ding-ding.
Ding-ding.
Ding-ding.
While pondering how to vent his frustrations, countless blue messages floated before him.
Most of the content mentioned the names Armadi and Agra.
A battle between Agra, trying to intervene, and Armadi, trying to stop him.
Given Agra’s interjection, it looks like that sloppy God ended up losing.
Should I say he fought his hardest for his Apostle? Or should I criticize him for being a pitifully incompetent God who couldn’t even protect his own Apostle?
Either way, it’s really annoying that I feel like cheering for him.
Thinking I’d read it later, I threw Luca’s neck towards Arthur.
“…Professor Luca!? Was that monster Luca?”
“You didn’t know?♡ Wowa!♡ How could you be so foolish?♡ How are you surviving in the royal palace with such a dim-witted intuition?♡”
This time, whether it was on purpose or not, Arthur’s face turned red, but he still didn’t get angry.
What’s up with this? Why is he so patient? Is he feeling any misplaced guilt or something?
“Well, it’s alright. More importantly, incompetent prince, open the exit for us.”
“The exit? What do you mean?”
“Can’t you do it?♡ Didn’t you gain authority over the magic circle?♡ What the heck were you doing while you were napping?♡ Did you secretly wish to be woken up with a kiss? Pitiful Prince?♡ Puhahaha♡ This is why sympathy is♡”
“Ahhh! Just shut up! I’m figuring it out!”
“Talking like that to such a cute little girl♡ You’re lacking in tolerance!♡…”
“Can you keep it down?! I just got authority! Ah, is this it?”
At the moment Arthur waved his hand, a path leading outside opened before them.
Hmm. It seems like he wasn’t just idly wasting time.
“Let’s hurry out. We need to teach that perverted professor his place.”
*
Karl, carrying Lina and Erin in his arms, was desperately running to fend off the Followers of the Void.
“Erin! Where to now?”
“Just around that corner… oh?”
“Erin!? Not the time for that!”
“Shut up, dog. Now is indeed the time to stop.”
“Wait? L-Lina!? If you do that, it’ll throw off my balance!”
Regardless of Karl’s bewilderment, Lina twisted her body and slipped out from his waist.
Because of that, Karl slowed down, and the Followers of the Void closing in almost reached them, but once Lina planted her feet on the ground, she paid no attention to them.
“Is it finally over?”
As small cracks appeared on the blackened barrier, it shattered like glass shortly afterward, causing the darkness to collapse.
The warm light of the sun flooding through the gradually widening hole confirmed that the Evil God had been defeated once again.
“Such a tiresome day it’s been.”
The Follower of the Void rushed toward Lina as she murmured to herself, but those who lost the power of the Evil God were nothing in front of the master of the forest.
Those ensnared in Lina’s smoke choked and collapsed onto the ground.
“I’ve gone through this much trouble, so I hope they at least give me a towel soaked in sweat.”
As Lina spoke nonsensically, far from the majesty she displayed moments ago, she watched the dragon’s head, roaring under the sun, fly away while clutching her cigarette.
“Quite the spectacle.”
“Yes, it’s truly beautiful.”
“That’s the Sword Saint.”
*
Visi, chased by demons in hell, awoke with a scream.
M-My body is okay, right?
There aren’t any holes, right!?
After checking around to confirm her well-being, Visi sighed in relief, but then she swiftly turned her head towards the booming sound echoing in the distance.
Under the clear sky, a massive body of a dragon fell.
With the ground shaking from the noise, those trapped in nightmares began to wake up one by one.
*
“Well, it seems like everything has resolved somehow.”
As the barrier crumbled, Prête, who subdued the weakened Followers of the Evil God, brushed his hair back and sighed in relief.
“That’s true, but…”
The bishop beside him chuckled wryly in response.
“It’s not the time to rest. Aren’t there still students left inside?”
“Yes. In a way, things might be even busier from here on.”
The Jushin Church and the Arts Church were far from good relations, but among the clergy standing here, nobody pointed that out.
Those remaining here valued others over their own beliefs.
“I have no shame, though.”
As the clergy tiredly made their way into the academy, the sound of shining armor echoed through the academy street, resonating like a singular entity.
“Is it alright if I lay my hands on that work?”
The moment Prête spotted the one standing at the front of the imposing knights, he quickly knelt down.
The bishop standing beside Prête did the same.
The bishop displayed the utmost respect he could offer.
The figure before them possessed a status deserving of it.
“Gentlemen, there’s really no need for that… oh my.”
The one who was trying to dissuade Prête and the bishop looked away upon seeing the sword that cleaved through the sky beyond that of a dragon.
“Is that the Sword Saint?”
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