It was a marvelous sight.
In a world where the existence of gods was proven, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most people had a religion. The only distinction was between the devout who fervently attended the cathedral and those who did not. There were hardly any cases of punishing atheists in the church. No matter how loudly atheists claimed that gods did not exist, the gods were still present, and those atheists lived off the blessings of the deities.
Thus, most of the government forces participating in this battle were believers. As they fought against the beasts charging from the wall, they could not help but hold their breath at the sight of a massive column of light rising in the distance, splitting the demonic power that covered the sky.
Even the beasts flying towards them instinctively glanced back.
The hordes of beasts flying from afar disappeared upon touching that white light, but some of the beasts that remained near the wall were still present.
And among the beasts and soldiers, it was the beasts that regained their senses first.
One of the beasts, coveting a soldier who was blankly staring at the column of light with his mouth agape, folded its wings and surged forward at high speed.
It almost broke off midway, only to intersect with another beam of light and vanish.
When the soldier finally regained his senses and shifted his gaze, there stood the Saintess.
The Saintess, who had just stretched her hand toward the place where the beast had been moments ago, had pink hair.
She was the one who had ascended the wall the moment the battle began, incinerating the attacking beasts with her holy power. She was known to be one of those closest to the goddess—though, being a “Saintess,” it was no surprise that she wouldn’t be greatly disturbed by such a sight.
“Um, so…”
As the Saintess looked at the soldier, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Was she angry? However, judging by the atmosphere, it seemed more like she was choosing her words.
“Are you able to get your act together…?”
Hearing the oddly awkward formality, the soldier felt a chill run down his spine.
The Saintess was nothing short of the head of the church. Even though her position might have changed slightly since the goddess had come down to the earth, from the soldier’s perspective, she was still someone far above.
“Should I speak formally to you, or informally?”
Of course, that depended on the Saintess’s choice.
“Since you are my superior…”
However, saying that it was strange for the soldier to inform the Saintess whether to use formal or informal speech made him trail off.
“If I’m your superior, then it’s okay to speak informally, right?”
The Saintess said that right away.
“Yes, of course!”
With the realization that the Saintess herself had let her guard down, the soldier felt a bit more relaxed.
Rina nodded at the soldier’s words, then suddenly pointed to the sky and said, “Really? So, can you stop that thing for a moment?”
“Yes, of course—”
As the soldier replied, looking in the direction Rina was pointing, he immediately froze in place.
“Eh?”
Rina stared at the soldier as if to indicate it was a simple request.
“That… Stop it. Let me ride it.”
“…Eh?”
The soldier looked towards the direction Rina was pointing. From the back of the wall, something was flying up. This huge object with a big propeller spinning above it was definitely what they called a ‘helicopter.’ It seemed to be flying to support the soldiers who were in the battlefield after the gap in the sky opened.
After glancing between the helicopter and the Saintess in front of him several times, the soldier noticed that the Saintess’s expression hadn’t changed at all. It seemed she truly meant, “Stop that thing for a moment.”
“Um, yes! Understood!”
He replied as he only thought of how to stop it. The soldier started sprinting with all his might towards the direction the helicopter was coming from.
“Here, over here! The Saintess is going to board the helicopter!”
He shouted while waving his arms with all his strength.
Please let this voice be heard inside the helicopter!
*
The light that had been radiating from me slowly diminished and soon disappeared entirely. However, the traces left by that column of light did not vanish. Rather, it was more accurate to say it ‘did not reappear,’ perhaps?
Of course, if left for a few hours, it might recover. There were no rules stating one couldn’t recreate what had once been made.
The clouds still covered the sky ahead, and the black rain continued to fall. The tower of cumulonimbus clouds right in the middle was still there. Yet, the situation had improved significantly from before. The ground remained blackened and rotting, and the puddles formed by the black rain remained, but at least it wouldn’t be raining from the sky.
The number of winged beasts had definitely decreased. It was only natural since they had lost so many magic points.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud bang erupted, and when I turned around, a massive explosion was taking place among the beasts and demons. It was not where the knights were, but rather focused on the groups of beasts that were slightly further away.
I could see the defenses collapsing. The beasts and demons that couldn’t match the knights in numbers would be shredded by the holy swords the knights were wielding. Although I couldn’t see the details from here, the flashes in the distance indicated that things were going as I had imagined.
“Hmm.”
Andréa, who had been charging ahead, made that sound.
“What’s going on?”
I leaned slightly to the side to take a look and asked.
“It seems we’re almost at our destination.”
Andréa replied with that.
The sound of hooves that had been pounding vigorously began to gradually decrease. It was not only the hoofbeats of the horse that Andréa and I were riding, but also those of the horses near us.
“Do you see something?”
“Yes, I see something.”
Andréa said that while pulling on the reins of the horse. The horse, gradually slowing its pace, came to a complete stop with a hee sound.
“Ah…”
The halted horse turned slightly, allowing me, who was clinging closely behind Andréa, to finally see what lay ahead.
There was a throne.
And it appeared as if someone was waiting for us, resting their chin on the armrest.
The chair, seemingly carved from black ebony and looking astoundingly expensive, was occupied by a strange figure dressed in a black suit. It seemed like a poor imitation of Baal, but in all honesty, it was so pathetic that it was almost embarrassing to award it any points. Well, even I, who was originally male, had to admit that Baal was exceptionally handsome. I could understand the reasoning behind the mask that obscured his face.
“Despite having mercilessly absorbed so many demons, you still look surprisingly intact.”
I stated.
Andréa scoffed, as if in disbelief.
“Aren’t you overly calm?”
“…What good does it do to be tense here?”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t nervous. To be honest, the ending of the story, which I had accelerated, was right in front of me, making me a bit scared. The end of the story that was altered by ‘me’ intervening. If I made even one mistake, it could directly lead to a bad ending.
Though I partly believed that wouldn’t happen because Jian, Aurora, and Linea were with me, it was strangely difficult to hold onto complete confidence.
But the reason I could speak so calmly before the demons was undoubtedly due to how pitiful they looked. Honestly, this wasn’t my problem; it was the demons’ issue. They were the ones who had completely ruined the atmosphere.
Andréa no longer pressed me and leapt off the horse. She grabbed my hand and helped me not to tumble off. It was a bit embarrassing, but it felt far better than being utterly humiliated in front of the demons.
The demons simply watched us quietly as we all dismounted from our horses.
Although it had been suggested that taking them down from horseback would have been more effective—after all, competing against the knights in combat was discussed—but the argument was dismissed over fears of the riders behind being attacked and falling off.
…Thanks to that, our group walking towards the high-ranking demon above looked a bit strange, but what could you do? It was surely better than seeing the goddess rolling on the ground, pitifully spat out from a temple.
The team led by Jian, who had arrived first at the location, was waiting for us.
“How is it? Are you ready?”
When I approached Jian, he asked. He had already drawn his sword from its sheath. He looked poised to rush in and sever the high-ranking demon’s neck at any moment.
“Yes.”
I nodded. Just in time, Aurora and Linea also arrived near us. Linea, who had brought her own horse, didn’t appear to have any issues, but Aurora swayed slightly as if she were dizzy.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes… I’ll be fine with just a bit!”
Aurora said that and ha! let out a shout, straightening her back.
“That’s a relief.”
I responded to Aurora.
“…”
For a moment, everyone fell into silence.
“Then… once we overcome this, it will be the end.”
“That seems to be the case.”
I nodded at Linea’s words.
“…”
Everyone stared at me.
“Alright.”
I sighed. It was chilly since it was midnight, and my breath visible in white puffs.
“Then, shall we go?”
This world was a setting from a story I had abandoned writing, but it wasn’t ‘really’ a light novel world.
The people surrounding me were all living, moving beings, not mere characters. The wind brushing past my face was real, and the humid smell rising after the rain was real. I had felt that ever since I came to this world.
Maybe that was why, no one shouted “Let’s go!” and there were no comic-like battle cries or cheers.
We simply exhaled a trembling breath, hinting at our slight nervousness. Me, Jian, Aurora, Linea, Andréa. And even a few knights following us.
Honestly, if we weren’t trying to inject some vigor into ourselves right in the midst of battle, it would be a bit embarrassing to shout anything.
Isn’t it better to shout some famous line after it’s all over?
Suddenly thinking that way made me wonder if I was finally getting over my teenage delinquency.
Without saying a word, I began to walk towards the high-ranking demon, who was arrogantly looking down at us.
People followed behind me. After we handled the beasts and demons, I figured the other knights would rush over to us.
One against thousands.
No need to analyze who had the advantage.
*
No matter how much of a final boss you are, waiting in the rain seems a bit out of place, I thought, since there was no rain falling where the last remaining demon was sitting.
It was just beneath the spot where we had seen that massive tower of clouds.
“…Goddess.”
As we entered earshot of one another, the demon spoke.
The demon, seen from a short distance now, strongly resembled Baal even more. It made me wonder if Baal’s true face was hidden behind that mask. Its voice even seemed similar.
Ultimately, was what they had desired this godlike appearance?
In hindsight, it wasn’t too strange considering it had acted like a god in that other world.
“What should I call you?”
I asked, gazing at the other.
“Call me whatever you wish. I am the last remaining demon. No matter what name you assign, I will still be a demon.”
It seemed like it wanted to sound impressive, but it would grow angry if I called it dumb.
Furthermore—
“You aren’t the last demon.”
“….”
“There are many demons who surrendered over there, right? True, they all ended up with a miserable fate, but at least from this point onward, you are not the last one.”
Many demons had died during the escape, but not all of them had perished. The crow that had been the first to surrender to me was fortunately elsewhere.
“Hmm.”
The demon reacted with a brief response to my words.
“….”
“….”
Uh-oh.
Um… what to do now?
I thought it would at least say a few words like a final boss, but it seemed poised to only respond if I asked first. Aren’t these high-ranking demons supposed to be more arrogant and pathetic? Or perhaps are they trying to act tough because they’ve finally united?
“So… if you kill all of us here, what will you do next?”
I thought I understood what the demon’s intentions were in presenting this appearance. It was trying to unsettle me by posing as a god… or perhaps it had become the very image it had yearned for.
But because of that, the intimidating presence it seemed to have felt surprisingly diminished.
Because I had noticed how Baal, who I saw every day, was somewhat timid, vulnerable, and had other such traits.
[…….]
Why, what, why.
That’s right.
In any case, I honestly felt that even if it won against us like this, it would soon be obliterated by the incoming Holy Bomb. While I didn’t possess the ability to sense my opponent’s power, they looked utterly unreliable to me.
“I will destroy this world.”
“Ah, yes, I suppose that’s true….”
It didn’t seem like they had any new information to share by continuing to converse. It was only natural since it was a being grouped together with no intent to surrender.
“Then,”
I sighed deeply and summoned golden light into my hands. It wasn’t holy power. I still clearly remembered the crow demon that was perched safely on the branch of Arlil.
To counter demons created by divine power, the power of miracles was required.
And the most effective power against beings made from demon god’s strength was surely Ariel’s miracles.
“It seems we have no choice but to fight.”
And just when I thought I could gallantly leap in—
Something zoomed past me at an incredible speed.
Bang!
A tremendous sound erupted, kicking up dust. The demon, which had been standing there just a moment ago, disappeared from my sight.
Before I could rush in, Jian had already dashed forward and collided with the demon.
Creak,
An ominous sound rang as cracks appeared in Jian’s sword. The sword Jian wielded was the same holy sword that other knights used. Although I had enhanced it with holy power, its durability couldn’t have been vastly different.
…Perhaps I should have had a proper holy sword made for the main character.
Thinking about that a decade later was pointless.
Yet, like when Jian first fought against the high-ranking demon, he didn’t care about the sword breaking.
Jian, charging forward at full speed, collided with the demon, sending it tumbling through the air. The demon twirled in the air and slammed down on the ground. Given the force propelling it, it certainly didn’t land gracefully.
Thud, it landed, with something piercing into the ground. Drawing two long lines along the earth, the demon was forced backward. However, it did not fall. The demon managed to maintain its stance even after Jian’s strike.
Jian did not miss the opportunity. Again propelled forward, he swung his sword at the demon. Perhaps due to the incredible speed of his attack, I could only see the shining blade drawing a line of light.
“…”
Was there not a place for me to join in?
I recalled Jian’s combat against the high-ranking demon. Unlike the high-ranking demon, this demon definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand Jian’s strikes. In fact, if I hadn’t butted in back then to disrupt Jian and Andréa’s cooperation, that battle would have concluded much more quickly.
By intervening recklessly, I almost faced death at that moment.
But…
I shook my head.
But now, the situation was different. It was true that I couldn’t match Jian’s combat skills to cooperate with him. However, I had far better methods at my disposal now, right?
I extended my hands toward the spot where Jian was battling the demon. Then, I unleashed the power of the miracle.
As the bright light shot out, the demon reacted. It sprang backward to evade the force. However, no matter how quickly it leapt, it couldn’t outrun the speed of light. A small wisp of smoke puffed from its feet.
“……”
It seemed as if the demon had touched something it should not have. Its gaze swiftly shot toward me. Though the white mask made it impossible to discern its expression, the crimson eyes peering from the two openings glared at me as if they were ready to kill.
The demon stepped in my direction.
Andréa and Linea rapidly stepped forward in front of me, but Jian, moving with even greater speed, slipped past the demon’s side.
However, this time, the demon was prepared.
Drawing back, it narrowly avoided Jian’s sword and flicked it away with its index finger.
Ping! As a clear sound echoed, Jian’s sword snapped along the cracks it already bore.
Seeing that, Jian gritted his teeth. He attempted to strike down the demon again with the broken sword—
Bang!
Suddenly, a sound resonated, and my vision was filled with white light flashing before me. No, it was not just white; black light accompanied it too.
When the beam of light that had been dangerously close to the demon dissipated, a sword embedded itself in that spot.
From the blade to the hilt, the sword was completely blackened.
It was Rina’s sword.
I swiftly turned to look behind me, and in the distance, a helicopter was landing. From it emerged a girl dressed in white saintly robes, featuring pink hair.
“She finally came….”
Before I knew it, I muttered that.
I heard something being pulled from the ground.
As I shifted my gaze back, Jian was lifting the sword that was embedded deep in the earth. Despite having plunged deep into the ground, the sword was still glowing with a golden light.
…Ariel’s miracle?
“Well, I did my part. I’ve been praying hard for some assistance. How is it? Are you satisfied?”
Rina said that as she had come beside me at some point.
Hah, seriously.
“It’s obvious you should be the next Pope.”
“What a dreadful thing to say.”
Rina pouted, shaking her body in discontent.
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