Sword Saint Yuden placed her hand on her sword as she scrutinized her opponent.
_Thunk_
She had pushed hard until now, yet there was no sign of exhaustion from him.
_Hmph_
He still seemed to be quite relaxed, but her opponent was the same.
_Aha_
It was clear. That bastard was sizing her up too.
_Yup_
There’s no way someone with the Authority of God Agra at the center of Evil God could be limited to this level.
_Truth_
She had felt it when facing the God of Darkness last time. Just how absurd the existence of a god is.
_Boom_
Those who twist the rules of this world for their own desires proved why they bear the name of God.
_Heh_
Even now, she sometimes imagines.
_Hmm_
What would have happened if Erginius hadn’t been there?
_Swoosh_
Would she have been able to seize victory even in the extreme situation of facing the Authority of Evil God head-on?
_Ding_
The results of such imaginings are always the same.
_Impossible_
If she stood alone before the God of Darkness, she would be defeated.
_Ugh_
She would have no choice but to collapse without bridging the gap between gods and humans.
_Hmm_
Would the Pope before her be any different? Yuden thought surely not.
_Indeed_
The Apostle of Lord Jushin had said that this man could wield the Authority of Evil God freely, having unsealed some of the Evil God’s powers.
_Tch_
So it was strange to just stand around helplessly like this.
_Hee_
“Is it over now?” the Pope casually said, and the Sword Saint smiled bitterly.
_Ha!_
“What if it’s not over? Are you going to keep taking hits?”
_Nope._ “It’s time to start moving. If I delay any longer, the Apostle might arrive.”
_Hahaha._ “Is that tiny girl really that scary?”
_Yup._ “I’m terrified. Because I have to show my incompetence to her.”
_Sigh_
The Pope exaggeratedly shuddered but shrugged his shoulders and conjured a small orb on his fingertip.
_Whee_
“O you who bear the memory of the Holy Knight. You must know what the Authority of the End is.”
_Of course._ “I know exactly how you handled the Authority of the End.”
_Hehe._ “Then try desperately to block it.”
The word “end” is incredibly abstract.
The dictionary definition certainly exists, but it is used with various meanings beyond that.
To wield the Authority of the End, one needs imagination.
Only then can the word “end” be interpreted in as many ways as possible to stir the world.
_Time out_
“From now on, my physical abilities will reach their end.”
_What?_
“This is what I mean.”
Hearing the voice right next to her, the Sword Saint hastily swung her sword, but she couldn’t fully lessen the shock.
_Boom! BAM! Crack!_
The Sword Saint, thrown outside the building she had sliced through, felt pain in her body as she rose.
_Yikes!
The sound of her sword didn’t seem good. Had it broken from that last strike?
_Damn! I’m going crazy!_
What kind of sprightly old man lives for hundreds of years and can move like that!?
After spitting out some blood from her mouth, she tossed aside her sword and formed a blade solely from her aura.
_Shwoop!
I don’t know what the heck you’re trying, but do you think I’ll just sit and watch?
The sword made of aura dashed through everything in its path.
Even the Pope’s unfolding black authority.
Only then did the Pope notice the Sword Saint was intact and glanced down, shrugging.
_Uh-oh!_ “It seems our end has reached.”
In the blink of an eye, the distance shrank. A fist already poised to strike.
And the sword that seemed to swing as if it had predicted this.
When authority and sword clashed, shockwaves erupted.
_Boom!
Through her wildly flying hair, the Sword Saint caught sight of the Pope’s face.
A tranquil expression that showed no signs of agitation.
_Ugh…_
“Just irritating.”
_Why is that?_
“I’m acknowledging your strength, showing you plenty.”
_That attitude just ticks me off._
While she grumbled, the Sword Saint acknowledged the Pope’s strength.
His combat logic was real, surpassing his nearly unremarkable appearance. Of course, it makes sense.
His experiences fighting alongside heroes in the Age of Myth wouldn’t just vanish.
“If I don’t show my real intentions, that little girl will come first?”
With a grin that said this much would never bring her down, the Sword Saint saw the Pope blink in agreement.
_Hmm _ “You’re right. We have much to do, and I can’t waste time here.”
As the Pope finished speaking, countless authorities swirled up around him again.
Previously, the Sword Saint could have sliced through everything without difficulty, but this time was different.
Before her stood a Pope who pressed forward with fierce momentum.
The strength he accumulated from the Age of Myth wouldn’t allow any openings for a genius like the Sword Saint, making it impossible to cut through it all.
In that case.
_Light!_
A blinding flash akin to lightning countered most of the Evil God’s authority, and a knight emerged from the center of that light, charging towards the Pope.
_Isn’t there anyone to protect?_
“They can protect themselves!”
Even when it was just the Sword Saint, the standoff was taut.
With a hero from the Age of Myth involved, the balance shattered.
Though it was their first time coordinating, there was no awkwardness between the doll and Sword Saint.
They were both nearly at the extreme limits of their own pursuits without needing to communicate what their best options were in that moment.
“My authority has reached its peak.”
But in an instant, the duo’s dominance crumbled.
The Pope mumbled something softly and unleashed his authority, causing the doll holding up a shield to soar into the sky.
“And your talents are nearing their end.”
As the authority of Evil God manifested, there was no way to slice through it all.
_Crap!_ The moment the Evil God’s power emerged, the Sword Saint felt her heart waver.
_Oh wow._ Is that what it means for my talents to be coming to an end?
Doubting all her sensory actions she’d taken thus far.
“Can you endure even in this situation?”
“Why ask the obvious? You idiot!”
But what does it matter? Swinging a sword means confronting countless hesitations before choosing the right answer.
Even if I doubt my skills now, all the answers I’ve previously reached remain unchanged.
The right answer I must choose at this moment is already set!
_Die!_
Admiration sparked on the Pope’s face as he scattered and returned.
“You’ve made me realize precisely why the Apostle of the Lord chose you.”
“Ah, really!?”
“Yet, our chat needs to end here. The Apostle has finished strategizing for the last dungeon.”
The Evil God Agra’s most treasured four subordinates.
The four who have spent their waiting time deep underground until today, resurrected for the great god, were effortlessly erased before the powers of a small girl named Lucy Allen.
They turned the land into hell, instilling fear in others only with their names, and those who should be rushing toward their end left nothing behind as they faded from existence.
Other Evil Gods were the same.
The Evil God of Fire, who appeared while being pushed from the start, was cooling down under the coordination of wizards, and the Void Evil God was being devoured by the powers held by the God of Darkness and the Fairy Queen, while the Evil God of Destruction had become unable to break anything, only watching himself destruct.
It was indeed the worst situation. Never before had moments so hopeless emerged at the end of the Age of Myth.
And never before had such enormous authority of Lord Jushin existed.
This much.
The moment the Pope dreamed of would not be found even if the history of the continent was scoured to death.
“I already told you, I have many things prepared for this world.”
…What’s that?
“How long do you think I’ve been waiting for this day?”
When the Sword Saint sensed something was off and tried to rush forward, the Pope moved toward the distant horizon.
No! Wait!
It was different.
Their positions remained the same. Only the end that ought to exist between them had vanished.
“I see the end of what has been beneath the earth drawing nearer.”
Grinding her teeth, the Sword Saint slashed at the Pope’s neck with her authority, but even while flying through the air, the smile etched on the Pope’s lips didn’t fade.
“I see the chains that sealed Evil God Agra gradually decaying.”
“Damn it! For real!”
“Humanity’s era seems to be approaching its end.”
The Pope, who had turned to dust from the Sword Saint’s strike, once again appeared beside the Church of the Holy Land.
And as soon as he placed his hand on the church, the building that seemed forever unyielding began to sway and tilt before violently collapsing.
“The Age of Myth will settle here.”
The once blue sky turned black, the refreshing breeze ceased in an instant, and the desperate prayers of people faded from the world, replaced by a heavy atmosphere suffocating everything.
“Dear, great Lord Jushin, come down to the land. To save the lambs desperately seeking You, put forth Your feet on the earth. Truly, to be the god for this world, ready with what I have prepared to offer You.”
Tears of emotion spilled from the Pope’s eyes as he saw the darkness in the sky dissipating.
“Great Lord, is this lamb’s call being answered?”
“Haha! Look at this! Those sparkling eyes are just adorable! Totally an idiot!”
The Pope hurriedly turned his head at the voice from behind and trembled at the sight of Lucy.
“W-How are you already here?”
“Hey! Do you really think the Shoddy God will answer you? I told you! He’s an idiot! He doesn’t care about ugly old men like you! I wish you’d get a sense of your status!”
“I think not, but even if so, it’s fine. Then He will have no choice but to come down to the land.”
As the Pope dropped the orbs he had been holding in his arms, the glass beads shattered, and the sinister energy contained within spread across the world.
“The Age of Myth has already begun. Apostle of God.”
“So?”
_Can you stop it?_
“Why are you asking the obvious? You look dumb as you do!♡”
