“Is that you, Young Lady?!”
Ignoring Phoebe’s surprise, I stood up and pulled her into a hug as I stepped back.
I felt the Pope following behind me, but I ignored it.
I’m not alone. Arthur, Frey, and the Sword Saint swung their swords at the Pope as they read the look in my eyes.
The Pope, regenerating his severed limbs, stubbornly charged forward, but it was impossible to close the distance amidst the continuous sword strikes.
“I will end this!”
As if feeling frustrated, the Pope used his authority, but at that moment, a doll blocked my path with a shield.
Unlike my shield, its heavy weight absorbed the impact, slightly shaking the ground.
“Is it enough to just endure?!”
“Yeah! You shoddy one!”
After all, it’s already impossible to stop Agra’s resurrection.
Since Agra has been devoured by the Pope, he will naturally take the place of the Evil God.
And at that end, the Pope will become the stronghold that brings about the Age of Myth.
So I’m aiming for that moment.
The moment the Pope reaches the Evil God’s throne.
The time when he’s confused before the power granted by the Authority of the End.
The exact timing when even someone of his stature cannot control himself.
This sacred artifact was prepared for that time.
Only for when the Pope can do nothing.
“I will put an end to your qualifications to approach.”
Just as I held Phoebe’s hand and was about to channel my energy into the sacred artifact, the Pope raised his voice.
Suddenly, those surrounding the Pope seemed to have been pushed back as if by some agreement.
It was as if they were denied the permission to approach at all.
I thought Frey and the Sword Saint might strike, but even they only trembled with their swords in hand without making a move.
The Authority of the Evil God obstructs their will, it seems. Damn.
“What are you doing?♡ You shoddy ones♡ Do you even have the sympathy to feel for that trash?♡ Hahaha, seriously pathetic♡”
As I released my hand from Phoebe and spread the Authority of Purification with a sneer, only then did people start moving forward one by one.
The Evil God’s authority is stronger than I anticipated.
Is it the backlash from the greater praise that I and the Shoddy God received than initially expected?
At this rate, the frontlines won’t hold without me. What should I do?
As I clicked my tongue in thought, Grandpa urgently raised his voice.
[Lucy! You don’t need to control it!]
“More specifically! Hurry!”
[Right now you haven’t received power from the Lord! You’ve been chosen for authority! So like the gods do, you can distribute your authority!]
‘…What?’
Wait, what kind of nonsense is this?
If you say it like that, it feels like I’m actually a god!
I was momentarily flustered by such a ridiculous story, but the situation wasn’t good enough to hesitate now.
I don’t care whether I’m a god or whatever.
If I can seize the advantage in the current situation, I’m willing to take on any nonsensical role!
“If you shoddy ones♡ want to impress me, you should keep an eye on my friend, right?♡ Someone like you could never earn my favor♡ You must struggle♡ Now!♡”
The moment I grabbed Phoebe and commanded the authority, part of the light I held flowed into Phoebe.
“Shoddy Phoebe.”
“Yes! Young Lady! I think I understand what you want to say!”
…Huh? I didn’t say anything! You didn’t even explain what I did!
As I blinked in confusion, Phoebe concentrated the light within the sacred artifact.
It was undoubtedly the Authority of Purification I possessed.
Is authority something that can be handled so easily?
I remember spending days trying to properly handle my authority.
“Young Lady! Please share your power with Joy! With her, we can create a miracle even more perfectly!”
While others bought time, Phoebe did as instructed and shared her power with Joy.
“…Indeed. That sacred artifact is an amplifier.”
You. You understand it right away?
Why?!
This is why genius-types!
“If you do something foolish after all this, I’ll annoy you for the rest of your life.”
“Even without doing something foolish, you’ll annoy me for a lifetime, right?”
Seeing Joy smile, I shrugged my shoulders and turned my head forward again.
I was aware that this wasn’t a role I was suited for.
My nature leans more toward being a knight than a clergyman.
Handling divinity and creating magic circles were difficult for me.
But not for Phoebe and Joy.
With Joy, the genius acknowledged by Erginius, and the Saintess Phoebe, who easily controls a sacred artifact imbued with the divinity of hundreds, they’ll create a miracle cleaner and more stable than what I intended.
So all I have to do is buy time.
Standing before everyone until everything is complete.
Like a tank.
My trust in the two of them pushed me forward.
With my shield raised, wrapping myself in divinity and spreading the Authority of Purification around, I pushed back the darkness with each step.
“Come at me♡ I’ll play with you♡ Shoddy one♡”
“Hmmm. I’ll gladly oblige.”
Raising my shield, I faced the Pope rushing at me.
The Pope, who devoured the Evil God, was faster and stronger than before, but for some reason, he felt more troublesome than last time to me.
It must be because he hasn’t yet adapted to the power of the Evil God.
As I smiled and thrust my shield forward, I saw the Pope’s fist retreat with a crunching sound.
For a brief moment, a gap formed.
As others drew their weapons in the meantime, the Pope hummed a merry tune.
“However, Apostle. Is it really alright? This land is surely closer to its end than its beginning.”
The moment the Pope raised his finger with a smile, the earth suddenly collapsed, revealing a deep, deep darkness.
A dungeon. The subordinates of the Evil God exist underground?
Events like this never existed in even the game!
“Get lost!♡ You disgusting bastard!♡”
Before we could fall underground, as I spread the Authority of Purification, the darkness vanished in an instant and the earth returned.
The Pope, who had been watching that day, clapped his hands with sincere admiration.
“Impressive. You haven’t even adapted to your powers yet, yet you pull off such miracles.”
“Hahaha♡ Do you think flattery will change anything?♡ You’re still repulsive!♡”
“However, Apostle. Without that sacred artifact, your miracle wouldn’t reach everywhere on this earth.”
…Hold on. No way.
“It seems you’ve already guessed. Yes. This is the kind of thing happening all over the continent. Every dungeon you’ve suppressed will emerge back from oblivion without an end to their demise.”
In my urgency, I rushed forward, but the Pope easily blocked my mace.
“Now, Apostle. You can prevent me from moving, but during that time, many people on the continent will die. What will you do? Will you protect that artifact until it’s truly needed?”
Did he figure out the use of the sacred artifact? Is he threatening me with that?
“The Evil God won’t be the only one affected by the Authority of the End, you know?”
Damn.
Yeah, shit. If I use the amplification of the sacred artifact as this bastard says, I could spread the Authority of Purification throughout the continent.
But that would bring many problems in dealing with this jerk.
But…
But…
[It’s okay.]
‘…Grandpa?’
[Believe in the people you’ve helped. I also realized after hearing Erginius, but people seem to be stronger than we think.]
‘The people.’
As my allies attacked, I stepped back for a moment and turned my gaze towards the fairies. They nodded as if reading my thoughts.
– That’s right!
– People are strong!
– Everyone is strong!
*
“…Was the resurrection of the Evil God in the scenario?”
“I’m sure of it. This is unexpected.”
The lava-like hardened Evil God reignited the flames of fire.
Those preparing for the final battle, who had arranged their positions, chuckled in confusion before unpacking their gear again.
“It’s still not a problem, right? It’s just a repeat of what we’ve already done.”
“Even so, it’s a god. We have to maintain our tension.”
“Hahaha. Well, to me, that fool seems more like a pawn to elevate Lady Allen’s achievements.”
Although Prete’s statement was a bit exaggerated, none of the other apostles or wizards seemed particularly tense.
The overwhelming fight from before had instilled confidence in them.
No matter how great a disaster looms before us, as long as we do what needs to be done, we can achieve victory.
“Let’s go, everyone! For the salvation of the world!”
*
– Did you think this would end like this? Not yet! You must fall into hell, wizard!
“Ha. Is that so?”
Erginius, who had the leisure to watch the battle between Lucy and the Pope by sharing part of his deification, shook his head in annoyance and began to draw another magic circle.
The magic that Joy Partlan initiated and Erginius completed, enhanced with the Power of Darkness. A coercion that forces the truth upon all that exists in this world.
“Struggle hard. It won’t change anything, though.”
This isn’t like when I faced emptiness as a human.
With equivalent deifications, the determining factor between victory and defeat will be our respective abilities.
As someone who once was human and attained divinity, there can be no defeat when guidance on each other’s strategies has been provided.
“O Queen, how are the circumstances in various regions?”
As he subdued the innumerable attacks of the Evil God, Erginius asked, and the Fairy Queen smiled softly.
“It seems that what the Young Lady has done has not been in vain.”
Lucy hadn’t just simply conquered dungeons everywhere.
She prepared everyone for what to do in the worst-case scenario should it arise, instilling that the worst could approach at any moment.
The fruits of that labor were now manifesting today.
No one wanted to repeat the mistakes of the past.
There were no greedy folks seeking excessive gains either.
Everyone acted immediately to fulfill what was needed.
Consider how difficult it is for humans to unite; this was definitely a miracle.
“Please deliver that hope to them. They must be conflicted and troubled.”
“Indeed, I must.”
The Fairy Queen used her authority to convey a message to Lucy.
She told her that the trust she spread through the world gave rise to miracles.
Receiving that message, Lucy shook off even the slightest hesitation and thrust her mace towards the Pope.
To repay the faith of others.
