Benedict, pushed back by the Pope’s authority, reached my side and looked at me with a mixture of complicated emotions before forcing a smile.
“Papa isn’t late this time, right?”
“Yep! Papa! You look a bit cool today, huh?”
“Really? Is that so!? Awesome! I’ve gotta show an even cooler side now!”
With a shout, Benedict dashed forward, followed closely by Allen’s knights.
The sight of the black wave of monsters being shredded left and right reminded me of a scene from the Bible I’d seen on the monitor.
While I was blankly staring at him, the monster horde was cut in half right next to me.
“Ugh, seriously infuriating. What the heck was that weird dungeon!?”
She lamented about the dungeon thrown in by the Pope, her frustration boiling over as she charged alone into the heart of the monster army.
Normally, I would’ve stopped her, thinking it was a suicide mission, but judging by the gaps appearing like bombs dropping in the horde, I figured it was probably fine.
…Is every author who reaches the Sword Saint level like that?
“Don’t worry, Apostle of God. I’ll protect you while that person is around.”
Ruel’s doll appeared at the same time as the Sword Saint, bowing politely before rushing into the massacre.
“Whoa! Lady Allen! May I ask for permission to see your oh-so-beautiful and noble self!?”
The perverted apostle that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere was too busy staring at the ground with passionate eyes, hardly noticing me.
What is wrong with this guy? I was completely confused when Phoebe whispered something into his ear on my behalf.
“Indeed! Understood! Lady Allen! Please!”
After the perverted apostle left, with power in both fists, I glanced at Phoebe who lightly smiled.
“She said if you do well this time, she’ll allow it.”
“…Is that all?”
“Yeah. She seems really honored to even see you.”
Is my appearance really at that level? Although I see through the fairy’s eyes, it seems just okay to me. Isn’t this too much fuss?
“I understand. I feel the same way right now.”
Even though it’s been a while since I heard that, disgusting and creepy as it was, I turned my head to see a Sloppy Fox covering her nose.
She was bleeding profusely between her fingers, and it felt like she could faint from anemia at any moment.
“You abandoned me, your pet, this time, so I believe you’ll give me proper compensation later. Lucy, you have quite a debt built up, don’t you?”
Leaving words I wanted to wipe from my memory immediately, the Sloppy Fox moved ahead with the mist fox pack, while countless forest lords crushed the monsters behind her.
Then, following suit, the army of the kingdom led by the Second Prince passed, and Rene stopped and stood beside me.
“It’s been a while. I’ve heard good things about your exploits.”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t heard anything about the Sombre Prince. I didn’t care at all.”
“…Haha. You must have been busy.”
Rene, unfazed by the sharp gazes from my surrounding people, silently kept looking only at me.
“But I guess it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. You seem to have grown a bit.”
“Really!?”
“It’s not noticeable, but you’ve definitely grown. My observation skills are quite superb.”
No way!?
Has my penalty for using the Mesugaki Skill weakened a bit now that I can handle the Authority of Purification properly?!
I couldn’t help but hope his words were true and looked around.
“Have I grown?”
“Yes, yes! You seem to have grown, Lady!”
“The First Prince’s intuition is beyond doubt.”
“Is that so? In my eyes…”
“Shh!”
“What are you saying!? Frey Kent! Your eyesight must be terrible!”
So I am tall, right!? Right?!
As I’m happily grinning from the good news that even makes me momentarily forget the threats before me, Rene shrugged.
“Let’s have tea later. I’ll give you a snack I’ve never tasted.”
“Flattering me so desperately, I have no choice but to listen!”
“Sounds good. Contact me later.”
After the First Prince departed, the mood around us became strange.
Why? Why? Why are they all looking at me like that?
“Employer. This is surprisingly easy?”
“What’s all this nonsense, you garbage auntie? Saying someone easy just because they’re practically free is ridiculous.”
“…Am I really going to hear that nonsense even in this situation?! I just nearly died, you know!?”
Does anyone know how tricky it was to face the Apostle of Destruction? It proves that facing the Evil God isn’t that hard.
It’s a boss that requires more specs and preparation than physical strength. For Karia, who can gather all sorts of materials from the continent, it must be nothing special.
I sent that out with full knowledge.
“So, what about the other shoddy ones?”
“The situation across the continent is fine. With the fairy’s intervention and the clergymen’s powers strengthened, many nations prepared their armies, so they can definitely handle a dungeon rampage.”
So, this fight is the turning point, huh?
Taking a breath, I looked ahead again.
In front of the monster horde endlessly desecrating the land, I watched as they continued fighting without retreating a single step.
I saw those who don’t fear death extending their hands for the salvation of the world.
And I brought my hands together in prayer.
Oh, useless and incompetent Lord Jushin who does nothing.
At the very least, bless them.
Grant victory on this battlefield so that their nobility isn’t in vain.
Oh great Lord Jushin.
Since today is the last day.
Do it right!
You shoddy thing!
– Ding.
As the long-awaited notification sound reached my ears, I opened my eyes and saw the familiar blue screen before me.
[Evil God’s resurrection is imminent.]
[Progress: 90%]
[Quest initiated!]
[Stop that person’s plan.]
[No matter what trials come your way, you will not fall.]
[The blessings and powers that remain with you will protect you forever.]
[Goal: Save the world.]
The moment I saw the words written there, I naturally realized what I had to do.
I didn’t need the help of holy artifacts.
The miracle I was about to create had happened before, and in my current state, it was certainly possible.
With a laugh, I raised my mace high as divine energy gathered upon it.
The essence of purification transformed into a magic circle according to my will, creating a massive circle.
Bigger than the sun I offered to the Evil God of Fire.
Bigger than the sun my grandpa made back in the day.
Like when Armadi descended upon the land during the Age of Myth.
Creating another sun in the sky.
How much time passed?
As I placed the gigantic sphere completed atop my mace into the sky, the sun of divine energy naturally floated up high.
The sun imbued with the light of purification chased away the darkness, made the dark clouds flee, and firmly settled where the sun was meant to be in the blue sky.
The sun containing the divine nature of Lord Jushin shone down upon the earth.
It burned the monsters, erased curses, eliminated corruption, healed wounds, bolstered willpower, showed the way forward, and illuminated the foes we needed to topple.
“Let’s go.”
With weapons in hand below that light, I advanced forward.
Following the path created by the knights of the kingdom.
The road crafted by the fairy’s tricks.
The way made by the forest’s lords.
The path brought forth by the perverted apostle and other apostles.
And Benedict.
No.
Passing the route laid out by Papa and Allen’s knights as I drew closer to the enemy at the end.
In the distance, I saw the Pope nearing the end.
Still wrapped in shadows from moments before, his red eyes glinted sharply.
I know. This is the phenomenon that occurs just before he becomes the Evil God of the End.
I couldn’t interfere in the game, but now it’s different.
“Everyone! Get ready!”
It’s time to perform a miracle!
*
The hero gazed upon the lined-up human army on the battlefield, recalling the past.
The human forces arrayed on the earth and the monster hordes standing opposite them.
The countless rivers of blood flowing between them.
Those fleeing in fear and the commanders shouting to catch them.
And in the forefront, striving to convey hope while draped in the remains of monsters, he and his comrades.
While others praised the hero standing on the battlefield, it was a nightmarish space for him.
Just recalling it made him nauseous.
He had succumbed to a wrong choice because he didn’t want to face that nightmare again.
However, the moment the newly drawn sun illuminated the land, the hero realized this wasn’t a nightmare. The scene before him was an incredibly happy dream.
It was the very scenery that this human, known as the hero, had yearned for more than anyone else.
He dreamed of this landscape, yet it was something he had never attained throughout his life.
“…I never expected to be rescued by others.”
“Feeling a bit more inclined to attain enlightenment now?”
With a voice mixed with laughter, Garad nodded as if to agree with the hero.
“I was arrogant. I was but one of many beings drifting through this world, yet I thought no one could save it without me.”
“Weren’t we all thinking the same back then?”
“Yeah. It’s not just your fault.”
Even with the words of comfort from Ruel and Garad, the hero shed tears without taking his eyes off the screen.
“The end mentioned by Lord Jushin is drawing near, but if it’s this kind of end, I might be able to accept it willingly.”
In response to the hero’s words, Garad nodded in agreement, but Ruel merely gazed quietly at the hero beyond the screen without offering any reply.
The beginning and the end were about to clash.
