Chapter 341
Sizzle…
Beled’s body, devoured by the Void, had transformed incompletely.
Beled lowered her head, gazing at her hands. It seemed as if her skin, once white and radiant, was experiencing a noise glitch.
Even when she tried to touch her own body, she couldn’t feel anything.
Attempting to draw out mana was impossible.
Naturally, releasing her powers was out of the question.
Beled was no longer a being of this world.
『…Why.』
Beled spoke in a quivering voice.
Barghan, who had sworn loyalty to her, was no longer looking at his master with devotion.
His gaze was cold and cruel, as if he had been waiting for this moment from the beginning.
『What the hell… why.』
It was incomprehensible.
Barghan could never return to humanity.
The sins he committed were far too great and brutal for him to go back.
Thus, Beled had tried even harder to secure a place for Barghan in the Goddess Church, creating a haven for a lost child so he wouldn’t wander anymore.
『Why would you do this… my child…?』
“Beled, I certainly told you to stop acting like a mother.”
Barghan’s eyes glinted with hatred.
Through Beled, Barghan was seeing another person—the woman who had abandoned him for money in this world.
“I have no concept of parents. The names father and mother are merely titles for foul creatures bound to their desires.”
Bang—!
The ‘Ring of Glory’ Barghan wore cracked and shattered.
Even if it was an inferior item, there were limits to its durability, and Barghan’s actions had surpassed that threshold.
At the same time, Barghan’s mana surged, and blood began to pour from his already strained eyes.
He wanted to kill Beled, even if it cost him his life.
Above all, the biggest shock for Beled was that very fact.
『…I, truly… loved you….』
Sizzle…
Beled couldn’t take her eyes off Barghan until the very end. Her eyelids, which had been refusing to close, finally fluttered and vanished.
The leader of the hardliners, Beled, met a desolate death.
Thus, the two colossal beings supporting the Goddess Church—the moderate faction and the hardliners—were erased.
『U, uhh…. U, uhhhhh…….』
『…Barghan.』
Cyclamen and Blurans, who had moved with Beled, reacted in their own ways.
The timid Cyclamen trembled with fear, his legs shaking uncontrollably at the unexpected turn of events, while Blurans displayed deep fury, his expression twisted with anger.
He revealed his deep emotions through intense eyes, twisting his lips.
The spear of Blurans was aimed at Vargan. His amethyst current was the most profound anyone had ever seen.
“Did you join the Goddess Church with the intention of betraying from the start?”
Blurans showed hostility.
It was a deep emotion never seen before, even when Vargan was beside the hero.
“Did you come here with the intention to target me from the beginning, you bat bastard—!!”
Cha—!
Blurans’s purple mana erupted.
His mana stirred up a massive wind that swept away the surrounding soil and corpses.
“…”
Vargan withstood the pressure of the wind.
Nearby, the purple mana of ‘another scripture’ danced like it was wrapping around, then was grasped tightly in the remaining claw of his hand.
The root of all incidents.
[Old Testament].
Vargan had acquired this as well.
“…Pertigle Blurans. You half-human, half-demon monster.”
Vargan scattered the Old Testament back into mana and raised his head to glare at Blurans.
A mocking smile hung on Vargan’s lips.
“Born to parents of different races, unable to fit in anywhere, and you’re calling me a bat? How amusing.”
“This bastard…!!”
Kwa—!
Blurans charged at Vargan with incredible speed.
However, the spear tip failed to pierce Vargan’s heart, thanks to the winter woman Frikkanrisk who blocked it with all her might.
Faced with extreme cold, Blurans twisted his face in anger and shouted.
“Vargan! Do you think you can survive here? Both I and Cyclamen are here! Outside the church, Purpur and thousands of bishops along with tens of thousands of hardliners Altipe are all waiting! Do you really think we, sworn to Lady Beled, will forgive you!”
Furious, Blurans exploded with rage.
Vargan listened quietly, a smirk playing on his lips.
“With so many people concerned for my well-being, I must say I’ve led a successful life.”
“Stop talking nonsense! Do you think such bravado will work? Your body is currently in shambles! There’s no way you can escape from here and save your life!”
Blurans’s words were correct.
Currently, Vargan was in a life-threatening state. If he used his unique spell even once more, his mana circuits could completely break down or even lead to his death.
Yet even in such a situation, Vargan showed no signs of fear or worry.
His ‘extreme’ was not over yet.
“Blurans… it’s your narrow vision that’s the issue here.”
Vargan encouraged him to look around carefully. Present were the dying Vargan, Blurans, Cyclamen, and the monsters fighting Bael along with the Altipe.
The forces that Beled had permitted for Vargan.
“Do you still see these as being under the control of hardliners?”
Seven remaining Twelve Divine Beasts.
Approximately 170,000 familiars and 50,000 monsters.
60,000 modified Altipe.
While many had been lost compared to the beginning, the remaining ones were still significant in number despite their serious injuries.
Especially, the familiars and the Twelve Divine Beasts each possessed great strength, making matters even more complicated.
“Just moments ago, you asked if I thought I could save my life… I’ll turn that question back to you.”
A smile crept onto Vargan’s face.
It was a vicious grin that could never be considered righteous.
“Do you really think you can escape this place and save your skin?”
Kugung, Kugung—!
Kwaaak!
The overly excited familiars charged at Blurans and Cyclamen.
Blurans, spitting out all sorts of curses, swung his spear wildly at them, while the frozen Cyclamen screamed for his life, unleashing his powers.
“J-Executor! Vargan Executor! That Cyclamen has been on your side since the moment you pulled me out of that dungeon! From that moment on… I’ve always been your subordinate!”
As Cyclamen’s powers erupted, it became harder for the monsters to approach.
However, the Twelve Divine Beasts and the familiars, showing their full strength, could cross that line.
“I’ll serve you for life! Toss away the Goddess Church or whatever and serve only you! So please…! Please spare my life… Ugh, ahhhh…! Aaaaah—!”
Vargan’s familiar Kry bit down on one of Cyclamen’s legs.
Cyclamen, his leg severed, lost his balance and fell, splattering blood as the tide of monsters devoured his flesh, bones, and entrails.
“Kukaaah! V-Vargan…! Vargan…!!”
“Vargan! My comrades and I will definitely kill you! Even if our bones are buried in the ground and become ghosts, I will tear you apart!”
Cyclamen and Blurans desperately searched for Vargan.
Yet Vargan turned away without answering.
There was no place left for Vargan to step in.
Blurans and Cyclamen were also suffering considerable damage while fighting against the bishops of the existing moderate faction… They would probably last only about 15 more minutes.
Thud—.
Vargan began to limp away, shifting his weight awkwardly.
Each step brought intense pain, twisting his face, but he slowly moved forward, one step at a time.
“You’re barely clinging to life, huh? Planning to cause a big mess and disappear alone?”
Kanilisk, appearing as a giant otter with white whiskers and amber eyes, was watching him.
Looking at the whisker that had been stylishly trimmed on one side, Vargan gave a passing glance, as if losing interest, and continued walking.
“…Any Altife with intelligence is a danger, so kill them immediately. No need to kill the priest-level ones. Capture them alive if possible, and transfer them when the heroes arrive.”
“Tsk tsk. Such bad manners. You really seem to have no respect for the elderly.”
“I’ve made my orders clear. Leave the rest to you.”
“Haha, you little rascal.”
Kanilisk clicked his tongue and laughed.
The two walked in different directions.
Vargan, embodying ‘gluttony,’ used it as a staff to walk.
From afar, shouts of hatred toward Vargan could be heard, but Vargan didn’t look back or stop.
Thud. Thud—.
Using his remaining arm as a cane, he slowly, inch by inch, moved away from the battlefield.
*
Vargan exited the collapsed Central Church and began a mountain trek.
As night fell and visibility diminished, his pace slowed even more.
His stamina was completely drained. Using mana would surely only worsen his condition.
“……”
The spirit Arcane within gluttony wanted to help Vargan but couldn’t materialize.
As soon as it materialized, even if just a little, it would consume Vargan’s mana, and that damage would fall directly back on him.
“Here it comes.
In the end, Vargan had no choice but to drag his broken body alone, with no companions.
It was only natural that there would be no one around him who would stay after he betrayed humanity and the Goddess Church.
“…Looks like you’re late.”
In the meantime, Vargan stopped in his tracks.
Three arrows embedded in the ground blocked his path, burning with mana.
He had seen that mana before.
“It’s been a while, Bantlo. I didn’t expect you to still be ‘there,’ trailing after Erica. Have you grown fond of it after being there for so long?”
“……”
“No, it seems it’s not just you that it’s been a while for. I should at least express my gratitude for you all taking the time out of your precious schedule to come here for my sake… I’m quite conflicted about that.”
Vargan was surrounded.
Dozens of heroes and familiars encircled him.
The hero Machenia, the master of the familiars, swallowed nervously.
The heroes were protected by shields made of mana, which was entirely the work of Adalhyde.
Vargan recognized their identities.
“So, I take it the Holy Emperor’s direct unit has come to kill a heinous criminal… am I right?”
Heroes protecting Holy Emperor Liovergo.
Sylvester, who had been ranked number one among the heroes before, and Helion, were also part of this direct unit.
Even the members of ‘Arbol Frutal,’ which Vargan had founded during his Academia days, had entered this direct unit.
“…I’m deeply sorry to meet you face to face again, Vargan.”
Hero Finn spoke up.
He oozed a completely different aura from his Academia days.
“I had heard, but I really couldn’t recognize you, Finn. They say you’ve become a quasi-hero now?”
“It’s… a heavy name for me. I still have a long way to go.”
“The fact that you say ‘still’ is evidence of your growth. Honestly, your progress excites me more than that of other talented individuals.”
“……”
Finn sealed his lips. Despite not resting his hand on his sword’s hilt, there was a murderous intent radiating off him that only a master could give off.
At any moment Vargan could draw out his mana, and it felt as though Finn could swiftly draw his sword and cut his throat.
“I have pressing matters to attend to. If you have a message, state it quickly.”
“…As you mentioned, we’ve come upon the orders of Holy Emperor Liovergo to eliminate you, a dangerous individual.”
It was Finn who responded.
He appeared to hold a relatively high status among them, and there was a newfound strength in his voice unlike before.
Vargan smiled broadly.
“The fact that the Holy Emperor dispatched a direct unit in this situation suggests that my existence terrifies you all quite a bit.”
“…….”
“Moreover, the fact that you all came means that ‘she’ is here as well?”
Feeling the mana, Vargan pinpointed her presence.
Then, Finn and several other heroes stepped aside as a woman approached.
Even in the dark forest of night, her lustrous white hair and large black clothing were recognizable traits.
Her blue eyes resembled a blend of the moon and a lake, serene yet filled with sadness as the woman, holding Naias, faced Vargan.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Alicia.”
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