The imperial army, brainwashed and under the mental control from Johan, was rushing with the Sun Symbol and star fragments in hand. Enhanced by dark magic, their bodies burst forth at full speed, escaping Golgotha.
Then, at that moment, a soldier’s neck dropped with a thud. They quickly stopped and took up fighting positions as someone revealed themselves nearby.
It wasn’t those next to Eliya; these were unfamiliar figures. In the center of the group stood a robed man — Herald, the bishop of the Molsin Church.
“Your Majesty… you will pay the price.”
Herald ambushed them alongside the holy knights of the Molsin Church. The reason was crystal clear: Emperor Johan had betrayed them first, stealing the Sun Symbol and the star fragments, then killing the Pope Nadab.
He even murdered the holy knights who assisted in the catacomb raid. Fortunately, Herald wasn’t present at that time. Long ago, on Eliya’s sanctification day, Balak had given a warning.
“I don’t know what promises You’ve made, but do you really believe it will be fulfilled exactly as you wished? When the hunt is over and it’s deemed unnecessary to hunt again, hounds are inevitably slaughtered.”
Thinking it was mere slander, they tried to ignore it, but it didn’t hurt to prepare for the worst. Afterward, Herald secretly built his own force while keeping quiet. He warned the Pope to be cautious, but for some reason, the Pope unconditionally trusted Emperor Johan.
Now, they understood the reason — at some point, Nadab had been brainwashed by Johan’s dark magic.
“I will repay you, down to the last share.”
The holy knights charged forward. The brainwashed soldiers retaliated. Though each soldier was horrifyingly powerful, thankfully there were far more holy knights.
The battle couldn’t assure victory. But neither Herald nor the holy knights retreated; they stood firm on the precipice.
Then, suddenly, the soldiers stopped moving and began to sag like corpses.
“Bishop? The enemy’s reactions seem strange.”
“This… could it be that the dark magic’s brainwashing has been lifted?”
That meant Johan and Geist were dead. Regardless of the circumstances, it was a welcomed situation for Herald.
Though it was a brief battle, many holy knights had died. It had nearly resulted in defeat, but by happenstance, victory had been seized.
Herald looked at the items left on the ground— the Sun Symbol, the star fragments. With these two, any miracle could be achieved.
“…….”
Herald knelt before the Sun Symbol, holding the pale star fragment in both hands. He prayed. He wished.
“For the revival of the Evil God.”
Johan’s wish was to imperfectly resurrect the Evil God. Johan wished to become a vessel and apostle of the imperfect Evil God. The Evil God was merely a means to show off his own power and a tool to borrow miracles when needed.
Herald’s wish was different.
“I wish for the complete revival of the Evil God, so that this world may be destroyed…”
Nadab wasn’t the only one dead. The high priests, the backbone of the Molsin Church, were also all dead. The Emperor had never intended to let the Molsin Church continue to exist.
The Molsin Church had known too many truths. Therefore, the Emperor had to crush even the smallest possibility for the sake of a new order.
But Herald had survived. Resenting the Emperor, he found no reason to live peacefully in this world anymore, wishing for its end instead.
His desire was close to childish whining. Rather than hoping to achieve what he wanted and live well, he only cursed and resented those who had hurt him.
Above his happiness, he fervently wished and prayed for the misery and destruction of others.
“Ah…”
The star fragment shattered, turning to dust that drifted up into the void. The ashen Sun Symbol radiated with a gentle golden light. His wish had been granted.
“With this, all…”
In that moment of ecstasy, a voice cried out, “There they are!”
A group rushed in fiercely, killing the few holy knights that stood in their way before subduing Herald. It was the elite guards sent by Eliya to track the Sun Symbol, along with Epona.
Epona, seeing the shining Sun Symbol, shouted, “It’s already too late!”
Argon grabbed Herald by the collar. “Who are you? You don’t seem like one of the imperial soldiers. What wish did you make?”
“Ha, ha… even if you know, it’s too late! You’re all done for!”
Seeing his eerie grin, Argon shuddered. At that moment, they all felt a chilling fear, a sticky dread creeping up from an unfathomable abyss.
Slowly, they lifted their heads. The blue sky was darkening ominously, and far off, the sun shone brightly, swallowed by a black undulation.
Epona muttered in a daze, “The beast that devours the sun…”
The Evil God of Emptiness was being resurrected.
*
In close-range combat, the difference in length was absolute. Even if they possessed a transcendent physique that could close the distance in an instant, it still applied.
The superior physique necessitated a significant reaction speed as well. Therefore, weapon length represented an insurmountable wall.
In other words, if one could endure that discrepancy and still win, it indicated a vast difference in skill level.
For this reason, Johan was flustered. “How could this happen…”
He thrust the spear that killed gods forward. Stretching both hands earnestly, he adjusted his grip and thrust deep.
The sudden change in length caught his opponent off guard, or so it should have. But his opponent, Judas, seemed to have anticipated it as he smoothly dodged.
Since he extended the spear far away, it took a long time to retrieve it, revealing a vulnerable spearhead to the opponent.
As if he had been waiting for this, Judas grasped the spearhead and closed in. His ivory-colored sword fiercely targeted Johan’s neck.
“Guh-!” Johan inhaled sharply, leaning back.
At that moment, a seething darkness erupted from his chest, engulfing the front.
It was the power of dark magic. He barely managed to shake off Judas and retreat.
“Tsk…”
Judas nonchalantly brushed off the black jelly-like substance that clung to him, “What an annoyance…”
The Emperor was already a strong, robust warrior. His divine power was overwhelming, surpassing that of any priest.
“The pattern is the same. By now, I should have killed him…”
Yet he practiced dark magic too. Counterattacking at decisive moments made ending the fight difficult.
“This guy has sacrificed quite a bit.”
Meanwhile, Johan trembled at Judas’s responses. He had known Judas was an unusual person.
But this was ridiculous. Moreover, what was that calm demeanor?
As the fight dragged on, one could analyze and learn from the opponent’s actions. After all, everyone had certain habits.
And Judas seemed to have learned everything about Johan, responding with ease. Without dark magic, Johan would have died multiple times.
In reality, Johan had been holding back some of his strength, not out of carelessness, but he was aiming for Eliya. She was an opponent too difficult for Geist alone.
Just then, an unexpected ambush appeared. Golden eyes lunged at him like a beast, quickly thrusting the spear.
– Kiiieek!
Once more, it just grazed past.
Judas deflected it with his sword, and then charged forward, creating friction against the spear.
Suddenly, rocks surged up from the ground to block him. Immediately after, the ground began to sink rapidly.
“Ugh-!” In the shock of the sudden shift, Judas slipped and fell.
The rapidly deepening pit resembled a meteor strike site.
Red liquid began to collect in midair. Lava rushed toward the pit.
“Damn it…!” Judas thought, annoyed yet chuckling.
It seemed the Emperor had finally decided to handle him properly. Elia was now safer, at least.
“This is too deep to escape bare-handed…”
“Well then.
“Yuel-!”
As if responding immediately, something pushed him forward from behind.
Without looking, Judas skillfully grabbed the reins. His body soared into the air.
He flew past the searing lava.
Above, Geist had turned into a centipede, battling Eliya. Below, the Emperor Johan could be seen.
“I need to finish this quickly…”
Judas aimed his sword downward.
“Shoot me!”
Yuel, from the air, twisted around and using his horn, launched him downward.
Gaining momentum, he dove like a comet towards Johan.
Johan immediately thrust his spear forward.
The spear that killed gods. The true potential of that weapon hadn’t yet been revealed.
He couldn’t understand how the enemy knew his actions, but he definitely wouldn’t recognize this weapon.
It had never revealed its function in front of others.
On the day when a timid era of peace initially began, the Emperor had defeated a six-armed demon with this spear’s power.
The spearhead branched out into countless blades that grew like a rapidly expanding tree.
The Emperor named this technique “The Tree of Life.”
It was the true power of a weapon that only those anointed by the sun could liberate.
The silver spear’s tip split apart.
Silver branches sprung forth like sprouts piercing seeds, rapidly growing in an instant.
White branches thickened and spread geometrically, extending outward.
As the spear grew, Judas was falling downward.
In mid-air, he couldn’t change direction. Any enemy caught by the Tree of Life would be ripped apart by its branches.
“This is the end.”
Just as he believed that, Judas spun in the air, wielding his sword.
The ivory sword left a soft afterimage, a round trajectory reminiscent of a full moon.
The circular sword wave charged toward Johan like a whirlwind.
“It’s pointless…”
He thought to mock, but then he felt an icy chill shoot down his spine.
“…!”
The branch, brushed by the rounded sword wave, crumbled like a decayed twig in a storm.
“How could just a sword wave…?!”
Yet the sword wave continued forward.
The branches that had sprouted from the spearhead were continuously breaking apart.
Small fragments rained down like white snow.
“Could it be, that even its weakness is known?!”
At the beginning of the Tree of Life, its roots yawned.
It embedded itself in the center of the spearhead.
– Crack!
As it expanded powerfully, the internal structural flaw surfaced outward.
A very small fissure.
Judas targeted that spot precisely.
– Klooduduk!
With a loud noise, the Tree of Life collapsed.
Judas continued to plummet, shielding his body with his shield.
He brushed aside the branches, defending himself as he approached.
The spear that killed gods lost its form and disintegrated.
“Don’t…!”
he couldn’t finish his words.
– Chiiick!
By the time Judas’s feet touched the ground, they slid.
Dust rose.
Finally, as he stood still and turned to face Johan, Johan’s head fell.
Although it took longer than expected, he successfully eliminated Johan more briefly than he had feared.
Judas didn’t have the luxury to enjoy his victory.
He quickly looked up.
“Eliya?!”
At that moment.
With a flash, a piercing light erupted from the air in every direction.
Multiple suns rose in the sky.
“Ugh…!”
Judas closed his eyes, shielding his sight with his arm.
Beyond his eyelids was an overwhelming brightness.
When he cautiously opened his eyes again, the light was fading.
Someone was falling against the light.
With flowing black hair and shining golden eyes.
“Judas-!”
It was Eliya, falling with her arms wide open.
In an instant, he was struck dumb by her wide grin.
“Oh, miss?!”
She didn’t slow down.
What if she continued to drop like this?
As he floundered to catch her, Eliya had already drawn near.
At the moment before they collided, Eliya’s descent gently slowed as if riding the wind, like petals falling towards Judas.
With a bright smile, she hugged Judas’s shoulder.
He, too, embraced her waist to catch her.
“Were you surprised?”
“I was more scared than when I fought the Emperor.”
“Hmph.”
With a cheerful snort, she buried her face in his neck.
Taking a deep breath, she sighed, “I missed you.”
“……”
Judas felt a surge of unfamiliar emotion welling inside him.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Though he felt the same, he hesitated to say it aloud.
Gently holding Eliya, he buried his face in her neck just like she did.
Eliya didn’t withdraw; she pulled him further in, accepting his embrace.
Approaching someone’s body and breathing in their scent was, in essence, a profoundly rude act.
Yet, Eliya allowed that rudeness unto herself.
Experiencing an unusual joy, he inhaled deeply.
Her soft skin and hair smelled delightful.
Perhaps there was a slight burned scent, but it was overshadowed by Eliya’s aroma.
He drowned in that scent, feeling as though the fatigue that had plagued him vanished warmly.
In this dreamlike atmosphere, Judas finally opened his mouth.
“I also missed…”
At that moment, an unexpected voice interjected, “Eliya…!”
Turning his head, he saw Epona.
Upon seeing her expression, both Judas and Eliya instinctively knew.
Epona’s voice confirmed that instinct.
“We’ve failed…”
They had failed to steal the Sun Symbol and prevent the wish.
The Sun Symbol she brought now looked duller than before, with a crack in the center.
It was proof that it had been used.
“It seems it wasn’t the imperial army but the Molsin Church that made a wish…”
“Molsin Church?”
Eliya stepped away from Judas, examining the Sun Symbol.
Judas scanned the surroundings and realized all the brainwashed imperial soldiers had lost their functions.
“What wish they made is….”
While Epona began to say something, the surroundings darkened abruptly.
The light dimmed like an evening sunset.
Everyone lifted their heads.
The bright blue sky was being stained a deep navy blue.
And high above, amid the sun, something black shimmered.
It had horns, was misshapen, and though it had no eyes, its enormous paws sported claws like mountain ranges.
It was a beast.
The beast that devours the sun.
The Evil God of Emptiness.
Dumbfounded, everyone stared at the resurrection of that Evil God.
The beast that appeared beside the sun raised its foreleg.
It clutched the sun with both paws.
Instantly, the sun was obscured.
The surrounding darkness thickened in an instant.
The beast opened its mouth.
A cavern of profound darkness.
It slowly engulfed the sun within.
Numerous teeth, resembling saws, threatened to crush the sun.
Finally, it closed its mouth.
There was no sound.
Only silence; darkness settled down.
The sun had been swallowed.
In the place where the sun had been, only darkness wavered like a mirage.
In the blink of an eye, the land was plunged into night.
The sky brimmed with stars.
Epona, unable to suppress her trembling knees, collapsed.
She dropped the chalice she was holding.
Gazing vacantly at the sky, she noticed the constellations in the inky black sky, which were not visible in this season.
“Ah…”
Someone sighed.
And.
Thud.
Someone fell.
“Ah, ahh…!”
Someone wept as if screaming.
The moon hanging in the opposite land lost its light and disappeared.
Faced with the complete descent of the Evil God, humanity lay helpless.
Judas clenched his teeth, glaring at the spot where the sun had been.
“What do I do?”
It wasn’t the first time witnessing the Evil God’s resurrection.
However, he had never survived such a resurrection.
“It’s a perfect bad ending…”
When the sun vanished and the Evil God descended, all life on the land would wither away.
The world would become one where no one could survive.
No matter how he wracked his brain, no way out came to mind.
Judas felt the warmth in his hand.
Eliya’s small hand.
“What should I do…?”
He thought, turning his head.
He looked at her.
In the dark world, she shone bright.
Eliya’s eyes sparkled with golden light.
She gazed upwards at the writhing beast that devoured the sun as if entranced.
Not just her eyes; golden light spread all over her body.
From the hands they clasped, the gold spread outwards.
In the thick darkness, Eliya alone radiated divine brilliance, illuminating the surroundings.
Judas felt a wave of anxiety wash over him.
He didn’t know the source but he sensed a reason for the unease.
It felt as if Eliya might vanish just like this.
“…Miss?”
Eliya didn’t respond.
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