As Edanant recalled the words he had spat out at Maximilian, he felt a sense of unease.
He hadn’t heard the most important news.
It was clear that Maximilian had intentionally avoided answering.
What could it be?
Edanant swallowed hard while staring at Maximilian. The feeling of not having heard something critical was sending warning signals.
“Hey, Maximilian.”
“What is it?”
He didn’t intend to fight.
If they fought like this, Rue might get caught up in it.
Edanant lowered his blade and approached Maximilian, who coolly nodded and set Rue down for a moment.
“Where is Beatrice?”
“……”
So far, Maximilian had answered questions honestly.
Except for one.
The question related to Beatrice.
Regnas had been the same. Whenever the topic was Beatrice, he would either shut his mouth or look away to avoid it.
The symbol of evil that would prevent the end of the world.
Thinking of him, Edanant instinctively felt a sharp sense of foreboding.
“…Max.”
“Hmm.”
At the question about the Saintess’s whereabouts, Maximilian’s and Regnas’s faces hardened instantly.
Should I reveal it?
Is it too early?
Maximilian, who showed a stiff reaction and hesitated to reply, eventually opened his mouth. Through the determination reflected in his golden eyes, one could sense something troubling had happened to Beatrice.
“Bea is in the Demon Realm.”
“What?”
“To be precise, she is in the Demon King’s Castle, where the Undying Demon King resided.”
“What nonsense…”
The Demon Realm.
The land invaded by demons.
And Beatrice, the Second Saintess, is there.
Edanant refuted Maximilian’s answer, deeming it absurd. However, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of foreboding, his face paling.
‘Rue mentioned it. The Saintess Party headed to the Powder Keg Peninsula. The Powder Keg Peninsula… If they continued east from the Powder Keg Peninsula, they would reach the Demon Realm, the demons’ occupied land.’
The pieces began to fit together one by one.
The Powder Keg Peninsula.
And the Demon Realm located to the east.
The reason why the members of the Saintess Party disappeared all at once was to cross over to the Demon Realm. Upon realizing the truth, Edanant clenched his fists, gasping in horror.
“They will soon resurrect the Disaster God of Death. That’s the only way to halt the end of the world.”
“You mean… you’re going to resurrect the Disaster God of Death?”
With the Scepter of White Night, they defeated the Undying Demon King.
And they had even destroyed the Disaster God of Death, who had granted infinite power to the Demon King.
That should be impossible.
Hadn’t they witnessed the demise of the Disaster God as it was obliterated by the Earth Mother’s divine status?
It was only natural for Edanant to be horrified by Maximilian’s proclamation of resurrecting the demon god that had been completely annihilated in the final battle. The nearby Zebeline also displayed a shocked reaction and spoke up.
“That’s insane…! To think you’d resurrect the demon god you destroyed!”
“Of course, I don’t intend to let it go free. It will only exist as a means to prevent the end of the world.”
Using the Disaster of Innocence as a tool was far too extreme.
It was impossible.
To handle the culprit that would someday annihilate humanity.
The disaster would only be a calamity for humanity.
Edanant, who had been a cultist serving the Disaster God of War, understood this better than anyone.
“Rue.”
“…Yes.”
Maximilian called out softly.
Rue, holding back her tears, lifted her head to answer.
“I know it’s a selfish request, but please trust me.”
“I trust you! Max, you’re my precious partner…!”
I want to hold onto you.
I want to say to take me with you.
I wanted to cling on, not wanting to part like this.
But Rue bit down on her plump lips, desperately suppressing her lingering feelings.
Because she didn’t want to be hated by her savior and lifelong partner. So, even as tears streamed down her face, Rue continued to swallow her cries.
“…Damn it.”
He’s trying to escape.
After finishing his business unilaterally, he intends to leave.
Edanant swallowed hard.
He wanted to bombard Maximilian immediately, but he couldn’t act recklessly with Rue nearby.
“The objective has been achieved. I’ll retreat now, Regnas.”
“Understood.”
Both Maximilian and Regnas moved their feet simultaneously.
At that moment,
a white lightning struck.
With a sharp thunder, streaks of lightning covered the sky. The Saintess, with her flowing silver hair, glared at the hero and the Sword Saint with a killing intent.
“Now that I’ve heard your absurd goal of resurrecting the Disaster God of Death… I can’t let you leave peacefully.”
The White Dragon of the Holy Kingdom.
She isn’t the strongest among the Seven Heroes of the Warring States, but she’s certainly not an easy opponent.
If a fight broke out with the First Saintess, Edanant would undoubtedly join her.
Maximilian and Regnas looked at the intensely flashing lightning with troubled expressions.
“Stop.”
Faced with an imminent crisis,
Edanant reached out and stopped Zebeline.
“…Edan?”
“They have completely turned against us. There’s no need for the Saintess to step in.”
The Saintess Party, led by Maximilian and Regnas, had already made a firm decision. Thus, there would no longer be any giving up no matter how much persuasion was offered.
It was nothing more than a futile effort.
They would someday pay the price for their arrogance.
Edanant glared at Maximilian with contempt. Maximilian turned away with a meaningful expression.
“Thinking of awakening the death you put to eternal rest? Go ahead, good luck with that.”
“……”
There was no need to awaken him.
All they needed was to use war in his stead.
But—
The Saintess Party knew this yet did not choose the best option.
They chose an extreme method, betraying humanity for the sake of hollow honor.
Why, oh why?
Why on earth—
Edanant swallowed his emotions, boiling like lava, and smirked. A deep self-disgust leaked from the smile on his lips.
*
Edanant left the scene, carrying a weeping Rue who had exhausted herself to sleep.
He said nothing.
Only a heavy silence remained.
After reaching a steep mountain valley with Zebeline, Edanant carefully set Rue down. He then asked Zebeline to watch over her for a moment.
“She’s trying to be brave, but… I’m sure she was hurt deeply.”
“Of course, given how many things happened in an instant.”
Both Edanant and Zebeline were still stunned from the string of shocking news.
Rue, who had been told of their one-sided breakup, had nothing more to say.
Would she be okay?
I hope she can shake off her self-disgust.
With a heavy sigh, he gazed at the sleeping Rue. He appeared anxious, worrying that it might leave her with terrible trauma.
“What does it mean to resurrect the Disaster God of Death? What on earth are they thinking?”
“I don’t know. Obviously, then… the Disaster God of Death was completely obliterated. It’s absolutely impossible to resurrect it.”
It shouldn’t be possible.
Edanant spoke assertively.
Having witnessed the extinction of the Disaster God firsthand, he had strong confidence.
“However, I don’t think the Saintess Party is just indulging in meaningless fantasies. If they have a way to resurrect the Disaster God of Death…”
“That’s what concerns me as well.”
Edanant nodded and took off his iron mask.
It had been three years since he last wore it.
The rusty mask seemed burdensome, making his whole face sweaty.
Zebeline quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. Edanant leaned forward to accept the gentle touch of the Saintess’s hands.
“There’s a way to find out the answer. Death… and tyranny and famine. We can unravel the secrets entangled with the Disaster of Innocence all at once.”
“What method is that?”
Was it just the feeling that was simple?
Edanant’s voice sounded chilling.
The Saintess with flowing silver hair swallowed hard as she scrutinized the rigid Edanant.
“We can ask the Disaster God of War directly.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’ll have to pay a hefty price, but… now, we have no choice.”
“Oh no! A hefty price? Do you mean we’re going to offer a human sacrifice to the Disaster God of War?!”
Since ancient times, the cruel and bloodthirsty cultists who worshipped disaster gods had offered living humans as sacrifices.
They’d rip out hearts while still alive.
Smash heads with heavy iron maces.
And continue the slaughter until the altar was stained with blood.
Recalling the horrifying legends related to cultists, Zebeline reacted with near hatred towards Edanant, who was trying to ask for an oracle from the Disaster God of War. Her blue eyes sparkled like jagged lightning.
“Excuse me? A human sacrifice… what are you talking about?”
“…Huh?”
“I meant that a hefty price refers to monetary expenses.”
“……”
At Edanant’s unexpected reply, Zebeline repeatedly tilted her head in confusion.
Monetary expenses?
Do you mean we’ll have to offer a fortune to the disaster god?
It’s not that there aren’t vain gods who love precious gold and treasures in the world, but thinking of the Disaster God of War, whose fate is to eventually end humanity’s existence, being a greedy hoarder seemed strange no matter how one looks at it.
“To summon the Disaster God of War, we need space to accept the divine. Like a battlefield where innumerable noble lives are sacrificed…”
“That won’t be easy. The moment the racial war ended, the ominous clouds that covered the continent have cleared.”
A battlefield.
A horrifying space where noble lives are endlessly sacrificed.
Because they were summoning a Disaster of Innocence, a place filled with humanity’s deepest fears was needed.
But is there such a place?
Zebeline pondered, tapping her plump lips.
“Saintess, isn’t there the Powder Keg Peninsula?”
“…Ah!”
It wasn’t far away.
The Powder Keg Peninsula.
The land of war where battles and division repeated for hundreds of years.
At Edanant’s answer, Zebeline burst out in amazement.
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