Apostle of the Goddess of War

Ch.192 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Rain fell from the black sky.

Even the rainwater was black like ink.

It was as if a curse was falling as rain.

"Ominous."

"Feels bad."

Goddesses grumbled.

It was closer to trembling with anxiety.

Since they had rarely experienced such a crisis, symptoms were more severe.

Only Achille had actually experienced such a crisis and had a record of overcoming it.

Everyone looked only at Achille and followed closely.

'Just cut it? With spirit?'

'No… that's nonsense.'

'Use your head. Achille. My apostle didn't just swing the sword recklessly.'

Achille worked her head hard. The Goddess of War also felt the ominousness.

She understood the feelings of humans looking for a Goddess. She missed Sion's voice praying and looking for her with a rough voice.

She could not just leave the existence of evil who introduced himself as a Black Mage.

"Wait."

Achille murmured something alone, then closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on her senses.

Then her senses opened and sucked surrounding information into her head.

'Sion often did this.'

Seeing is not everything. A wider world was in unseen places.

'Even I advised it before.'

When she herself was placed in a bleak situation, she couldn't recall it easily. Achille realized how much Sion and humans had fought in weak situations at every moment.

'It wasn't as easy as words.'

Achille looked around. She closed her eyes, absorbed and organized all the information.

It was sixth sense Sion obtained with considerable effort, but a Goddess was a Goddess.

All senses were open from birth, and there was blessed talent.

The word talent was also strange.

Because it was what Goddesses originally had.

The words born with talent apply only to humans.

Achille was close to the concept of finally using it properly.

'It is a barrier but imperfect.'

Originally it wasn't a Mental Realm unfolded by Evil Gods or apostles.

Cracks existed and maintaining it was a completeness that was burdensome.

'Clearly it's a poor imitation.'

He arrogantly called himself a Black Mage, but was a byproduct at best.

He was nothing but a wild dog trying to occupy the land after the lion disappeared.

'If I cut the cracks accurately….'

There is a possibility. If I make the cracks bigger and undo the mage's barrier.

As soon as Achille made a plan, she started running somewhere.

"Huh? Uh uh!?"

"Where is she going?"

"Run! Run!"

"Achille!"

A sudden chase began.

A chase without anyone running away.

Goddesses gritted their teeth to not lose Achille.

"Damn! Never chase Achille again!"

"Just resting quietly was best. Ha!"

"Too late. Sisters. If you don't want to be left behind, run for your life!"

While Goddesses ran like newborn foals throwing away all dignity, Achille reached the target point along the map drawn by senses.

There was no hesitation in raising the sword.

Because the Black Mage immediately started interference as if revealing a weakness.

Whoosh!

Black spheres flew fiercely toward Achille.

But, Achille's action of piercing the crack was one step ahead.

She threw the sword faster than lightning falling on the exact spot.

Crack!

Crash— Clang!

A loud noise like a world-sized glass marble breaking occurred. Enough to make ears bleed.

Even a Goddess's jade body was no exception. Because it wasn't a body protected by Divine power.

"Crazy. My ears hurt!"

Mesilla cursed. It was the worst curse a Goddess could make. Even Sirin looked at Mesilla as if seeing something she shouldn't.

"Guys wake up. Seems we're out for now. Achille did it."

Novilla took care of the sisters and looked at the situation calmly.

Achille was already aiming the sword at the void.

The Black Mage glared at Achille with tentacles stretched in all directions. It was hard to read emotions. There was no expression change on a skeleton.

Only read his thoughts by actions.

"Running?"

The Black Mage started to leave the spot. He flew away and disappeared as is.

It was slightly futile as the end of a battle.

"Oh dear."

Novilla said, and Achille sheathed the sword and murmured to herself.

"Still, he wouldn't have gone far. Anyway, he's a guy aiming for our lives."

"That's right."

Achille knew instinctively. A war that was just beginning.

"How is it?"

Novilla, the Goddess of Peace, asked while stroking Achille's back. Achille also regulated her breathing and nodded.

"I'm okay."

"Really?"

"Yes. And—"

"And?"

"I feel good."

Crackle— Crackle.

Novilla opened her mouth slightly. Black electricity was seen sparking in Achille's pupils.

It meant Achille's Divine power returned temporarily.

"So this is what you wanted?"

Achille agreed.

"I seem to like fighting enemies anyway."

"Seems so. Hmm."

"Let's continue chasing for now. We must see the end."

***

"Your Majesty. That's the place. Land's End that was reported is visible."

Set pointed at one spot with his finger. The end of a cliff was visible. Beyond that was nothing.

A void without sea or land.

All that was visible was the blue sky. Until before the light returned, it was endless pitch black.

Sion sighed then opened his mouth.

"Set. When it's just the two of us, I told you to just call me Brother."

"That won't do. If it sticks to the mouth, I might make a mistake later."

"You can make mistakes with me."

"No can do. Your Majesty."

Set treated Sion with extreme courtesy. Sion found that uncomfortable and sad.

He finally realized clearly why Kaili had asked to be treated comfortably when becoming Priestess.

"I feel distant. I ask you."

"……Th-that still. Feeling distant is correct."

"This is an order. Set. Treat me like Brother. Like originally."

"A-alright."

Set raised a white flag. He could not defy even the Emperor's order.

"I secretly hoped."

"Just be comfortable. What does it matter? Others do it. They say if you're close to Imperial people, you drop honorifics and such. Originally."

"Who says?"

"Sir Marquisin."

"Ah… He was from Imperial lineage?"

"Right."

Sion recalled him.

Originally, Marquisin would have been recommended as Emperor. Only regrettable feelings remained as the suitable person died.

'Thinking about it, I was too mean.'

I should have visited more and talked. It hurt deeply that there was too little time.

"By the way, Brother."

"Yeah."

Set spoke slowly as calling him Brother was still awkward.

"What happened to the Goddess?"

"Goddess."

Sion turned his body and walked while thinking.

It was the most curious matter for him too.

Construction of the new empire was proceeding step by step. But still, a pivot was lacking.

It was separate from the authority of the human Emperor. People needed a place to rely on.

Humans who relied on Goddesses for thousands of years could not be replaced by Sion overnight.

There would still be many people believing in Goddesses. The trend is the hardliners' position.

Actual public sentiment on the ground might be different.

"We must wait."

Sion was also one of the people who wanted to believe and rely on Goddesses.

Wasn't he an apostle? It was harder than dying for the most faithful person in the world to abandon Goddesses at once.

"I hope they come back quickly."

"I know."

"Yeah. It feels empty somehow. We fought believing and following Goddesses, but now that it's over, there are no Goddesses."

Sion nodded.

Indeed, it was the right words. The thought that it was unfair for only humans to enjoy joy at the end of this war did not leave his head.

Proper treatment was needed.

Humans still needed Goddesses.

'Not in the distant future but now….'

Just then.

Both Sion and Set's hair stood on end at the same time. The two looked at each other and spoke together.

"What is this?"

"Demonic Energy…?"

"Damn. It was real? What do we do, Brother!?"

"What do we do?"

Screeech!

Sion drew the sword and mounted the horse again.

The Conquering Monarch's horse raised its front legs and kicked powerfully as if giving a speech.

"As originally done."

Set grinned. It was what he wanted. He was just regretting that the demon-slaying swordsmanship he polished would go to waste.

"Let's go!"

"Yeah!"

***

Where Sion and Set chased, gray fog covered the land.

The ground was not soil, nor rock.

It was a surface as if ash that had burned and cooled thousands of times hardened as is. A rustling sound occurred whenever stepping, and the sound echoed excessively loud.

"……What is this place exactly?"

Sion said lowly.

It was a place hard to express other than a gray tomb. It was hard to guess when such a place was created.

After the God of Destruction's descent, who would think to come to Land's End.

Actually, the expression tomb was even moderate. This place was not a burial site but remnants.

It was closer to traces of the world's waste rather than a place left to commemorate something.

Set got off the horse and held the sword to look around.

The air was strange.

Demonic Energy was thickly spread, but it didn't feel like moving alive. Demonic Energy stagnating like rotten water clearly showed traces as if someone gathered it here intentionally.

"Brother… here, like—"

"I know."

Sion was feeling it too.

This place was an artificial location.

'Strictly speaking, it's closer to a mage's laboratory.'

It was most similar to the feeling received at the hideout where the Blood Apostle stayed.

Broken stone pillars were stuck here and there.

It looked like natural objects, but when approaching closely, patterns were engraved on the surface.

It wasn't ancient magic letters either. It was some engraving made intentionally hard to recognize, somewhere in between.

Sion's gaze stopped at one point.

"……Here?"

It was the point where Demonic Energy was felt most strongly. Even an unpleasant feeling as if the ground below was rotting was felt.

It seemed something terrible was born in this spot. Sion's instinct and insight told him a dangerous existence was born in this gray wasteland.

"Hoo."

Set swallowed breath. A chilly sensation went down the spine.

"Brother. Presence."

"Shh."

Sion felt it at the same time.

He covered lips with a finger.

They exchanged signals.

Quietly spread and hid behind stone pillars.

Something moved between gray pillars, in the blind spot of vision.

There was no sound. No footprints, no Demonic Energy waves were felt. But presence was definitely felt.

Sion stopped Set with a hand signal.

Both held their breath.

If it was the owner of this tomb, it might have detected intruders. It wasn't strange to aim for a surprise attack. No, rather it was too perfect a spot.

Literally, it was like being inside the guy's intestines.

Sion raised the sword very slowly.

Just then the gray fog split slightly.

It was a human shape.

Actually, the felt presence was neither demon nor human.

It was excessively clear.

"……?"

Sion opened eyes wide.

The shape took one step.

An unfamiliar presence approaches quickly. There was no time to grasp the opponent.

The opponent intends to attack this side.

Sion quickly raised the sword.

Whoosh!

The attacker and Sion swung swords at the same time.

Screeech!

A sharp blade sound rang the gray tomb.

Sion's eyes holding the sword gradually widened. The opponent was the same.

"Goddess…?"

"Sion?"