My Aura-infused Opheucus pierced through the damn High Priest’s torso, and in that moment, I realized something had gone horribly wrong.
Cheeeeeeeeng!!!
An unbelievably loud sound, far too massive to be from tearing human flesh, echoed throughout the room.
Simultaneously, a powerful shockwave erupted.
“Guh…!”
“Haaak…!”
Both me and the High Priest let out agonized groans.
Trickle—
Something warm trickled down the corner of my mouth.
“Shit! That was way too close.”
Spitting out blood-tinged phlegm, I felt a strange clarity wash over me.
It must be because of these faintly glowing beams of light behind me. Turning slightly, I saw the Pope smiling gently.
Given the dire situation, I nodded briefly in gratitude. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve lost control completely and been consumed by the alien race’s blood.
The Blood Demon Body technique truly wasn’t something to use lightly.
“Have you regained your senses now?”
“… Yes.”
At Erias’ voice from above, I awkwardly smiled. The commander of this battle showed no trace of his usual coldness, not even for the orders he gave. Losing comrades was supposed to be something I was used to, but clearly, it wasn’t.
“You stupid fool…”
Thankfully, after muttering this brief insult, Erias turned away and began casting a spell. Though I couldn’t tell what kind of magic it was, it seemed to be separating the royal palace’s elite guards who had regained their sanity.
Looking around, I noticed that foreign kings were also being protected by some form of magic. It looked like during my brief loss of consciousness, Erias had quite a bit of work to do.
“I’m sorry.”
“Understood. Resolve it quickly before my patience runs out.”
“Yes.”
I responded succinctly, took a deep breath. The Blood Demon Body had already been canceled.
Though it was a double-edged sword, losing such immense power hurt deeply. Still, the opponent must feel the same pain, having lost their puppet guards thanks to the Pope.
And while I went berserk, I didn’t come out empty-handed. Even if I temporarily lost my mind, the memories of the fight remained intact.
“About time you showed up, huh? You’re probably shitting your pants by now.”
“Such vulgar language… Truly, you seem incapable of learning anything.”
The High Priest of Lust didn’t look unscathed either. Blood flowed from various parts of her body, and her crimson dress was torn to rags. Her wild hair and bloody face made Libido look every bit the madwoman she was.
I’d love to stick a flower in that crazy hair of hers.
“Do you think you’ve won just because you got rid of some meat shields?”
“Sorry, but your attempts to seduce men with that crazy look aren’t working at all. Maybe you could charm a hormone-driven high schooler, though.”
“YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!”
For someone who worshipped lust, being told she couldn’t seduce men must’ve been the ultimate insult. Despite probably not knowing what “high schooler” meant, Libido screamed as if possessed. All traces of her previous coy demeanor vanished, replaced by an ugly grimace as she spread demonic energy with a stomp.
“This game’s over. Whether it’s a turning point or whatever, I’ll rip out your heart and drink it here!”
“Oh? Can’t even seduce a high schooler? Wonder if they’d wrinkle their nose at your chicken coop smell?”
“Come on out, all of you!”
As I momentarily enjoyed the distorted expression on Libido’s face, I bit my lip upon seeing countless figures emerge from the swirling demonic energy. Cult members clad in crimson robes bearing goat insignias appeared—dozens of them.
Sure, just dozens might not seem like much, but given the situation, their emergence signaled their elite status. The light above us flickered ever so slightly, and an overwhelming demonic energy began to rise, enough to make even the Pope appear strained.
“Why don’t you keep talking? Or can’t you anymore?”
With the darkening demonic energy seemingly restoring her composure, Libido sneered. I calmly replied.
“So, how many eggs are you laying, Queen Bee? Must’ve been exhausting giving birth, huh?”
“How predictable. You must know by now… If you knew my true nature, you should’ve brought at least three members of the Golden Way Zodiacs.”
“Why would I bring three of them for someone like you? Honestly, I could handle this alone, but His Majesty insisted on sending backup.”
I didn’t even realize what nonsense was spilling out of my mouth. I just kept talking while trying to think. At this point, it might be better to let Erias obliterate everything with his magic and clean up afterward. Of course, there was no guarantee we’d capture this cultist, but letting them escape and stir up public opinion would be disastrous. After all, no one knows yet that the High Priest is actually the Queen of the Arion Kingdom.
‘What to do… Even if we somehow deal with these grunts, capturing the High Priest seems impossible…’
Especially the maid-dressed woman standing beside Libido caught my attention. Everyone else was wearing robes like extras, but her unique attire stood out, signaling something different about her. I could sense an unusual mana emanating from her.
“Things have gotten complicated.”
Erias muttered dispassionately as he descended beside me.
“That maid is an Archmage. She’s likely been supporting from the shadows until now. From what I sense, she’s probably an illusion mage.”
“… I see.”
That explained why I felt danger earlier. The Black Wolf’s assassination attempt failing was probably due to her. When he used divine power to appear right in front of Libido, I thought it would end easily, but it was likely her illusions deceiving our senses. There’s no way the Black Wolf would fail otherwise.
“One by one then. We’ve got one Master, one Archmage…”
“Add me, Battle Mage Earl Helios~”
“… Right.”
Why does he always show up only at crucial moments?
“On the other hand, the enemy has one High Priest, one Archmage, and dozens of cultists.”
“We’ve got baggage too, but still, the balance seems fair enough.”
Erias’ unwavering confidence steadied my wavering spirit. His tone suggested this was simply how things were supposed to be. Somehow… this must be the perspective of an absolute ruler. I need to change too.
“Still, most of the royal guards seem to have returned to normal, but the kings remain under control. Did they use something special?”
“They likely used relics. Even possessing them grants immense power, in more ways than one.”
“In that case… our first goal should be destroying those relics.”
“Can we even destroy them?”
“If they have relics, we have sacred artifacts.”
– Uuung!
Opheucus emitted a soft vibration. Roughly translated, it means “just leave it to me.”
“Is it okay to destroy them?”
“Pardon?”
When I turned at the unexpected question, Erias was staring at me intently. Pausing briefly under his enigmatic gaze, I eventually nodded.
“Yes. It’s probably best to destroy them.”
“Very well. If the Commander has decided so, then it’s best to proceed accordingly.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Then say it for me.”
“What…”
“‘I permit its use.’”
A sudden unease swept over me. Saying those words would unleash something irreversible. Could it be… the Golden Way Zodiacs asking for my permission?
“… Understood.”
But there was no time to hesitate.
“I permit its use.”
Following Erias’ request, I said the words he wanted. He smiled faintly and spoke.
“By order of the Commander, I have received permission to use the sacred artifact. In accordance with the pact with the Royal Palace, I hereby invoke the full manifestation of the celestial artifact: Aquarius.”
The moment Erias finished speaking, the space in front of her warped. Like when she appeared during a match event, the space tore apart.
The first to react was none other than High Priest Libido.
“Wha, what?! This space is completely isolated by the Chalice of Nyx!”
Staring at the shocked Libido, Erias smiled faintly.
“Take note, foolish child. There is no such thing as absolutes in this world.”
From the tear in space, something emerged. A deep azure object resembling Erias’ hair, imbued with mysterious energy—a water urn.
“And therefore, nothing is ever complete either.”
As Erias reached toward it, an overwhelming force erupted, making it hard to breathe. I couldn’t believe this immense pressure originated from mana. It felt like being submerged in the deepest ocean—how could such power be defined merely as “mana”?
“KILL HER!!! Absolutely do NOT let that thing fall into her hands!!!”
In response to Libido’s desperate cry, waves of dark energy and spells surged toward us—but…
“Well, didn’t I already say?”
It was too late. By now, Erias already held the urn.
“There’s no such thing as absolutes in this world.”
A dazzling rainbow of light burst forth from the urn. What could possibly emerge from a water urn?
For a fleeting moment, I chuckled.
‘What else? Obviously, water.’
An oceanic surge filled the chamber.
