Chapter 235: Nirvana (Part 4)
In the distance, the miracle’s light was snuffed out.
I stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the Church to make its next move.
Thunder Light, Holy Lance, the faint tremors in the air—all of it vanished the moment the light beam swept past. Even the spot where Angel and the others had stood was no more; it had been obliterated, and large tracts of land collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Snapping back to reality, I realized the once boundless grassland had vanished, replaced by raging fires reflecting in my eyes. Without the Divine Reliquary’s binding, the inferno had reignited and was spreading again, flames licking at me with a scorching wind that turned my face crimson.
Above the void, the God Body, now back in action, slowly drifted out from the cracks. The fire that flowed from its chest had transformed into bright red lava, the power of Sin Fire threatening to drown the whole world. Before long, the surging magma would spread here, and then further, burning everything to ash and leaving nothing behind.
No one could stop it.
Not the Church, not the Divine Reliquary—nothing could stand against the true God Body…
Angel and the others… might be out of options…
They might even be dead…
And here I was… all alone…
d*mn it…
d*mn it! d*mn it! d*mn it—!!!
I nearly bit my teeth to pieces.
Fear, anxiety, and a deep-seated sense of helplessness surged within me, my legs trembling and stiff, refusing to move forward. All I could think about was running away; I desperately wanted to escape. But in the next moment, black mist rose from beneath my feet, wrapping quickly around the scythe I held, entwining my small body.
I turned my head again, gazing towards the collapsed mountains in the distance.
At this point, I had calmed down a bit, realizing that direction shouldn’t lead to the little village. The chances of Grandma Claire and the others being affected should be low. However…
This was only temporary…
If no one could stop that thing, this world would plunge into a real hell, and no one would survive… Grandma Claire, the villagers, the entire Silgaya, even the Valen Empire and Ethanbel… Father and Mother… Victoria… no one could survive such a disaster…
Where could I run to then…
…I had to do something.
This was something only I… the one wielding Chaotic Power… could possibly achieve…
It was on its last legs…
I was the only one who could take this opportunity and completely eradicate it…
Otherwise, if it left here and drained more bl**d with Sin Fire, once it fully regained its power…
It would be too late to do anything…
Everyone would d*e…
How could I…
Stand by and watch that happen…
How could I!!!
Boom—
A massive ice pillar erupted from beneath my feet, launching me up into the air like a rocket. The black smoke surrounding me thickened, and I slammed my rigid legs, executing a Moon Step that sent my flickering figure arcing through the air, surging towards the unstoppable God Body.
At that moment, the girl made the most foolish decision in her heart.
Even with fear swirling inside her.
Even knowing she might d*e here after giving it her all and still not be able to stop the God Body.
She thought of how, even if she miraculously survived, the Church members might suddenly appear to capture her. She realized she was just an experimental tool for those people. Angel had been deceiving her; the Church had been using her all along, including using her power to k*ll the God Body.
She thought about this.
She realized her decision was utterly foolish.
Yet at the same time, amidst the bl**d and fire, the howling winds, and the earth trembling with a “rumble,” in the tumult of the girl’s heart, deeper within the most tranquil depths, deeper, intertwined shadows glimmered and emerged.
“Oh dear, whose child is this…”
In a humble village, wisps of smoke curled into the air, the morning mist still clinging on. A frail old lady smiled warmly, like sunlight in spring.
“Child, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…”
“Come, let’s go back home with Grandma first…”
“Aili, you’re going to get married…”
“So what! Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy looking at handsome guys!”
“Barry, how dare you scold me!”
“I’ll scold you, indeed!”
“Is marriage fun…”
“It just feels like everything is happening too fast; I’m not ready yet…”
Suddenly, a billowing black smoke erupted from the ruined village, and a towering monster rose with a start. In the blink of an eye, that thin, crying face resolutely stood in front.
“Aili—!!!”
The chaotic scene retreated like a tide, as the bright bedroom filled with fragrant warmth. The lovely lady, holding a wooden comb, playfully said, “Miss Silvya, you smell like lilacs, just like me! Go ahead, smell it…”
“Don’t move…”
“In the past, I often combed Pepé’s hair like this…”
“Pepé…”
That beautiful face couldn’t help but show a hint of sorrow: “Are you really Pepé…?”
The flying dust scattered with the wind, and underfoot, the snow crunched. The dignified duke looked around the castle grounds, smiling nostalgically: “This used to be a forest; you were just a little one back then…”
“With your big eyes wide open, clueless like a doll…”
“I remember when you took your first steps, I remember when you called me Father…I remember so many things so clearly, but you… you don’t remember anything…”
“Hahahaha—!”
“Love! Dear! Edward! Your brother is such a good son!”
“My name is… Silvya… no, I’m… Peilo…”
Amidst the laughter, the drunken girl waved her little hand, stuttering to everyone: “You’re… going to fight… if you fight, people will d*e… so many will d*e…”
“Please, don’t k*ll civilians, don’t rob them… if… there really is a battle… please ensure my father, mother, and brother succeed… thank you…”
“She called me mother, Skarlij, did you hear that? She called us…”
In the snowstorm, the war chariot rolled away from the castle gates, slowly disappearing. The beautiful lady took a few steps after them, her voice choked up.
“Pepé! You take care over there—!”
“If something happens, discuss it with others first, don’t act recklessly!”
“Come back safe…”
That voice faded away in the heavy snow.
“Take me… fly to the moon…”
On a quiet night in the royal city, someone in a weed-choked yard hummed a poignant tune: “Let me sing forever… I want to break free from this worldly cage…”
She flew in the sky, hair flowing like the deep sea, drifting and swirling.
“My father got drunk and fell to his d*ath… was mocked as ‘the king with broken wings,’ when I was fourteen…”
“They all thought I was crazy…”
“Ethanbel is a free country, thanks to Queen Elizabeth. If she hadn’t decided to abolish the previous decrees…”
“Wait until you grow older, until you understand what you truly like…”
“Call me Viki…”
On a flat road, the girl walked alongside the armored swordsman, their heights contrasting sharply. After a while, I didn’t know what the swordsman said that made the girl kick him, but he twisted her to avoid it, looking ridiculous.
“You’re upset again…”
In the courtyard, under the tree’s shadow, someone stroked her little head.
“Because I have so many things to do… My teacher, Mr. Ryan, dedicated his life to standing for the weak…”
“I want to be like him.”
Under the sunlight, roses bloomed on the white walls. In the war chariot outside the Royal Academy square, a feeble old man, half-paralyzed with age, babbled on, his mind a bit muddled as he spoke with slurred words: “Those are my students. In the future, some will become… local heroes, cough… some will bear responsibilities and become family leaders… and some more remarkable people will carry the mission of humanity and be named Pope Knights…”
“She’s just sixteen, already a hero saving the royal city…”
“Grandma followed your grandfather all her life, hearing him say ‘stand for the people’ over and over… Xi Xi, do you understand? In this world, there are many kinds of ‘strength,’ and when they come, there’s no stoppage for it, not even the will to resist…”
“What Grandma thinks is… to nurture them into even better people, to carry on your grandfather’s spirit from here…”
“I see the shadow of young Ryan in you…”
“She’s passing on her last wishes…”
The old lady quickly lost her grace.
She lay on the sickbed, pupils unfocused, a faint stench radiating from her body.
“Xi, the notes Ryan left… are about swordsmanship… I copied them for you… you take these…”
“Grandma’s health… is just fine… don’t tell the Sword Saint Grandpa, don’t let it affect… his work…”
“Ah… Xi… Ji… Min… Wail… need… you…”
Under the starry sky, the scent of grass surrounded me. Across the riverbank, lights twinkled with revelry; the tired girls lay back in the grass, gazing up at the five-pronged festival moon.
“Is it like this, swish-swish—, swing the scythe and neatly chop off those monsters’ heads, saving us innocent folks from drowning in misery…”
“Sarah, you really admire Miss Silvya, huh…”
“Yeah, I~ admire her a lot!”
“She’s a hero of humanity…”
At one moment, by the brook that seemed so far away, the girl dipped her swinging legs into the chilled waters, a hint of confusion in her eyes. The bearded swordsman stood beside her, speaking solemnly: “I believe what defines you shouldn’t be ‘what you are,’ but ‘what you do.’ I’m not one to judge by appearances; I like to peel back the issues to look at their core. Yes, maybe you are indeed similar to it, but so what? Among humans, there are those who seem grand yet are disgusting and vile…”
“So, Little Shay, what do you want to do?”
“I want to k*ll monsters…”
“What should I do…?”
The man laughed.
He extended his hand to the girl: “What do you think about the proposal of becoming a Pope Knight?”
…………
“Ughhhhhh—!!!”
The sky was filled with red light, burning hot as it grew scorching from the searing flames. The massive corpse that was almost free from the cracks sensed the shout piercing the night sky from afar, and it moved mightily, turning to the shooting star racing towards it, its black eye sockets glimmering with sparks.
The next moment, a fierce impact erupted mid-air.
The girl, enveloped in black smoke, wielded a scarlet giant scythe, her armor shattered. Her face was filled with pain and exhaustion, yet she carried an indomitable spirit as she swung the scythe with fury, crashing into the already thin light barrier protecting the God Body.
Boom—!!!
The explosion sent thick smoke and black fire soaring from the night sky, and within the colossal sound, the translucent barrier flickered several times before it shattered completely.
