Chapter 22 - The End of the Church
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In the vast, majestic Great Sanctuary deep within the Holy Church on God's Mountain, Ishtar and fifty other priests knelt, offering their prayers. They had captured the foolish individuals who had dared to defy the sacred God Ehit. Though some had left the Royal Capital or remained elusive and uncaptured, the Holy Church's reach extended throughout all human territories. Their capture was only a matter of time.
"Please wait a little longer, our God. We will surely find every single fool who defied your will and dispose of them."
He then bowed deeply, turned around, and asked one of the priests, "Are the preparations for the Heroes' execution proceeding smoothly?"
"Of course. Although His Majesty Eliheid's interference delayed the original schedule, all arrangements for the execution are complete."
"Excellent. However, that King Eliheid... to defy the Holy Church's decision...!"
Ishtar nodded, seemingly satisfied with the priest's words, but his expression quickly twisted. In truth, Eliheid had not defied the Holy Church's decision but merely suggested a re-examination of the Heroes' excommunication. However, to those who desired Ehit's swift return above all else, it was utterly infuriating.
"We overlooked it due to his position as King, but if he obstructs us further, we should consider disposing of him."
The priests nodded in agreement with Ishtar's words. At that moment, the doors leading to the Great Sanctuary burst open with a loud bang.
"Ishtar-sama!! It's an emergency!!"
Ishtar and the others turned their gaze to see a single Temple Knight standing there, breathing heavily.
"...This is a sacred time for offering prayers to Lord Ehit. This must be a situation urgent enough to interrupt it, correct?"
A clear sense of displeasure could be heard in Ishtar's voice. For them, interrupting their prayers to Ehit was unbearable above all else. If it had been a trivial matter, he would have intended to dispose of the man before him without question... but that concern proved unfounded. By the death of the Temple Knight...
"M-my apologies! However, just now, within this church—"
The man's words unnaturally cut off midway. With a roaring sound, the man's figure was engulfed in a pillar of fire.
" " " !? " " "
The pillar of fire, not content with merely consuming the man, scattered flames throughout the Great Sanctuary, instantly transforming the area into a sea of fire. The priests, who had lost their voices at the sudden phenomenon, frantically rushed to extinguish the fires that had ignited within the Great Sanctuary.
"What on earth...!?"
As Ishtar stood bewildered by the devastating scene before him, he suddenly felt a presence behind him and turned around. It was there, unexpectedly.
"Y-you are—"
"Prostrate."
Interrupting Ishtar's words, a clear voice resonated through the Great Sanctuary. At that moment, all fifty priests in the Great Sanctuary bent their bodies towards it, bowing so deeply that their heads touched the ground. Their posture was exactly that of devotees offering absolute loyalty to a god. However, the being they bowed to was neither Ehit, the god they worshipped, nor Noin, his representative.
"G-guh..."
Ishtar, still bowed, was bewildered by his utterly unmoving body, yet he glared at the being looking down on them. Amidst the crackling flames, it slowly opened its mouth.
"How does it feel to bow your head to something other than the god you worship?"
"Demon King... Aldias!!"
The archenemy of humankind. Aldias, the King of the Demonfolk, had appeared in the deepest part of the Great Sanctuary.
"You, why are you here!? What happened to the guards!!"
"I killed them all. You are the last of the Church's people on God's Mountain."
"What!?"
Aldias had once infiltrated God's Mountain to obtain ancient magic, stealthily avoiding the Holy Church's gaze. Since he knew the coordinates, he used "Shadow Star" to teleport directly to God's Mountain and brazenly entered from the front. Coincidentally, Aldias found a few priests and Temple Knights at the main entrance, quickly subdued them, read the memories of several priests, and learned the true intentions behind the Holy Church's recent movements. From there, Aldias's rampage began. By sensing their magic, he pinpointed the locations of the Church's personnel and massacred every last one of them. He judged that they were not needed in the future. Along the way, he had encountered familiar faces, but aside from them and Ishtar's group, there were no more Ehit fanatics remaining on God's Mountain.
"You are the last. As of this day, the history of the Holy Church closes its curtain."
"Don't be ridiculous!? How dare you presume such a thing!?"
Enraged, Ishtar, though unable to move his body, began to chant, believing he could still cast magic! The surrounding priests followed Ishtar, each uttering their own spells.
"Disperse."
However, just as they were about to unleash their magic, Aldias's voice resounded again. At that moment, Ishtar's and the other priests' carefully cultivated magic vanished without a trace. They tried to cast magic again, bewildered by the incomprehensible phenomenon, but this time, they couldn't even properly pour magic into their staves.
"S-such nonsense!? Why is our magic...!?"
"So? Whose permission do you need?"
Aldias calmly retorted, ignoring the panicking priests. Ishtar, whose last resort, magic, had been sealed, continued to expose his pathetic state, glaring hatefully as if spitting blood.
"Lord Ehit... He will surely deliver divine retribution upon you! Even if we perish, as long as Lord Ehit exists, our will shall not be broken!!"
"How pathetic. Clinging to a non-existent god, without your own conviction or resolve, you are beyond pity."
"...Non-existent... you say...?"
Ishtar froze for a moment, unable to comprehend Aldias's words as he looked at him with an expression of pity. However, the faint voice that escaped his lips trembled with fear, clear enough for anyone to hear.
It wasn't that he hadn't noticed from the beginning. Although he had never personally experienced it, he had heard it through oral tradition. The Creator God Ehit. The great divine work that god wielded. The manifestation of divine power that compelled opponents with a single word... Yes, it was eerily similar to the man before him.
"Why... why can you use 'Divine Word'!? That, that is Lord Ehit's...!"
"You seem to be mistaken, but 'Divine Word' isn't something only gods can use to begin with. To put it simply, it's just a type of magic. Well, I extracted this magic formula from Ehit's own memories, though."
"What... what are you saying...? You are... what are you...?"
"Do you still not understand? No, perhaps you just don't want to. The God Ehit you worship didn't abandon you. He was killed by me... that's all."
"The dead can't spin words, can they?" As Aldias continued, Ishtar stood dumbfounded. His eyes flickered erratically, unable to focus properly. The shock must have been that great. The fact that Ehit was dead... and more than anything, the fact that he was almost convinced of it himself...
"Impossible... Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!! Lord Ehit, by the likes of you!? That can't be right!?"
"It doesn't matter what you think. I don't care. My objective is fulfilled. You all will remain here and 'continue to pray without doing anything.'"
By Aldias's "Divine Word"—no, "Demon Word"—Ishtar and the priests, led by him, knelt on one knee, assuming a posture of prayer towards Ehit's portrait. Leaving them bewildered, Aldias began to walk, intending to leave the Great Sanctuary. As if awaiting Aldias's departure, the fire accelerated its spread, and the ceiling began to collapse as if to separate Ishtar's group from Aldias. Intense heat, enough to scorch the skin, enveloped the sanctuary, and black smoke billowed upwards.
"Y-you bastard!? No way, no wayyyy!!"
Ishtar, seeing this from the corner of his eye, accurately understood what Aldias was about to do and let out a scream filled with terror and resentment.
Aldias stopped at the entrance of the Great Sanctuary, glanced back at Ishtar and the others over his shoulder, and...
"Ehit must be proud. To have followers with such faith that they would continue to pray even if their bodies were consumed by fire."
With those final words, the doors connecting to the Great Sanctuary slammed shut with a resounding thud. From beyond the doors, sounds of hatred, indignation, bitter resentment, and even apologies and pleas for life directed at Aldias could be heard. Ignoring them, Aldias walked on.
"A fitting end, isn't it?"
Behind him, the Great Sanctuary collapsed with a thunderous roar.
God's Mountain - Plaza with Lift to Royal Capital
"Enough already, you lot."
In the plaza with the lift leading to the Royal Capital on God's Mountain, Hajime directed a sharp gaze, laced with killing intent, at his classmates whom he had just rescued. The classmates, their faces pale, trembled in fear, and between the two groups, Shizuku, Suzu, Aiko, and Nagayama frantically tried to appease Hajime and calm the situation. The reason for this tense atmosphere lay with the classmates.
After exiting the dungeon and heading outside, Hajime and his group managed to escape without encountering anyone, perhaps thanks to Aldias having eliminated the priests on his way here. However, problems arose afterward. Hajime had decided to remain on God's Mountain to obtain ancient magic, but his classmates began to plead with him to let them come along. They had escaped the prison, but they were still criminals, and they likely feared being caught immediately if they returned to the Royal Capital. For them, Hajime, as an overwhelmingly powerful figure, would dispel their anxieties. Until now, kouki had held that position, but they no longer trusted him to that extent. While Princess Liliana, not being part of the Holy Church, could offer some support, they couldn't fully trust her either, given that she was still a Kingdom official. It was then that Hajime first noticed the disconnect between kouki and the others, and needless to say, his expression became exasperated after Shizuku explained the reason.
It wasn't Hajime's concern what happened between kouki and his classmates, but if they tried to hinder him, that was a different story.
"Besides, you're blaming everything on him, but you made that choice yourselves, didn't you? You carelessly entrusted things, carelessly hoped, and carelessly despaired... What a privileged life. And now? You want to follow me, and if something happens, you'll blame me next?"
"N-no, that's not it!? We're just worried about you... that Demon King will come back if we stay here, right? Then—Hmph!?"
Saito, one of the minor villains, desperate for Hajime's protection as the strongest guardian, approached him with a strained smile that anyone could see was a lie. Hajime's response was Donner's muzzle pressed against his forehead.
"Shut up. I haven't fallen so low as to need your pity. It's my business where I go and what I do. If you interfere any further, I won't hold back."
The direct surge of killing intent made Saito's legs give out, and he whimpered as he distanced himself from Hajime. With such a display, the other classmates couldn't say anything more, and silence fell over the area. The silence was broken by Aiko, the only adult in the group.
"I'm sorry, Hajime-kun. Everyone's agitated after suddenly being treated as heretics. I'm truly sorry... But, is it really okay for you to stay here? The person we just met was the King of the Demonfolk, wasn't he? And I remember you saying you couldn't even defeat him..."
Her question was exactly the same as Saito's just now, but her expression genuinely showed concern for Hajime.
"Yeah, anyway, I have to get the ancient magic. It would have been easier if I could have found it before encountering him, but it doesn't seem to be that simple... Speaking of which, talk of the devil."
Saying that, he turned his gaze behind him. When Aiko looked in the direction Hajime was staring, Aldias was walking towards them. At his majestic presence, everyone present instinctively stiffened.
"What, I thought you would have already sent most of them down the mountain..."
"I thought so too. And you're already done?"
"They are mere puppets who only follow Ehit's instructions. I wouldn't struggle with such individuals."
"...So, where's the entrance?"
"...Before that, I have two things I want to confirm. First, why are you collecting ancient magic?"
"To return to my original world."
"To your original world... I see. Conceptual magic might indeed allow for world-crossing transfers."
"Conceptual magic? Hey, what's that?"
When Hajime questioned the existence of magic he didn't know about, spoken from Aldias's lips, Aldias casually explained the overview of conceptual magic.
Conceptual magic—literally, magic that manifests and acts upon all concepts in this world. The ultimate magic created by combining all seven ancient magics. In the past, even the Liberators, who aimed to defeat Ehit, could only create three even after decades of effort. Acquiring all seven ancient magics was merely a stepping stone to learning conceptual magic; it wasn't something anyone could create. Still...
"Conceptual magic... if I can use that, perhaps..."
He might be able to return to Earth. Hope flickered in Hajime's expression at this possibility. His classmates, who had been listening, also brightened at the knowledge that there was a way to return home.
"Second. Do you know the true nature of Ehit, this world's god?"
Aldias's questions continued, disregarding their elevated spirits. Seeing Hajime reply with a nod to his question, Aldias looked satisfied, saying, "Well, I figured as much." Behind Hajime, his classmates stirred at the mention of this world's god's true nature, but Hajime ignored them. Hajime wanted to avoid creating any more reasons for commotion in this situation.
"Then, if Ehit were to stand before you, what would you do?"
At this moment, Aldias lied. He suggested a situation that was absolutely impossible. He judged it necessary to do so. Hajime, oblivious to this, calmly retorted, "That's obvious. If he's an enemy, I'll kill even a god."
Without much thought, Hajime uttered those words. He had spoken the same words to Cattleya once before. It had always been like this. Betrayed by his classmates, near death in the abyss, tormented by fear and pain, swallowed by despair, yet he clung to life. He wished to return home. For that purpose, he had decided to kill anyone, whether they were classmates or even a god.
"It's useless to ask such things now—"
"Is that true?"
"...Huh?"
"Do you truly believe that?"
"What are you... saying..."
He didn't understand. What was this guy saying? Of course he believed that. Yet, for some reason, Hajime felt an abnormal dryness in his mouth and couldn't speak properly.
"Answer me. I'm asking if you truly intend to defy God."
"---!"
Aldias's eyes focused intently on Hajime. His golden eyes spoke eloquently. "No lies will be tolerated," they seemed to say. For a while, Aldias's and Hajime's gazes intersected, but feeling as if his innermost thoughts were being pried into, Hajime abruptly averted his gaze slightly. That, more than anything, revealed his answer.
"...I see, I understand completely. I was going to tell you the labyrinth's entrance, but... I'm stopping."
"What!? Hey, that's not what we agreed on!!"
"It's pointless to tell you. You can't acquire the ancient magic here... Give up."
"Don't screw with me!? You can't just expect me to back down like that, can you!? Get out of my way!!"
"I refuse. If you absolutely want to pass, you'll have to force your way through with your strength."
Instantly, an intense pressure assailed Hajime. As if gravity had multiplied many times over, his entire body creaked, and he nearly dropped to his knees. The classmates behind him were also fully affected, now unable to even open their mouths.
It wasn't killing intent. No gravity magic was used. It was simply an aura of intimidation. The heightened spirit before a battle. However, Aldias's aura, which could be said to have stepped into the realm of "gods," was akin to poison for Hajime and the "humans."
However, he couldn't back down here either. To obtain the conceptual magic to return to his original world, acquiring ancient magic was essential. It would be absolutely impossible to conquer the labyrinth while trying to avoid the man before him. In other words, if he backed down here, it would be difficult to even infiltrate God's Mountain itself. He was well aware that the enemy was strong. But if he still interfered...
"I'll kill you!!"
"You choose to resist. That's fine too. But don't let your guard down for even a second, okay? If you're even slightly careless..."
You'll die in an instant.
The King of the Demonfolk. The God-Slaying Hero. The World Transformer.
The Strongest Alchemist. The Irregular from Another World. The Absolute Tyrant.
The genius who embodied all the world's blessings without exception, and the prodigy who harbored not a single grace from the gods, clashed once more.
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