------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
------------------
Chapter 179
The unexpected death of a comrade. A follower who had witnessed it up close blinked in disbelief.
Just now… what did I see? Unable to process the incomprehensible sight, he called out to the man with a trembling voice.
“B-Brother? No, Cardinal Petel. What… is this…”
He tried to deny reality, but there was no way things would change just because he wished it.
Could it have been a mistake? Or perhaps the deceased had committed some offense? He entertained such doubts, but there was no sign that suggested so.
More than anything, despite the absence of magic in his voice, the words had been heard clearly.
The man with a blood-stained blade smiled.
“I meant exactly what I said, brothers. You must offer yourselves as sacrifices here and now—for me. Your incompetence has disappointed the Fallen Star, has it not?”
“You mean… you intend to offer us up as sacrifices?”
“They are not sacrifices. I am not offering you to the Fallen Star. I am asking you to grant me strength. Is that not the proper course of action?”
Murderous intent flickered in the cardinal’s eyes. The mercenary flinched. At this moment, he even forgot the heat that usually enveloped his skin.
“Must… you truly do this?”
“I believe so. Considering who we are up against, I must give my utmost. Unfortunately, the sacrifices we brought have already been used up in the ritual, haven’t they?”
The mercenary hesitated and took a step back.
Though he served the Fallen Star and typically revered figures like bishops and cardinals, he had no intention of dying willingly.
This could not be called martyrdom. Opening the path for an Outer God would be closer to true martyrdom.
At least they, by offering their lives, became lighthouses in the Outer Sea.
Even if he expressed his refusal, the other party was unlikely to accept it.
As expected, the man kicked off the ground and lunged forward. The mercenary tried to take flight with the wings on his back, but his body refused to move as he willed.
Shhh…
Like sand slipping through fingers, everything crumbled away.
“What…?”
The thought crossed his mind—he had been abandoned by the Outer God he had sinned to serve. A deep sense of betrayal surged within him as he desperately thrust his sword forward.
“Hngh!”
Clang!
The blade aimed at the cardinal’s heart was effortlessly deflected. The recoil was so powerful he had no chance to resist.
He hadn't even seen it. The moment he saw a flash, he was already being thrown back.
There was no way to block it. He possessed no special abilities, nor did he own any artifacts.
Swordsmanship was all he had—but even that had been rendered meaningless. It felt as if his heart had dropped.
The cardinal looked at his ashen face and spoke.
“You lack faith, brother.”
No. Mercy. A chance. He desperately pleaded with his eyes, but the sharp blade mercilessly severed his throat.
Slash!
“Hm.”
There was a slight ache in his heart—perhaps out of the camaraderie forged through countless hardships.
But for the greater cause, such things could easily be cast aside.
That made two.
Each time one died, the grace of the Outer God they had harbored was drawn in like iron filings to a magnet, seeping into him.
“Ah… I can feel it.”
This overwhelming fullness. It was proof that even the Fallen Star permitted this act.
Yes, this was the right way. Rather than distributing blessings and protection among many, was it not wiser to concentrate it all in a single individual?
"A wise and excellent choice indeed."
The deaths of his brethren were unfortunate, but they were an unavoidable sacrifice. Everything they had harbored would become his nourishment.
If this was the result with just two of them, then what if the rest joined in as well?
He was certain he could increase his inherently lacking mana reserves. Even if only temporarily.
Fwoooosh!!!
How he detected such a change amidst those intense flames was unknown, but the swirling fire split into dozens of streams, raining down upon the surrounding mercenaries.
"Ah, this is exactly why I dislike perceptive people."
Of course, he had expected movement. Who in the world would establish such a favorable environment and then simply waste time observing?
'What an incredibly troublesome ability.'
Fire was always that way, but Bane of Evil was even more so.
The cardinal was well aware of the origins of the Red Spear Knights. The power extracted from the heart of an Apostle of the Outer Gods, slain by the Berger family's ancestor.
As its name implied, their flames eradicated evil—just like the sacred fire wielded by the Lord of Infernal Flames.
Perhaps that was why those engulfed by the flames had their connection to the Outer Gods completely severed, leaving nothing to be reaped from their deaths.
What should have been possible was now impossible. Thus, he had no choice but to kill them one by one. But why take the long way when a simpler method was available?
"Brethren."
His mana-infused voice rippled outward with a subtle resonance.
Though the followers appeared too occupied dodging the raging flames to listen, he knew they could all hear him.
"We do not face an opponent we can easily defeat. The Morning Star is disappointed in you, my brethren."
"Ah…"
Many of the followers let out anguished groans. The cardinal did not stop speaking.
"'What is this?' 'How can you be so weak despite serving me?' That is what He asks of you. Brethren, for the sake of the Morning Star of the night sky, we must unite our strength as one."
His voice further clouded the already deranged minds of his followers, dulling their judgment. There was a high chance they did not even understand what he was truly saying.
"Now, brethren. Raise your swords. Turn them upon your own throats."
As if entranced, the fanatics all moved in unison, pressing their blades against their own necks.
The moment the sharp edges touched their skin, crimson blood trickled down in streams.
Meanwhile, many who failed to evade the flames perished one after another. The cardinal did not stop.
"Take your own lives. That is the best move you can make, my brethren."
Slash!
At his words, the followers slit their own throats in perfect synchronization. Not a single one hesitated.
They collapsed onto their knees, their bodies slumping lifelessly. The wings sprouting from their backs disintegrated into fine particles, all of which gathered toward the cardinal.
Feeling the surge of mana, the cardinal swung his sword. A sharp slash extended like a whip, cleaving through the flames.
Shhhh!
The expanding inferno lost its rotational force and scattered in all directions. But it did not vanish.
Since it was under Ian's control, it did not dissipate but instead settled back onto the ground, continuing to burn.
"Will you remain hidden inside?"
"I had some preparations to make."
"Oh? Do you take me so lightly? Or are you simply that confident you won't lose?"
"I'd say it's a bit of both."
"I heard you're not that old, yet your insolence knows no bounds, Ian Berger."
Ian's brow twitched slightly.
"So, you really were targeting me."
"And this was a trap after all?"
"Did you come here knowing?"
The man nodded.
"I personally found it quite unsettling how your whereabouts became known, as if someone had been waiting. But the god I serve is quite enraged. He has specifically commanded me to pass judgment upon your existence."
"For a being called a god, he seems rather narrow-minded. Wouldn't it be better to follow a different god even now? How about repenting and devoting yourself to the Lord of Life instead?"
"I once followed Him, so I appreciate the offer, but my disappointment was too great to ever return."
"You have quite a devout faith."
"That is why I am called a cardinal. Of course, compared to the Pantheon, my order's influence is weak, making the title mostly nominal, but I possess the necessary abilities. Now, allow me to introduce myself once again. I am Cardinal Petel."
"Should I introduce myself as well?"
"There's no need."
Cardinal Petel gathered his mana and took his stance.
"Because I already know who you are. Before we begin, there is something I wish to say to you."
Ian looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Thank you, sincerely."
"……?"
"I heard you killed a candidate for an Apostle. Thanks to that, an opportunity has come to me as well. If I kill you here and now, the Morning Star will grant me even greater favor."
"That won't be happening."
As if he had heard enough, Ian raised his hand. The flames blazing around them surged upward and came crashing down upon the man.
Fwoooosh!
However, at that moment, the wings sprouting from Cardinal Petel's back spread wide.
As the faith and grace of his followers concentrated into a single body, their scale transformed.
The dark mana undulating over his wings like a heat haze burst forth, blocking the flames.
Boom!
With an explosion, dust and debris filled the air. Ian immediately gathered the surrounding flames.
Whoooosh!
Like riding the wind, the massive inferno, carrying searing heat, rushed toward the man who had introduced himself as a cardinal.
Whether he was blessed or favored by an Outer God, as long as he was made of flesh, he would undoubtedly melt away.
But before that could happen, Petel leaped out of the dust cloud and charged straight through the flames toward Ian.
Boom!
The sharp sword strike cut through the fire, dispersing its focal point, and clashed with Ian.
Clang!
At the moment their blades met and separated—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Without hesitation, both Ian and Petel extended their swords, aiming for each other’s vital points.
Mana-infused blades collided, and slashes erupted, tearing apart the surrounding area.
Everything nearby shattered into fragments and scattered, yet neither blade found its target.
As he had vaguely expected, his opponent was also a transcendent who had reached a high level.
[Heavenly Return]
A sword technique refined by Hero Gailgron. The blade, initially closing in, spun outward in a sweeping arc.
Shiiing—
With a clear resonance, Petel’s stance fully opened.
"Oh."
However, rather than surprise, his expression was one of intrigue.
Without hesitation, Petel released his grip on his sword. Just as Ian assumed he was shifting into a hand-to-hand combat stance—
Vwoooom—
The sword that had left his hand suddenly changed direction in midair and aimed straight at Ian.
"!?"
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
