I briefly left Belled’s dreamlike embrace and stood before the priests.
“...”
I opened my mouth to the tense priests.
“Inside the door...”
The words I wanted to say became clear in my cold mind.
“There was heaven.”
The priests who had been frozen for a moment looked at each other at those words. It was good news, but no matter how they looked at it, it was not heaven.
Furthermore, some instinctively felt ominous.
“Is it true?”
The priest finally asked. The pure white and sacred space they had imagined was nowhere to be seen.
And the dissonance of the Saintess who had entered in pure white coming out in pitch black clothes was even more suspicious.
I smiled with the corners of my mouth raised at those words. Thinking that my smile resembled Belled’s, I answered.
“There was definitely heaven.”
Seeing the eyes filled with anticipation at my words, I felt a strange pleasure.
This might be what the demons were talking about, 'the feeling of raising hope to the limit and then dropping it to despair,' I thought.
And I didn't think that feeling was bad. As if all the hot and sticky things were being washed away, I said,
"...Not you, but mine."
The priests' expressions turned blank for a moment at my words.
And I had no more intention of explaining to them. As if reading that thought, Belled moved quickly.
Sssss!
The sword cut through the air with an uncharacteristic sound and cut through the priest's body.
"...!"
The priest's body, with its eyes wide open, fell to the side with a thud.
"What, what is it!"
At the same time, the knights of Vine drew their swords.
"It's a demon!"
"It's a demon!"
In an instant, the altar turned into a scene of chaos. Of course, the only ones who were bewildered were the priests and the knights.
The battle between those known to be corrupt and those who were truly corrupt was beginning.
Thud.
Perhaps because the priests’ clothes were thick and wide, the sound of them falling resonated particularly loudly throughout the altar.
“What the heck...!”
Starting with Belled, the demons of Vine who had drawn their swords cut down several more priests, and only then did the knights draw their swords.
And in the meantime, Belled’s sword swung even wider around.
At the same time, his outer garment gently fell on my head.
Grasp!
I saw something bright red scattering under the clothes’ obscured vision. It wasn’t just one or two people.
Startled, I grabbed his outer garment tightly and then let go. I didn’t see the blood gushing out, but I could already guess what had happened from the liquid and the fallen people around me.
My mouth was dry. But.
“You don’t have to cover it up.”
I tried to pull Belled’s outer garment down and faced the tragedy unfolding before my eyes. When the obscured vision cleared, I saw the demons and knights clashing swords, and the fallen people.
Those wearing white were mostly lying down, and the demons were fine. They must have not been able to properly receive the magic since the door had only recently opened, but even so, since the physical abilities of each demon were supernatural, they would not be hurt.
“...”
Even though I knew that, I was nervous, I did not want to look away from the battlefield.
“Haa!”
I saw the demons swinging their swords and blocking their opponents’ swords.
They had risked their futures and lives on the battlefield. What would I do if I turned my eyes away from them?
“It’s okay.”
So it’s okay. When I repeated this, Belled looked back at me.
I met his gaze and nodded slightly. It meant that it was really okay. It was a very brief glance. However, it seemed to be enough to calm Belled’s mind.
Grasp!
The tip of the sword that had been swinging around somewhat roughly was drawing a straight line without wavering.
Even so, he did not stray far from my surroundings. He was prioritizing my safety.
I looked at him with gratitude.
“Catch the Saintess!”
A voice burst out from among the knights, perhaps sensing something at that sight.
However, the demons did not stay still.
The demons that had caught Belled’s gaze began to gather around me.
Then, naturally, it became a battle between those who tried to break through it and those who tried to annihilate them without breaking through.
“...”
I tightly shut my lips.
Whenever I saw familiar faces, I felt nervous.
In particular, in the middle of the battlefield, there was Decarabia.
Whew!
Whew!
I was holding a huge hammer in one hand that made an ominous sound every time I swung it.
Those who were hit by my hammer would fly away and crash into the wall before they even realized what they had hit.
It was daytime, but the sun was blocked, so was it okay?
I looked up at the sky again.
The sun was slowly revealing itself. Decarabia should have left the battlefield before the sun fully revealed itself.
It was just as I clenched my fist.
Whew!
A spark passed by my side. I tilted my head back in surprise and realized belatedly that it was a torch.
“That bastard!”
Several demons rushed at the knight who had thrown the torch.
“Defend the camp!”
A loud noise erupted from the surroundings along with Ronove’s voice.
Magic and holy power began to clash in earnest.
“Stop!”
Among the knights who were swearing like that, there was someone who caught my attention.
“...!”
That person was none other than Cladda.
Saintess Beryl was a demon!
Cladda still couldn’t believe it.
If she was the one who created this battlefield, look at those disgusting eyes that blinked innocently!
That woman was truly the devil of demons, a witch like no other.
It seemed that the witches written in history books who could even bewitch people were referring to such women.
“How dare you...!”
Cladda couldn’t believe that she had been fooled by a woman from the slums.
Wasn’t she the one who had only taken the elite course in the temple?
He didn’t realize it, but his pride was severely damaged.
“How dare you deceive the temple?”
He had no qualms about deceiving the Saintess and was only angry that he had been fooled.
But he had no time to be so angry.
“Not yet, not yet.”
He tried to clear his mind. He gritted his teeth and muttered as if spitting out.
“It’s not over yet.”
His gaze turned to Beryl.
If he offered that witch to the altar, the gates of heaven might open.
The sun was still covered by the moon.
“The opening ceremony is not over yet!”
His eyes flashed. They were eyes that sparkled with madness.
“Whoaap!”
He swung his sword widely to avoid the demons and jumped into the empty space.
“What is this!”
Life always puts its own safety first. If someone jumped at an opponent regardless of whether he was hurt or not, any opponent would panic.
And taking advantage of the brief moment of panic in the demons’ confusion, Cladda shot in.
“You lowly thing!”
It was so disgusting that the temple was being swayed by that lowly woman, that he had been fooled.
How much he had laughed at Vine when he had asked for soldiers! This was the problem, Cladda, who had been smitten with this.
In the first place, the fact that he had dragged a woman of unclear origin into the position of a Saintess was problematic!
Even though there had been an oracle, he was suspicious that she had not said anything after the oracle.
In fact, wasn’t there really no oracle? Was it that one of the high-ranking priests who thought he was something had manipulated it?
In particular, he was suspicious of the high-ranking priestess Alinica.
It might have been a scheme to fill the temple with her people by putting that Saintess in front.
If there hadn’t been someone like that inside the temple, there would have been no way this stupid result would have come about!
To sacrifice the head of a family that everyone firmly believed would open the gates of heaven, and even had the divine vision to create holy water, on the altar!
What could he have been possessed by?
“Oh my God...!”
Someone had covered his eyes. Someone inside the temple!
He was furious. That Saintess, no, the witch and Alinica!
“How dare... how dare...!”
He screamed and swung his sword.
The demons' weapons and unique abilities caused pain and scratches on his body, but he continued to run forward as if possessed by something.
"Ugh!"
It seemed as if a power beyond human power had wrapped around his feet.
He jumped up so quickly, pushed away several demons with his shoulder, and jumped straight towards Beryl with his sword.
“...!”
When the surprised Beryl turned to look at him, the sword was already on the verge of reaching her heart.
The moment Cladda smiled with his teeth.
Phat!
Beryl’s body retreated back at an inhuman speed. Cladda’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“How...!”
She was clearly close enough that the hem of her clothes would catch on the edge of his sword?
But he had no time to grasp the situation.
Right after that.
Slap!
It was because Belled had kicked him hard.
He couldn’t even scream, and his vision went black.
It was a strange feeling. He hadn’t fainted, but he could clearly feel the pain as if his back had been torn open, he could close his eyes and open them, but there was nothing but pitch-black space around him.
Even the sound had stopped for a moment.
“...?”
The groan that was leaking out of his throat was the same.
What is this...
No way.
This is, inside that door?
It was too late to assess the situation.
Bam!
He was thrown into the wide-open gates of hell, and his consciousness completely disappeared.
“...”
I opened my mouth to the tense priests.
“Inside the door...”
The words I wanted to say became clear in my cold mind.
“There was heaven.”
The priests who had been frozen for a moment looked at each other at those words. It was good news, but no matter how they looked at it, it was not heaven.
Furthermore, some instinctively felt ominous.
“Is it true?”
The priest finally asked. The pure white and sacred space they had imagined was nowhere to be seen.
And the dissonance of the Saintess who had entered in pure white coming out in pitch black clothes was even more suspicious.
I smiled with the corners of my mouth raised at those words. Thinking that my smile resembled Belled’s, I answered.
“There was definitely heaven.”
Seeing the eyes filled with anticipation at my words, I felt a strange pleasure.
This might be what the demons were talking about, 'the feeling of raising hope to the limit and then dropping it to despair,' I thought.
And I didn't think that feeling was bad. As if all the hot and sticky things were being washed away, I said,
"...Not you, but mine."
The priests' expressions turned blank for a moment at my words.
And I had no more intention of explaining to them. As if reading that thought, Belled moved quickly.
Sssss!
The sword cut through the air with an uncharacteristic sound and cut through the priest's body.
"...!"
The priest's body, with its eyes wide open, fell to the side with a thud.
"What, what is it!"
At the same time, the knights of Vine drew their swords.
"It's a demon!"
"It's a demon!"
In an instant, the altar turned into a scene of chaos. Of course, the only ones who were bewildered were the priests and the knights.
The battle between those known to be corrupt and those who were truly corrupt was beginning.
***
Thud.
Perhaps because the priests’ clothes were thick and wide, the sound of them falling resonated particularly loudly throughout the altar.
“What the heck...!”
Starting with Belled, the demons of Vine who had drawn their swords cut down several more priests, and only then did the knights draw their swords.
And in the meantime, Belled’s sword swung even wider around.
At the same time, his outer garment gently fell on my head.
Grasp!
I saw something bright red scattering under the clothes’ obscured vision. It wasn’t just one or two people.
Startled, I grabbed his outer garment tightly and then let go. I didn’t see the blood gushing out, but I could already guess what had happened from the liquid and the fallen people around me.
My mouth was dry. But.
“You don’t have to cover it up.”
I tried to pull Belled’s outer garment down and faced the tragedy unfolding before my eyes. When the obscured vision cleared, I saw the demons and knights clashing swords, and the fallen people.
Those wearing white were mostly lying down, and the demons were fine. They must have not been able to properly receive the magic since the door had only recently opened, but even so, since the physical abilities of each demon were supernatural, they would not be hurt.
“...”
Even though I knew that, I was nervous, I did not want to look away from the battlefield.
“Haa!”
I saw the demons swinging their swords and blocking their opponents’ swords.
They had risked their futures and lives on the battlefield. What would I do if I turned my eyes away from them?
“It’s okay.”
So it’s okay. When I repeated this, Belled looked back at me.
I met his gaze and nodded slightly. It meant that it was really okay. It was a very brief glance. However, it seemed to be enough to calm Belled’s mind.
Grasp!
The tip of the sword that had been swinging around somewhat roughly was drawing a straight line without wavering.
Even so, he did not stray far from my surroundings. He was prioritizing my safety.
I looked at him with gratitude.
“Catch the Saintess!”
A voice burst out from among the knights, perhaps sensing something at that sight.
However, the demons did not stay still.
The demons that had caught Belled’s gaze began to gather around me.
Then, naturally, it became a battle between those who tried to break through it and those who tried to annihilate them without breaking through.
“...”
I tightly shut my lips.
Whenever I saw familiar faces, I felt nervous.
In particular, in the middle of the battlefield, there was Decarabia.
Whew!
Whew!
I was holding a huge hammer in one hand that made an ominous sound every time I swung it.
Those who were hit by my hammer would fly away and crash into the wall before they even realized what they had hit.
It was daytime, but the sun was blocked, so was it okay?
I looked up at the sky again.
The sun was slowly revealing itself. Decarabia should have left the battlefield before the sun fully revealed itself.
It was just as I clenched my fist.
Whew!
A spark passed by my side. I tilted my head back in surprise and realized belatedly that it was a torch.
“That bastard!”
Several demons rushed at the knight who had thrown the torch.
“Defend the camp!”
A loud noise erupted from the surroundings along with Ronove’s voice.
Magic and holy power began to clash in earnest.
“Stop!”
Among the knights who were swearing like that, there was someone who caught my attention.
“...!”
That person was none other than Cladda.
***
Saintess Beryl was a demon!
Cladda still couldn’t believe it.
If she was the one who created this battlefield, look at those disgusting eyes that blinked innocently!
That woman was truly the devil of demons, a witch like no other.
It seemed that the witches written in history books who could even bewitch people were referring to such women.
“How dare you...!”
Cladda couldn’t believe that she had been fooled by a woman from the slums.
Wasn’t she the one who had only taken the elite course in the temple?
He didn’t realize it, but his pride was severely damaged.
“How dare you deceive the temple?”
He had no qualms about deceiving the Saintess and was only angry that he had been fooled.
But he had no time to be so angry.
“Not yet, not yet.”
He tried to clear his mind. He gritted his teeth and muttered as if spitting out.
“It’s not over yet.”
His gaze turned to Beryl.
If he offered that witch to the altar, the gates of heaven might open.
The sun was still covered by the moon.
“The opening ceremony is not over yet!”
His eyes flashed. They were eyes that sparkled with madness.
“Whoaap!”
He swung his sword widely to avoid the demons and jumped into the empty space.
“What is this!”
Life always puts its own safety first. If someone jumped at an opponent regardless of whether he was hurt or not, any opponent would panic.
And taking advantage of the brief moment of panic in the demons’ confusion, Cladda shot in.
“You lowly thing!”
It was so disgusting that the temple was being swayed by that lowly woman, that he had been fooled.
How much he had laughed at Vine when he had asked for soldiers! This was the problem, Cladda, who had been smitten with this.
In the first place, the fact that he had dragged a woman of unclear origin into the position of a Saintess was problematic!
Even though there had been an oracle, he was suspicious that she had not said anything after the oracle.
In fact, wasn’t there really no oracle? Was it that one of the high-ranking priests who thought he was something had manipulated it?
In particular, he was suspicious of the high-ranking priestess Alinica.
It might have been a scheme to fill the temple with her people by putting that Saintess in front.
If there hadn’t been someone like that inside the temple, there would have been no way this stupid result would have come about!
To sacrifice the head of a family that everyone firmly believed would open the gates of heaven, and even had the divine vision to create holy water, on the altar!
What could he have been possessed by?
“Oh my God...!”
Someone had covered his eyes. Someone inside the temple!
He was furious. That Saintess, no, the witch and Alinica!
“How dare... how dare...!”
He screamed and swung his sword.
The demons' weapons and unique abilities caused pain and scratches on his body, but he continued to run forward as if possessed by something.
"Ugh!"
It seemed as if a power beyond human power had wrapped around his feet.
He jumped up so quickly, pushed away several demons with his shoulder, and jumped straight towards Beryl with his sword.
“...!”
When the surprised Beryl turned to look at him, the sword was already on the verge of reaching her heart.
The moment Cladda smiled with his teeth.
Phat!
Beryl’s body retreated back at an inhuman speed. Cladda’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“How...!”
She was clearly close enough that the hem of her clothes would catch on the edge of his sword?
But he had no time to grasp the situation.
Right after that.
Slap!
It was because Belled had kicked him hard.
He couldn’t even scream, and his vision went black.
It was a strange feeling. He hadn’t fainted, but he could clearly feel the pain as if his back had been torn open, he could close his eyes and open them, but there was nothing but pitch-black space around him.
Even the sound had stopped for a moment.
“...?”
The groan that was leaking out of his throat was the same.
What is this...
No way.
This is, inside that door?
It was too late to assess the situation.
Bam!
He was thrown into the wide-open gates of hell, and his consciousness completely disappeared.
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