Episode 149
“Not even the compassion and mercy of the Sister Goddesses can save your tainted soul and body!”
As the Master Templar’s blood-red wings unfurled, countless blades of blood rained down.
Yet, before this relentless storm of blood, the Shadow Lord did not flinch. He simply extended his arm, and the ‘armor of black blood’ that encased it began to writhe.
He became aware of the true meaning embedded within the armor of blood and shadow.
The Master Templar’s blood surged toward Dale, the Shadow Lord.
”……!”
The scene that unfolded from the Shadow Lord’s fingertips left the Master Templar gasping in shock.
Even Lady Scarlet, who was watching the duel, was not immune to the surprise.
The blood blades meant to tear Dale apart began to darken, becoming one with the Shadow Lord’s armor, as if they had always been a part of it.
“You dare…!”
The blood-drenched Master Templar launched another attack, transforming his blood into projectiles. But no matter how many times he struck, the blood blades never reached Dale. Each time, the blood decayed, turning black and becoming part of the Shadow Lord.
“How…!”
“Did you say that with each drop of heretic blood we wear, our spirits grow purer and cleaner?”
Dale took a step forward, not bothering to close the distance with a leap, his body wrapped in the ‘armor of black death.’
“Then with every drop of your blood I consume…”
Dale extended his arm, and from the armor of shadow, tendrils as dark as night began to emerge.
“All the purity and sanctity you’ve built with heretic blood will become meaningless.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you cursed apostate!”
Swoosh!
”……!”
The black tendrils surged toward the Master Templar, who swung his blood sword in response. But as soon as his blood sword clashed with the tendrils…
The blood blades forming the sword began to rot, turning black from the tip to the hilt, and then to the fingers and wrist that held it.
“Agh, aaaaaah!”
In horror, he dropped the hilt and retreated, but it was already too late.
“Aaaah, aaaaaaah!”
The blood armor encasing his body began to rot, as if a curse of decay had taken hold. It transformed, much like the armor of shadow that enveloped Dale.
“Looking at your cursed, blood-soaked form, it seems salvation is beyond you.”
“You, you damned apostate!”
In agony, the Master Templar reached out again, squeezing out the last of his strength.
“Goddess, grant me the power to stand against this evil!”
Immediately, an unknown flash of light erupted in the world of thought that Scarlet had created.
A pillar of light descended from the heavens, targeting the very spot where the Shadow Lord stood.
The celestial bombardment enveloped the Shadow Lord, momentarily halting the spread of the ‘black blood’ that was consuming the blood armor.
“Ha, haha!”
The wrath of the goddess, turning everything it touched into pillars of salt, had punished the Shadow Lord, the vile apostate of Saxon.
“Praise the compassion and mercy of the Sister Goddesses, you cursed apostate!”
The Master Templar shouted as he reformed his blood armor in pain. Just then, a silhouette emerged from the endless pillars of light.
The Shadow Lord stood there.
He, who should have turned into a pillar of salt before the goddess’s wrath, remained unscathed.
“How, how…!”
The Master Templar gasped at the sight.
“Armor should do what armor is meant to do.”
Dale murmured calmly. They could not comprehend the meaning of the ‘black death’ within the Shadow Lord’s armor.
Within the pillar of light, the Shadow Lord moved forward, toward the blood-drenched angel who could not hide his fear and astonishment.
“It seems…”
The Shadow Lord spoke, glancing around.
“The goddess has decided which side holds the ‘righteous claim.’”
To the onlookers, who could not hide their shock at the formidable display of the ‘Black Prince.’
“Master Templar, Brother Rujinyang has willingly shared the goddess’s voice through his ‘martyrdom’…”
Dale turned his head again.
“We will never forget his noble sacrifice. Isn’t that right?”
To the blood-drenched knight, frozen without the will to resist.
“A, aaaaah…”
At that moment.
“This martyr’s duel is null and void!”
The silent 7th Circle White Mage, Borrenus, finally spoke.
“This Saxon apostate has mocked Brother Rujinyang’s faith and the goddess’s will with vile sorcery, and thus I declare that his spirit is unworthy of martyrdom!”
Simultaneously, the seven circles around his heart began to spin. The realm known as the ‘practical pinnacle’ for mages, aside from the five mages at the peak of the Five-Colored Tower.
At the same time, the pure white ground began to encroach upon ‘Scarlet’s world’ from beneath Borrenus’s feet.
The scene enveloped the area like a view of the heavens above the clouds.
At that moment.
“Heh, people’s imaginations of heaven are always so dull and tedious.”
An unexpected ally of Dale’s emerged to confront Borrenus.
Lady Scarlet, observing the scene, let out a cold laugh.
“A world of chirping birds, golden sunlight, and endless hymns under the goddess’s watch… doesn’t that sound more like hell?”
Lady Scarlet began to unleash her blood-red magic beside the Shadow Lord.
“In contrast, our imaginations of hell are grand and unfathomably deep.”
With iron hooks lining the ceiling and slabs of meat hanging from them.
“Unfortunately, we have no more time to entertain the church’s nonsense.”
Lady Scarlet spoke icily.
“Moreover, I agree with Prince Dale’s decision to withdraw the troops.”
”…….”
“Oh, are you finally seeing me in a new light?”
The Shadow Lord glanced at her, and Lady Scarlet asked playfully, while Dale remained silent.
“Ah, so the apostate of the goddess finally reveals his vile nature, you cursed scarlet harlot!”
Borrenus shouted, and his white magic began to envelop the ‘Master Templar.’
Just as the second round between Dale and Scarlet, Borrenus and the Master Templar was about to begin.
A snap of fingers echoed.
“Didn’t I say, this is as far as we entertain the church’s nonsense?”
Lady Scarlet’s form crumbled, and an uncountable swarm of bats surged forth.
──The liquid tissues within Lady Scarlet’s bloodstream began to writhe, awakening the memories and power slumbering within that blood.
The head of the great family ruling the Crimson Tower, the sister of the Blood Duke. Simultaneously, the ‘being that cannot be called human’ that governs the empire was there.
Vampire.
“Aaaah, aaaaaah!”
At that moment, the Master Templar began to scream. The blood armor encasing his body was being absorbed as if sucked into a vacuum.
Toward the blood-red vampire that had appeared behind him.
Crunch!
The blood armor, and the blood within his body, were being absorbed all at once. Borrenus, in shock, attempted to generate white magic again.
But before he could, the Shadow Lord leaped forward.
Seizing the moment while Borrenus was distracted by Lady Scarlet. Even if he was a 7th Circle White Mage, it made no difference.
Sling.
“Brother Borrenus, please stop.”
The pitch-black demon sword ‘Gluttony’ was already at his throat. A mage not trained for combat, especially a White Mage meant to support knights, was no match.
“Aaaah, aaaaaah…!”
Lady Scarlet let out a triumphant cry as she drained the Master Templar’s blood. As if consuming life itself. The blood drained away, leaving behind an empty shell of a man.
Once again, the swarm of bats began to flap their wings, enveloping the area.
A swarm of bats filled the celestial realm that Borenus had conjured.
Amidst them stood Lady Scarlet.
“Oh, what a nauseating taste.”
She licked the blood from her lips, baring her fangs as if to flaunt them.
“Rarely do you find something as tasteless as a pure soul and body. It’s like being forced into vegetarianism.”
She spoke as if critiquing the meat of pigs or cows.
“Well, it seems the curtain has fallen on the martyr’s duel. Our ‘Black Prince’ has triumphed over Brother Lusignan… There were a few minor disturbances, but those are hardly worth mentioning, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Indeed.”
“Now, would you kindly clear away this dreary, utterly dull ‘heaven’?”
Lady Scarlet mocked the philosophical world Borenus had created with a chilling disdain. None of the attendees dared to challenge her words. Borenus was no exception.
Shortly after, having heard the ‘Voice of the Goddess’ through the martyr’s duel, the entire army of the Grand Demon Alliance turned its course.
The banner of Lusignan was remembered as a martyr’s sacrifice to obscure the will of the Goddess, and a blessing was bestowed in the name of Priest Borenus.
This was the fleeting conclusion officially recorded as the ‘First Crusade.’
Not long after, proclamations to bolster the forces of the Grand Demon Alliance in the name of God were issued throughout the empire.
Borenus, a 7th-circle white mage, passionately advocated for the importance of the Grand Demon Alliance at the White Tower, and with his persuasion, the Celestial Duke himself declared a ‘Crusade.’
Under the pretense of divine will, the silent powers of the empire began to gather one by one towards the ‘Demon King’s Territory of Saxon.’
Thus began the Second Crusade.