75 – S2. Resentment Brushing Against the Stars -6
Inside the New Life Newspaper building, the group began their final meeting.
Venet pointed to two points on the map.
“This magic circle seems to have two central axes. The Temple of Twilight of Silver and⋯⋯ the place where the meteor fell. The ritual will likely take place at both locations.”
“If there are two central axes, does that mean it’s more stable? So, do we have to destroy both?”
“No, Ana, that’s not necessary. In most cases, expanding the central axes in a magic circle increases both instability and power. Disrupting either one of the central axes should be enough to thwart their ritual.”
Therefore.
“I think they’ve dispersed their forces. On both sides.”
[In that case, one side must have the leader.]
“Yeah, and in the other place too… there must be a key figure leading the ritual.”
Tara clenched her fist and shook it. The battle with the Twilight Sect was right in front of her, so the time for proper revenge had finally come.
“So, we can choose one and smash it, right?”
[Where should we attack?]
“I think… hitting the Sect’s building seems better.”
Bennett explained the reason behind his judgment.
“There are no suitable obstacles in the predicted area on the opposite axis. And, as you all know, their magic is extremely offensive. We’ve developed a new technique called parrying, which allows us some counterplay, but on an open field…”
“If they come from all directions, we can’t block them.”
“Yeah. In a flat, obstacle-free terrain, the side with more numbers has the advantage. Since we are outnumbered, choosing a narrow and obstacle-filled battlefield is preferable.”
“It seems reasonable, but…”
As Tara pondered with a thoughtful expression, Niore tapped the table with his fingers and scribbled on the map.
[I think the opposite.]
“The opposite?”
[An obstacle-free plain is good for using mass destruction spells. Fanatics lack defensive abilities, so we might be able to wipe them out in one go.]
Tara smacked the map with her fist where the Sect’s building was drawn, prompting a reaction from Niore.
“…Niore, can’t you just blast the whole building away? If there’s such magic, we can do the same, right?”
[The enemies even install magic arrays in the city. It’s hard to think they didn’t fortify their headquarters. What if there’s a countermeasure?]
“The prepared magician is powerful. It’s the ironclad rule of magical warfare. There’s logic to it. However, that’s a story for when we can use mass destruction magic.”
[I have spells I acquired through diligent study. One is a spell that borrows the power of the god of distant cosmic flames, with tremendous power and range.]
Benedict fell into deep thought.
The reason for planning to conquer the guild building, where all sorts of magic and traps might be set up, was because he deemed it more dangerous to fight many enemies on the open field. If mass destruction magic was ready, it would be acceptable to aim for a meteor pit, but there was one thing he needed to address.
“Is it okay to use such a spell?”
“Yes.”
“To cast a spell of that magnitude, it seems coffee won’t be enough.”
[…Would you mind reading it without being surprised?]
Niore gathered her hands to her chest and took a deep breath for a moment. There was some emotion flickering in her pupils… Tara thought it looked familiar. It felt like she had seen it somewhere before.
[I think I met a goddess.]
Tara’s expression became noticeably furrowed.
“A goddess?”
[Yes, she was a blonde goddess. Her features were blurry, so I couldn’t see her well, but she was a guardian deity protecting this planet. Sealed by an evil spirit after being defeated, but… she said she wanted to help us at least to this extent. Here.]
Niore took out a shining white crystal and placed it on the table. It sparkled with a milky glow, and a mysterious power could be felt. It could be described as a relic.
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Its effect was to reduce the cost used in spells close to 0. A pure and vast magical power resonated. It seemed like it could be used in Benedict’s dark magic as well.
A goddess.
Benedict, too, had once dreamed such a dream in a hazy state. Indeed, was that presence the word “goddess”? If it could convey messages in dreams and provide material artifacts like this, then it must be a divine being.
“Was there a sound deity here as well…?”
[It seems defeated, though.]
“Then, you must be the Saint if you received a revelation from the gods, Niole. Isn’t that right?”
[Um, it’s a little embarrassing…]
As Niole hunched her shoulders, Tara looked extremely uncomfortable and her eyes trembled. It was because the fact that the goddess of this world chose Niole instead of herself was unsettling.
After hesitating for a while, Tara timidly spoke up.
“Um, hey, Venet.”
“What is it?”
“What do you think would happen if I became useless?”
“Well, you were already useless in household chores.”
Tara snapped and lightly slapped Venet’s arm. After a momentary pause, he asked her seriously. It didn’t seem like he was just saying it for the sake of it.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing… I just wanted to say it.”
“You’re the most unconvincing ‘nothing’ in the world, Tara. If you have something to say, say it properly─”
Bang!
The door was forcefully pushed open and the journalist Sally entered. Her face turned pale blue and she was sweating coldly. She shouted as if screaming.
“Look, look at what those crazy lunatics are doing!”
“Hurry, let’s go.”
The group armed themselves and went up to the rooftop of the building.
There, a high-performance telescope was installed. Instead of observing the stars in the night sky, the telescope now looked down upon the people in the city.
The world seen through the lens was like a piece of hell.
A long procession. People were walking together in a certain direction. However, it wasn’t just a simple walk. By examining their expressions, it was clear that they were in a dazed state, unable to think properly.
And, amidst people with hazy expressions, sporadically visible. As the ordinary people gathered, scenes inducing uneasy and unpleasant emotions were occurring incessantly.
A family appeared.
The father, young daughter, and mother walked hand in hand. At a glance, it seemed like an outing for a harmonious family.
Yet, the expressions on the father and mother, with hazy faces, and the firm grip of their daughter’s hands from both sides. They were gripped by a fear as if the world were about to collapse. The daughter screamed and struggled, but she couldn’t overcome the strength of the two adults.
A man leading his girlfriend, an old man in a wheelchair being pushed by a high school girl. Those hypnotized were forcibly leading those who were not.
And at the end of the procession.
In the pit created by the collision of meteors, the sight of fanatics throwing people one by one could be seen. The person who entered first was crushed to death under the weight of those who entered later.
That’s how they all perished together.
“…It’s horrifying.”
“We have to save them!”
[…Yes, we have to save them. Right.]
“It might sound heartless, but if I sacrifice as many lives as me… I can’t imagine how much power the enemies will gain. Before morality, to achieve our goal, we must stop such actions.”
The group hastily prepared for departure.
Tara bit her lips hard. And checked the remaining amount of divine power.
Last night, the recovery rate of divine power became 0.
After using all the remaining divine power in her body, Tara would return to being a clothing store lady. Devoid of any abilities. She would lose the wealth, honor as a saint, and the esteemed social position.
Even now, if she endured and didn’t use divine power. Perhaps, she could prolong her life as a saint. By concealing the truth with various excuses, easily for at least 10 years.
However, losing such things. Was not at all regrettable.
There was anxiety, yes. The feeling of loss that what she gained by losing even her family, slips through her fingers. The fear of various events that awaited her as someone who was no longer a saint. But above all, what she worried about the most was.
Whether she could be of help to them for the last time.
Bennett was fighting for his younger sister. Tara knew all too well the desperate desire to save their family. So, she couldn’t help but see things from his perspective.
Tara had failed to save her family. It was too late for her.
But at least Bennett… at least Bennett…
The group quickly armed themselves and set off.
—–
They walked among the procession of people heading towards the pit. They flipped their hoods and hid their bodies. Fortunately, their true identities were not exposed. Maybe Niorre’s spell of perception disruption had worked properly.
There was silence in the world beyond the telescope.
But as they got closer, immersing themselves in the procession, the brutality of the Hell’s Deep became painfully clear.
“Mom, Dad, please snap out of it…!!”
“Grandma, why are you going this way? Let’s go back, please. Okay?”
People walked towards death, having lost their will.
“……”
Bennett looked up at the sky. The stars in the night sky twinkled, mocking the cries of the earth. And they swelled.
As time passed, the constellations in the night sky became eerie and chaotic. Starlight connected to form menacing eyes, decapitated children, and upside-down hanging jesters.
The insane night sky was a harbinger of the coming of evil.
As the group approached the meteor pit, they saw the fanatics preparing their rituals. They were so close to the people that if they used mass killing spells, innocent lives would be taken as well.
“This is…”
[I’ll handle it.]
“…What?!”
[I’ll use magic. Those people… they’ll be engulfed and die. But it’s unavoidable if we want to save others.]
Niole’s calm writing on the whiteboard made Bennett and Tara’s eyes tremble. Tara, trembling with confusion, glanced around at the people heading towards death, then turned back to Niole.
“You, what’s this about, wanting to kill all these people?”
[Yes. But not all of them. Instead of letting half fall into the range, half of those who haven’t been thrown into the pit will survive.]
A decision to cut off half to save the other half.
“Think again, this isn’t like you⋯⋯!”
[But Tara, remember when I acted like myself⋯⋯ when I wanted to save everyone without missing a single person. You saw what happened. In fact, Tara, weren’t you blaming me too?]
“⋯⋯What?”
Niole’s pupils sank gloomily.
[Have you never considered what if I hadn’t tried to save you?]
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
[So, I’m giving up. Tara. I don’t want to lose what’s more precious for the sake of less precious things. It’s not easy, but⋯⋯.]
Niole clenched his fist. The fist turned pale, and the nails dug into the palm, blood flowing freely. Even as the conscience tore his heart apart, he gritted his teeth.
[It has to be done.]
“⋯⋯But!”
[Tara, don’t you want to kill fewer of the Twilight Order than⋯⋯ a few civilians?]
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Tara knows about Niole’s nature. She liked helping people and had a warm heart that would jump into things unrelated to herself.
So, the decision she made now. To accept the sacrifice of the innocent. It must have been a truly difficult decision for her.
Therefore, Tara couldn’t reproach her for making such a decision.
That’s when Bennett spoke.
“Rescue everyone, even if it means sacrificing half, or secure half by sacrificing half. It’s better than standing still. But personally… if possible, I want to move towards saving everyone.”
[…Even if the risks increase?]
“I’ll somehow fill in the gaps. That’s how it’ll be.”
Suppressing his feelings against his will, after achieving victory at the cost of many sacrifices, there would undoubtedly be a profound scar on the heart. Bennett did not wish for the two to experience such a thing.
Concealing such inner thoughts, Bennett spoke words mixed with sincerity.
“Saving people… wouldn’t it be better?”
“You’re saying something that doesn’t suit you, Dark Sorcerer.”
“…”
Tara made up her mind.
“Yeah, that’s right. After this battle, I probably won’t be able to use divine power anymore.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know, it’s been decreasing since that day. The supply has been cut off suddenly. Maybe… I stopped believing in the goddess. So, perhaps, I took back my power.”
Bennett could understand why Tara’s use of sacred magic had drastically decreased. For reasons of anxiety. She was losing the qualifications of a saint.
Tara forced a smile and said,
“But still, I have a few fights left… And, if I pour everything out now, I can fight while saving everyone.”
“…”
“Can I leave the judgment to you? Bennett. The last divine power… whether to use it to save people or to save us.”
Bennett remained silent for a moment, then placed his hand on Tara’s forehead.
“Oh, why.”
“Thanks for telling me in advance.”
“…It’s too late.”
Sweep. The light touch carried a comforting meaning. If one were to lose their strength overnight, the impact of that loss would be immense. If the situation were different, he might have gathered comforting words from thin air.
Due to the busy circumstances, Bennett expressed himself through actions.
And he spoke.
“I’ll ask you to go rescue people. It seems easier to fight in that direction.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“We’ll wrap it up quickly. It seems like the one regulating consciousness is the person on that altar over there. Kill him, drop him, and then retreat.”
Bennett eyed the one directing the fanatics near the meteor crater. The hood was pulled deep, concealing the face, but the figure was strangely familiar.
“Alright, then for the last act… How about doing something saintly before leaving?”
“If you lose your divine power, I can give you private lessons on handling magic. Rebuilding it will be easier.”
[……..]
Bennett drew his longsword, Tara summoned her holy mark, and Neo opened his spellbook.
Human screams, stars gazing down, the sound of someone falling and dying, the ecstatic cries of fanatics—through all these vile and dark currents, the three ascended, pushing against the tide.
Their determinations were tinted in different colors, but they undoubtedly shone.
As the group approached, the hooded figure, looking down from the altar, chuckled. With a gentle voice, they greeted the reunion.
“Nice to see you all again.”
“…As expected, the one who sacrificed Abraham. Is it you?”
“Everything is for the greater one.”
As she removed her hood, beneath it was the face of Isaak.
Congratulations to the author 👏 he managed to create a character ‘The Protagonist’ who always wants to be fair. And also show the other side of this character, which is always like a demon when saying things that make sense.