Chapter 401

The goal was set. Osian and his party immediately devised a strategy to face Cardinal Zaxilos.

'Actually, there's not much to call a strategy.'

Cardinal Zaxilos had no particular weaknesses. The only ones who could inflict meaningful damage on him were Osian, Martinez, and Malina.

But that didn't mean the forces gathered here were insufficient. The members of the Blood Brotherhood were each superhumans capable of taking on a hundred opponents. Since Cardinal Zaxilos wouldn't be alone down there, they would have to face the remaining bishops and believers under his command.

"News just came in."

A sparrow flew to the witch Maia. It was a familiar she had sent out to survey the outside situation.

"It's chaos outside the building. The Trinity Building itself has transformed into a giant monster, indiscriminately attacking everything around it."

The scene reported by the familiar was quite shocking. The building itself had turned into a monster devouring people, and red angels were firing heat rays from the outer walls, destroying District 17.

'Reinforcements are also arriving one after another.'

Among them were two witches sent by her workplace colleagues from the Witch Tea Party.

The two witches should have been slightly injured after fighting the red angel once, but they were moving around perfectly fine. Maia sent a sparrow to them, requesting they come this way.

Naturally, she kept this process secret from others. Even from Plimene.

'The people gathered here are too dangerous.'

Plimene had said she could join hands with even terrorists to protect the city, but Maia's position was different.

Yes, let's say for argument's sake that they needed the power of the Blood Brotherhood right now. But what about the others?

'Basilio. A legendary man in the fixer industry. But his true nature is a dangerous monster who became a lich through experiments.'

A lich is sinful by its very existence. As soon as this fact is revealed, it wouldn't be strange for a kill order to be issued against Basilio throughout the entire city. Moreover, he wasn't just any lich, but a lich wielding the same power as the Red Eternity. His danger level was incomparable to ordinary liches.

'Right. Basilio might be acceptable. He's a lich who retains his reason.'

He became a lich unwillingly after being caught up in external experiments. Knowing this himself, even as a lich, he traveled the world to kill followers of outer gods.

Maia wasn't entirely unreasonable either. She was the type who thought that even dangerous power was fine as long as it was used well. There was room for consideration. Isn't poison much more effective than medicine when used properly?

'But the others.'

What Maia was most worried about were the Slithering Sisters. The older sister Krua with her sharp and fierce appearance, and the younger sister Attila who looked gloomy and frail.

Those two were heinous criminals who had escaped from Uluaz Prison and hidden in the city's darkness.

'At least from their actions, they don't seem to be entirely evil people. But that's not what's important. It's because of that thing.'

Maia's gaze turned toward the starfish. The avatar of the outer god Cthulatlap. That horrible creature was nestled in Attila's arms, rolling its eyes as if observing the situation.

Occasionally, when it sensed Senaka's covetous gaze, it would glare sharply in that direction and wave its fist as if to say "not a chance."

It might look cute at first glance, but Maia wasn't fooled. That creature was the same type of outer god as the Red Eternity that Cardinal Zaxilos served. Its very existence was nothing short of a calamity for this world.

'And those two people.'

Maia's gaze reached Osian and Martinez. One was from the Petra Order. Despite looking young, he possessed considerable divine power. From the aggressive fighting style he displayed, it was hard to tell if he was a paladin or a berserker.

Still, if he was from the Order, he wasn't entirely an enemy, which was fortunate, but the problem was Osian.

'I have no idea.'

While she could somewhat guess the source of power or nature of the others, Osian was different. The power he wielded was something Maia had never seen before. Moreover, it was acting as a natural enemy to the followers of outer gods.

She couldn't understand why someone with such power would work as a mere fixer.

'What exactly does he do? Is he really a fixer? If not, does he have some other hidden identity?'

Maia didn't know about Osian. Only a very few people knew that Osian was the Sky Knight who had ended an era in the distant past.

Even if told, she probably wouldn't believe it. If someone said there was a person who had cut off the heads of all mythical beings with a single sword, she would treat it as boasting.

Moreover, could she believe that such a person was now working as a fixer in this city?

'Wait. Come to think of it, isn't Basilio also from the same affiliation as that fixer?'

An uneasy thought crossed Maia's mind. How could two people requiring attention be from the same fixer office?

Usually, having just one such person would be surprising, but having two such people together as seniors and juniors was somehow strange. Wasn't this a worse probability than buying lottery tickets consecutively and winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in succession?

'If I manage to return safely from here, I'll need to investigate the office they belong to.'

Maia's eyes blazed with determination. Absolutely!

The place where Cardinal Zaxilos was located could be called the deepest part of this vast space.

"Finding him isn't difficult. The bastard is openly occupying this position."

If Bishop Fedilac or Archbishop Mirak were alive, they could have caused confusion in their search, but both were dead.

Basilio used his power to subtly penetrate the space and immediately pinpoint Cardinal Zaxilos' location.

There was some worry about what Cardinal Zaxilos might be up to, but surprisingly, he was staying still.

That made it even more unsettling. They didn't know what scheme he might be plotting. But this was also an opportunity. If there was no interference, they could directly assault the deepest part where he resided.

"Let's move."

After Basilio confirmed the coordinates, he opened a path. As if waiting for this moment, Attila poured out a mass of blue tentacles to reinforce and expand the passage so it wouldn't narrow.

It wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but they couldn't afford to worry about that. The party members all jumped down into the pit one after another. Having been in a place covered with red flesh for hours, the writhing octopus legs no longer seemed particularly disturbing.

How many minutes had passed while moving like this? Finally, they were able to reach their destination.

"Strange."

Basilio, who had landed lightly, looked around and muttered.

Even though they had almost reached the deepest part, Zaxilos made no attempt to attack them. He wondered if perhaps he had left his position, but the aura emanating from beyond indicated that wasn't the case.

"Is he waiting for us?"

Had he completed the ritual? Or was this itself a trap? Whatever the case, having come this far, they couldn't retreat anymore.

At that moment, there was a creaking sound from the wall, and red angels began emerging one by one. They had been merged with the wall.

All party members took combat stances. Everyone here knew how powerful the red angels were.

They needed to finish them before they could attack. But their movements were somehow strange.

Instead of immediately launching an assault, they formed ranks on both sides, opening a path.

"What are these things trying to do now?"

"Something's strange. Is it a trap?"

The party members also questioned the red angels' behavior. It would have been much more comfortable if they had just charged mindlessly.

Then, beyond the ranked angels, one angel approached. Compared to the other angels, it was 1.5 times taller and had horns growing from its head. Its skin also looked as hard as armor.

If not for the burning solar ring above its head, it wouldn't have been strange to call it a demon.

[Welcome.]

Zaxilos spoke. He conveyed his words through the angel's mouth.

[I never thought you'd make it this far. I mean it sincerely. I'd like to give you praise.]

"What are you trying to do now? Are you thinking of resolving this through dialogue at this point?"

When Osian glared and asked, Zaxilos responded with laughter.

[Hahaha. As if that were possible. What kind of relationship do we have? Haven't we already crossed a river of no return? There's only one path given. One of us must die for this to end.]

As soon as those words ended, rings of fire appeared above the heads of the angels ranked on both sides. Just as everyone tensed at this sight, Zaxilos clapped his hands once.

[But fighting recklessly here wouldn't set the right mood. Since guests have come all the way to such a place, it would be rude to turn them away at the door.]

"Stop the nonsense and get to the point. Before I cut you down."

[How about we have a proper fight instead of brawling in a place like this?]

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at Zaxilos' sudden proposal. He, who had avoided fighting as much as possible and only sent out subordinates, suddenly suggested a direct confrontation.

Osian frowned beneath his helmet.

'It seems the ritual is almost complete.'

There was confidence in Zaxilos' voice. It could have been bluffing, but Osian judged the probability of that to be low.

The red angel representing Zaxilos raised a finger and pointed at Osian.

[You and I. The two of us will settle this. How about it? Isn't it a good idea?]

"Nonsense! What trap have you set up now!"

Basilio shouted angrily.

"Junior! Don't trust that cunning bastard's words! That creature is a wicked monster who deceives people with his silver tongue!"

[It's a bit disappointing to hear you say that. What's most annoying is that a creature who doesn't know its place is interfering in our conversation.]

Kiiing. The ring of fire intensified, and light flowed from the red angel's eyes. The angels ranked around raised their hands and each grasped a solar sword.

[I'm giving you this opportunity, will you refuse it? Or would you prefer to settle this here and now?]

The number of red angels gathered here alone exceeded a hundred. This wouldn't be all of them. If the fight started, their numbers would probably increase further.

'Besides, the location itself is quite an open field. If they decide to fire golden sun rays, our damage would become uncontrollable.'

Zaxilos was making a proposal. To come out as representatives and have a 1-on-1 duel. Naturally, what Zaxilos was targeting was Osian himself.

'He's been avoiding it until now, but suddenly wanting to fight means he's confident.'

Perhaps he had properly absorbed the power of the sun ring. Even so, if it were Zaxilos, he could have worn down their forces by just consuming red angels like this.

'But he didn't. He wants to show off his power. Beyond that, he wants to prove that the Eternal Church no longer hides and flees.'

Osian had once pushed the Eternal Church to the brink of destruction in the distant past. Zaxilos was a survivor of that catastrophe. And he had been hiding in the underworld for long years, building his strength.

Though he had risen to the position of cardinal, there must have been unresolved thirst in one corner of his heart.

'A complex toward the knight.'

The knight who slaughtered outer gods was a symbol of fear to him. To him, who wore the mask of religion, Osian was probably the final trial he had to overcome.

That's why he made such an arrogant proposal in front of everyone. Osian smiled coldly at his naked intentions. Get full chapters from noveⅼ

"Interesting."

"Junior. Don't tell me you're..."

"Zaxilos. I accept your proposal."

When Osian said this, Zaxilos laughed.

[Hahaha! Yes. That's how it should be. That's what makes you an adversary worth defeating.]

From those words, Osian could gain certainty. Yes. He wanted to break the Sky Knight, the embodiment of the Eternal Church's complex, head-on.

[Follow me. A suitable place has been prepared.]

The red angel, no, the red knight gestured to Osian and began moving.

Osian briefly looked back. His companions were watching. Each had complex expressions. Some worried, some questioned, some felt anxious, some found it amusing.

Osian, who had been thinking about what to say to them, spoke in a nonchalant voice.

"I'll be back."