Chapter 319: The Chosen Path (Subscribe Please)

Beneath the earth, a city-state raised a blazing sun, ruthlessly scattering the darkness that had shrouded this place for countless ages.

And just moments before, when the holy knight had not yet, with the gods' aid, taken the form of a "Warring Angel."

The Miss Xie Shen avatar and the dark elf archmage appeared to be merely gazing at each other in silence, but in truth they were waging a covert contest of wills.

Desire dragged Swannie's spirit into a chaotic Illusion.

Within that blood-hued dream, describable only as horror, an unspeakably vast god looked down upon a faintly glowing, fragile soul.

Amid the tangled blood-light, Swannie's spirit was like the last shred of clarity, out of place with the Illusion surrounding her.

She struggled to resist the god's erosion—even though it was only a mortal's desperate, futile stand.

"Heh heh, you really are interesting."

From within the sea of blood, the Miss Xie Shen who had taken Stella's face rose up, gliding in a circle around Swannie.

"Was it worth it?"

She gazed upon a placid soul, smiled in a grotesque way, and mocked: "Swannie, don't you regret it now?"

"You had already managed to escape from my grasp, fled for so long, and yet you still returned to me, just so she could be freed."

"Even though you know full well that even if you killed her, she would never return to your side… what meaning is there in what you've done?"

"There is no meaning!"

"Stella didn't want to die—it was you who killed her with your own hands, in the name of salvation!"

"You couldn't save her, and you can't save yourself either."

"Hahaha!"

The Miss Xie Shen whispered with full malice, the decadent words echoing from every direction within the Illusion.

She used blasphemous words to provoke the mortal, trying to find a crack in her spirit and shatter it completely.

Agree to the mortal's terms, spare them, and take only her away?

Desire had no wish to be manipulated by mortals.

To think one could bargain with a Miss Xie Shen—how could it be that easy?

Not only would she take Swannie, she would take Herbert along with her!

Such a precious vessel could not be let off lightly.

After goading her for a while with the matter of Stella, seeing that Swannie's soul remained unmoved, Desire pressed harder and continued whispering.

"If it were only for Stella, so be it—you are sisters after all—but what of them? You would actually willingly submit to me for their sake."

"Sacrifice?"

"What do you hope to gain through such a sacrifice? Their gratitude?"

"Do you really think they would be grateful to you?"

Two more faces appeared on either side of the Miss Xie Shen—one was Elisha's face, full of disdain, and the other was Herbert's, his eyes brimming with contempt.

"No, you won't receive any gratitude. They'll think this is simply what you ought to do!"

"Because it was you who deceived them! It was you who forced them to face me! It was you who dragged them into such a dangerous situation!"

The three faces jeered, cursed, and interrogated the mortal's heart, tearing open the calm she had put on.

You are the source of every calamity!

Your twin sister died because of you.

The friends you only just gained have been thrown into danger because of you.

Even that young man who had begun to feel something for you is going to die because of your deceit.

Aren't you ashamed?

Do you think a sacrifice like this can atone for your sins?

"……"

Listening to question after question, Swannie's soul finally trembled, just a little.

She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping across those three faces.

The things the Miss Xie Shen said—how could she not have thought them herself?

How could she not know!!?

But the instant she wavered, just as the Miss Xie Shen prepared to strike at her opening, Swannie's heart swiftly regained its calm.

No—not merely calm; her heart was even more resolute than before.

Swannie gazed at "Stella" and asked, "Do you have any family?"

Desire:?

The god was baffled, unsure what the mortal before her intended to do.

Could it be that she meant to try to bewitch a Miss Xie Shen in return?

What a joke.

She was a Miss Xie Shen who held the divine office of 【Fall】, utterly impossible to be bewitched by anyone!

What Swannie was doing now was nothing more than a mortal's most laughable self-righteousness.

"I do."

Swannie sensed Desire's contempt, but she paid it no heed and went on speaking to herself.

"Although Stella died because of me, and died by my own hand, if she needed it, I would be willing to die for her."

She spoke calmly, as though mentioning some trivial, everyday matter.

"Stella" narrowed her eyes, as though staring at a rare treasure.

"You…"

And Swannie, her face calm, continued to press her question.

"Do you have friends?"

?

"Mortal? Are you trying to teach me something?" Nie Yu paused for a moment, then nearly laughed out loud.

What is Sifani doing?

Could she be trying to redeem an evil god with so-called "love and friendship"?

"I do."

The mortal ignored the deity's contempt and kept on speaking as if no one else were there.

"They have indeed fallen into danger because of me, but if I can keep them safe, I'm willing to die for them."

"This is something I chose to do on my own — it has nothing to do with whether they'd be grateful for it."

In a space where only spiritual will existed, the mortal's thoughts had nowhere to hide in the deity's eyes — there was not a single false word.

In Nie Yu's memory, the old Sifani was nothing like this; she had been an absolutely rational, completely self-centered cold-blooded monster.

And now, what was it that He saw?

That utterly emotionless anomaly had actually become an ordinary soul brimming with feeling.

No — for a single moment, He even felt as if He were facing the fervent soul of a martyr.

Willing to sacrifice oneself for others.

What had changed her?

In those years she had escaped His sight, what on earth had Sifani been through?

Nie Yu fell silent for a moment, then still sneered with utter contempt.

A deity's will could not be shaken so easily.

"Hah, say all you like — it's all nothing more than your own one-sided thinking."

"You're willing to die for them, but what about them?"

"Would they be willing to fight me for your sake?"

"Impossible! You saw it yourself just now — they didn't even dare look me in the eye!"

After the deity's avatar descended, the vampires hid, and the holy knights even shut their eyes outright.

Those cowardly mortals didn't even dare to gaze upon Him!

"Are they worth it?"

"They're not!"

At this moment, facing the evil god's malice, Sifani actually smiled.

Her soul, unburdened in the slightest, laughed lightly, and she nodded: "If I myself feel it's worth it, that's enough."

"Just as Lord Herbert once said, I've merely chosen my own path, and chosen to walk it steadfastly."

Not long ago, when Herbert said those words to Fa'ao and the others, Sifani — nominally acting in advance outside — was actually...

... also on the scene — hiding inside Elisa's skirt in the form of a "figurine" flesh avatar.

She had also heard those encouraging words Herbert spoke to them.

Once you've chosen, then do it.

Don't hesitate, and don't regret.

Walk on, whether or not the road leads to death.

The speaker had no particular intent, but the listener took it to heart.

Herbert's original intention had been to encourage Fa'ao and the others, hoping they could hold fast to their true hearts.

It's unclear how much Fa'ao and the others actually took in, but Sifani was considerably moved, and her resolve to walk her solitary path was strengthened.

"... Tch!"

After hearing Sifani's words and feeling the firmness within her soul, the God of Depravity completely lost interest.

"That's enough, mortal — there's no need to keep spouting such meaningless words."

This kind of will to sacrifice oneself for others was what He found most utterly detestable.

Truly sickening.

He stared at the mortal without mercy, completely tearing off the surface pretense, and whispered coldly: "Sooner or later you'll understand that all of this is nothing but your own delusion."

"Perhaps."

Sifani nodded and smiled: "Even if this is merely my own self-moved sentiment, it's still the path I myself chose... I won't regret it."

"God of Depravity, since you've understood my thoughts, then in the name of your divine office make a soul contract of the Sea of Chaos with me — I won't trust an evil god's promise."

"Hah." The evil god sneered, tacitly accepting her malicious speculation.

There was no need to doubt it — without a sufficiently high-level binding force to oversee it, He would definitely tamper with it.

Crack!

Just before the deity and the mortal concluded the contract, an untimely thunderous crash interrupted everything.

In an instant, all the frenzied ravings within the Illusion vanished, and the corrupting aura that had been trying ceaselessly to burrow into her soul also disappeared.

As if swept clean in the most violent manner possible!

"What?"

Sifani abruptly raised her head, and then her eyes went wide.

A blazing scorching sun burned the sky above, an inexplicable great power descended, and tore open a massive rift within the chaotic Illusion!

And beyond the shattered rift was a colossal eye, like a blazing sun.

A gaze merciless yet violent, majestic as the very sun in the heavens!

"Aaaargh!!!" The evil god, suddenly struck by a surprise attack, let out a scream as all three of its faces burned at once.

!!?

What is that?

The gaze of other gods!?

Other gods have cast their gaze here?

Thinking of this, Swani grew excited.

A turning point had come!

And Swani, who had been guessing the true identity of the other party, suddenly felt her soul tremble—she actually sensed a familiar presence.

This is……

But how could this be?!

As she was puzzling over it, her vision suddenly went black.

After being gazed upon by the blazing sun, this fallen Illusion also met its collapse.

The Illusion shattered, and Swani's consciousness returned to reality.

"Cough!"

Once she came back to herself, Swani only felt her spirit weak; a sweetness rose in her throat, and she coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood.

But, unable to care about that, she jerked her head up and likewise saw the dazzling radiance in the sky above.

But this time it was no longer a giant pupil—instead, she saw the blazing sun.

"That is……"

She widened her eyes, staring in a daze at the dark-red blazing sun plummeting from above at extreme speed.

She saw the blazing sun transform into a dark-red angel wielding a crimson holy lance, the blood-colored four wings on its back like four massive blades tearing open the corrupted spiritual energy, and in an instant it charged before Miss Xie Shen.

The angel's movements were fluid and graceful; midair, it hurled the holy lance in its hand with all its might!

Hiss—

That dark-red flame spear pierced straight into the brow of Miss Xie Shen's avatar in an instant, then shattered at once, bursting into raging fire that burned this fallen creation condensed from sinful karma.

"Aaaah!"

Though struck by a fatal attack, the avatar of sinful desire did not die from it.

"Damned mortal!!!"

Wounded in its avatar, He raised its head in fury amid the flames, pointed at the angel in midair, and roared strange-toned ancient words from its mouth.

"Death!"

Words became power, and then the Law of Death descended.

Compared to the "Decree" Herbert had used earlier to make mortals kneel, this was the genuine, bona fide Decree True Word.

Decree—Death!

It could cause any mortal thing to drop dead on the spot, directly stripping away its soul.

But the problem was—that angel that blasphemed against the gods was clearly no ordinary mortal thing.

The blood-winged angel not only completely ignored Miss Xie Shen's decree, but hurled another blood-flame holy lance!

Whoosh—

But unfortunately, having been attacked once, Miss Xie Shen easily dodged the holy lance, and roared at the angel:

"You dare provoke me!!?"

At this moment, that dark-red angel spoke.

"What nonsense are you spouting! What else? Am I flirting with you?"

His voice was clear and bright, yet he uttered vulgar words utterly unbefitting an angel's identity.

"Not only do I dare provoke you, I even dare to poke your ass."

"Hah! You badger, take another strike from my pitchfork!"

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Holy lances condensed in his palm one after another, then were hurled out in quick succession!

Accompanied by Miss Xie Shen's furious roar, a tremendous shockwave erupted violently outward, blasting Swani flying on the spot!

She tried to channel her magic, but her body was utterly drained; she could only let the blast of air carry her outward.

At this moment, Swani's mind was in total chaos.

That angel's voice—it's Herbert!!?

"What on earth…… happened?"

Just as she was about to land in a sorry heap, a pair of reddened arms shot out from the shadow beneath her and caught her firmly.

Not only that, those arms dragged her as they fled the battlefield, bringing her to a corner shielded from the light.

"……Miss Elisa?"

Swani managed to make out the other's identity and asked in confusion: "What on earth happened?"

"Don't ask me! I don't know either! Ow ow ow…… hiss! Phew phew phew!"

Elisa released Swani, climbed out of the shadow, patted out the flames that had caught on her skirt, and with a pained face blew on her own arm.

Her exposed skin was sizzling and smoking as if roasted through, and she grimaced as she babbled: "Anyway, he went 'whoosh' and lit up all of a sudden, then went 'fwoosh' and flew up!"

After using language so wretched it would make the poor court literature tutor who once taught her crawl out of his grave, Elisa grumbled unhappily:

"I don't know what it is, but it should be some trump card the monastery prepared for him, right?"

"That's why I said he was always so calm about everything, hmph! You should've told me earlier, honestly……"

What a cheapskate — I was worried sick over nothing!

"Lord Herbert…"

However, though Elisa could set her mind at ease, the actual situation… was in truth far from as easy as she imagined.

At the center of the battlefield, Herbert in his four-winged Battle Angel form darted through the arena at high speed, constantly harassing Miss Xie Shen with his holy lance, toying with her like kite-flying.

He looked utterly arrogant and domineering, actually pressing Miss Xie Shen's avatar down.

But in fact, this really wasn't Herbert deliberately provoking her to anger… it was that he didn't dare get close at all!

"Nie Nasha, it's your turn to enter the field!"

Herbert goaded Nie Nasha with his mouth, hurling taunts to distract her attention.

Meanwhile, in his heart he kept urging his cheat-code great-grandmother: "Quick! Hand my body over to you to control, hurry up and stab her to death!"

My cheat-code great-grandmother, please, for once, show some backbone!

Move, will you!

Dammit!

Get online already, damn you!

(End of Chapter)