NOVEL NEXT Chapter 235
The sky opened up. Not just opened, but someone was forcefully tearing it apart.
“B-barrier?”
The golden touch burrowed in, forcibly pushing it apart to the sides.
With fingers extended inward, it was tearing the barrier apart like removing a twilight veil.
Creeeak.
The vast barrier that looked like the sky abruptly gaped open vertically, and a golden giant boldly revealed itself inside.
“Whoa, that’s dope.”
What should I even call that?
Golden Mount?
A holy knight shining brilliantly in gold?
It looked somewhat like a ‘Celestial Horse,’ or perhaps a unicorn with a golden mane, or even a golden phoenix.
I hesitated to say anything definitive, but that ‘gold’ was a color I was very familiar with.
“Just as I thought…!”
[Master!]
Lucius found me.
Lucius appeared riding the Spirit Device.
I shouted Lucius’s name, half-wondering if he would come, but at that miraculous timing, he opened the sky and appeared before me.
“Damn…!”
Arpe’s curses brushed my ears.
[It’s dangerous!]
As I briefly turned my eyes to Lucius, she quickly moved to restrain and kidnap me.
However.
“I expected this.”
Ka—clang!
The moment Lucius appeared, I swung my spear and lightly lifted my feet to evade Arpe’s strike.
“What the—”
“Attack, thank you!”
Naturally.
Puh—wak!
I was flung away by Arpe’s attack.
“Gravity Control. Lighten!”
Using gravity magic to lighten my body, I flew into the air in an instant.
“Ah…!”
Arpe’s groan echoed with frustration.
No matter how heroic a Hero of Light she was, no matter how swiftly she rushed at me—
“I caught you.”
There was no way she could be faster than Lucius, who came flying at me.
“Why are you so light? Have you been eating enough? You look quite skinny.”
“What are you saying? This is my actual weight after gravity magic. You really should learn some magic.”
“…Hmm.”
As soon as I said that, she frowned immediately.
It seemed she didn’t expect to receive a lecture right after meeting me.
“Indeed, you are my Master.”
“Well, I can’t help it.”
“The real Master, I mean.”
“How are the clones? They might have slightly different personalities, right?”
“They were certainly different, but they were fine by my standards.”
Lucius slowly landed on the ground.
Now, it seemed he could fly freely without even taking out his holy sword.
“Are you alright, Master?”
“Of course.”
Lucius held me tightly in his arms as if I were a sack of flour.
His two hands wrapped around me made me cautious of Arpe’s attack, but thankfully, she didn’t strike.
Thank goodness for that.
It gave me time.
‘What’s going on?’
Time to assess the situation.
‘What the hell is happening?’
It was great that Lucius saved me.
It was truly like destiny that he appeared at that miraculous moment after hearing my call.
‘Isn’t this almost the final awakening? And aren’t there three other traces of holy swords? Why does he have the Sword of Flames that Satan used as his own?’
Lucius arrived riding the Spirit Device.
I felt like flames, darkness, and the holy sword of earth were intertwined within Lucius’s body.
A green-haired Marine popped up from the cockpit of the Spirit Device.
“Uh!”
I was surprised.
It was startling because it was a completely different color from the normal Marine and even more alarming because of the faint trace of magical power felt from within.
“Lucius. I’m sorry to spring this on you right after meeting, but I’m completely clueless right now.”
“Shall I tell you? From start to end?”
“That would be nice, but here it comes!”
Ka—clang!
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“I didn’t think I needed to.”
“Gratitude should be expressed, you know.”
Ka-gang!
The golden wind whipped around like a barrier, shielding Lucius and me.
Lucius lightly rolled on the ground and pushed against the rising golden wind while countering Arpe’s advance.
“You’ll be shocked to hear how I got here.”
“I must hear about the process of our Hero Lucius getting this strong. After this battle, you must tell me later. But…”
Hearing the story is one thing.
“…For now, I hope you merge with the clone. I need to check some information.”
Lucius frowned for a moment.
“Does merging with the clone mean the clone’s memories…”
“Of course, they’ll return to me. Including the clone’s memories.”
“…….”
“Don’t worry. Even if it means I’ll erase my own memories, I’ll accept everything.”
“No, is that, um, how it works?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“No, well, um, I was just….”
“Did you do something weird with the clone?”
“Not at all. It’s just—”
“That’s irrelevant.”
Lucius’s expression shifted in an instant.
“The clones are just clones, right? Is there something you’ve done wrong to me?”
“Nothing… right?”
“Then it’s fine. I wouldn’t really care even if you killed the clone.”
I had divided the clone, accepting the risk of another demon king’s magic core being destroyed.
“What about the other clones? That one… Did my clone split itself again?”
“There are four: purple, blue, green… and orange.”
“Ah.”
I see.
While I was imprisoned, two demon kings must have been killed.
“I’ll get going. I’ll quickly fly with magic. Just let me….”
“You really don’t need to go that far.”
Lucius tightened his grip on me and lowered his stance.
In a motion that looked like he was about to throw something, he firmly planted himself on the ground while pointing behind him.
“I’ll send you off. Then…!”
With a big stomp, Lucius hurled me toward the Spirit Device.
Swaaa—!!
Incredible speed.
With no time to stabilize myself, I was thrown directly toward the open hatch of the Spirit Device.
“Flying.”
Just before I landed in the cockpit, I used flying magic to roll inside, soon finding myself face to face with the green me—a clone I hadn’t created.
“How Are You?”
“I’m Fine Thank you. And You?”
It knows the ancient demon language.
This clone is definitely mine.
“……May the magic king Endymion rest in peace.”
The green me placed my hand on its chest.
“…Indeed. Ah, I see.”
Through the pounding heartbeat, I faintly felt the waves of mana carrying a hint of ‘Mammon’s essence.’
“…It wasn’t supposed to betray me, but how did it die?”
“It wasn’t betrayal. It was assassinated. Retrieve it.”
The green me reached out a hand toward me, and I clasped its green hand, intertwining our fingers.
“Fusion.”
In an instant, the green me turned into a swirling mass of green light.
“Haah….”
I embraced it as it became one with me, attaching the floating green magic core to my own core.
“…Synchronization complete.”
The reflection of me on the panel inside the Spirit Device was unmistakably that of a nun.
Why is my outfit like this? Because the last thing the green me saw was a nun’s outfit from the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.
“…Memory synchronization complete.”
All memories of the clones—specifically, the memories of the green clone—flowed into me.
The memories of blue clone who visited the sky island.
The memories of purple clone who fused with Liriez.
And the death of Mammon.
‘Mammon was a deeper green than this.’
The hair color is slightly lighter.
It isn’t entirely green, and the faded green hue must be because Mammon’s core is half.
“…Phew.”
While I was imprisoned, a lot happened more than I expected.
“Well done. Lucius.”
Lucius truly did his best and performed marvelously.
And now, he came to save me.
Whether the Pope informed him or not, regardless of the situation, Lucius responded to my summon.
That’s all that mattered.
And.
‘Please be quiet, Arpe!’
I prayed.
If the Moon Goddess is out there, I sincerely wished she heard my prayer for Arpe not to blurt out anything nonsensical.
-Your Master is a demon king!
That she wouldn’t say.
“…Go Lucius!”
Before Arpe could say anything, I hoped for Lucius to win.
*
At that moment.
To help those heading to various regions, the Pope, who had dispatched inquisitors to the east and west, anxiously awaited news.
“Please….”
Beeep.
A magic tool sparkled before the Pope.
He quickly lifted the magic tool, waiting for contact from the inquisitors.
And then.
“Are both of them Asydia?”
Upon hearing reports from both sides, the Pope sighed.
In the end, it was a dead end on both sides.
From the viewpoint of annihilating Asydia, it was indeed a success, but that wasn’t what the Pope sought.
What the Pope needed was only one thing.
He covered one eye with his hand, and soon divine power began to shimmer from his palm.
“The south….”
To reach that blue moon—
“…What the?”
The golden giant reached out its hand into the air, tearing things apart to the sides.
It seemed like some massive barrier was being broken.
And then.
Within the shattered barrier, the Pope spotted a white-haired woman facing off against the red witch.
“Oh, ohh…!!”
The Pope clenched his fist tightly.
“I found it! Ah, I found it! Ah, finally!! Aahhh!!”
Like a believer hearing the divine revelation for the first time, the Pope jumped up with tears streaming down his face.
“Ah, Moon Goddess! My prayers, my faith have reached you! If I pursue and exterminate Asydia, a path leading to you shall open! I was not mistaken! Surely, this is your guidance!”
And.
“Please wait just a moment, Moon Goddess. Until this land is all soaked in blue moonlight.”
With the blue moonlight slightly illuminating his face, the Pope declared.
“Everything is for the Moon Goddess.”
And he tore off his face.
Within the intricately crafted human mask.
“…For my Goddess.”
Despite still having blonde hair and wall-like blue eyes, the face of the man resembled that of a beautiful youth.
Five hundred years ago.
The face of the Demon King who turned this land into a realm of terror.