Chapter 519

A single, powerless swing left a mark that would be etched into myth.

From the sky pointed by the blade’s tip to the earth below, everything along its trajectory was severed. The white clouds and blue sky split in half, revealing a star-filled night sky.

“The heavens…”

All who watched in prayer were captivated by the sight.

A miracle that seemed impossible for humans to achieve. Following the descent of the Evil God and the intervention of the gods, another divine presence unfolded in the sky.

“O gods…!”

The starlight was telling them.

That the calamity had finally ended.

【 Gya҉̡̖͍̦҇̅a҉̨͚̖̂̎̃͝a҉̜͕̠̅̅̏͜͡a҈̧̰̝̌͗͠a҈̢̠̟̲҇̄….̵͉̩͗́͜͠ 】

The nightmare-like Right Arm of the Evil God. The monster that had turned a great city into nothingness crumbled with a final, agonizing groan.

From the head responsible for the disaster to the black gem containing divinity, the demon’s body split in half and melted away, sinking into the earth as if absorbed.

And then, the divinity flowing from the shattered gem infused the hero who had defeated the divine fragment.

So that the warrior’s soul, which had burned out like a candle, could fend off approaching death.

Thus, the calamity of Arvil came to an end.

—

The aftermath was left to those who could still move.

Hersh, sensing the danger had passed, carried Rana, who begged to be taken to her sister, into the city and rescued five people who were severely injured and collapsed.

Each of them was in a state where death wouldn’t be surprising, especially Ha-shal-leur and Seilon.

Seilon, who had poured out his life force to the point of losing twenty years of his lifespan. Ha-shal-leur, who had lost an eye and an arm, lying in a pool of blood.

Rana didn’t faint only because of her desperate need to save her sister.

“Sister, sister, sister…!! Shaulite, please…!”

Rana, trembling and shedding tears, cast the highest-level miracle she could muster towards them.

‘Grace of the Sun.’

A wide-area healing miracle that only high-ranking priests of the Shaulite Church Order could perform unfolded from her fingertips.

The radiant sunlight descended upon the five bodies, restoring their lost life force and healing their broken flesh.

Rana, who had been somewhat sidelined in the church for not being able to use miracles other than healing, had a talent for healing that surpassed any other priest. This was the moment her true worth was revealed.

Hersh found scattered limbs around the city and helped heal Ha-shal-leur, Leonor, and Nigel. Reattaching severed body parts before healing would speed up recovery.

Lacey, who had followed by carriage, was pale at the sight of the gruesome state of the group. She poured out what little divine light she had recovered to cast healing miracles.

Grace of the Sun and Embrace of Grace.

With the addition of the paladins’ healing, the five who had been on the brink of death barely regained their lives.

Though they were too severely injured to wake up.

“Arvil… it’s over now.”

“Shaulite, forgive our sins and misdeeds…”

The paladins, having caught their breath, made the sign of the cross as they looked at the ruined city.

The once vibrant and bustling city of the sun had turned into a den of vice, depravity, and despair. Their hometown had become a ruin where no one could live.

The outer walls of the city had completely collapsed, and the interior was as if dozens or hundreds of high-level mages had held a frenzied magic demonstration.

Even the city center was so saturated with dark magical energy that the ground itself had turned black. Rebuilding was out of the question; it needed to be designated a forbidden zone.

The end of Arvil, one of the great cities representing the history of the Holy Kingdom.

—

The Holy Legion of the Shaulite Church Order, which had set out to completely subdue Arvil’s entertainment district, arrived two days later.

They were stunned by the sight of Arvil, as if a meteor had struck, and questioned the paladins who had set up temporary barracks outside the city to protect survivors for a detailed account of what had happened.

“So… Belcus, Eljure, and Diraid were hiding in Arvil, took over the city, and when Elmain and his group defeated them, Belcus summoned a monster using the power of the Evil God, which turned the city into this state…? And the Empire’s Greatest Sword defeated that monster?”

“That’s correct. A monster born from the Arm of the Evil God, and the final strike that split the heavens… It was a battle worthy of myth.”

“…And you expect me to believe that now?”

The commander of the Holy Legion furrowed his brow and questioned. His skepticism was understandable. It was something hard to believe unless seen with one’s own eyes.

The paladins swore by Shaulite’s name and explained in detail what they had witnessed, but to the commander, it seemed more like they had been collectively brainwashed and hallucinated.

‘It’s hard to believe that the Evil God tried to descend, and the gods intervened to stop it… but at least it’s true that there was a fierce battle that left the city in ruins and turned it into a demonic realm.’

The commander of the Holy Legion sighed as he looked down at the kneeling paladin.

‘…This is beyond my authority. I need to report this to the Cardinal.’

He discarded all the plans he had considered during the march and pondered the contents of the report to the Cardinal.

“So, where is Sir Median? And Elmain Staldorf, who was said to have come with him?”

The truth of such matters is best heard from the parties involved. He planned to meet them and confirm the details once more.

‘…If they’re all in critical condition, eliminating them now would remove a potential rival for our church… but that’s unthinkable.’

The commander quickly dismissed the wicked thought that had crossed his mind.

Though his church was in a hostile relationship with them, assassinating heroes who had saved so many in their weakened state was something his faith could not condone.

“They left for the Holy City yesterday. I thought we might meet along the way… but it seems our paths didn’t cross.”

“Is that so…? That’s unfortunate.”

Hearing the paladin’s answer, the commander immediately understood. Elmain must have had the same thought.

That staying within the Shaulite Church Order’s territory without the strength to protect themselves could lead to being ‘martyred’ without anyone knowing.

In fact, the commander himself thought it was a reasonable concern. If the Holy Legion’s commander had been a colder, more secular figure, her fears might have become reality.

Thinking he would delay sending a messenger to the Holy City by a couple of days, the commander silently prayed for their safety. Believing that Shaulite would also be pleased.

“Then that’s settled. Continue the report. How are the other believers and residents…? Just hearing about it, it’s clear they’ve endured cruel and harsh trials.”

“…Not well.”

The paladin continued the report with a dark expression. The horrific and gloomy reality left behind after the holy tale of heroism.

—

After the demon fell and vanished, it became the duty of the surviving paladins to lead and protect those remaining in Arvil.

It was no easy task. They had to search the devastated city for usable supplies, set up temporary barracks to prevent those who had lost their homes in the middle of winter from freezing to death, and care for those who had awakened.

The reactions of those who woke up fell into four categories.

First, those still trapped in distorted common sense even after the brainwashing authority had disappeared.

They had to be forcibly controlled. Left alone, men would attempt rape, and women would accept it, continuing to accumulate sin.

Still, compared to others, this was the better state.

Those completely freed from brainwashing. Those who remembered what they had done and what had been done to them were all in a state of shock beyond words.

Some shut down their consciousness, some lost their reason, and some sought death to escape the pain.

No words could comfort them, so all the paladins could do was care for the unresponsive, isolate the frenzied, and stop those trying to end their lives.

…Even that had its limits due to manpower shortages and differences in opinion. There were more than a few victims who took their own lives to escape the paladins’ gaze.

With the arrival of the Holy Legion, the manpower shortage was resolved… but even with more people to manage them, it wouldn’t be a fundamental solution.

It was inevitable. Even among the paladins, there were those who argued that respecting the citizens’ choices was the more merciful approach.

“Shaulite, have mercy on them…”

The commander sighed deeply and prayed.

A tragedy where even the words that time heals all wounds couldn’t be spoken. Even if they took the time to care for each one, how many could return to their former lives? No one could say for sure.