As Ash stepped forward, an aura followed her.
Everything in the trajectory of the trailing aura stretched and then tore apart.
Kwaddeok, Peroseok!
Corpses, the ground, and even time and space themselves twisted and tore apart.
It was a surreal landscape.
Even Regyn Solis, who had grown accustomed to seeing several priests of evil deities, doubted his eyes at the extremely unrealistic scene.
And he was bewildered.
The woman standing behind Regyn Solis called the monstrous apparition before them the Herald of the Veil.
Though it was Regyn Solis’s first time seeing Ash, he had heard rumors about the Herald of the Veil.
The Herald of the Veil.
That Being truly lived up to the title of the strongest priest.
They say even the Supreme Divinity’s Sword, known as the Myth Slayer, avoids the Herald of the Veil, confirming its status.
All sorts of rumors and legends revealed the cities, heroes, and divinities that the Herald of the Veil had slaughtered, leading Regyn Solis to be certain.
The being before him now was nothing but death itself.
And at the moment of realization—
Jjeg!
Ash vanished.
Simultaneously, rising stones froze and collapsed.
A movement faster than comprehension.
Regyn Solis quickly raised his shield.
It was the best course of action he could take.
An instinctive, reflexive move taken without thought, the best possible option.
This was a survival sense honed through long training.
The sense that had kept him alive as a mercenary for so long.
For the first time, this sense betrayed its master.
Kwa-jik!
Blocking—against an ordinary enemy, it would have been the right response.
His shield mastery was skilled enough to deflect even a giant’s attack once; against a slightly stronger opponent, it might have worked.
If only the opponent wasn’t a monster like Ash.
Eeji-ji-jik!
With wide-open eyes, he witnessed what unfolded.
The shield was pierced. Simultaneously, his arm was torn apart.
Along with the shattered and broken shoulder joint, his arm crumbled into pieces.
Against Ash, any best option invariably turned into a worst-case scenario.
Kak-kak! As the shield fragments caught on the spear, Regyn Solis’s body was hurled backward.
Kwa-a-a-a-aang!
Too loud to be merely the sound of human flesh colliding with the ground.
As Regyn rolled across the floor leaving trails of blood, the knights cried out reflexively.
“Commander!”
But no one rushed to Regyn Solis’s aid, nor charged toward Ash.
Before anyone could react, Ash disappeared the moment she stepped on the ground again.
Kwang!
And immediately thereafter, slaughter ensued.
Kwa-jijik!
A leg swung upon appearance. The extended white leg cleanly bisected the armored knight at the waist.
Faster than the knight could comprehend his impending death, Ash retracted her leg.
Through the falling entrails, bone shards, and chunks of flesh, the knight’s red-rimmed eyes welled with tears as another knight charged toward that spot.
He was a trusted shield-bearer who often stood guard, known for his quick responses and Regyn’s trust.
He rushed forward and swung his sword.
Ka-ang!
The sword struck the aura and shattered into countless pieces.
Then his entire body was sliced by the aura.
Frozen into a massive ice statue, the knight shattered into pieces.
At the sound of rain-like debris hitting the ground, the knights, who were mercenaries, felt fear.
They had vowed to protect, even if it meant dying.
Thus, they did not flee.
But witnessing the events unfold before their eyes, they finally realized.
Against such an enemy, their vows were meaningless.
No image of victory over Ash formed in their minds.
A futile battle awaited them.
Therefore, the knights, who had remained steadfast in the face of death, stopped.
Terrified by a calamity worse than death, their feet froze.
If Ash used her full power, wiping them all out wouldn’t take more than a minute.
It wouldn’t take long for the entire fortress population to meet the same fate.
Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, Ash lifted her spear.
Only Ereta moved.
Her axe, wrapped in flames, swung fiercely.
Ash’s gaze darted, and holding her spear diagonally, she spun around to block.
The diagonal slash of the axe was intercepted by the spear’s trajectory.
Ka-ga-ga-kang! Sparks flew.
The flames swirling from the axe collided with the spear, climbed up it, and halted upon reaching the aura.
But it only halted—it couldn’t fundamentally burn through or stop it.
“Uuueeuuu…!”
After stopping the aura and giving Ereta a fleeting glance, Ash casually swung her spear.
Just that was enough to send Ereta flying backward.
Her feet dragged along the ground, flipping the stone slabs as they scattered.
Among the fragmented stones, Ereta gritted her teeth.
‘She’s coming. Faster. I can’t fully block it.’
While imagining the trajectory extending from Ash’s arm, Ereta held her axe.
Intercepting mid-trajectory, she thrust the axe into the path of Ash’s sweeping arm.
Ka-a-a-aang!
Blood spurted from her grip.
The spear strike, cutting through lines, was nearly impossible to perceive.
It was an attack akin to simply beating someone to death with the spear.
Following that was a thrust using the spear’s base.
Deep and wide attacks. Ereta lightly swung her axe, pushing the spear shaft beneath the blade.
Eujjik!
Even that broke bones.
Bones protruded from the broken arm, accompanied by grinding teeth and flowing blood.
But she didn’t stop.
She had to somehow block and divert it.
Kang.
A large swing with her body rotation.
Pushing away with the spear’s base caused her ankle to break under the force.
Ereta, clenching her teeth, and Ash, staring expressionlessly, locked gazes. Upon seeing Ash raise her arm high,
Ka-ga-ga-ga-kang!
What followed was a wild flurry of strikes.
From line to line, fluidly twisting her waist, back to another line.
A strikingly simple combo.
Yet every single strike carried enough force to instantly kill even Ereta.
So all she could do was block.
Tension dried her mouth, bones broke somewhere in her body with each block, and her internal organs were damaged.
But she could block it. Ereta sharply maneuvered her axe.
Ka-ang!
‘I’ve blocked everything!’
Ereta had successfully defended against the relentless assault.
Despite blood flowing from the corners of her mouth and her arms barely moving.
She managed to seize the opportunity. Clutching her left hand lightly, Ereta summoned divine fire within and scattered it.
Ash stepped back avoiding the flames, filling the void between them with fire.
Wasting divine power without effect.
But Ereta didn’t hesitate, reaching for her waist.
She never expected her flames to burn Ash anyway.
Kwa-o-o-o-o!
Using the flames to obscure vision, she swiftly drew the war hammer from her waist.
Aiming for one decisive blow. To destroy the spear-wielding arm and leverage distance and weapon advantage.
“Inh!”
With a yell, she swung the hammer upward.
Targeting the arm wielding the spear.
It wasn’t a bad plan.
If only the opponent wasn’t Ash.
“Huh?”
Grabbing Ereta’s wrist along with the swung hammer, Ash reacted.
Even before Ereta realized she was grabbed, Ash swung her captured wrist.
Upward, then downward.
Tracing a large crescent moon, Ereta was swung around.
Hooouuuung.
The wind howled. Ereta saw the approaching ground accelerating.
Kwa-a-a-a-a-a-aang!
“Keu, ugh, kaaak…”
Realizing only after colliding with the ground that she was embedded in it.
Her back and neck simultaneously snapped, blood gurgling from her mouth.
Faster than the blood staining the ground red, Ash kicked Ereta upwards.
Jejeok!
Most of her internal organs were already destroyed.
Even so, there was no mercy or hesitation from Ash.
Kwa-dde-de-dek!
“Aa, auugh…”
Lifting Ereta and impaling her with the spear. Even though Ereta offered no resistance, Ash raised the spear high and slammed it down towards the ground.
Kwa-a-a-a-a-a-aang!
Thus, Ereta collided with the ground once more.
The spearhead pulled out, intestines flowed out from the pierced area, dragging long lengths across the ground as Ereta rolled.
Her limbs were either nearly severed or severely twisted beyond recognition.
Blood poured endlessly like a waterfall from her mouth, streaming from her eyes as well, causing Ereta to slip and slide on her own blood.
The slight twitching was all Ereta could manage.
Despite her severe injuries, Ereta, who wouldn’t die until her divine power ran out, trembled from the sudden cold while reflecting.
Perhaps this outcome was inevitable.
Ash was an opponent too formidable for the entire party combined.
Uncomparable, an absolute powerhouse.
Due to the aura surrounding her body, armies couldn’t harm her, and since her body wasn’t human, she didn’t need rest or sleep.
Composed entirely of the veil, she felt neither wounds nor pain, nor hesitation.
Moreover, she was a hybrid.
Unlike Ereta, a proper hybrid.
Her innate power was abnormal, even more so after becoming a high-ranking priest.
The total amount of power she wielded could rival Angie’s.
Though lacking in spear techniques, her sheer overwhelming strength made even basic spear skills threatening.
Thus, there was no way for Ereta to win.
Not just Ereta, but also the knights.
Their victory over the priest was a miracle born out of accepting death.
But even with miracles, readiness, utilizing death, and employing every trick, they couldn’t defeat a high-ranking priest.
It was impossible.
Victory was an impossible task for them.
That’s why they couldn’t charge forward.
They could only watch as Ash approached Ereta expressionlessly, grabbing her by the neck.
“―.”
The sound escaping Ereta’s heavily damaged lungs resembled a broken flute.
At the sound emanating from Ereta’s throat, Ash slightly furrowed her brow.
It shouldn’t have been possible for any sound to escape.
Yet, despite the ruined lungs, some sound still came out.
This implied one thing:
Ereta’s body had recovered more than when she was thrown.
Moreover, the divine power enveloping her body resisted Ash’s aura, causing Ash to tilt her head in confusion.
Normally, anything Ash touched should have frozen and died instantly.
Seeing Ereta still alive, something dawned on Ash.
A feeling originating from memories before she became the Herald of the Veil.
Through her fading self-awareness, Ash perceived this sensation piercing her core, separating her from the will of the veil itself.
It was discomfort.
And Ash felt even greater discomfort realizing she had thoughts and feelings.
Viewing this separation from her deity as grievous, Ash intended to finish Ereta.
Twisting her neck would surely make things better.
She’d soon forget this trivial fight.
For her deity, Ash gripped the neck she held with more force.
Jejeok!
Suddenly, something flew through the air, stopping her hand.
Caught by the aura.
Jejeok, jejeoek.
It was a spear.
Beyond it, in the direction the spear came from, stood a man.
Tuk, tuk.
The sound of dripping blood accompanied the standing man.
Having lost one arm and having staunched the bleeding, the man held the knife he’d been biting with his remaining hand, drawing Ash’s attention.
His face was pale, his breathing labored, and the hazy look of someone near death lingered in his eyes.
Clearly, the man was dying.
Yet, he had thrown a spear at her.
When none of the other knights could do anything.
Finding this interesting, Ash glanced at the man, then carelessly dropped Ereta, who landed with a thud and trembled.
Ash casually poked her with the spear before walking towards the man.
“What’s your name?”
Spoken indifferently. Hearing this, Regyn Solis gasped for breath.
It was obvious to anyone.
Regyn Solis couldn’t defeat Ash.
He knew this fact better than anyone.
Ash guessed it and found it intriguing.
Regyn Solis, however, had no time for such thoughts.
He merely stared at the approaching death with his almost sightless eyes.
Even through blurred vision, Ash appeared terrifying.
Perhaps because of that, he began seeing something else instead of the present scene.
Something akin to a fleeting memory.
It was a memory from three years ago.
‘Why didn’t you run?’
In that memory, his own voice echoed.
‘Every other knight fled to foreign lands… Honestly, you have no reason to lead these people, do you? Why burden yourself with such responsibilities?’
Regyn Solis had said those words.
Questioning the person with genuine curiosity.
To which the knight with brown hair and green eyes responded with a regretful expression.
Because he had sworn an oath.
To protect the nation, to safeguard the weak, and to punish the wicked.
Regyn back then wasn’t satisfied with the answer. Instead, he mocked the display of pretense.
The kingdom of Pervere had fallen, and those who fled were branded as traitors.
He hoped the knight would collapse under the weight of such words.
But the man stroked his chin and firmly shook his head.
A nation isn’t land but people.
As long as the people of Pervere live, the vow to protect the nation cannot be abandoned.
By protecting those unable to choose betrayal, the vow to protect the weak can also be fulfilled.
Such a knight, who said these words, told Regyn, who couldn’t respond.
Desiring to live isn’t evil.
Even if other knights call him and those he protects traitors,
For him, the desire to live isn’t a sin.
Dielle had said that.
Thus, Regyn Solis remembered his vow and gripped his sword.
No matter what others might say.
Even if excruciating hardships awaited, even if death stood in his way.
Because protecting those who wished to live was his chivalry.
Regyn opened his eyes and spat out blood.
The spilled blood dyed the earth red, yet he didn’t fall, lifting his sword instead.
The trembling arm. The man barely standing, challenged the world’s strongest being.
With a dying body, he glared at the harbinger of death.
He spoke.
“I am a knight.”
The sunlight shattered along the pointed blade.
“Knight Regyn Solis.”
And he no longer retreated.
Ash observed him with apparent interest and said,
“I’ll remember you, Regyn Solis.”
Then she raised her spear high.
The attack she intended was obvious: a downward thrust.
A powerful stab akin to fishing with a harpoon, relying solely on brute force.
A devastating strike that would crush any attempt to intervene.
Still, Regyn Solis didn’t retreat. He advanced.
As Ash pulled her spear back to gather momentum and Regyn Solis took labored breaths, preparing to charge, suddenly, a wind blew.
The wind swept past Ash and enveloped Regyn Solis.
It was warm.
And simultaneously gentle.
In the Pervere Kingdom, frozen since the Veil of Mercy descended three years ago, no one had ever experienced such warmth.
Startled by the warmth, Regyn Solis hesitated, and Ash turned her head as if he were of no concern.
Her hair fluttered, and the barely covering garment she wore billowed.
There was a crack in Ash’s usually expressionless face.
Caused by the discomfort she felt when lifting Ereta earlier.
Turning her gaze toward the direction where the warm wind blew, everyone looked toward its epicenter.
At the center of the gust was Ereta.
Struggling to rise, drenched in her own blood, turning crimson, she stood and ignited.
The flames encircling her body surged.
Flowing down her body, soaking the ground, and springing back up.
Where the leaping flames touched Ash’s aura, the aura diminished, eroded.
A furrowed brow. Lifting her eyes, Ash saw everything burning around Ereta, melting what had been frozen.
This wasn’t mere fire.
It was divine power.
“How?”
Ereta was a hybrid.
But not an ordinary one.
She was the remarkable creation of the Spider Divinity, forged by melting twenty lesser divinities, who wields fire.
She didn’t possess great authority or immense power but was a vessel capable of receiving and containing any divine power.
The sole existence in history able to accept any divine power.
Lifting her head, Ereta looked at the sky.
There, she saw the death sown by the Veil of Mercy.
Death seeping into her body, transforming into her divine power.
Lowering her head, she saw the flame burning within her.
The divine power of her mother, the Spider Divinity who wields fire.
Finally, Ereta looked straight ahead.
There, the divine power of Eternity and Night filled the fortress, merging into her.
The deep divine power itself, akin to a distinct will, was seeping into her.
Along with the divine power gained from being a companion of Aslan.
All of it converged within her, shaping something new.
She was undoubtedly a woman beloved by divine powers.
Flurrrr!
Rising flames. As they grew fiercer, all she needed was her will.
Desiring to move forward without breaking, amidst pain and regrets, was the will of humanity.
What she had seen and felt throughout her life, losing her mother.
Adding to that, the light Aslan had shown her all this time.
After observing and feeling all these, she thought.
That she wanted to possess such a will herself.
Thus, she desired.
The strength to protect them.
With that longing, the divine power blazed.
Kwa-a-a-a-a-a-a!
A towering pillar of fire. Ash’s aura eroded as she stepped back.
Frowning deeply, she watched the woman burning and recovering in the flames from afar.
Chi-ji-ji-jik…!
Wounds healed with a burning sound.
Amidst the flames, her flesh was reborn.
Her will and flesh became one, embedding the burning flame within her.
The knights knew what to call such an existence.
“Deity…”
A goddess born amidst the burning divinity.
The power obtained by yearning to protect determined her divine rank.
The name of that divine rank engraved itself in the minds of those who witnessed it, like some unbreakable law.
The Goddess of Fire and Mercy.
As someone murmured, Ereta clenched her axe amidst the dissipating breath.
[!– Slider main container –]
