Damn Reincarnation

Chapter 200: The Audience Chamber (1)

If a country had enough national strength to be called a great power, not only would there be a difference in the quality of the troops fielded, but it would also have at least one type of air corps.

The Kiehl Empire had its Griffin Corps, and the Black Lions of the Lionheart clan each had their own wyvern to carry them. Similarly, the Ruhr Kingdom had trained their own subspecies of wyverns and had formed the Ice Wyvern corps.

Among the various different air corps, there were two unique ones. The first was the Magic Kingdom of Aroth’s Magic Corps, which preferred to fly by relying on summoned beasts and their familiars instead of breeding a separate race of flying monsters. The second was found in the Desert Kingdom of Nahama, where their Sphinx, a large breed of flying monster, was operated more as an aerial battleship.

Among all the monsters used in air corps, the most classic choice was the winged horse known as the Pegasus. There were two places that bred the pegasi and integrated them into their air corps: the Sea Kingdom of Shimuin and the Holy Empire of Yuras.

The Commander of the Blood Cross Knights, Raphael Martinez, didn’t just have his massive greatsword in the shape of a cross as his only famous symbol.

Even in this huge Holy Empire, there was said to exist only one Divine Horse. The Horse of the Sun, Apollo, that was said to have been bestowed by the Light.

“It’s all propaganda,” Raphael said dismissively as he gestured towards Apollo.

Apollo was a gigantic horse with a golden mane whose sheer size lived up to the claim of being a Divine Horse. In terms of its body alone, Apollo looked to be more than twice the size of a regular warhorse, but once the platinum-colored horse armor was donned, the already gigantic size of its body swelled even further. On top of that, unlike an ordinary pegasus, Apollo had two pairs of wings.

“...It’s amazingly large,” Eugene commented.

Approaching with a loud clopping of his hooves, Apollo spread his four wings wide. From his appearance, the sleek image that came to mind when one thought of a pegasus couldn’t be seen at all. Quite a few mid-sized monsters like ogres and trolls would be forced to hunch their shoulders in fear in front of Apollo.

“It’s only natural for him to be so big. The Vatican propagates the lie that Apollo is a pegasus that was bestowed upon the world by the Light, but this guy is actually a holy hybrid made by a mix of crossbreeding, biological magic, and holy magic,” Raphael revealed.

“...Holy… what?”

“A holy hybrid,” Raphael repeated. “It’s not just Apollo. All of the pegasi belonging to Yuras’ Holy Steed Cavalry Corps are holy hybrids. Though it’s true that Apollo is the most exceptional example among all of them.”

Having drawn close, Apollo butted its head against Raphael while letting out a whinny. Raphael blinked his shadowed eyes and stroked Apollo’s head.

“But such news shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, Sir Eugene. Isn’t that why you broke the fountain and meted out divine punishment?” Raphael asked rhetorically.

Eugene returned the question, “How much do you know about it, Lord Raphael?”

“I don’t really know much,” Raphael admitted. "Because I didn’t want to know. The ugly truths of the Church of Light, which has reigned as the orthodox religion for hundreds of years, well… those aren’t things that I really concern myself with. What is important to me is that no matter how ugly the church may be, the Light still exists. That’s all I need.”

Before getting on Apollo’s back, Raphael first got down on one knee and bowed his head to Kristina. Kristina hesitated for a moment before stepping onto Raphael’s knee. Raphael then carefully supported Kristina’s back and stood up, lifting her up into the saddle.

“Now for you, Sir Eugene,” Raphael turned to him.

“I don’t need it,” Eugene quickly refused.

In fact, Kristina didn’t truly need such consideration either. Although it might be difficult for Raphael, who had stopped growing during his childhood, to accept this, but Eugene and Kristina were actually taller than Raphael….

“In that case, allow me to take a seat at the front,” Raphael readily agreed.

Apollo’s back was as broad as he was large, and his saddle was equally spacious. Even with the three of them riding him, they could sit comfortably together on the saddle, and Apollo’s legs showed no signs of shaking. Raphael took his seat at the front of the saddle and picked up the reins.

“Although we’ve already discussed this, once we begin our descent towards the Vatican… please pretend to faint, Sir Eugene,” Raphael reminded him. “As a master of your level, Sir Eugene, I’m sure you will also perform excellently while pretending to be unconscious.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to pretend to be dead rather than just unconscious?” Eugene asked.

The important thing was to avoid being noticed by the Paladins charged with protecting the Holy See. Things would get very cumbersome if they got caught right at the start of their mission. Eugene also understood this fact and was quite confident in his ability to pretend to be dead. When he had first become a mercenary, he used to bury his body in the gap between corpses and hide his breath and presence in order to survive on the toughest battlefields.

“How long will it take us to get there? I don’t know exactly where this is, but it seems to be quite far away from Tressia Cathedral?” Eugene guessed.

“If you were to ride an ordinary horse or carriage… hmm. It would probably take a day just to get to the Tressia train station from this forest. Then it would take about six hours to take a train from Tressia to the capital of Yurasia. But with Apollo’s speed, we can reach the cathedral in four or five hours at the very latest,” Raphael paused for a moment and turned to look at Eugene. “Although if you hadn’t destroyed the warp-gate, it would have been much faster and easier to get to the Vatican, Sir Eugene.”

Eugene argued, “But thanks to me destroying it, weren’t we fortunate enough to have you come out to meet us after three days had passed?”

Raphael easily agreed, “Yes, that’s true. If the warp-gate had been left standing, it might have been someone else other than me who was sent here.”

“So in the end, that means it was fortunate that I was being cautious.”

“Yes, it was very well done.”

Eugene changed the subject, “By the way… Lord Raphael, are you really okay with this? Since I don’t see any other methods to solve our situation, I feel like it can’t be helped that we’re doing this, but you should have many other choices available to you, and you’ve got a lot to lose by offending the holy land, haven’t you?”

When this question was tossed at him, Raphael just shrugged his shoulders and said, “When I look at the options available to me, it seems that the only other option apart from assisting you is to somehow either drag you and the Saint Candidate to the Vatican by force or just kill you. Sir Eugene, as you have said, it’s true that I have a lot to lose, but if I can only protect what I have by doing something that I would hate to do, then I would rather lose it all.”

“Oh…,” Eugene murmured.

“Also, as a follower of the Light, there is something that I want to confirm: while facing the Hero and the Saint Candidate who has been blessed with four pairs of wings, whether or not the Pope and the Cardinals refuse to bow their heads and continue to insist that their own faith is unquestionably in the right and superior.” The corners of Raphael’s mouth twitched as he said.

It was only for an instant, but Eugene saw the killing intent of a viper poised to strike behind that boyish face.

Raphael continued, “If they do, that would be blasphemy, and it must be punished. I possess a body that has seen me revered as the most exceptional Paladin in the church’s services. I pride myself on being the sharpest blade of the Light in this era. In front of me… should I catch them in the act of undeniably blaspheming the Light, how could I just leave them be?”

Apollo spread his wings. Then a soft light enveloped Apollo, and the horse rapidly soared into the sky. Eugene kept a hand on Akasha as it was stored within his cloak and looked at Apollo’s wings.

Eugene understood why Raphael had called the horse a ‘holy hybrid.’ Apollo’s wings had several spells inscribed on them, like an artifact enchanted with magic. This made the wings look more like the examples of magitech seen in golems or artifacts that had been implanted into the torso rather than natural body parts sprouting from the horse’s body.

[How terrible…,] Mer muttered.

Such experiments were also conducted in Aroth’s Towers of Magic. But at least they didn’t propagandize the results of such an experiment, calling it a grace of the Light or evidence of a miracle like Yuras did.

Kristina silently stared at Apollo’s wings with a distressed look.

She had also met Apollo once when she was younger. As a young girl, in the face of a Divine Horse with four wings, Kristina had been thrilled by the sight of the light emanating from Apollo, and it had further convinced her of the existence of her God. It had also acted as a source of comfort for her. She had told herself that, since the Light definitely existed, being chosen as the Saint of this era was a blessed honor.

However, the current Kristina had learned the entire truth. Although the process of its creation and the purpose of its existence were different, between Apollo, who had been made as a piece of propaganda for the Light… and herself, the Saint Candidate, who was an Imitation Incarnation, in the end, they weren’t fundamentally all that different, were they?

Kristina examined the feathers that made up Apollo’s outstretched wings.

Each of the feathers seemed to have been spun out of sunlight… but the light of the feathers was actually artificially created. Even Kristina, with her shallow knowledge of magic, could tell that much.

She just needed to look at what was happening now. Apollo’s flight was going fast enough that the scenery on the ground below was zipping by, but no wind was blowing at them from the front. And even though they were flying so fast, their bodies sitting in the saddle weren’t shaking at all….

[Stop thinking such useless thoughts, and hug the waist in front of you.]

“Huh?”

A reproachful voice suddenly rang out inside Kristina’s head.

Anise’s voice chided, [Kristina Rogeris. Just how many times have I chastised you about this during your prayers in these past few days? While it is true that you’ve suffered a miserable existence, it’s also just as true that your very existence is miraculous.]

‘...Yes…,’ Kristina meekly conceded.

[Also, you are actually very lucky. The hand that you’ve been dealt could even be considered fortunate enough to be another miracle. You won’t have to spend dozens of years wandering through gruesome battlefields during that terrible era like I did. You also don’t have to feel any worry or doubt about God’s existence. Since you, and I who dwell within you, are proof of the existence of God.]

Kristina couldn’t deny the words of the voice in her head. While Kristina was also quite confident in her rhetorical skills, the great Saint from three hundred years ago was extremely good at cornering Kristina without leaving any room for resistance.

[No matter what, you’ve found your own salvation. From now on, you won’t need to go through any more of those agonizing rituals, and you don’t need to feel the pain of the stigmata like I did. Because most of the pain you should feel will be borne by me.]

‘I… I’m not sure I’m alright with that, Lady Anise.’ 

[Even if you’re not alright with it, I’ll continue to do so, and all you need to do in return is make sure to have a few drinks. Also, Kristina, haven’t I told you to call me Sister[1]?]

‘How could I dare to—’

[Or else would you rather call me big sis[2]? Although, I think it’s funny that we’re even arguing over the difference between Sister and big sis.]

‘Wouldn’t it be fine to call you Lady Anise?’

[I don’t want that. You and I are spiritual alter-egos. Although there is a time difference of three hundred years between us, we can still be called sisters because of that. I want to cherish this bond with you, so if you’re not willing to at least call me sister… then I’ll feel so sad and disappointed that I won’t be able to hold back my tears.]

Kristina silently ruminated.

[This also counts as one of the regrets I couldn’t fulfill during my lifetime. Even though I was older than Sienna, that arrogant Sienna never once called me big sis. When I tried to get her to do so, she would just ignore me and look at me all funny, then she and Hamel would cooperate to steal my precious holy water and drink it themselves.]

‘They really… did that?’ Kristina asked in disbelief.

[Yes. As such, I feel a lingering regret at never being called big sis. But since you’re too shy and hesitant to call me big sis, I’ll compromise and allow you to call me Sister. Now then, Kristina Rogeris, how could there be any problem with that? Isn’t it only natural for the title of sister to be used between nuns.]

‘A-alright, Sister Anise,’ Kristina finally conceded.

[You don’t need to add my name to that.]

Kristina hesitated, ‘...Yes… Sister… but… it might be because of my inexperience. I don’t think I really understood your first instruction. Could you please repeat it, Sister?’

[Kristina! I’m not sure who in the world you take after, but you really do have a cunning side to you. You’re obviously pretending that you didn’t hear it properly, but you just want me to give you a push on the back, don’t you? What a shameless woman!]

‘N-not at all,’ Kristina stammered. ‘I really, really didn’t hear you properly.’

[If that’s the case, then listen closely. Kristina, do you know what I regretted most before I died?]

In the face of this sudden question, Kristina didn’t respond immediately, instead pondering it for a few moments. Considering the regrets left by the Faithful Anise… in fact, there wasn’t really any need to consider the question.

After taking a deep breath, Kristina silently replied with a confident look, ‘It’s that you weren’t able to kill the Demon King of Incarceration and the Demon King of Destruction.’

[Nope.]

Kristina faltered in the face of this blunt denial, ‘In that case… when you and Hamel… no, with Sir Eugene and the others…. Ah! Could it be that you weren’t able to save the world?’

[Again, no. The thing I most regretted was that I couldn’t enjoy life.]

Kristina’s thoughts froze at this firm reply.

[Listen closely, Kristina Rogeris. We both have been unhappy from the moment that we came into existence. Do you agree with that?]

‘...Y-yes…,’ Kristina hesitantly acknowledged.

[After our misfortune, we both finally got a chance to be happy. Because we were born like this and have suffered all sorts of hardships, we deserve to be happier than anyone else in the world. Especially me! I wandered around in that horrible Devildom for more than ten years and did my best to save countless people even while suffering from the pain of the stigmata almost daily.]

Kristina tried to console her, ‘Sister, your tale is a shining example for all priests of the Light.’

[So what if it was? Even though I did my best to save countless people, I still couldn’t save my own life. How do you think I lived during the peace that the Demon King of Incarceration so mercifully granted us? After returning from the Devildom, it took about seventy years for me to die. During that time, I couldn’t enjoy the peace granted by the Demon King’s pity or find my own satisfaction in life.]

Kristina listened silently.

[To somehow prepare for the distant future, I shut myself up in a monastery in the countryside and taught a bunch of spoiled brats. It was practically my only pleasure to listen to the Popes and Cardinals who came by from time to time to beg for some blood. During all this, I made sure to keep praying and nurturing the future generation while trying to make myself a perfect Incarnation of the Light. But even that failed! I couldn’t become the perfect Incarnation of the Light during my lifetime. Although I tried to hide my body to flip off the church, I couldn’t even do that because of that damned Hamel.]

Was that really Hamel’s fault?

Kristina couldn’t be sure of the answer to that question, so she just kept her mouth shut without making any sort of reply.

[In the end, my life as a Saint was full of regret and failure. However, the merciful Light didn’t forcefully lead my soul upwards but instead took me in as an angel. That is how I could remain in this world and now dwell within you.]

‘Ah… yes, that was truly fortunate.’

[Yep, that’s right. It truly is fortunate! But what do you think you’re doing? Even though you’ve been bestowed with so many blessings, you are still sympathizing with the plight of that foal and substituting yourself in its place. Why should I, who lived so miserably, be forced to deal with such feelings of sadness that don’t even belong to me?]

‘Th-that’s….’

[Listen carefully, Kristina Rogeris. We may have been unhappy, but we deserve to be happy. In the end, the so-called Saint is nothing more than an illusion, so whether or not our flesh is pure has no effect on the power of our miracles.]

‘Th-that’s ridiculous…! How did you discover such a fact, Sister? Could it be—’

[Don’t get the wrong idea! I lived my whole life as a Saint should. However, after dying like that and becoming an angel, I just realized that the body is of little importance or significance when it comes to things like the Light and performing miracles.]

‘But that’s… that’s….’

[Why spout such drivel at this point? Kristina, didn’t you molest Hamel’s butt thoroughly because of your furtive lust?]

Kristina tried to drown out the voice, ‘Ahh, Ahhh! Sister, it wasn’t like that. It was just all part of taking care of Sir Eugene while he was wounded….’

[Yes, yes, I get it. No matter how furtive you are, once again, I guess I can overlook it…. But Kristina! With how unstable your current posture is, being trapped inside of you, I’m even more anxious than you are.]

Kristina smoothed out her expression as she checked her posture. She was sitting in the very back of Apollo’s saddle, holding on tightly to the horse’s torso with her legs. Then, she reached down with both hands to hold on to the saddle.

It wasn’t even that precarious.

There would be no problems for her to continue sitting by herself. The miracles that had been imbued into Apollo completely prevented any chance of his riders falling. Not only that, Kristina was able to summon Anise’s wings, so all she would have to do if she fell was spread those wings and fly.

[Nope. My wings are just for show. It’s impossible to actually fly with them.]

‘Huh?’

[Is that really the important thing right now? Kristina! Hurry up and hold onto Hamel’s waist.]

‘There’s… there’s no real need to….’

[If you say that you don’t want to, then I will have to forcefully try and move your body to do so. Do you know what that means? It means that I will be taking away your initiative, so you won’t be able to do anything but watch what happens from the inside.]

‘Sister!’

[I’ll do things beyond your wildest imaginations. For a furtive person like you, wouldn’t that actually work out better? So just think of it as something that can’t be helped, and enjoy the view from the inside….]

Kristina stopped listening to Anise’s words and lifted her hands from the saddle. Then she hesitated for a few moments before placing her hands on Eugene’s waist. Her hands tightened on his sturdy sides that didn’t have a trace of fat.

“...Ahem… ahehem!” Kirstina coughed in self-inflicted embarrassment.

She had expected Eugene to turn his head and say something suspicious to her, but Eugene didn’t show that type of reaction.

Instead, Eugene asked, “Just what have you been pondering for so long?”

Kristina coughed once before answering, “Ahem… I was just meditating and praying for a while.”

Since Raphael was sitting in front of them, Kristina felt she couldn’t talk about Anise. While relieved that Eugene didn’t seem to suspect her of anything, Kristina carefully stretched her arms even further. After continuing like that, the moment that she finally tried to lean her body forward while fully wrapping her arms around his waist….

Slap!

A hand shot out from inside of Eugene’s cloak and lightly smacked the back of Kristina’s hand.

“Don’t cross the line,” Mer warned.

Kristina argued, “Just what line have I crossed? Lady Mer, please don’t make some sort of strange misunderstanding. I was just doing something like this because I don’t want to fall off the pegasus….”

Mer stuck her head out of the cloak to silently glance at Kristina. Knowing that any further excuse was futile, Kristina slightly averted her gaze and loosed her hands’ grip on Eugene’s waist.

“Get that look off your face,” Kristina’s lips suddenly began to move by themself. “Because if you don’t, I might just smack it off.”

As her lips said these words, Kristina didn’t feel any need to try too hard to stop them. Instead, her jaw dropped open. Then, while pursing her lips, Mer stubbornly looked into Kristina’s eyes before she ended up being pulled into Eugene’s arms.

“Sir Eu-Eu-Eugene!” Mer stammered.

“I know… I know, but… it’s still difficult for me to say anything in this sort of situation…,” Eugene muttered.

“Sir Eugene!” Mer protested once more.

“That’s… um… try not to be too mean to this kid…,” Eugene meekly requested.

“If that young familiar makes sure to consider my feelings, then I’ll do the same to her,” Anise said with Kristina’s mouth.

In the end, Mer couldn’t muster up any more interference for Kristina. Thanks to that, Kristina was able to hold on to Eugene’s waist during the flight, while Mer also spent half the flight embraced in Eugene’s arms.

“...Haaah…,” Eugene let out a long sigh as he was sandwiched between the two women.

He missed the peaceful times back at the Lionheart mansion.

* * *

The capital of Yuras was Yurasia. At the heart of that huge capital city lay a magnificent and beautiful palace.

This was the Vatican.

In the sky above the palace, a four-winged pegasus was circling with its wings outspread. This was the beloved steed of Raphael Martinez, the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Cross and a Divine Horse bestowed by the Light, Apollo.

The knights guarding the Vatican bowed towards the light that was circling in the sky. Of the hundreds of Paladins assigned to the Vatican, only the Crusader and his Divine Horse, Apollo, had the privilege of descending directly from the skies over the Vatican to the White Palace that stood at its center.

“There’s quite a lot of them,” Eugene observed. “Just how many are there?”

“In terms of Paladins alone, there are at least five hundred,” Raphael answered. “About two hundred of those are from the Knights of the Blood Cross, while the rest of the Paladins are from other units. If you count the Church Soldiers on top of that, they get into the thousands. Yuras is extremely huge and has done all sorts of things, so… she also has many enemies.”

“Well, that’s true,” Eugene hummed in agreement.

“Well, the truth is, rather than its enemies…. Hmm, Sir Eugene, you might find this amusing, but the Vatican has so much security mainly because of all the zealots,” Raphael admitted.

Eugene burst into laughter, “Bwahaha!”

“I knew that would amuse you. While the believers who live in Yurasia aren’t like that… but occasionally, believers who live in the countryside come to the Vatican hoping to somehow meet with the Pope and at least touch the hem of his robes,” Raphael said as he lowered his gaze.

Currently, Eugene was in the saddle in front of Raphael, but he couldn’t sit properly and was instead draped over the saddle. This was to create the illusion that he had been brought here after being overpowered by Raphael.

Kristina was also sitting quietly behind Raphael. According to the setting of their illusion, Kristina had innocently been caught up in the rampage of the fallen Hero. While she was in the midst of being kidnapped like this, she had been rescued by Raphael.

“They currently can’t see you, Sir Eugene,” Raphael informed him. “In their eyes, Apollo only looks like a huge source of light. That’s part of the reason why Apollo is called a Divine Horse.”

“Can I have him?” Eugene immediately asked, leaving Raphael speechless.

“The ceiling of the White Palace has opened. The only ones with the privilege of descending down directly from the sky into the White Palace like this are Apollo and I,” Raphael said while ignoring the previous question.

Eugene accepted the change in subject, “Doesn’t that mean that they don’t have the slightest suspicion that you might betray them, Sir Raphael?”

“Yes. I have served as a loyal knight and follower of the Light for decades. If they thought I would betray them, would they really have sent me to meet with you, Sir Eugene?” Raphael asked with a chuckle as he pulled on Apollo’s reins. “Though that doesn’t really bring me much happiness. They… they don’t have the slightest clue that what they are doing is committing blasphemy. They are convinced that they are undeniably in the right and merely fulfilling the will of the Light. They can’t be said to be completely wrong, as the benevolent light has continued to bless them with its brilliant illumination.”

The circular ceiling of the White Palace had opened, revealing the entrance to a passageway that led straight down. Apollo furled his four wings and slowly descended down the passageway.

From now on, Eugene had to start playing dead. He stopped talking to Raphael and restrained his breath and all traces of his presence. Kristina also adjusted her expression, bringing back the familiar mask and covering her face with it.

Eugene didn’t completely trust Raphael. Although he had agreed to accompany Raphael all the way here, Eugene still considered the possibility that everything Raphael had said might be a lie and that this could all be an act. During their planned surprise in the Audience Chamber, Raphael’s sword might be aimed at Eugene’s neck instead of the Cardinals or the Pope.

So Eugene still kept his right hand hidden within his cloak. But instead of holding the Holy Sword, his hand was resting on the Moonlight Sword. No matter what the situation might be, Eugene was convinced that he would be able to break through it by releasing the rays of the Moonlight Sword.

Eugene trusted Kristina and Anise. Raphael might still betray them, but those two definitely wouldn’t betray him.

‘It’s a good feeling,’ Eugene smiled as he felt something ticklish inside his chest.

This sensation was partly the tension of not knowing how things would turn out but also the knowledge that he now had comrades who would absolutely never betray him. After being reincarnated, it was hard to once again get accustomed to his comrades’ familiar presence, which he had once taken for granted on those battlefields three hundred years ago.

Especially since they were in a predicament like this one.

They reached the basement of the White Palace, the place known as the ‘Audience Chamber.’ This wasn’t part of the Pope’s quarters. This was a place where believers were said to be able to hold an audience with the Light that resided in the heavens up above. This was where the Light would bestow a revelation and choose the new Pope from among the stigmatized Bishops.

Under the original circumstances, Kristina would receive the recognition of some other holy relics that had been stored here, and she would have completely transitioned from a Saint Candidate into a Saint. After all that was done, Eugene and the Holy Sword would have received the confirmation of being the new Hero in front of the Pope and his Cardinals.

But in the end, all these ceremonies were just meant to force the Hero, who had already been ‘chosen’ by the Light, to prove himself once more to the Pope and the Cardinals.

[Kristina Rogeris,] Anise spoke to her from inside Kristina’s anxious mind. [You are not someone who needs to receive their recognition.]

Kristina got down from Apollo and stood on her feet.

[Instead, they are the ones who will need to prove their faith to you.]

Raphael was carrying the limp Eugene in both hands. Like that, he strode over to the door of the Audience Chamber.

There was no need for him to knock.

The doors to the Audience Chamber opened by themselves.

The following room looked just like a courthouse. A long white table stood at the raised head of the room, and three middle-aged men were sitting behind it.

The seat where Sergio Rogeris should have sat was vacant. Beside his empty seat were two other Cardinals in clerical robes with red cloths draped over their shoulders.

A middle-aged man wearing a three-layered crown on his head, along with a platinum ring and a staff in one hand, sat in the center between them.

This was Aeuryus, the Pope who had led the Church of Light for the past few decades.

“You’ve done a good job, Lord Raphael,” Aeuryus said.

He looked down at Raphael, standing below them, and Eugene, who had lost consciousness.

Aeuryus requested, “I would like to hear what you saw there and also what you did.”

“Of course, allow me to inform you of what happened without a single omission, Your Excellency,” Raphael said as he bowed his head. “But before that, please instruct me on what needs to be done with this fallen one.”

“Bring him closer. Even though he has fallen, he is still someone with a certain status, and since he was the Hero chosen by the Light…,” Aeuryus said as he raised his staff.

The platinum ring that the Pope wore on his index finger began to emit a soft light, then, as if resonating with the staff, the light spread and began to emanate from both items. Raphael didn’t raise his bowed head but instead raised both arms that were carrying Eugene into the air.

Tap.

Raphael didn’t attempt to say something secretly. Instead, he lightly tapped on Eugene’s waist with his fingertips. Then he slowly began walking up to the raised dais at the head of the room. As Raphael approached closer, Aeuryus rose from his chair.

The other Cardinals didn’t rise from their seats. Their eyes were on Kristina, not Eugene. One could see their eyes were full of questions. But in those eyes, the only things that could be seen were a concern for the progress of the ritual and whether Kristina had been completely transformed into the Saint; there was no mourning for the deceased Sergio.

As the distance between them grew closer, Aeuryus slowly held out his staff.

Raphael lifted Eugene even higher as if he was offering him up as a sacrifice.

Raphael’s fingertips tapped on Eugene’s waist once more. This time, the strength of the tap was stronger than before. The moment he felt those fingertips on his back, Eugene’s body floated upwards slightly.

Crackle!

Moving like a bolt of lightning, Eugene bounced off his back and shot up into the air. Frightened by this, Aeuryus thrust his staff forward.

Fwoosh!

A burst of light engulfed Eugene’s body, but the Moonlight Sword that Eugene pulled out of his cloak cut that light in two. Having opened up a path forward with that, his left hand drew out the Holy Sword. While drawing the sword, Eugene unleashed a sharp slash. Aeuryus’s right arm, which had been holding the staff, was sliced off and sent flying into the air.

“Haagh!” a shocked gasp was heard from the Cardinals.

The Cardinals, who had been about to respond quickly to this change, found themselves unable to move from their seats. This was because Raphael’s greatsword, which had rushed over in an instant, had stopped right in front of their necks. Raphael had drawn his greatsword so close to their necks that there were slight cuts on their throats.

Even though his arm had just been amputated at the elbow, Aeuryus didn’t let out a scream.

Instead, he just glared at Eugene with cold eyes and demanded, “Just what are you planning to do?”

The Holy Sword and the Moonlight Sword were held crossed over each other. The two swords were squeezing Aeuryus’ neck from both sides like a pair of scissors.

Eugene called out, “Kristina.”

At this call, Kristina nodded her head and stepped forward.

Whoosh!

Eight wings emitting rays of light covered everything in the Audience Chamber with their light.