Nina struck the demon with her rod again. The demon’s face contorted in annoyance.
She immediately leapt back to dodge the horizontal swing of the club that followed.
(My body is in pain…)
Her current self was moving more nimbly than an average warrior, but the toll on her body was severe. It was incomparable to when she had fought goblins or ran from hobgoblins. She wouldn’t last much longer.
But even so, Nina felt fulfilled. She was happy that she could fight against a demon. She was no longer the person who had frozen in fear back then. That made her glad.
The club was swung again. Her body’s reaction was a split second late, and as she tried to block with her rod, she was sent flying.
After floating in the air for a moment, her body slammed into the ground.
She felt little pain. The strain of the “Divine Descent” was too great, likely numbing her senses. However, her slow movements were a sign that her body could no longer endure.
Attempting to stand up immediately, her knees sank.
(This is the end, isn’t it?)
Nina resigned herself to death. There was no fear. She had been as good as dead for fifteen years. Surviving back then had been a miracle.
…No, she had felt tainted for living on, unable to deliver God’s miracle to Luke due to her fear. As atonement, she had prolonged her life by helping others.
Now, that debt was finally being settled.
There was no longer any regret for that time.
Facing the approaching club, Nina closed her eyes.
“Oh my, are you performing a Divine Descent?”
Instead of the expected impact, a woman’s voice reached her ears.
A voice like a beautiful melody. Thinking it might be a divine messenger coming to welcome her in death, Nina opened her eyes. There, she saw a black-haired woman blocking the demon’s club with a thin staff. Unlike Sophia’s purplish hair, this was a darkness-evoking black.
The woman was emitting a divine golden aura from her entire body.
“…Who might you be?”
Nina asked, trembling.
“I am Maria. Just a simple priestess. Oh, but you should stop that Divine Descent immediately. It’s a mere imitation.”
Even without being told, Nina, who had reached her limit, stopped the Divine Descent. Instantly, she was hit with severe fatigue accompanied by nausea and intense pain throughout her body.
“Ugh…”
Seeing Nina collapse to the ground, unable to bear it, Maria smiled.
“That’s what happens when you push yourself too hard.”
Maria, still blocking the demon’s attack with the staff in her left hand, held out her right hand over Nina and began to chant a prayer.
“Huh?”
In an instant, Nina’s fatigue and pain vanished. A true miracle.
However, what Nina felt was neither gratitude nor joy, but a sense of unease.
(This isn’t possible. I’ve never known of such a divine miracle. It’s fundamentally different from the techniques we use.)
It was a sensation that only a fellow priestess could understand.
“Who on earth are you?”
“Just a priestess, as I said. Though I’m sometimes called by the undeserved title of Saint.”
The demon, regrouping, pulled back its club and swung again with all its might.
“How bothersome…”
Maria raised her staff towards the demon.
A golden light enveloped the demon.
Then, the demon’s green body began to change to white, as if being purified.
[Hii…]
The demon tried to scream but couldn’t even manage that, becoming as silent as a stone statue.
“…What, what are you doing?”
Nina was terrified. That power was undoubtedly divine. But that’s precisely why it was frightening. She was feeling the power of God, which she had only vaguely sensed as warmth from afar until now, like a scorching flame at close range. It was impossible not to be afraid.
“What do you mean?”
Maria turned back to Nina with a faint smile. Her eyes were golden too. No longer human.
“It’s the power of purification. I merely turned the demon into salt.”
Nina had never heard of a priestess using such a miracle. It was a divine act recorded in holy scriptures.
“Are you… are you channeling God into your body?”
“Yes, this is the true Divine Descent. I’m wielding God’s power, you see?”
Maria’s eyes changed from gold to black. The golden aura surrounding her disappeared.
The demon’s body, now turned to salt, began to crumble.
“Saint… sama?”
Looking at Maria again, Nina saw an woman of unparalleled beauty with long, beautiful black hair and translucent white skin.
“…Why are you unharmed after channeling God?”
Nina used polite language to address Maria, who appeared to be at least ten years her junior. She believed her to be a genuine Saint. However, she was entirely different from what Nina had imagined. There was no strong faith or purity, but rather a glimpse of darkness from the depths of the abyss.
“It’s because of love.”
Maria smiled shyly, her white cheeks turning slightly red.
“Love? For God?”
“Fufu, how amusing.”
Maria laughed.
“That thing… God doesn’t need love. It’s my love for the hero that gives me power, you know?”
Her eyes focused on nothing in particular.
“If I hadn’t met him, I wouldn’t have desired power. That’s why this is love. A fateful encounter guided by God…”
“Love… you say?”
Nina was trembling. Love that could bring God into one’s body was too heavy. She felt sorry for the hero who was the object of such love.
“Yes, love. But please keep it a secret that I performed a Divine Descent. Usually, I’m a pure maiden who stays quietly in the background, so it would be troublesome if people thought I could do such improper things. I only channeled God today because I had to save you. I was asked to ‘help that priestess,’ you see.”
Maria’s eyes glowed gold again as she told Nina.
“Yes… I understand…”
Nina had no intention of defying Maria. She realized her body was shaking with fear.
“…However, Saint-sama. With your power, couldn’t you help our comrade Leonard? He’s fighting the demon Belzera right now.”
Suppressing her fear, Nina implored Maria.
Nina’s goal was still to defeat Belzera. No matter how terrifying Maria was, she couldn’t help but ask.
“That’s not a problem.”
Maria smiled cheerfully.
“The hero Ares has gone to help Leonard.”
“Hero Ares… you trust him very much, don’t you?”
“Of course. Even if Ares were to die, I would bring him back to life. That way, our bond would become even stronger. Wouldn’t that be wonderful…”
Maria’s expression changed to one of ecstasy.
(Is it twisted? No, perhaps she has become one with God…)
Nina felt she had glimpsed the inherent arrogance of God in Maria.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Dodging Belzera’s great sword emanating a black aura, Leonard repeatedly attempted to close in.
It was like a dangerous tightrope walk where one misstep could mean instant death.
Leonard kept repeating this tightrope walk.
Even when he thought he had closed the distance, he was easily forced to retreat. It was an act where the risks and returns were completely mismatched, far from sane.
Still, Leonard persisted. It was an unbelievable strength of will.
In the repetition, he found slight openings and managed to inflict wounds on Belzera’s hands and feet.
Again and again.
Whether due to the wounds or being pushed back by Leonard’s fighting spirit, Belzera’s movements gradually became erratic. Taking advantage of this, Leonard succeeded in reaching a distance just one step away.
Realizing this was the crucial moment, Leonard raised his sword high.
However, aiming for that arm, Belzera swung his sword, blowing away Leonard’s right arm from the elbow down, sword and all.
[It’s over]
Belzera’s mouth curled up at the corners.
“Don’t underestimate humans, demon!”
Leonard’s remaining left hand drew the dagger at his waist, thrusting his entire body forward to drive the dagger into Belzera’s neck.
However, the point of impact was close to the collar, and unable to fully penetrate Belzera’s black scales, the wound was shallow.
Belzera’s arm flung Leonard away.
Slammed to the ground, Leonard immediately raised his upper body with his left arm, but that was all he could manage.
Belzera pulled out the embedded dagger, showing no signs of damage.
“That was a fairly expensive dagger…”
Leonard’s face, pale from blood loss in his right hand, contorted in frustration. He was regretting that if he had a powerful dagger with magical protection, he might have been able to defeat Belzera. Though such good daggers are rare.
While waiting for next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
The poll is open again, please vote!!!
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
