hotmtlnovel Page 91
Page 91
"The city where the snake lurks? And those rebellious ministers who intend to defy the royal family, it seems my journey this time will not be boring."
"Your Highness, the room is ready. Would you like dinner prepared for you?"
Looking at the loyal knight before her, Altrouge picked up the shrunken primate killer and gracefully walked towards the hotel.
"No need, Lord Stuart. Before you find my foolish sister, clean this place up properly for me. My courtyard will not tolerate such rebellious people."
After bowing respectfully until Altrud entered the hotel, Stuart, adhering strictly to chivalry, immediately looked seriously at the eager Brad.
"You heard His Highness's orders. Until those who are disturbing His Highness's enjoyment are eliminated, I hope you will restrain yourself for the time being, Brad!"
Seeing Brad making assurances while stealing glances at the handsome doorman, Stuart knew his words had been in vain. He sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation, hoping that Brad would at least behave himself under Arcueid's watchful eye this time.
Chapter 236 The Increasingly Chaotic Situation
Inside the workshop, Kenneth was analyzing the blood before him using the records left by Arcueid from the Astral Realm, while behind Kenneth, Arcueid, who had completely settled there, was holding a novel that had been swept away and crying his eyes out.
"Oh, poor Pinru, even her wardrobe isn't her own."
Kenneth's hand trembled, and he was startled by Arcueid's shocking statement. He glanced at the cover of the novel, "The Temptation of Going Home," and thought, "Oh, that's alright then." No, this is a big deal. Where did this drama come from in this era?
"Stop watching that stuff, it's too early for you. I think Sailor Moon is just right for you."
"Do I look like a child to you? Even kids don't watch that kind of stuff, okay? Also, when are we going out? I'm so bored!"
While refuting Kenneth, Arcueid puffed out his chest to prove his age to Kenneth. Kenneth glanced at Arcueid, whose body was that of an adult, and slowly channeled his magic into the white light that emanated from Arcueid's blood.
"Those guys probably won't show up for a while. Leave the reconnaissance to the familiars. Boring. I don't see you being bored at all."
"Ugh! I don't care, I don't care, I just want to go out and see the world. I'm so uncomfortable staying in the house all the time!"
One second Arcueid was saying he wasn't a child, and the next he was rolling around on the sofa with his legs wrapped around his waist like a child. Looking at Arcueid, who was now too lazy to even think of a reason, Kenneth felt more and more like he was playing the role of an old father.
"If you want to go out, then go ahead. Just contact me if you encounter any problems you can't solve."
"I don't want to. It's boring to go out alone. If we're going out, let's go together. We're partners, how can partners act alone!"
Wearing the Pain Mask on his face, Kenneth rubbed his head in exasperation as he watched Arcueid roll around faster and faster.
"Let's go together then. Those familiars just happened to discover a ghoul gathering place. Let's see if we can find anything useful."
With Kenneth's consent, Arcueid immediately stopped rolling around and jumped up from the sofa, eager to tear a few ghouls apart for fun. Seeing Kenneth methodically tidying up the lab table, Arcueid didn't wait and simply carried Kenneth out the window. Just as Kenneth was about to leave, Stuart, having received an order from Arcueid, flicked the blood off his sword and looked at the abandoned casino before him.
"Disparate auras, decaying consciousness, irrational beings—vanish for the sake of His Highness's pleasure!"
As the sword sank into the ground, an aura from another world completely sealed off the surrounding space, as if it were alive. The sword in Stuart's hand made chewing and swallowing sounds, and the dark purple light faded away, along with all organic matter within a radius of several hundred meters.
The Demon Sword—True Demon, wielded by Stuart, is one of the few remaining demon swords in the world. In this world, demons are figments of human imagination, and their abilities vary depending on the ruler's imagination and the strength of their magic. With Stuart's blessing, this demon sword can even unleash abilities far exceeding its original power.
"This place is all cleaned up. I wonder how much Brad cleaned. Ottenrosech, where exactly are your henchmen lurking..."
Brad: In a gay relationship, please do not disturb.
Stuart, having also failed to glean any useful information from these low-level ghouls, retraced his steps to the next area according to plan. Meanwhile, Scillard, also clearing the city, wielded the Seventh Holy Scripture like a pile driver, crushing the Dead Apostles before him into mincemeat. After a chaotic battle, Scillard's body showed no human reaction whatsoever—no sweat, no heartbeat, not even the faint scent of life.
"Can I... really still become human? Can I die like a human?"
The seeds Kenneth planted began to sprout. After experiencing a battle far beyond what humans could endure, Hiel once again felt fear towards his inhuman body. Roya's death could end the curse, but how could the infinitely twisting snake be so easily destroyed?
The snake has been reincarnated seventeen times, and for nearly a thousand years, neither the church nor that true ancestor has been able to erase it. Can I really kill that snake and end the curse? Or will I be forever entangled with the snake, unable to find peace?
Such a future was something Hier didn't want to think about, nor dared to imagine. As the Seventh Holy Scripture fell to the ground with its arms hanging down, looking at the blood at its feet, Hier was lost in confusion about the future.
“Church agents, your noses are as sharp as ever. Is it that snake?”
"Who?"
A deep male voice rang out, and Siel, instantly entering battle mode, immediately aimed his weapon in the direction from which the voice came. Moonlight parted the clouds, and upon seeing the person standing upright, Siel's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Sixth Ancestor...do you also want to take over this city?!"
Although the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostles are not ranked by strength, there is a universally acknowledged principle in the mystical world: ancestors ranked lower are not necessarily weak, but ancestors ranked higher are definitely not weak. The sixth position is a very delicate one. Those ranked ahead of it are all monsters outside the norm, such as ORT, Gemstone Elder, and Crimson Moon. As the dividing line between monsters and Dead Apostles, Hiel, who has defeated several ancestors, immediately raised his vigilance to the highest level.
"This is... the Sixth Ancestor! How is this possible! This reincarnation of the snake has attracted so many monsters. Could this city end up like France...?"
At this moment, Noel, who was ordered by her superior to monitor Hiel, was trembling uncontrollably. Even though she was only a half-baked agent, Noel knew one thing: the Sixth Ancestor, Stuart, would never leave the operation. In other words, at least four more Ancestors had come to the city. In addition to the two Ancestors who had already appeared and the unawakened Serpent, half of the active Ancestors had appeared here.
"What should I do? What should I do? Why are these monsters here? What is it about this city that's attracting them?!"
Just as a terrified Noel was trembling as he contacted his superior, Stuart, who had been keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword the whole time, spoke up.
"Occupying this city, everything in the world becomes Your Highness's courtyard, and we, your subjects, are merely cleaning for Your Highness. Casting your ugly gaze upon this Far East, you hounds raised by the Church, are you chasing that snake? Too bad, you won't live to see the day the snake is born!"
As he spoke, he drew his demon sword. As a dead disciple of the Eltruch faction, Stuart had spent a lot of time physically fighting with the Burial Agency while Eltruch was seriously injured. When he encountered members of the Burial Agency again, Stuart did not hesitate to send Chier to see the god she believed in.
"The world does not belong to you, heretics!"
Raising the Seventh Holy Scripture, Hiel, who also harbored irreconcilable conflicts with the Dead Apostles, unleashed his determination to purge heretics upon Stuart; battle was imminent.
Chapter 237 Crushing Victory
The Demon Sword—True Demon, forged from human sin and shaped by karma, in a sense, has reached the pinnacle that a certain human evil seeks throughout his life. If it weren't for the absence of subjective consciousness, the karma possessed by the Demon Sword—True Demon would be enough to make it a 'demon' that stands in opposition to 'God'.
With the honor of an ancient knight and with respect for those who went to battle, Stuart completely unleashed the karma of the demonic sword in his hand. The world was distorted by the release of the demonic sword, and the demonic sword, which was opposed to the gods, suppressed the holy light released by the Seventh Holy Scripture the moment it was unsheathed.
"Agent of the Church, I am the ancient Red Hand Sword, the Knight who guards the Princess, Rizzowal Stuart. Today, the sword in my hand will pierce your chest."
Paying homage to those qualified to draw their swords, Stuart, gripping his sword with both hands, vanished the instant his declaration ended.
"That speed is incredible!"
The karmic force of sin descended with a darkness deeper than the night, striking with deadly precision. Giving Hiel no time to react, Stuart's demonic sword slashed away the Seventh Holy Scripture that Hiel had hastily raised.
The Seventh Holy Scripture, weighing tons, was sent flying backward by Stuart. With a wide, sweeping motion, the demonic sword ripped a deep, bone-revealing wound into Hiel's arm.
With only a brief moment of hesitation, Siel found himself at a disadvantage under Stuart's attack. Fortunately, with the help of the magic sword's strike, Siel had already distanced himself from Stuart by dozens of meters. Flames ignited on the black keys between his fingers, and Siel, leaping into the air, hurled the black keys with the effect of a cannonball amidst a sonic boom.
Ping! Ping ping ping—!!
Hiel was a muscular monster, while Stuart, as the progenitor, had already reached his physical limits. Under a long series of blows, the Church's specially made Black Key, which had extraordinary lethality against non-humans, did not even leave a scratch on Stuart's armor. The purple light broke through the sea of fire, and Stuart, who was completely unaffected, walked out of the ravaged ruins with steady steps.
"Among all the proxies I've met, you're definitely in the top three when it comes to using the black keys. But unfortunately, you're going to die here tonight."
Having acknowledged Chiel's strength, Stuart, wielding his sword with both hands, resumed his attacking stance. It was in the brief moment that Stuart stopped that Chiel picked up the Seventh Holy Scripture that had been knocked away.
"If you can do it, what does it matter if I die here!"
As someone who survived being possessed and taken over by Roya, the individual named Chier is already confused with Roya in the eyes of the world. Chier is both Chier and Roya. As long as Roya exists, even if he turns to ashes, Chier's death will be seen as a contradiction and will be repaired by the world. Neither a Dead Apostle nor human, Chier, whose existence is incompatible with the world, therefore seeks to die as a human.
Hiel's words were the truth, but to Stuart, they sounded like a provocation. The sins of the demon sword spread further, and the mystery of the church weakened rapidly as if it had encountered its natural enemy. The power of the Seventh Holy Scripture was suppressed to less than 30%, and Hiel gripped his weapon even tighter.
"This demonic power... this thing actually exists, no, even the Twenty-Seven Ancestors..."
With the completely liberated demonic sword in his hand, he answered what Hil had in his heart. The demonic sword, which was opposed to the gods, twisted the world. The rules of the planet were distorted under the liberation of the true demon. The ground rose irregularly, sharply breaking through the soil and rocks. Countless demons spread their bat wings and stretched their distorted forms in front of Hil. Standing under the full moon that emitted a dark purple light, Stuart, who was inhuman and was driving the karma of mankind, opened his eyes.
"Church hounds, here you are, feel the sins of you humans!"
"To maintain his sanity with such a level of karma... this guy is very strong."
Having hunted down several Ancestors on his own, Hiel realized for the first time how troublesome the Dead Apostles were. As the overwhelming demonic shadows pressed down, Hiel spun around and activated the Seventh Holy Scripture III: Cause of Death. The chain sword, forged from the bones of the Fantasy Species, swept across, its blades twisting and turning in space like snakes. Like a moving meat grinder, these demons born from the demonic sword were instantly churned into a rain of blood that crashed down from the sky.
"That's not how you use a sword! Your technique is too crude!"
Amidst the rain of blood and the swirling blades, Stuart's figure moved through the chaos unscathed by a single glint of light, his blood-red eyes showing no sign of pressure. With a clang, the demonic sword, gleaming with purple light, pierced through the storm of blades, and the immense force that had pierced his body sent his arm flying backward uncontrollably from the recoil.
The blade, imbued with karmic power, drew ever closer. Realizing he could not retract the Seventh Holy Scripture to defend himself, Hiel made a split-second decision, releasing his grip on the hilt and bracing himself for the demonic sword that slashed down from Stuart.
Puff-!
The sounds of flesh being pierced rang out one after another. The slender body was pierced by the demonic sword. The sins of humanity instantly destroyed the flesh and tissues it touched. Jealousy, greed, anger... the karmic fire formed from the sins of humanity scorched Hiel's consciousness. In front of the pierced girl, three black keys pierced directly into Stuart's head from his jaw.
"Pop! Pop! Cough cough cough!!"
Blood splattered down the pierced body. The man braced himself with his hands to pull the blade that had pierced through his body away. Looking at the wound that was corroded and could not be healed, Hiel popped out a black key from his sleeve and directly peeled off the corroded flesh. He pulled out the Seventh Holy Scripture that was stuck diagonally in the ground. Just as Hiel, whose consciousness was almost burned away, was about to retrieve the Principle Blood Ring of Stuart, the sound of the sharp weapon shattering made the translucent Hiel freeze on the spot.
Stout, who should have died from having his brain pierced, shattered the black keys. The blood-stained key handles were carelessly discarded by the other party. Seeing Stout completely unaffected, Hierle, who had never encountered such a situation before, felt unprecedented pressure.
"You weren't wiped out? You're not human, are you? I didn't expect that besides that guy Mei Lian, the Burial Mechanism also kept an anomaly like you. Decisive choice. I underestimated you, Church Hound."
The axiom of defeating the immortal Dead Apostles and Ancestors, destroying their brains containing all their magical circuits, and thus transcending the mystical side of death, has claimed countless Dead Apostles. Even the former Twenty-Two Ancestors perished when Chiel pierced their brains with a black key. But today, this axiom has been shattered. Stuart before him has shown Chiel the power of an Ancestor in the first tier below the monsters.
“Exceptional immortality, neither human nor dead, but it doesn’t matter, your corpse will tell me everything.”
The blood-stained demonic sword grew even more crimson, its trembling blade emitting a muffled thud like a heartbeat. As his body sank slightly, the ground collapsed. Stuart, having regained his composure, instantly pressed the demonic sword in his hand against Hiel's spinning chain sword.
"Round two has begun. Are you ready, Agent?"
Amidst the clanging and clashing of weapons, the two claps collided in mid-air, creating blinding sparks. Slashes rained down like a storm, devoid of any fancy moves. Stuart, a knight by birth, used pure martial arts and skill to firmly suppress Hierel before him.
"What exactly is this guy's weakness?!"
His palms cracked again under the relentless blows, blood splattering everywhere. Under the overwhelming impact, as he was forced back, fine sword wounds completely covered Hiel's body. The sins that had entered his body were causing the flesh to necrotize. Looking at the flawless Stulbitt in front of him, Hiel's blue eyes flickered as his will was constantly being burned away, searching for any possible weaknesses in Stulbitt.
Weakness: Death is inevitable for everything in the world, and Stuart is no exception. The world only knows that the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostles were servants of the True Ancestor, his reserve provisions. But as one of the oldest Dead Apostles, Stuart is fundamentally different from those who were transformed by the True Ancestor.
Stuart did not transform from a True Ancestor; he gained immortality by escaping the curse that time had placed upon all things. It can be said that, apart from his eyes that see death, unless Hiel could kill the Time Being or erase Stuart's soul, the Stuart before him would endlessly wield his demonic sword. Clearly, Hiel is currently unable to do so.
Overwhelmed by his opponent's superior strength, and unable to gain the upper hand against Stuart despite his immortality far surpassing that of the Dead Apostles, Hier has encountered the most formidable adversary of his life since joining the Church of the Holy See.
Chapter 238 Defeat
Bang! Clang—! Tear—!
The tide of battle was turning against Hierle, and seeing the tireless Stulbitt before her, Hierle, struggling to fend off Stulbitt's attacks, decided to use her last resort.
The Star of Calvaria, a grand magic spell woven from the principles of the twenty-five ancestors' blood ring "sword," since no weakness could be found, then the opponent would be burned to ashes. The high stratosphere shimmered, and the mirror-like magic stirred the light in the sky. The liquid flowing in his veins boiled and transformed into the purest magic power, surging into the sky. A feeling of weakness surged through his limbs. As the ritual was activated, the already dim world in Hiel's eyes became even darker.
Tear——!!
In the instant that Hiel fell into weakness, a storm of sword light pierced through the Seventh Holy Scripture's defenses, leaving a wound that covered half of Hiel's body. The demonic sword, stained with blood, grew even more crimson, and the aura of sin instantly dragged Hiel's consciousness to the brink of destruction.
“A resilient mind and impressive martial arts skills. If it weren’t for our differing stances, I would definitely recommend you to His Highness.”
Before the shattered rubble could even fly up, the demonic sword that had cleaved the ground slashed toward Hiel's neck with even greater speed. Without mercy or hesitation, the demonic sword, forged from human sins, was enough to sever the girl's head in an instant.
"Heretical? I won't! I won't fall into the same depravity as you!"
As his consciousness ignited at its limit, the radiant power of Ciel, illuminated by the sins of humanity, unleashed a force far exceeding the limits of his body. Every muscle fiber beneath his blood-stained skin was torn apart, and blood gushed from every corner of his cracked body. The Seventh Holy Scripture, in its chain sword form, spewed out shredded blades, and Stuart Byte, wielding the demon sword, was sent flying into the sky by Ciel's sudden outburst.
"I will never forgive you guys!"
With a series of clicking sounds, the tightly bound chain sword unfolded, steel and sharp blades weaving a cage. The serpentine chain sword, like a spinning razor, relentlessly struck Stuart's body, shattering his armor and tearing away flesh. The Church's highest weapon for punishing heretics indiscriminately assaulted the inescapable Stuart.
With a deafening roar, the chain sword swirled and slammed Stuart, who was being dragged along at the end, to the ground. The dust that rose up completely covered the full moon in the sky at that moment. Before the trembling had subsided, amidst the crashing sounds of the collision, Hiel, who was standing with his sword at his side, turned his dazed gaze toward the mist in front of him. Hiel saw it, he saw the man slowly rising from the ground.
“Actress of the Church, if it were any other Ancestor, you would have already won. To be able to unleash such power under my sword, your will is commendable. As a knight who serves the Ancient Red, I will grant you the most sublime death!”
The magical storm swept away the dust, tearing away the shattered black armor. Within seconds, the limbs that had been torn apart by Chiel were completely restored. Pulling out the demonic sword that had sunk into the ground, Stuart appeared unharmed before Chiel's eyes, his aura undiminished but rather enhanced.
"True demon, it's time to show the world your power, awaken!"
As Stuart's hand traced the blade, the blood-soaked demonic sword trailed a mist of crimson energy. Thump! Thump! Thump... The world trembled rhythmically with the pulsation of the true demon, like a seed sprouting. The crimson veins that blotted out the sky, like the blood vessels of a planet, drew upon the karma accumulated in the human world. At this moment, demons wandering throughout the world trembled instinctively. In that far eastern land, the true demon once again displayed his power to oppose the gods after a century.
"This feeling... Has Stuart awakened that sword again? Damn! This direction is the Far East, which means...!"
The demons that made up the four limbs let out a wail, the raging fury of the being at the top of their race. Upon realizing that Stuart was currently in Misaki City, Merlene Solomon, who knew about the relationship between Alter and Arcueid, immediately put aside the information at hand and rushed out of the church.
The same thing happened in Japan. Seeing the veins crawling across the sky, White Knight Brad, realizing that Stuart had encountered a powerful enemy, pulled out the sword that had sunk into the ghoul's body and rushed to the area where Stuart was.
"Sir Stulut? It seems you've met a worthy opponent. In that case, I can't just stand by and watch. Come with me."
As the white beast that flew out of the window revealed its true form, Altrouge, who had leaped from the balcony, landed steadily on the white fur of the primate assassin. Just as various forces were rushing to this area, the demonic sword in Stuart's hand reached its peak. The spreading veins returned to the blade, and the demonic sword, which devoured starlight like a black hole, distorted space, as if it itself was an evil that the world could not allow.
The sins in the air were thick and sticky like mud. Every breath felt like an act of defiance against the world. Under this visible karmic fire, if Hiel hadn't been neither human nor inhuman, her human spirit would probably have dissolved under this sin. Looking at the blurry figure holding a sword in front of her, Hiel, whose body had reached its limit, simply closed her eyes.
"Three...two...one, checkmate! Sixth Ancestor."
The faint sound made no ripple in the deprived space. Just as the extreme darkness soared into the sky, dawn broke. The spell that had been unleashed from the stratosphere was activated at this moment. The star Galvalo, of the same specifications as Excalibur, burst forth with light far exceeding that of daylight onto the surface. A sword of light, fifty kilometers long, with the power to slice through the planet beneath its feet, rushed toward the surface. In an instant, the sniper shot from the sky engulfed Stuart, who stood holding the sword.
The ground collapsed due to the impact from the sky, and the trembling rubble was annihilated in the air with the torrent of light. In the center of the flow of light, which was scorched by the light, Stuart, whose body was arched due to the impact, suddenly raised his carbonized body, pointed his magic sword at the stars, and his nerves, which had not felt pain for hundreds of years, were completely aroused at this moment, unleashing the ferocity of his ancestors.
"This is the Blood Ring of Be Ze, interesting, very interesting! Only an attack like this is worthy of you. Wake up, true demon, devour all the light!"
With a whoosh, the absolute blackness, along with the figure within the pillar of light, abruptly severed the aurora-like impact with a sword strike, as if suppressing the light with the karmic fire of humanity. Amidst the sizzling sounds of dissolution, the white light was propelled into the sky by the black breath. Even with immense pressure overhead, his charred arms gripped the sword hilt tightly. His flesh was burned and devoid of sensation, the pitch-black karmic fire tore through the pillar of light. Driven by the instincts honed over millennia of battle, and having lost all reference points, Stuart raised his sword and unleashed a battle strike that surged towards the starry sky.
The light split in two; tonight, in the clash between light and darkness, darkness prevailed. The distance of tens of kilometers vanished in an instant. The karmic fire hidden in the night surged into the sky, utterly destroying the projection device that Hiel had built in the stratosphere. Stulbit, his body consumed by the burning flames, braced himself with his sword to keep his knees off the ground, absorbing the planet's magic to replenish his strength.
Click! Click-click—!
Carbonized flesh cracked and splintered, and the flesh climbed up the bones as magic flowed. In just a few dozen seconds, Stuart's body was reborn by the immortality of breaking free from time. Panting heavily, he straightened his body and, with disordered breathing, drew his magic sword and walked toward Hiel, who was buried in the loose soil.
Chapter 239 Sisters
The stratospheric strikes and sky-piercing slashes followed one after another. The raging flames above Misaki City spread, and the residual high temperature distorted vision. The flickering embers licked the ground while crackling and burning. Standing on the bulge that looked like it had been hit by a meteorite, the heat in the air reminded Stuart of the century-long battle that had followed the moon's fall.
"Even though we belong to different factions, I must admit that you are a worthy opponent. In the name of the ancient red knight, I will grant you a painless death."
Standing before Hiel, who was weakened by the activation of the Blood Ring, and watching Hiel try to stand even as his blood burned away, Stuart raised the magic sword in his hand.