Osian rolled his eyes inside his helmet. The scene of Martinez and the slithering sisters silently staring at each other gave him quite a suffocating sense of tension, even as a third party observer.
The moment Martinez drew out his divine power like this, an irreversible fight would break out.
The current situation wasn't very good for just watching.
'I have to choose one side, but it's not easy.'
Although his first meeting with Martinez wasn't good, they later developed a good relationship when Martinez helped save the orphanage children. The same went for the Slithering sisters. They had worked together at Ground Zero, and they too were favorable toward Osian.
But that didn't mean those two got along well. Even if they were friends of a friend, they were like water and oil that could never mix.
'It would be better if they just didn't mix.'
To be precise, they would be more like water and magnesium. Just touching each other would cause violent reactions and explosions that would sweep everything around them.
The uncomfortable silence didn't last long. Because Martinez opened his mouth that had been tightly shut.
Martinez said while staring at the starfish-shaped Cthulatlap and the Slithering sisters. There was wariness in his gaze, but not the hostility of someone who must kill.
"Are they brother's companions?"
"...Yes."
Since hiding it would only backfire anyway, Osian answered honestly.
"I see. Then I'll accompany you as well. Numbers would be better than being alone."
Martinez showed agreement with those words, then soon erased his wariness but Osian was rather flustered by that attitude.
"Is that okay?"
"Since brother is with us, it should be fine."
He hadn't expected to be trusted this much. That much showed how the work Osian had done with Martinez at that time had become great fertilizer for Martinez's growth.
Receiving such expectations was somewhat pleasant, but he was rather anxious because the kid had changed too much.
"It's funny for me to say this, but those two people over there use the power of outer gods."
"Wait...!"
Krua was about to argue why he was saying that, but Osian stretched out his hand to stop her. At the gesture to listen quietly, Krua stepped back, seeming anxious but wanting to watch the situation.
"From your position of having to kill heretics, they're no different from your enemies. Yet you're saying you'll go with them?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"If it were the old me, I would have tried to fight regardless of the reason. But after seeing and experiencing many things in Tirna, my thoughts have changed."
Martinez had seen what the archbishop, who had been revered by everyone, had done. Conversely, what help he had received from a dark mage who should have been despised.
Perhaps it wasn't they who were wrong. Perhaps it was him who had been making the wrong choices all along.
For Martinez, who had only viewed the world through the dichotomous lens of black and white, the experiences in Tirna delivered a massive shock that shook the very roots of his beliefs.
In that inescapable shock, the weak cannot endure and break down. But Martinez didn't. There certainly was a crisis. If he had been alone, he wouldn't have been able to overcome it. But by his side were the children, the nun, and Osian.
It was thanks to them that he gained the strength to live even if he was wrong. And because he overcame such a process of pain and recovery, Martinez was able to obtain a more resilient inner self, like being tempered.
"I've learned a bit about how to face the world."
Osian stared blankly at Martinez, then soon smiled.
"That's fortunate then."
"Besides, the situation is what it is. In a place like this, I have no intention of weakening our forces with pointless stubbornness. Brother wouldn't welcome companions dying either."
"Hey, wait. There, paladin kid. That sounds like you're sure you'd win if we fought?"
Among the sisters, the belligerent Krua frowned and stepped forward. She knew Martinez was a skilled opponent not to be ignored, but his attitude as if he would definitely beat them was a bit irritating.
Krua was relatively normal among those who handled outer god powers, but that was only relative. Having lived in a harsh environment by nature, she couldn't tolerate having her pride touched in this way.
"If you're curious, you can find out."
Martinez was going to let it slide for now, but he wasn't necessarily taking a friendly attitude. If a fight was picked, he'd accept it. And if a fight broke out, he'd definitely crush them.
Even though he had changed quite a bit, he hadn't completely changed his fundamental nature.
[Right! Well done! Defeat that arrogant servant of Albaki!]
To make matters worse, Cthulatlap was even egging Krua on, waving the starfish's two arms like boxing.
"Tone it down, both of you. Don't be prideful in a place like this."
Eventually Osian had to step in.
Martinez and Krua glared at each other for a moment, then simultaneously turned their heads away. Since they were two people whose personalities would absolutely never match, it should be considered fortunate that they didn't fight.
"So, you know where we need to go, right?"
At Martinez's question, Osian raised his sword and pointed to one of the countless passages.
"Same as me. I can vaguely feel an ominous presence from beyond there."
[Hmph. I already told you everything before you even said anything.]
"...You. You're an avatar of an outer god. What's with that unseemly appearance?"
[It's for your consideration! The moment this body properly exerts its power, erosion will occur and you weak humans won't be able to endure it. So you should rather be grateful. Servant of Albaki.]
"My firm faith won't be shaken by such things."
Martinez replied coldly, then threw a question as if puzzled.
"What is Albaki anyway?"
[Obviously I'm talking about the guy you believe in and follow.]
"You mean Ilua, the god of light and justice?"
[Yes. A fellow of lower rank than me who exercises influence just because he exists in this world - if that's not Albaki, what is?]
"Even so, I can't tolerate you daring to mock my main god."
"I told you to tone it down. Why are you stepping up this time?"
Osian grabbed the boastful Cthulatlap with one hand and handed it to Atilla. Cthulatlap struggled, asking what kind of behavior this was, but quieted down when Atilla held it tightly in her arms. Still needing to maintain its pride, it raised its fist and waved it at Martinez as if telling him not to mess around.
[Youngster. Know how lucky you are.]
"......"
Martinez seemed to have no motivation to respond to that ridiculous appearance and just ignored it.
"Are you okay though?"
Osian approached Martinez and asked.
"What do you mean?"
"As a paladin, wouldn't your god be angry if he found out you joined hands with heretics at this moment?"
The power of paladins and priests fundamentally comes from faith. In other words, if a situation arises that violates belief and faith, some disadvantage might follow.
"There's nothing like that in particular. Rather, the power I handle seems to have become stronger than before."
"Stronger?"
"I always thought I had to proceed only through the right methods. Even if it was a difficult path, I thought stubbornly pushing forward was the only shortcut to proving faith. But I realized that was wrong."
He had hidden his own stupidity under the name of faith. If that wasn't blasphemy, what would be?
"The method doesn't matter. If the result is ultimately beneficial to the world, if it reduces the number of people suffering from it. I just think that's right and push forward."
If a knight is one who physically breaks through enemies before them, a paladin is one who breaks through walls of the heart. A paladin with strong belief and faith never yields in any crisis with that firm mental strength.
"The church people would be shocked to hear such a statement."
"The current me is not a member of the Holy Order, but just a nameless ash-covered person."
"If you've decided on your own answer, that's enough. You look better than before, actually."
"...It's all thanks to brother."
Martinez spoke as if embarrassed. For a brief moment, he thought the guy seemed to smile.
At that moment, Osian and Martinez simultaneously raised their heads and stared in one direction.
"Brother. This is..."
"Yes. I felt it too."
Some invisible wave swept through space. It was a physical phenomenon projected into space that appeared when something tremendously powerful projected its force.
"It wasn't this much when I killed those so-called bishop-level guys."
But that didn't mean it was Cardinal Zaxilos either. That guy was hiding down below.
"That means it's an archbishop."
Osian thought of Archbishop Mirak, but couldn't be certain. There was no guarantee there was only one archbishop.
'Moreover, the current phenomenon is close to the result of truly revealing one's power.'
That power repeatedly collided and exploded not once or twice, but several times. In other words, someone was fighting an archbishop of unknown identity.
A tremendous shock swept through the entire passage.
Delford lay sprawled on the floor, barely able to lift his head.
'What just happened?'
Archbishop Phillis had raised his hand. He remembered preparing for an attack after seeing that. But after that, some invisible wave swept through space.
It wasn't in the realm where he could react with beast instincts. His body, swept up in it, screamed in pain. Thanks to the werewolf's unique regenerative ability, he was recovering quickly, but it had been a really long time since he was hurt this badly.
"Cough!"
The witch Maia also seemed to have taken considerable damage, coughing continuously. She was on the less damaged side because she had wrapped witchcraft around her body in advance.
But in this place, there was one person who wasn't free from the aftermath of the fight.
It was Plimene.
"You..."
But Plimene was fine even in that terrible aftermath. It wasn't because Phillis had gone easy on her. Phillis, who had become an archbishop of the Eternal Church, had no intention of going easy even if his opponent was his older sister.
The reason Plimene was fine was thanks to Basilio, who stood as if protecting her. Basilio had become a shield with his body and blocked the attack aimed at her.
"Why..."
"......"
Basilio didn't answer. He steadied his body that was about to collapse while staggering, and glared at Phillis with a hateful gaze.
"Phillis. I felt responsible for your death and spent those long years in pain."
"How pitiful. So what?"
Though he said that, there wasn't a trace of sympathy for this side. Seeing that appearance, Basilio had no choice but to realize, even if he didn't want to.
"The ritual that was done that day. You did it of your own accord."
As if that was the correct answer, Phillis nodded with a bright smile.
"It was a good opportunity. I could get a chance to make contact with them."
"Why?"
"Why? Isn't it obvious? Because I wanted to live."
"You wanted to live? So you used your squad members as sacrifices to do such things? Your comrades who were with you! Your family! While betraying everyone!"
"That's what people are, isn't it? How am I different from Tirna's high-ranking officials who drove other people to battlefields saying they wanted to live? Look at this. I don't get out of breath from walking anymore. I don't suffer from terrible headaches and high fevers either."
Phillis willingly joined hands with the Eternal Church for his own life and deliberately threw himself into that ritual. He might have died if things went wrong. But what did that matter? He was destined to die young anyway if things continued as they were.
Rather, he would have died slowly being tormented by continuous pain, like being slowly boiled in water. Living long without hope is indescribable suffering. People who haven't experienced it don't know. It would be better to die immediately without pain.
"You know what? Rather, sister and brother were nothing but curses to me. Curses that forcibly held onto my lifeline to keep me alive, preventing me from ending my suffering."
In that, Phillis realized he couldn't escape from this fate. And so his heart slowly rotted away in places unseen. But for Phillis, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came.
"Thanks to the book brother gave me. It contained secret arts for strengthening the body by borrowing external power."
The book Julius had secretly brought from the Life School, thinking it would be helpful. That content was written there. This is it. The moment Phillis saw it, he felt some kind of fateful attraction.
After accessing the materials, Phillis continued searching for similar literature. Continuously, even before being dragged to the battlefield.
Thus he was able to access materials about the Eternal Church that existed in the distant past and pursued immortality. Stories of an era dismissed as legend or myth.
People didn't believe it, but Phillis felt some kind of intuition that they were a real group, and if they were truly a sect related to immortality, they would exist somewhere in this world.
And truly like fate, he was able to encounter them on the battlefield.
-Let's make a deal. I'll help with the ritual you're performing.
Thus Phillis received power directly from Red Eternity, overcame death, and became an archbishop of the Eternal Church.
"Of course, I couldn't perfectly digest the power, so I was holed up in this building for over decades. But that's over now too. Finally, I've regained complete freedom. Though I didn't expect my first steps as a full archbishop to be with brother and sister. Is this also fate?"
Cut off past connections with your own hands. Phillis accepted the current situation that way.
"Then I should end it with a joyful heart."
Phillis reached out his hand again. The target was not Basilio, but his sister who was still bewildered.
Plimene drew the pistol from her waist and aimed it at Phillis. It was an action taken reflexively from training. But she couldn't pull the trigger in the end.
Not because she knew shooting would be useless. Because she couldn't accept this situation of pulling the trigger on the younger brother she had finally met.
"Phillis, I..."
"See? Sister is too soft."
But Phillis was different. He fired an invisible wave toward Plimene without hesitation. The moment Plimene's eyes widened, Basilio stood as if protecting her.
In a split second, several layers of solid magic barriers were deployed. As soon as they were created, they touched the invisible wave and crumbled finely.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
The defensive magic prepared in advance broke pathetically easily and headed toward Basilio beyond it. Basilio immediately embraced Plimene as if protecting her and wrapped his cloak around them both.
KWAAAAANG!
A tremendous shockwave and storm swept through. It was powerful enough to turn even rocks into fine sand.
But Phillis' expression wasn't good. The aftermath didn't reach Plimene.
"Such tearful love."
Phillis shook his head as if pitying while Basilio, swept by the wave, staggered. The black mask on his face fell to the floor with a thud.
Basilio's face inside the mask was not human.
"Even becoming a monster like that, you still try to protect sister."
Plimene swallowed her breath seeing Basilio's revealed appearance because Basilio's face beyond the mask was a skull streaming red light.