Chapter 202
The Witch of the Catacomb let out a hollow laugh.
It was truly absurd.
The one who had posed the question.
What that meaning implied.
A witch who had wandered searching for truth for ages could not possibly fail to understand.
[It's been a really long time since I've heard such nonsense.]
It was so ridiculous it made her laugh.
The witch who let out a dry laugh soon glared at Callias.
[Did you just say you would create a god?]
Callias let out an indecipherable laugh.
Then looked at the princess floating in the pond.
"What matters isn't something like that."
Veria, who noticed where his gaze was directed, snorted and crossed her arms.
[I suppose you're not pleased with her corruption.]
"Because it's a bad omen."
From their very first meeting, it was a bad omen.
If such a person were to become corrupted, she would gain considerable power.
What would she do with that power?
She would certainly trouble Callias.
"What is your reason? You didn't have to grant the princess's request."
[She also brought her own truth, just like you. She boldly asked me to corrupt her, so there was no reason not to. Because I too am corruption.]
He didn't take her words at face value.
It was paradoxical to what she had explained earlier.
The cause and effect of her words didn't match.
"I see. There was a vacancy."
One corruption had died.
She must have helped her to fill the numbers as well.
After all, she too was corruption.
[Titeo didn't die, but there's no such thing as a corruption that doesn't die. Filling that bastard's vacancy is no different.]
"You and I are bound to become enemies."
[Humans and corruption cannot be on the same side. Child who believes himself to be a god.]
However.
[What harms humans is corruption, and what harms corruption is also human. I won't blame you.]
The witch who had approached close without notice touched Callias's shoulder and chest, meeting his eyes nearly nose to nose.
[My younger sister poured all her heart's strength into a single small object and died.]
Veria's younger sister, Vera.
Sisters born from the same womb walked toward different paths.
One as a witch. One as a saint.
[Even that is now forgotten by the world, neither knowing where she is nor even if she exists. I simply don't want to face such a vain end.]
"So you became corrupted."
[Human lives are short. I was curious. Why must I live such a life. What is my life for. How the world's truth would change me. What the burden of the world that god desires would create.]
She was simply curious.
One who held doubts and sought answers.
The garment of corruption simply fit her well.
[Because wars between humans are boring.]
"……"
[More than that, you called god a scabbard. Quite an interesting notion.]
An empty and massive scabbard that wouldn't be filled even if every sword in the world was placed within it. Could that be the true identity of god?
Veria suddenly had such a thought and chuckled.
[I don't know what you are, but it doesn't matter. The continent will soon become turbulent again, and the meaning of nations will disappear.]
"What do you mean by that?"
[Didn't you know? I assumed you knew since you possessed Titeo.]
"…They've already started moving?"
Corruption.
They are moving.
[There's no reason not to. They yielded this vast continent for humans, but corruption died and a dragon died. The justification is sufficient, and now the time has come to slowly make their move.]
The undying corruption and the fire dragon died at Callias's hands.
By human hands.
The justification was sufficient, and they had been holding their breath and enduring for a long time.
Humans had multiplied to numbers easy to kill, and things easy to destroy had appeared.
The circulation that god desires.
Like the wheels of the north, a part of the burden began to move toward the continent.
[Well, I have no interest though.]
Rumble.
Suddenly, ripples form on the pond.
A brilliant light rises from her entire body. Holy divine power flows from the spot where the witch's sword was drawn.
[No matter when I see it, the moment of corruption is beautiful.]
But that was only for an instant.
The mass of brilliant light suddenly turns pitch black and burns.
What burns forms a shape and seeps back into her body.
'A morning star.'
Ssshhh.
Black blood vessels protrude on her once pure white skin.
Something black spreads throughout her entire body.
Soon her eyes open.
Turbid energy settles around her.
[Callias. It was a pleasure meeting you. If you wish to face god, come find me anytime. I will always be waiting here.]
"Veria...!"
The witch made a gesture.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Callias's form was ejected out of the space.
His mind dizzy as if sucked into a spatial vortex, he grabbed his senses and found himself in a damp and gloomy underground labyrinth.
And a woman radiating an intense aura, growing ecstatic.
Princess Rebecca.
No, the corruption was looking down at him.
[Did you come running in one breath because you missed me?]
"That level of nonsense is a mental illness."
[But, you know what you said back then. You touched me all over my body to save me, didn't you? I already lost my chastity then.]
"……How about losing something else this time?"
[Oh my, how thrilling.]
Rebecca, flushed with red, hugged herself and trembled.
Callias drew the Predator Sword - Roas and gripped the hilt.
Instant sword draw.
He unleashed the Hundred Severing Blossoms.
Sshing!
Hehe.
As Rebecca twisted her body half a beat late, one of her arms flew off, and with her twisted laughter, her form disappeared.
[Even though I became corrupted, I almost died in one hit! It was so intense I almost went all at once!!]
Sliick, click.
Callias, having sheathed Roas again, spread his qi sense to examine her energy.
Rebecca, who had seeped into the darkness, could not be detected by sight or qi sense.
Since he didn't know what abilities the corrupted Rebecca possessed, even Callias had to keep his senses on high alert.
In the first place, a route where Rebecca became corrupted didn't even exist.
All of this was a variable.
Callias found it annoying yet somewhat reassuring. He always felt such emotions whenever this kind of situation arose.
The reassurance that this place was not simply a game world. But he was only angry because he simultaneously felt frustrated by his own ignorance.
"I should have killed her earlier."
When they first met.
If he had known she was a princess, he would have killed her instantly. It's regrettable that he didn't realize.
Huu.
Callias, who had been in a sword-drawing stance, suddenly changed his attitude.
Rumble!
The vibration was too violent and large to be a change created by Rebecca.
This was not her doing, but the witch's.
"Is she going to collapse the Catacomb?"
The witch seemed intent on sealing the Catacomb now. Otherwise, there would be no reason to collapse it like this.
Moreover, the witch was a newly born corruption.
Since she was lending a hand to Rebecca, killing her seemed difficult.
If he fought Rebecca in this situation, he would be trapped or buried in the collapsing labyrinth.
Even for someone like himself, it was clear he couldn't avoid death or sustain serious injuries.
It was unfortunate but unavoidable.
[See you next time, Callias.]
As if she also knew the battle was over, Rebecca revealed her hidden form.
Rebecca, with black blood gushing from one arm, didn't seem to care much about losing her arm.
As if she could regenerate it at any moment.
"I'd rather never see you again."
[Oh my, such sorrowful words.]
Rumble!!
The vibrations grew even more violent.
The falling dirt and rocks revealed the state of the collapsing ground.
"Where are you going? There's only one exit."
[Are you going to escort me? But Callias. I'm not naive. If we go out together, you'll kill me immediately, won't you?]
Tap.
Rebecca, who approached close, smiled sweetly with her hands behind her back and spoke slyly.
Catacomb underground 4th floor.
If she fought him, a great disturbance would inevitably arise, and the collapse of the ground would accelerate.
No matter how great a knight, before nature, one is bound to crumble.
Not being able to breathe means death all the same. Being buried and starving to death is also the same.
Therefore, this was an action judging that Callias could absolutely not fight her.
"You're wrong."
[Huh?]
Sliing. Sshing!!
[Kyaaahhh!!]
"Leaving behind future troubles is enough for the foolish me of the past."
But his thoughts were different.
Callias, who had sliced her from chest to neck in one go, took his stance.
Rebecca, dripping black blood, pressed her dangling neck and screamed as if shrieking.
[Damn it! Do you think you can kill me!? I'm corruption! I've transcended human! I may not have slapped a god when I met one, but I met a god!! Yet a normal human is going to kill me!?]
"It's not impossible. I've already killed one before, so what's so difficult? A half-baked corruption that didn't even receive a number."
Killing her was not a difficult task.
Even the corruption that was said to be undying was destroyed at Callias's hands. So why would a freshly corrupted Rebecca like her be any trouble?
[I, if you kill me you'll die too! Haven't you thought about dying buried here?]
"You don't need to worry about that."
[Hah…]
Then Rebecca smirked.
[This man is really sexy. You're saying you'll die buried with me?]
Sliide.
Her severed neck reattached with skin joining.
Her severed arm sprouted.
In her hand, a bizarre morning star was now gripped.
[If it's such a romantic thing, I don't need to hold back either. But you know? I won't die even if I'm buried here.]
"You'll die by my hand before that, so no need to worry."
Clang-!
Amidst the crumbling dirt.
The morning star and the sword clashed for a long while.
* * *
Catacomb entrance.
After fighting Veria's demon, they came to their senses and found themselves ejected to the entrance.
The saints couldn't hide their bewilderment as they watched the collapsing Catacomb.
"Callias!!"
"The, the Baron is inside!! He's inside!!"
Rumble...
Thud! Boom!! Amidst the falling piles of stones, Esther's scream echoed.
"It's dangerous! The underground of the royal castle is collapsing entirely. Esther!! Get a hold of yourself! You are the Saintess of Carpe."
The Saintess of Carpe.
That title gripped Esther's body.
"If you can't regain your composure, what are you going to do?"
"We're not strong enough. He might have been ejected somewhere else like we were, not here. Well, he wouldn't die, would he?"
Callias was precisely the kind of person who wouldn't die even if someone tried to kill him.
Junis hadn't known Callias for long, but surely at this level...
She didn't think he was someone who would die so meaninglessly.
"……He is human too."
But Esther had known him since his rogue days.
No matter how much of a hero he became.
In this crisis, to Esther, Callias still carried remnants of those times.
Even if everyone else would be safe, she alone worried about his well-being.
"Saintess."
"Grand Duke Chloe."
"Baron Zerban is a great benefactor to me and to Her Majesty the Queen. We will absolutely not let him die, so please calm down first. We will dispatch all manpower of the royal castle to the Catacomb to begin restoration work."
So for now.
"Let us trust him and wait."
Rumble.
Looking at the collapsing Catacomb.
Esther, with steps that refused to leave, looked back for a long while.
Looking at the Catacomb where he would be.
She gripped the Sullivian at her waist.