Chapter 104: The Fearful Pope (Patreon)

After the West Port administrator took them in…

Rudeus and the others had to admit it: the West Port administrator did a fine job. They stayed comfortably at his residence, and the wives' cooking was first-rate.

Since Rudeus's group didn't put on many airs, everyone got along splendidly.

The next day, Rudeus led the thanks to the West Port administrator and his wives, then took his leave on the spot.

Together with Dragon God Orsted, Eris, Ghislaine, and Nanahoshi Shizuka, he set out on the road to the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom.

That way, by the time they actually arrived, the kingdom's powerful upper echelons ought to have an answer ready.

Having left West Port town completely behind, they walked across the continent, watching the carriages come and go.

Rudeus turned to look at Dragon God Orsted beside him. "So, how is it? Are you adapting all right?"

Dragon God Orsted raised his hand, thoroughly pleased. The deep-blue Nuclear Sprite beside him drifted down and settled onto his palm. He smiled.

"Very well. I really can't thank you enough. No matter how I use my mana, it keeps feeding me mana the whole time, so my mana stays in perfect condition at every moment."

"It's been a very, very long time since I felt this good. My whole body filled with mana… and the great problem of mana depletion is practically solved. Truly, thank you, Rudeus."

Rudeus smiled and nodded. "Don't mention it. We're teammates, aren't we?"

Seeing the earnestness in Rudeus's eyes, Dragon God Orsted nodded just as earnestly. Then he asked, "But yesterday you laid out the rift between us right in front of those wives. Is that really all right?"

Rudeus grinned. "That guy wants to throw in with me, doesn't he? So naturally I gave him a chance to show his sincerity. And I did it as a precaution, too. I hurried to hand you the Nuclear Sprite I'd been researching."

Hearing that, Dragon God Orsted asked, "So you have misgivings about me as well."

Rudeus nodded, completely at ease. "Of course I do. Just in case, I also put a trick into the Nuclear Sprite. If you ever make a move on me, I'll know ahead of time. I finally made it this far. I don't want to go through it all again. I'm going to end this vicious cycle once and for all."

Dragon God Orsted looked into Rudeus's earnest eyes. Honestly, he had worried too that Rudeus might be a follower of Hitogami (Human God).

Sometimes the worry gnawed at him: everything is going wonderfully, then you wake up and find it was all just Hitogami (Human God) toying with you again. That feeling was truly awful!!!

But precisely because of that, Dragon God Orsted could understand Rudeus better. If Rudeus wasn't a follower of Hitogami (Human God), then the effort he'd poured in along the way must have been enormous. Having come this far, he naturally wouldn't want it all to go up in smoke.

Dragon God Orsted nodded and turned his head, gazing quietly at the distant land ahead. "Thank you," he said slowly. "For being so frank about it."

Rudeus smiled. "Whether I say it or not, the point is to shrink the gap between us as much as possible. If the two of us can truly work together, we can take down that detestable bastard Hitogami (Human God) sooner and better!!"

Dragon God Orsted nodded, fully in agreement. "Yes!!"

…

The capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom.

Because of the grand nuclear fireworks that had bloomed high in the sky the day before, it took the entire capital a full half day just to restore order. The casualty tally was finally finished today.

The Pope sat alone on the high seat of the great hall, looking over the reports that had been handed up…

Apart from a few people whose eyesight had been damaged, and who had already been cured with healing magic, most of the losses came from the riots that broke out among the people. The damage from the explosion itself was negligible.

He skimmed through the tally quickly. Then he crushed the paper in his hand, summoned a ball of Fire Magic, and burned it to ash.

He raised his head and looked at the empty great hall, and at the two rows of exhausted Temple Knights lining its sides.

In his mind…

The astonishing scene he had witnessed yesterday surged back once more!!

When that unknown spell appeared, not even the radiance of the sun could compare. It was vast and terrifying… a spell that nothing could block, nothing could defy!!!

Just looking at it filled a person with utter despair!!! In an instant, it was as if the sun itself had fallen into the world!!!

What… what on earth was that thing!!!!? Was that really a spell a human being could wield!?? If a spell like that truly fell on the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom!! Then…

Could anyone really withstand it???

As he thought of it…

A scene of unspeakable carnage seemed to appear before the Pope's eyes. A dazzling sun, truly falling upon the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom. The very center turned to dust in an instant!!!

A colossal shockwave spread outward without end. A colossal mushroom cloud, seething with lightning and flame, spread outward as well!!! No one could withstand an attack this terrible!!

In the blinding, brilliant light, life after life was reduced to nothingness. They didn't even have time to scream… Everything that existed was torn apart and ground to pieces in a frenzy!!!

Even those at the edges couldn't withstand the flames and shockwave sweeping over them, crushing everything in their path!! It was as if they stood in a scorched hell!!!

Bodies… were tossed through the sky like rags, then came down to roll along the ground like lumps of flesh.

Everywhere the eye could see was buried under burning flames, endless ash and thick smoke!! Countless people, countless lives, screamed and wailed within it. They fled in every direction without aim, then soon collapsed for good in despair.

At that moment, the entire capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom would become a forbidden zone of the dead!!!!

Was this truly something a human could stand against???

The more he thought, the tighter the Pope's hands clenched.