Chapter 268: On My Way To Meet You (5)

Chapter 268: On My Way To Meet You (5)

A long time ago.

Before the Righteous Radiance met the first high priestess who resembled Helena so much.

Before the Righteous Radiance was even called by that name.

The first world that a mass of light, having just gained self-awareness, saw... was that of a lion hunting a buffalo.

Looking back now, it was a time of savagery.

If the law of the jungle reigned supreme, where survival was the only law, how could such an era not be considered barbaric?

But for the mass of light that had only just opened its eyes, such a judgment was impossible.

Ah, so this was the world. In order to survive, one must kill and devour others.

The mass of light simply accepted the scene before it. The lion was an incredibly attractive animal to it.

The large body, the flowing mane, the sharp teeth, and the strength that allowed it to hunt without being hunted itself.

The mass of light wanted to become like the lion. And so it did.

Merely by wishing for it, the mass of light took on the form of a lion and, from that day forward, became the ruler of the region.

It hunted every fierce beast that seemed strong, and soon, all others would flee or bow down and expose their bellies upon meeting its gaze.

It was smarter than any beast, possessed mysterious powers no one could control, and never grew old or feeble.

What an awe-inspiring being it must have been.

To the nearby tribes, whose lives became easier with the disappearance of fierce beasts, it must have seemed like a god.

That was when the shining lion met its first high priestess.

“You’re the lion that people here worship as a god, right? Let’s make a deal.”

The immense size, the sharp claws, and the overwhelming presence of a higher being were born different from the start.

All these things that had once made the fiercest beasts flip onto their backs and caused humans to bow in submission... none of them worked on the girl standing before it.

Instead, her eyes sparkled with joy.

“Hmm, you really don’t have any equals, do you?”

The shining lion was dumbfounded. A fragile creature that looked like it would die with a single blow didn’t fear or worship it.

But because of that, the lion’s interest was piqued.

To the point where it clumsily imitated the language of humans, who had only ever offered pitiful sacrifices as tributes.

-Grrr! You said a deal... what kind?

“You can speak!”

Though the growling voice sounded threatening, the important thing for the girl was that they could communicate.

“It’s simple! I’m going to change the world. Help me do that!”

-Change it?

“Exactly! A world where people don’t oppress others just because they have power, where they don’t eat neighboring tribes just because they’re hungry, and where they don’t deceive others for their own gain! I’m going to create that world!”

-......

“With you and me, I’m sure we can do it!”

Even the shining lion, which had never left the plains, knew the girl’s words were absurd.

The world the lion had seen was nothing more than a brutal battleground where everyone fought against everyone else.

But.

Her radiant golden hair, her eyes as clear as gemstones, and the joyful smile on her lips.

All of it stirred something in the lion’s heart.

Suddenly, a human it had watched closely came to mind. The child who always exceeded its expectations.

But even Yandel couldn’t pull off another miracle this time, could he?

The ritual of descent, once completed, could not easily be stopped, no matter how fast it had unfolded.

If it were possible, the Surging Waves wouldn’t have fallen, and Clara wouldn’t have been isolated in the fortress.

The Righteous Radiance let out a faint chuckle as it lifted its head.

The darkened church was as black as the night sky. In the center stood its statue, casting a shadow.

A lion’s form, cloaked in shadow.



“This looks like a ritual of descent, no matter how you see it.”

Suddenly, the paladins’ holy power stopped regenerating. Along with that, a strange sense of emptiness and frustration filled the air...

In H&A, this was a kind of warning line.

The ritual of descent was in progress, and it was telling you that you were screwed, so you should prepare yourself.

Who would have thought they’d complete the ritual by sacrificing several bishops and one archbishop?

It would’ve been better if they had triggered an explosion or summoned a powerful monster or leader. At least those could be dealt with, albeit with difficulty.

But as soon as I realized what the barrier was, I thought there had to be a solution. Iona’s expression brightened as well.

“What, what? So you know how to break it, Yandel? How can I help?”

“I do know the method to break it... The problem is that it’s impossible to actually carry it out.”

A completed ritual of descent creates dimensional severance and distortion.

It cuts off the flow of divine power and faith between gods and their followers, and vice versa.

After that, it injects corrupted faith into the mix, turning Good Gods into Evil Gods. That’s the essence of the ritual.

In simpler terms, it’s like kidnapping, imprisoning, brainwashing, and corrupting a god.

Most likely, the magic Iona and I cast was transferred somewhere to the Righteous Radiance’s true form, or perhaps thrown into the rift between dimensions.

The reason the paladins’ attacks seemed somewhat effective was probably due to the clash with the divine power of the Reckless Roar being injected during the process.

So, the answer was simple. We need to hit it with an enormous amount of holy power at maximum output.

By neutralizing the Reckless Roar’s divine power for a brief moment, we could create a gap in the ritual, causing the whole thing to collapse.

“But with our holy power cut off, not even Sir Gertrude could manage that right now.”

I sighed heavily after saying that.

If it were just a lack of stamina or mana, that would be better. We had plenty of recovery methods, like blessings or potions.

Despite the fierce battle earlier, I was still in great condition because I was constantly recovering.

But holy power could only be replenished by the gods, and with the connection to the gods severed...

“Wait.”

I paused mid-explanation to Iona, tilting my head in confusion.

What did I just say was recovering?

Something was starting to make sense, but it was just out of reach. I lifted my head.

I saw Iona’s serious expression, the disappointed paladins, and the monsters approaching from afar, drawn by the noise of battle.

Gripping my staff more firmly, I spoke.

“I’m not sure if it’ll work or not... but I have an idea I want to try.”

So, I asked them to buy me some time.