Chapter 364: Apostle Vs Devil ②

That scythe reminds me of the belt of Senpai.

Is it a tool that has the power of the Goddess; the so-called sacred treasure?

The one where I feel it the most obviously is with the scythe, but I can feel a similar aura from the things she has equipped.

Being the Apostle of the Goddess, she must be close to those kinds of things.

I don’t really feel stuff like being pressured or having my movements restricted like the roar of a dragon, or the authority of a god.

It is true that lightning has troublesome traits, and if the Goddess uses this same kind of ability but even stronger, it would be quite the problematic thing.

But I investigated the stories and legends of that Bug, and there were practically no mentions of lightning.

It is not like it is impossible that she has erased them purposely.

Maybe…she herself can’t use it?

I somewhat thought this when looking at this fanatic called Alte. That maybe there’s a need for a certain level of faith, and the need to overcome some kind of hurdle, or maybe she could use the lightning element beforehand.

There’s the possibility that this may be the condition of becoming an Apostle.

In other words, it is not that she can use the lightning element because she is an Apostle, but because she can use the lightning element, the Goddess has accepted her as her Apostle?

If it were a hyuman that’s decently strong who can use lightning, it wouldn’t be that scary.

My Arms could erase the lightning above, so my confidence increased.

“Ooh, Devil. The personage that announces the end of the Goddess’s era!!”

…

“Shut UUUPPPP!!”

…

“To think…to think Raidou-sama was the Devil-sama… What a wasteful way of using my time…”

“How manly, the avatar of threatening… Comrade Maharo, Comrade Risu, you have seen it. The world will be welcoming a time of change. Judgment isn’t something that mortals deal… Ooh, I can see it. I can see it. I can also see—”

“Stop spouting hexes, you damn interlopers!!” (Alte)

Alte shoots lightning to me and the group that was gathering around.

Maybe it is the power of her sacred treasures, her aria was extremely shortened.

I feel like this is also a really defensive choice of hers.

She already has an auto-guard spell that’s active all the time, so I honestly feel like she doesn’t need aria shortening that much.

If I were in her position, I would solely increase my attack power with equipment.

But it looks like Alte takes pride in that part of hers.

The red lightning attack of Alte causes several status effects on the enemy hit.

The ‘Status Effect King’, was it?

I feel like she thinks that if she were to purely increase her attack power, it would be like betraying the red lightning that she relies on so much.

It is truly a stupid fixation.

So I say, but I am also pretty fixated myself in fighting with a bow.

Am I contradicting myself, or are there several individual rulers in me?

Most likely the latter.

When thinking about a fight that will be a turning point, the biggest one I can imagine would be that Goddess, but if I were to settle the scores, I would want to do so through the bow no matter what.

Not with my bare hands, other weapons, or magic, but with the bow.

However, there’s also a part of me that wants to solely use the most effective methods, and finish the battle as fast as possible.

That part is telling me to not be fixated on a weapon, that this will connect to creating an opening for your enemy.

It is a complicated thing.

Now then, I don’t know what kind of fate was involved here, but the place that I teleported to had Anti-Goddess cultists.

Looks like they are a group that ran away from Tsige.

They weren’t here at first, but as I clashed with Alte, they began to form a circle as if to fortify the surroundings.

The Anti-Goddess Cult and the Revolutionary Army must have been in the middle of their march, aiming to do their comeback somewhere in Aion.

These people are unlucky no matter what they do.

In the first place, Alte and I didn’t mind it much, or more like, didn’t even notice them, so they could have just run away.

I really don’t understand people who have fallen into a cult.

“Haah haaah…” (Alte)

Alte had shot consecutive red lightnings, not only at me, but at the cultists as well.

Honestly speaking, even if the magic power gets pierced through, the resistance towards status effects that comes from magic power is still present.

My barriers and the Magic Armor were of no use, but Sakai is actually working properly.

As expected of an ability from a god.

Looks like the power of a god can properly fight back.

And so, it personally may hurt, but that’s all it is.

If it is pain…I just have to endure it.

As long as I can understand what kind of existence an Apostle is before I accumulate enough damage to render me immobile, I don’t really mind.

“Devil-sama…”

The cultists are being noisy with their Devil Devil.

Even though I have no intention of becoming their star of hope.

Alte is killing them in a trance hearing their words though.

The elf that seemed like the leader, Muller, looked at me in ecstasy as she muttered.

Just how much of their dreams are they putting on the Devil?

Well, if she had knocked on the doors of the Kuzunoha Company as a single elf, the result might have been slightly different though.

But the reality was that Muller came to Tsige and headed to the Dusk Street, to the place of Rio.

…There’s no point anymore, huh.

Poison had already ran through her whole body, and parts of her body are petrified.

From time to time, parts of her body would explode from the inside, and blood would splurt out flashily.

I don’t know if that’s how the status effects are to begin with.

At the very least, it seems like they haven’t been Charmed by Alte.

But well, it is certain that death is close.

Just a few lightning shots have left her in this state already.

It would be pretty hard for a hyuman to go against Alte.

An out-of-standard existence that has several abnormal status effects in her arsenal. Unless you are a wasteland adventurer that is prepared beforehand for those kinds of situations, it would be hard to even fight against her.

People who deal with status effects through equipment and items instead of magic must be the most problematic types for Alte.

Also, unfortunately for her, me as well.

“Muller. I received reports that you disappeared from Tsige. Too bad. Looks like this is the end for the Anti-Goddess Cult.” (Alte)

“…Yeah, but you will surely be dying today as well. Because I have never seen an Apostle make a face like that. Ufufufufu! Let’s die together like good friends, Apostle of the Goddess!!” (Muller)

“Sorry about that, but the one who will be going with you will be your beloved beloved Devil-sama. Die, dirt.” (Alte)

“!!”

Muller turned into a beautiful statue for an instant, but was shattered right after from the follow-up attack.

The fact that she easily admitted to being the top of the cultists must mean that…she is just a lizard tail.

Even tops would sometimes die grandly to invite carelessness from the world, and these cultists must have tied up endless strings for their treason towards the Goddess.

That’s crazy.

“You aren’t looking too good there, Alte. Almost at your limit?” (Makoto)

“Ha! I was just cleaning up the trash since I had the leeway. Also, I don’t remember a single attack of yours hitting me.” (Alte)

“…That’s true.” (Makoto)

“It may be plain despite being an Apostle of a God, but my lightning brings my target closer to certain death the more it hits. I can tell that you came here fully prepared to face me by the fact that you are not being affected by poison, paralysis, and even petrification.” (Alte)

“‘Fully prepared’, huh.” (Makoto)

There’s almost no case where a situation like that happens in the battlefield or in a regular battle.

Or more like, in my case, trouble always comes knocking on my door all of a sudden.

Being perfectly ready in a fight is in the realm of fiction, and I think it is akin to winning with your first hand in mahjong.

“On top of that, there’s those arms. I didn’t even imagine that there would be a method to offset my trump card that I set high above.” (Alte)

“…”

It is not like they offsetted each other. I just returned the arms because they did what they had to do.

It stands out, so even when it is -in a sense- a trump card of mine, the times I can use it are limited.

If Alte herself is already done with stepping up, then there’s no need for them.

“But there’s definitely damage. Despite that amount of magic, and despite all the power you showed, the price of it was just so low, and I thought it was underhanded, but…Raidou, healing doesn’t work on your body, and you can’t use it.” (Alte)

“…Hoh.” (Makoto)

She managed to see through that.

Is she not just a user of the lightning element? Does she have some other hidden cards?

Is it magic eyes like the Lorel Priestess, Chiya-san?

…There’s no real need to get that info from Alte, so I am not really that interested though.

“In that case, that calm and irritating attitude of yours is a facade! You are simply acting tough to try and make your opponent despair, thinking they are not dealing any damage!” (Alte)

“Well, guess you could say that’s right.” (Makoto)

But I am not weakened to the point that a hit would make me fall.

“There’s already no Devil believers that will spread and receive the attack.” (Alte)

“Anti-Goddess Cult! ANTI.GODDESS.CULT! Not Devil believers.” (Makoto)

“In the first place, it is the rule to erase all targets and witnesses, but this time around, I want to carry that out to my fullest. This unshapely contest of strength has no worth in going against my aesthetics. It is just plain disgraceful.” (Alte)

“Haha, you are talking like an assassin. You may be called an Apostle of the Goddess, but in the end you are just that Bug’s goffer. On top of that, one that does the dirty work.” (Makoto)

Haah, seriously.

It is also painful watching her think that she has already won.

She is a girl that lacks the experience of a hard battle.

“It is pointless to try and buy time with provocations.” (Alte)

Several lightning spheres were formed and floated around Alte.

I can pretty much tell where she is aiming at from her eyes though.

But even when I try to evade it, they would accurately change their trajectory and hit me.

Unavoidable must refer to something like this.

“I don’t intend to do that. You already look all washed up, so I was also thinking about finishing it already. Now, let’s do exactly that.” (Makoto)

There’s one other thing I want to try out, but I can try it out with those spheres.

I have gotten a clue which is what I wanted the most.

That Bug isn’t watching this battle…also the way her own Apostle is fighting..

Could it be that she is playing the part of an omniscient being that doesn’t do anything?

If possible…I want her to stay an enemy that’s worth destroying.

“I admit that that bow is also sacred treasure level. If I let you use it too much, that incomprehensible skill might show up again! I won’t let you shoot!! Your turn won’t ever come again!!” (Alte)

We have an idiot here.

Alte directs the four lightning spheres at me.

They shook heavily and exploded, becoming a bundle of electricity, and four lazer-shaped attacks headed my way.

‘If attacks hit, arrows won’t fly her way’, that’s what Alte has learned.

That’s how I have been acting against her after all.

Now then, I know where all those four attacks are aimed at.

This is just for testing. I open four mist gates around my body plus some other extra places.

Wonder what will happen.

Just how high is the hit rate of the lightning element? Show me.

I am still taking a stance with my bow.

My vision turns bright red.

But the figure of Alte is in my head.

I am concentrating…on her forehead.

“Ugh!” (Makoto)

It hurts, but let’s add one more on her thigh!

One more!

Might as well take her heart too.

Even within my state of zero vision, I presented Alte with the same amount of arrows as balls she had.

“?!”

Pain that I have gotten used to burned my body.

3 times from directions I didn’t expect.

Also, my vision that went from red to white had gone back to normal now.

“Going well, going well.” (Makoto)

I connected one mist gate to the sky, one to the depths of the sea, one far into the wasteland…and also connected one to Asora.

It was a decision in the moment.

But the result was quite interesting.

Lazers hit me from the top, bottom, and back.

I could tell from the locations I felt the pain.

No matter where I teleport them, I can’t escape from the lightning element.

Excluding Asora.

The lightning that was teleported to a different space was unable to trace me.

Should I see it as it being possible, or should I see it as being impossible to avoid unless I go that far?

“…”

Alte was standing in place.

There’s signs of her fumbling, but she is miraculously standing.

There’s an arrow on her forehead, thighs, and chest.

“Died standing like Benkei. Fancy till the very end.” (Makoto)

All of them hit.

The one on the forehead was enough to finish it, but I reconsidered it because I felt like it should be fine to match the numbers of the opponent. Those attacks ended up being redundant though.

Aah, that hurt.

In terms of strength, Haruka-san was the stronger one, but in terms of pain, Alte ranks higher.

…Standing in place.

I grabbed a dagger from a dead cultist nearby, and threw it with no motion at her.

Before the dagger could touch her, lightning turned it into cinders.

Oi oi, is she still alive?

“…I want to ask you one thing.” (Alte)

“I want to hear the reason why you are still alive first.” (Makoto)

“You are an enemy of the Goddess.” (Alte)

“Yeah.” (Makoto)

“What’s the point of fighting her, defeating her, and becoming the new god? What is it you wish by turning upside down the order and foundation already rooted in the world?” (Alte)

“? What I want is for that Goddess that has the arrogance of a god and is always…no, no need to say that part. I have only one wish. I will get back at that Goddess I don’t like. That’s all there is to it.” (Makoto)

“Gods, and order…and even ambitions…” (Alte)

Stuff like new god and order…

Making it all big would just trouble me.

I just want to make that Goddess stick her head on the ground and have her earnestly say sorry.

“…”

“Ooi.” (Makoto)

“To think that…there was meaning to everything… Even the fact that two Apostles existed in the same era as the descent of Heroes… Not only the Goddess, but even the world itself…?” (Alte)

“…Haah…” (Makoto)

Can’t be helped.

One more time.

I take stance with my bow.

“I misread! I shouldn’t have come here… Old man, be okay! —?!” (Alte)

Right eye.

This is also a vital.

Alte’s body flies backwards from the impact of the shot.

“Raidou, I will definitely defeat you the next time!” (Alte)

She roared while lying down face up with all her limbs spread out.

This is straight out of a horror film.

Is she just taking the shape of a person, but her insides are a completely different thing?

…Well, there’s no next time though.

I don’t know what kind of revelation you had, and I don’t care where you sent that message of yours.

But it would trouble me for you to forget…

I will have you pay for the torturing you inflicted Tomoe and Ema.

“There’s no next time.” (Makoto)

Next is the left eye—?!

“She disappeared…” (Makoto)

It certainly did bother me lightly. That maybe she could use the lightning element to move or teleport, and what would happen if she wanted to escape.

So this is the answer.

It seemed like cladding her body with lightning was quite the heavy burden already, so this method of hers shouldn’t suit her.

It doesn’t seem like she trained her body, and she couldn’t keep up with her ability completely.

So she was cornered to the point that she had to desperately run away regardless of how ill-suited such a technique would be on her.

I silently take out a quiver in this place that’s now completely barren.

In her case, she would render a magic power arrow completely useless.

I prepare around 10 quivers behind me.

Haah, even though I normally properly recollect them and pay extra care to them…

Looks like I have no choice but to give up on that this time around.

Hey, Alte.

I said it, right?

That I would be getting my payback?

Muller did tell you too, right?

You will be dying today.

I take stance with my bow.

Towards Alte who isn’t in an alternate space or parallel world, but in this world somewhere.

The figure of Alte shows up in my mind.

“If you have no vitals, I will be making you into scraps of meat. Bye, Alte.” (Makoto)