BXBX NOVEL Chapter 40 – Descent of Evil (4)
Chapter 40 – Descent of Evil (4)
Chapter 40 – Descent of Evil (4)
She thought she knew enough about Ketal.
Having cleared dungeons together twice, she believed she had figured out what kind of person Ketal was.
Unique and intensely curious, but fundamentally a good person.
Someone who could be considerate and respectful.
Somewhere in her heart, she thought of the Barbarian as somewhat peculiar but essentially an ordinary being living in this world.
But this…
Something is different.
Something feels alien.
He wasn’t someone who shared the same values.
She realized that.
Suddenly, Heize felt the Barbarian become distant.
BOOM!
Meanwhile, the battle continued.
Light and darkness collided, sweeping across the territory with shockwaves.
CLANG!
Ashetiar, who had struck the shield with her hammer, stepped back.
Her hammer was adorned with divinity as golden as the sun.
She shook off the divine energy clinging to her hammer.
‘As expected, a hound of the gods.’
Ashetiar thought.
Her power was superior to that woman.
The gap was clear.
She could win a hundred times out of a hundred.
But their compatibility was bad.
In this world, no devil could rival a god.
Moreover, that woman could recite the holy scripture.
The holy scripture was the word of God.
Reading it meant she could receive God’s power more directly.
If this continued, the battle would be prolonged.
She might even lose.
So, she had to seize victory through other means.
Ashetiar swung her hammer.
Aquaz was momentarily puzzled.
It wasn’t aimed at her.
But soon her expression changed dramatically.
She stomped the ground roughly and instantly arrived in front of the people, raising her shield.
BOOM!
Darkness exploded against her shield.
People screamed.
If she hadn’t blocked it, they would have been shredded by the sharp darkness.
“Despicable.”
“Did you really expect fairness from a devil?”
Ashetiar taunted Aquaz.
Aquaz’s expression remained unchanged.
No devil would put people into their territory just to watch a fair fight.
Surely, they were meant to hinder her.
So, she spoke calmly.
“Material, Chapter 1, Verse 1. A radiant golden domain is born.”
A golden domain emerged.
A divine territory that no evil could invade.
“Everyone, enter here.”
“Oh… thank you, Aquaz.”
People hurriedly entered the domain Aquaz had created.
Ashetiar cackled.
“Can you afford to waste such a precious scripture?”
“Shut up.”
Aquaz charged roughly.
Ashetiar swung her hammer.
BOOM!
The battle now was distinctly different.
The aura of light surrounding Aquaz had weakened, and she could no longer completely block Ashetiar’s attacks.
The holy scripture was the word of God.
Reading it could grant overwhelming power, but it required a significant cost.
It wasn’t a power one could use freely.
Aquaz’s defeat became apparent.
Ashetiar laughed, mocking her.
“Sacrificing your power and leading yourself to defeat just to protect a few insignificant, lowly lives. How foolish.”
Instead of answering, Aquaz swung her mace.
Ashetiar blocked it with her hammer.
The divine light of the sun could no longer erode the hammer.
CLANG!
With their bodies close together, Ashetiar whispered.
“Death is nothing. It’s just death. No one will recognize your noble sacrifice.”
If Aquaz were defeated here, everyone trapped in the territory would die.
And Ashetiar would reveal herself to the world.
In that process, it would be known that Aquaz was defeated.
“The first hound of the Sun God lost to evil. You will disgrace yourself and your God’s honor. But if you defeat me and leave, everyone will praise your great name. Your God’s influence will also increase.”
For that to happen, Aquaz had to fight with all her strength.
In other words, she had to abandon the people trapped here.
Ashetiar smiled gently.
“It’s a simple story. Just withdraw the sanctuary surrounding them. They are unbelievers. They don’t believe in your God. In other words, they’re heretics.”
Aquaz is an inquisitor.
One who judges heretics.
“If you’re afraid of taking their lives yourself, don’t worry. Leave everything to me. You just need to close your eyes and cover your ears.”
“Shut up.”
As if it wasn’t worth listening to, Aquaz gripped her shield tightly.
She charged roughly, causing the ground to crack as Ashetiar’s body was flung away.
Ashetiar sneered.
“Are you going to die here, dishonoring your god?”
Instead of answering, Aquaz kicked the ground fiercely.
Her mace, shrouded in light, tore through the air.
CLANG!
Ashetiar’s face showed surprise as she blocked the attack.
Usually, humans cornered like this would pretend to lose and abandon the lives they were protecting.
Then they would say:
“I will avenge you.”
Mocking their contradictions and selfishness, their desire for survival, was Ashetiar’s pleasure.
But Aquaz truly wasn’t willing to abandon them.
Ashetiar’s eyes quietly flickered.
“Did that nobility captivate your god? Then die as a martyr.”
BOOM!
Ashetiar’s movements changed, pressuring Aquaz while darting through the darkness.
Aquaz struggled to keep up with her barely perceptible speed.
“Material, Chapter 3, Verse 12! The radiant sanctuary will banish the darkness….”
“Enough.”
Her words were cut off.
Ashetiar’s hand clamped over Aquaz’s mouth.
“I’m tired of hearing the words of your god.”
BOOM!
Ashetiar slammed Aquaz into the ground with force.
Then she raised her hammer and brought it down.
Aquaz hurriedly raised her shield.
CLANG!
The shield shattered under the hammer’s impact.
Ashetiar snapped her fingers, and darkness enveloped Aquaz’s entire body.
“Ugh!”
The battle was over.
The domain of light protecting the people vanished.
“Ah, no!”
Despairing screams erupted.
The Inquisitor had been defeated by a demon.
They were going to die.
Ashetiar savored their screams.
“I’ll enjoy you as a dessert. Now, before that, I wonder how a noble hound of the gods tastes?”
Ashetiar opened her mouth, revealing sharp shark-like teeth.
Aquaz did not close her eyes.
She stared at the evil that sought to defile her with unyielding eyes.
Ashetiar smirked as if annoyed by this.
“Such pretty eyes. I want to see them twisted in pain.”
Ashetiar moved to bite into Aquaz’s flesh.
“That’s enough.”
At that moment, Ketal grabbed Ashetiar’s shoulder.
“What?”
Ashetiar was startled.
How?
She hadn’t sensed any movement.
But before she could finish her thoughts, a tremendous force pulled her back.
Ashetiar’s body was flung backward, crashing into the barrier she had created.
“Argh!”
BOOM!
Her body collided with her own barrier.
“It was an entertaining and satisfying fight. But she’s my friend. I can’t let her die.”
Ketal lightly brushed his hands and extended a hand to the fallen Aquaz.
“Are you alright?”
“…”
Aquaz stared blankly up at him.
* * *
Aquaz had used every means at her disposal and lost.
She had resigned herself to death.
Thus, she had forgotten about Ketal’s existence.
He was the one who defeated the Swordmaster Cain.
A superhumanly strong warrior.
He had enough skill to intervene in their fight.
“You….”
Ashetiar staggered up from where she had collided with her barrier.
Her face showed the displeasure of having her feast interrupted.
“Impudent Barbarian. How dare you interrupt my meal?”
“Sorry, but she’s my friend. I can’t let her die.”
“I was considering letting you live as a toy….”
“Unfortunately, I have no intention of being used by anyone.”
“Is that so?”
Ashetiar smirked.
Darkness gathered, forming into the shape of a hammer.
“Then you must die.”
“S-Stand back.”
Aquaz staggered to her feet.
“You cannot defeat a demon.”
“I’m fairly strong, you know.”
“No. Only those who wield divine power can defeat a demon.”
It wasn’t a matter of strength.
Only the divine could banish a named demon from this world.
Other powers were ineffective.
This was a law established since the dawn of time, when good and evil came into existence.
Moreover, this was a demon’s territory.
There could be no strokes of luck.
This Barbarian could never defeat the demon.
Ketal stroked his chin, intrigued by her words.
“Only gods can oppose demons. Is that the concept? That’s fascinating.”
“Step back. I will handle this.”
“Even so.”
Ketal looked at Aquaz.
“You don’t seem to be in any condition to fight.”
Her golden armor was corroded and darkened, her shield shattered, and the hand holding the mace was trembling.
The outcome was clear.
Aquaz had been defeated.
But the Inquisitor’s eyes hadn’t lost their determination.
“I must do this. I serve the god. I am the one who opposes evil….”
However, she couldn’t hide her body, staggering against her will.
Ketal grinned.
“Is this what it means to believe in a god? Impressive.”
Ketal was satisfied.
This Inquisitor truly had the faith and heart befitting one who serves a god.
“I’ve seen something good.”
Ketal quietly leaned Aquaz’s body against a half-destroyed building column.
Aquaz leaned her body against it, still staggering.
“But leave this to me. I want to fight a demon too.”
“You foolish Barbarian. You don’t understand. I told you, you cannot defeat me.”
Ashetiar taunted Ketal.
“From what I’ve seen, you’re strong. But that’s it. You can’t wield divine power. You can never defeat me.”
“Shall we test that?”
Ketal smiled faintly.
Ashetiar revealed a sadistic smile.
One of her favorite things was to crush and consume those who overestimated their strength.
“I want to see your eyes twisted in pain.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ashetiar’s body vanished.
Darkness opened up, and she appeared right in front of Ketal.
It was a leap through space.
It wasn’t a mere move, so there was no time to respond.
Aquaz wouldn’t have detected it without divine sensing.
Darkness silently descended upon Ketal’s neck.
“No, don’t.”
Aquaz uttered weakly.
In her mind, she envisioned Ketal’s head being crushed.
And at that moment.
CRACK.
Ashetiar’s head was crushed instead.