Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 165

Ch.165 Apostle of the Goddess of War

"Now! Now! Now! Lift that big butt! Achilleeee!"

Vilena raised her voice to provoke Achille. However, Achille sat calmly on her throne with her legs crossed like a stone statue.

Even though her apostle was on the verge of death, the Goddess of War did not move an inch.

She was merely looking at Sion with endlessly cold and calm eyes.

It was the same now. Although Vilena had defeated Sion, the Goddess of War's focus was solely on her apostle.

Even though Vilena screamed and shouted provocations, Achille's pitch-black pupils did not turn toward the Goddess of Rage.

[Rise. My apostle. You are Achille's sword. Will you break here?]

'It is too… hard. My Lady.'

[That is why you are an apostle, and a holy knight of the Goddess of War. Do you not know?]

Sion asked, exhausted.

'Did the Master ever have times like this?'

[There were times worse than this. There were times I endured while holding my spilled intestines with my own hands and pushing them back in.]

'Haha, you are truly a monster. You survived even after that?'

Achille smiled faintly.

[Well, I survived because this Goddess nursed me all night.]

'Please nurse me too.'

[I have never left you.]

This time, Sion smiled faintly.

'That is true.'

From the first time he met Garfenn until now.

Even when physically separated, there was never a time when he could not feel Achille's presence.

No matter how far away, the Goddess of War's warm hand always touched Sion's cheek and shared warmth.

[It is the same now. In the past, now, and in the future. I protect my apostle and my believers.]

'I must protect what needs protecting as the Goddess of War's sword as well.'

[What is it that you must protect?]

The Goddess of War asks. Sion pondered the Goddess's question for a moment.

'As expected, I still don't know perfectly. Conviction? The world? My siblings? Would that be an answer?'

Achille half-opened her eyes and moved her lips. As if that was enough.

[Apostle, grasp the sword.]

The War Sword vibrates. Power returns to his broken arms.

Though the body was broken, the soul and faith remained intact. He accelerated his Divine Power and began to move his body.

Sion spoke softly.

"……The Goddess of War is with me."

"Hah?"

Vilena turned her head. The Apostle of War, who was half-killed, was standing again. For some reason, the sword pressure wielding the War Sword was fiercer than before. There was not a single opening visible.

"How… is that possible?"

Vilena asked.

"Because the Goddess of War is with me."

Guided by Sion's hand, the War Sword exceeded physical limits and extended long. The blade actually grew. The blade, grown large enough to split a mountain range, was swung at super speed.

Booooom—!!

He swung the sword, and a storm followed as a follow-up attack.

Baaang!

The Temple of Fire flew away entirely. Except for exactly one place where Agnia was stationed, not a single form of the past remained.

CRACK—BOOM!

The sound of a lightning storm raged. The flash of the blade split the air and the mountains.

It was a true strike capable of lightly cutting even the demonic energy surrounding the Goddess of Rage. Physically strong, plus added Divine Power, this irrational attack hit Vilena directly.

"Graaak!"

The War Sword cried out. Vilena stood blankly with a look of despair.

Her right arm, right shoulder, and half of her upper body flew away. Blood sprayed like a fountain from her holy body.

Vilena twisted the corner of her mouth.

"I can't believe it. How can a human wield the War Sword, remain intact, and handle it similarly to Achille?"

Vilena's pupils, asking with malice, still glared at Achille. Achille, for her part, merely looked at her apostle who had overcome limits yet again with a satisfied face.

[It is beyond reason. It is Eru's arrangement, and destined as the one who will end the eternal war of the Goddesses.]

"What nonsense."

[Do not try to understand. Vilena. Just accept it. Like there is light, life sprouts, and shadows fall. Consider it a natural phenomenon.]

Vilena sneered.

"You are struggling to say that nonsense about being favored by Eru. Achille."

[Calm down. Vilena. If I were favored, would I have been chased out of the Round Table?]

"That proud look. Let's see if it remains even after I pluck my apostle's neck."

Snap

Vilena regenerated her severed body parts instantly. Even a true strike capable of blowing away a mountain range was a level she could recover from in one second as a manifest Evil God.

'There is one way to kill.'

It was only to cut the source divinity visible only to Sion's eyes.

If he was favored by Eru, it was these eyes.

With this power capable of killing even Goddesses and Evil Gods, he would bring peace to the world.

"Urrgh! Ugh!"

Vilena released her power. By revealing her true form, she could use the true power of the concept she governed.

[Rage is—my power.]

The Goddess of Rage, Vilena, transformed into an indescribably alien appearance and glared at Sion.

Her size had only grown slightly, but her appearance and aura were far more lethal than the beautiful Goddess form.

Sion swallowed saliva. Even though he had broken through limits and grown stronger, that looked truly dangerous.

'Even so….'

I will win.

Boom!

As if to put a wedge in this fight, Vilena moved instantly. It was a speed invisible to the eye and untraceable.

He could only move by predicting. The pure power of Rage was to attack the object of rage until the rage subsided.

If Vilena decided it, it was an irrational power that would inevitably become so.

There was no distinction between good and evil. Just pure rage, roar, violence. It was force itself, dogmatic and running wild.

'At the exact timing.'

Achille's hand landed on Sion's shoulder. Stars rose in Sion's mental image.

At this moment, another feat of the Apostle of War began to be engraved on the star.

He saw stars and the universe. Bones, flesh, and blood water engrave a new song on the star.

Sion's Divine Power ring wriggled like blood vessels. The pulse became fierce, and the flow of Divine Power also sped up. He poured the last strength into his softened brain.

'To the exact spot.'

Whoosh—!

Vilena's rage arrived right before his nose. It was the exact moment when not even a speck of dust could fit between her widely opened pupils and her fist.

Swish!

Sion leaped across space.

He jumped with the Goddess's power engraved on his star and grabbed her from behind.

Thud!

He stabs the blade into her back without hesitation. He cuts the nerves and pierces the source divinity.

"Ugh."

Pwah!

Along with Vilena's death rattle, starlight surged up. Blood of rage scattered like stars and soared until it reached the moon.

……A galaxy was spread across the night sky.

***

"Uh…."

The fight was over. Sion won once again, and survived.

An unexpected spoil of war was also obtained.

'My body is floating?'

He had kicked the ground when delivering the final blow. But since then, his body had not touched the ground. He was still floating in the air.

Sion was levitating slightly above the ground. He watched Vilena coughing up blood as it was.

[It is the record of the newly engraved star. Following space movement, you can now fly in the sky.]

'How can that be.'

There was no time to be surprised by the new power. Vilena began her last struggle.

"Graaaaaah!"

Once again, she began to let out a fierce roar as if tearing the world apart. Her body glowed blue in various places.

[She is trying to self-destruct.]

'What should we do?'

Sion had no strength left to fight. Achille had already retrieved the War Sword.

[Leave it to Menesia.]

'Hm?'

Somehow, Menesia had revealed herself. There was not even a presence. Not even the minute variation that occurs when appearing from the Divine Realm to the manifest world was felt.

'Amazing Divine Power….'

However, the power felt when Menesia appeared was tremendous. It was an amount and quality of Divine Power not even received from Achille.

Sion looked toward Arwen in the distance. Arwen was collapsed. Fortunately, she was not dead.

It seemed she had fought a fierce battle over there as well. The Goddess of Madness struggled while tied to a scale. Menesia must have intervened and subdued her.

However, the process seemed to have been a bit tough. Menesia was in a state where even her expression and atmosphere were heated.

'One way or another, it seems she doesn't like that her apostle was hurt.'

Sion smiled softly. The grace and love of the Goddesses made his heart feel fluffy.

When Menesia touched Vilena, the glowing body returned to normal as if by magic.

He didn't know what kind of mysterious ability she used, but Menesia's power was great.

"Haa—"

Vilena exhaled a long sigh. Extreme rage appeared condensed into a single small breath.

Vilena opened her mouth, having lost her power.

"Kill me. It's all over. I lost. I'm tired of expressing rage now."

[No, Vilena. You are not tired. You just lost.]

Achille said firmly. For some reason, she was a particularly cold Goddess of War in front of the Goddess of Rage.

"……I don't have the energy to argue."

[Submit.]

"What?"

[I said surrender. Corruption and Chaos have become my belongings. Live and pay for your sins forever.]

"Hmph, I don't want to. I'd rather die than lick your feet."

Vilena gradually disappeared. Because she was stabbed with what could be called a Goddess's soul by Sion, her life was extinguishing.

The feeling of life extinguishing was something even an Evil God experienced for the first time. Vilena felt fear as well. But she pretended to be strong on the outside.

At this moment, what came to Vilena's mind were Magoth and Gederne.

"……I will die bearing the sin. Save Magoth and Gederne. You can at least do this much, right?"

[No.]

Whine—!

The dying Vilena raged. Instantly, blood flowed from Sion's ears again. The roar itself was a powerful killing technique.

[I defeated you. I conquered. Then you are my possession.]

"That kind of nonsense—!"

[You know it is possible, don't you?]

Achille opened her eyes wide. Vilena stared at those cold black eyes, then turned her head.

It was one of the Goddess of War's powers. If you win the fight, you become possession. The concept of plundering and taking spoils after war was something Achille spread to the human world.

[I am showing you mercy. Vilena. It is kindness proposed because I know the feelings of you who were chased out of the heavens.]

"Get lost."

[I can change you by force. But I will respect your will.]

"My will is extinction. I don't want to get angry anymore."

Vilena gritted her teeth and glared at Achille. Achille stared at Vilena with emotionless eyes.

[……I will purify you again with the Corruption Sword.]

"What kind of absurd… Wait."

Vilena's eyes widened suddenly.

"Are you saying Tartania pledged loyalty to you voluntarily, just now?"

[Yes.]

"She gave you the power of the Corruption Sword?"

Vroom!

Sion showed off the Corruption Sword right away as if to show her. A sword of strange shape and patterns cried out, emitting an ominous energy.

"Insane…."

Vilena clicked her tongue. She thought there was no way, but it wasn't so.

"Can I really not get angry anymore?"

Vilena's blue pupils trembled. As if she had finally found what she wished for, a thrill ran down her spine.

[I vaguely remember your true self. I will return you to it. Vilena. Live as one with your younger sister again.]

"I am… I am."

At that moment, Menesia summoned a scale. Vilena's younger sister, the Goddess of Madness, was placed on the scale.

The two looked into each other's eyes. They were two who shared thoughts and experiences. It was possible because they were originally one.

Their thoughts were the same.

Vilena, exhausted from being swept up in rage, and Gederne, who had to go mad every day, blinked and accepted everything.

Thud.

Sion stabbed the Corruption Sword into the hearts of the two Evil Gods.