336 – The Master of the Holy Sword -4-

[Bam! Bam! Bam!]

– Brother…! I’m scared…

– It’s okay. If you hide in the closet, they won’t find you… If you hide again today…

[Screeeech.]

– Here you are.

– aaah!! Brother!!

– Please save me!!

My life had been miserable.

Before I was known as “Temperance,” it was dark and ugly.

I had to avoid debt collectors who knocked on the door every day, and I had to fear my father who was addicted to alcohol and gambling. My mother had long since run away. I had the duty to protect my only younger sibling.

– Please don’t hit me… Brother…! Save me…

Because I was the older brother.

Because that was my life.

Because I was born into such a pitiful life. I lived resenting the misfortune that had come to me.

One day, yes… On the day I was beaten for no reason by my drunken father, I went to church and prayed. I asked why I had to live such a life.

While others lived happily in loving families, I prayed to God, asking why only misfortune came to me.

– Please kill my dad.

Of course, God did not answer.

The sermons I heard at the church I went to for comfort always said, “Love,” “Forgive,” “Temper,” but they offered no solutions to the misfortune that came.

What kind of God is that?

What kind of forgiveness is that?

I was living in hell every day.

When my father, who swung his fists every day, strangled my younger sibling, I abandoned my filial duty.

Because the world was like a dog.

If it weren’t for you.

If you hadn’t created us.

We wouldn’t have to suffer like this.

It was only then that I realized.

The beginning of all misfortune stems from the act of ‘restraint’.

Because I ‘restrained’ myself, misfortune came.

Because I ‘endured’, happiness did not come to me.

-Haa… Haa…

It was only after I killed my father with my own hands that I realized. ‘Restraint’ is a foolish thing.

Survival of the fittest.

That’s the way of the world, but I tried to run away from it. After realizing the way of the world too late, I decided not to endure any longer.

I killed people for profit.

I spread misfortune for money.

As wealth accumulated, threats began to emerge.

People who held grudges against me.

Those with convictions that couldn’t be swayed by offerings. When I felt the disgraceful realization that their strength surpassed mine, I fell into despair. Those who lived their lives happily showed mercy.

-I won’t kill you.

-…

-Because your life is pitiful, live the rest of your life for others.

In the midst of that, he came to me.

-Your eyes filled with despair are pleasing to see.

-…

-Do you desire power?

He, who bestowed upon me the alias of restraint, extended his hand to me.

“…”

Yes, my desire is restraint.

To restrain for greater happiness is the desire I seek.

*

-Grab.

With Elysia’s smile, the hand of restraint grasped the holy sword.

It was the result of a moment’s carelessness.

“…!”

Elysia’s black magic had the power to fulfill desires. In the moment of facing her, I should never have let my guard down.

That was it.

“Ha ha…!”

“…”

“Got you?”

It was the terror of Onyu’s apostle.

In the eyes of the confused apostle of restraint, a smile soaked in Elysia’s madness was reflected.

It was the moment when the arrogant face of the apostle of restraint, who had always been confident of victory, began to crack.

“Kuhat…”

The apostle of restraint burst into laughter.

It was enough to kill them all now.

Enduring was foolish.

“Yeah… I should have killed you earlier.”

“…”

“It’s not bad that things turned out this way. Creating a faithful apostle rather than a clumsy imitation is what will serve Him.”

“…”

The apostle of restraint began to grip the holy sword with force.

“Got you…? I caught you, you foolish woman.”

“…”

“What can a mere piece of iron like this do?”

“…”

“Ancient relics have no influence over me. I am restraint. The apostle chosen by Him.”

But.

-Crack.

“…What.”

A large crack began to form in the hand of the apostle of restraint holding the holy sword.

The flesh was splitting.

The hand that held the sword was convulsing. As if rapid aging was taking over the body, the trembling hand of the apostle of restraint was losing strength.

Thud.

“Oh…”

The apostle of restraint sniffed at the pool of blood gathering on the floor. And, seeing the bloodstains on the back of the hand, the eyes trembled.

“Why… my body.”

Rupture.

As the immense holy power that seemed to swallow his breath began to coil around Restraint’s hand, he opened his trembling eyes and started to look at Elysia.

“What have you done?”

“It seems the holy sword is verifying your qualifications.”

“…!”

“You said you could do it.”

“…Don’t be ridiculous!”

Restraint pulled at the holy sword with trembling eyes, but his eyes began to shake violently at the weight of the sword that wouldn’t budge.

“…Ughhh”

“Keep holding it.”

At the moment when Elysia’s hand was about to cut off Restraint’s breath.

Restraint’s apostle, with eyes wide open, severed the hand that was holding the holy sword. Because the longer he held the sword, the more he felt his strength draining away.

Thinking that at this rate, he wouldn’t be able to check Elysia, let alone the man behind her, Restraint made a decision and let out a hollow laugh as he looked at his severed arm.

“Kahaha…”

Restraint let out a mad laugh as he looked straight into Elysia’s eyes.

“Kahahaha!! Interesting… really interesting.”

Elysia was also letting out a bigger mad laugh as she looked straight into Restraint’s eyes. Madman versus madman.

‘Scary.’

Watching the fight of the apostles, I clicked my tongue and let out a sigh. The fight between the two madmen was a bit scary for me too. The regretful part was that Restraint had cut off his hand. If he had held on a little longer, one of Restraint’s dark magic spells would have been sealed. He might have even been retired.

I didn’t know the specific abilities of the holy sword, but the author had left settings for the qualification test part.

-Q. What happens if a heretic forcibly pulls out the holy sword?

-A. Dark magic is sealed or they die. The holy sword is a picky one.

All I knew was that the holy sword was a fraudulent sword that bestowed numerous blessings on its user.

What was certain was that the current apostle of Restraint couldn’t defeat Elysia.

I gave a small nod to Elysia, who was looking at me with eyes hoping for the start of revenge, signaling that she didn’t have to hold back.

The moment the signal dropped, a chilling magic began to swirl around the space behind Elysia. It was a power that distorted the space to the extent that it didn’t seem like the villain who couldn’t show his true power and exited.

‘…?’

Awakened Olaf.

No, it was a stronger magic than that.

Elicia bowed her head in gratitude and muttered softly.

“Glory to the Saint.”

It was a good thing to have recruited her.

If she hadn’t been recruited, that magic would have been directed at me.

Elicia’s hand roughly grabbed the face of the Apostle of Temperance and violently threw him towards the corner.

-Splaaat…!

The space distorted. All the space seen through Elicia’s eyes began to distort and shatter like glass.

“Temperance. No… I should call you ‘Jehar’.”

“…Arrogant woman….”

Temperance staggered to his feet and began to unfold a massive magic circle on the ground.

His black magic was ‘Temperance (節制)’

The power to create rules and suppress.

The power to suppress death.

The ability to suppress the target’s magic within a certain area. It was a fraudulent ability that could create numerous regulations and grasp them at will.

Of course, there were limits to the regulations, but in the novel, it was an outrageous ability that restricted aura in the battle with Rowen. It was an ability to become a god within a certain area.

However.

-Rumble rumble rumble.

Elicia, who knew his ability, was no different. She was also an Apostle.

Elicia, with blue glowing eyes, distorted the space and spoke in a cold voice towards the Apostle of Temperance.

“How long have I waited for this moment.”

“Don’t be conceited, Onyu.”

“It seems like you are the one being conceited. Aren’t you afraid? Of what gift I have prepared.”

“Ridiculous.”

Temperance began to coldly spit out regulations.

“Black magic. Regulation.”

“…”

“From now on, within this space, I will restrict Apostle Elicia’s black magic.”

“…”

“Struggle all you want, foolish woman.”

Elicia smiled a fishy smile and said.

“Holy Magic.”

“…!!!”

“Ritual Flame.”

A pure white flame began to dance on Abstinence’s body. At the same time, flames were forming on Elysia’s body as well. Using high-level holy magic by one who had forsaken the gods was an act that invited divine retribution. It was a double-edged sword that would return to Elysia as well.

However.

“Ugh…!!!”

The key point was that holy magic inflicted even greater wounds on the already injured Abstinence.

“Your precepts are wavering.”

“…”

“In this state, I can’t help but exploit the gap.”

“Stop…!”

“Like this.”

-Slash!!!-

With a small smile, Elysia distorted the space around the wavering precepts, and at the same time, Abstinence’s magic circle split in half, starting to confront the domain created by Elysia.

The black magic circle symbolizing the precepts.

Elysia’s blue mana created intense waves, beginning to divide the space where the holy sword lay dormant into two realms.

-Slash…

-SlashSlashSlash!!!-

Elysia’s explosive mana writhed uncontrollably, repeatedly restoring and breaking down.

“Struggle harder.”

“…”

“If you die, your sibling will be in danger.”

Elysia looked straight at Abstinence.

At the color of his emotions.

Seeing the color of his emotions trembling in fear, she smiled.

It writhes.

The color of Abstinence’s emotions.

The red color symbolizing anger.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

“…”

“Are you not curious… about the color of your emotions?”

“…Shut up!”

“The color of your emotions right now is….”

Symbolizing fear.

“Blue.”

A deep blue.