Ch.171
* * *
Asil stared blankly at the staggering snake.
Arshian’s attack, carried out under everyone’s support, was successful.
The snake could hardly regain its senses.
Thanks to the Source of God, the external wounds healed quickly, but it seemed an internal problem had occurred as it rolled around on the ground, unable to lift its body.
Then, with a cough, it spat out a brilliant lump of light.
Although its size had decreased compared to when she first saw it, it was clearly the Source of God.
Edenber and the knights, who had been on standby, rushed forward.
“Shiaaa!”
The desperate snake used magic.
Even though it had become incomparably weaker than when it held the Source of God, it was still a power that could not be ignored, as it had absorbed a portion of the Source.
However, caught in a sudden burst of flames, it was thrown helplessly against the wall.
Fear, who had used his ability with perfect timing, looked triumphant.
“Ho-oooooh!” (How’s that! My head isn’t just for decoration!)
“Kya-ang!” (What if you blow away the Source of God too!)
Just as Rune pointed out, the Source of God that had been blown away was lying near the snake.
The snake immediately lunged toward the Source of God.
A startled Fear hurriedly tried to stop that action.
However, there was someone who moved one step faster than Fear.
Clang—!
It was Edenber.
Rushing forward in an instant, he blocked the snake, which was trying to swallow the Source of God again, with his sword and exchanged several blows.
The infuriated snake roared.
Just as it was about to hurl broken building debris at Edenber with a full-force tail whip.
As a silver thread flashed in the air, the tail was sliced off.
Ikart had attacked while the snake’s attention was focused on Edenber.
“Shiaaaaaak!!!”
The snake, having lost its tail, lost its reason and went wild.
Perhaps because it had spat out the Source of God, the wound did not heal.
Rather, as if it were difficult to hold onto power any longer due to its broken body, a haze-like white light rose slowly over its entire body and headed toward the Source of God.
“Shiaaa!!” (No!!)
The snake, sensing defeat, struggled.
Edenber delivered a decisive blow to the snake.
“Shiaaaaaa!!”
But unfortunately, because strength still remained, he could not cut off its breath.
Dripping blood, the snake retreated bit by bit.
At that moment, Edenber raised his sword to finish the snake off completely.
– Stop.
Simultaneously with a burst of strong light, the Source of God transformed into a human-shaped lump of light and stood tall between Edenber and the snake.
While Edenber grew tense at the sudden situation, hope settled on the snake’s face.
However, the lump of light had not appeared to save the snake.
– It seems the victory has been decided, so I will take you away.
“……Shiaak?” (……What?)
– You haven’t forgotten that if you lose the bet, you must be imprisoned forever.
Even the remaining traces of color drained from the snake’s face.
The snake, moving its bleeding tail to step back with difficulty, stammered its words.
“Shi, shiaak. Shiaaaaaa—” (I, I haven’t lost yet. I can kill all the humans and beastmen—)
– Your power shall become part of the Source, and your soul shall burn forever, trapped in the flames created by your greed.
Having finished speaking, the lump of light approached the snake.
No, no! Shuddering, the snake tried its best to get away somehow.
However, there was no way in the world to escape the light.
“Shiaaaaaak!”
The moment it touched the lump of light, the snake’s body was erased.
It was as if it had been erased with an eraser; it existed nowhere. Not even a single drop of blood fell.
The snake, having lost a part of its body, lost its reason to fear.
“Shiaak! Shiaaaaaak!”
In a final act of desperation, it lunged at Edenber, who was nearby.
But the light only erased the snake and caused no damage to Edenber.
The fragments of the snake remaining in the world gradually grew smaller.
“Shiak…….”
Unable to even move as its body was erased, it could only watch with eyes dyed in terror, trembling, as the lump of light slowly approached.
That was the end of it.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
The snake completely vanished.
Everyone present grew tense, wondering if they would be the next target.
However, as if it had no more business there, the lump of light broke its form and returned to the Source of God.
After a long silence, Edenber spoke in a hoarse voice.
“It would be best to seal that.”
“I think so too.”
Selena, who answered immediately, ran quickly and picked up the Source of God.
She had an expression as if she were touching a bug.
* * *
The unprecedented situation of usurping the Source of God—something that had never happened before and would never happen again—was somehow brought to a close.
People who saw the annihilation of the snake with their own eyes became alert to the fact that no matter how much power they could gain, they should never covet the Source of God.
Furthermore, the Great Temple sealed the Source of God in an unknown place so that no one could possess it, and declared that it would never be brought out into the world again, no matter what hardships might come.
Now that the disaster had been repelled, it was time to resolve the realistic aspects.
The Imperial Family and the Great Temple promised the highest honors to those who protected the Source of God and the maximum compensation to those who suffered unfortunate accidents.
Soon, a full investigation was conducted.
However, this procedure faced difficulty after difficulty more than expected, because there were many cases among civilians where entire families were massacred.
They had all come together to see the Source of God, which was revealed for the first time in a century, and met with disaster.
And included in this list of massacred families was the Count Erzébet family.
* * *
“Why!!”
On the outskirts of the capital’s suburbs.
Without a moment to celebrate the victory of the battle, Asil, who had hidden in a shelter with her family, leaving the intact Count Erzébet estate behind, shouted out loud.
“Why do we have to pretend to be dead and go back to the Forest of Beastmen!”
“It’s because Dad’s identity was revealed.”
With a face that looked like he didn’t know what to do out of apology, Arshian stroked Asil’s hair.
“At that time, there were too many humans who saw Dad returning to his original form. That’s why I can no longer stay here as Count Erzébet.”
“Everyone said they would keep it a secret! They said they wouldn’t tell anyone!”
“A secret that has leaked out once is no longer a secret.”
Although the majority of humans revered him as a messenger of God, the moment it was discovered he was a beastman, it was all over.
If it were discovered that the beastmen had planted a spy while talks of exchange with the Empire were ongoing…….
The aftermath would be impossible to handle.
It wouldn’t be strange even if a war broke out.
Thus, they were trying to wrap up their life here and return to the forest before an irreversible situation occurred.
Tears welled up in Asil’s eyes.
She had only just realized her feelings for Edenber.
She hadn’t even finished catching up with the humans she was seeing for the first time in a long while.
But to whine about wanting to stay, Asil understood perfectly why her father was saying this.
However, to accept it immediately made her heart feel heavy and painful like water-soaked cotton, so she clenched her two fists and screamed.
“I hate you, Dad!!!”
And then she ran out hurriedly.
Todori and Bembemi quickly followed behind her.
* * *
The place Asil headed to was the garden of the Count Erzébet family.
Since it was late at night, the surroundings were quiet. Even the moon was hidden behind dark clouds, and nothing could be seen.
In that place where not even a single ant could be seen because the entire family was known to have been massacred, Asil crouched down and sobbed.
“Heuu-aaaang…….”
“Kyu!”
“Kkooreuk.”
Todori and Bembemi, who followed late, wiped away her tears, telling her not to cry.
But Asil’s tears showed no sign of stopping.
She knew she would return to the forest someday, but she didn’t know it would be now, and there was no promise of when she could return to the Empire again.
‘I’m upset.’
If I go like this, when can I meet Edenber?
What about Father, Mother, and Grandfather? What about Lilibet sister and Briden brother? What about the other Divine Beasts?
It was when she was crying her heart out until her eyes were swollen while thinking such thoughts.
Rustle.
The sound of something moving atop a tree was heard.
Soon, a black object dropped down right in front of Asil.
“Kyu-aaaaaaaaak!”
“Kkoo-reureureureureuk!”
Todori and Bembemi screamed instead of Asil.
However, at the whisper that followed, they opened their eyes wide and looked up at the other person.
“Shh.”
It was a familiar voice.
Startled by it, Asil looked up. And seeing the person in front of her, she cried out in a low voice.
“Edenber?!”
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