Chapter Fifty-Eight
Wherever the light swept, buildings and rocks crumbled. It was as if the energy was a tsunami, and Chris felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer.
It crashed into the ruins, splashing water in the heavy rain.
Fortunately, it wasn't hit head-on by the other energy. As the little spider propped itself up, it saw a cross that had appeared out of nowhere on the ground. A side impact sent it flying, while the light from the front, emanating from the Ketchum, even created a huge gaping hole in the earth.
It looked at the guy walking towards it from the end. It could sense that the heavily armored guy was Karl, but it just couldn't believe it was him.
In the little spider's mind, the image of a priest had always been that of a figure in robes standing in the background, but now it dawned on it. A priest should be a heavily armored unit to be immune to sneak attacks. Also, since casting spells doesn't require rapid movement, being completely covered in hard metal is a more suitable choice.
The ground began to tremble slightly; the weight of that thing was even too great for the earth to bear. On the muddy ground softened by the heavy rain, every step it took caused the ground to shake.
"Old friend, I really don't want to fight you." Ketchum didn't even look over there, but slowly backed away, making room for him to stand.
His sacred artifact was dragged in the water, and the greatsword, which still shone with golden light, made the surrounding area seem as if the sun was rising there.
The Holy Sword, the judgment of nothingness. Legend has it that long ago, it was a weapon used by angels to judge the innocent.
In short, it's used to kill those deemed dangerous but who haven't actually committed any wrongdoing. The angel herself is considered a lowly being in legends, because her entire body is stained with the blood of innocents. Yet, her deeds retain her status as an angel; even though she is defiled, she remains pure.
When it first received this holy sword, it was filled with fear. Now, it fully understands why the gods bestowed this weapon upon it. It used it to kill many innocent people, including its own lover, and also the child before it, who was in grave danger.
When he wields this sword, all holy magic that comes into contact with its blade is reclaimed. It even actively gathers holy magic. Simultaneously, it stimulates all the nerves and muscles in his body, so he never tires.
All filth would instinctively resist and fear it, and even if Ketchte himself died in battle, he would fight until he was completely broken as long as he held this sword.
The inscription above lit up, and Ketchum felt exhausted, yet full of power. He felt he couldn't go on any longer, but his body seemed to act independently of his mind.
He turned around and looked at Karl, who was standing next to the mark left by the attack.
Karl carried his book on his back; that enormous scripture was his sacred relic. But this weapon had a strange limitation: it could not be used in combat unless for a legitimate reason.
Ketch was able to use his holy sword against Karl because he had already foreseen the path and clearly understood the purpose of everything he was doing. However, Karl was only standing there because of his own will, and the weapon bestowed upon him by the gods remained sealed.
“Kochite, you know he’s a good boy.”
“Yes, I know.” Ketchum gripped the greatsword with both hands, standing like a knight who had just learned to wield a sword, and looked at Karl.
"She doesn't break any laws or rules, and she hasn't even hurt anyone."
"I know."
"Our duty is to protect humanity, and this is a child who has made no mistakes."
“No, our duty is merely to maintain order. She is a destabilizing factor, and I have no right to forgive or ignore her.” Ketcht’s voice was soft: “Karl, I am only a paladin. I cannot guarantee her ability to become a demon one day. I am absolutely certain she is a good child, but I am a paladin, and my duty is to eliminate such unsettling elements. So, Karl. Step aside, and I swear I will let this child die without any pain.”
His voice trembled, low and deep as if he were whispering. But it was as firm as a rock standing on the edge of a cliff.
He couldn't sleep well that night; he couldn't find any comfort in falling asleep in that little tent.
Of course, Ketchum could have acted as if he hadn't seen anything, just like Carl, and treated the child as an ordinary child.
But if that day comes, even if there's only a sliver of a possibility, and she becomes the person the rumors predict, who can stop a demon from growing up? Of course, someone will try to stop her, but before that, how many will perish with her? They are innocent, yet they die in vain.
Therefore, he would not hesitate to confront his only friend in the pouring rain, for he could not leave. He was a paladin, and after emerging from his long slumber to formally receive God's blessing, he could no longer find peace of mind.
Carl didn't press him further; he simply gripped the hammer tighter in his hand.
"Can the spider still move?" he whispered. In this situation, whispering was no different from shouting. Everyone here had excellent hearing, and they could all hear his soft muttering.
"Sir, it's probably still okay." The little spider got up, stretched its long legs, and stood on the broken wall.
“Could you please take care of Lori?” Karl glanced at Chrisson, smiled and said, “I heard you came from a caravan. Could you take the child with you? Don’t let her appearance fool you, she can do a lot of things… Please, at least let her have some peace of mind.”
The hammer fell into the water; it was so heavy that even the torrential rain seemed to pause for a moment. Meanwhile, large swathes of water poured back into the sky.
Karl strode forward, gripped the hammer handle, and pried the entire hammer off. During this moment, all the remaining holy magic was channeled into a single point on the hammer's surface. The terrifying force instantly emptied the water around him, and he could see Ketcht also raising his greatsword, swinging it at him.
Two beams of light collided in the darkness, instantly coalescing into a single point. The balance collapsed, and in an instant, it was as if the sun had unfolded there. The chaotic elements were completely dispelled. The shock generated by the clash of the great powers bestowed by the gods caused a quarter of the city to vanish into nothingness in an instant.
Fortunately, since this place was originally a ruin, the nearest living person was the Knights who were being held back by Denos not far away.
So the impact was that both sides were blasted thousands of meters away. Besides the parties involved, perhaps Spider-Man and Lori were also at the center of the explosion.
Chrison coughed up blood, but the monster didn't care whether it was injured or not. It just stared at the ball of yarn it had wrapped up, and after a long while, it breathed a sigh of relief.
At least Lori is alright for now. When the explosion occurred, she had already plunged back into the well and wrapped herself in spider webs. Thank goodness, she still has a heartbeat; she should still be alive.
But now it was in a bad situation. It had been so focused on protecting Lori with its web that it had been completely exposed to the high-pressure holy magic environment, which had altered the composition of its body. The unbearable pain made it want to groan.
But there was no time for groans. It dragged Lori behind it and ran to Karl, who was kneeling on one knee.
Carl was also alive; he wasn't so weak as to die from the shockwave of a single impact. Ketchum hadn't intended to kill him; her fighting style had always been focused on dismantling his fighting ability.
"Priestess, can you still stand up?" The little spider tried to go over and help her up, but was pushed away.
"Let's go." He said softly to the little spider, then stood up and dragged his hammer toward the empty ruins.
Krissen didn't try to stop him; he just lowered his head in slight shame.
Because he has broken many structural bones, and his bones are very dense and delicate, once damaged, they are very difficult to repair.
Moreover, the surrounding environment has become even more chaotic, and the scale of this heavy rain is becoming increasingly exaggerated, threatening to engulf the entire world.
Its magic was almost completely depleted, and it was uncertain whether it could even carry Lori to the inn alive. Furthermore, the city was largely destroyed and in chaos. The little spider couldn't even guarantee it could safely get Lori to the carriage.
At this critical moment, Ketchum dragged his greatsword forward through the heavy rain and puddles. The clash had no effect on him whatsoever; he didn't even seem injured, remaining as composed as ever.
The deadly energy clash had left Karl exhausted, preventing him from launching another attack like that. He also still had the lingering wounds from the previous attack. This dire situation brought him one step closer to fainting.
The difference in strength between the two sides was immediately apparent; after all, priests were not classified as combatants. Karl thought carefully about how he hadn't had a serious fight in twenty years, and this month he hadn't even had a single day where he could properly replenish his reserves of holy magic. Yet even so, Ketcht still possessed a terrifying reserve of holy magic. He, on the other hand, was like a candle that had burned out.
At least it would give the spider a little more time to run, Carl thought. That monster was fast; if it were him, he would definitely make good use of every second gained.
But he didn't know that the guy who could move faster than sound had become unsteady on his feet. He was badly injured, and the fact that he had forced his body to withstand a shock of holy magic almost killed him.
He watched as Ketchum raised his greatsword towards him, the third time that night he had unleashed his holy power in an attack. Yet, he showed no signs of fatigue.
Now Karl was unable to launch an attack that could negate the light, and could only helplessly watch as it illuminated him. This feeling was truly wonderful; he was a priest, and now he was bathed in holy light—even death would be a fitting scene.
"Please, please go back and save Carl." Chrisson was startled. He looked at the spider web, which had somehow been torn open, and Lori's face was revealed. She cried out anxiously, like a dying person pleading for help.
But Spider-Man could only pretend he hadn't heard; Ketchum wouldn't kill him. But if he went back, Lori might die because of it.
Lori called out from behind in a tearful voice, like a girl pleading with passersby for help for her sick family member. So desperate and helpless. Because the person she was appealing to was already terminally ill and barely able to take care of themselves.
The feeling of gaining freedom by abandoning others was truly unbearable. The little spider felt his whole body was ice cold, but there was nothing he could do. It might be because the water was too cold, or because he was too badly injured, or because his magic was exhausted and he could no longer resist the cold.
Perhaps there was also fear. The little spider was so scared he was almost crying. The sacred artifact had a huge impact on a monster like him. Just looking at the sword made him want to turn and run away, without even thinking about where he could escape to. As long as he could get out of here, that was all that mattered.
But it was no use; neither escape nor resistance mattered. Because Chrison, Lori, and Karl were all within the range of that single sword strike. The entire city had been awakened by the explosion, and when they came out, they only saw the sword light that seemed to pierce the sky.
"May God be with me," Ketchum whispered, unleashing his full power at his dearest friend.
The whole world fell silent; this time, there was no booming sound. Only the holy magic surged forward, destroying everything in its path. The earth was ripped apart, cities were severed. Even the torrential rain and the floodwaters receded.
The light faded, the rain fell again, leaving only the sound of rain; everything remained the same.
But Ketchum stood there dumbfounded, staring incredulously at the guy in front of him.
The ground in front of him had been completely destroyed, turning into mud and creating a crater a meter deep. Logically, only Karl, who was also blessed by God, should have survived such an impact.
But a somewhat familiar-looking guy, someone I might have met once before, was standing not far away. He was holding an umbrella and wearing a somewhat worn evening suit. He looked like he was there to attend a misunderstanding.
Beneath his feet lay the unchanged earth. Even though less than a meter in front of him was a large crater formed by the tremor of the earth, rainwater had gathered there, leaving no trace of the ground beneath his feet.
It was as if the shockwave had been separated before it hit him. Behind him, Karl, Chrisson, and Lori were all unharmed. No one knew what to say about this newcomer. They could only remain silent, the only sound the heavy rain. The man slowly walked to Chrisson's side, handed him his umbrella, straightened his collar, and stepped into the rain.
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