Chapter 76
At the exact center of the geometric design, Rias softly parted his lips after inscribing a name.
“Thus, Belial speaks: I await the name that will resurrect my flesh…”
His voice trembled like a trembling leaf. Finally, Rias let out a groan and collapsed, losing consciousness. The blood writhed, swallowing the name whole.
* * *
With a sharp clatter, High Priest Benon’s shoulders shook. Until that moment, it had been an ordinary night. But Benon, who was praying with his eyes closed as usual, could no longer keep them shut.
A chilling sense of unease gripped him tightly.
A sudden flash lit up the small prayer room’s window, and Benon slowly opened his eyes. He froze, staring blankly at the horrific scene before him.
“…Oh, Lord.”
Only then did Benon sigh and call upon God. Trembling, his gaze fell upon the shattered holy relic of Helios, the sacred statue imbued with divine power by the Empire’s first pope.
Staring at the broken fragments, Benon hurriedly left the prayer room, shouting.
“Light every torch in the sanctuary! Summon all priests and cast protective wards around the perimeter! We must see the Pope immediately!”
The High Priest’s booming voice echoed down the corridors. The priests, who had been dozing peacefully as on any ordinary day, sprang to their feet. Amidst hurried steps ascending the central hall, they questioned each other:
“What’s this about wards all of a sudden?”
“What’s going on? Is there some crisis in the empire?”
“Where is the Pope?”
As they raced up the temple stairs in confusion, Pope Winter opened his eyes wide and gazed at the tumultuous night sky over Daigana. The night sky, as if pierced by a hole, was drenched in a downpour, glowing blood-red all across.
“Your Holiness, the High Priest is urgently requesting your presence. What are your orders?”
A priest who rushed to Winter bowed his head nervously. Despite the urgency in the voice, Winter responded silently, tracing the sign of the cross over his chest.
“Tell the priests to gather their divine power. Summon the paladin forces stationed at each temple to Daigana immediately.”
The priest, startled by the order, quickly nodded and rushed off. Pope Winter looked up once more.
As Mars swallowed Antares in the Scorpius constellation, the horizon bled dark crimson light.
Taking a deep breath, the Pope slowly spoke.
“…It seems it is about to begin.”
Even the usually steadfast voice trembled at the end.
6. The Moonlight on the Castle
The chilling sound of cruel laughter echoed through the air. Voices unknown filled the empty space for a long while. Smoke from its unknown origin, thickly blanketed the room. Then came darkness again. Endless darkness.
Bang! Lightning struck through the torrential rain. The sky had turned a deep, blood-red, as if God was punishing foolish humans with relentless thunder. In that moment, the dense black smoke hanging on the ceiling pierced through the heart of the silently sleeping Cyrone.
It was then that his newly forged body slowly opened its eyes.
“…Haa.”
A gush of thick blood poured from Cyrone’s lips. Drops of blood fell clearly onto the pristine white sheets.
Yet Cyrone neither wiped the blood away nor moved his body. Outside, the windows trembled violently as if about to shatter in the fierce wind, but inside, not a single breath could be heard.
Cyrone’s shoulders remained still, almost giving the impression that he wasn’t breathing. A strange silence, as if time itself had stopped, settled around him.
Bang! Another bolt of lightning cracked through the sky.
“…….”
Cyrone lifted his head from the darkness.
As his face slowly appeared, flickering in the candlelight, the first thing visible was the blood. The vivid red blood marred his pale face.
Cyrone slowly wiped it away with his dry hand, the thick liquid spreading like a stain painted by brush strokes.
“Now.”
Then, a cold wind blew, his hair gently fluttered.
And revealed his eyes….
“It’s time to end this.”
His blood-red eyes stared blankly into the void. They were strangely beautiful. The newly formed Cyrone stood up from his place. But the original Cyrone’s body lay on the bed, as lifeless as before.
Those dark red eyes quietly looked down at the original Cyrone, now stripped of his soul.
This original Cyrone would shatter in time and disappear without a trace. Through a slight chuckle between clenched teeth, Cyrone showed a satisfied smile.
They say the devil takes the most beautiful form to bewitch humans.
* * *
Cyrone, clad in pure white robes, ascended the castle tower. The blood splattered here and there on his white clothes made his appearance even more eerie.
His eyes, now a vivid red, were fixed on one spot. The sharp blade held at Cyrone’s fingertips scraped against the floor, echoing sharply down the dark corridor.
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