Chapter 315

Divine Power and Mana Reinforcement...

What was about to happen? Even if Radia Schmidt defeated Olivia, it wouldn’t make Olivia believe that she was nothing without her Divine Power and return to her faith.

Rumble!

Olivia activated her own Mana Reinforcement, and the finals of the Open Tournament began.

“Something feels... off,” I muttered.

“Indeed,” Sabioleen Tana agreed.

Neither of us could shake off the ominous feeling that we had after overhearing their conversation. Radia Schmidt was up to something.

Clang!

Despite the foreboding feeling, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. One thing was clear: Radia Schmidt was incredibly skilled. However, Olivia Lanche, relying solely on Mana Reinforcement, was holding her ground. This implied that if Olivia used her Divine Power, she would likely dominate her opponent.

No matter how much offensive potential Alse’s Divine Power provided, Ouen’s power also had its own reinforcement capabilities. If Olivia used that, defeating Radia Schmidt would be easy.

What was Radia Schmidt planning? Was she trying to force Olivia to use her Divine Power by making her feel cornered?

Olivia had mentioned that using her Divine Power would lead to her being hauled up to face a religious trial. That was why she hadn’t used it even when she was about to lose that bout to Harriet.

“Hypothetically, what would happen if Olivia used her Divine Power after officially renouncing her faith?” I asked, wanting to clarify my understanding of the issue.

“It wouldn’t end well,” Charlotte said gloomily after a short pause.

“Those who use Divine Power without authorization are treated as witches,” Sabioleen Tana added.

Priests or holy knights were the only ones who were granted the use of Divine Power. While students on a probationary status were exceptions, the monopoly on Divine Power was strictly maintained.

Olivia wasn’t some hidden healer in a remote village—she had once been known as the Saintess of Eredian. When she renounced her faith, her Divine Power should have disappeared with it, as such power stemmed from her belief in the gods.

Contrary to that, though, Olivia’s Divine Power had only grown stronger—she simply wasn’t supposed to use it. Using Divine Power outside the embrace of the gods would be considered heresy.

“Of course, if Olivia used her Divine Power, she might not be treated as a witch, but she would still have to face a religious trial,” Sabioleen Tana explained.

If Olivia used her Divine Power, that would constitute the unauthorized use of Divine Power in a public setting. This would give the religious authorities grounds to conduct a heresy trial. Radia Schmidt might be trying to force Olivia to use her Divine Power.

But how?

Even in the moment she was about to lose to Harriet, Olivia had not used her Divine Power. Olivia had fought through the whole bracket of the tournament as if that power didn’t exist for her. She would rather lose than be forced to use it.

Bang! Clang!

Radia Schmidt attacked with a powerful blow but Olivia parried it with just her sword, sending out a shockwave that shook the entire arena. Not only had she withstood the destructive Divine Power with just her Mana Reinforcement, but she counterattacked as well. It was hard to believe that this was a fight between humans.

“Impressive, both of them,” said the world’s strongest monster sitting beside me, praising their battle.

The fight was indeed intense. Radia Schmidt was using everything she had, while Olivia Lanche relied solely on Mana Reinforcement.

If not for Olivia, Radia might have taken her place in society. Radia’s skills were that impressive. However, she wasn’t driven by jealousy, but by an obsession to return Olivia to her rightful place.

Obsession, jealousy... Both were exhausting in their own ways.

Boom!

Radia’s sword, infused with concentrated Divine Power, emitted a white light as it struck the ground.

Boom! Boom!

This Divine Power, a force entirely dedicated to destruction, was more powerful than magic. The arena floor, which had been reinforced after Harriet’s match, was being torn apart in real time. Calling Radia a holy knight seemed almost inappropriate; “berserker” might have been a better term.

But Olivia was equally impressive. She deflected or dodged Radia’s powerful attacks and countered with precise timing, leaving Radia unable to keep up. While Radia overwhelmed her opponent in sheer power, Olivia’s quickness and the precision of her attacks and counters kept Radia on the defensive.

If things remained this way, the outcome of the match became predictable. Despite Radia’s valiant efforts, Olivia would win. Unlike in her fight with Harriet, Olivia wasn’t underestimating her opponent. She was giving her all, even without using Divine Power.

If Radia Schmidt had a hidden trump card to force Olivia to use her Divine Power, what could it be?

Olivia continued to press Radia back with her sharp and precise attacks.

Bang! Clang! Clang!

Olivia’s relentless assault left Radia no time to breathe. She seemed fully intent on ending the match quickly. Her continuous strikes wore down Radia’s mana-reinforced defenses, and Olivia finally created an opening.

This was it. Olivia, sensing her victory, thrust her sword towards Radia Schmidt’s chest.

Just as Olivia was about to take the first bout...

Boom!

An explosive red aura surged from Radia Schmidt’s body.

“That’s...!”

Sabioleen Tana’s eyes widened, and Olivia, equally alarmed, retreated several steps.

“Radia! What are you doing?!”

“Olivia... You need to win, right? You need the money, don’t you? That’s why you entered the tournament. To help the children, right?” Radia, enveloped in the ominous red aura, gave her opponent a chilling smile. “Defeat me with all your strength. Use everything you have.”

Radia Schmidt, shrouded in that sinister red glow, was clearly not in a normal state. Sabioleen Tana, recognizing the aura, muttered in disbelief, “That’s... Berserk... Why is she using that power? She’s still just a student...”

“What is that?” I asked.

“It’s a power that high priests of Alse have but rarely use,” Sabioleen Tana explained.

Berserk... Even without knowing the details, the word itself gave me a sense of its meaning.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Olivia, her face pale, cried out, “Radia! Stop it, now!”

“It’s... a power that burns one’s life force to amplify strength,” Sabioleen Tana explained.

The holy knights of Alse used this extreme method of burning away their own life force to draw out immense power. They weren’t just similar to berserkers; they were literally berserkers.

Radia Schmidt was tapping into this power in the finals of this tournament. She knew why Olivia needed to win—not for herself, but because she needed the prize money to help the children. To force Olivia to use her full strength, Radia was burning her own life force to increase her power.

Was she really doing all this just to force Olivia to use her Divine Power?

Bang! Clang! Clang!

Radia Schmidt, now enveloped in the red aura, was pushing Olivia back, reversing the situation from moments before. Charlotte looked anxiously at Sabioleen Tana.

“Shouldn’t we stop this?”

“Indeed. Berserk is an extremely rare ability even among the priests of Alse. Few in the Alse Order can use it. Olivia seems to know what it is, but the organizers might not understand what’s happening...”

To an outsider, it might just look like Radia Schmidt, who was on the verge of defeat, had suddenly found a second wind. They wouldn’t know that the red aura was a power that burned away the user’s life force.

I looked over at Sir Illeion Volten, the Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights. Even he and his retinue of holy knights were in disarray, discussing the situation with confused expressions.

Even the high-ranking holy knights who were with Sir Illeion Volten did not seem to understand what Radia Schmidt was doing.

Olivia, gritting her teeth, was struggling to fend off Radia Schmidt’s overwhelming assault. The match had to be stopped immediately, but if the organizers didn’t understand the situation, they would let the match continue.

Olivia was being pushed back by Radia Schmidt, who was drawing on extreme power. The best way to end it quickly would be to overpower her, but that would require using Divine Power—a choice Olivia couldn’t consider.

While she might be able to hold out without using Divine Power, Radia Schmidt would burn through her life force and die right there in the arena.

There was only one way to stop Radia Schmidt, who was attacking with her life on the line.

The match had to be suspended, or Olivia would forfeit.

Those were the only two options.

“Dame Tana, stop the match immediately. I’ll take full responsibility,” Charlotte said with a serious expression.

Sabioleen Tana nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“I... forfeit.”

Just as they were about to act, Olivia, with a vacant expression, declared her forfeit.

***

In the waiting room, Olivia sat with her face buried in her hands, trembling. She had forfeited.

—“I want to grow up to be like you, big sister!”

—“Heh, that’s too small a dream! You should aim to be much greater than me!”

—“But you’re the prettiest, kindest, and most amazing person I know!”

—“Don’t flatter me too much, you little rascal.”

She had forfeited.

—“Olivia, thank you for everything.”

—“It’s nothing. It’s my duty.”

—“Still, given the circumstances... I hope you don’t overdo it.”

—“Director, I’m fine. I think I can earn a lot of prize money at the Temple festival this time.”

—“Prize money?”

—“Yes, from the tournament and... heh, the other competition... um, something like that!”

She had forfeited.

There was no monetary prize for the runner-up of the Temple tournaments.

Most of the audience was stunned. The highly anticipated final had come to a sudden and anticlimactic end.

Very few people understood the full situation. Whether Radia Schmidt’s actions warranted disqualification was a matter for discussion.

For the moment, the tournament had to be concluded, albeit in a tepid manner.

Olivia couldn’t even think about attending the award ceremony. The prize money was important, and not winning was a bitter pill to swallow. More than that, Olivia felt like her head was going to explode. She felt like she was going to lose her mind. She couldn’t understand why Radia had gone to such lengths.

How long had she been sitting there in a daze?

“Olivia.”

Radia Schmidt was walking towards her.

Thud!

She threw the ornate trophy, proof of her victory in the Open Tournament, into a trash can in the hallway. It was as if she had no interest in it at all. Radia approached Olivia.

“Why did you forfeit?”

“...”

“You needed the money, didn’t you?”

There was no joy of victory in Radia Schmidt’s expression.

The only thing Radia Schmidt had wanted in exchange for burning her own life force was for Olivia to use her Divine Power in a public setting. That would have led to Olivia being hauled off to a religious tribunal and being forced to return to the path of becoming a holy knight. Radia Schmidt had risked her life for that outcome, believing it was the only way.

If Olivia had used her Divine Power, she could have subdued Radia Schmidt, even in her berserk state. But Olivia didn’t do that.

If they had continued to fight to a standstill, Radia Schmidt would have died. Olivia would have been forced to make a choice: to defeat her opponent so that she could provide food and clothing for the children who would otherwise starve, and because of that, be forced back into a life of religious servitude.

However, Olivia had chosen differently.

“This isn’t the Olivia I know,” Radia said, showing no joy in her victory. Instead, she looked down at Olivia with anger. “The Olivia I know would have subdued me instantly, taken the prize money, and helped the ones she wanted to help. That was what she would have done.”

In Radia Schmidt’s mind, Olivia wasn’t someone who would choose to forfeit in such a situation. She had entered the tournament to earn the prize money and help others, so she should have used her Divine Power without thinking about herself. Radia was angry that Olivia hadn’t acted as everyone had expected her to.

Olivia, pale and trembling, responded, “Yes, I’m selfish. From now on, I’m going to live selfishly. This is who I am now... So, please, leave me alone.”

“No, Olivia. No. You shouldn’t have done this. You should have used your Divine Power just now,” Radia insisted, shaking her head firmly.

She knelt in front of Olivia, looking up at her with eyes as dark as the abyss, filled with a fervent intensity.

“Olivia, you can still become the person you were meant to be. Look at me. I risked my life, not thinking about myself, to help you. I wasn’t always like this. I admired the way you always helped people, and I tried to become like you. That’s why I did this.

“So, Olivia, let me help you this time. This will only make things harder for you. You’ll only be made to face harsher and more difficult situations. The situation you’re in, drifting away from the gods... it’s already unbearably harsh for you. I didn’t do this for nothing. This was the only way to ensure no one gets hurt.”

Olivia could barely understand the torrent of words coming out of Radia Schmidt’s mouth. She didn’t want to listen at all. Radia Schmidt believed that the person she admired was falling apart. She thought it was her turn to help Olivia.

“I never asked for this... So please...”

“No, Olivia. No. I’ll give you my prize money. I don’t want you to become a bad person. You can still help the children. But promise me one thing. Promise you’ll return to the embrace of the gods. It’s not too late. It’s not too late!”

It did not matter what one said to a person who had closed their ears. Olivia, unable to bear looking into Radia Schmidt’s eyes any longer, squeezed her eyes shut. Finally, Olivia burst into tears.

“Please, don’t do this to me... Please... Please leave me alone... Why me? Why does it have to be me... Please... Just leave me alone... I don’t think I’m wrong. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong...”

“No!” Radia shouted, unable to accept those words.

“Olivia!” she continued, “You can’t say that! You were chosen by the gods! Not just Ouen, but all the Five Great Gods. You received their blessings. Someone as perfect as you can’t deny the gods! Y-You’re just... You’re just straying from the path, that’s all. The gods are giving you this trial to make you more complete. This is all the will of the gods, to bring you to greater glory. So, let’s think about it slowly. Let’s start by going back to the Temple. No, let’s start by talking to people about grace—”

“Goddamn, you talk too much.”

A voice suddenly came from the hallway, causing both Radia and the crying Olivia to turn their heads in that direction.

“Why are you trying to convert someone who clearly isn’t interested? Even street preachers aren’t this persistent,” he continued, striding towards them.

It was none other than Reinhart, approaching them with a determined gait. He grabbed Olivia’s hand and pulled her up forcefully.

“And if someone starts spouting bullshit, you should just slap them instead of listening to that nonsense.”

“...”

“This isn’t your business, Reinhart,” Radia Schmidt said with a stern expression.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Reinhart replied, pulling the trembling Olivia behind him protectively. “You’re the one who has no place here.”

“... What?”

“You should mind your own business.”

Ignoring Radia, Reinhart started dragging Olivia away.

“Hey, where are you going?! You can’t take Olivia with you! This isn’t right!” Radia shouted, but Reinhart shot her a cold glare.

“Why don’t you stop with your pathetic nonsense and you let her go?”

“...”

Olivia allowed herself to be led away by Reinhart, her head hung low as they disappeared down the hallway. Radia watched them go, gritting her teeth. The name “Reinhart” was like a thorn in her side.

Olivia, who had once been gentle and kind, had become stubborn and unyielding, but she was endlessly lenient towards that guy. The pure saint of Ouen acted as if she loved him. Everything had changed when Olivia had gotten close to that damned Reinhart.

He was the root of all these problems. If he disappeared, everything would be fine. Everyone was focusing on the wrong thing, saying that he wasn’t to be touched, and planning on sacrificing another poor child instead.

‘Worm. Trash. Demon,’

Radia Schmidt thought.

In Radia Schmidt’s eyes, Reinhart was the one who had led Olivia astray. He needed to be eliminated. Only then would Olivia return to her rightful path.

Radia stood there, clenching her teeth, staring down the hallway through which Olivia had disappeared.

‘Yes... it’s you...’

She would do anything for Olivia.

‘It would be better if you died instead. Better than Adriana. If you die, Olivia will be okay... It just needs to be you... Why should a child in the embrace of the gods have to suffer because of someone like you...? It just needs to be you. Just one unbeliever like you.’

Radia Schmidt’s eyes were wide with determination.