Chapter 101. Are You Out of Your Mind?

Flash!

A brilliant light erupted from the holy knights, sweeping across the fortress in an instant. It was a light so radiant, so overwhelming, that no other word seemed more appropriate than "miraculous." This light effortlessly banished the dark mana that had taken hold of the fortress.

Noise erupted around them as demonic monsters shrieked endlessly. Flames ignited on the skin of every beast exposed to the light. One by one, even the elves trapped in the grip of slaughter's bloodlust began to return to their senses.

"A... miracle," Leo murmured in awe, barely louder than a whisper.

Caron nodded in agreement. Leo was right. This was indeed a miracle. It was the kind of miracle that manifested through divine power, regardless of whether a god truly existed. Anything accomplished by such sacred energy could be called a miracle.

"Owner, there's a Saint over there,"

Guillotine whispered in Caron's mind.

Saints were people born with immense holy power. They were at the heart of the Holy Kingdom's forces and considered future candidates for the papacy. People revered them for those reasons.

"Exterminate all evil!"

"I dedicate my life to the Light!"

Bathed in the Saint's radiance, the holy knights charged forth. Their pure white horses, infused with holy energy, trampled the demonic monsters beneath their hooves.

Crunch!

With a crushing noise, the knights swung their maces, smashing the heads of the creatures relentlessly. And again, the Saint's holy power surged over them like a wave, sweeping through the monsters.

The moment the holy knights assaulted the fortress, it radically changed the situation.

"A healer for medicine, a priest for demons. This is why specialists matter," Caron remarked with a smirk as he looked up.

The demonic monsters' command structure had collapsed, and the force of slaughter had lost its hold. Now, all that remained of the creature's influence was its gaze, sweeping over the battlefield but helpless to do more than observe.

The long, grueling battle was nearing its end. The outcome had already been decided. Even if Slaughter drew on dark mana beyond its limits, the Gate of Chaos had lost its strength already. Now, all that remained was to clean up the scattered demonic monsters.

Even if Caron were to put down his sword, the fanatics would handle the rest. But instead of letting go of his sword, he tightened his grip and muttered, "But this... This is unfair." Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, but he wasn't about to let the fanatics take the final victory.

Thud.

Caron took a step forward. Then, Guillotine's voice reverberated in his mind.

"Owner, you should land one good blow before you let it end."

"Go on, explain," Caron said.

"That eye is the only thing here connected directly to the heart of Slaughter. Unlike the fragment we fought, that gaze carries its true dark mana,"

Guillotine explained.

That eye was the source, the origin of the bloodlust that had taken root in the elves' minds.

Caron grinned widely and asked, "Do you think you can consume it?"

"Well... It is possible to absorb it,"

Guillotine confirmed.

"Although you won't be able to process all that power yet, I can still contain it inside me."

"Well, I want something out of this too, you know. Alright then, can you tell me the method in detail?" Caron asked.

"There's no particular method for this, just plunge me into it. I'll handle the rest,"

Guillotine said.

It was a simple method, but of course, Caron couldn't exactly reach up to stab his sword directly into that eye hanging high in the sky. Right now, he was barely able to stay on his feet, so flight was out of the question. Even with aid from the spirits of wind, it would be difficult.

However, thanks to the miracle the Saint had unleashed, most of the flying monsters had already fallen, so he didn't need to fly there himself. After all, there were no more forces left to defend the eye.

Whoosh.

With a hum, Caron channeled every last bit of mana lingering in his core into Guillotine. Then he glanced over at Orion and asked, "Can you give me a hand?"

"Are you planning to throw your sword?" Orion asked.

"Yes. I'll feel a lot better once I do," Caron answered.

"I'm with you on that," Orion agreed.

Whoosh.

Spirits of wind began to appear, swirling around them. Perhaps because of the cleansing holy power in the air, the spirits' energy surged even stronger than before.

"I'll back you up," Orion said, channeling his mana to strengthen the spirits further. A fierce wind whipped up, mixed with streaks of crimson flame.

Orion compressed the energy of the spirits into a ball of power hovering above his palm, then looked at Caron with a grin. Caron smirked and nodded, then hurled Guillotine toward the eye with all his might.

At that moment, a blast of spirit energy erupted near Guillotine's hilt, courtesy of Orion's power. The compressed explosion slammed into the handle of Guillotine with incredible force.

Boom!

With a thunderous shriek, Guillotine tore through the sky, imbued with Azure Mana. It was like a bolt of lightning; but rather than descending from the heavens, it shot upward from the earth, piercing straight through the eye in an instant.

The eye that had been surveying the battlefield suddenly focused on Caron, and a voice echoed.

—Do you think you've won?

In response, Caron raised his middle finger at the eye and replied, "Of course we've won, you pathetic fool."

—Since you are bound by hatred, you'll never know freedom in this life either. Such a pitiful fate.

The eye sneered as its surface began to crack.

A crack formed from the spot where Guillotine had struck and spread rapidly, soon branching across the entire eye. But as it crumbled, the voice of Slaughter whispered one last curse.

—Sooner or later, that bloodlust will consume you. You will slaughter everything by your own hand.

Caron chuckled brightly, responding with a promise. "I swear I'll start with you demon bastards. So, for today..." He took a deep breath, locking eyes with the gaze before him as he finished, "Get lost, you miserable loser."

Crackkk!

The sound of shattering echoed through the air as the eye fractured into countless pieces, scattering like shards of glass. Violet fragments spiraled down, and at the same time, the dark mana that had loomed over the sky began to dissipate.

In the midst of the dispersing dark energy, the voice of Slaughter resounded one final time.

—I'll be waiting... with pleasure... for the moment you're devoured by your own hatred.

And with that, the power of Slaughter faded completely. The battle against carnage had finally come to an end.

***

After the eye dissipated, everything else seemed to fall into place naturally. The knights of the Holy Kingdom and the elves joined forces effortlessly, clearing out the remaining demonic monsters. There was nothing more for Caron and his group to do. They just had to get their wounds treated before they sat among the ruins, taking a much-needed rest.

Holy power, which was the natural bane of demonic monsters, was indeed awe-inspiring. Even with barely half the numbers of the elven force, the Holy Kingdom's knights were slaughtering the demonic monsters with ease. And of course, the credit for this remarkable turn lay with the approaching Saint.

Each step the Saint took exuded an overwhelming holy aura, potent enough to melt low-level monsters alive. Smiling warmly, he addressed Caron and the others, "Thanks to your incredible valor, we were able to thwart the Demon King's forces. On behalf of the Holy Kingdom, I extend my deepest gratitude."

As the Saint spoke, Caron and his group slowly stood from their seats amid the broken fortress. Caron looked at the Saint with a disinterested expression. The man had a strikingly handsome face with platinum hair that had an almost timeless elegance. A soft white radiance shone behind him, creating an aura that made him seem almost angelic.

But what stood out the most were his wings.

Guillotine's voice echoed in Caron's mind,

"...He looks young, and yet he has already received his wings. It seems like the current pope favors him quite a lot."

A pair of wings covered in pure white feathers extended behind the Saint, making him resemble an angel. But their holy appearance had no effect on Caron at all, because he already knew the true nature of those wings. They weren't bestowed by the god the Holy Kingdom worshiped. They were merely a manifestation of holy power, nothing more.

"Surely, the Blessed Light must have led you here," the Saint continued, then paused briefly as he realized something. "Ah, forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Cardinal Elijah of the Holy Kingdom."

When the Saint spoke his name, Leon's eyes widened slightly in recognition. She then asked, "...The Saint of Salvation?"

With a humble smile, Elijah admitted, "Yes, although that title is far too generous."

"Saint of Salvation" was a title unfamiliar to Caron, who hadn't paid much attention to the Holy Kingdom. However, Leon, who had spent time in the southern regions, seemed to know who Elijah was.

Leon leaned over and murmured to Caron, "...That man is a strong candidate for the next pope. And notably... He's the leader of the militants in the Holy Kingdom."

"Militants?" Caron asked.

"One hand holds the mace, and the other holds the book. They believe the Holy Kingdom must intervene directly in wars between the southern kingdoms," Leon explained.

"Ah." Caron understood immediately. They were fanatics obsessed with holy war. It was a familiar concept from his dealings in the empire.

He gave Leon a small nod, then asked Elijah, "I've got a question for you, Saint."

"Yes, go ahead," Elijah replied, meeting Caron's gaze calmly.

"Have we met somewhere before?" Caron asked.

With an enigmatic smile, Elijah shook his head and said, "I believe not."

Just then, a group of about ten holy knights strode forward from behind Elijah, their armor drenched in the blood of various demonic monsters. Their presence felt more terrifying than holy.

"Please, leave this place to us now. We will purify all the foul energy that has spread over this land. So..." Elijah said, meeting Caron's gaze with a polite smile. "Why don't you all rest? We will ensure your safety."

On the surface, it sounded like a kind offer. However, Caron caught the hidden meaning immediately.

"Everyone, take up your weapons," Caron ordered, and the others swiftly raised their weapons. They, too, sensed that something was wrong with these fanatics.

Caron gripped Guillotine firmly, addressing Elijah with a dark glare. "You say you're here to protect us, but I see plenty of bloodlust oozing out of you all. And you expect us to follow along?"

"I don't want any unnecessary conflict," Elijah replied, keeping his tone even.

"If that were the case, you wouldn't have approached like this. Do we look like fools to you?" Caron retorted.

The tension in the air thickened in an instant, leaving Caron curious as to what these fanatics were really after.

Ready to cut Elijah down on the spot, Caron demanded, "So it looks like you know who I am. Isn't that right?"

"Someone with enough strength to face a fragment of the Demon King, and more importantly... wielding that dark blue sword. The pieces fell into place, and I realized who you were," Elijah said softly. "Caron Leston. Usually, rumors tend to be exaggerated, but it seems that might not be the case with you."

The other holy knights, who had been busy hunting monsters, began to close in and join Elijah's side. Caron chuckled bitterly at the sight, asking, "So, were you after me from the beginning?"

Elijah shook his head with a smile, then said, "Of course not. We are here only to protect this world from the Demon King. However..." He trailed off, his gentle smile vanishing as his expression turned icy. He continued in a chilling voice. "In my eyes, you don't look so different from the Demon King."

"A saint who accuses people without evidence? Wait, that's right—you people love a good witch hunt, don't you?" Caron said.

"Others may not be able to see it, but I can," Elijah replied, pointing to Guillotine. His eyes flashed with a menacing glint as he said, "That sword is steeped in murderous energy. It is a cursed blade, isn't that so, Caron Leston?"

"Ah, I've been caught," Caron said in response. Then he bared his teeth, ready to face down the fanatics surrounding them.