Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 181
If they missed capturing Irene now, there was no telling when the next chance would come. After all, the temple wouldn’t allow the saintess to be exposed to the outside again after such an ordeal.
Knowing this, Luciel couldn’t easily retreat.
‘But how?’
The ones he had brought along were faring far worse against the temple’s forces than he had expected. They lacked the kind of skilled warriors needed.
In this world, there were far more who followed the false goddess, and from the start, they had the numbers advantage. That, in the end, made all the difference.
Luciel hastily bound his wound and swung his whip again, trying to reduce the number of enemies. Then, someone who shouldn’t have arrived at this moment appeared.
‘Ramiel!’
He hoped no one on the other side would notice, but it was too late. From where the priest had gathered, a voice cried out, nearly a scream.
“It’s the Fallen One!”
Ramiel tilted her head upon hearing the accusation, her face showing the expression of someone who had just heard something absurd.
“The true Fallen One you say is on your side, no?”
She replied calmly, and the outcry subsided.
“I told you to flee.”
Luciel’s voice came through the crowd.
“I didn’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“If not now, when would we have another chance?”
Even in her madness, she seemed to retain enough reason to recognize the importance of this moment. Luciel felt a bit impressed, but not for long.
“You dying here would be the greater loss.”
“I won’t die.”
Ramiel spoke confidently, her gaze fixed on Irene across from her. The atmosphere on the other side grew tense.
It was inevitable. When Ramiel had been a candidate for the saintess, most of the holy knights present had believed she would become the saintess.
Even after learning of Ramiel’s atrocities, there were still some whose initial affection for her hadn’t entirely faded.
These were the ones who felt a deep discomfort toward the ominous symbol. No matter how well Allen controlled the situation, that sentiment couldn’t be helped.
After all, they had discriminated against the ominous symbol for so long.
It was Burt who broke the tense atmosphere.
“It seems like an opportunity for us as well.”
No one questioned what kind of opportunity he meant. They simply tightened their grips on their weapons and stared at Ramiel.
“Fools.”
Ramiel sneered as her shadow began to ripple. The eerie black shadow expanded, twisting into grotesque shapes. Behind Ramiel, shadowy figures formed.
They all wore expressions of agony, their bodies contorting and swaying.
“You…”
Allen spoke in a somber tone.
“You have fallen this deep…”
The shadowy figures behind Ramiel were the souls of those she had killed. They were trapped, unable to move on, and were being used by her.
For someone who served the goddess, this was an unforgivable act.
“Fallen? I’m merely following the natural order.”
“More like defying it.”
Before Allen could finish speaking, he attacked the heretics with even fiercer determination. As Allen moved, the other holy knights and priests followed suit.
Behind them, Irene clasped her hands together in prayer. Soon, the miracle’s power enveloped the priests and knights, and they collided with the shadows.
Luciel darted around, trying to turn the tide, but the situation didn’t change in their favor. The heretics were gradually being cornered.
Ramiel, watching her shadows diminish, mirrored Irene and clasped her hands. At that moment, a sinister energy began to spread.
Even the late-arriving regular soldiers joined the battle, but it was already too late.
“Oh, Goddess…”
The First Saintess, The Fallen, false goddess Camille was descending.
“Oh, Goddess…”
Grein, who had been watching, echoed Ramiel’s plea to the goddess. But Irene knew the truth: the goddess could not be summoned now. Her face paled as she realized this.
Desperately, she poured all her remaining strength into her holy power to stop the false goddess. Though her body was weary, she didn’t give up. If Camille descended here, something horrific would happen.
There was no backing down.
“No…”
When Ramiel’s efforts to summon the goddess failed, she realized why.
“It’s you again…”
That cursed person standing in her way once more. Ramiel glared at Irene, but Irene remained unshaken.
She pitied Ramiel, who had everything yet threw it all away, unaware of its true worth.
“Just give up.”
Irene urged softly.
“It’s you who needs to give up.”
Even with the distance between them, Ramiel’s voice echoed clearly in Irene’s ears.
“Why do you always stand in my way?”
The two stood in tense opposition, but it was Ramiel who began to tire first. She had to summon the goddess while also controlling the shadows, all while dealing with the fierce attacks from the holy knights.
“I can’t hold on much longer!”
Luciel, bloodied and struggling, cried out, his voice hoarse. Ramiel clenched her teeth at the sound.
