Chapter 5: Holy War (2)

The Black Sun Cult needed a powerful weapon to fulfill their ambitions.

An organic, obedient, and utterly ferocious weapon.

Knowing that it wasn't something to be proud of, they thoroughly concealed it.

They created their own hell there.

A dark basement, victims barely clinging to life, and the stench of blood.

They conducted horrific experiments that should never see the light of day, covering their ugliness with a veneer of piety.

A woman’s unending hatred stemmed from this place.

“Abominable beast, from this day forward, you will be reborn under the name of the Black Sun.”

How utterly ridiculous.

Despite their atrocities being the reason she was reduced from a person to a beast, they didn't hesitate to condemn her.

The woman, having lost all her memories and her sense of self, was reborn as a vampire of the Black Sun.

From then on, her memories were of rotting flesh, blood, and the euphoria that cleared her mind.

Frenzy, pain, and then blood, blood, more blood.

I'm thirsty. Please, someone quench this thirst. It hurts, ah.

There existed a woman, halfway turned into a monster.

Having achieved the immortality everyone longed for, possessing immense power—

Endless frenzy.

If not for someone's intervention, the woman's life would have been as tragic as a toy in the hands of a child.

“...Excuse me? That monster...? B-But, Lord God.”

On the day Belladis found salvation, there was a red-haired woman and her god.

***

Across the vast, sprawling plains, a Knighthood clad in holy armor marched forward.

Their eyes burned with the resolve to sweep away their enemies.

To show true justice to the ignorant fools who dared to harm their Lord God.

Already paralyzed by rage, they no longer hesitated.

Even if it meant turning against the world, they would reclaim Him.

Even if it meant venturing beyond hell, they would not stop.

-Our Lord God and His prophet are with us.

The faithful followers of the Father God continued their march.

Their destination: the headquarters of the Black Sun Cult.

The decision had already been made.

There was no way to stop them any longer.

And at the center of it all was someone who loved the Lord God more than anyone else and hated the Black Sun Cult with equal fervor.

“Are you there?”

Belladis Rochellia.

The monster created by the Black Sun Cult, a vampire.

And now, the key figure of the Holy War and the most devout follower of the Father God.

“My love, my life, my everything.”

Since Belladis’s life began with his salvation, it was only right that it should be consumed by him until the very end.

“We'll be able to see each other again soon.”

She would sweep away everything that stood between her love for him.

Her revenge was secondary, an addition to her affection for him.

Her pale, Moonlight-kissed skin was clearly visible even under the bright sunlight.

It was thanks to the Father God’s Blessing, overcoming the weakness of her race.

Her black hair, an uncommon color, was her unique characteristic. And her blood-red eyes.

This beautiful woman, with the perfect appearance of a vampire, smiled faintly, anticipating the upcoming carnage.

They committed an act that should never have been done.

She intended to live, forgetting about personal revenge.

Because proving her love for him was her priority.

However, if they took his existence away from her, then the story would be completely different.

“Lady Belladis.”

One of the Priests approached her as she waited with her massive weapon.

“Yes.”

“They are coming into view.”

Beyond the endless horizon, the remnants of the Black Sun appeared.

The symbols of those horrific and vile things, invoking a certain Impulse the moment they were seen.

Belladis, stepping down from her magically engineered Chariot, shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight and tried to memorize their faces.

Behind her, hundreds, thousands of soldiers stood in formation.

All gathered to carry out the Lord God’s will, Belladis’s army and holy warriors.

“Everyone.”

Belladis continued without waiting for a reply.

“What do ‘they’ look like to you?”

“Incarnations of evil that shouldn’t exist in this world!”

“Demons! We must cast them down to hell!”

Angry voices erupted from everywhere.

Belladis smiled faintly, listening to their responses.

“Yes, you’re right. They are the scoundrels, the trash, the filth, who hid the Father God from us.”

-Wooong....

Responding to Belladis’s will, magical power surged from beneath her feet.

The bizarrely shaped power, like a serpent, began to coil around her body, broadcasting its presence to the surroundings.

It was the cursed power derived from Belladis’s blood.

“Today, they will pay the price.”

She hoped they would regret and despair.

A surprise attack without a declaration of war.

They would strike directly at the heart of the Black Sun, using the chaos to inflict greater damage.

It was Belladis’s cruel plan, the outline of the massacre that would unfold today.

The overwhelming disparity in military strength supported this.

The Father God's forces had already attained the power to erase an entire religion from the world.

It had only been because of His will, which didn't desire unnecessary bloodshed, that they hadn't shown it until now.

But from today onward, the world would face their wrath.

‘Just wait a little longer, my love.’

Belladis took a step forward, envisioning the ecstatic moment in her mind.

“...!”

She spotted a hostile Follower with a look of terror on their face.

They tried to react in a Frenzy, but from the moment they entered her domain, it was already too late.

“Look at me.”

Belladis readily decided to offer their life to her god, preparing her massive weapon along with her magic power.

『Crimson Reaper』

The image of death appeared.

The blood-red magic pulsed as if alive, forming the imposing figure of a giant Grim Reaper.

The emerald green grass that carpeted the earth was instantaneously dyed in dark crimson shadows.

One of Belladis’s signature attacks, capable of striking a wide area in a single moment.

Now, all she had to do was swing the massive weapon in her hand, and her magic would take care of the rest.

"....?"

That is, until she witnessed the darkened area brighten again with an unknown light.

“...What is that?”

“An enemy trick!”

“Everyone! Form a defensive line!”

-Saaaaa....

A banquet of light, as comforting as a mother's embrace, poured down upon them.

It felt like a kind of magic, cast to quell their rage.

Belladis, unfazed by such tricks, decided to continue her attack.

-Crack!

The ground beneath her feet crumbled, creating a precarious situation.

However.

『Dispel』

Belladis’s deathly attack, meant to strike the entire area, instantly lost its form and vanished.

“....”

Belladis stared at the phenomenon in shock.

“My skill...”

To interfere with another's magic, one had to possess equal or superior power.

To neutralize her skill with such an overwhelming difference...

The Black Sun's preparations had deviated from Belladis's expectations.

But if one method didn't work, she just had to prepare the next.

Just as the hateful Vampire was about to cast another skill, thinking this…

“Belladis.”

A man arrived before her.

“No, Bella.”

From his lips came the nickname he had called her countless times.

“.....?”

As if time had stopped for Belladis, all her actions ceased.

***

Summon.

By consuming a portion of Faith Level, one can interact with a Follower.

A legitimate, legally sanctioned, *nom nom chomp chomp* feature designed for Game players.

Of course, this doesn't mean we've pioneered a full-fledged 19+ route.

We merely anticipate meeting them within gentlemanly boundaries.

‘I'm actually doing this, huh.’

Since the System is in place, I can use it, but it's a different story when applied to reality.

Just how many times does the story have to change before I become optimized for this world?

Pushing aside the sudden wave of existential dread…

When I first stepped into this unfamiliar world, what I felt was a cool breeze, a wind pressure pushing against my entire body.

“...Wind pressure?”

-Whoosh!!

“Oh, shit.”

I came to my senses as I plummeted headfirst towards the ground.

I'd never realized gravity was such a terrifying phenomenon.

The Summon I knew was a peaceful way to have a Fan Meeting with my Followers.

So why am I becoming a human meteor, eagerly anticipating the day I collide with the ground?

“Have mercy pleeaase....!”

The wind rushing into my mouth made it impossible to pronounce words properly.

My arms and legs flailed wildly.

A white, ragged cloth, I don't remember putting on, fluttered frantically in the wind.

I could see black dots in the distance on the ground.

It must be the situation I saw on the Map.

I couldn't possibly experience the humiliation of plummeting to my death in front of my Followers.

So, I quickly manipulated the System and diligently sought a solution.

And so…

-Whoosh!!

Quickly casting a skill, I entrusted myself to the immense presence that emerged behind my back.

“Whoa…!”

They were wings, like something an angel might use.

Holy wings with softly glowing feathers sprouted, one on each side, controlling my falling body.

With a much slower and more stable Vision, I finally began to properly assess the situation.

“Oh my.”

On the ground, a large number of individuals, presumably my Holy Knights, were gathered.

They were continuing their magnificent March, as if ready to erase the Black Sun from this world.

If I didn't intervene, wouldn't they be completely wiped out?

After all, this was my Religious Order's Holy War.

The battle was bound to be one-sided.

Based on the Game lore, my Religious Order’s current combat power is at its peak.

「‘The Black Sun’s Incarnation’ is whimpering...」

“Alright. Alright.”

Leaving aside the message window anxiously fretting about its Religious Order’s imminent demise…

I finally found the person I was looking for.

“...Wow.”

There she was.

A woman with long, black hair and a doll-like appearance.

Beautiful. Exceedingly so.

‘It’s me, Father God.’

The one she’d been searching for so desperately was here.

She caused all this commotion looking for me.

Her Love was truly heavy.

To Belladis, who was staring blankly in this direction, I spoke first.

“Belladis.”

No, that’s too distant.

“Bella.”

As I spoke softly, Belladis's eyes began to glimmer with awareness.

“What kind of trick is this?”

“Huh?”

Seems like I messed up.