Chapter 272
Yusti-ah had said it. Trust her.
There was no need to even think about it. Even if he hadn’t been able to trust her in the past, she was now one of the people he trusted more than anyone else.
“I trust you.”
Had she heard his quiet reply? Yusti-ah’s lips drew a soft arc.
It was right after that when the beam of light striking down from the sky met the protective barrier.
BOOOOM - !
The dark beam of light struck the ground with a deafening roar, as if to erase everything from the world.
He felt like he knew why the entire area had turned into a wasteland. Since nothing could easily withstand such a blow, everything had returned to nothingness.
But there were bound to be exceptions to everything, and the protective barrier Yusti-ah created was just that. The translucent golden barrier easily blocked the beam of light.
Eventually, when the beam of light ceased, the Fallen Saintess’s expression was colored with shock.
“What is this…! Just what is it…! Why won’t it disappear?!”
“Probably because you lack faith compared to me.”
“That can’t be! That can’t be true…! I believe in the Goddess more firmly than ever before…!”
“Didn’t I say it earlier? I am you. You aren’t trying to deceive me, are you?”
The Yusti-ah of the past had hated the Goddess. As if losing her family wasn’t enough, she had been chosen by a destiny that forced only sacrifice upon her.
Although that feeling had faded now that she had been saved by Franz, it didn’t mean her past memories had disappeared.
That was why she understood the heart of her other self better than anyone else.
The Fallen Saintess was not truly serving God.
“Then how do you explain this power?! I am clearly using divine power!”
“That is a question for me as well. Why hasn’t the Goddess taken back your divine power…?”
“S-see, I truly do believe in the Goddess…”
“Stop lying to yourself any longer, Yusti-ah.”
Yusti-ah’s firm voice rang out clearly across the vast wasteland. It was a statement directed at her past self, and at the woman in front of her.
The Fallen Saintess opened and closed her mouth as if at a loss for words, then soon dropped her head.
“…Just leave me alone.”
A dark aura began to waver around her body. The unpleasant and terrible sensation of the aura naturally caused one’s brow to furrow.
“Something is coming.”
Making that judgment, Franz drew up the divine energy, divine power, and magic power he had withdrawn.
Yuna, Hera, and Arian, who were beside him, also prepared for battle.
Meanwhile, someone slowly walked out of the shabby house. They were the two skeletons they had seen just before.
“Don’t tell me…?”
Had she noticed something? Yusti-ah glared at the Fallen Saintess with sharp eyes.
It didn’t take long for Franz to understand her words.
Bones popping out from somewhere began to gather around the two skeletons, gradually increasing their size.
The Fallen Saintess was using the remains of her irreplaceable parents as a weapon.
“You’ve completely lost your mind…”
“I haven’t lost my mind…! I, I’m normal…!”
Along with the Fallen Saintess’s scream, the two giant skeletons began to move. Every time their massive feet touched down, the ground shook violently with a deafening roar.
“F-Franz, what do we do…?”
Yuna tugged at his sleeve with her eyes wide open.
Even if it was a different world, weren’t Yusti-ah’s parents inside those giant things? They couldn’t easily lay a hand on them.
However, it wasn’t like Franz had a brilliant plan either. He was just waiting for Yusti-ah to make a decision.
It was then. Yusti-ah nodded with a resolute expression.
Did she have some sort of method?
That question arose, but he quickly erased it from his mind.
“Let’s wait.”
Yusti-ah had asked him to trust her. So the only thing he could do was trust her.
Even so, the reason he couldn’t bring himself to withdraw the power he had drawn up was probably because she was precious to him.
“…Alright. I’ll trust you. You and the Yusti-ah you believe in.”
Yuna let out a long breath and thrust her holy sword into the ground. Then, with a face full of worry, she began to watch Yusti-ah’s actions.
Hera also took her hand off the drawn bowstring, and Arian likewise dispelled the magic power she had drawn up.
With everyone’s gazes gathered in one place like that, Yusti-ah brought her two hands together in front of her chest. The wish contained in her clasped hands was salvation, so it would become a light to save the unfortunate souls before her.
Had Yusti-ah’s wish been conveyed? The dark clouds that had been filling the sky slowly cleared, and a radiant light began to shine upon the world.
THUD - !
The two giant skeletons paid no mind to Yusti-ah’s actions and took a step forward, solely to erase the impurity before their eyes from this world.
Just a few steps. Once that short time passed, Yusti-ah would be forever lost from the world.
Even so, Franz trusted Yusti-ah and waited, because that was what she wanted.
He had drawn up his magic power to the fullest so he could rescue her at any moment if a truly dangerous situation arose, but he hoped such a moment wouldn’t come, if possible.
“I trust you, Yusti-ah.”
It was the moment Franz thought that.
“Please rest peacefully in that place.”
At the same time Yusti-ah quietly murmured, golden feathers began to fall from the sky. The sight of countless feathers falling around her held an indescribable mystique.
Franz reached out and caught a feather falling in front of him. The feather resting on his palm shone brightly and emitted divine power, then soon disappeared without a trace.
However, that was only harmless because Franz was an ordinary human. If it were calamity, the story would be different.
THUD - !
The bone fragments that had gathered around the two skeletons, the other Yusti-ah’s father and mother, fell away the moment the feathers touched them.
Even so, the two massive figures moved toward Yusti-ah, even though the bone fragments forming their arms and legs scattered.
Perhaps they wanted to grant what their only daughter wished for. Skeletons certainly wouldn’t have such a will, but for some reason, that thought came to mind.
Clatter -, clatter - .
Eventually, what arrived in front of Yusti-ah was two ordinary skeletons. They should be called the other Yusti-ah’s parents, to be exact.
“You’ve suffered a lot. Please rest peacefully on the other side.”
Mother, Father.
Whispering those words so quietly they could barely be heard, Yusti-ah opened her arms and embraced the two skeletons. Then, the bones that had been maintaining a human form crumbled down in a heap.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah…! Aaaagh - !”
The Fallen Saintess let out a sharp scream. As if in agony, she was wildly messing up her hair that had been dyed black.
Looking straight at her, Yusti-ah took a step forward and soon stood in front of her.
“How about you snap out of this illusion now?”
“You, you killed them…! You killed them…!”
“No. Our parents passed away a long time ago. You know that too, don’t you?”
Yusti-ah spat it out calmly as if it were nothing, but the weight carried in those words was not something to be taken lightly.
The process of fully accepting and overcoming the death of one’s parents certainly wouldn’t have been easy.
“I won’t forgive you…! I won’t forgive you…!”
A dark aura spewed out intensely from the Fallen Saintess’s body.
Flinching for a moment, Franz immediately tried to head toward Yusti-ah, but she simply placed a hand on her other self’s shoulder as if it were nothing.
“It must have been very hard. You must have been lonely.”
“What, what do you know…!”
“I am you, after all.”
“Then why, why do such a thing…”
“Were you truly happy with this kind of life?”
The Fallen Saintess couldn’t easily give an answer. She merely cast her trembling eyes downward.
The darkness that had been spewing out as if to swallow the area slowly subsided, and a gentle golden light filled its place.
“I still feel resentful too, toward the bandits who killed our parents that day, and the Clerics who coldly turned a blind eye.”
“You can just get revenge… Pay them back the same way…”
“That’s right. I thought about it countless times too: that I would kill them all. But you know, when I thought about it, getting revenge wouldn’t bring our dead parents back.”
“That’s…”
“I had a vassal who made me realize that, but it seems you never met him.”
Yusti-ah’s lips drew a soft arc.
The Fallen Saintess’s gaze headed behind her, toward Franz who was standing a short distance away.
“…Are you happy?”
“Well. He doesn’t listen, and he’s a stubborn vassal… But I suppose I am happy after all.”
“I see…”
She trailed off, as if she had a lot to say, but wouldn’t.
Yusti-ah didn’t bother to pry into it and continued the conversation.
“Then it would be best to say our goodbyes soon, right? You’ve already far exceeded your lifespan.”
“Right…”
“Please be at peace in that place.”
“May God’s blessing be with you on the path you walk.”
As the Fallen Saintess offered a final greeting befitting a Saintess, her body slowly crumbled down.
No matter if she was a Saintess, it was impossible to have a lifespan beyond that of a human, so she was already in a state of being alive but not truly living.
Beneath the dark-colored nun’s habit she wore, she was surely battered and broken.
“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
The final voice of the woman who had led the world to ruin could only be heard by Yusti-ah.
Watching her slowly turn to dust and disappear, Yusti-ah picked up the golden jewel resting on the nun’s habit.
The mysterious jewel her father had supposedly picked up one day from the river existed. It seemed that even within a corrupted heart, her love for her parents had not faded.
It wasn’t long after that when Yusti-ah returned to Franz.
“Yusti-ah, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
For someone speaking so calmly, she had a rather dark complexion.
Franz didn’t know what emotions were contained within it, but it was certain that he shouldn’t just leave her be.
“Yusti-ah.”
“I’m really… fi…ne…”
Franz wrapped one hand around the back of Yusti-ah’s head and pulled her into his chest.
Honestly, it was embarrassing and awkward, but…
He felt he could accept Vassalage to endure it until the gate collapsed.