Chapter 698: Promise

[Retrieval]

With just one word, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

All the light in the world left its place and gathered toward a single direction.

It was light that dispelled darkness, purified corruption, and illuminated the world.

The first target was the pond.

The pond they had desperately guarded to keep the Woman on the Camel from approaching.

The root of Holy Power contained in that pond was absorbed by the Woman on the Camel, and soon after, so was the Holy Capital of the Pater Church.

At the top of the sacred Hill stood a hundred Holy Knights, fighting against the devil. The Holy Power leaving their bodies also ended up in the hands of the Woman on the Camel.

And all because of one command: [Retrieval].

As if everything was returning to its rightful place naturally…

The holy light that had brightened the night sky like day now shone in the hands of the devil. The Holy Knights, who had suddenly lost their light, all collapsed.

Without the blessing of Holy Power, they were crushed under the weight of their own armor.

However, that was just a minor issue.

The real reason lay not in the physical but in the mental realm.

For most of them believed that Holy Power was a gift from God.

So, when that Holy Power left their bodies and entered the hands of the devil, they could only think one thing instinctively.

‘God has truly abandoned us.’

That one thought was more than enough to make the Holy Knights and Priests, who had served God their whole lives, fall to their knees.

In the face of overwhelming despair. However, this was only the beginning.

Before they could even process the loss of the Holy Power, countless other lights streaked across the horizon like a meteor shower, gathering in the hands of the Woman on the Camel.

“…That’s impossible.”

Someone spoke softly, understanding what was happening.

It was as if the knowledge was directly injected into their brains, making it clear what was occurring.

Not only in this Holy Capital but all the Holy Power from around the world was converging into the hands of the Woman on the Camel.

This marked the complete departure of Holy Power from human hands.

Whiiiiish!

Each time more Holy Power converged, the light imbued in the Woman on the Camel’s hands grew brighter, causing a windstorm.

As the light grew brighter, the expressions of the people darkened in despair, but the Holy Power in the hands of the devil gleamed ever stronger, unaffected by the emotions of humans.

It was as if human feelings were entirely irrelevant to it.

The Holy Power, as it unified, became so blindingly bright that it extinguished all other light, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

It was a paradoxical phenomenon.

So much light that it ironically drowned the surroundings in darkness.

In that darkness, the Holy Knights despaired once again.

The Holy Knights, who had risen once more at the sight of Joanna’s courage absorbed by the Holy Blood and Kevin who had become the Archive.

“Could it be…”

The Woman on the Camel spoke aloud, using Sister Delra’s voice.

Her voice, while sweet like a chorus of countless nuns,

Was also suffocating…

Painful.

Hundreds of Holy Knights around her began to bleed from their eyes, noses, mouths, and ears.

Even Joanna, empowered by the Holy Blood, and Kevin, now the Archive, were not spared.

In the midst of it, the Woman on the Camel continued to speak.

“Did you really think you could win?”

The Holy Knights, bleeding from their eyes, noses, mouths, and ears, succumbed to the pain and fell to their knees. Some of their heads and bodies began to tremble erratically.

“Did you really believe that if you fought without any selfish thoughts, united as one, with a resolve to die, you could defeat me?”

The Woman on the Camel asked sincerely. At the same time, some of the Holy Knights erupted like pimples.

A sound of a giant, hot, wet boil bursting echoed in the air, splattering the faces of the other Holy Knights with red blood and pieces of flesh.

“Eeeek!”

The Holy Knights, upon seeing it, lost their minds, screaming like beasts rather than humans. Then, the enormous light began to move.

“If that were the case, perhaps…”

The Woman on the Camel raised the staff, now imbued with all the world’s Holy Power, high into the sky.

As the staff moved, not just the surrounding area but all the air in the Holy Capital began to form currents, gathering at one point.

The movement of the air was a result of a massive shift in its mass. As the enormous volume of air gathered to its limit, the Woman on the Camel finished speaking.

“How displeasing.”

At that moment, the Woman on the Camel struck the ground with the staff made of Holy Power.

The air, compressed to its limit by the movement of the staff, exploded, blowing everyone away.

Except for two people.

Joanna and Kevin.

The two of them, as soon as they noticed the staff’s movement, activated the power of the Holy Blood and the Archive, not only fixing themselves in place but also attempting to stop the Woman on the Camel.

They instinctively knew what would happen the moment the staff touched the ground.

The entire Holy Capital would be blown away by the overwhelming Holy Power.

Yet, they were unable to stop it.

The windstorm created by the staff, which gathered all the world’s Holy Power, differed from ordinary winds. It pushed away not only Joanna, imbued with Holy Blood but even Kevin’s space magic as the Archive.

Despite this, the two of them didn’t give up and moved forward for various reasons, when suddenly, they heard a familiar yet long-forgotten voice behind them.

“Excuse me.”

It was Oliver’s voice.

Without anyone noticing, Oliver had moved behind Kevin and Joanna. He walked casually past them.

Step. Step. Step.

As if he alone existed in a different timeline, leisurely.

Thus, Oliver approached the Woman on the Camel, extending the Quarterstaff in his hand to block the staff that the Woman on the Camel was about to strike against the ground.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━!

****

An indescribable sound rang out as the staff and the Quarterstaff collided.

The sound was so loud that, paradoxically, it seemed as if nothing could be heard.

All that remained in their ears was a faint ringing sound, so subtle it was barely noticeable. Even the windstorm created by the staff vanished as if it were a lie.

All that was left was silence and tranquility.

However, just as everyone began to let their guard down, an unseen shockwave of energy spread out in a spherical shape, violently pushing everyone around.

This included not only the Holy Knights, who had lost their Holy Power and were flung into the air, unable to control their bodies, but even Kevin and Joanna.

Surprised by Oliver’s unexpected move, Joanna and Kevin were swept up by the abnormal shockwave caused by the collision between the staff and the Quarterstaff, tumbling on the ground.

Despite rolling quite harshly, they were more concerned with Oliver than their pain.

More curious about Oliver’s intentions than the pain in their bodies.

Fortunately, the two were able to hear the conversation between Oliver and the Woman on the Camel.

“May I ask what you intend by this? Honorable existence.”

The Woman on the Camel, using the nuns’ arms as her own, spoke forcefully.

Although it was possible to feel the power she exerted through the trembling air around her, the staff made of Holy Power did not budge an inch.

Blocked by Oliver’s Quarterstaff.

Everyone witnessed this sight, and amidst it, Oliver opened his mouth to speak.

“You mentioned you came here to retrieve Holy Power, did you not? Officially.”

“…Yes, honorable existence.”

“But you also said you came to see me personally, didn’t you?”

“Yes. And I also said that if you wished, I would do whatever I could to make you more comfortable.”

“Would it be possible for me to ask you another favor?”

Oliver asked as if he had been waiting.

A rare emotion of surprise and curiosity flashed in the eyes of the Woman on the Camel.

Oliver’s question had even caught the devil off guard. The Woman on the Camel asked back.

“What is it?”

“Could you please leave now? Haven’t you already completed your official task?”

Oliver looked at the staff, which held all the world’s Holy Power.

The staff, which didn’t even twitch under the Quarterstaff’s block.

At that moment, a change occurred in the staff.

The staff, which had maintained a perfect balance with the Quarterstaff, began to tremble and press down on the Quarterstaff.

Oliver responded by applying force to the Quarterstaff as well, and the two weapons fell into a tug-of-war, slowly facing each other equally.

A single bead of sweat dripped down Oliver’s forehead.

As she saw the sweat, the Woman on the Camel asked.

“Why are you doing this now? Didn’t you say you wanted to give everything up and rest?”

“I still do.”

“That’s quite contradictory. For someone who wants to rest, you’re standing in my way.”

“Aren’t contradictions something you like?”

“…”

“Besides, it’s something I wish for now. There’s still… something I want to confirm. So could you step back here?”

Oliver asked.

Not for himself, but for the humans he no longer wished to involve. He asked the devil to stop and leave.

The devil, with Sister Delra’s face, pondered for a long time before answering.

“Your words are not entirely wrong. I’ve nearly completed my mission.”

“Nearly…?”

“I’ve retrieved it, but I haven’t taken it away yet. So, my mission isn’t entirely finished.”

The Woman on the Camel conveyed her words telepathically. The endpoint of her mission was something she would decide. Her current words were no different.

“But, I don’t feel like leaving just yet. It’s a little unpleasant.”

The Woman on the Camel glanced over the Holy Knights around her.

The arrogant Holy Knights who dared to challenge her with the goal of victory.

“Would it be impossible even if I asked?”

“Hmph… This situation is somehow similar. Like when you met The Burned One.”

“…”

“You asked back then as well. To not burn down the City built on the blood of the Red Ones.”

“Yes, and he granted my request.”

“Yes. Although he intended to burn it all, he only burned a quarter of it. Quite a huge concession, wasn’t it? After all, despite his stern exterior, he’s quite gentle on the inside.”

Grit. The Woman on the Camel tightened her grip on the staff.

“But I’m different. Even if a dog is cuddly, it needs to be disciplined if it bares its teeth in earnest. That doesn’t change, even if a noble existence like you asks.”

Grit. The Woman on the Camel’s staff slowly began to push the Quarterstaff back.

Her strength was gradually overpowering Oliver.

Oliver responded by putting more strength into his arms, but it was not enough to completely block her.

“Is that so?”

“I may like you, but there are limits to the favors I can grant. I’m sorry if that offends you, but while you may be a noble existence whom I personally favor, you have no right to order me around.”

The words that the Woman on the Camel had said brushed past his ear.

There were those who felt pity, those who were in awe, and even those who liked Oliver but still did not acknowledge him.

Indeed, it seemed the Woman on the Camel fit the third category of her own words. She might like Oliver, but that did not mean she acknowledged him.

Yet, Oliver showed no reaction. Neither sorrow, regret, nor even disappointment.

For he had only made a genuine request. He had no particular desire to gain the devil’s acknowledgment.

“In that case, it can’t be helped.”

“I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”

“I’m not disappointed. It was just a request.”

“Then, what will you do now?”

“I will make it so that you return.”

“Pardon?”

The Woman on the Camel asked, not understanding his response.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, she soon understood what he meant. As Oliver twisted and thrust the Quarterstaff.

“Shatter.”

With those words, the Holy Power in the hand of the Woman on the Camel shattered into pieces.