Chapter 750: God’s Will

“Aaaaah…!! Aaaaargh…!!”

As the Swan Princess placed the Thistle Crown on the head of the Red One, flames ignited from beneath her body.

The excruciating pain of being burned alive forced open the lips she had stitched together, tearing them apart and scattering fragments on the ground.

Her lips were torn to shreds. From the gaps, far more blood and screams than before filled the underground space.

However, the screams soon subsided.

The flames that rose from beneath the Swan Princess consumed her, burning away her lungs and vocal cords, leaving her unable to scream anymore.

“…!”

All that could be heard was the soundless screaming and the crackling of flames as they engulfed her.

Joanna’s mind raced with memories of the past as she witnessed this horrifying scene.

The New Continent, the abandoned mine, the sound of drums, the massive bonfire, the Red Ones dancing around it, the swollen girl, and the deadly childbirth.

What was happening now was eerily similar to that moment.

He was descending again.

‘The Burned One.’

The being who had attempted to destroy the city built on the blood of the Red Ones was now descending to burn the land with the most accumulated sins.

One thought arose in Joanna’s mind.

It wasn’t the overwhelming power of the Burned One or the sight of the city of the New Continent destroyed by fire.

The only thought in Joanna’s mind was of Oliver.

The one who had stood before the Burned One,

The one who had fought against the Burned One with all his might.

The one who had asked the Burned One for time in response to the unending sins.

‘He came for the answer. The one we couldn’t give that time… I must stop him.’

Joanna’s mind, foreseeing what was about to happen, came to a single conclusion.

She had to stop the ritual somehow.

‘But how?’

As Joanna examined the burning corpses one by one, she pondered.

How could she stop this ritual?

First, she assessed the situation.

Even before entering, the temperature around the Royal Palace was abnormally high.

People inside and around the palace, even the guards and rioters outside attempting to invade, had all been reduced to dried-out, charred wood.

This place had already become an environment where humans couldn’t survive.

Yet, as the corpses around started to ignite one by one, beginning with the Swan Princess, a powerful heatwave swept through, exponentially raising the internal temperature.

It was intense enough to shake even the barrier raised using the Holy Blood.

Joanna took a cautious step forward, just in case.

The barrier of light surrounding her moved forward as well, but the front part of the shield wavered under the searing heat and began to burn.

The light was burning.

Grit…!!

Joanna gritted her teeth quietly.

Despite having absorbed the Holy Blood, this was the limit.

[That power wasn’t meant for you.]

The flames crackled━━━!

From amidst the swirling flames devouring the corpses, a strange voice echoed.

It didn’t come through her ears but directly into her mind.

Because of that, despite the roaring flames, Joanna could hear it clearly.

[No matter how sharp a blade may be, to an ant it is meaningless. They can’t wield it.]

The Burned One’s telepathic voice, speaking through the flames, addressed Joanna.

[In that sense, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. At least you’re an ant that can handle a longsword… That’s a miracle in itself.]

Whoosh━━━━!!

As the Burned One spoke, the flames that were consuming the corpses roared higher, as if exploding.

The flames swirled like a typhoon, not only sweeping through the area but also burning the walls, ceiling, and floor, filling the space entirely with fire.

It was like a hell created to burn sinners for eternity.

Within that hell, Joanna activated the power of the Holy Blood imbued in her body. She formed enormous wings of light to shield the Holy Knights around her, directly confronting the raging flames.

“……!!”

In that moment, Joanna let out a silent scream, feeling an unbearable burning pain as if her soul was being scorched.

It was so agonizing that she couldn’t even make a sound. Yet Joanna couldn’t focus on the pain. What she realized was far more shocking.

The flames held no malice.

The raging firestorm that threatened to consume everything wasn’t meant to harm Joanna, or even the Holy Knights.

It was merely the side effect of a necessary process.

Just as natural disasters don’t intentionally harm humans, and people don’t aim to squish ants beneath their feet.

This firestorm was the same.

As if to confirm Joanna’s thoughts, the blinding, scorching fire began contracting and soon started to gather into a single point.

With a deafening roar, the flames coalesced above the head of the Red One, where the Thistle Crown had been placed.

The Thistle Crown absorbed the searing flames, forming glowing rings.

Red and yellow rings, as hot and violent as molten metal.

Beneath them, the body of the Red One began to melt like a wax figure.

Plop. Plop.

The skin evaporated, revealing melting muscles beneath, oozing like ice cream on a summer day, slowly exposing the bones and organs.

The sight of the Red One dissolving like a sinner in hell turned the Holy Knights’ faces pale as they clasped their hands in prayers to God.

“O God…!”

The previously silent telepathic voice of the Burned One rang out once again, shaking the surroundings.

[How blasphemous.]

The Burned One’s fiery voice pierced through Joanna’s wings of light and protective barrier, burning the tongue of the Holy Knight who had prayed to God.

The Holy Knight, with his tongue ablaze, let out a sound more like an animal than a man as he writhed on the floor. If that wasn’t enough, the scorching heat pressed even harder on Joanna.

Whoosh━━━!!

The wings of light slowly burned away, and the barrier began to melt, shrinking the space the Holy Knights stood upon.

This alone showed how much the Burned One’s mood had soured.

Even though he hadn’t completely descended yet, he could burn everything here to ash.

The reason he wasn’t doing so was, ironically, because he could do it whenever he wanted.

It wasn’t unexpected, but still she was taken aback. To think it would be this bad. Clearly…

[Didn’t the Woman on the Camel favor you?]

The Burned One, with a melting face, turned toward her as he spoke.

His eyeballs had already burst, leaving only empty sockets.

[She likes humans, doesn’t she? She’s much too soft.]

The Burned One said with a sneer, speaking of the devil who had sacrificed 56 nuns alive to descend, stripped the world of Holy Power, and cursed the Holy Capital into the Cursed Land.

Joanna wanted to argue with him, but she couldn’t.

Whoosh━━━!!

Because as she faced the storm of swirling flames, she was experiencing firsthand that what he said was true.

The Burned One wasn’t giving her pain on purpose. Likewise, he wasn’t showing any tenderness either.

If Joanna’s power had been insufficient to withstand this place, she would’ve been reduced to ashes.

Given the circumstances, it was true that the Woman on the Camel had shown her mercy back then.

Despite the sacrifice of 56 nuns and the collapse of the convent, which resulted in countless deaths, Joanna and Kevin had survived thanks to her protection.

[You seem to be in pain. Well, you didn’t fully experience my flames back then because she shielded you.]

Watching Joanna endure the repercussions of his reappearance in the mortal world, the Burned One asked.

But it wasn’t out of concern. It was the opposite.

[Do you think this will accomplish anything?]

“…”

[Didn’t you come here to stop me? Afraid I’ll meet her again?]

“…”

[And yet, all you do is endure. Are you really thinking of stopping me?]

“…”

[You probably only have this one chance.]

With his face melted to the bone, the Burned One gave a devious smile.

It was unmistakably mockery.

But his words weren’t wrong. Everything he said was true.

Even with the protection of the Woman on the Camel, unable to oppose him alone, and unable to fully harness the Holy Blood, Joanna couldn’t stop the Burned One.

At this point, merely keeping her footing in the face of his descent was an overwhelming struggle.

That’s why this was her only chance. Before the Burned One fully descended, she had to destroy the vessel—the Red One.

If she missed this opportunity, there would be no way to resist him.

The problem was how to break through the storm of flames.

She had approached one step earlier, but the barrier had burned and faltered.

And now, with the flames raging out of control, if she moved, the wings would burn, and the shield would melt away.

“…”

Of course, there was one possible way.

If she retracted the wings and the barrier that shielded the other Holy Knights and focused only on herself, she might be able to endure.

Perhaps she could approach the vessel before the wings and shield were consumed and destroy it.

No, it was possible.

The Red One’s current form, with all its flesh and organs melted away, was extremely vulnerable.

Perhaps even the massive firestorm was just a protective measure to safeguard the fragile vessel.

There was no other time. It had to be now.

[What will you do? Will you abandon the Holy Knights you brought and stop me? Or will you protect them and watch my descent?]

The Burned One asked from within the fire, where any mistake would leave nothing but ashes.

A Holy Knight shouted.

“Child of the Angels! Don’t worry about us! Stop the demon’s descent for the sake of God!”

The Holy Knight, who had consistently referred to her as ‘Dame Joanna,’ now called her by the title ‘Child of the Angels.’

It meant he was prepared for the worst. Trapped in the hellish flames not of this world.

A Holy Knight who had lost Holy Power shouted, squeezing out his last ounce of faith and will.

However, that desperate cry didn’t even garner a sneer from the Burned One.

[Calling for your God? You still don’t understand what my appearance means, do you?]

His telepathic voice was filled with true disappointment, scorn, and disdain.

One of the Holy Knights tried to respond, but the Burned One cut him off.

[Do you really believe your God does not want me to descend?]

The Holy Knights were shocked to hear the Burned One call their God ‘Him.’

The Burned One’s telepathic voice, although spoken by a demon, carried no malice or anger. Rather, it was filled with reverence, even holiness.

A demon who should have been antagonistic towards God-

[You’ve always proclaimed that your God is omnipotent. Has it never occurred to you how an omnipotent being could possibly have enemies? Isn’t that a contradiction?]

The Burned One asked with genuine curiosity.

It was a valid question.

Can a truly omnipotent being have a real enemy?

Omnipotence means knowing everything and being able to do anything.

If such a being has enemies, it can only be because they allow it.

And such a foe cannot truly be an enemy—

“Demons are God’s servants…?”

A shocked Holy Knight asked in a half-dazed state. He had guessed correctly.

[That’s right. We are also His servants.]

“…”

[And that means your end is also by His will… or at least, He doesn’t mind it happening-]

-Splat!!

The Burned One, who had been speaking through the melting body of the Red One, suddenly stopped talking.

The corpses, which had been burning with the flames of sin, suddenly moved, piercing the exposed innards of the Red One with their hands.

The Burned One permitted it, unable to stop it, and his liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys, intestines, and even his heart were skewered.

A chilling silence fell as the sudden deed was done.

[…A blockhead managed to figure it out at the last minute. You waited for the moment when the offerings and I were connected.]

While the Red One’s internal organs bubbled up, the Burned One chuckled.

Puppet had waited for the moment when the offerings were linked to the Burned One through the ritual.

[Did the Horse-Head help you?]

“That’s… none… of… your… concern…!”

Puppet, speaking through the burning corpse, replied.

The voice was drenched in agony, and from this, Joanna knew that Puppet was enduring the hellfire.

She herself was feeling the same pain.

He was almost bare-handedly enduring the hellfire just to counter the demon and attack at the right moment of vulnerability.

His determination was terrifying.

But what was it for?

[Do you wish to become human that desperately?]

The Burned One asked, directing the question toward Puppet amidst the hellfire.

Puppet didn’t answer, only shoving his hand deeper into the Red One’s body.

Then, another corpse began to move.

The Swan Princess, who put the Thistle Crown on the Red One’s head.

The Princess, motionless since she had crowned him and begun burning, moved for the first time, reaching for the fiery ring that slowly rotated above the Red One’s head.

Up close, the ring looked just like a halo of an angel.

At that moment, Puppet seemed to understand what his goal was.

Puppet was after that ring—the very power bestowed by God. He intended to steal divine authority to become human.

[Foolish. The one with a horse’s head is also a demon. Did you think he helped you out of kindness? He is also God’s servant, you know.]

Although Puppet hesitated for a moment at that cryptic question, it was too late.

The Swan Princess, whose body had begun to burn, had already touched the fiery halo.

The victims’ corpses, gathered around the Red One, burst into flames like a massive bonfire as soon as the Princess grabbed the ring.

The final part of the ritual for the demon’s descent was now complete.

Flames like lightning flickered in the hollowed-out eyes of the Red One.