Chapter 758: God’s Will

Oliver took his stance.

The Burned One clenched his fist.

Whoosh. The sound of the air burning echoed.

Thud. The sound of footsteps reverberated.

Oliver walked forward, approaching The Burned One.

The Burned One, still standing in place, swung his arm and struck Oliver.

──!

With a loud bang, Oliver fell straight down, his neck violently twisted.

Silence fell, and Oliver stood up again.

The Burned One silently watched.

[······.]

Oliver approached The Burned One again.

Just like before, The Burned One swung his arm and struck Oliver.

───!

Again, a loud bang echoed as Oliver collapsed on the spot.

Coughing, wheezing sounds, as if his breath was about to stop, filled the air.

After a moment, Oliver tried to stand up again.

The Burned One watched silently. When Oliver rose again and approached, he swung his arm and knocked him down.

────!!

The regular, ticking sound like a clock echoed as Oliver fell once more.

Each time, Oliver stood up and walked back to The Burned One.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

─────!!

With a resounding boom, Oliver collapsed once again.

The coughing was weaker than before, and his shallow breathing was almost inaudible.

It was akin to a ritual.

Like a blacksmith tempering steel. Or perhaps, the breaking of one’s will.

Either way, it did not matter.

The ones watching could neither understand nor intervene; all they could do was observe.

So, whether it was tempering or will-breaking, it made no difference.

Similarly, it made no difference to Oliver.

Regardless of what he was doing, Oliver remained focused only on his task.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

──────!!

An even louder boom echoed as Oliver, approaching The Burned One, once again fell.

The regular rhythm of his coughs and labored breaths continued.

The Burned One watched in silence.

Once more, Oliver stood up.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

────────!!!

A deafening boom sounded.

Blood splattered, flesh tore, and Oliver collapsed again.

Coughing, breathing.

Every spectator watched.

Thud.

Thud.

────────!!!

The city’s elites, officials, scholars.

Thud.

Thud.

─────────!!!

Laborers and the impoverished.

Thud.

Thud.

──────────!!!

Women, the elderly, and children.

Thud.

Thud.

───────────!!!

Prostitutes, beggars, thieves, gangsters, scammers.

Thud.

────────────!!!

They all watched Oliver.

They saw Oliver continue to rise and approach, even after being punched down by the Devil.

With each blow, the booming echoed louder, his breaths grew fainter, and it took longer for him to stand.

“Ha······a!”

Nevertheless, with his battered body, Oliver kept standing, finally stopping before The Burned One.

The Burned One silently looked at Oliver.

[······.]

As if saying that no more words were necessary, or that no further conversation had any meaning, he remained silent.

What will you do now?

In response, Oliver clenched his left fist and punched The Burned One in the face.

Thud.

A faint sound quietly echoed. So soft it was embarrassing to call it a punch. It showed how powerless Oliver’s fist, devoid of strength, really was.

Without so much as flinching, The Burned One raised his flame-formed hand and grabbed Oliver’s shoulder.

Sssssiz-!

The sharp sound of heated metal searing flesh rang out.

“······!”

The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and Oliver clenched his teeth to stifle the scream trying to escape.

As the flames dug into his shoulder, Oliver clenched his fist and struck The Burned One again.

Thud. Thud. Whack.

The Burned One took the weak punches without reacting, then lifted one leg.

Crunch!

He stomped on one of Oliver’s legs.

The sound of something breaking was heard as Oliver’s leg bent in an unnatural direction.

Bones shattered, flesh smashed, and the broken bone protruded through the torn skin. Red blood flowed between the crushed flesh and the exposed bone.

“············!!”

Oliver suppressed the scream once more, just as The Burned One’s fist struck him, sending him flying ten steps back.

With that single blow, Oliver’s already tattered upper robe crumbled to ash, fully revealing his emaciated body.

The frame, starved down to the bones from endless hunger, left his ribs and spine painfully evident. That sorry figure shivered uncontrollably.

“Ghuuuuh······.”

The overwhelming damage had pushed his body to its limits. His body was raising an alarm.

Everyone could see it.

The Burned One, the citizens of the Capital, the Kel Independent Free Army, The Selectors, the Fighter Crew, and the Anti-Development Committee.

Even Albert, the Prince of the United Kingdom, Wallace of the Kel Independent Free Army, Philip and Terence of the Kingdom’s army, Marie, Jane, Joanna, Joe, Edith, Bartholomew—everyone saw the trembling boy.

“Go······ugh.”

The boy clenched his teeth, holding back the scream trying to escape.

He twisted his torn, burned body, forcing himself to move.

He groped the ground with his only remaining arm, trying to get up.

“Ah······!”

Half-standing, the boy let out a short cry as he fell again.

He had forgotten that his leg was broken and, upon trying to stand, succumbed to the pain.

His body convulsed as if it desired rest, his vision blurred, and his breath became rough.

Even so, the boy did not give up. With only one arm left, he crawled toward The Burned One.

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

The sound of him dragging himself across the floor reverberated as a long trail of blood stretched behind him.

The Burned One silently observed.

The boy crawled once more, arriving at The Burned One’s feet. The Burned One, looking down at him, silently questioned.

What will you do now?

The boy opened his mouth and bit The Burned One’s leg.

Sizzle······!

The sound of weak bones and flesh burning echoed as smoke rose. Yet, the boy bit down harder.

The Burned One lifted one leg.

Crunch──!

He stomped on the back of the boy’s neck.

The ground trembled as the boy’s neck snapped backward, forcing him to release his hold on The Burned One’s leg.

The boy’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed face-first on the ground. The Burned One, using a flaming hand grown from his severed arm, grabbed the boy by the collarbone and lifted him.

Sssssizzzzzz······!!

The hand made of fire burned into the boy’s collarbone, melting the flesh and searing the bones.

The excruciating pain forced the boy’s eyes to open.

The first thing he saw was The Burned One holding him. Then, he saw that fist. And that fist struck his face.

Crack────!!

The boy’s neck snapped with a sickening crack.

Slam───!!

But The Burned One did not stop there.

Crunch─!

He pummeled the boy with a relentless barrage of blows.

Thud────!!

Crushed his abdomen, turning his innards to mush.

Whack──!

Struck his side, shattering ribs.

Crack───!!!

Blasted the temple.

Wham──────!!

Smashed his jaw.

He didn’t stop there—he pulverized the right eye, pounded the face, broke the neck, crushed the shoulders, and more.

Blood splattered, flesh peeled away, and bones and guts collapsed.

The onlookers who had prayed for the boy to fight back had fallen silent. They simply watched in stunned disbelief.

The Burned One stopped punching.

The boy’s head hung low, as if he had lost consciousness. Blood continued to drip from his limp body.

Except for one left hand.

That left hand, shaking as though it would fall off any moment, still managed to rise slowly and strike The Burned One’s face.

Slap.

[······.]

The Burned One clenched his fist once again, a glow flickering between the cracks of his flame-formed skin before he struck the boy, sending him flying.

A shockwave made of flames erupted, and the boy was sent falling back toward the onlookers.

The boy lay silently.

The Burned One was about to walk towards the fallen boy when.

Thrust!

Someone stabbed The Burned One from behind.

It was a Holy Knight. One of the countless nameless Holy Knights who had lost the power of the Holy Law.

“Hhhrrrrk-!”

The Holy Knight let out a sound—a wailing cry, a scream, or maybe a groan, as he stabbed The Burned One.

Well, he tried to stab him.

The tip of the sword stopped, blocked by an invisible wall before it could reach The Burned One’s skin. The attempt to surprise him had failed.

But the Holy Knight neither despaired nor regretted.

“Huff······.”

There was no mark left on The Burned One, but at least the boy’s approach had been delayed for a moment. So······.

“Aaaaahhhh!!”

He did not regret it.

Bzzt!!

The flame ring above The Burned One’s head flared, incinerating the Holy Knight, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.

No hair, no flesh, no blood. Not even his sword or coat remained.

The Holy Knight had vanished entirely, but The Burned One did not move.

He saw more Holy Knights stepping forward from the crowd.

They stopped Marie, Joe, Bartholomew, and others from advancing and took off their Holy Knight coats, drawing their weapons—swords, axes, spears—and began to pray.

“Oh Holy Father.”

The Holy Knights, without their Holy Law, knelt and prayed over their weapons.

The Burned One laughed at the sight.

[It’s a little late for repentance.]

The Holy Knights continued praying, undeterred.

“With the weapon and shield You have given us, I vow, at this moment.”

“I will be a shield for humanity and a sword that strikes down evil. I will protect the law, the weak, and the good, and I will obliterate chaos, demons, and malevolence.”

[Even so······. Fine, I’ll humor you.]

The Burned One, as if about to say something else, stopped.

The Holy Knights stood up from their prayers, positioned their weapons, and kissed them.

“I am the light that will drive away the darkness! I am the horn that proclaims the morning! I am the armor that defends the world! And I will be the shield that protects Your children─!!”

One of the Holy Knights charged at The Burned One.

Bzzt!!

The fire ring above The Burned One’s head flared again, instantly reducing the charging Holy Knight to ashes.

“Even if my shield becomes tattered and worn!!”

Despite the sight, another Holy Knight charged immediately.

Bzzt!!

This second Holy Knight was also burnt to nothing.

“Even if my sword’s blade is dulled and broken!!”

Another Holy Knight charged—and was reduced to ash.

One Holy Knight after another sacrificed themselves.

“I will not turn away! I will not run! I will never give up!! From this moment forward until the end of my life. I vow eternally──!!!”

They rushed The Burned One, buying time to evacuate the boy.

“Mahalraaaa!!!!”