novelraw Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Ch.96 Apostle of the Goddess of War
‘What…?’
It was an utterly absurd power.
Truly, it twisted reality itself and projected the world she desired.
Everything was placed upon the scale.
The warring knights in the midst of battle, the livestock, the amorphous energy masses—
In this world, Arwen was the law, the justice.
The stronger one’s conviction,
And the greater one’s power, the more potent the mental realm became.
Since Eru’s creation,
This had been the universal law,
The principle by which the mental domain manifested.
If you cannot break your opponent’s belief, you will drown within their world.
The countermeasure, surprisingly, was simple.
“If suppressing evil through sheer power is your justice, and that of the War Cult—”
Then prove it.
“Prove your strength.”
Kwaaaaaaah!
Arwen’s shockwave surged forward like a tidal wave.
He was swept away. Just barely managing to stand his ground was all he could do.
Amidst it all, Arwen provoked Sion.
“If you are truly the ‘Strongest Sword’ that Goddess Achille has been searching for—”
Piiiiing—!
A crack appeared before his eyes as her swung blade tore through the air. Even the clouds in the sky split apart and scattered.
Fwip!
He dropped flat immediately. Already, a portion of his hair had been cleanly severed.
Had he not reacted, his head would have been cleaved off.
‘I didn’t even see her arm move.’
Even while focusing intently, it had been that way.
Her arm was already in the follow-through position after the swing.
Kreeeek…
The scale held by the War Knights tilted slightly in the opposite direction.
On the other side, a blue flame ascended onto the scale.
The divine power symbolizing the Goddess of wisdom, the soul of judgment.
The more Sion was pushed back, the larger the flame grew, and the more the scale tipped.
Here, the loser would become the sinner, and the victor would be justice.
‘Damn it.’
Inside the mental realm, one could wield several times their actual power.
To survive within the world of the scale, he had to shatter her world.
The trial Arwen had imposed.
The trial bestowed by the Goddess of Wisdom.
‘I have to overcome this.’
Sion widened his eyes and looked up at the sky.
There, towering in the air like an absolute being, stood the blue knight.
Her cold, downward gaze was like that of a sage who had comprehended all things in the world.
And within those pupils lay the unshakable resolve to annihilate everything before her.
Arwen grieved, though she did not wish it—she had no choice but to face this reality.
Crack.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Arwen’s arm position shifted again.
Fwiiiish!
A threatening sound whistled past Sion. He immediately swung his sword aura in defense.
Kaaang!
Paaaaaah!
Blue sparks flew, and the ground beside Sion was gouged deeply.
Kwong!
Kwaang!
The gashes gradually multiplied.
Sion was barely managing to block Arwen’s sword aura.
The gap in strength, divine power, and swordsmanship was stark.
Kreeeek, kreeek.
The scale continued to tilt. The blue flame grew larger, as if preparing to devour a person whole.
“Why hesitate?”
Arwen taunted as she swung her sword.
“Is this all the strength you were so proud of?”
Fwip! Kiiiiing!
The earth split open.
“You claim you’ll defeat the Apostles of Evil with a power that can’t even overwhelm me?”
Paaaaang!
Kreeeek.
The blade edge began to dull.
“You—”
Kwajjijik!
“Pishoot!”
Blood spurted.
“—still call yourself—”
Psssh!
“—the Apostle of the Goddess of War?”
Pssshak!
“The strongest force in history. The strongest sword. What a ridiculous joke.”
Chaaaaaaak!
Thud.
Sion dropped to one knee.
“Haa— haa…”
His breathing was ragged. Within the domain of the scale, even breathing was an arduous task.
On top of enduring Arwen’s relentless attacks and struggling to keep his spirit from breaking, it was truly hellish. Blood bubbled up in his throat.
“Tch.”
Sion spat out phlegm-mixed blood.
It was hard to lift his head.
He truly felt as if his heart was breaking.
He had been expected, thought of as a genius.
Yet here he was, kneeling before overwhelming power.
‘I…’
His spirit slowly began to wane.
The scale rose along with it, reaching its highest point.
‘Was this all I could do?’
The flame of Wisdom grew so immense it seemed capable of burning them both.
Had this woman, Arwen, been the rightful choice to become the Apostle of War?
That thought briefly crossed his mind.
Right now, Sion was too weak.
Entrusting him alone with Elim was too much of a burden.
He was failing to meet the Goddess of War’s expectations.
In the end, he would fall before reaching the state she desired.
His faith was violently shaken.
Then—
Clank!
Sion finally stepped onto the scale himself.
His spirit wavered as much as his trembling body.
He was utterly exhausted.
All the fragile emotions worn down from his relentless journey were laid bare.
The Goddess of War’s acolyte kneeling now was pathetically weak.
So weak it made him angry.
‘I didn’t expect this.’
Arwen’s eyes twitched slightly beneath.
Something—seemed unsatisfactory.
Fwip.
She raised her sword for the finishing blow. Above her shoulder, a brilliant blue sword aura blazed with dazzling light. The shockwave struck the air without restraint.
Bolt-like blue divine energy gathered at the tip of her blade.
“It ends here. My victory. Your ideals are mistaken.”
That was when it happened.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, his vision flipped.
Arwen doubted her own eyes.
Had she seen it wrong?
It was the night sky.
Black mist swallowed the scale upon which Sion had stood.
Sion remained unharmed, separate from the mist.
No—rather, he was the one manipulating the mist.
‘The divine power of the Goddess of War.’
Arwen, who had been calmly declaring her victory, furrowed her brow.
The corner of her mouth twisted strangely upward.
Kwaaaaaah!
Suddenly, a black storm surged forth.
The colors of the sky twisted as if ink had been spilled across the clear blue heavens.
Arwen’s mental world had been invaded.
Sion’s mind had been projected into the domain of the scale.
‘How utterly dark.’
Arwen was shocked.
It was a scene close to emptiness, where nothing could be seen.
Desolate, yet beautiful.
Faint stars flickered between the endless darkness.
“…”
Arwen descended from the sky and gently touched the ground.
“This… is your world?”
She asked.
Sion, nearly at his limit, nodded with labored, ragged breaths.
This time, he hadn’t borrowed Garfenn’s power.
To deny her words,
To prove that he wasn’t wrong,
He had to bring forth his own world.
‘My beliefs.’
Even Sion himself couldn’t yet define what that meant.
Utterly empty.
Yet, faintly, stars glimmered here and there.
This was Sion’s mental realm.
Sion spoke with difficulty.
“I don’t know myself. I still wander, unsure of who I am or what I desire.”
Arwen calmly nodded.
“I’m listening.”
“I just want to protect what’s precious to me.”
“To protect…?”
Arwen repeated Sion’s words, savoring them as she continued to observe the scenery.
“That’s why I want to grow stronger. I don’t have any grand ideals.”
“Then why are you in the War Cult?”
“Because it saved me.”
“Hmm.”
Slowly, Sion raised his left arm.
Above his outstretched hand, stars began to shimmer.
“I don’t have confidence in my abilities. Meeting you, Arwen, only shattered my confidence further.”
“I was simply too strong for you, Sion.”
“Unless I’m number one, it’s meaningless.”
Tears streamed down Arwen’s face.
“I understand that feeling.”
“But—”
Sion grasped the stars in his hand.
“Even if I can’t believe in myself, I believe in the Goddess who believes in me.”
A star entered his palm.
“If the Goddess of War believes in me—”
The beautifully shimmering star took the form of a sword.
“—then I can grow stronger.”
Arwen’s eyes widened.
“That’s…?”
Her hum carried a tone of disbelief.
It defies reality. Even within a mental world, it was impossible.
To grasp a star and form a sword from it?
Unbelievable—but undeniable.
“I understand your belief now.”
“What?”
Sion asked.
“To grasp what cannot be grasped.”
“…”
“A world that makes the impossible possible.”
A chilling shiver ran up Arwen’s spine.
“That is the most powerful force in the world.”
And with that power, someday…
Buuuum!
The star sword swung.
Starlight carved through the world like a galaxy.
The world of the scale split in two, and the scales collapsed.
Psssh!
Blood burst from Arwen’s shoulder.
Even she couldn’t react to that decisive strike.
The star sword.
Sion’s mental realm—still incomprehensible even now.
‘It’s enough.’
A smile tugged at Arwen’s lips.
She looked satisfied, somehow.
By now, the world had returned to normal.
They were back at the gates of Elim, where the fierce battle had taken place.
People and animals who had traversed between reality and the unreal now lay helplessly sprawled on the ground.
“Haa, haa…”
Sion raised his sword.
Holding the sword was all he could manage.
But somehow, it felt like things would be okay now.
An ambiguous confidence, an endless competitive spirit, supported him.
Was it the joy of having projected his mental realm?
Arwen could still fight.
But she no longer had a reason to.
She turned her body away.
“Don’t run away! Fight me!”
Sion shouted.
Arwen replied, clutching her shoulder.
“Let’s call it a draw today.”
“What?”
“I’ve taken considerable damage as well. I’ll return again soon.”
“What?!”
Sion rushed forward, but Arwen had already reached the top of the city wall.
Selana and Antarius, looking somewhat fatigued, caught their breath.
They cast one last glance at Sion before vanishing as clouds obscured the moon.
Sion hurriedly climbed to the top of the wall.
They were already gone. Vanished without a trace.
Instead, no one was injured.
All the War Knights were unharmed.
They were unconscious, but none were in mortal danger.
“Phew.”
Sion collapsed against the wall.
Relief and emptiness mingled.
But he was utterly exhausted.
His mind was overloaded with information,
And above all—
He was too tired.
How long had he gone without sleep, tensed up because of those damn spies?
He wanted to chase after them and finish it now, but he had truly reached his limit.
“I don’t know. I… need to sleep…”
Sion sank into slumber within a single breath.
***
Thud.
Arwen halted her nimble steps.
The pain intensified.
It was harder to run.
Her blue cloak fluttered left and right.
“Apostle!”
“Are you alright?”
Selana and Antarius quickly rushed to support Arwen.
Arwen gently raised her hand to touch her shoulder.
“The bleeding hasn’t stopped.”
“Even divine power won’t stop it?”
“No.”
“That’s impossible.”
They had no choice but to treat her right there.
Selana tore a handkerchief and wrapped it around Arwen’s shoulder.
As she received treatment, Arwen spoke.
The flash of the star sword wouldn’t leave her eyes.
“The mission was mostly a success.”
“What?”
Antarius asked, stunned.
“Our mission was never to secure the priestess from the beginning.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Arwen smiled dreamily.
“The divine revelation from Lady Menesia was ‘trial’.”
“Trial?”
“You mean the Goddess’s message was to give Sion a trial?”
Arwen nodded once in confirmation to Selana’s question.
“Yes. That was it. To give a trial to Sion, the next Apostle of the Goddess of War.”
“But why? Why would she— Ah!”
Antarius belatedly waved his hand.
“I don’t mean to question the Goddess’s will!”
“I know, Antarius. You’re just curious.”
“Yes.”
“In simple terms, it was meant to induce awakening.”
Arwen reviewed the battle with Sion.
When she had broken his spirit earlier, she had been disappointed.
She hadn’t wanted someone so easily broken to hold the position of next Apostle of War.
After all, Sion is technically her junior.
She had hoped for someone slightly more impressive.
But in the end, he had found his own answer.
He had projected his world into hers.
Then he displayed a technique even Arwen couldn’t comprehend.
She had given him a trial that seemed impossible to overcome—and he had surpassed it defiantly.
Her mission to induce his awakening was, for all intents and purposes, a success.
She had given him her own stamp of approval.
But—
A question remained.
“Why… did the Goddess herself insist on such a task?”
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