The fight, a battle that would only conclude with one of them dead, came to an abrupt end. Megalodria, displaying a cowardly retreat, chose to flee with his tail tucked between his legs.
In the lull that followed the intense clash, Davey wordlessly reached for his bleeding arm, attending to the wounds he had sustained during the encounter.
[Highness Heal]
Vwoooooong!!!
Due to the erosion power of the bastard, healing and recovering for Davey proved to be quite challenging. However, that was inconsequential. The phrase "Time will heal all wounds" was remarkably fitting for the circumstances. Davey's body, being the Saint's body, commenced a self-purification process, purging the poison inflicted by Megalodria's power.
This marked the first instance, since Davey's return from the Hall, where he engaged in an unprepared battle, utilizing nearly all of the mana within his being. Even during his encounters with the deranged World Tree, Yggdrasil, he had not found himself in such an extreme predicament.
Vwoooooong…
Reina approached Davey, surveying the utterly devastated forest surrounding them, and inquired, "Are you... alright?"
"It's as you see," Davey replied, attempting to downplay his condition.
However, the blood dripping from his broken arm and the gaping wound on his abdomen, exposed through his torn clothes, betrayed the severity of his injuries.
"This is the first time I've witnessed you being hurt like this. Unbelievable," Reina murmured, her body still trembling slightly from the lingering aftermath of their earlier battle.
"Some battles can be won through trickery and deception, while others cannot. That guy didn't even unleash the full extent of his power... If that bastard fought at his best, this injury would pale in comparison," Davey explained, dismissing the gravity of his own wounds.
"Nevertheless... he's frightfully strong. My body feels immobilized in his presence..."
“It’s because he’s a grandmaster-level mythical beast.”
“…”
Reina, fully aware of the weight behind the term "grandmaster-level," immediately adopted a serious expression. "Where on earth did such a monster come from..."
Davey remained silent, listening to Reina's murmurs without offering any response. The fact that Reina, who hadn't flinched or lost her ground when facing the corrupted Black Dragon Gargas, was now paralyzed with fear in the presence of Megalodria, spoke volumes about the immense power possessed by the formidable creature. Megalodria was in an entirely different league compared to the Shandra Minea clone Davey had encountered in the past.
There were only a few clues as to why a powerful being like Megalodria would come to this place and protect the members of that cult-like order. However, the greatest confusion lay in determining whether Megalodria had gone insane during his dimensional travels or if he had become poisoned and subsequently lost his sanity.
If the King of the Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, were to hear those words, it might already be frothing at the mouth. In any case, Davey had never been on good terms with that guy from the very beginning.
Among the three Mythical Beast Kings, Megalodria had provoked the most intense reaction from Davey upon their encounter. Thus, Davey considered it fortunate that Megalodria had chosen to retreat instead of engaging in a life-or-death battle here and now. After all, once a person chose the path of confrontation, there was no turning back.
Unlike Reina, who anxiously watched Davey for no apparent reason, Perserque appeared rather relaxed. However, she was genuinely shocked to witness Davey's arm breaking in such a manner for the first time.
After dispelling the barrier magic that had protected Reina earlier, Perserque took a deep breath and approached Davey, clutching Transcendence Demise tightly to her chest. Due to the staff's immense size compared to her own, she resembled a child dragging a toy that was infinitely larger than her.
"Davey."
"No. You can't have it. Give it back."
"Give it to me! I'm absolutely confident that I will cherish and treasure it for the rest of my life!"
"You can only use the staves I made specifically for you."
"Please, Davey!"
‘I don’t care, I can’t hear you.’
In the end, Perserque had no choice but to return Odin's staff, the [Transcendence Demise], to Davey upon hearing his firm and resolute words. However, her face bore an expression of complete heartbreak, as if she had been torn apart from her lover.
Perserque pouted and repeatedly opened and closed her hands, unwilling to let go of the sensation of holding the staff. Before long, she shrank her body and flew swiftly toward Davey's pockets, presumably attempting a silent strike.
***
The atmosphere within the small territory, which Clonnie O'Priscille had swept away along with the inquisitors under her command, resembled anything but a somber mourning house. It was chaotic, devoid of the solemnity one would expect. The unfortunate souls who failed to escape found themselves apprehended by the inquisitors and subjected to untested procedures masquerading as trials, only to meet brutal and swift execution.
"From this point onward, I will refrain from interfering," Davey declared.
As a foreign nation, he lacked the grounds to meddle in their internal conflicts. His position within the royal family bestowed him with both power and responsibilities. While going wild here wouldn't be overly difficult for him, his status posed a challenge.
"I understand. That's why you entrusted this task to me, right?" Reina responded.
It was one of the reasons why Davey had urged Reina to assume the role of the Warrior and receive the protection of the Three Emperors of the empires. With her position, Reina held the authority to intervene in matters that Davey, due to his status, was unable to address. In essence, Reina's existence would help maintain peace across the continent, akin to the UN—a union formed by the alliance of several countries—on modern Earth.
"You can't bring the dead back, can you?" Davey remarked.
"Except for you and Perserque, anyone revived will have no future," he continued.
There was no means to resurrect those who had already perished. Or rather, to be precise, there existed a method for revival. However, Davey had no intention of sacrificing his own lifespan for that purpose.
Would a Saint be expected to make such sacrifices for the greater good of others? If Davey were merely a Saint, such thoughts might have crossed his mind. However, being both an alchemist and a necromancer who dabbled in taboos, he wouldn't so easily choose to reverse the cycle of reincarnation.
The knights under Reina's command had already arrived at the small territory and begun the task of recovering the deceased. One of the knights responsible for classifying and moving the charred bodies approached Reina slowly.
"Commander Reina, our search is complete," the knight reported.
"Thank you for your hard work. How... How many are there in total?" Reina inquired, her voice filled with trepidation.
“There are a total of a hundred and seventy three bodies.”
“That’s terrible…” Reina closed her eyes and mumbled bitterly.
This wasn't the first instance of people being subjected to heresy trials and massacred under the guise of heresy. In the past, the Inquisitors had been granted overwhelmingly convenient power as the Holy Empire's covert force. The same applied to all nations that served and followed the religion of Goddess Freyja.
Of course, the inquisitors had to exercise caution when dealing with nobles and aristocrats. However, for those without power, especially those whose lives were considered less valuable than livestock, they posed no obstacle to the inquisitors. This was true for the people of this small territory.
Nevertheless, it was too much. History had seen many heresy trials, but these unforgivable trials and senseless slaughter were unprecedented. If they continued to act recklessly, they would eventually face repercussions, despite being the Holy Empire's force. Although the Inquisition operated independently, they still had to bow their heads before the empire. However, their current behavior seemed far from normal.
"Well, if Megalodria, a Mythical Beast King-level being, is aiding them, then it's possible. They could act like gangsters, and no one would be able to resist them," Perserque, who emerged from the largest pocket of Davey's coat, remarked, while Davey nodded in agreement.
Though not visible to others, Davey, with his activated Demonic Eyes, could clearly perceive the dense aura of death swirling in the air. Numerous individuals had suffered unjust and agonizing deaths.
There were two ways to address this situation. One option was to subdue them by force and disperse them. The other was to soothe their vengeful spirits and allow them to ascend. Davey chose the latter path. He had no reason to act hostile toward these innocent and unfortunate souls. Thus, Davey retrieved a light-stringed musical instrument from his pocket plane.
"A musical instrument?" Reina looked at Davey with confusion as he unexpectedly produced the instrument.
Davey gazed at her and shook the lyre in his hands. "The death energy here is too intense. These souls are filled with lingering resentment, preventing them from ascending successfully. I will use this to help them cross over."
The departed often clung tenaciously to the world of the living. However, if they lingered without crossing over, they would eventually transform into malevolent spirits. As the Saint, Davey desired for them to abandon their resentment and forsake the idea of becoming evil spirits in his presence. Even if they resisted, Davey would compel them to do so.
Strum, strum, strum…
Everyone, from the soldiers to the knights carrying the bodies, and even Reina herself, fell silent, their attention fixed on Davey as the soft melody of the lyre filled the air. Even Perserque and Rinne turned to watch Davey silently.
Ignoring the gaze of those present, Davey's fingers danced along the strings, lightly plucking them as he played a long and gentle piece of music. "The sound... it evokes heartbreak."
Davey infused his mana into the music, allowing it to spread far and wide, soothing the vengeful spirits surrounding him. The techniques of a Magic Minstrel were quite straightforward. For stringed instruments, they simply needed to infuse a unique mana into each strand of the instrument's strings and let it resonate. Once the instrument was played, the mana would spread, and its effects would manifest.
There was also another method that required calculations, similar to using magic. However, the crucial aspect for Magic Minstrels was the caster's will.
‘Leave behind all of your resentment and take a huge leap toward reincarnation. I will take on your lingering feelings, so forget everything and leave in peace.’
Magic-infused music was nothing but music spread by mana. However, Davey now had the effects of his title with him. Davey had been using the title ‘Exploding Star’ just in case he needed it, but he would definitely change it if the need arose.
And right now, Davey was using the title [The One that Calls for Repose] to make his listeners feel comfortable and at ease. Achieving that effect was more than enough. The audience remained silent for a very long time after listening to Davey’s somber performance.
Simultaneously, significant transformations began to unfold. Silent blue light emerged from every corner of the territory, emanating from the places where individuals had met their demise. The luminous energy congregated around Davey, swirling and floating before ascending into the sky.
"Oh my god... So, this is the true power of a Saint..." murmured one of the knights who accompanied Reina, his gaze fixed on Davey in a dazed state.
Some of the knights even dropped to their knees, clasping their hands together in prayer. They acted as if they had witnessed a divine miracle. In a world where divine miracles were commonplace, it was not unusual for them to reach out to their deity in moments like these.
However, the situation on Davey's side was actually quite distinct.
—Resentment… Vengeance…
[Right, I understand that you harbor resentment. However, what other choice do you have? You are already deceased. Would you prefer to linger as a vengeful spirit and potentially harm innocent beings? If you were to commit such acts and I caught you in the act, I would not hesitate to tear your limbs apart. But it wouldn't stop there. It is in your best interest to ascend at this very moment. I will ensure that your desires are fulfilled and your grievances are resolved.]
Since the Inquisitors had crossed the line, they would all meet their demise at Davey's hands. Well, a war was already inevitable the moment the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition issued orders to suppress Heins Territory.
—You! Why are you trying to make us ascend?!
Souls with lingering resentment were incredibly aggressive and ferocious. There was even a soul that continued to attack Davey, despite his efforts to calm it down.
Through his Demonic Eyes, Davey could see the state of their souls. Although they were once innocent and good citizens, the intense hatred, fear, and pain they experienced before their deaths had stained their souls black.
—You better quit that! I will make sure to kill you!
—Curse them! Curse them all! It was so hot back then!
—I’m going to burn them all! I’m going to possess someone and burn them all to death!
Davey did not know the original state of their souls. However, he still tried his best to sympathize with them and understand the pain that they were in before carefully spitting out words that would calm them down.
[Guys, you haven’t been beaten in your soul form, no? Want to give it a try?]
—…
Sometimes actions spoke louder than words, didn't they? The music infused with mana gently unraveled the hardened soul, purifying it and allowing it to ascend. Davey looked around slowly, taking in the scene before him.
‘Get in line, you punks. I’ll quickly clean you guys up and send you up.’
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