For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Chapter 268: On My Way To Meet You (5)

A long time ago.

Before the Righteous Radiance met the first high priestess who resembled Helena so much.

Before the Righteous Radiance was even called by that name.

The first world that a mass of light, having just gained self-awareness, saw… was that of a lion hunting a buffalo.

Looking back now, it was a time of savagery.

If the law of the jungle reigned supreme, where survival was the only law, how could such an era not be considered barbaric?

But for the mass of light that had only just opened its eyes, such a judgment was impossible.

Ah, so this was the world. In order to survive, one must kill and devour others.

The mass of light simply accepted the scene before it. The lion was an incredibly attractive animal to it.

The large body, the flowing mane, the sharp teeth, and the strength that allowed it to hunt without being hunted itself.

The mass of light wanted to become like the lion. And so it did.

Merely by wishing for it, the mass of light took on the form of a lion and, from that day forward, became the ruler of the region.

It hunted every fierce beast that seemed strong, and soon, all others would flee or bow down and expose their bellies upon meeting its gaze.

It was smarter than any beast, possessed mysterious powers no one could control, and never grew old or feeble.

What an awe-inspiring being it must have been.

To the nearby tribes, whose lives became easier with the disappearance of fierce beasts, it must have seemed like a god.

That was when the shining lion met its first high priestess.

“You’re the lion that people here worship as a god, right? Let’s make a deal.”

The immense size, the sharp claws, and the overwhelming presence of a higher being were born different from the start.

All these things that had once made the fiercest beasts flip onto their backs and caused humans to bow in submission… none of them worked on the girl standing before it.

Instead, her eyes sparkled with joy.

“Hmm, you really don’t have any equals, do you?”

The shining lion was dumbfounded. A fragile creature that looked like it would die with a single blow didn’t fear or worship it.

But because of that, the lion’s interest was piqued.

To the point where it clumsily imitated the language of humans, who had only ever offered pitiful sacrifices as tributes.

-Grrr! You said a deal… what kind?

“You can speak!”

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Though the growling voice sounded threatening, the important thing for the girl was that they could communicate.

“It’s simple! I’m going to change the world. Help me do that!”

-Change it?

“Exactly! A world where people don’t oppress others just because they have power, where they don’t eat neighboring tribes just because they’re hungry, and where they don’t deceive others for their own gain! I’m going to create that world!”

-……

“With you and me, I’m sure we can do it!”

Even the shining lion, which had never left the plains, knew the girl’s words were absurd.

The world the lion had seen was nothing more than a brutal battleground where everyone fought against everyone else.

But.

Her radiant golden hair, her eyes as clear as gemstones, and the joyful smile on her lips.

All of it stirred something in the lion’s heart.

The lion found the girl’s dream of an ideal world to be beautiful. More wondrous than even the act of hunting.

And so, instead of rejecting her outright, the lion searched for a reason to accept her.

-If this is a deal, there must be something I gain. What can you offer me?

“All that I have. And I will make you the god of this new world.”

The girl extended her small hand. The lion didn’t know what it meant, but… for some reason, it felt like the right thing to do and extended its paw as well.

Large and small hands and paws joined together as one.

From then on, the shining lion wandered the world with the girl.

Sometimes they conquered with strength, other times they persuaded with words, and they created rules in a world that had none.

Sometimes they fought against others who were worshipped as gods, but sometimes they became friends.

Many people followed them, but many also envied them.

Life with the girl was never easy, but the lion was incredibly satisfied with those days.

It wasn’t surprising that the Righteous Radiance began to resemble the girl over time.

How many years passed like that? Eventually, people everywhere began to clearly distinguish between what should be done and what should not.

It went beyond mere religious rules and became known as social norms.

By then, the shining lion had come to be called by the grand name, the Righteous Radiance.

The nebulous power of faith elevated the Righteous Radiance to an even higher existence, allowing it to share its strength with others.

But the girl was slowly dying.

Her once brilliant golden hair lost its color and turned white, and her once sparkling eyes began to lose focus.

No matter how much power the Righteous Radiance shared with her, it couldn’t stop the passage of time.

Even as an old woman, facing death, the girl smiled confidently, just like on the day they first met.

“I’m a bit sad, but this is the end for me. Will you take care of things from here?”

-…Yes. As much as you want.

Was it because of that final promise? Or perhaps being a god suited it better than expected.

Even after the girl’s death, the Righteous Radiance continued to strive to do the right thing.

From when one of the girl’s disciples unified several tribes to form a kingdom, to when that kingdom grew into what is now called an empire.

Even when mere followers built splendid structures and doctrines, forming what would be called a church.

The Righteous Radiance loved its followers, loved the world, and loved the divine name they gave it.

And so, even when its true self, tainted by evil, could no longer act as it wished, it continued to repeat to itself:

‘No matter how strong my hatred for evil grows, I will not go beyond certain limits because I am the Righteous Radiance.’

‘Even if I grow angry at my own powerlessness, I will not use that as an excuse to compromise because I am the Righteous Radiance.’

It was the Righteous Radiance who once taught to be angry at injustice without succumbing to violence, and to not project one’s despair onto others.

It was also the Righteous Radiance that laid out countless prohibitions, drawing a line between the savage times and a moral society.

So, how ridiculous would it be to break the rules it had created?

The Righteous Radiance had always acted as the Righteous Radiance should, and it would continue to do so.

…But it couldn’t stop its heart from weakening.

No matter how much it recalled the past and defined itself, the divine power that was rotting from within steadily gnawed at its core.

How much longer could it endure? Which would run out first, its mind or the divine power maintaining the barrier?

It was used to battles where blood and bones were shattered, but this silent struggle was new.

Suddenly, a human it had watched closely came to mind. The child who always exceeded its expectations.

But even Yandel couldn’t pull off another miracle this time, could he?

The ritual of descent, once completed, could not easily be stopped, no matter how fast it had unfolded.

If it were possible, the Surging Waves wouldn’t have fallen, and Clara wouldn’t have been isolated in the fortress.

The Righteous Radiance let out a faint chuckle as it lifted its head.

The darkened church was as black as the night sky. In the center stood its statue, casting a shadow.

A lion’s form, cloaked in shadow.

---

“This looks like a ritual of descent, no matter how you see it.”

Suddenly, the paladins’ holy power stopped regenerating. Along with that, a strange sense of emptiness and frustration filled the air…

In H&A, this was a kind of warning line.

The ritual of descent was in progress, and it was telling you that you were screwed, so you should prepare yourself.

Who would have thought they’d complete the ritual by sacrificing several bishops and one archbishop?

It would’ve been better if they had triggered an explosion or summoned a powerful monster or leader. At least those could be dealt with, albeit with difficulty.

But as soon as I realized what the barrier was, I thought there had to be a solution. Iona’s expression brightened as well.

“What, what? So you know how to break it, Yandel? How can I help?”

“I do know the method to break it… The problem is that it’s impossible to actually carry it out.”

A completed ritual of descent creates dimensional severance and distortion.

It cuts off the flow of divine power and faith between gods and their followers, and vice versa.

After that, it injects corrupted faith into the mix, turning Good Gods into Evil Gods. That’s the essence of the ritual.

In simpler terms, it’s like kidnapping, imprisoning, brainwashing, and corrupting a god.

Most likely, the magic Iona and I cast was transferred somewhere to the Righteous Radiance’s true form, or perhaps thrown into the rift between dimensions.

The reason the paladins’ attacks seemed somewhat effective was probably due to the clash with the divine power of the Reckless Roar being injected during the process.

So, the answer was simple. We need to hit it with an enormous amount of holy power at maximum output.

By neutralizing the Reckless Roar’s divine power for a brief moment, we could create a gap in the ritual, causing the whole thing to collapse.

“But with our holy power cut off, not even Sir Gertrude could manage that right now.”

I sighed heavily after saying that.

If it were just a lack of stamina or mana, that would be better. We had plenty of recovery methods, like blessings or potions.

Despite the fierce battle earlier, I was still in great condition because I was constantly recovering.

But holy power could only be replenished by the gods, and with the connection to the gods severed…

“Wait.”

I paused mid-explanation to Iona, tilting my head in confusion.

What did I just say was recovering?

Something was starting to make sense, but it was just out of reach. I lifted my head.

I saw Iona’s serious expression, the disappointed paladins, and the monsters approaching from afar, drawn by the noise of battle.

Gripping my staff more firmly, I spoke.

“I’m not sure if it’ll work or not… but I have an idea I want to try.”

So, I asked them to buy me some time.