Vera nodded and stood up.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Let’s go.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“What about the advance party?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“We’ll have to send them out. If they’re not useful in battle, then it’s better to send them to a safe place.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s gaze turned toward the door leading to the inner castle.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was a door that simply remained quiet, thereby making it feel ominous.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera spoke, looking at the door.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...We’re almost there.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The time had come to truly see the end.
✦ ✦ ✦
The door leading to the depths creaked open, and the gathered Apostles and Heroes entered.
✦ ✦ ✦
Passing through a long corridor, they moved to an even deeper prison.
✦ ✦ ✦
Upon arriving there, Vera’s expression darkened at the sight of red marks scattered all over the place.
✦ ✦ ✦
His discomfort grew at the traces of history that had not faded despite the passage of time.
✦ ✦ ✦
“This is...”
✦ ✦ ✦
“A prison for holding sacrifices.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Albrecht flinched.
✦ ✦ ✦
His gaze cautiously turned toward Vera.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera didn’t say anything else and simply looked at the prison, reaffirming his oath.
✦ ✦ ✦
An oath to wield his sword.
✦ ✦ ✦
An oath to avenge their grudges on their behalf.
✦ ✦ ✦
Hwaruruk—
✦ ✦ ✦
The golden stigma imbued power into his body.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Is the inner castle behind that door?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Hegrion pointed at the door at the end of the dungeon and asked.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera nodded.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Bodies used to be embedded in the walls behind it. I don’t know what it’s like now.” ”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Damn...”
✦ ✦ ✦
A voice filled with disgust burst out from Miller.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Let’s go.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Vargo calmed the angry crowd and took the lead.
✦ ✦ ✦
He then opened the door.
✦ ✦ ✦
Squeak—
✦ ✦ ✦
The rusty door slid open with an unpleasant sound.
✦ ✦ ✦
For a moment, he squinted at the energy emanating from within.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...We must hurry.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The corruption was overwhelmingly strong.
✦ ✦ ✦
The entire palace was shrouded in darkness.
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia opened her eyes, seated on the throne.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...They’re coming.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Her appearance was unsettling.
✦ ✦ ✦
Her once spring-like hair was now sullied in a dark red hue, and a shadowy gloom covered the face that used to wear a bright smile.
✦ ✦ ✦
Not only that, but she wore a red dress different from any she had worn before.
✦ ✦ ✦
Suddenly, the corners of Alaysia’s mouth curled up.
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s almost time. Yes, it’ll all be over soon.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Whoosh—
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia’s hand dropped to her swollen belly, resembling a full-term pregnant woman.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Then let’s rebuild it together.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Her eyes, gazing at her belly, were filled with indescribable love.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Let’s create a garden, build a house on it, and whisper our love to each other every day.”
✦ ✦ ✦
With the movement of her snowy white hand, her belly started to thump.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’ll collect the flowers, and make a wreath to put on your head. Then, you’d hug me tightly.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Her voice was dreamy, as though she was singing.
✦ ✦ ✦
It undoubtedly contained an obsession bordering on madness.
✦ ✦ ✦
The thumping in her belly intensified.
✦ ✦ ✦
The kicking which seemed like a tantrum became more and more frenzied.
✦ ✦ ✦
Thump—!
✦ ✦ ✦
Thump—!
✦ ✦ ✦
A bright smile spread across Alaysia’s face, and she began to snicker.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Do you want to come out?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Why do you struggle so pitifully?
✦ ✦ ✦
How could you throw such a cute tantrum?
✦ ✦ ✦
“Not yet.”
✦ ✦ ✦
How could something make me this happy?
✦ ✦ ✦
“Wait. Just wait a little longer and he will come.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The movement on her belly began to slow down.
✦ ✦ ✦
It wasn’t calming down.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was being pulled deeper by Alaysia.
✦ ✦ ✦
“The last piece will come soon. And also the flesh you’ll wear.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Thump...
✦ ✦ ✦
A final, deathlike throb echoed, then faded.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Aru, Aru.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia repeatedly murmured the name she couldn’t help but love.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Now, everything will belong to Aru. No one else needs to follow, and no more burdens. Just a world with only Aru and me...”
✦ ✦ ✦
She pondered over it.
✦ ✦ ✦
Then, she began to shed transparent tears.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...That’s the paradise we are headed for.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Her hand caressed her belly.
✦ ✦ ✦
Holding her one and only world close, Alaysia waited for those who were coming.
✦ ✦ ✦
The place was filled with a sense of corruption beyond words.
✦ ✦ ✦
There were no bodies hanging on the walls like in the realm of imprisoned souls, nor graves marked with inverted crosses in the wide hall.
✦ ✦ ✦
There were just walls made of ordinary stone.
✦ ✦ ✦
And silence.
✦ ✦ ✦
There was a large door at the end.
✦ ✦ ✦
“This must be it.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It was just a lump of iron with no embellishments, and yet it was a door that invoked fear.
✦ ✦ ✦
At that moment, Vargo felt ominous for the first time in his life.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Fucking hell.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Vargo raised his hand, and the group backed away.
✦ ✦ ✦
Whoosh—!
✦ ✦ ✦
Crimson divinity began to blaze all over his body.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Now that there’s nothing left to hide...”
✦ ✦ ✦
Divinity gathered on his hand and transformed into a mace.
✦ ✦ ✦
Gripping it firmly, Vargo spoke as he shook off the looming sense of dread.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...I’ll just have to crush this thing.”
✦ ✦ ✦
A crimson trail followed the motions of the mace.
✦ ✦ ✦
Then, the unleashed divinity created a blinding light.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kwaah—!
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s blurred vision showed the iron door disappearing entirely, revealing a long red carpet behind it.
✦ ✦ ✦
At the end of it was Alaysia, looking at him and smiling.
✦ ✦ ✦
Her lips moved slightly.
✦ ✦ ✦
— Welcome.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera felt his heart go cold at the sight of her genuinely happy face.