Chapter 23: Until We Meet Again

The faithless. In some sense, Maria was one of them. She held no sincere belief in any deity—instead, she gazed upon the divine as equals, with a defiant heart that bordered on blasphemy. And yet, this irreverent human could move freely within one of the core pillars of the Solar pantheon’s church. Moll could never understand it. So, he tried to get close to this faithless nun favored by the gods. What did she pray to? The divine, others, or... herself? "I’m not like you. I have my own faith." Maria answered with firm conviction. Her faith was not blind, nor narrow, nor ignorant. It was the song of the fallen—those who stood atop the [Wall of Desperation], defying the demon horde in defense of civilization. The kind of faith that burns in the heart as you give your life for something greater. "Is that so? Then you’re just another weakling begging for divine help," Moll sneered as he suddenly pulled out a curved blade. It wasn’t long, but its horn-like curvature and fish-scale-like metal pattern marked it as a weapon of ancient bloodshed. A relic from the fallen nation of Karsas, a land that had once tried to harness the Abyss. A quiet, eerie sobbing filled the air. Maria’s brow twitched. She had a guess about this man’s true identity. He was likely at the [Black Iron] rank. She wasn’t fond of direct confrontation—not when a bit of verbal sparring would buy her more time. "There’s nothing wrong with humanity seeking gods out of ignorance or weakness." "What a laughably naive thought, Maria. When people fail, they call it divine trial. When gods ignore them, it’s called divine temperance. All of this stupidity gets accepted, simply because it wears the mask of faith." Suddenly— The sound of fabric tearing through air split the silence! Maria instinctively raised her blade. Sparks erupted across her swordstaff as the two weapons clashed in a sharp metallic cry. Moll’s anger surged through his strikes, overpowering her guard. His single-handed grip was enough to suppress her strength. [6.5 Strength and 8 Constitution]—overpowered. That meant his Strength stat had to be at least 30! "It’s because of this childish belief... that my homeland was destroyed!!" Prayers are useless. Mercy from the gods is a lie. If the divine never loved his homeland in the first place, why punish it so severely at its peak? If the gods were unjust, then they deserved to be defiled. In the name of [Warlord] Vornir— Defile the cruel gods! Blade after blade came crashing down, fast and relentless. Maria could only dodge and deflect, the air ringing with the sound of iron on iron. It was like being caught in a storm. The curved blade moved with eerie precision, far more agile than a straight sword. She nearly got caught more than once. Still, the black-robed nun held her ground. Her graceful killing dance returned. Using her toes as pivot points, she guided his wild strikes away with precise leverage. The stone floor shattered under their feet. A faint black sheen coated Moll’s enchanted blade—a corrosive force that could eat through matter itself. Clang! Clangclangclang! Her enchanted swordstaff began to falter. Cracks formed along the blade’s edge. ‘It won’t last much longer...’ But Maria wasn’t fighting alone. Even an [Apprentice]-rank could make a difference—if they knew where to strike. "Sister Maria!" Tyr’s voice rang out. Both combatants reacted instinctively. Whoosh whoosh whoosh!! A series of heavy bolts whistled through the air. The two combatants leapt apart just as a barrage of black quarrels buried themselves in the ground where they’d been standing. Each bolt was strong enough to pierce deep into the stone. Military-grade crossbow bolts—illegal for civilian use. The players had somehow smuggled them in. Moll retreated, his gaze locked onto the weaponry. His frown deepened. "Looks like I underestimated those rotting nobles." He believed the players were part of the local nobility’s forces. A fatal misinterpretation. "Hey, fancy boy! Want us to tie you up again?" Tyr taunted, raising the heavy crossbow. "We’ll meet again, Sister." Moll ignored the mockery. Shadows at his feet rippled and writhed, exuding a rotting stench. His body began to dissolve into the dark. Just then— Maria smirked. From her loose sleeve, a searing ray of golden light burst forth! She aimed it straight at the half-dissolved man—striking him with divine punishment drawn from the Solar Gods. HISSSSS!!! "AAAAARGH!!!" The conflicting energies tore into Moll as his teleportation was disrupted. The Abyss clashed violently with the Sun. His screams echoed through the night. When he finally vanished, he left behind a grotesque pile of shadow-warped human remains. "Yes... we’ll meet again. If you’re lucky enough to survive." Maria slowly pulled a sacred sunburst medallion from her left sleeve. Finally... she allowed herself to breathe.