Chapter 198

Isaac pondered briefly before asking, "You're not asking me to do this alone, are you?"

"Of course not. How could you possibly oppose Calurien by yourself? And why do you think I came all this way? Stop saying foolish things," Yulihida retorted sharply.

Isaac felt a twinge of annoyance at Yulihida's scolding, but he reminded himself that this angel, or rather this woman, was a swordsmanship maniac from 300 years ago with little common sense. He merely imagined stuffing a ball of cat hair into Yulihida's mouth while she slept.

"If you're done with your questions, I suggest we proceed with the ritual quickly. If Calurien intervenes, it'll be too late."

Isaac stepped forward. When he had decided to return the Rite of Division, he had intended to unify the Kingdom of Elil under the oracle of Elil. He hadn't expected to get involved in such a major incident.

'Well, I should have anticipated getting involved with angels if I was dealing with an angel helping me catch bandit chiefs and witches.'

He just didn't expect that the opponent would be Elil's first Archangel, Calurien.

"Hesabel."

Hesabel, who was to assist with the ritual, took her place. The ritual to receive the oracle could be conducted using the ceremony he learned from the Red Chalice Club. After all, the two orders shared the same roots. In a way, Hesabel, who drank the blood of the Red Chalice, could be considered a distant relative of Elil. She was more suitable for the ritual than anyone else.

Hesabel took the Rite of Division handed to her by Isaac and made a small cut on her palm. Blood, more copious than the minor wound suggested, dripped heavily. As she chanted the prayer, she began to circle around Elil. Wherever drops of her blood, imbued with divine power, fell, red flowers bloomed.

As the ritual required some time, Isaac asked Yulihida, "This procedure is to offer the Rite of Division directly to Elil. I won't be entering Urbansus, will I?"

"We're calling Elil. You'll automatically enter. Especially since you've already visited the afterlife, you have nothing to worry about."

Isaac figured there must be some common knowledge among angels he wasn't privy to.

Yulihida added one more thing, "Oh, when you enter the Crystal Battlefield, activate the 'Lighthouse of the Watcher' immediately."

"What? Why... I can't keep it on for long."

"It's not for you; it's for that vampire and Elil's king. You might die as soon as you arrive."

Isaac didn't understand at first but then realized the meaning behind Yulihida's words and was startled.

"Wait, you mean Hesabel and Edelred are going too? Those two..."

"...And finally, a part of your heart has returned like this, so please accept it with mercy."

Just then, Hesabel recited the final prayer of the ritual.

With a rustling sound, the flowers that had sprouted where Hesabel's blood had fallen began to grow rapidly, spreading around the area. Isaac recognized them as the same type of camellias that had bloomed around Elil.

Suddenly, his vision blurred.

Isaac felt a familiar sensation, the power of Urbansus. The world of the dead was seeping in, encompassing all time that had passed, the foundation of everything humanity had built.

Beyond that vast expanse of time, he saw a massive, blue-flaming eye.

Yulihida's voice roared in the moment.

"Do not obstruct the advent of the Millennium Kingdom and await judgment, Calurien!"

Bang. Her shout exploded like a blast, sweeping through the area.

***

Isaac's dulled hearing gradually returned. Although tinnitus rang for a while, his senses recovered, and his vision and mind cleared. He slowly noticed that the massive stone spear barrier blocking his view had disappeared. Instead, a grand forest filled with golden deciduous trees of late autumn unfolded before him.

Thud. Thud. He heard the sound of someone collapsing. Hesabel and Edelred had fallen to the ground without any resistance. Realizing that their souls were trying to escape their bodies under the pressure of the afterlife, Isaac activated the Lighthouse of the Watcher.

As a gentle halo spread out, all the order of Urbansus began to align with the reality. Edelred and Hesabel, whose souls were about to escape, groaned and curled up, though they still had not regained full consciousness.

"Sword of May! There was no need for them to come, was there?"

[No, if it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't have summoned them.]

A voice reverberating like a hum echoed in Isaac's head. He looked around and realized that Yulihida was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he noticed something unexpected, not on the ground, but in the sky.

A gigantic eye, about 10 meters in size, surrounded by white flames fluttering like feathers, floated in the air. Around the eye, five rings rotated at varying speeds, each ring composed of hundreds or thousands of weapons, mostly old and broken, indicating they were spoils picked up from battlefields.

The eye slowly turned its gaze towards Isaac.

As he met the enormous eye, Isaac felt a moment of dizziness.

[The Nameless Chaos is watching you.]

However, Isaac instinctively knew that 'that' was the Sword of May and steadied his mind. Upon entering Urbansus, she had regained her true form as an angel. It was an appearance truly befitting an angel, terrifying and awe-inspiring.

The Sword of May stared at Isaac and then whispered.

[You maintain your sanity even after meeting my gaze. Indeed, a child loved by Chaos is different.]

"Love? What on earth...?"

"Ugh, ugh, ugh, Isaac... sir..."

Hesabel, having regained consciousness before Edelred, groaned and writhed. Unsure of what to do, Isaac cut his own hand and fed her his blood. Fortunately, as Isaac was a higher being than Hesabel, his blood seemed to have a beneficial effect on her.

But Edelred still had not regained consciousness.

"Why is Edelred necessary, even if Hesabel is?"

[Both are needed to face Elil.]

Though he wondered why, the Sword of May was not inclined to provide further explanation. Asking would only lead to more questions, so he decided to accept it.

[Have Elil's king draw on the power of Kaldbruch. It will help him endure longer. And prepare for battle.]

"Battle?"

[This is Elil's battlefield. Elil's scouts patrol constantly.]

"Intruder!"

Isaac clicked his tongue as he saw a cavalry patrol rushing through the oak forest. They were Elil's warriors, driven mad by a lust for battle even in death.

Isaac drew the Luadin Key and released a sword aura towards them.

At that moment, the Elil warriors shouted.

"Sword aura! Retreat!"

"......"

Isaac was at a loss for words at their absurd but logical reaction. The cavalry made a hasty turn to avoid him and fled.

Isaac realized too late that showing his sword aura had been a mistake.

"Bring the general! An external Swordmaster has invaded!"

***

"So, they can't see the 10-meter-wide angel spinning in the sky but find a man emitting sword aura suspicious?"

Although the Elil scouts did not attack Isaac, they maintained a constant perimeter, threatening and restraining him. With Hesabel and Edelred still recovering, Isaac had no choice but to wait.

Several impatient or honor-driven Elil knights charged at him but fell to his counterattacks. Just moments ago, another knight who had fiercely rushed at him had fallen to Isaac's sword.

The Sword of May observed the scene in silence.

Isaac grumbled about the Sword of May, who didn't assist him, and the knights, who ignored it, as he prepared to fight again.

[They cannot see me.]

"How is that possible?"

[Because at this point in time, the angel known as the Sword of May has not existed. They are mere shadows of time. They cannot perceive what does not exist.]

Isaac recalled that Urbansus was a space where past times accumulated. Just as Amundalas had shown him the time when the Salt Desert was created, the Sword of May had brought them to a time when the Kingdom of Elil existed in the past.

If the Sword of May had not yet appeared, it must have been at least 300 years ago.

"I did not exist in this time either."

[But humans did, and you are human. They understand what humans are. Shadows can only see other shadows, not light. Light does not cast shadows... If you don't understand, just think of it as me not wanting to be seen.]

Isaac decided to skip further pondering as he was getting tired of understanding it.

Instead, he focused on practical matters.

Another knight charged at Isaac, shouting his name, family, parents, and birthplace. Isaac half-expected him to declare his blood type and MBTI but dispatched him before he could.

Isaac glanced around. He had taken down nearly ten knights, but there were no corpses. Those who fell turned into scattered leaves, blown away by the wind.

'I think I'm starting to grasp what these shadows of time are.'

They were not real souls. In essence, they were like NPCs repeating the same actions. They reacted based on variables within this time and place but could not anticipate extraneous factors like angels. Or perhaps they chose not to.

'So, where are the real souls?'

Isaac revisited a question he had pondered before in Urbansus. If Urbansus was a space where all past times accumulated, where were the afterlife realms, heaven and hell? Were all the sayings about receiving grand hospitality in heaven or burning in hell just lies concocted by gods to deceive humans?

Isaac's question was unexpectedly answered quickly.

"General! The general has arrived!"

The sound of galloping hooves heralded the approach of knights. Isaac, preparing for yet another hassle, tightened his grip on his sword.

"Ugh, ugh... Teacher?"

At that moment, Edelred groaned, barely regaining consciousness.

"Draw on the power of Kaldbruch, Your Majesty. It will help you recover from this state akin to a hangover."

He was already holding Kaldbruch, but Edelred's will was needed to harness its power. Edelred, groaning like someone suffering from severe nausea, clutched Kaldbruch and began to chant a small prayer.

A soft rustling sound accompanied the transformation as Edelred's eyes glowed a deep green, and his hair brightened. Leaf-patterned tattoos imbued with radiant light appeared on his skin as the angel's power began to seep into his body.

As Edelred exhaled deeply, a potent divine force emanated from him.

On earth, this power would have drained his body, but in Urbansus, it brought him to an optimal state. Edelred looked at Isaac, astonished by the changes he felt within himself. Fortunately, it seemed the angel within him did not intend to lash out at Isaac.

Hesabel, having drunk Isaac's blood, was also able to move. Now, Isaac felt confident that they could at least flee if they encountered the so-called general. He looked ahead.

At the forefront was a slender woman in armor. As he tilted his head, wondering if she was another female knight, he recognized the armor.

The general halted abruptly upon meeting Isaac's gaze. She signaled the knights to stop and lifted her helmet, revealing a familiar face.

"Lianne?"

"Holy Grail Knight? Are you dead too?"

Their stunned gazes met, and one of the knights, sensing the strange atmosphere, shouted.

"They know each other! Disperse!"

-TL Notes-