1035 Chapter 1035: Emerald Pdin


    "Darkday…?"


    There was notreallythat much of a reaction from the other knights as Emerald Pdin uttered the name.Butsome of them, however, were starting to squint their eyes as they started to remember a tale told to them by their superiors who came from the same universe as the Pope.


    It was not so muchasa tale per se, but rather a story of what could have been. They have always been saying that there was someone, a human from their which could very well have ended the war of the gods before — and perhaps the very reason why so many of those from their universe survived the war in the first ce.


    An entity so evil, it would make the devil shiver — but even then, at those times, they kept saying that if Darkday was alive, then their universe might have just very well beenpletely safe from the sudden war—no, he could have ended it if he joined it.


    But when the world needed him the most, he vanished.


    But of course, none of themreallybelieved them and thought it was just some imaginary guy made up by the others.


    But now, he was here — and they had actually been trying to kill him for the past several minutes.


    "We… all thought you were dead," the Emerald Pdin was careful not to make any sudden movements; his eyes, very slowly looking down, only to see his foot just a couple of centimeters away from passing across the line that Riley drew,


    "But of course not. You—you are involved in all of this, aren''t you…? This mystical world where everything is just in a single ne, where there are no others, no other celestial bodies — just one endless teau where one could reach wherever they want to as long as they are diligent and patient enough."


    "I have no idea what you mean, Emerald Pdin," Riley just shook his head, "I have only been here for less than a week or so. But what I can tell you, is the same thing I have been telling your friends – anyone who passes this line will die."


    "Why… are you doing this?" Emerald Pdin''s voice started to turn weak, "If you are looking for the Pope, then he is not here — he is personally spreading the word of our lord… I do notreallysee why you are doing this, you and the Pope are supposed to be friends. I remember you sparing his life several times because of how intrigued you are with him, so why are you changing your stance now!?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I did not realize you were this talkative, Emerald Pdin," Riley tilted his head to the side while looking at Emerald Pdin from head to toe, "But what I am doing here does not have any corrtion to the Pope whatsoever, I am doing this because of Miss Ang."


    "Miss… Ang? Crimson Pdin!?" The Emerald Pdin started looking at hisrades, "But the Crimson Pdin has nothing to do with us anymore, she has abdicated her—wait… did you have something to do with that!?"


    "I suppose," Riley let out a small sigh, "I forced her to join my religion, you see — so I am feeling guilty, and therefore inclined to protect and follow any of her requests."


    "Religion…?"


    "The Religion of Riley Ross," Riley shrugged, "That is not its official name yet, but it might be if it sticks and my members like it."


    "Wait, I''m confused…" The Emerald Pdin started looking at his deadrades before once again focusing on Riley, "...Why are you doing this again?"


    And as someone finally spoke to him rather than attack him, Riley once again stabbed Ang''s greatsword through the ground as he calmly spoke to the Emerald Pdin; exining to him all the events so far and why he was doing what he was doing.


    "That—" The Emerald Pdin truly wanted to say something critically harsh to Riley, but refrained himself from doing so while reminding himself who he was talking to. After a few seconds of staring at Riley, however, the Emerald Pdin let out a long and very deep sigh before shaking his head,


    "Our church hasws, Darkday — sacredws which must be followed no matter what. I am afraid that like my fellow holy men, I… must do what I can to stop what Ang is doing."


    And in the end, the Emerald Pdin raised hisnce, causing the wind to snap as he did so.


    "Interesting," Riley Ross nodded as he pulled Ang''s greatsword from the ground again, "To die for what you believe in truly is the best way to die, no?"


    "It should be the only way to die," the Emerald Pdin then whisperedquietlyto himself, praying as the air around him started to distort. No, it wasn''t the air around him that started to distort, it was himself.


    There was a sort of humming that started to sing in the air as the Emerald Pdin''s silhouette started to blur; his entire body and the gigantce he was holding, vibratedina speed that was enough to cause his feet to start digging through the ground despite the soles of his greaves beingpletely t,


    "May god guide my hand," the Emerald Pdin then lowered hisnce and pointed it toward Riley; like a drill which almost pierced the very air itself.


    "I am afraid the only thing you are leading to is death, Emerald Pdin," Riley smiled as he raised Ang''s greatsword with one hand and also pointed it at the Emerald Pdin, almost as if he was just using therge weapon like a rapier.


    Riley was taught multiple forms of sword arts by Bernard, but not one of them happened to be a greatsword. He knew how to handle axes which were simr in weight to greatswords, but their bnce waspletely different from each other.


    But of course, with Riley''s strength, weight and bnce did notreallymatter at all. He just wanted to fight with one of his hands behind his back,


    "For more than 600 years, you have survived through a hellish war and a hellish curse — just to be led back to me at the hour of your death. It truly is quite poetic, no? You do not have to worry…


    …I will not make a spectacle of your death."


    "Do you truly think that we have just been stagnant the past centuries?" Emerald Pdin''s voice was filled with resolution; his eyes, slightly shining from behind his helmet, "The strong have gotten stronger, Darkday. And I am one of those!"


    And with those words, the Emerald Pdin finally took a step over the line that Riley drew. The tip of his weapon, however, already reached Riley due to its long range.


    "Die!" The space around the Emerald Pdin''sncpletelydistorted just by the sheer heat of hisnce scratching the very air itself, "Wh—"


    Before he could utter his next words, however, he suddenly found his arm lowering on its own; the vibrations he was producing, instantly dying down as hisnce fell to the ground. He wondered what happened at first, but as soon as his neck was the next to lose its strength, he saw Ang''s greatsword pierced through his entire torso. He did not even notice Riley first, who was still holding the greatsword while it was lodged through him.


    "Darkday!?"


    And with his consciousness very slowly fading away, he heard Ang''s familiar voiceing from inside the church. Ang was done praying and finally stepped out of the building, and what awaited him was a scenery of blood and guts.


    "What… you didn''t have to do all of this!" Ang screamed.


    "I did not do anything, Miss Ang," Riley shook his head, "They did it to themselves — I have already told them they would die if they crossed the line, but they did it anyway. You should not be angry at all, and instead, be proud that they died doing what they believe in…


    …even if what they believed in was that you are not allowed to pray to your god anymore."


    "This… Emerald Pdin!? Luka!?" Ang''s voice became even louder as soon as she saw the Emerald Pdin, who was now only standing due to her greatsword keeping him afloat, "You…"


    "You do not have to worry, Miss Ang," Riley shook his head while carefully cing the handle of the greatsword on the ground; keeping the Emerald Pdin still standing up, "I missed all of his vitals, believe it or not."


    "Wh—"


    "Why…?" Ang was not able to speak as the Emerald Pdin''s weak groans scratched the air, "Why… are you sparing me?" He uttered while having arge greatsword embedded through most of his torso.


    "I did not, Emerald Pdin," Riley shook his head, "You just happened to be lucky that Miss Ang stepped out when she did — she is done praying, and therefore I have no reason to do what I meant to do to you, which was cause the greatsword to vibrate while inside youpletelydestroying your organs. Why did you think I missed all of your vitals?"


    "That…" Emerald Pdin''s blood spewed out from his helmet.


    "Luka, don''t speak!" Ang quickly supported Luka so the sword would not continue to destroy his insides any further.


    "But… but I must speak, Ang…" The Emerald Pdin whispered, "The reason… why I stayed here instead ofing with you and the Pope. God…


    …god spoke to me again and told me to stay. I… I didn''t know for what reason… but I think I do now."