CHAPTER 89………………………
If blood flowed from a cut made by a blade, the alchemy would be undone.
Still, compared to the blood that had poured from his neck before, the area of cancellation would be very small—manageable.
Even if he had to take a slight loss, it was better to finish this quickly.
“I’m done going easy on you.”
Just as Lloyd had warned, the nature of his attacks changed.
He had been striking with the hilt or his fists to avoid causing wounds, but now he began actively slashing with his sword.
He seemed to be growing impatient, wanting to end things fast.
The attack was simple enough that Cassius could read Lloyd’s intent without even using his special ability.
‘He’s aiming for my legs.’
Knowing where the opponent would strike made defending easier, but—
Clang!
When he deflected Lloyd’s blade, pain shot through not only his injured shoulder but also his wrist.
While Cassius was breathing roughly, Lloyd hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat.
With his shoulder injury, it didn’t seem like he could hold out much longer.
Stepping back, Cassius checked the position of the moon.
Considering Sonia’s walking speed, she should be reaching the Morning Star about now.
It was time to undo the alchemy.
“You’re holding out better than I expected, but you have no chance of winning. Give up.”
“I didn’t draw my sword to win.”
I only meant to buy time.
Retreating a step, Cassius used the sword in his hand to cut his own neck. It was shallow, but quite a bit of blood flowed.
When he shook the blood from the blade onto the ground, the alchemical inscription that had vanished reappeared.
The letters turned black at a speed incomparable to before.
The effect was excellent.
‘If I’d known, I would’ve stabbed my neck from the start.’
Even so, in front of Sonia, the most he’d ever manage would be pricking his fingertip.
She had worried over him just for a tiny prick on his finger. If he had stabbed his neck, she would have looked horrified and tried to stop him. Thinking of her like that made him smile.
Watching the scene, Lloyd cursed.
“You crazy bastard!”
Enraged, he used divine power to create flames, trying to evaporate the blood scattered across the floor.
Cassius formed a dome of water over the droplets. He couldn’t completely block the raging flames, and it consumed a fair amount of divine power, but—
Judging by how fast the inscription was fading, he wouldn’t need to hold out much longer.
The alchemical text blackened like paper catching fire, then crumbled into dust and scattered.
Moments later, the sanctuary where Cassius and Lloyd stood glowed with a brilliant blue light.
Freed souls burst out and surged upward.
They had been bound to the sanctuary by Lloyd’s alchemy.
The sight of countless souls gathering and rising into the sky resembled a waterfall flowing in reverse.
“No! Come back!”
Lloyd shouted at the sky, but not a single spirit remained behind.
Last of all, one light—much larger and brighter than the others—shot upward, leaving a streak in its wake.
When all the souls vanished, darkness settled over the sanctuary once more.
Gritting his teeth, Lloyd radiated killing intent.
“If that’s what you want so badly, I’ll kill you first!”
At his gesture, sharp clumps of earth like icicles shot up from the ground toward Cassius.
Cassius gripped his sword and countered, but he couldn’t block everything. A long gash was left across his cheek.
As Lloyd began fighting with his full strength, Cassius felt the strain.
He recalled her last words.
“I’ll come back as soon as I can. But if it’s truly impossible, run away!”
For now, he could endure while waiting for her return.
Just as Cassius gathered divine power to prepare for the next attack—
In an instant, the darkness was pushed back, and a star far brighter than the moon rose into the sky.
It was a sight he had never seen before, yet he knew what it was.
The Morning Star that appeared when a Priest of Healing reached final awakening.
Sonia had succeeded.
The starlight illuminated everything clearly, revealing Lloyd’s expression in stark detail.
He had gone pale, as if a blade were pressed against his throat.
He truly feared the power of a fully awakened Priest of Healing.
Staggering at the sight of the star, Lloyd created a warp with the power of wind.
“Trying to run?”
He couldn’t allow that.
Cassius struck the warp with divine power, making it vanish.
“You dare interfere with me, you trash?”
All composure gone, Lloyd glared at Cassius with bloodshot eyes and tore off the ornate earring he was wearing.
Divine power swelled explosively around him.
It was so immense that an ordinary body could not withstand it. As power poured out of him, half of Lloyd’s body began to melt like wax and change.
In his grotesque new form, he spoke.
“I’ll erase you from this place.”
His voice was thick with murderous intent.
Cassius glanced at the earring Lloyd had ripped off.
‘A sealing artifact.’
His body couldn’t handle the power, so he had been restraining it.
Though the overwhelming difference in power made his skin sting, Cassius let out a sigh of relief.
At least Sonia wouldn’t have to see Lloyd in that horrific state.
When the light wrapped around my body faded, I could feel immense strength within me.
With my final awakening, I instinctively understood how to use the power of healing.
‘Jackpot.’
I felt confident that I could accomplish many things with this power.
Excited, I caught sight of the tips of my hair fluttering in my vision.
‘My dye wore off? I went through all that trouble to disguise myself!’
Perhaps due to the aftereffects of awakening, the brown dye had completely faded, returning my hair to its original silver.
Muttering under my breath, I climbed the stairs leading to the surface.
And when I saw the brightened sky, I froze in place.
‘What is that blatantly over-the-top star?!’
I’d heard that a Morning Star appeared when a Priest of Healing reached final awakening, but I hadn’t expected it to be that big or bright.
With the star lighting up the sky like a billboard, news of my awakening would have spread not only through the Empire but even the Holy Kingdom.
Realizing my disguise was now meaningless, I tossed off my glasses.
“Phew.”
I caught the familiar scent of alpha pheromones in the air.
It felt like standing in a cool downpour—the scent belonged to Cassius.
I should have been happy to smell his pheromones again after so long, but my heart pounded like someone startled.
“Your Holiness…!”
Mixed with his scent was the strong smell of blood. He must have been injured fighting Lloyd.
Along with deep worry, a fury greater than ever before surged within me.
“Lloyd… I’ll kill that bastard.”
Because of that parasite, healing priests—including Lucius—had suffered.
It didn’t end there. He had created the fever that took the lives of omegas.
And because of him, the original Lancelot had been toyed with by obsessive maniacs—and I had gone through all this hardship.
“They’re all dead.”
The moment I reached final awakening, I also learned how to deal with Lloyd.
For a Priest of Healing, extracting a soul that had entered another’s body was incredibly easy.
All I had to do was release my awakened power.
Once separated from the body, Lloyd’s soul could be easily extinguished.
It was called healing because it cured illness and wounds, but its true essence was life itself.
It could save a life—or take one.
‘I’ll pull his soul out and erase it with the power of healing!’
A simple and clear plan.
Following the trace of Cassius’s pheromones, I moved quickly—and witnessed a chaotic clash of mixed divine attributes spiraling out of control.
At the center stood Cassius and Lloyd, who had all but abandoned human form.
‘That bastard really is a monster!’
I knew he wasn’t human, but I hadn’t imagined something so grotesque.
Then it happened.
With a sickening sound, a sharp blade burst out through Cassius’s back.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
“Cough!”
Cassius spat blood and collapsed. Snapping out of it, I screamed the name that had risen to my throat.
“Cassius!”
I ran and caught him in my arms.
The white floor of the sanctuary turned red with his blood.
Seeing it, my mind felt as though it were burning blank.
“Well, since it’s come to this, I’ll just start over from the beginning.”
As I stared at Cassius in shock, an irritating voice buzzed in my ear like a fly.
“I’ve been steadily gathering power too. I won’t be defeated by a Priest of Healing like before.”
Annoyed by Lloyd muttering to himself, I looked at him.
Meeting my gaze, he flinched briefly—then smiled and raised his sword.
“Hah, I don’t even feel that much power from you. Don’t try to scare me.”
“……”
“Don’t look so miserable. I’ll kill you soon too.”
There was nothing in me but fury.
Before I could even think, my hand moved, activating the power of healing and firing it at Lloyd.
Boom!
Struck by the force I released, Lloyd was flung into the wall.
Having lived so long by stealing others’ bodies, he wasn’t easily eradicated in one blow.
That was fine. I hadn’t used my full strength yet.
“You think my power is weak?”
“Ugh…!”
“All the power of the healing priests you sealed—it’s mine now. Experience it yourself!”
