Chapter 35: The Fool (5)

Once, magicians were the beings among humans who wielded the greatest power. The pinnacle of this power was known as the “Great Mage.” Over the past few hundred years, Great Mages existed with absolute combat strength, fulfilling their duties and enjoying their rights.

However, the emergence of Apostles shattered the existing order in the magical world. Even Great Mages could not withstand the terrifying power of these Apostles, which was nearly capable of destroying the world, let alone engage in battles at their level…

“How… how powerful is this holy energy!” Looking up at the three sacred angels of different appearances, the nearby dark magicians stared in astonishment at Thos.

Although they had heard that this young man had lived in Salonia for a while, they never imagined he would learn Salonia’s prideful divine spell—[Angel Descension]!

What a joke! Using Salonia’s power…

Many dark magicians, who already resented Thos, muttered discontentedly. After all, the centuries-long grudges between the empire and the church could not be resolved so easily.

Yet, despite their resentment, they were still shocked by Thos’s ability to summon three sacred angels at once. As enemies of Salonia’s white magicians, they could not be unaware of this spell. Summoning three angels at once was something even the pope of the church could not do!

“Wow, truly astonishing!” Like the dark magicians, Arges also showed surprise in his eyes, but more so, he was eager for the upcoming confrontation and excited for the battle. He spread his arms slightly and said with a laugh, “What an incredible power, Thos! I’m curious—why can you still maintain your human form? It must be because of this holy power, right?” He paused briefly, a hint of sadness in his eyes, and said mockingly, “It’s too late to struggle now, isn’t it?”

Thos knew exactly what Arges meant by “too late.” As Ravia had said, the power of the Ancient Will was too strong, too domineering. Relying too much on it would only lead to being consumed by endless darkness.

But giving up such powerful strength… it was truly, truly difficult…

While living with Dia in Gyrbat, Thors kept pondering these matters. Perhaps at that time he had not yet realized the horror of the Ancient Will. Moreover, Professor Hode’s sacrifice had temporarily clouded Thors’s mind, leading him to take that irreversible step…

Apostles are pitiful existences, like clowns on a stage—those who rely on others’ strength are doomed never to become the protagonists of the world.

ArAr ArAr was like that, and so was he…

Staring silently at ArAr ArAr, Thors whispered, “Why go to such extremes, ArAr ArAr?”

“Huh?” ArAr ArAr was taken aback, showing a hint of surprise on his face. Then, with a half-smile, he said, “What do you mean? That I overthrew this country? That I destroyed the Riox Academy? Or… that I killed your mentor, Hode Kendi?”

Upon hearing that familiar name, Thors’s eyebrows trembled slightly. He took a deep breath to calm his anger and said in a low voice, “All of it! The first time I met you, I never imagined you would cause all these troubles…”

“Heh, the first time I met you too, I thought you were a decent kid! Maybe we could even be friends. Tsk, what a shame…” As he spoke, ArAr ArAr dropped his joking tone and wore a desolate expression. He said softly, “I hate this country. Kids like you, who have never ‘lost’ anything, can’t understand that… Humans are truly ugly creatures. They cling to the strong and will even sell everything they have for profit, even their most beloved daughters, handing them over as mere bargaining chips…”

“…”

“Don’t believe it?” Argus glanced at Thors with a sneer and shook his head self-mockingly. “Don’t be fooled by my appearance; I was born into the nobility of the empire’s south. I know far more about such things than you do. The weak cling to the strong—that’s their way of life. To survive, they’ll sell anything for power and status, just like those wretched souls who bargained with demons during the Dark Ages to gain strength… But don’t pity them! Beneath their cowardly and helpless masks lies a greedy and filthy heart… When you’re strong, they’ll cling to you and flatter you, but once you lose your usefulness, don’t expect any help from them. The same weaklings who would offer you an entire box of gold coins when things are fine won’t give you even a silver coin when you need it, because you’re no longer useful to them. Is such a person worthy of pity?”
“…”
“Not worthy of pity, right?” He reached into his chest and took out those two precious silver coins, staring at them as he murmured, “In this world, all so-called relatives and friends are false. The only thing you can truly trust is your strength, powerful strength… Strength is great—it can inspire people, make them obey, or destroy them… With enough strength, you can do whatever you want. I thought I understood this, but it wasn’t until the nightmare happened that I realized I actually didn’t understand anything…” Saying this, he held up the two silver coins and said to Thors in a teasing tone, “Do you know why I cherish them so much?”
Thors shook his head and said softly, “Are they relics left by someone important to you?”
“No,” Argus laughed lightly and shook his head, grinning wickedly. “I stole them from a shop. I was in such a hurry and was chased by many people that I lost quite a few along the way, only keeping these two…”
“Huh?” Thors’ expression instantly became very strange.

“Haha! What’s that expression of yours?” With a bitter smile, Argus shook his head and said, “Do you think I had such great power from the start? Ah, if only… That was twenty years ago. My father died in the power struggles among the nobles, and our family’s inheritance was completely divided up by those so-called relatives. My sister and I were suddenly thrown out of the noble life we once led and ended up living a life worse than that of commoners. To survive, we sought help everywhere. Back then, naively, I thought those who had once received my father’s kindness might help us, but… it turned out I was too naive. Their ugliness is beyond your imagination. Those who once even gave their own daughters to me as servants suddenly changed their tune… One cold winter night, my sister and I huddled in a corner of the city. Then my sister said, ‘Brother, I’m hungry’…” As he spoke, his expression became intense, and he shouted, “Do you know how I felt at that moment?!”
“…”
“For the first time, I did something that went against noble upbringing… I was very uneasy. To avoid those chasing me, I hid for a long time… And when I returned to that place with mixed feelings of anxiety and relief, I found my sister, Claire, already cold… To die alone from hunger and loneliness in a city I once considered home… What a tragic thing… From then on, I told myself that there are no gods in this world!—Even if it’s me, that’s not a god I would acknowledge!” Saying this, Argus threw the two silver coins on the ground and looked at Thos, saying in a low voice, “Understand now? For me, they represent nothing but hatred for this world, hatred for the filthy struggles among the nobles, and hatred for those weaklings who cling to the strong but lack the same resolve. I keep these two silver coins because I need them to remind me constantly that there are people in this world who don’t deserve sympathy or pity!—I swear to destroy this filthy and ugly country with my own hands! To achieve this goal, I’m willing to make deals with demons, to sacrifice everything!”
“Argus…” Seeing Argus’s angry expression, Thos sighed slightly.

Seeming to notice Thors’ expression, Argus said with a hint of disgust, “The first time I saw you, I took a liking to you, kid! ——Because your eyes were clear, as if there were nothing you liked or disliked, as if you were above this world. But gradually, your eyes grew cloudy, especially three years ago, when anger clouded your mind and your gaze was no longer as clear as before… I’m disappointed!” Saying this, he raised his head and murmured to Thors, “Although your personality is similar to mine back then, it’s just similar… Come on, Thors, don’t you want to kill me? As long as you have enough strength, you can do whatever you want—that’s the right of a strong one!”
“Stop it, Argus!”
Argus froze for a moment, his face showing a dazed expression, then he snorted coldly, covering his forehead and laughing wildly, “I thought you had something to say. Stop it? Don’t get too arrogant, kid!” With that, he waved his right hand, and the projection of Mammon raised its head and let out a shrill cry that even shook the ground.
As a fully formed Apostle, Argus’ summoned “projection of Mammon” was almost a tangible existence.
It was a two-headed bird-beast over a hundred yards tall and three to four hundred yards long, with a bird’s head and a beast’s body, wings on its belly, powerful limbs, razor-sharp claws and hooves, and a tail like a steel whip. This ferocious beast was even larger than the three angels summoned by Thors combined, as huge as a mountain.
“Don’t talk to me in that tone. Who do you think you are?” Seemingly angered by Thors’ words, Argus glared at him with icy eyes and said in a low voice, “What right do you have to lecture me? Don’t forget your identity, kid! ——You’re also an Apostle; we’re the same kind! Do you think you’re on the side of justice? There is no true justice in this world. Justice always belongs to the victor! And you still haven’t defeated me yet…” As he spoke, a strong dark aura radiated from his body, and the shadow of the two-headed bird behind him stirred, ready to pounce on the kid before him at any moment.
“I… never considered myself to be righteous…” Thors glanced at the bewildered black magicians around him and said calmly, “You… step back!”
“Lord… Lord Vormisley…”

“It’s Thors!” He corrected the way the other person addressed him. Thors took a deep breath and said in a low voice to Argus, “After killing you, I’ll give up the power of Thros and go to a remote countryside to run a store that’s neither too big nor too small. I want to live the life I’ve always wanted…”
“Huh?” Hearing those calm words, Argus’s angry gaze faltered for a moment, showing a mixture of amusement and frustration, along with a hint of regret and envy. Shaking his head, he said, “Ah, that sounds really nice!” Then, his expression changed, and the two-headed bird beast behind him lunged at Thors.
Almost simultaneously, Thors waved his arm and shouted loudly, “Definitide!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the archangel Definitide, armed with a spear and sword, charged at the giant two-headed bird beast. With a loud crash, the nearby dark magicians felt the world go dark as the two massive beings collided violently, their sharp claws meeting weapons, producing an earth-shattering noise.
“What… what’s happening?” Amidst the swirling dust, the human soldiers fighting against the death knights were panicked. When their eyes fell on those two struggling giants, their faces turned blank.
“What kind of battle is this…” A dark magician murmured, staring in astonishment at the clash between the two beings. “We have no right to get involved at all. We…”
“Ah!” Nearby, several other dark magicians said bitterly in low voices, “Back off! This is Lord Vormisley’s order. We… can’t interfere in their battle!”
After witnessing an apostle-level battle firsthand, the nearby dark magicians and human soldiers gradually began to retreat. After all, it was a battle beyond their ability as humans to intervene in.
“Hey, I’m being abandoned!” Seemingly noticing the actions of the dark magicians and human soldiers, Argus said with a smile. Then, with a wave of his right hand, a black light ball shot toward Thors at high speed.
“Abandoned?” Thors snorted lightly, raised his hand, and sent the black light ball soaring into the sky. He said indifferently, “They’re just in the way if they stay here. — Hey, Argus, does that count as an attack?”
“Oho? Quite bold for a kid! — How about this?!” Argus laughed twice, his gaze turning fierce. Raising his right hand, he sent one after another black light balls from his open palm at incredible speed, like bullets.

“Hmph!” Looking at those black orbs that had suddenly closed in, Thors smiled faintly, seemingly unwilling to take action, which surprised Argus. After all, even an apostle would be injured under such intense attacks. Just as Argus was puzzled, a barrier of light suddenly appeared in front of Thors, safely blocking the onslaught. Glancing in surprise at the Seraphim Plangfit, who had his eyes closed behind Thors, Argus smirked and said mockingly, “Well? Impressive. No wonder you’re so calm! Is that angel your main defender?” “Defender?” Thors shook his head slightly. The moment Argus was distracted, Seraphim Plangfit abruptly opened his eyes and conjured a shield-like barrier of holy energy in front of him. Immediately afterward, countless arrows of holy light, as thick as arms, shot out from the barrier. “Boom!” The barrage of holy light arrows struck the area where Argus stood. After the dust settled, Argus, still unharmed and standing behind a dark barrier, whistled and shrugged, saying, “Well, well, so it’s the Seraphim known as ‘the Wisdom of God’… Not bad! But is this really all you’ve got?” With a fierce look in his eyes, he shot a black beam as thick as a pillar with his right hand. Seraphim Plangfit immediately deployed a wall of holy light as a defense, but surprisingly, that black beam even managed to pierce through the shield, the strongest defensive barrier in white magic. Upon contact, cracks appeared in the barrier… “Hmph!” Argus snorted coldly, but then his face showed surprise as he noticed that although the barrier had cracks, it didn’t collapse immediately. In fact, it kept repairing itself… His attack was ineffective? Argus keenly sensed something was wrong. Somehow, that sacred power seemed to be expanding continuously, from just a few dozen yards around that brat to now hundreds of yards. Within this range, the dark power he had gathered seemed to be constantly being drained… What was going on? Where did this sacred power come from? How could it resist Mammon’s power?

Suddenly, Argus noticed the last angel behind Thoth—one who neither assisted the other angels in attacking the two-headed beast phantom he had summoned nor joined forces with the Archangel to attack him; it simply stood there…
Under Argus’s puzzled gaze, the third angel behind Thoth—the Seraphim, the Guide: [Toronus—Gaidel], the only angel wearing a crown, holding a staff symbolizing divine authority—stood quietly behind Thoth. Its unimaginably powerful sacred energy even altered the appearance of the holy light, turning it into a viscous substance resembling mist that surrounded Thoth, much like a domain…
“Have you noticed?” Seemingly aware of Argus’s expression, Thoth glanced at the Seraphim Gaidel behind him and said in a somewhat peculiar tone, “Gaidel isn’t an angel skilled in battle. He doesn’t possess the strength to fight your phantom like Definidi, nor can he cast any white magic as quickly as Plangfit. But he has special abilities that no other angel can match…”
“A domain?” Argus guessed, frowning.
“Hmm, ‘domain’ is just a term used by the empire’s black magicians; it’s not recognized in Salonia. After all, the people of Salonia consider it an act of blasphemy. They’re very stubborn and conservative… A Seraphim symbolizes ‘the domain of God,’ representing the divine enforcers among sacred powers. Though not good at fighting, they possess special abilities that others lack. Within their ‘domain,’ ‘the flames of holy light are kindled, and darkness shall be extinguished.’ In other words, it embodies ‘God says: Under the light of holy light, all darkness has nowhere to hide’…”
“Whoa? That’s quite a troublesome ability!” Argus scratched his head in frustration. He clearly noticed that the Archangel, who had been suppressed by the Mammon phantom he had summoned earlier, seemed to be gaining the strength to fight back. The same was true for the Archangel—due to the presence of the Seraphim, the powers of the other two angels were continuously strengthened by that intense sacred energy. In contrast, both he and the Mammon phantom he had summoned, as well as the dark energies floating around, were constantly being drained and purified.
But then again… so what?!
With a whoosh, Argus suddenly disappeared from his original location. When he reappeared, he was right behind Thoth. Relying on darkness as his power, he effortlessly broke through the Archangel’s defensive barrier.

“Who do you think you’re fighting? Kid! It’s an Apostle!” Roaring, Argus swung a punch at Thors’s back, but suddenly, he felt his fist being grabbed. At that critical moment, Thors blocked Argus’s punch with his left hand and said in a low voice, “You’d better not forget—I’m also an Apostle!” As he spoke, a faint white flame emanated from his body. “Damn it!” Argus thought to himself and vanished with a flash. Just as he left, a wave of intense flames erupted in his former location. Those seemingly invisible white flames swept through like a storm, vaporizing everything they touched and even destroying the ground itself. [Flame Flash: Dual Power!] “Wow, wow,” several others who had used flash magic to retreat further away stared in astonishment at the illusory white flames on Thors’s right hand, teasingly saying, “Hey, you almost got killed!” “Killed? I didn’t expect the White Flame to take you out—maybe just leave you half-dead at best!” “Hey…” Argus shrugged with a wry smile, then looked at the white flame in Thors’s hand and shook his head. “Hod Kendi would be proud of this! —What a lucky kid, far luckier than me…” With that, his expression changed, and he vanished with another flash magic spell. At the same time, Thors also disappeared. Amidst the waves of darkness and flames, the two kept casting various spells at an astonishing rate. Even the Seraphim couldn’t help Thors much and had to turn to assist the Cherubim in suppressing Mammon’s shadow, after all, it was Argus— an Apostle even more complete than Thors! The intense battle between the two even spread to other areas. The black magicians warned by Thors and the human soldiers retreated, moving all the way to Allen and the others. Meanwhile, those Death Knights who hadn’t received evacuation orders were innocently caught in the crossfire, affected by the battle between the angels and Mammon’s shadow, as well as by the fight between Argus and Thors… The entire central battlefield had become the stage for just Argus and Thors—a stage at the pinnacle of the entire world!