𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗𝟖.1: 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝 (2)
Vatican.
Alicia and Oswald’s family, having heard the news, had arrived early and were waiting for Oswald. Moreover, Alicia, who was now heavily pregnant, was not looking well when she heard the news that Oswald, the father of their children, had been seriously injured.
Fortunately, the priests were still looking after him, so there were no major problems yet, but seeing Oswald badly injured could change that.
Aizena, Alicia’s mother-in-law and Oswald’s mother, was currently persuading Alicia to stay after she had been treated.
“But. . . . . . ”
“Alicia, you have to think about the children. You’re heavily pregnant now.”
“Will I be able to endure it?”
“I’ll be with you. Just think how Oswald will feel when he wakes up and sees you with his children.”
“Mother-in-law. . . . . . ”
After repeated persuasion from Aizena, Alicia finally decided to stay at the Minerva Church, which was the furthest from the Chronos Order’s church where Oswald would be staying.
There, she would be cared for by the priests and would be able to give birth to her children safely. She was still very worried about Oswald, but as a mother, she couldn’t help but think about the children in her womb.
Shortly after Alicia went to the Minerva Church, an aerial medical pod arrived in the skies above the Vatican. Oswald, Haemosu, and Kiriel were safely transported down by the pod’s vertical landing gear.
When Kiriel appeared, people nearby could be seen praying and calling out to Chronos.
“What’s his condition?”
Iris, the archbishop of the Gaia Order, rushed over and checked the condition of the three.
“We’ve managed to slow down the demonic power’s infiltration for now, but with our holy power alone, it’s difficult to completely repel it.”
“Let’s move him to the central square.”
The central square was where countless priests and paladins had gathered to recite prayers. In the center of the central square was a large, circular fountain. The fountain was adorned with sculptures of the nine Divines and was a very sacred place that emitted holy water every day after being blessed.
Oswald, Haemosu, and Kiriel were moved there.
“Here, lay him down carefully.”
Those who had gathered laid the three beings down in three directions around the statue. . . Oswald, Haemosu, and Kiriel were soon lying submerged in the fountain’s holy water.
“Hurry. Aaron! Where is he?”
Iris looked around, searching for the pope, Aaron. At that moment, Pope Aaron appeared, leading the saint, Donado, and the other archbishops.
“Let us begin.”
The choir began to sing a hymn of blessing, and the priests and paladins began to recite prayers of healing. Then, the pope, the archbishops, the saint, and the champions of the orders gathered around the fountain and recited prayers while emitting holy power.
Soon, a tremendous amount of holy power began to gather in the central fountain, gradually purifying the holy water in the fountain, which had begun to turn black due to the demonic power emanating from the three beings.
“Holy Chronos! Merciful Mother Gaia! . . . . . . Tranquil Hermes, please answer our prayers and save them!”
The pope and the archbishops called out the names of the nine Divines and prayed for their blessing. . . At that moment, nine streams of holy power began to pour down from the sky like rain.
“Healing rain?”
The healing rain, which the gods send down when they look upon the suffering of the earth, had begun to fall here in the Vatican.
The entire Vatican was filled with holy power, and many priests rose to higher ranks. The paladins’ abilities increased, and many patients admitted to the Order’s hospitals were saved.
And the three beings lying in the fountain were also touched by the hand of salvation.
The holy water, which had turned black, was purified even faster, and the three, whose demonic transformations were progressing, with black veins protruding, gradually returned to their stable forms.
The first to have the demonic power extracted was Haemosu. A purplish-black demonic power erupted from Haemosu’s mouth, transforming into a human-like form and screaming.
【Kaaaaah! 】
The priests’ prayers seemed to be momentarily drowned out by the ear-piercing scream, but as the pope recited the prayers in an even louder voice. . . the others, encouraged, continued their prayers in louder voices as well.
Next, the demonic power left Kiriel’s body and merged with the existing form, and then the demonic power left Oswald’s body and merged with it. This created a horned demonic form.
【 Graaaaaaaah! 】
The demon roared, emitting a fearsome demonic power, and many of the priests fell to their knees, coughing up blood. Nevertheless, the priests refused to give in to the demon and continued to recite their prayers.
Crackle.
Rumble!
The moment Minos raised high the Astrape replica, filled with Jupiter’s holy power! A golden thunderbolt fell from the sky and struck the demon.
The demon’s size decreased after being struck by Jupiter’s thunderbolt, and Leto, seeing this, also swung ‘Ruin’ and emitted Pluto’s flames.
Whoosh!
Green flames consumed the demonic form and burned away the demonic power.
Finally, Agenor moved the holy water in the fountain and trapped the demon in a sphere, and the demon could be seen gradually weakening.
At that moment, a crack appeared in the void, and something emerged from it.
“Champion of Wrath, Paerun?”
Leto, recognizing the being, tried to block it, but Paerun moved faster.
Paerun shattered the sphere of holy water that Agenor had created in an instant and cast out a chain of crimson flames, binding the demonic form.
“Why?”
Leto looked on, seemingly unable to understand what was happening, and soon Paerun dragged the demonic form away with him and disappeared into the rift.
Even after the three beings had been healed, the healing rain continued to fall for a long time. Perhaps it continued to fall in order to heal the internal injuries caused by the demon’s resistance.
Three days passed after they were healed. The first to wake up was Kiriel.
“How much time has passed?”
In response to Kiriel’s question, Pope Aaron, who had heard the news that he had woken up, came to greet him personally.
“It has been three days since you were injured and recovered, angel.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, lord angel. . . . . . ”
“Call me Kiriel.”
“Yes, Kirie-nim.”
“Hmm. . . . . . What about the others?”