Chapter 579

A lot of preparations went into the opening strike against Viers and his allies.

Not only would it happen simultaneously across a vast area, without spooking them until it happened, and actually dealing with these powerful Pathseekers, especially Viers himself.

The Anti-Tanael alliance didn't plan on striking down their main target from the start. Many had tried and all had failed, suffering disastrous losses. They had to chip his strength and allies. No other way. The point was, as they pruned Tanael’s allies they had to prevent Tanael from helping them. They had to keep him busy for a time.

Tanael possessed the means of long-distance teleportation. Half-measures wouldn't yield their desirable result. The question was who could do it?

Freya volunteered. However, Pope Plutus vetoed her and pushed forward a more suitable candidate.

A guest from the eastern continent, Wen Shenhu.

The Immortal who was seeking a certain divine beast in this continent hadn't been able to complete his mission after all these years. Meanwhile, the condition back home would get worse as time went on. Wen Shenhu decided to change his approach and contacted the Church.

Wen Shenhu and his two ilk were the main cause of the departure of the previous Popess so it was a tough pill to swallow for many. However, the direct beneficiary of such happening, the current Pope, convinced his subordinates that it was for the greater good.

In exchange for Wen Shenhu’s might to solve problems across the continent, the considerable information gathering network of the Church would find the thing that Wen Shenhu desired.

At this moment, they didn't know the Rank 7 divine bull monster core was in Viers’ possession. However, the Church tasked Wen Shenhu to keep a certain villain busy with their operation.

So, during one of Tanael’s plundering, he was ambushed by the Silver Legion and Wen Shenhu.

It was somewhat a shock for Viers, but he knew it was an eventuality. He was able to contend with the Level 6 for some time, but it was by no means easy. A Level 4, great as Viers was, was no match for Level 6. So he had to use his hidden cards, even the ones he hoped to never reveal.

Viers used a Rank 7 monster core to keep Wen Shenhu at bay.

Meanwhile, Farley and the others were attacked. The cards informed him of this, but he was in no position to assist.

When Wen Shenhu saw the monster core, there was nothing more important in this world to him than obtaining the treasure. The immortal wouldn't let Tanael out of his sight. He chased him like a dog chasing a bone.

But Viers was not an easy morsel. He had prepared this for a long time. Viers was going to pit divinity against divinity.

He dived into the sea. Wen Shenhu followed.

Viers sensed Farley had died. An excruciating stab in the heart, but there was nothing he could do.

For now, his only concern was to shove the fucking Immortal into the throat of the Deep Dweller God. The kraken-thing who he evaded twice. Once in Aletro’s Book, and another in the deep sea of blackness.

After a Divinity scale battle, Viers used the promised one slash of the Divine Weapon that he got from Lucan Duchy and pushed Wen Shenhu to the God Kraken’s gullet. While the Deep Dweller God enjoyed a scrumptious meal, Viers escaped to the surface.

He sensed many of his club members were in concerning condition, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. He made arrangements as best as he could. The six Level 5s from Impel Down were mobilized and he went to the aid of the most dire, Boram.

Paina’s situation was different from Farley.

While Farley was getting her head down in the Academy during the day and aiding Viers’ operations during the night, Paina was helping people, regardless of race, during the day and healing the sick during the night.

She wandered around the border of Zetel Sultanate, where conflict between the human-supremacist Zetel and the beastfolk tribes arose every day.

For years, Paina helped the downtrodden and the meek. She resolved fights, brokered peace, and healed the land.

She was seen as a living saint. People followed her, regardless of race, and were starting to live in harmony under her auspices. Her power, benevolence, and beauty garnered more people flocking to her side.

Paina helped a great deal of people, did a lot of good, but some people saw her as dangerous or an eyesore.

Because of her, the war industry profit was going down for some merchant and noble houses. The Magisterium disliked how she was freeing slaves and made them lose territory. The Estellian Church didn’t like how ‘holy’ and influential she was becoming, especially His Holiness Pope Plutus. Because she wasn't one of their own, despite Paina never preaching about religion.

Once Freya found out that she was connected to Tanael with the help of artifacts of Latias Royal House, courtesy of Princess Celestine, some of the Church was all too happy to send a punitive force and local overlords jumped in the bandwagon.

When the Church’s inquisitors were presenting their charges, the argument was weak and the evidence was shallow. Because Paina didn't join Viers in his villain acts. She joined in, when the cause was right, like when they were rescuing Ciel, but she didn't partake in the endeavor even of the morally gray variety.

Paina was trying to live as upright as she could, helping as many people as she could. Because there was enough suffering in the world and too few people who cared.

The Inquisition would see her struck down as heretic nonetheless because she had connection with the great villain Tanael.

This reproduction of a NovelPhoenix chapter was made without the author's approval; the author's publication supports the creator.

Paina’s followers naturally didn't accept this. They were ready to lay down their lives for Paina, lives that she had given them, despite Paina’s plea to stand down.

The Inquisition, thinking they were charged with a divine purpose, wouldn't back down. They would get the false-saint heretic’s head even no matter how many of her followers they had to cut down. All in the name of Estelle.

However, it didn't become a massacre. Saintess Rose rushed and arrived in the nick of time. She forced the Inquisition to stand down as she engaged in talks with Paina, who readily accepted.

The two saintesses, who still thought of each other as old friends, tried to find a resolution with blood being spilled. Neither of them wanted to fight.

The discussion went on for sometime without an end in sight. But the head inquisitor received word that Tanael was loose. Their containment failed. He had already saved Boram and their time to take out Paina was running short.

The news of Tanael’s approach brought a great deal of fear to the head inquisitor. Tanael killed his parents, uncles, and all his six brothers over the years. He felt outraged at first, but after hearing the track record of what Tanael had accomplished, that outrage was replaced with bone-chilling dread instead.

But the head inquisitor still wanted revenge in his own way. He couldn't match the villain in a fight so he had to find another way. Taking down a fake-saintess affiliated with Tanael was exactly that.

So the head inquisitor attacked Paina while the negotiation with Rose was still ongoing. Only, Paina wasn't so weak that she would die from that, unscathed, even.

But it caused the death of Paina’s followers. Among them, a beastfolk child.

After that the situation spiraled out of control. Many of Paina’s followers were civilians. The inquisitors were an unstoppable force to them. In their attempt to take down Paina, they had no qualms letting the followers of false faith meet their demise as collateral. The most important thing was taking down Paina as fast as possible, before the fearsome Tanael arrived. The great villain’s reputation preceded him.

Rose tried to stop it, but because of the reformation of the Church’s structure, she didn't have the authority to stop the Inquisition. As one who didn't agree with Plutus’ reforms, the Pope saw to it that Rose’s political situation diminished.

With the massacre unfolding before her, Rose acted as her heart told her and aided Paina in protecting the people. Seeing people on her own side shedding the blood of civilians shook Rose’s faith.

It was a chaotic situation, but with the two saints working together, they managed to stop the worst case scenario and stopped the Inquisitors at bay.

Like lightning, an assassin struck Paina with a dagger in the back, through the heart.

The assassin was from the Bone Ravens, the Banbexi cult. She wasn't hired by the Church. The nobles and businessmen in the area that wanted Paina dead put the price on her head, long before her connection with Tanael came to light.

The assassin league had no reason to refuse. The price was fittingly enticing, and who knew what treasures Paina possessed? The secret of her strength? Perhaps the killer-to-be would overturn their Fate with this one contract, becoming one of the great stars of the era.

The assassin cried out in triumph. The inquisitors praised Estelle’s holy name. The followers of Paina despaired.

Rose, tears on her face, attempted to smite the assassin with all her might.

Viers was faster.

He appeared like a ghost. With one tap on the assassin’s forehead, she was immobilized.

The villain’s arrival darkened the sky. Literally. He was tattered and wounded all over, but his power could not be denied. His soul pressure alone silenced the cacophony of war in an instant. Everybody on the battlefield was unable to move, all tens of thousands of them. As if they were encased in ice.

The assassin soiled herself, for she knew she was already a dead woman.

The head inquisitor’s teeth wouldn't stop clattering once he saw the visage of Tanael. He couldn't move. Such pressure was coming from Tanael. A Level 4 peak like himself, but the difference between them was as if they were not in the same dimension.

The assassin prayed to the Devil God. The head inquisitor prayed to Estelle. Both prayed for salvation.

Viers disregarded all of them and came to Paina’s side. Immediately administering first aid.

Despite the priceless elixirs he gave to Paina, her life was fading. Not after a dagger blessed with Banbexi’s power entered her heart.

Viers’ face darkened.

Paina gave him a smile.

“It’s okay.”

Her face was so pale. Viers clasped her hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don't blame you,” Paina said without a speck of falsehood. “I was happy.”

“Viers... With your permission. Let me pray for her, for a miracle... Please.”

Viers stayed silent but Rose took the meaning she was able to move again as a yes.

Rose knew as well, that only a miracle could save Paina as she was. So she knelt beside Paina, joined her hands together and prayed with all her heart.

And the Heavens answered with silence.

Paina reached out her hand to touch Rose’s trembling hands. She smiled with understanding and gratitude.

“Thank you, my ice cream friend.”

“I’m,” Rose sobbed. “I’m truly...”

Paina looked at Viers next. His face was like stone, but Paina knew Viers long enough to know what lay behind the mask.

“I’ve failed you,” Viers said.

“I don't blame you. I’ll be with Farley. It’s too sad if she’s all alone.”

Paina felt Farley’s death too.

“Viers, I have a request.”

“Say it.”

“Don't burn the world. Please?”

“I’ll try.”

“Take care of the others.”

“Yes.”

“My people. Can you give them sanctuary?”

“I’ll try.”

“Don't butcher the Church’s men? They are misled.”

“Impossible.”

“Be a little kinder.”

“...I’ll try.”

It was more than one request but neither cared. This was like their ordinary banter. Something they often did. They both knew the end was coming, but one more. Just one more.

Paina touched Viers’ center chest.

“May you be as strong as you wished for... and make a kinder world. For others... and for yourself.”

“...Thank you, Paina.”

Viers closed her eyes. Along with her last breath, a flower field bloomed around her. Flowers of every color, vibrant, magical. Hundreds of thousands, millions.

Paina’s Imaginary Domain, Fairyland, manifested in the world. A place of kind embrace.

“Oh my Goddess,” Rose had both hands in front of her mouth. Her heart felt like it was torn apart. “What have we done?”

Because she could feel it. They all could.

Each flower represented a life Paina changed for the better.

Paina’s followers cried from the depths of their soul. The inquisitors shed tears too, touched by the pure kindness of a woman named Paina. The flowers around their feet was an irrefutable proof.

Only now they realized they had killed something beautiful.

Viers lowered his head.

“Thanks, for being my family. You and Farley.”

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Chapter 563 - Flowers