I Come From the Abyss to Save Humanity Today - Volume 1 Chapter 22

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22. The Abyssal Battle (Part Four)

The secluded path was shrouded in gloom, the disheveled villagers wore expressions of despair, hurrying along.

The outlines of the village they had inhabited for years were faintly visible behind them.

It was their home, their means of survival; no one would choose to leave if they had the option. Yet, as they gazed upon the black sun symbolizing death and heard the occasional dull roars from the village, no one had the courage to look back.

Among the crowd, a worry that couldn’t be concealed was etched on Aria’s face.

“Barry…” The girl softly called her brother’s name, as if wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.

“…What is it?”

Barry, the boy named, was equally downcast.

“Do you think little Sil will come back for us?”

“…She definitely will. You saw it too, right? Sister Sil is a Papal Knight… Do you understand what that means?”

“…It means she’s a very, very powerful knight, right?”

“It’s more than just powerful!” Barry tried to muster a smile, perhaps to comfort his sister, or maybe to convince himself.

“The title of Papal Knight, although it sounds similar to a Church Knight, means something entirely different. A knight is just a title of respect for a warrior, but don’t mistake a Papal Knight for just a slightly more powerful knight!”

“So… Sil is really that powerful, even that little one? More than dad?”

“How can dad compare to a Papal Knight, though he’s also quite strong…” Barry scratched his head in frustration, “How should I explain this to you… Right, you know about the Sword Saint, Ryan, don’t you?”

“Of course! The hero who, over twenty years ago, single-handedly slew the demon of Hippodrome and saved humanity from disaster. Who doesn’t know that? Don’t treat me like a fool.”

“What if I told you that he was a member of the Papal Knights?”

Aria’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You mean…”

“And oh, Queen Elizabeth, the one you admire the most?”

“You’re not going to tell me…”

“She’s also a Papal Knight~”

Barry began to show off his knowledge, momentarily forgetting the sorrow of leaving their home.

“So you see, a Papal Knight isn’t just any knight. It’s a title given by the Holy Church to heroes.”

“Then, the Flaming Lapria…” Aria trembled with excitement.

“You guessed it!”

“So, Sil…”

“What are you two talking about?”

Allen, walking ahead, asked curiously.

“We’re talking about the Papal Knights.” Barry shrugged.

“Oh, those legendary heroes?”

“Allen! Even you know about them!”

“…Who doesn’t know about such things?”

“Hahaha, sister is a fool, so she doesn’t know.”

Barry mercilessly teased his sister.

“…”

Seeing his fiancée’s face turn red, Allen realized he had said something wrong and chose to remain silent.

“So, since Sister Sil is a Papal Knight, she must be as powerful as them. Don’t worry, sister… nothing will happen.”

The last words he murmured seemed more like a reassurance to himself.

“But that monster looked very powerful too…”

At that moment, the ground suddenly shook beneath their feet.

Then, a blinding white light erupted in the distance, casting a ghastly pallor on the faces of the crowd.

“Boom—”

A deep rumble followed, and the villagers began to stir.

“…Look, what’s that?”

“It looks like that black sun…”

“That sun, it seems… exploded?”

“It seems like…”

“Does that mean Sil won?”

As the white light faded, the black sun in the sky had vanished.

“Barry! It’s Sil! It must be her! She won!”

Aria, excited, grabbed Barry’s hand and jumped for joy.

Barry’s face also lit up with happiness, but being a boy, he was much calmer than Aria.

“Don’t rush, Aria, let’s wait and see…”

“It must be Sil who won! The monster is gone! Shall we go back?”

Aria made to run back but was quickly grabbed by Barry.

“Sister! Wait, just wait a little longer. I know you’re anxious, I am too, but what if the battle isn’t over yet? If we go now… we’ll just be in the way…”

Barry bit his lip until it bled.

The one fighting the monster was the girl he loved, and he could do nothing.

How could he be content? How could he not want to go to her!

“…Maybe it’s just a temporary defeat of the black sun. Right now, none of us know the exact situation in the village. Aria, listen to Barry, it’s safer. Trust in the power of the Papal Knight’s strength,” Allen finally spoke, his voice carrying the weight of maturity that comes with being a future hunter.

“Allen! What are you saying!” Aria glared at him, her pent-up emotions finally erupting, her eyes red with fury as she pointed at Allen, “What Papal Knight! What great hero! I don’t care about that!! Allen, do you realize that it’s my sister out there, risking her life to protect everyone!!!”

“I know…”

“With such a commotion, she must be hurt! She must be bleeding a lot! She must be in pain, maybe she’s lying on the ground unable to move right now… No, I have to go see her.”

Aria shook off Barry’s hand and ran towards the direction of the village.

“Aria!!” Barry chased after her.

Allen looked back at the villagers who were hesitating to move.

They had all heard Aria’s outcry, their faces showing hesitation, yet none dared to take action.

“…Tch.”

With a grit of his teeth, he took a step towards the two figures growing distant.

…………

“Roar—!!!”

With a roar like a tsunami and a landslide, each step taken by the great white beast caused the ground to tremble slightly.

That strike was immensely powerful; the white beam of light carved a deep ravine in the ground, still hissing with steam, and even from several meters away, one could feel the heat wave rushing towards them.

The monster’s trace had long since vanished.

“Big White!! It’s me, over here… cough cough.”

As soon as I spoke, I coughed up a small mouthful of fresh blood, my chest felt as if it was being pricked with needles, making even breathing difficult.

“Hurr hurr.”

Big White heard my voice and slowly walked over with heavy steps.

I struggled to turn over, lying on my back and spreading my arms and legs wide.

Thank goodness, it’s over.

Aria and the others should be safe now.

“Giggle, heh… cough cough.”

I’m so tired.

Big White extended its paw and picked me up.

“Ouch—Big White, be gentle, it hurts…”

Every movement was excruciatingly painful, and I didn’t even know which wound I had aggravated, but there wasn’t a single spot on my body that didn’t hurt.

This time, the internal injuries seemed more severe. The first fall was cushioned by the black smoke, only injuring my waist, which wasn’t too serious. But during the second fall, I was so focused on striking that I almost forgot to use the black smoke for protection. I only remembered at the last moment, and in a rush, the smoke wasn’t dense enough, and I ended up with a terrible fall, unable to stand up even now.

If Big White hadn’t arrived in time, I’m afraid my seventy to eighty catties self would have been doomed.

Still inexperienced, it’s easy to get carried away in a fight.

In such high-stakes situations, recklessness is a deadly behavior. I pulled that thing down from the sky, and it was unharmed, while I nearly killed myself.

At this moment, I suddenly hated that bearded cheapskate.

Where was he when he was needed? And when he wasn’t supposed to appear, he’d pop up like a ghost, scaring me. Wasn’t it his job to eliminate the monster?

Really… such a brotherly behavior.

A knight of scraps.

I curled my lips.

Big White carefully held me in its palm and lowered its massive head to look at me.

“…What are you looking at?”

“Hurr hurr.”

“Put me on your shoulder, I want to sleep.”

I’m getting sleepy… No, wait, shouldn’t I be seeing a doctor at this time?

After all, with my delicate little body, falling from over a hundred meters twice…

No, I think I need some emergency treatment.

“Big White, you…”

Before I could finish, I felt a violent shake. Big White reacted swiftly, turning around to shield me with its chest.

The next moment, a tide of black smoke swept over us.

“Roar—!!!”

This time, Big White’s roar was filled with pain.

“Big White!” I cried out in alarm.

What’s happening? That thing, it took a direct hit from that devastating attack, and it’s still not dead?!

“Big White, let me down!”

Protected in Big White’s paws, I couldn’t see anything, and I didn’t dare to use the black smoke, fearing it might hurt it. My heart was racing with anxiety.

But Big White didn’t heed my calls, or perhaps, it couldn’t understand what I was saying.

“【Abyssal Tongue】Slay.”

The moment I heard that voice, I panicked.

I struggled to break free from Big White’s grasp, falling to the ground with a thud, the pain making me groan.

I looked up, and all I could see was a sky obscured by dark mists. Big White was enveloped tightly, its white fur withering and curling as if scorched by fire.

It turned back in anger, its fearsome jaws wide open.

“Hum… hum… hum…”

In an instant, countless white specks of light appeared in the air, then were sucked into Big White’s mouth, forming a sphere of light larger than its own head.

“Boom—!!”

A blazing white beam shot out once more, tearing through the layers of black smoke, revealing the monster’s form.

Seeing that thing for a split second, I propelled myself up with the help of an icicle, black flames igniting as I dashed through the air towards it.

The monster’s armor was already tattered and oozing black fluid from its crevices, indicating severe injuries. Yet, it remained agile; its lower tentacles swept up, dodging Big White’s attack while lifting its withered right hand to counter.

Not a chance!!!

I thrust my right hand outward, a burst of frost causing the black flames to change direction mid-air, heading straight for the monster.

“Boom—!!!”

A violent explosion flipped it over, allowing me to land firmly on top of it.

I pushed my hands forward, my palms close to its grotesque face.

Die.

“Bang bang bang bang—!!!”

Icicles mixed with frost exploded in a fan shape before me, completely encasing the monster in ice.

But it wasn’t over yet!!

Ignoring the intense pain in my body, I took a deep breath.

Black flames spewed from my palms.

“Boom—!!!”

“Crack crack crack…”

The icicles shattered under the assault of the black flames, a cloud of crystal dust making the surrounding scene appear hauntingly beautiful.