Chapter 872

In fact, the fingers tipped with hard, razor-sharp claws were already tearing through his scalp and digging into his skull.

That was enough to make Elia's eyes widen. He looked as though he were trying to crush his own head.

Charlotte, standing at the railing, froze, and so did every beastfolk and fairy watching.

Thump... Thump...

Violet cracks began spreading across Ian like glowing veins. At the same time, a heartbeat-like pulse echoed through the air.

His left arm trembled violently.

Violet haze seeped from his two pairs of writhing wings.

The tentacles flowing between them like a mane stretched outward of their own accord, revealing themselves more fully.

Whoom...

A moment later, the violet orb hanging in the sky like a full moon brightened ominously. The previously calm storm clouds began to churn once more, slowly forming a colossal vortex.

Elia stared upward, her mouth falling slightly open.

"This is insane... how can he say that so casually?"

A muttered lament came from Diana, who was still sitting on the deck.

Elia turned toward her blankly before asking, "Did Yog whisper something again?"

Diana hesitated before answering, "It says not to panic too much. Ian’s chaos is simply resisting a little."

It was obvious she was struggling to remain calm. Even Elia could see the slight tremor in her jaw beneath the mask.

"So Sir Ian really is... trying to kill that body," Elia said slowly, almost stumbling over each sentence.

Charlotte glanced toward her at those words.

Diana took a deep breath and nodded. "I can’t be certain, but probably. Fuck... if that body starts rampaging on its own...."

Charlotte frowned at the comment and turned back toward the other ship. Elia also fixed her gaze once more on the Black Wave’s central deck and slowly rose to her feet.

The front of Ian seemed darker now, as though a shadow had fallen over him. His wings spread wide, violet haze trailing from them, while the tentacles writhed violently.

Thump... Thump...

The ominous violet light blazing within the center of the storm clouds drove it. Without the network of luminous cracks coursing through him, they might not have been able to make out more than his silhouette.

Then, as the pounding heartbeat reverberating through the air grew faster and faster, a scream of utter agony erupted from behind the hand covering his face.

"---------------!"

It was a scream so agonizing that Elia's strength nearly abandoned her. Golden light flashed across both their bodies as their protective enchantments reacted instinctively.

Elia hastily gathered magic and struggled to steady herself.

Crack! Crunch!

Accompanied by a sickening noise, the scream cut off as abruptly as though severed by a blade.

The very next moment, Ian swung his left arm, clutching his face as if throwing something away.

Crunch— Splat!

His head, ripped free except for a fragment of the back of his skull, slammed onto the deck. A trail of sticky fluid shimmering with violet light splattered across its path.

The back of the head, exposing a clay-like cross-section, and the neck extending beneath it both flickered with violet light.

However, that was not the only reason Elia held her breath and widened her eyes.

Far away, in the middle of the storm clouds, the ominously glowing violet moon was exploding apart.

Swoosh—

After a flash bright enough to make it seem as though the world itself was ending, violet concentric rings spread outward, staining the rolling storm clouds.

Boom!

A heavy sound reached Elia's ears as she stared blankly at the scene. It was the sound of the archdemon, now headless, collapsing to its knees.

Its right arm, still maintaining the shape of a sword, hung limply. Its wings and tentacles drooped downward as well.

Whoosh...

It was also melting away, losing its form as violet vapor poured out in all directions. Yet the violet cracks rippling across its body like veins remained as vivid as ever.

In fact, the crack engraved in the center of its torso was spreading wider and wider.

Splat!

A few seconds later, the crack split wide open, and something spilled out from within it like entrails.

Elia's brow furrowed.

At the same time, Charlotte, standing in front of her, suddenly jerked her shoulders.

Swoosh—

The violet ripples spreading through the storm clouds swept over their heads. It was no illusion that the surroundings brightened for a brief moment before growing dark again.

The sky had lost its source of light.

Only dull storm clouds churned overhead now.

"By Lu Solar..."

However, that was not why Elia gasped.

The moment the area brightened, the figure sprawled before the archdemon's remains became clearly visible.

It was Ian, covered in slime.

Even as the slime coating him slowly turned into vapor and evaporated, he did not move in the slightest.

It was obvious he had lost consciousness.

Yet a smile was already spreading across Elia's lips as she turned her head.

"Sir Ian has returned!"

Ian had regained his complete human form.

Meeting her gaze, Diana finally let out a sigh of relief and nodded, as though the tension had at last left her.

"Well... Yog says so too."

"Then Yog is safe as well!"

"Yeah. Unfortunately."

Just as Diana nodded weakly, a low growl reached Elia's ears. It was Charlotte, looking down at her own body.

"Hmm?" Elia turned toward her and widened her eyes again.

A reddish glow was leaking through the gaps in Charlotte's relic armor. She realized a moment later that Charlotte was not the only one experiencing it.

Whoosh...

Beyond them, red light mixed with drifting smoke was spreading from the remains of the melting archdemon.

Red divinity was burning away the remnants of chaos and spreading across Ian.

Dear heavens... the domain is collapsing, and Heaven's gaze has returned!

As Ian's sprawled body twitched, Elia's mismatched eyes trembled. The thought crossed her mind that the heavenly gods might have finally learned what kind of existence Ian had become.

On top of that, he was the agent of the Platinum Dragon, a constant thorn in the heavens' side. It would not have been surprising if they did more than strip him of his status as an Apostle and chose to inflict divine punishment upon him.

"Cough! Cough!"

Perhaps it had already begun.

Ian suddenly threw his eyes open and jerked his upper body upright as though seized by a convulsion, before doubling over like a shrimp.

That alone was enough to make Elia's heart sink.

The next moment, Ian, trembling while engulfed in blazing red divine power, flung both arms wide and raised his head.

"------------!"

A roar like thunder exploded through the air. At the same time, the red divinity blazing across him erupted outward in every direction.

Rumble—

The remains of the archdemon collapsing behind Ian bubbled and disintegrated, consumed by the blaze of red divinity.

A wave of heat swept across Elia as well, making her blood feel as though it had begun to boil.

However, that was not the only effect of the divine shockwave.

"--------!"

Charlotte threw back her head and answered with a roar, red divine power blazing across her body as well.

The same was true of the beastfolk warriors gathered on the Black Wave's stern deck. And of those assembled on this deck.

"------!"

"------!"

The howls of the beastfolk warriors echoed one after another like wolves crying to the sky.

Elia's mouth fell open.

Swoosh...

The storm clouds covering the sky were beginning to break apart as rays of light pierced through them from all directions.

Behind Ian, who hung limply while wrapped in red divine power, curtains of radiant light billowed and swayed.

The darkness covering the region was beginning to retreat.

"How could this happen?"

Diana's stunned voice brushed past Elia's ears at that moment.

Without taking her eyes off the distant scene that looked like the coming of dawn, Elia said,

"The heavens... haven't abandoned Sir Ian! Even knowing that he was touched by chaos... they still acknowledge Sir Ian as Heaven's messenger and as a demigod!"

The proof was unfolding right before their eyes. It was only natural that Elia's voice carried both joy and awe.

Diana stared at her through widened eyes behind her mask for a moment. As though suddenly coming to her senses, Diana hurriedly rose to her feet.

"W-We have to let everyone know this! It must be announced! Bear witness, all of you! The Golden Demigod has sealed away the ancient god of the Black Sea once more and cast off even the chaos that had corrupted both body and soul!"

Her magic-amplified voice exploded across the air.

The beastfolk's cheers, which had been echoing from every direction, gradually quieted, and the dazed fairies instinctively turned their attention toward her.

Raising her right hand, Diana pointed toward the distant curtain of light and raised her voice even higher.

"The lofty heavens themselves are blessing that glorious victory!"

Only then did Elia understand her intention. Using this miracle as justification, she was trying to erase any lingering suspicion of corruption in a single stroke.

To think she came up with that in such a short moment!

The speed of her reasoning was genuinely impressive.

Charlotte's divine-empowered shout followed immediately afterward, "May the Golden Demigod know endless victory!"

At some point, she had raised her right fist and was looking around at the gathered crowd.

The beastfolk raised their fists almost as one.

"Victory!"

"For the glorious triumph of the Demigod!"

"May the exalted Heavens shine forever!"

Following their lead, the fairies also began raising their fists one after another and shouting. It almost looked as though they wished for their voices to reach the heavens themselves.

Nila reared up and roared.

Beside her, Miguel raised his steel prosthetic arm and shouted until the veins stood out on his neck.

Swoosh...

Meanwhile, the area continued growing brighter.

As the storm clouds covering the sky gradually dispersed, the curtain-like radiance naturally spread throughout the surroundings.

Elia gazed up at the blue sky emerging beyond the clouds, a faint smile touching her lips.

Diana let out a relieved sigh and rubbed her chest. "We did it... fuck..."

Elia finally turned toward her. "I understand now why Sir Ian trusts you, Diana."

Diana snorted quietly. "I did it for myself. If Ian ended up under suspicion, then I'd be suspected too after returning with him."

That answer alone was enough to make Elia blink in surprise. She had not considered that possibility at all.

Whoosh—

The blazing crimson divinity beyond them suddenly intensified.

Ian was struggling back to his feet.

As the cheers of celebration and praise gradually died down, Elia fixed her gaze on Ian once more.

Using the black sword as a cane, he slowly stood upright.

Every piece of equipment he wore had been crushed and torn apart, little more than rags. Even while surrounded by divine power, exhaustion was plainly written across his face.

Yet the reddish eyes sweeping over the crowd remained as calm and steady as ever.

"The ancient god, Raskagin, has been sealed once more in the depths of the sea. This time, probably forever."

Ian's divinity-laden voice resonated across the area.

The crowd did not immediately erupt into cheers. He had raised his clenched right hand slightly, signaling that he had not yet finished speaking.

"If I had been alone, it would have been impossible."

Lowering the arm he had raised, Ian continued, "All of your names will be recorded in history alongside this victory as those who made it possible."

Elia's eyes widened involuntarily. The beastfolk and fairies staring at him reacted the same way.

"O Golden Demigod! May your victories last forever!"

"Praise the great and noble Demigod!"

"O Heavens! Bless our Demigod!"

The fairies were the first to shout. Their faces looked more emotional than at any point before.

It was only natural. They had just been granted one of the greatest honors imaginable. Their standing within fairy society would be transformed completely.

"Our Demigod!"

"------!"

The beastfolk warriors finally joined in with thunderous howls. If today's events were recorded in history, the shame attached to their tribes could finally be erased.

However, not everyone was swept away by joy and excitement.

"He really does it like this... honestly, he's even worse than the pointy-ears...." Diana muttered, one corner of her mouth curled upward as she slowly shook her head.

Elia turned toward her and tilted her head. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just now, Ian Hope made everyone here his accomplice."

Elia blinked.

Diana looked down at her and let out a low chuckle.

Then she leaned closer and whispered, "If someone reports what happened to Ian Hope to the Great Church, it'll become a story about an archdemon fighting an ancient god. Now tell me—what idiot would throw away the chance to be remembered in history as one of the great heroes of that battle?"