Chapter 178: The Cursed Ones (1)

—Ethan Heart's POV—

Almost half an hour had passed since we defeated Aldebaran.

It had been a grueling battle, but fortunately, we hadn't lost many of our companions.

Even so, some of us were in no condition to continue, especially Raiden. So after a brief discussion, we left him behind with Alicia and Chai to protect him, while Luna, Schierke, and I went ahead to join the others.

That was why the three of us were now running alone through the cathedral's deepest corridors.

Out of everyone in our group, we were the ones still in the best condition to fight.

My Demonic Body gave me endurance far beyond that of an ordinary human, even after spending so long fighting the Knight Commander. Luna, meanwhile, could continuously replenish her mana, meaning that as long as her body could withstand the strain, she could keep casting deadly spells all day if necessary.

As for the witch Schierke, she was in remarkably good condition.

She hadn't suffered any notable injuries, and according to her, she still had plenty of mana remaining.

I had my own suspicions about that strange witch and her ominous name, but the situation hadn't given me much time to think about her or the possibility that she might be the messenger of the Demon of Balance the Golden Dawn Knight had warned me about.

For now…

I decided to simply keep an eye on her and postpone dealing with the matter until the cathedral battle was over.

Assuming we made it out alive.

Normally, my mind wandered through every little detail while I ran through the corridors of this damned place.

But the repeated explosions booming somewhere in the distance every few seconds made it impossible to concentrate.

They were violent.

So violent that I couldn't help wondering…

What kind of battle could possibly create this much noise?

The explosions gradually became more frequent, and the walls around us started shaking as though an earthquake were continuously tearing through the cathedral.

Every time another blast echoed through the corridors, the color drained further from Luna's face as she ran beside me.

She knew exactly where those sounds were coming from.

Her older sister's battlefield.

"Ethan…"

Her eyes caught my sideways glance, and she called my name with a pained expression.

"You don't have to match our pace. I know you're much faster than this… so please, just go. Don't worry about us."

She was pleading with me.

Trying to convince me to rush ahead and help her older sister.

And she wasn't wrong.

If I activated my Aura Armor and reinforced my body, I could move much faster than this. But I hadn't done so because Luna and Schierke wouldn't be able to keep up with me.

Mages couldn't use Aura Armor, after all.

"There's no point rushing ahead recklessly. I can't change anything by myself, and your sister isn't weak. Jackson is with her too."

I rejected her request as gently as I could.

"Trust them. They're strong."

I kept the real reason I refused to leave them to myself.

My eyes unconsciously drifted toward Schierke.

I didn't want to leave that strange witch alone with Luna.

Who knew what might happen?

For now, she appeared to be an ally.

But that could change at any moment if she really turned out to be the messenger of Balance.

"I can feel an enormous flow of aura…"

Schierke spoke so quietly that I almost failed to hear her.

She had sensed something neither Luna nor I could feel.

At first, I doubted her words.

Then, only seconds later, the ground beneath us was struck by a tremendous quake, far stronger than any of the explosions before it.

The impact was so violent that I nearly lost my footing before quickly regaining my balance.

This time, even I started to worry.

"Let's move faster!"

I urged them forward.

But after that final earthquake…

Everything went silent.

No more explosions or tremors ... Nothing.

That could only mean one thing.

"The battle must already be over…" Schierke said with complete indifference.

I had no choice but to agree.

Which meant we were no longer running there to support them.

We were running to discover the outcome.

Either we would find a horrific King-rank abomination waiting for us in an arena filled with the corpses of our companions…

Or the opposite.

But I doubted either outcome would be free of casualties.

The sounds alone had told me more than enough about how difficult the battle Moon and the others had fought must have been.

"Both of you, prepare for the worst. We might have to fight a boss worse than Aldebaran on our own."

I saw Luna's shoulders tremble slightly at my words.

She probably wanted to reject the possibility outright and insist that her sister was fine.

But she couldn't.

She understood perfectly well how dangerous a King-rank monster could be.

Schierke, on the other hand, merely nodded without showing much concern.

Either that woman had nerves of steel…

Or she genuinely didn't care about anything happening around her.

Either way, it didn't take much longer for us to discover the result.

After running for some time, we reached what appeared to be the cathedral's main prayer hall.

One glance was enough to tell me how magnificent this place must have been in the past.

But the destruction had buried almost all traces of that former grandeur.

The walls had been devastated, riddled with enormous holes, while the floor was so badly fractured that entire sections looked as though they had been turned upside down.

Blood stained several corners of the hall.

Scattered pieces of flesh lay among the rubble, mutilated so badly that there was no way to tell who they had once belonged to.

I saw enormous golden bells hanging high above the battlefield.

And below them…

I recognized two people.

The first was a giant.

A man who had lived for an incredibly long time and possessed an extraordinary body overflowing with strength.

Yet now, he looked exhausted and miserable.

Jackson lay face-down in the middle of the battlefield, his face buried in the rubble.

Blood poured from dozens of wounds across his body, while horrific burns had completely ravaged his right hand.

In front of him, the boss's golden soul shone brightly.

Then, in the far corner of the hall, I spotted Moon Heart.

She lay motionless with her back resting against a wall shattered by the impact of the battle.

Blood covered her forehead and drenched her face before dripping from her chin.

She looked like a broken doll.

Her red hair was scattered around her like smoldering flames.

"MOON!!"

Luna rushed toward her sister in panic as though no one else in the hall even existed.

I remained where I was, frowning as I surveyed the battlefield.

There were no other survivors.

Only remains.

"Did Gustav die too…?"

The entire First Team had been wiped out.

I would be lying if I said I hadn't expected some of its members to die.

But Gustav was different.

Wise Raven Insight had shown me that he had reached the Saint Rank.

He had become much stronger.

And yet…

Even he had died?