Chapter 146 - North Korean rabbit

Chapter 146

Archbishop Vio was monitoring the situation inside the ritual chamber from right next door.

It was also a precaution, in case his precious apostle were to be harmed.

“Aaaah!!!”

The moment a sharp scream rang out, he burst into the ritual chamber, accompanied by priests and temple knights.

“Lady Evangeline!”

He immediately assessed the situation.

Eyes glowing red, inhuman.

Reptilian scales were rising all over the Crown Prince’s skin.

Elongated nails curved like blades, piercing Evangeline’s flesh.

It was obvious at a glance.

Madness.

“Of all times, now…!”

Not much time had passed since Arpad and Evangeline had entered the ritual chamber.

‘It would be impossible for her to have conceived the imperial bloodline in that short time.’

Regardless, the priority now was to extract the apostle from the grip of that mad beast.

The Archbishop commanded in a cold voice.

“Kiral. Sovrin. Amal.”

The priests of the Celestial God, whose names were called, willingly stepped forward.

Sacred words flowed from their mouths, and simultaneously, the sacred arrays hidden throughout the entire room were revealed.

The sacred arrays, activated by draining the life and souls of three high-ranking priests in an instant, bound Arpad, who had gone mad with frenzy.

*Clatter—!*

Silver chains stretched from the walls, floor, and ceiling, coiling around Arpad’s body.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop himself lunged forward, rescuing Evangeline from Arpad’s grasp.

The divine power of the relic had lost its strength against Arpad’s attack, and Evangeline had returned to her original form.

“Agh! Aaaagh! My face!”

Evangeline screamed, clutching her bleeding face.

Sobs and despair-filled moans rang sharply in their ears.

The Archbishop involuntarily furrowed his brow, then forced his expression to relax as he tried to soothe Evangeline.

“It will be alright.”

“What’s alright about this! Why were you so late! My face, my face…!”

Far from thanking the Archbishop who had saved her, Evangeline was busy pouring out resentment and anger.

“You should have come sooner!”

“…My apologies.”

The Archbishop’s eyes were cold as he reluctantly apologized.

Evangeline, completely oblivious, was preoccupied with her wound.

“It will be fine, won’t it? There shouldn’t be a scar. You can heal it with divine power, right?”

“I will do my utmost.”

While soothing Evangeline with a gentle smile, he swallowed his thoughts.

‘No matter how much powerful divine power I pour in… a scar will inevitably remain.’

If it were just a physical wound, divine power could have prevented a scar.

But the perpetrator was Arpad.

And of all times, right after he had gone mad with frenzy.

His already powerful magical power was in a state of utter rampage.

The magical power of Arpad remaining in the wound would undoubtedly interfere with divine healing.

Knowing Evangeline would make a huge fuss if she found out, the Archbishop hid the truth.

‘Even if some blemish remains on the surface, it shouldn’t hinder her role as an apostle.’

Having made his judgment, he turned his gaze to Arpad, captured by the divine shackles.

“Graaah!!!”

The roar of the mad beast echoed through the ritual chamber.

As Arpad struggled, the divine chains tightened even more.

*Crunch!*

Blade-like claws tore into the floor and walls. The fabrics and bed were shredded and shattered merely by being grazed in his thrashing.

“Eek!”

Seeing this, Evangeline, who just moments ago had clung to Arpad saying she wanted him, turned ashen.

It was only natural, as she had almost been torn to shreds by those claws.

Moreover, Arpad’s roar contained a faint trace of dragon fear.

For an ordinary human, it wouldn’t be strange to freeze in terror just from hearing it.

Evangeline instantly panicked, screaming, and burrowed into the Archbishop’s embrace.

“A m-monster!!!”

“Calm yourself, Apostle.”

The ambition she had harbored—to have Arpad for a night, obtain a child, and seize the Empire—was now gone without a trace.

Only biological terror remained.

Clutching at the Archbishop in a fit, Evangeline shrieked.

“Get rid of that monster quickly! He’s going to kill me!”

The Archbishop turned his head.

He had planned to kill him once his purpose was served anyway.

But this outcome was unexpected.

‘There were no precursors, and he was suddenly consumed by madness like this?’

He hated the imperial family, and had studied them extensively because of it.

Above all, he had also obtained much information through the *Book of Fate* in his possession.

Arpad’s current state was different from a typical outbreak of madness.

‘In this case, it’s more like….’

The situation did not afford the Archbishop the leisure to ponder.

Arpad’s resistance in his rampage grew even more violent, and he shattered one of the divine chains.

*Crack!*

With one chain broken, Arpad advanced toward them.

The killing intent of a beast and the terror it inspired grew even stronger.

The Archbishop clicked his tongue and issued another command.

Sacred words flowed from his mouth.

-By the name of the great Father, the Lord God, I beseech all gods existing in this world. Destroy the aberrant power!

Along with his words, an immense light began to seep from the floor.

Soon, dozens of layers of sacred arrays formed.

The light concentrated on Arpad, beginning to erase and shatter his very existence.

This was the final measure the Archbishop had painstakingly prepared.

To surely eliminate the possessor of the strongest dragon blood.

A trap created using all possible capabilities and knowledge.

“Gaaah—!!!”

For the first time, pain began to tinge the roar that had been seething with rage and murderous intent.

A faint smile touched the Archbishop’s lips.

‘Although I couldn’t obtain the beast’s bloodline, securing the relic of Agrippina that he possesses should be possible.’

His satisfaction was not limited merely to the fact of securing another relic.

Though different from the plan, the possessor of the deepest and strongest dragon blood among all past imperial family members was now dying.

By divine power.

Many would be astonished to learn this was possible.

The Archbishop himself was surprised by the potency of the sacred array, which was why Vio gained renewed conviction.

He was not wrong. The divinity originating from God was the true power of humanity, a force superior to the filthy magical power mixed with beast.

That was being proven now.

Drunk on elation, the Archbishop muttered.

“Yes. I shall purify you cleanly.”

That was the moment.

An explosion no one anticipated shattered the side wall of the ritual chamber.

*KABOOOM—!!!!*

A large hole appeared in the wall, and fragments of shattered bricks and dust flew in all directions.

Evangeline’s scream rang out again.

“Kyaaah! What is this now?!”

“What in the…!”

As the Archbishop, holding Evangeline, tumbled over in shock.

A figure rushed in through the hole in the blasted wall.

Pale cherry-blossom pink hair fluttered.

“Arpad!”

* * *

“Huff, huff!”

It was truly fortunate I had prepared for contingencies.

I had prepared several small magical artifacts in the form of jewelry that wouldn’t be strange to carry on my person at all times.

Naturally, I had brought them here, and when I was lured elsewhere and attacked by an unidentified man.

My preparations paid off.

*Boom—!*

The magical artifact exploded, knocking down the man with a distorted appearance who was trying to overpower me.

Blood splattered on my face and clothes, but I had no leisure to be afraid or frozen in shock.

‘I’m not the only one they’re targeting.’

They too know the power of Arpad, a possessor of dragon blood.

Then they must have prepared for him several times more meticulously than for me.

I felt certain that wasn’t all.

‘The fact that Arpad isn’t coming to rescue me now means he himself is undoubtedly in a dangerous situation.’

My heart pounded. It was different from the pleasant anticipation I felt when thinking of Arpad just a while ago.

A terribly ominous premonition.

My heart was beating wildly, creating a dissonant rhythm.

I pushed the corpse aside, got up, and ran.

I didn’t know why. But I felt I knew where Arpad was.

As if every cell in my body wanted to run only toward him.

As if we were calling to each other.

Running like that, I realized the place I had initially been guided to was not the real ritual chamber.

“How did you get here?!”

“Stop her!”

Priests of the Earth Mother Goddess, bewildered.

And priests of the Celestial God who, the moment they saw me, rushed forward in shock.

I pulled off my necklace and scattered it. Each bead of the necklace was an individual magical artifact.

A powerful electric current paralyzed those trying to block my path.

“Agh!”

“Kyaaah!”

“Ghk!”

Ignoring the screams and those collapsing unconscious, I ran recklessly.

And finally arrived where Arpad was.

I could tell even without hearing the monstrous roar from inside.

‘He’s in danger!’

Arpad was currently in a state consumed by madness.

A situation several times more severe than during the Crimson Moon not long ago.

I threw the most powerful magical artifact I had at the wall and activated it.

‘Please!’

*KABOOOM—!!!*

With a deafening roar that shook the building, the wall collapsed.

Before I could even think ‘thank goodness,’ my legs moved first.

Rushing inside, I saw him, in a state of rampage, bound by divine chains.

An unfathomably powerful divine power was attacking him from all sides.

“Arpad!”

I ran toward him.

* * *

Amidst bewilderment and terror, Evangeline witnessed it.

Arpad, gone mad and running wild with frenzy. Hilia, who had somehow broken through the wall and rushed in.

And the moment she saw Hilia run toward Arpad without hesitation, a vile, malicious expectation surged within her.

‘Yes. You too… you get a taste of it too! Do you think you’re any different? You’ll be bitten and torn to shreds by a man who’s gone mad and become a monster!’

She anticipated seeing Hilia attacked by Arpad and screaming, just like herself.

The scene that followed caused Evangeline’s eyes to widen in astonishment.