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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 33
The dark attribute commonly known as ‘Magi’.
The mere presence of Magi was enough to raise the danger level of a Gate. For Hunters, it was pure poison.
This was especially true for the Despairing One’s Gate.
Inside, where every inch of space was drenched in Magi, Hunters found themselves unable to wield their powers properly.
"If only it weren’t for the Magi…!"
Rubenka, an S-rank Hunter of the Church, grimaced.
Black, spectral entities flitted through the mist-laden darkness.
Dark Specters.
Born from the grudges of the dead, these creatures were immune to physical attacks.
Worse yet, they were shrouded in Magi, making even magical assaults ineffective.
The only means of combating them was light-based magic, which had a natural advantage over Magi.
But if that were easy, this place wouldn’t be called the Despairing One’s Gate.
── Damnatorum eccl… te ad mortem…
The eerie, unintelligible murmurs of the Specters sent a chill down the Hunters’ spines.
Even Rubenka’s relic, the Execution Claymore, was unable to unleash its full power within the Despairing One’s Gate.
Clang!
Even cutting down a single Dark Ghoul drained her stamina.
── Vos ecclesiae ministr… Morieris…
These monsters would not have been difficult to slay under normal circumstances.
But the moment they were cloaked in the Gate’s Magi, the difficulty skyrocketed.
Even Rubenka, despite having already vanquished twenty undead creatures, was beginning to feel short of breath.
The other Church Hunters were in an even worse state.
"Get back! Stay away!"
"Ugh…"
Swinging their weapons uselessly at the Specters, brandishing their crosses in desperation hardly the actions of the Church’s elite.
── ■■■ ■■ ■■■!
Then, from beyond the mist, a thunderous voice rang out, followed by the fierce neighing of a warhorse.
Stepping into view was a headless knight, gripping a severed head in one hand.
"A… A Dullahan!"
"This is insane!"
The expressions of the Church Hunters darkened.
Ordinarily, a Dullahan was just a B-rank entity.
But inside the Despairing One’s Gate, it had been elevated to near-A-rank.
"Stand back!"
As the Dullahan charged forward, Rubenka stepped up, swinging her Claymore.
Claaang!
The Dullahan’s Magi-infused lance clashed against her blade, sending sparks flying.
── ■■ ■■■!
Red and white energies crackled as the two locked in a deadly stalemate.
Rubenka gritted her teeth.
"This isn’t working. We’ll never clear the Gate like this."
They needed to break through somehow.
But piercing through the Magi armor surrounding the Dullahan was proving nearly impossible.
"Lord, hear us!"
"Grant us your divine light!"
The bishops fervently unleashed holy magic, but their spells flickered and died the moment they collided with the Gate’s overwhelming Magi.
"When are the reinforcements arriving!?"
"We still haven’t received any contact!"
Damn it.
The reinforcements the Vatican had promised showed no signs of arriving.
Just holding the front line was already pushing them to their limits.
Rubenka cursed under her breath.
"R-reinforcements have arrived!"
At the frantic cry of the communications bishop, Rubenka shoved the Dullahan back and quickly turned around.
Her eyes scanned for the supposed reinforcements.
But all she saw were a man in a black mask and a blond-haired girl standing side by side.
Surely, they couldn’t be referring to those two?
Rubenka tilted her head in confusion.
"Where are the reinforcements?"
"Those two are the reinforcements!"
"…!!"
Her expression hardened.
She had feared this might happen, but to think that was all the backup they were getting…
"They were sent by Cardinal Francis! They are Saint Candidates, so you can entrust the battle to them!"
Even at the bishop’s assurance, Rubenka’s face remained tense.
How many so-called ‘Saint Candidates’ had the Vatican sent before?
She could count at least ten from memory.
And yet, not a single one had ever performed true miracles.
The Church had merely paraded them around as symbols, their light-based magic slightly stronger than average.
Rubenka assumed it would be the same this time, another empty gesture, leaving her to clean up the mess.
She let out a sigh.
Her grip loosened on her sword.
She had no expectations for the two standing before her.
That was why she didn’t even glance at the girl as she stepped forward.
Fwoooosh!
A radiant light burst forth.
"…?"
Had the bishops awakened all at once?
Confused, Rubenka turned her head and her eyes widened in shock.
"What in the world…?"
It wasn’t the bishops.
The light was coming from the girl.
A light incomparable to anything the bishops could conjure.
Ssssshhh…
The moment the Magi touched her light, it evaporated like ice melting under the warm spring sun.
The darkness vanished in an instant.
The mist began to recede.
Rubenka, momentarily stunned by the miraculous sight, quickly snapped back to her senses.
WHOOOOM!
With renewed strength, she brought down her Claymore upon the Dullahan.
The Dullahan raised its lance to block the blow.
But it was cleaved clean in half, lance and all.
Without the oppressive presence of Magi, a mere B-rank undead was no match for Rubenka.
As she took in the now-purified battlefield, her gaze snapped back to the girl.
Eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"…Divine Power? Was the Saint Candidate real?!"
***
[You have entered a battlefield imbued with the fate of the Saved Saint, Jeanne d’Arc.]
[All abilities used by Jeanne d’Arc increase by 80%.]
The moment Jeanne set foot into the Despairing One’s Gate, her powers surged dramatically.
A sign that this place was deeply intertwined with her history.
"I'm… not sure why."
With puzzled expression Jeanne murmured.
But I didn’t care why—what mattered was that this was good for us.
FWOOOOSH—!
The radiant light of Jeanne, restored to the peak of her power, illuminated the entire Despairing One’s Gate.
The vast brilliance cleansed the Magi from the undead, wiping away their foul corruption.
And once stripped of their Magi, they were nothing more than ordinary monsters.
"What are you all standing around for? Take them down."
"A-ah, yes!"
A Hunter, previously frozen in awe, snapped out of his daze and cut down a Ghoul.
It was clear, I didn’t even need to step in.
"Is there… Anything we can do?"
The bishops, now rendered completely jobless by Jeanne’s miracle, approached me hesitantly.
Their expressions made it obvious they desperately wanted to be involved, to assist a true Saint.
But honestly they’d just get in the way.
"Move the wounded outside the Gate."
"…Understood."
Though disappointment was evident on their faces, they followed my instructions.
Leaving them behind, we pressed forward—
Deeper into the darkness of the Gate.
Jeanne felt something strange after we cleared the third sector.
"…Someone is calling me."
She was staring ahead at a chapel’s entrance.
Likely, the boss room.
The Church Hunters took the lead, pushing open the heavy doors.
Beyond them, a grand Orthodox cathedral was revealed.
And beneath the towering crucifix on the far wall a lone figure stood, its back facing us.
‘A person?’
No.
Through its faded, translucent body, the chapel’s interior was visible.
An undead.
A high-tier undead, shrouded in Magi incomparable to mere Specters.
"A Banshee. Stay back."
At that moment, the Banshee turned around.
And as soon as I saw its face I understood why this battlefield was tied to Jeanne.
"So that’s why…"
The Banshee’s face was one I knew very well.
── "Do not worry."
The knight who had always stood by Jeanne d’Arc, guarding her with unwavering loyalty
── “My lady…! Jeanne has been captured by the English bastards!”
The knight who had been the first to rage when Jeanne was taken by the English Church.
── “That wretch, Bishop Cauchon, handed Jeanne over to them!”
The true identity of the Despairing One was none other than Gilles de Rais.
As the Banshee’s darkness lashed out, Rubenka instinctively raised her Claymore.
Then a girl stepped forward, brushing past her.
"Stop! It’s dangerous!"
Rubenka shouted in alarm but the girl did not halt.
Ssssshhhhh…
The Banshee’s shadowy tendrils stretched toward her like grasping hands.
Rubenka lunged forward, attempting to intercept.
But then she froze in place.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"What… is this?"
A miracle was unfolding before her.
The Despairing One was not attacking the girl.
── “Jeanne…”
Instead it was stepping into her light, allowing itself to disintegrate into ash.
Rubenka could only reach one impossible conclusion.
"The Banshee… is committing suicide?"
It made no sense.
And yet, there was no other way to explain what was happening.
The Banshee was throwing itself into the girl's radiance as if it had been waiting for this moment all along.
"Gilles de Rais…"
Tears welled in Jeanne’s eyes as she stepped forward and embraced the Banshee.
A brilliant light erupted.
In her arms, Gilles de Rais smiled.
And then he crumbled into dust.
Within the blinding radiance, Rubenka saw it clearly.
A divine mark blazing upon Jeanne’s back.
"The Stigmata…?"
[The Despairing One’s Gate has been cleared.]
[Clear Rank: SSS]
***
The heart of the Vatican where the Pope resided and the Holy See held its most important meetings.
And today, Cardinal Francis stood before the assembly as a defendant.
One day before the Despairing One’s Gate’s expected collapse, he had been summoned to trial.
"Cardinal Francis, why did you unilaterally transfer Sacred Relics and Essence?"
"Because I deemed her a Saint."
"You recognized someone as a Saint without undergoing a Miracle Trial?"
"That is correct."
A murmur rippled through the chamber.
"Hah…"
"How could you, Cardinal…?"
The attending bishops scoffed in disbelief.
To bypass the Miracle Trials, declare a living person a Saint, and even hand over Essence?
That was far beyond the authority of a Cardinal.
Finally, the Pope himself spoke.
"Cardinal Francis."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
"Even if she is a Saint, granting her Essence so freely was a rash decision."
"I merely did what was best for the Church."
"And you believe handing over Essence was necessary?"
"I judged her worthy of it."
"Even with the Despairing One’s Gate on the verge of collapse?"
"Yes."
The chamber fell into dead silence.
The bishops could not fathom his reasoning.
And just as they prepared to press their accusations further.
"Y-Your Holiness!"
A bishop burst into the chamber, out of breath.
"What is it?"
He hurried to the Pope’s side and whispered something.
At his words the Pope’s expression changed.
"The meeting is adjourned."
"What? But, Your Holiness, we still haven’t discussed—"
"The Despairing One’s Gate has been cleared."
"…What?!"
The bishops erupted in shock and Cardinal Francis smiled.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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