Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 629: Avatar Of Life And Death

Her staff raised to the heavens, Erika called upon her goddessʼs holy power. A looming darkness cast the desert in shadow, and everyone under it could feel their shoulders weighing a ton more. Encumbered by the weight, the citizens and the soldiers were forced to kneel and then bow with their noses pressed to the ground.

”STOP THIS NOW!” Screamed the paladin, being the only one still standing with his sword held firm in his hands. Pointing it towards Erika, he watched as a cloaked spectral torso of a woman appeared looming above her. Its one hand was glimmering with a twisted silver hope while the other was an absolute dark and shimmering like polished metal. ”What in the world is that?”

Of many twists and turns, the avatarʼs hands were made of, almost like a rapierʼs handguard. The chest was covered in the same metallic glimmer with a glowing armor split in two contrasting shades, separating one side from the other. As for the cloak, it was no mere means of hiding her true identity but rather a shelter for the mortal to remain sane during their suffering.

”I offer you again…” As Erika stretched her hand forward, the avatar did the same. ”Bow to my goddess, accept her as your faith, and I will grant you mercy in your death.”

Despite being as shaken as he was, the paladin shook his head and glanced at Erikaʼs outstretched hand. A trickle of sweat drained from his temples. He knew that he was outmatched, but with the hopes of his people riding on his shoulders, he bit his tongue and slapped through the avatarʼs hand.

His fingers phased right through the colossal spectre, but the small act of defiance gave him just enough time to leap forward. Gripping his greatsword firmly, he channeled all his mana and his divine blessing through the weapon. Raising it as time slowed down while their distance shortened, he looked right into Erikaʼs eyes and screamed as loudly as possible.

”DIVINE SMITE!” As if his god himself were wielding his weapon, the paladinʼs blade grew ten times its size and cut through the avatarʼs illusion. But as the blinding edge came down on Erikaʼs head, something rumbled beneath the paladinʼs feet, and that alone was enough warning to make him jump back before he hit anything.

Panting, he stood staring at the priestess, the avatar returned to normal just a second later. This time, however, it wasnʼt just the avatar that emerged for the trail of blood that Erika had carved through the desert, split in two. Firm came a few long, fleshy fingers and then a hand and then another, and before anyone knew, the very monster that was the walls of the third layer of hell had accepted the priestessʼ offering–that was this city and its citizens.

”Leave the mothers and any fertile women, theyʼll mate with our men and nurture our children.” Ignoring the paladin altogether, Erika raised a fist, and so did the avatar. The man looked up to match the dark handʼs trajectory, but before he could move an inch or block the strike with any weapons, countless spectral arms pinned him to the ground–utterly defenseless.

”D-donʼt you dare touch them! LEAVE THE CHILDREN AT LEAST, YOU MONSTER!!” He yelled right before the avatarʼs hand came hammering down on his body and shattering his flesh and bones into a pile of goo within the metal armor. Yet, somehow, his hand, broken from the rest of his body as was his skull, crawled towards Erika, and his lips even mumbled. ”S-sp…spare the…m.”

The paladinʼs last words echoed in Erikaʼs ears. Having a nurturing nature underneath that brave front, she decided to grant the paladinʼs wish after all. Lifting her head to the army, however, she stretched her hand forward and cast the special spell that was drawn from her title.

”Your name has been scribed in the book of the dead, now die: ʼAtheniaʼs Will!ʼ” And so, as a mist of crimson dark erupted through Erikaʼs hand, everything that it touched wilted. Had their god not already given up on them, the soldiers wouldʼve survived–but with Asmarethʼs mind elsewhere, they perished and flopped completely against the floor like flies.

Screams erupted within the walls of the city, perhaps the news of the army in a single spell already travelled inside. Either way, Erika couldnʼt have cared less. Thus, turning around to face the monstrosity that was the living walls of the third layer of hell, she ordered it to eat the city whole and only spit out the fertile women and children inside the basement of Mansion ʼPhordite.

ʼWe will need to re-educate them before we can allow them to roam free in our city.ʼ Thinking of Raven and his mind-altering gift, Erika made a mental note to ask for his help before turning to the city gates to watch the living devil work.

As its many hands tore through the ground and hugged the city walls until not a shred of sunlight could fall within it, the creatureʼs flesh began to melt into each other. The fabrics of its muscles merged to form an encasing dome. Enveloping it inside of itself, the monster dragged the city down into the very pits of hell. The sand around the place shifted to fill the emerging hole, but after a while, as heat began to spur under the sand, the fumes alone held the grains firm as if they were lying on flat ground.

Some crystalline, the others wet from the condensation of blood that oozed through the breeze of hell, the sand quickly turned into a pit of escaping hell screams and a reminder of what happens when someone goes against Atheniaʼs will.

”You shouldʼve accepted the offer, paladin…” Dragging the paladinʼs body through the sand, Erika threw it into the burning sandpit. All blood had already gushed out of its armor, but the crackling of his bones was satisfying nonetheless. ”Why wonʼt you and your gods just accept her? Look at Elenaria and the freedom she has to express her faith. Why throw that away for yourself, especially when the whole world is at stake?”

Shaking her head, the priestess chuckled. Her heart was finally at ease as revenge had been delivered. Soon enough, what were once the women of another faith would breed amongst the men of her kingdom, and the children would be raised with Athenian values and faith. What better justice could there have been? To steal anotherʼs faithful and convert them to your own?

ʼFeels almost like a woman turning her back on her man to sleep with someone else…someone better and more competent, Ahahaha~ʼ And with that thought, she turned around and traced her footsteps back to Linkleʼs camp from where sheʼd begun her pilgrimage.