Chapter 32 "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

After successfully escaping and making a distance from the three knights, while standing leaning against an existing tree, Cecilia suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her.

Without thinking, Cecilia immediately darted towards the direction where the voice came from and attacked it.

"Cecilia! Are you okay!?"

Hearing that the voice came from the Hero's voice that she hadn't heard in a very long time, Cecilia immediately let go of her grasp of the katana and lowered her exhausted body to the Hero.

The hero immediately caught Cecilia's body and hugged her.

With an expression on her face that appeared very tired, Cecilia smiled in the hero's embrace.

The hero carefully laid Cecilia's body on the ground and put Cecilia's head on his lap.

A wide gaping hole was visible in Cecilia's chest, in the same place where her heart used to be.

"Cecilia... Your heart..." Said the Hero.

"It's okay, because you have now come to fill it." Cecilia joked with a small smile.

Her eye sockets looked even paler, her skin had burns, and blood continued to flow from all her wounds.

"Sorry... I'm too late." Said the Hero.

"No, nothing is too late. Right now all my prolonged struggles are finally over. The rest is just to accept the results of that struggle." Said Cecilia who was still smiling.

"Cecilia... Hang in there! I'll take you to Marie! Tch, that Marie! Why should she be missing when we need her so much!" The Hero snapped.

"That's... Because she has earned the fruits of her struggle. Now it's your turn, go away from this place and look for happiness in this imperfect world. I'm sure, there will be happiness and people who are waiting for you." Cecilia said.

"You moron, why would I stay away if my happiness is already here?" The hero replied softly while uncovering the disheveled red hair that covered Cecilia's eyes.

Hearing the answer from her hero, Cecilia then reached out her hand to touch the hero's lips.

"Hehehe... You really are my hero." Cecilia whispered.

Not long after the sinner's soft whisper, the light of life finally disappeared from her silver eyes.

"Stupid, if that's the case then you are already my goddess." Said the hero who then closed both of his goddess' eyelids.

Accidentally, the hero's tears fell and soaked the cheeks of the goddess who was already gone on his lap.

"Cecilia... Hopefully we will meet again in the next world." Whispered the Hero while stroking his Goddess' tangled hair.

..........

.......

....

"Big bro, are you there?" Shouted a woman's voice from the forest.

Although the hero knew that the call was meant for him, the hero did not seem to care about the caller's voice.

Suddenly Kalina and two knights came out of the forest and approached the hero.

"Big bro!" Called Kalina while running with a big smile on her face.

But suddenly that wide smile disappeared after Kalina saw the sinner's corpse lying on her brother's lap.

"That's... Big bro! Get out of the way! That sinner must be pretending to be dead so he can use you again!" Kalina snapped.

But the Hero did not respond to Kalina's words.

"Big bro! Come here, come with me, I'm now one of the seven imperial knights! The emperor and the bishops have also authorized me to have you! Now with my power and position I can protect Big bro from anything! Furthermore, with the disappearance of our papa, mama won't even dare to oppose my wishes! That's why come on, let's continue our previous happiness!" Invited Kalina with her enthusiasm and smile that was as bright as the morning sun.

Even so, the hero still ignored Kalina.

Seeing her brother's condition, Kalina sighed and walked towards him.

"Stop." Siegmund said while preventing Kalina's shoulder.

"WHAT!? Do you want to betray our agreement!?" Kalina snapped at Siegmund.

"No, that's not it. But... You realize that too, don't you. That young man... Has become very different from when he fought Yzak." Siegmund said.

"Even though he's different, he will still understand what I mean! That's why you two should leave. Because right now he's under my protection!" Kalina said to Siegmund.

"Dylan." Siegmund called out.

Without thinking, Dylan thrust Julius' poisoned knife into Kalina's back.

"Ghk! Damn it... You bastard... Siegmund!" Kalina snapped.

Kalina immediately removed the knife stuck in her body and then destroyed it using her palm.

Kalina then jumped up and attacked Siegmund very fiercely.

But unfortunately it did not take a long time before Kalina finally collapsed due to the effects of the poisoned knife.

"Is it okay if only the two of us will fight him?" Dylan asked.

"No problem. Although he's different, but judging from his equipment he seems to be a melee fighter." Siegmund replied.

"In that case..."

"Yes, let me fight him myself. Because I never be defeated in a one-on-one fight like this." Siegmund replied.

Hearing Siegmund's challenge, the Hero finally stood up and put Cecilia's head gently to the ground.

"Are you the ones who have brought this destruction?" Asked the hero.

"We did not bring destruction, but purification. With no sinners in this world, the rise of the horned demon will be prevented, and with the rise of the horned demon prevented, the apocalypse will be stopped." Siegmund replied.

"Even with genocide like this?" Asked the Hero.

"This is the only way to achieve it, otherwise disaster and destruction will happen to this world. We descendants of the seven knights have always tried to stop his rise, but those sinners have always interfered against us. Even so, our ancestors always forgave and made room for them to come to their senses and atone for their sins. But what, until now they are still doing whatever it takes to bring the apocalypse to this world!" Siegmund replied.

"But they were not sinners to begin with! They only wanted to free their gods! And they only want to return this world to the hands of their god! Your ancestors were the sinners! They saw the god of this world as a threat that could destroy this world, that's why your ancestors sealed it and used its power arbitrarily. You all forget that if it wasn't for the kindness of your god, your world wouldn't even exist! All of you are afraid that because of his existence this world can be easily wiped out, you doubt him because with his kindness and sincerity he only asks you to remember him. It is because of all this that you all became doubtful and afraid of him that you ended up deceiving and taking advantage from his kindness!" Snapped the Hero.

"Huh... It seems you have also managed to read the engravings on the horned demon's prison, huh? Then by the imperial regulations of this country, I declare you as a sinner!" Siegmund said.

"Sinner? Don't joke around! With the power and knowledge that your gods have entrusted to me... I will show you who the real sinner is!" Snapped the Hero.

With their opinions and ideologies clashing, the two young men finally fought each other.

Unlike before when he fought Yzak, the Hero now skillfully blocked all of Siegmund's attacks using the shield in his left hand and countered his attacks using the sword gripped in his right hand. With that way of fighting made Siegmund who only used only one weapon feel a little overwhelmed.

"Although not as advanced as Cecilia, but you are great too Stranger." Siegmund said.

"Shut up." Retorted the Hero while slashing his sword at Siegmund.

"It's strange, the more I clash swords with him, the more I feel that the force of his shield's impact is getting bigger. Is he really the same person who fought Yzak?" Siegmund thought.

Then Siegmund took a deep breath and began to unleash his consecutive attacks on the Hero.

One slash to the left, he dodged it.

"It's okay."

One slash to the right, he dodged it as well.

"It's okay."

One vertical slash with all his might...

"CLANG!"

Successfully blocked using his shield.

Seeing that his Zweihandēr attack had been stopped, Siegmund smiled slightly.

Seeing Siegmund's smile and the wide opening, the hero immediately prepared to attack and thrust his sword towards Siegmund.

But Siegmund, with his Zweihandēr still attached to the Hero's shield immediately uses his magic technique to strengthen his attack.

"Good, now withstand my power with that small shield of yours. O thou who art unfathomable! Surprise your enemy! Quern-biter!" Siegmund shouted.

With a sword that gave off a fiery red glow, Siegmund slashed and attempted to slice through the hero's small shield.

"O soul of the earth! Strengthen this shield!" Yelled the hero.

Then the ground on which the hero stood released golden-colored energy that entered the hero's small shield.

"What kind of magic is this? I have never seen a magic like this." Siegmund thought.

Realizing that even with his magic the hero was still unable to block Siegmund's attack, the hero slowly tilted and slipped Siegmund's attack.

"BRAAAAAAKK!"

The red glowing Zweihandēr finally fell and hit the ground.

Seeing an opening once again, the hero immediately cast his spell and attacked Siegmund whose red Zweihandēr was still stuck on the ground.

"O soul of the wind! Lighten my step!" The hero screamed.

But suddenly...

"SLASH!"

A red glowing slash shot from the ground into the sky and cut the hero's face.

"Khk! Shit, I was too careless." The hero muttered as he jumped back.

Blood began to flow from the slash wound that cut across his left cheek to his left eye.

Seeing the wound Siegmund smiled, then without giving the hero time to catch his breath, Siegmund immediately used his magic to attack the hero.

"This is the end for you. O thou who art deadly! Terrorize him! Dáinsleif!" Shouted Siegmund who then dashed towards the hero to thrust his Zweihandēr.

"Tch, even if your attacks are similar, that doesn't mean your speed is same! "O soul of the earth! Strengthen this shield!" The young man yelled.

A great clash of magic energy occurred at that place, with his swiftness the Hero managed to block Siegmund's Zweihandēr attack, but unfortunately...

"What a powerful stab!" Thought the hero.

"Do your best, Do your best! Because this attack will not end before it takes someone's life!" Siegmund said with a wide smile that did not suit with his personality.

"Tch! I told you that even though your attack is the same as Cecilia's... But your movements are a thousand times slower than hers!" Insulted the hero.

Hearing the Hero's insult, Siegmund suddenly snapped.

"Don't equate this sacred magic of my ancestors with her cursed magic! Dáinsleif!"

Suddenly the thrust of Siegmund's Zweihandēr became even stronger than before, immediately the hero shifted his foot position and changed the direction of Siegmund's Zweihandēr's thrust to his right and then parried it away.

"What!? He... Tricked me!" Siegmund thought.

"O soul of lightning! Strike him down!" The Hero snapped.

Suddenly, the sword that the hero held in his right hand burst into lightning and immediately pierced Siegmund's stomach.

But as if it could move on its own, the Zweihandēr wielded by Siegmund suddenly slashed towards the hero from a very unnatural angle.

"What kind of move is that!? Even if he's an expert swordsman, there's no way he could make such an abnormal move!" Thought the hero.

Moving on his instinct, the hero immediately released his sword grip and jumped away from the Zweihandēr's slash that was still emitting white light.

"Guhk... This is the first time, congratulations! For the first time you're a swordman who managed to injure me in a duel like this." Siegmund said. Who then pulled out the sword in his stomach and cast a spell to stop the bleeding.

"You can heal wounds like that?" Asked the hero who was wiping the blood flowing from the wound on his face.

"Of course. This is the magic we must have as protectors of this world." Siegmund replied.

"Perhaps you mean the protector of your family's dynasty." Mocked the hero.

"Huh, whatever you say. The most important thing is that you are now finished. While you have lost your sword, I still have my Zweihandēr that still thirsts for the blood of its enemies." Siegmund said.

Hearing Siegmund's words, the Hero then wore a puzzled expression and asked.

"Hmm? A sword? You mean this?"

Suddenly seven large, blue-colored light swords lined up behind the Hero.

Siegmund and Dylan who saw the seven swords were shocked.

"Seven... Swords of Light? What kind of elemental magic is that? How did you get them?" Siegmund asked.

"Didn't you read about it? The writing engraved on the prison wall? This is the wish of your god, this is the origin of your ancestor's power, and this is proof that he will forgive you." Said the Hero.

"...Our god? Our ancestor? And proof that he forgave us!? Why would he forgive us! We don't need him! Look at this beautiful world because of our god's non-interference! Look at our cities that get along because of our one belief! Don't you understand!? If Cernunos manages to free himself then this world and peace will be destroyed!" Dylan snapped, who had been standing on the sidelines of their fight.

"That's because you only see yourselves as humans. Look at the humans on the outskirts of your holy city! Look at the humans living in the villages that you've been squeezing the fruits of their labor and hardship from! They are also human beings like you! But you treat them like things that you can easily throw away! If this world continues like this then rebellions and killings will continue to occur in your world!" The Hero replied.

"Then let me ask you, will returning this world to him make it better than it is now? What about your world, is it more beautiful and better than our godless world?" Siegmund asked.

"My world... The gods of my world have a different nature than your gods. It has been thousands of years since our god handed over his world to us, because of that..."

"Then our ancestors' choice was not wrong. Because even your god has already gave up with you and handed over his world to you. Then what difference does that decision have compared to ours?" Siegmund asked.

"It is very different, because we accepted his world and you have taken his world!" Answered the Hero who then picked up one of the light greatswords lined up behind him.

"Don't you understand stranger? Right now you are fighting with no clear purpose! Your beliefs, your path, and everything else you have right now is just a borrowed one. And because of that, we who have faith will annihilate you to protect our world." Siegmund said while pointing his Zweihandēr at the hero.

"No need to say, I have long realized it, even I am sure that Cecilia's faith is also a borrowed one. But... I will say it to you just like the woman who gave me the meaning of life used to say it!" Said the Hero who then ran towards Siegmund and attacked him.

"Terror him! Dáinsleif!" Siegmund dashed towards the Hero's attack.

"Whatever!" snapped the hero.

Then the two shining swords continued to clash with an explosive sound that shook the entire forest.

"Are you going to destroy our peace with the word 'whatever'?" Siegmund snapped.

"Whatever!" Retorted the hero.

"With your ridiculous beliefs, there is no way we will hand over the future of this world to you! Stranger!" Siegmund snapped.

"I don't care!" Snapped the hero.

Suddenly all six of his light greatswords were already hovering above Siegmund's head.

"Damn it! If only I could disable my Dáinsleif's magic!" Siegmund thought.

"Rain upon him! O you swords of justice!" Snapped the Hero.

"There is no way I will lose against a fool like you!" Snapped Siegmund who then jumped away from the rain of swords.

"I won't let you!"

Then the hero sent all five of his light greatswords after the fleeing Siegmund and used the remaining one as a skateboard that flew through the forest trees swiftly.

"Damn it! I didn't expect Siegmund to be cornered like this! Sorry Siegmund, although I knew that you would be angry with me but... I don't want to lose my friends anymore!" Thought Dylan who then took his spear that was in the grasp of Cecilia's corpse and dashed using his wind magic to chase the two swordmen.

At a place that was already some distance from the previous place, the Hero continued to chase and shower Siegmund using his five light greatswords, but Siegmund agilely managed to deflect and stop the rain of light swords.

"Is that all you've got!" Siegmund challenged.

Immediately the hero dashed while riding his light greatsword towards Siegmund.

Upon seeing that, Siegmund smiled and prepared to slash his Zweihandēr towards the Hero, but suddenly the Hero jumped up and let the greatsword he was previously riding shoot towards Siegmund.

"Tch, you can't be serious!" Snapped Siegmund who then slashed and flung the light greatsword away from him.

Just as Siegmund had just knocked away the hero's attack with ease, an unexpected attack suddenly stabbed from behind his body and stopped the world guardian knight's movement.

"Khaak!"

Blood poured out from his body and throat which then drenched his mouth, Siegmund with his eyes looking as if he could not believe what was happening stared at the blade of the light greatsword that emerged from his body.

"I won." Said the hero.

"This is... Stupid." Mumbled Siegmund who then fell to the ground.

"Siegmund!" called Dylan.

"Shatter and tear him apart! Gáe Bulg!" Dylan screamed as he threw his spear at the hero.

Immediately, the hero raised his shield to block the attack of the cursed spear. But But suddenly the cursed spear split and broke into many pieces towards the hero.

Quickly the hero gave orders to his seven light greatswords to block the attack, but when the fragments of the spear hit the hero's greatsword of light, the fragments of the spear broke into smaller and smaller pieces and then penetrated the defense of the hero's seven light greatswords and finally rained down and tore the hero's body from the inside with instant speed.

"Ghaaaaaakkk!!! This pain... This pain... My whole body... those little spears are piercing and spreading like roots inside my body! Cecilia... I'm sorry... It turns out... I'm not as strong as you..." whimpered the Hero who ended up standing stiffly with thousands of small spears supporting his body from the inside.

Seeing the hero who had stood stiffly and was bleeding profusely from all pores of his skin, as well as his green spear that had now crumbled into dust, Dylan immediately ran and approached Siegmund who was now in a dying state.

"Siegmund! Siegmund! Hang on!" Called Dylan while shaking his best friend's body.

"Dylan... Sorry, it looks like that stranger has managed to defeat me." Siegmund said in a soft voice.

"It's okay because of your courage too I was finally able to seal the stranger away." Dylan said.

"Hurry up... Hurry up and kill him... The seal... Wallace said that the seal has been weakened... And that stranger is the final key... Therefore... Kill him immediately... And also forgive me... Because now you are the only one who will bear this burden alone..." Said Siegmund who then lay limp before his friend.

"Wallace? It must be through his telepathic magic. Then leave the rest to me. With this one strike of your Zweihandēr, the horned demon will not rise forever!" Said Dylan who then took Siegmund's Zweihandēr which he would use to slash at the Hero who was standing stiffly.

"Cernunos Reincarnation." Whispered the hero who ignored the thousands of tiny spears that had taken root in his mouth.

"Hmm?"

Not having time to be surprised, Dylan suddenly fell down and saw that his body that was still standing now no longer had a head.

"What! What's going on!? Did I already..."

"........."

"......"

"...Dead?" Dylan thought.

********

Elsewhere Kalina had just woken up from the effects of the poison that put her to sleep. She looked around her and found only the traces of the battle and Cecilia's corpse.

"Huh, so you're really dead huh?" Kalina muttered.

Then Kalina stood up and breathed in the air around her.

"From the scent it looks like those two asshole knights are over there." Kalina muttered.

"Wait for me big bro, I'll save you soon." Kalina muttered.

Kalina immediately activated her transformation magic again and dashed towards the direction where Siegmund and Dylan were.

********

This is the story of a god.

A god who was wounded.

A god who has nothing.

And a god who cries for nothing.

His groans were ignored.

His requests are forgotten.

And his cries are laughed at.

This is the story of a god who walked among humans.

********

In just a moment Kalina had reached her destination, but she was shocked by what was now in front of her.

Siegmund, the strongest warrior, was now dead, and Dylan, the hunter who could read the instincts of his prey, was also dead.

And his beloved brother was now standing with many small and sharp thorns coming out from all over his body.

"Big bro...?" Kalina said.

Blue flames burned from his body and wounds, a pair of antlers like a stag beetle appeared on his head, at the end of his tailbone appeared a tail that looked like the body of a snake, his teeth became as sharp as a wolf's fangs, and his body became more and more muscular like a bull.

He groaned and cried as if in agony. Slowly and stiffly, he moved his body like a machine gear that lacked oil.

"Big bro, wake up! Right now that power is trying to consume you!" Kalina screamed.

But the Beast ignored Kalina's words, while groaning in pain, the Beast pressed its palms on the ground.

Suddenly, as soon as it touched the ground, its feet and hands drew out sharp claws.

The Beast groaned once more, this time its entire body ejected and dropped green-colored thorns from the pores of its skin.

Its body became red from its wounds and blood, but immediately the wounds and blood disappeared along with the blue flames that burned it.

After all that suffering, the Beast was now able to stand up and move freely, as if it had achieved triumph over all the suffering it had endured, the Beast looked up at the sky and let out a howl that cut into the souls of its followers.

Kalina looked and watched the resurrection of the strange and frightening-looking Beast.

"Disgusting." Kalina muttered.

While continuing to stare at the sky, the Beast continued to wiggle its snout as if it was smelling the scent of its prey in the sky.

"...What is he doing?" Kalina thought.

After finding its prey, the Beast immediately jumped up and headed towards its destination.

"He... No way! Is he's targeting the citizens who live in the holy city!? Damn it! Big bro! Wake up! Snap out of it! Before it's too late!" Kalina snapped.

But the Beast ignored Kalina's warning.

Without wasting much time, Kalina immediately chased the Beast with her magic power that had almost the same form as the Beast that was disgusting to her.

"Cernunos! Give Big bro back to me!" Kalina shouted.

But the Beast kept moving toward the holy city where the faithful lived peacefully.

"Damn it! If you keep ignoring me like that, then... I will stop you! Because I won't let a human or a god destroy Big bro's place of home!" Kalina snapped.

With all her might, Kalina shot dozens of black flame claws at the Beast, causing the Beast to be slammed to the ground.

Groaning in pain, the beast searched for the direction from which the attack had come, but Kalina quickly knocked it down and stomped on it hard.

"Big bro, wake up!" Kalina snapped.

Spotting who was attacking it, the beast immediately grabbed Kalina's right leg and then breathed blue flame breath at her.

Kalina immediately used both of her arms to protect herself, but the beast immediately slammed Kalina's body to the ground and then threw her so hard that she slammed into a cliff in the forest.

"Khk... Big bro..."

While enduring the pain, Kalina stood back up and prepared to chase the beast, but suddenly the beast appeared and lunged at Kalina from above.

Kalina immediately released dozens of claws at the beast, but as if it had already learned it, the beast then countered by releasing hundreds of claws at Kalina.

"What!?"

Kalina was overwhelmed by the beast's hundreds of claws, her body was slashed and blood oozed from all her wounds.

Enduring the pain from her wounds Kalina violently clenched her clean, white teeth.

"Give him back..!"

There was not the slightest plea in the cursed woman's words.

The cursed woman was angry.

The cursed woman was disappointed.

If her brother had not given her that momentary kindness and happiness, perhaps...

"Give Big bro back to me!"

The path she was on might have been very different from the one she was on now...

With all her might Kalina leapt from the ground she was on, causing the forest floor to crumble and explode into a barren crater.

Kalina darted at the beast and tore into them using her teeth and sharp claws to injure the beast.

Kalina's palms and hands were burned, her face and mouth were torn and burned, and almost all of her armor was melted from the heat of the two flames that continued to burn from both creatures' bodies.

Despite being injured like that, Kalina smiled at the wounds she had inflicted on the beast's body.

But unfortunately it was not as she expected, the wounds that Kalina had inflicted seemed very insignificant to the beast, in just a very short time all the wounds healed and returned to their original state.

Kalina was surprised, but at the same time the beast did the same attack that Kalina had done to it.

"AaaaAaaAaAAA!!! DAMN YOU CERNUNOS!!!" screamed Kalina with her body that was almost disfigured.

They both fell to the ground, but the horned beast quickly got back to its feet without the slightest injury to its body.

Meanwhile, Kalina with her trembling body and legs also stood up with her strong willpower.

"Big bro!"

Covered in blood and wounds, the cursed woman cried.

With every tear she cried, she did not cry for her wounds and suffering, nor did she cry for her sadness and loneliness, but what she cried for was...

"Big bro! Wake up! I became a Knight to protect Big bro! Why doesn't Big bro understand!" snapped Kalina.

Suddenly, the beast quickly thrust the five claws in his right hand into Kalina's heart.

"Guhhk! Big... Bro..."

Kalina slowly reached out her hand and gently touched the beast's cheek.

"I'm sorry..."

********