Chapter 403: Face to Face with the Lion (4)
T3KURSplaaash!QbrbG
hioThe waves crashed against the shore.xzNEJtW
AeMohThe seawater, which had reached the mainland, retreated after sprinkling the sand with a whitish salt.RHgcB1
MenA sea breeze, smelling of salt, began to gently stir the palm leaves.qkuT
Ub7From the palms lined up like spears of light came the whisper of curtains.phF
25kShaaa!WFFw
5kx2S1MWelter, priest of the Church of the Outer God, closed his eyes to enjoy it.gfc
Mve8dxGThe salty smell. The sound of the wind that seemed to cleanse his mind. For someone like him, who was always carrying Yu Sein’s problems, it was a much-needed rest.KuXqQ2
RhICoJWelter opened his eyes.LppEtEe
bwu6oJThe bucolic coastal landscape, as if painted, remained unchanged. It naturally made him want to pray.JtUA
KkLqn‘Oh, Outer God, your work is truly beautiful.’IDjnCo
lfJaJIt was a sight so far removed from his daily life that it felt like it belonged to another world.IDzVYFW
aKlWhile clearing his mind.AQ2Br
OhvI0hPKyaaa!Vxbd0Z
nI73The blare of a conch shell blown from afar broke the peace.sAELO
2J9Ik“The sea demands watermelon smashing!”fCfQ7
aPsChoi Seol-Ah raised a baseball bat. Welter frowned uncomfortably.WHnoVir
tJhXsU‘That outfit…’oAip
sy7Choi Seol-Ah was wearing a leather blouse and short sleeves, tied in a knot just below her chest. They called it a “tank top.” Beneath her abs, defined like the number 11, stretched long bare legs.fOCBUC8
GOfUTCOh, what a shame…7j5j
AnDsj“Watermelons are for eating, not for smashing!”5pVamM
dQpnThe one who tried to take the bat away was Horntail, a girl who looked outwardly innocent but was in truth a dragon. Direct granddaughter of the Dragon Lord.3FSU
ony86XlAnd despite that.1XvQaVi
LGkShe was wearing a navy-blue Japanese school swimsuit, which contrasted with her pale skin.QEtH
Lm9q8SP“……”ISXq
TFnedOh Outer God, forgive my knowledge of such things. I knew all of this before devoting myself to the church. Welter put his hands together in prayer.5TB7
o6ZYGP“Even a dog would eat watermelons dirty with soil on top!”Pmh3Xm
9HcuK“Are you saying I’m a dog!?”1dpFSA
gEzM6cK“You resemble one quite a bit, as Headmistress Bobaps said.”BV9r
NDkj6While the two argued, with a massive difference in height between them, Welter turned his gaze to the horizon. Yachts with triangular sails crossed the waters, breaking the surface as they passed.AMJCqN
0qZ9“It’s hot.”MWMI25
pPHdWelter rolled up his cloak and wiped the sweat trickling down his temples. He felt a pleasant warmth.b4c5
xAbyx‘How peaceful everything is.’oV0b3CO
UzMWhThis place was Hawaii.4cn9rnD
GhZhOm***Wc2Zep
9Jwcx0“Ugh, aaah, so hot…”RSN5d
fXNx77Yu Sein complained under the shade of a parasol. Sprawled out, she panted like a stray dog in the sun.CdJE
4diqOoShe tried to take off the sheer jacket covering her shoulders, but a shout quickly came from outside the parasol.3VBvzR
Ezygsh“…Lady Saint! Your clothes!”cDQ
ZoJLdZZWelter shouted as if having a seizure.zif9e
mwpZOD“I’m hot! So hot!”aL2W
osBUM8Q“That’s unacceptable! Indecent! You are the face of our church. If you present yourself half-naked, the dignity of the Church will collapse! That very day we will fall into decline!”nZW5m
a78“Tsk.”K0Xu4
iId3Ohy“Tsk?”YvOw3e
X7LT“Th—”S5Z1
sS3Ih“That’s enough!”jdkV
VmZEhx“Coming to the beach only to stay all covered up? That makes the Church lose more popularity. Am I wrong? And besides, I bought a swimsuit… Bah, forget it. I’m taking it all off!”sZK5M
8L1s29“No! No! Nooo!”Xa1
0KKrIkY“If I want to strip, what will you do about it?”geErK
77J0y“At least this!”XKoS6Z
opRWelter grabbed a handful of wet sand and hurled it at Yu Sein.zNbWtCF
jgDAo“Pfft! Pfff! Won’t you stop? It’s getting in my mouth!”R8k
qi9ixgU“Better to bury you alive than to stain the Church’s honor!”gNzrru
DPYZu“You damned radical! Help, pfff, someone help me!”d7V4G58
F9erHLD“……”KDP
sGA0mOnly then did I open my eyes.6lSH24
1dl2‘They don’t let me rest even here.’vAL
RE1p4LI couldn’t sleep with all the commotion here and there.lKH8
1u6aPKIn the distance, the chase between Choi Seol-Ah and Horntail continued, while closer by the shamanic ritual of the foreign sect was unfolding.9qeeDk
C7EQAOAlthough it wasn’t much different from usual, the warm air characteristic of Hawaii made everyone more excitable than normal.6icZf
k9NeIVg‘Now that I think of it, this is the first time I’ve come to Hawaii for something other than work.’q1Qjxj2
jY8SUeHA trip with old companions.fNO
3BmjIt was a joint proposal from Ryozo and Abel.xbgf
ssQIt just so happened that in Joaquin’s academy and graduate school, the midterm exams had already passed, leading into a break period. On top of that, “Joaquin’s Birthday” fell on a Sunday and was declared a substitute holiday, so we got three days off.529u
wajqAnd I, without understanding anything, was “kidnapped” by my old companions to Hawaii.mvLW
LlPNh7hAnd that’s fine.VprU4
4qDYes, it’s fine, but.bcq71JU
WTNF2s2On the other hand, I feel uneasy.lRs3ok
QUl‘Since we arrived, neither Ryozo nor Abel has shown up even once.’7iVEG
CSGI feel like I should brace myself for something.x2DFqcW
Z7NU2W“Kang Geom-Ma!”tDb
E59L9What a racket!AMfW
wvHjWhen I looked toward the voice, I saw Yu Sein buried in the sand, only her head sticking out. At some point, Welter had completely covered her with a mound of sand.TfyOHV
CWb“Humph!”FJcnK
FJHz9ez“Hmm, huh?”2UIkJ
hwHq2“I’ll take some pictures.”6ghrLNT
Comm2tI paused the auto-farming in the game Blessing of the Apocalypse M 2nd and opened the camera app.CAzJ1B
ctyT“Turn it off! Aren’t you going to turn it off?”R500e
NDyZjh“I don’t want to.”Yrg
QNRoImH“Yam-ma!”Uaxg
XPt3ieThe mound of sand shook.CE4hi3
8OvL“Bishop.”dXFoYZ
Akw“Yes.”fYC
KiAdWelter darted up the dune like lightning and sat cross-legged, pinning Yu Sein down with his body.BbR
ZkljwQ8“This can’t be allowed!”zHdH
JEOe“Aaaaagh!”EzFi
egYCUlFClack, clack!4oyrmP
GBbaC8ZYu Sein resisted several times, but soon wore a resigned expression. Since it came to this, she might as well take advantage of it as a sand-therapy session.6600
n2IPiugWhile restarting the auto-farming I had paused, I asked Welter.KXNPXD
dccomcV“By the way, bishop, how come you came with us?”prun
pv2307q“Ha ha, since we are close to the portal, it is my destiny to escort the saint.”YD1J
ApDXOYu Sein interrupted.AzkE
mcucw57“Destiny? All you do is build mud houses, that’s what.”WVGj
MlT0“…Be quiet.”mJa
nnBuNz“So much talk of ‘the saint, the saint’… Ugh, I’m tired of it. I’m going to sleep.”GSHhlSa
tshjM4K….tGUCEJ
A84Pww“…zZZ.”2gArL
TqKYu Sein dropped her head to the side and instantly fell asleep. Welter, seeing that, let out a deep sigh.1CL4V
JbI“In any case… I’ll continue. The reason I’m here is because His Holiness the Pope sent me a message.”1gfX
R6ict22The Pope of the Church of the Outer God. It had been a long time since I heard from him. He lived in seclusion, researching the truth. He wasn’t interested in exercising power or influence, and lived a sage’s life.7Mqn
Ljglvp“What kind of message?”IO4
XNDxD7“It was about the second apocalypse.”jFWQD
SOkRVeWithout realizing, I gripped my smartphone tightly. Seeing my expression, Welter nodded.XKm2
NYmGXp“He clearly said that you are involved.”C4U
xB26m7The Pope, with his clairvoyance, used to utter prophecies. It’s somewhat funny that I, being a demigod, should receive an oracle.7mwurA0
BHvAIn many mythologies, even the gods themselves privately consulted oracles.7gGsqn
uAQvi‘After all, I am half a god.’XVmY2
ddkFIt seems that something is truly brewing. So let’s pay attention to the Pope’s message.X08
qhKI straightened up and sat properly.17u9s
Qeohp“Didn’t he say anything about how imminent it was?”ycyV1
8R6a“He did not mention that.”MBab05
ulJ2rj“But from the way it feels, it must be soon. He already assigned you as babysitter of that fake saint.”BlQzL5
iZBf2U“…Yes. That’s why, or thanks to that, ha ha…”GPAwbAY
iD02e4PWelter let out a hollow laugh.r0wB
IVKes“I fulfill my duty, but I feel apologetic. Lord Heavenly Sword, you’re on a trip with your old companions, and I feel like I’m in the way.”KCIcK
mK8“You are not. Since you came, rest well. You must be having a hard time because of that makeshift saint.”ndIvh
BtAMh“Heavenly Sword…!”jtYa
IlT9eBWelter was visibly moved. It seemed he had been carrying much sorrow.cPPI
2ix5Watching a grown man make that kind of face was rather uncomfortable.HlSzRsi
W83Welter rubbed his eyes and looked toward the coast. His cloak, marked with Cain’s seal, fluttered in the sea breeze.MJ8kc
jpB61n“It’s a beautiful place. Hard to believe there’s a portal to Hell on this island.”yuVGu
sS4Q“Where the shadow is densest, the light shines brightest.”cDb
6oUfeiWelter blinked. He smiled softly.HzDY87
KhUsM3“You’ve matured so much. Even your words have depth. I’m proud.”2La2M8y
wz5CbCWelter was already an adult when I was still a student. Although he treated me with respect, he saw me as a younger brother ten years his junior.Cn4Ag
372HZ“On the other hand… if you’ll allow me, Heavenly Sword, sometimes it saddens me to see you. You carry too much burden from a very young age…”pAp4
WILuj21“I can endure, for now.”5ZM9eg
owSQksa“Haha, as always. Still, if you ever need help, do not hesitate to reach out to me.”RVQhIra
A96qm“Yes, I will.”GgVTt
w4SYBWe smiled at each other.p2JRTKw
kVLOzWelter brushed back the long locks at his temples.fydzNjs
Om4v“That said, lately swimsuits are far too revealing. It shouldn’t be that way…”tKh6fZ
kmzv“They have high defense. Don’t worry.”b0XI
N8kEqvm“Defense? What do you mean by that?”RmwYvf
Oo3XuAh. I slipped up.Te1h7MW
z722Pff!ugYzAtX
851“……”7zJX
IvwO5Yu Sein let out a snicker. When had she woken up?uSUJ
6kw1F“Got caught, young virgin?”2if
TJO“Shut up. Since you can’t show even a bit of skin, your defense is zero, and with one hit you’re out.”mLL5Ncx
2U8“Good heavens…”Ptr
yoRhNfvWelter looked at her disapprovingly.N67JZ
mGpDx“You’ve played too many games.”ja1n59U
I3R9jy“It’s all part of my preparation for the apocalypse, Bishop Welter.”8s5
z9Fj6“Do not project a false halo when saying such things.”efr
ji4JG2“Tch. Dad’s sleeping.”weUQ
a65t5T……omG2cqO
mSKD“…zzz.”f7SJ
byxAQFAnd she fell asleep again. Just as Welter shook his head in exasperation,Qggqt
zy3Fwoooosh.JWfwj
Hel5The texture of the cloak fluttered differently. Without thinking, we followed the trail of the wind with our eyes. On perceiving it, our faces opened wide, with eyes, nose, and mouth completely out of place.xJxZJEL
sTMlemDStep… step…eKkwjdN
Bn9Y1Two women walked gracefully. At first, it was like staring straight at the sun.SMc
Ylv4xt“Uuuuh… how refreshing.”yhSz
GB3The sage Media stretched. In her swimsuit, the silk lace fabric tied at her hips brushed her ankles, drawing sighs.7x5BKRZ
Cc0MT6R“Should I swim?”ZZsU9Uk
0j4ZCLRachel Mura turned and stretched her arms. Her golden twin-tails slapped against the muscles at the back of her thighs.TcI77qD
GPubX“Sorry, I’m like a rock in the water.”NZGLqwp
0PrM“Then why are you wearing a swimsuit?”HTaf
nA48RVm“Hehe. To your eyes this looks like a swimsuit? It’s battle armor.”i8Y
TJrMedia cast me a lascivious glance. I quickly looked away.PbbJst5
h7ZF‘Huh?’O086n
aqwImSFBrother, your eyes are about to pop out from staring so much.7SYe
emF6Ahem.lP2
ma8mWelter cleared his throat loudly upon noticing the gazes.wfs3BW
8Rfw81L“Tr-truly… th-this is the end of times! L-look at those outfits! Ah…”vsR
N6XHe was only murmuring it inwardly.z4sW
AlnSjBut…ZdJ
D9pStep…oYU67eg
7r5EcWith the next person in line, the serenity Welter barely maintained shattered like a wave.YUfQG7f
WdK8And my reaction wasn’t much different.jMJ1ig
eU2Usql“…Abel.”FbyeCMz
8Wb3YHe held his breath until his throat tightened.GH7
Oh73Y4UShe was beautiful.4xi
klpdTrying to describe it beyond that seemed to distort her essence.ETSv5
mbrpZNYThe wind toyed with her skirt. The fitted H-line shape made my head pound. Seeing the perfect curvature of her legs, my lower lip trembled slightly.Fv2ZvwM
V1wkI9KApparently, Abel felt embarrassed by my shameless gaze and began to twirl the hair beside her ear with her index finger.tgak
FBLED“Do I look… strange?”vxjMZ
Nq3diBImpossible.x46n
CfJThank you for being born.I71Xtpe
xfAQThank you for marrying me.7Dh
HYQVjX“Beau-tiful.”4njspHr
Fl6H6p“Pff.”G8GRh
5yzWhen I bit my tongue, Abel let out a little laugh.rYPk
UFY“I’m glad. But careful, the next one isn’t any less.”rwW
VM0WAbel stepped aside.XYkVJd
hydJzeThe shadow dissipated, and the silhouette behind her was revealed all at once.L7e
3uELWKFwoosh.eVK
AVuNZ2wIf not for the sound of the waves, I would have thought time had stopped.Fx3L3k8
KAGp0huThe coconut palms seemed to sway, leaving a trail.pQcwLHL
IVQC“Don’t stare so hard.”J9CWE0O
OBp“Ah… ah.”FqODyso
YNtTM4“It’s not common for me to wear this type of clothing, you know that.”9mIYjQ
bU1Compared to Rachel or Media Poison, this time there was far more fabric covering her body. Only the neckline was slightly exposed. An off-shoulder dress.GiI2
qMHuaAnd a roughly woven straw hat.iGtw
2jrox6SBeneath her delicately marked collarbone, the blouse fluttered softly. Ryozo, embarrassed, pushed Abel forward.Fgp
9ly8TaYI lowered my gaze as if I were a criminal.v6dz
pk5rRi3“Though…”jAE
fe2Ryozo took off the hat. She wiped the corner of her lips and murmured.mKSR3
oUfvI“That immediately looking away… what’s that supposed to mean?”ktMGX
r8CZVlA bit of sand slipped through Welter’s teeth.XP52mZY
ZMnSkU“Oh, for real, Lord Almighty…”IURTc
pYi3GThat “Lord” nearly stopped my heart.psqU56
bsPYzB***obo8B
dJeI spent half the day acting awkwardly.K60qy
bmJjM8NThe impact of her beauty, camouflaged by familiarity, wreaked havoc in my head.Jll
fpaqhNI was so flustered that, without realizing, the sunset was already looming over the horizon.t5HeZh
5gkY2mSThe water scales shifted from the glow of particles of light to a crimson red.suRwS
qNmrStep, step.mZJddI
AgnGlI walked in silence. Ahead, I watched Ryozo’s straw hat.Oep2jDD
uM3Dd7f‘Ryozo and I.’FkA
KzEIt had been a long time since we had a moment alone. Since Avalon Island, it had all been meetings and more meetings.xmzx
YJFRzZT“Shall we stop here?”7wh
n417CNq“Yes.”YJZs1
RsJFHdRyozo crouched down. She pulled from a bag some sticks the size of chopsticks. They were portable mini fireworks called Seonhwang sparklers.srE
CUXMeLVI sat facing her. Ryozo hugged her legs and with her free hand lit a sparkler.CpdJ
BdswFsssh.zjKaP
HxcyyThe spark burst at the tip. I felt someone watching us.67TR
d6cWcfSIt was Choi Seol-Ah, who pointed her fingers at me like a gun and winked. Then she walked away as if her mission was complete.HBNf7
cbMSHCrackle.tns
l6aqziSunsets in Hawaii are exceptionally brief. In a blink, it was night.leR
9gago4The only light was the sparkler trembling in Ryozo’s hand.7Tx
ZhU65“Are you enjoying the game?”odaE
pkIRyozo spoke, watching the sparks.I2Pd
2rMw“Ah, yes… more or less.”95Ed8F
TxgyfIThump.7RGrZz
kEsMy already clumsy way of speaking grew even worse.C1sOFWt
q5V0Y“I’d like to play with you too, but I barely have time…”dfTelhQ
iVYZ“Wait, you…?”4xTwn5v
pid6MERyozo knew.T5K
Oj1ptdShe knew I wasn’t wasting time in the game on a whim.C7Bky
8TE2She knew. I could fool a ghost, but not Ryozo.iYXyv8
PjUN“When everything related to that game ends, we’ll play together.”KbN
OvXgb16“Yes…”OtW
LLR7J“Like now.”YFoJ3pS
xNmCZPZSilence.LWfDI
FrX“……”0e3G
lbiGb“……”34EmJ
GLM0What am I supposed to say?5Gyi
J1Ct7GrMy brain shut down.Vft
9QBHyu9Should I apologize for Media and Rachel burying their heads in the sand?zs16pBt
JSHvMvThen—wSPPtu
Yj9“Ryozo.”VCy1
lKm68x“I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”6U5
Zi7bdSmell of gunpowder.RjHE
tX2s“…I won’t say it doesn’t affect me. But Rachel… she’s better at reading people than anyone. Have you heard that saying you can see ten meters under water, but not one meter into a person’s heart?”PlIo
ut9W“Yes.”l73
X0fECBZ“I can see ten meters in the water, but I struggle to see inside the heart. Rachel is the opposite. Though she may seem like she has a muscle-brain, she’s incredibly perceptive with people.”MYq5L
yHV6ZNo.hgbNJ
dAGWqRyozo, you too are very considerate.5t118
lqYly“If Rachel decided to stay with you, it’s because she thought you needed her.”fTSRU
M1OThe sparkler was already half burnt and bent. Did it reflect your emotions, burning slowly inside?Zr7
fPgSUjSsshhh.1peTQ
t4PLb1tSilence returned.Rwz
tykrXmThe stars watched us patiently from above.p8sp
ukZ“Someday…”uN1n6j8
RbARyozo barely managed to open her mouth.jrTXcyH
n6S“Will I be able to know your secret?”2VVLJ3
nWcx“……”xTuDuJR
UuMXuyVI couldn’t answer right away.BwlmJJ
DjCAbSecret.6kxy
aZbufuThose two syllables rose in my throat.sbXRkz
3kefo‘That I am the God of the Sword.’OSg
XuDNOAnd that I come from another world.2ckGyb
mdnI81Ryozo, how much have you suspected?7a53
l3cmI’m afraid.w2l
zIPCBut still…IJe
fYjEU“Someday it will come.”3fjWKk
dfw“I see.”Kglq9
9zeRyozo smiled faintly.p7iroD
Mp1“This… doesn’t it look like a star?”DcU
GunMt1sShe nodded toward the nearly burnt sparkler.I6i
PqTg“Yes, just like one.”QF5
v62MrO“People make wishes on stars. I don’t think this is any different.”zOe
fo1e“Shall we make one?”5nN
LIc2JFD“Yes. This is closer than a star.”lSSIxZ
ZC1T“All right.”FiNTD2A
1LVfbU2I closed my eyes.Es54uo
DvvCO‘As long as this stays like this.’NOC6E
eiBuB7yEven if it’s selfish, I want this everyday life to continue.UxPZmk
DRAB7‘With everyone.’XCdyTI
4gnCTNrAnd especially with you.Dlx
0QDZdD“……”mn2Dbgo
xCUfxw“Did you already make the wish?”JW6
oP4wbBI opened my eyes after a moment.AhI1KW
mHD“Yes.”886s8U
Da0a0i“Perfect.”ahPFtu0
gIZIDSnRyozo held the sparkler to the end.FDjyjQs
tlZD“The wish has been received.”1UXqi7
NR4xIn the darkness, her arms wrapped around my neck.cANAP
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