Chapter 145

The Completed One (3)

It had been a long time since I had fought a battle that made my blood boil.

At least, Magnus had truly been thinking that.

He had entertained a similar thought when he met Noel before properly fighting her in the past, but the exhilaration he felt now was on an entirely different level compared to then.

Receiving an order from the Pontiff not to kill and fighting under that restriction, and genuinely standing at the crossroads of life and death while exchanging blows with the intent to kill each other were, naturally, completely different matters.

‘……I wonder if he is doing well.’

When he thought of the Pontiff, who by now was likely dragging along his dying body below and bringing the ‘grand finale’ to a close, he could not help but worry. But in any case, there was nothing more he could do to help beyond this point.

…Well.

He was aware that the loyalty he bore toward Abigail III went beyond a mere relationship between sovereign and subject.

Magnus had more or less come to realize where the origin of that bond lay.

Pity.

The Pontiff was a pitiful man.

Some might find it absurd to harbor such feelings toward that arrogant tyrant who bowed to no one.

But at least Magnus genuinely thought so.

And so, helping him with that ‘final wish’ was not something particularly difficult.

“-Try harder, come on, harder!”

Of course, separate from that, there was no denying that exchanging offense and defense with the people before him right now was an undeniably enjoyable experience.

Unfortunately, it was equally clear that the humans before him were not at a level capable of keeping up with his fervor.

Even Katya, who possessed the authority of immortality, showed signs of weariness.

■ Divine Descent

Acquire more ‘Remnants’ to unlock this trait! [1/3]

The means to properly call her forth were not even fully prepared for him yet.

And yet, the reason Aiden could still place his hopes on this was.

-System Log

▶ Due to the effect of ‘Weaver of Fate’, the ‘Unification’ of the target ‘Noel Astrea Simus’ is detected.

▶ Due to Unification, the connection between the target and a divine being increases.

▶ Once Unification is complete, the target will become significantly stronger. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

…because he remembered something like this surfacing before.

So, I gathered everything that was already available and responded with it.

-System Message

▶ Applying ‘Skill: Origin’ to ‘Noel’.

▶ Strengthening the target’s ‘Unification’.

I searched through Noel’s skill window for that particular entry and strengthened it somehow.

Even if it was impossible to directly summon Karva herself, I figured that if I enhanced a skill connected to a divine being, I might at least be able to imprint that ‘afterimage’ onto Noel.

It would have been easier to summon the God of Purification instead, but the reason I deliberately turned toward Karva was—

‘……Sia.’

If my thoughts were correct, even after getting past Magnus,

there would still be one more obstacle remaining.

Sia was the means necessary to overcome that.

While those thoughts crossed my mind,

the change came in the blink of an eye.

-System Message

▶ The target’s ‘Unification’ accelerates.

▶ The target accepts a portion of the ‘Goddess of War’.

At the same time that those lines surfaced before my eyes,

the heavens descended.

Though it was not visible to the eye, something that made the surrounding air itself grow heavy manifested around us, and I could sense it ‘settling’ into Noel’s body.

“-?!”

Before, I had once seen a Fragment of the Demon God—part of the ‘body’ left behind by the Demon God—nearly reduce the vast capital of the Empire to ruins with only that fragment alone.

The gods of the heavens were beings just as dangerous and powerful. I thought I already knew that from experience.

…Which meant

that when I looked at the pressure Noel was now emitting before my eyes, I could hardly think it would be anything less than overwhelming.

“-Dame?”

My voice trembled as I called out to Noel without realizing it.

I knew. The one standing before me was the rigid, exemplary knight I had known.

The inside of her eyes flickered gold,

but because I had watched her all this time, there was something I could sense all the more keenly.

What was moving this body right now was not solely her mind, but something else that had ‘mixed’ with it—

“Hmm.”

Before I could finish that thought, Noel strode toward me.

The countless wounds that had covered her body had long since vanished without a trace.

“Aiden.”

A dreadful sense of incongruity made the back of my neck grow damp.

Was this not the first time since meeting Noel that she had called me so casually, not “Aiden 씨,” but simply “Aiden”?

It was practically a declaration that her current state was clearly different from usual.

“This is a debt you’ll have to repay to Noel later.”

“…What?”

As I blankly questioned her, Noel suddenly kicked my shin with brutal force.

Crack—something burst, and it was undeniably a strike vicious enough to make the blood vessels in my eyes flare red.

-System Message

▶ ‘Skill: Sanctified Body’ activates.

▶ The injured wound is restored.

…She must have kicked me hard enough for a skill like this to activate instantly.

I could not even manage a groan.

“……Consider this payment for every romantic misfortune you’re going to get swept up in from now on. Understood?”

Noel brushed her hair back as she said that.

Her golden irises, radiating an aura completely unlike her usual self, glinted threateningly.

How should I put it?

This was Noel—

and yet, not Noel.

It felt as though something else had been ‘overlaid’ atop her consciousness.

‘……Who is this?’

The thought arose sincerely, because her demeanor had changed so drastically.

At times, Noel had shown a side so soft toward me it could almost be called weak.

But this—

this felt far closer to a predator.

“……Like a terrifying lady of the house… or something……”

“……You, who—”

“I’m Noel, Noel. The one you know.”

“…….”

“Well, you won’t reach this state ‘yet,’ though.”

…Yet?

Was she saying that later on, Noel would actually change into this state?

No, more importantly—who exactly was inside Noel’s body right now to be saying something like that…?

As those questions rapidly crossed Aiden’s mind,

Noel stepped closer again and firmly grabbed his shoulder.

“……If you hit me again, I will retaliate.”

“You seem well aware you’ve done something worth getting hit for, husband?”

“…….”

Well, I couldn’t deny that. I did have a conscience, after all.

“Still, I told you. That just now settled the debt. I won’t be angry about it anymore.”

“…….”

“Right now, I’m just trying to recharge a bit before the fight.”

…Before I could even ask what that meant, Noel’s face suddenly came close.

Before I could react, her lips pressed firmly against mine.

“…….”

“…….”

“……?!”

As I flailed in shock, Noel’s hand grabbed my waist tightly, preventing me from escaping.

From the corner of my vision, I could see Katya’s eyes widen in disbelief, and even Magnus in the distance scratching his head in confusion at what he was seeing.

I had once made a sudden move like this myself before, but I never imagined the other side would be the one to initiate it like this…

“-This is it.”

Noel, who had continued the kiss until I was on the verge of losing breath, finally pulled away and muttered.

She let out a long, heated breath, her voice filled with deep satisfaction.

The eyes that were usually gentle and composed now gleamed fiercely like a beast.

How should I describe it?

The way she even licked her lips—it felt like she had just finished a satisfying meal.

…The flustered, inexperienced girl who used to panic just from hearing that I liked her was nowhere to be found. If anything, she looked like someone who devoured men.

“…….”

…Uh.

Wait.

Honestly, I had no idea what exactly was going on right now.

But if what Noel had just said was true, did that mean she could really become like this in the future?

And I would end up marrying someone like this?

“…….”

As I felt a dizzying realization wash over me, Noel slowly drew her sword and turned her head.

“Magnus…… a child of Sia.”

“……Who are you?”

Perhaps instinctively realizing that his opponent had ‘changed,’ Magnus also found himself speaking more formally.

Instead of answering that question,

“Entertain me. Don’t fall too easily.”

Noel smiled ferociously.

Soon after, golden light burst forth from her body, dyeing the surroundings.