Chapter "368"

With the appearance of Cardinal Zaxilos, Delford and Basilio raised their guard to maximum alert. It was none other than a cardinal, virtually immortal, who had appeared directly targeting them.

Cardinal Zaxilos' strength had already been clearly realized through several battles. He does not die. The only one who could inflict damage on Cardinal Zaxilos was Osian, but Osian was not present at this moment.

'No. If there's any possibility, it would be Sir Basilio though.'

Delford rolled his eyes and looked at Basilio. Though not to Osian's extent, Basilio had also inflicted damage on Cardinal Zaxilos.

If one were to point out a difference, while Osian had inflicted direct damage on Zaxilos, Basilio had tried to absorb the opponent's power in reverse because it was the same type of power.

This was possible because it was the same kind of power, and it meant that Basilio handled the power of the Red Eternity better than expected. Just as blood of the same type mixes well together without conflict.

This was simultaneously the reason that caused Zaxilos to come looking for them.

"I was curious. Just where exactly was there a believer of mine that I didn't know about. Moreover, judging by the skill in handling the power, it's not a level that could be reached by practicing for just a day or two."

No, beyond that, just the quality of power that can be handled purely is on par with any decent executive.

That was surprising. Not just the level of common believers, but an existence equivalent to a bishop that he was completely unaware of?

"Even that is at minimum bishop level. Considering the abilities not yet fully revealed, it wouldn't be wrong to consider it archbishop level. Well now. Archbishop Mirak would have no choice but to be jealous."

Questions and intense curiosity arise.

A blood transfusion recipient of red blood that he was completely unaware of was simultaneously a crisis for Zaxilos.

Because Red Eternity, that being who had recognized him as the supreme believer, had not said a single word. At the very least, that being should have given him, a cardinal, some kind of hint.

The fact that this didn't happen could be narrowed down to two main reasons, though there were various possibilities.

One was that Basilio was a truly irregular existence that even that being had not perceived.

But that assumption was very dangerous. It was tantamount to questioning that being's infinite abilities. He was a servant who believed in and followed God, a cardinal leading the red flock. How could he, who should have the deepest faith above all others, make assumptions doubting the god who had granted him divine power?

Naturally, the assumption Zaxilos could consider moved to the second possibility.

That being had known but remained silent.

"Ah, I see. I finally understand. The Eternity wanted to give me a trial. You wanted to see how I, who had been quietly hiding in the darkness until now, would move in such an urgent situation."

Yes. That being was now testing him. How else could the omnipotent Eternity have missed something so important?

The fact that they knew but remained silent means there was intent, and that intent would be something he could hardly dare to fathom. Zaxilos decided to humbly accept the current reality.

"That means you are my trial, and to achieve the great cause, I must definitely overcome you."

"...Sorry, but can you understand what that lunatic is saying?"

Watching Zaxilos muttering to himself, Basilio asked Delford. Since Delford couldn't particularly understand anything either, he could only shake his head with a troubled expression.

"How could I understand the words of a deranged heretic?"

"Right? I knew my comprehension wasn't lacking. This is why these heretic bastards are..."

Basilio dramatically brushed his chest while simultaneously not stopping his sarcasm and provocation toward Zaxilos.

"Hey, you there with the strange head. I don't know what delusion you're having by yourself, but isn't it ridiculous that after fleeing so disgracefully before, you're now coming here thinking it's an opportunity?"

"Interesting. Do you think I would care even if you provoke me like that?"

"No. You should care. Otherwise, you never know when our terrifying junior might suddenly appear and stick a sword in your body."

If nothing else, it was certain that Osian was Zaxilos' perfect counter. Didn't Zaxilos also know this and choose to flee, avoiding a direct fight with Osian?

"With that pathetic mindset, you're trying to get through this by calling it a trial or whatever, but honestly, why don't you just admit that the Red Eternity you believe in isn't omnipotent?"

"Do not dare try to test me, who is undergoing God's trial."

Basilio spoke in a tone that clearly showed he was sneering, even though he was wearing a helmet.

"Trial or whatever. That's just an excuse, isn't it? If you truly accepted the trial with sincere resolve, you should have gone to where my junior is, not to me."

It was a sharp statement pointing out Zaxilos' contradictory behavior. As he said, if Zaxilos truly believed this was God's trial, he shouldn't have come looking for Basilio.

He blatantly avoided Osian, who could be called the real trial, and instead came to Basilio, which clearly revealed his true intentions.

When this fact he had tried to ignore was blatantly pointed out, Zaxilos' benevolent smile froze coldly.

"You're getting arrogant just because you can handle that being's power. Do you think I would dare succumb to the trial's wicked whispers? No matter what discord you sow, I will not waver."

"Not wavering, my foot. Anyone can see you're exactly like someone who got hit right in the vital spot and is furious."

"Are you hastening your death?"

"Oh my, is that so? This is so scary that my hands and feet are trembling."

Basilio giggled and didn't stop his provocation toward Zaxilos.

However, even though he tried to act fine on the outside, inside he was burning with considerable anxiety.

'Damn it. Of all things, fighting such a monster in a place like this is definitely disadvantageous for me.'

He already knew Zaxilos' strength from experience. The biggest problem, more than his personal strength, lay in his immortality.

Even if Basilio and Delford sliced that guy up like sashimi several times here, Zaxilos would not die. The Zaxilos before their eyes was Zaxilos but also not himself. Though it contained his will and thoughts, that was merely a shell.

What could be called his main body would be hiding somewhere in this writhing red world even now. Or perhaps assimilated with it.

Naturally, in this situation where they couldn't even grasp the location of his main body, fighting Zaxilos was no different from jumping alone into an endless quagmire.

Basilio had deliberately provoked Zaxilos to hide this fact. As if to show that they had a trump card, so if he recklessly attacked, he would definitely not avoid a hard fight.

Delford also caught on to this intention and deliberately stood by Basilio's side, creating an atmosphere. Since he had joined with Basilio, he was now nothing short of a community of fate. He too had to somehow help break through this situation.

"Hehehe. How pitiful to see you struggling to hide your inadequacy."

But Zaxilos saw through Basilio's bluff all too easily. He had no choice but to do so. Osian, who should be his greatest concern, was not present. So he could more rationally and clearly recognize Basilio's pretense of strength.

"Damn it. He caught on."

"...Isn't giving up too quickly? This makes me, who tried to create atmosphere beside you, look like a fool."

"That kind of lunatic has accurate eyes for people, so once he's seen through it, there's no point in making excuses."

Though it was oddly a statement that hit the core, Delford couldn't hide his expression of disbelief. Regardless, Delford muttered to himself in a troubled voice.

"To catch the eye of such a perverted bastard. My fate is truly unfortunate. My final moment should be closing my eyes satisfied in the arms of a beauty. And if we're being precise, the more the better, but of all things, it had to be a man who believes in a god from another world eyeing me. At this rate, I'll end up being toyed with by that guy."

"...Even if it's intentional provocation, such disgusting words are a bit hard to overlook."

For Zaxilos, who had long reigned in the position of cardinal, Basilio's words were low enough to be somewhat unbearable. Regardless, it was the moment when Basilio was muttering something to himself.

"...!"

Zaxilos seemed to sense something and tried to pull his body back. But his movement was a bit too late.

-Sshhhhhhhack!

Red thorn spears shot out from the flesh walls of the ceiling and floor, piercing through Zaxilos' body. What should have originally penetrated his entire body haphazardly only ended up devouring his left arm because Zaxilos had pulled his body back.

"Damn. He's annoyingly quick to notice. He even caught onto this?"

Basilio clicked his tongue regretfully. It was a trap he had put considerable effort into preparing, but it didn't achieve the results he had hoped for.

"What exactly are you trying to do..."

Zaxilos stared at his arm with bulging eyes. The piercing thorn spear was wriggling and extracting blood from his arm.

Zaxilos immediately made a decision. He tore off all parts of his body that were in contact with the thorn spear.

His left arm fell off cleanly from the shoulder. It was a natural scene as if it had been detachable from the beginning.

The wriggling thorn spear changed into tentacles, showing fluid movement. The bundle of red tentacles wrapped around Zaxilos' right arm and brought it to Basilio.

"Surprising, right? As you can see, I prepared quite a lot."

Basilio held Zaxilos' left arm and waved it around. Before Zaxilos could say anything, the left arm melted into a handful of blood and formed a sphere above Basilio's palm.

"...Yes. You were continuously inducing my carelessness from the beginning."

Zaxilos immediately realized what Basilio had done. Yes. Hadn't he come looking for him because he was wary of this aspect of Basilio from the start?

However, if there was something he hadn't expected, it was that Basilio's preparedness was more thorough than he had thought.

"Did you know I would come?"

"Actually, I didn't think you'd come. How could I predict that a guy who fled with his tail between his legs would come back? This was originally a trap aimed at bishops or archbishops who might target us, not you."

Basilio uses a power similar to Red Eternity. Therefore, it was also possible to use the enemy's power in reverse as if it were his own.

Of course, this required its own preparation stages. There was also the incompleteness of using in actual combat what had only been vaguely established in theory until then.

"People always see me fighting with red thorns through hand gestures and mistakenly think I only use this kind of power. People don't really know this well."

Basilio ignited red light from inside his pitch-black mask.

"I'm originally a mage."

The city government agents who were trying to break in from outside couldn't hide their bewilderment at the suddenly blocked building entrance.

"Just break it down!"

The steam suit stepped forward. A fist shot out like a battering ram, bursting compressed steam and pounding the door. With banging sounds, the closed door was dented for a moment.

Red blood began to flow through the cracks of the broken door. The moment they felt something strange about it, the front door shattered into pieces and became countless tentacle bundles that wrapped around the suit and pilot.

"Wh-what is this!"

They tried to resist, but the tentacles' brutal strength crushed the pilot's body along with the suit.

-Crrrrrack!

"Damn it! Attack!"

Gunfire immediately began and the tentacles were cut off, scattering blood. But the red flesh masses beyond the broken door wriggled and violently resisted as if they would not permit outside entry.

That scene was being watched by a boy standing on the rooftop of a distant building.

"I came because I felt a sinister energy."

The ash-colored robe the boy wore fluttered in the wind.

"My intuition was not wrong."