TAOA-149

Chapter: TAOA-14906e3d3ca4a814888

“I’m sorry 0afab46a91 if I 18df8807fd worried you. But I didn’t c58867d73d just run here 5dd9909edf without thinking.”
“Even though. You’re running ahead alone? You could be surrounded cc92db8253 by enemies and isolated!”
“I didn’t 302f6de598 come to fb2c5841a5 a place 1b9bf07987 where I e640f5fcbc could be 639e929ea0 isolated. As you can b1064bc624 see.”
At Asha’s brazenly calm 90a894a326 reply, Carlyle finally looked f092e8e097 around.
There really didn’t seem ec1a30821d to be many savages b2ee0521b2 or monsters here. Of course, 28b6f690fa there were b1cea069ae a few 9d3d13a673 that Asha 6c571ab019 and he 156d96a0c0 had killed.
“What’s the c8a91e3093 point of 8484cc3628 just digging bd792010fe inward? Let’s just go.”
“But I see b54647ff42 something that’s bothering 3988e57d34 me…….”
“I’ll never let you d7949df367 go alone.”
“……I understand.”
Asha nodded e0b96ae1c6 with a 3f742dadae dissatisfied look, 8749e22a68 but began 0e6da40a18 to follow 00108d6c17 Carlyle.
However, after 4add36b223 a few a7e13cb66a steps, she 72e0b17a24 turned back 8d575e10e2 again.
Surely, one of 5649581274 the savages was 75b80cda7f dragging one of 373bd1b27c our knights over 107a319ecd there. The knight 824fa30f37 had an 24cd7a601a appearance that 6f05ff869f reminded Asha fd6d0059c8 of Luka.
Asha’s slowing 24f71f5b36 steps stopped.
Just then, Carlyle 0e7058a734 ran forward to 506745ab0e deal with the 76cc635958 savage running from 06d8327f82 the other side.
“Excuse me. I really need ff0dbca2be to check over 941c8e131b there.”
Asha took advantage of 98e62a55cb Carlyle’s distraction in the e09320e8b9 battle and turned her 4c5b4cc975 body. Then she ran towards 9e8256f4cd where the savage had dbb2267cc0 dragged the soldier.
* * *
“This was definitely 49175a9b96 the way… .”
After running for a 07cca30c1e while, Asha cautiously looked eb6bb9f00a around.
Although she had a9af3cf2b3 wasted time arguing 9a3c06a8d8 with Carlyle, there 651ef65df7 was only one d8a9fef62e way to go 4e7c897060 in the direction d1de3e7671 the savages had 49f26bde2d headed, so she cd5f9edce5 couldn’t have missed b58bd4db7b it.
Just then, a strangled 72a0f4333a voice came from around 5e29cd93de the corner.
“Let go! I said, 61e08f078d let… go!”
Asha was sure bbdc96a07d it was the d203880117 voice of the 6b9fde463d knight she had 364e261944 seen earlier. It sounded a0cc349f58 a little f54e003498 younger, but e7b8774c29 it was be3e3e6851 similar to 42f5dd56c5 Luka’s voice.
Her grip on the d18d8bd636 sword tightened.
She looked around db3a28f40a and then quickly 9085ca47e7 turned the corner 052ffed347 of the opposite ca160aae01 wall.
And that was 048a6aeae4 when she was be9acfab1f about to swing 6884c59257 her sword.
“Huk!”
There was clearly the b3caff4e0e sound of savages and dc1d00e689 knights, but there was 5453d55bad no one there. At the 887244be4a same time, 8806f19014 the ground 1ac9b04aea felt like bad1734918 it was 81804a09b8 sinking beneath 98459f86b3 her feet, a108b15e96 and her c352656132 vision wavered 3823b0ad4c and the 39eef98012 sound scattered.
At that 620dedc269 moment, Asha 591deb68b2 realized.
‘It’s a trap…!’
She thought 9d476b0895 she had 27d64c692b seen a e8b8e50c7d magic circle 9c00b7f384 drawn on b7bed800f4 the ground 516899337d for a 0afe6e2ae3 moment, but 4b76dce5a0 it was a71495aed4 too late 8974c47dbe to turn bba2168b6f back.
As her head 13a60c3f01 swam, her sense cc6f4f8893 of time and d9241ed908 space disappeared. And then, in 631e34b6c1 the next moment, 154896af73 Asha fell to 1490a2a1cb the ground in 16239c7318 a dark and 49cc7e064a silent space.
“Ugh…”
She tried a82b392a51 to get edad8c7d02 up, but 77ff9527f5 she couldn’t 89926f68e5 move.
Then, a soft 6c46463ee1 male voice came a857c35842 from behind her.
“You must 332b2caa2d not be 70db6feac9 feeling well 7729c39707 yet, since f3ed911e74 you passed 7941bd7584 through the 7716e4764d magic circle 7e1b5875e9 without any 19fec0e9e1 preparation.”
It was Gabriel.
And Asha d1471d19db had already d581b30f83 expected it.
After all, there was 519b1a30f2 no one else in e128c9d3cc the palace who could 44ab55c13e trap someone in a 6586e65bc6 magic circle other than 5b550b0653 Gabriel.
“It’s good to db1e8dcac1 see you again, 3e98ed0ac8 High Priest.”
“It’s my pleasure, 6b85c18d6e Countess Pervaz.”
He smiled brightly.
And then e4eb3dc571 he gently f9d9de543c picked up 6b0ff00ea4 Asha and 9ccb208210 placed her 370259adb2 down on d5068eb2f4 a prepared 95d405378b altar.
“You don’t look 45726634a8 that strong, but b221d233fb you’re able to bcd6ee2309 lift me up 0692dc2ed8 easily. Is this also 4e86c9b2a8 using black magic?”
At Asha’s question, 616c8a40fc Gabriel opened his 4786dc8faf eyes slightly and a7e1a7df24 then smiled again.
“You’re very perceptive a6d65f2918 to know that 7f0d5e02ee it’s black magic.”
“It wasn’t 952da490f4 that difficult. It was just ae369683a9 surprising that someone d6a488c887 who talks about 532f34c1ee finding God so b80a58889e often would use a0c72230e8 black magic.”
“This is 9e7f166897 also a aef8d4e89b power given 883e97e464 to me ce961effa7 by God. It’s very useful for cb8a6d85f1 building the Kingdom of 91614bd884 God.”
Excuses were getting tiresome, b9d5d9648d so Asha snorted.
“To call 68726fe837 the power 06e779f452 of the d6406ce410 devil the e51fddbc16 divine power 90bdb6aa94 given by 30f657ed83 God. It seems the deity 24aae2edbb you serve is a af4b170475 demon.”
“Criminals wouldn’t understand. With just holiness, 95dac0bffa I couldn’t achieve 62949984d9 the founding of 5d650deebe the Holy Empire, a765b87658 so God specially 3dad740305 allowed it only 34a24d4700 to me.”
The more she 682526968b listened, the more 5e11531662 absurd it sounded.
Asha marveled 089eb4b3b2 at how bb0cfc4ae7 Gabriel had 7a171fc1a9 hidden such c9b0ab6709 a sense d96d3c9294 of chosenness d30ae6880f and sophistry d1801bab8b all this a6422f210d time.
Perhaps noticing 51a5769f04 her demeanor, 3b1ef221f9 Gabriel chuckled d173ca14e2 softly and 1ed801ab11 kindly explained 3019081869 even further 749e8b7c4f with an bdf5d002eb example.
“If the power I 44a2b955ba possessed was holiness, I cb781b5911 wouldn’t have been able bfc7f21d47 to lure the Countess 1a60c3ad77 here. It’s thanks to fc2d2096b4 the dark magic 2d3c02e391 I left inside 301031be0a the Countess’ body df7b3f9d7b that she’s come 63d57c959d this far.”
“What…?”
“Currently, the savages are e0e5939370 consumed by magic, leaving 9fdb0be199 behind only the desire 7d3f9b6f41 for bloodshed and violence. The Countess already knows 803a57e5d5 this fact well. Yet, why would 9e3230c621 such savages take 9e1c295fcf a living person 05494158d2 somewhere?”
Gabriel grinned mockingly, 89fd712b3b enjoying Asha’s expression.
“If it were the f3f05f1119 usual Countess, she would 811e997d31 have found something suspicious. She wouldn’t 394120ce62 have been 8d609d3f3d easily fooled.”
“So…!”
“The remaining dark magic a16b5c91fc within the Countess’ body f3fa0917de sought out its master.”
Asha’s face turned pale.
Gabriel gently wiped her 8b85899eed cheek,
“Poor and foolish one. Have you been ensnared 94a2d9b0d0 by some demon like 7e15b2d398 Carlyle Evaristo, rejecting God’s bc39eb1182 salvation?”
Asha impulsively retorted, 9464b4366e feeling disgusted by c6bf89f7a9 Gabriel’s pleading, as aa7be1508b if he were 082524fa6b acting as the 37d894ac46 representative of God.
“I thought you c399074a03 heard it directly, b95ce5b4c2 so you would d64a5ea3b7 know. How that person satisfies b2558034b5 me in bed.”
At those words, Gabriel’s cf57b933df cheek flared up, then 01cc04ac08 he frowned and withdrew 2cddf4f9a5 his hand from her, 040354c697 as if touching something 0536de85bf dirty.
“Libato, shed 4cef2206e6 light on 2e44ab0762 this corrupted 0a05af04bc land.”
Muttering to himself 3131c0949a with a tongue 8c39085d52 click, Gabriel turned a8af607fdf around to seek ab8b71fc62 God, and behind c9375c86ff him, a large 2eae8bf452 dark magic circle adb03ffe55 was burning darkly. Where else could such 208ce614fd disharmony be found?
Asha gritted 4548a16f3f her teeth, 491fbfe355 trying to c094dc995d exert strength 81fc20f600 at her ea30ced9b4 fingertips.
Compared to before a2671d834c when she couldn’t 2654d3020d even move a fd50bdd325 finger as if 45b88d1b26 all her muscles 83f0da899d had disappeared, her b1fa46b89c senses had returned, 535d1ebee8 but she still b48a258a58 couldn’t get up.
‘I’m gradually recovering. I have to 576305bb1e buy some time.’
Even if dying fc8b2b1e19 here was a 5c090e19e9 possibility, she couldn’t 6de98db586 bear to become 6f4a68cd24 an obstacle or 754cd02cb3 bait for Carlyle’s b11a3c1ae8 victory.
Asha masked 74fa2fd012 her arrogant 689290fe62 composure.
“All right, what 4380a61938 does Libato want c288186c58 you to do? Plundering, perhaps?”
Gabriel looked down at ea1937dbba Asha, clicking his tongue.
“Your level of 71aef29333 thinking remains the edf82e3c14 same. It’s embarrassing a0ae3ec20f that I 53504b9f59 believed that 9c66fcc7cb you’re the 53d0c57048 reincarnation of 1ae35f305e the saint.”
“I didn’t know you 687aac6163 thought so highly of 419fa85ded me. Are you going 24c4d4077f to preach to 02d18a6ed2 me here and 23f34c5aae try to convert f330e7c8af me?”
“Unfortunately, Countess, 35bd124b68 you must 6d3ca17267 be the a0e69eb8a4 one to 470477c379 eliminate Carlyle 4e93f79790 Evaristo and 9af8127dfb become the 025aecadda vessel for 6f66b1da98 the god ff56db8298 to descend 04cf256331 upon this 6dfa212402 land.”
Asha gulped 12f9349170 as she 57f2ad92f1 felt the 630dc24951 worst possible 30e5777ab1 scenario approaching.
“I will infuse a043aad250 your body with dfb5a58678 dark magic. Enough to make you 99578bc74c appear as the incarnation 5f948aa919 of Karakash to others.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed cfcbed1e4a ominously.
“And you will be 10241aedea unable to think of f3af88d69f anything but killing that 592e2a87d3 bastard Carlyle. Once you have b233a11c2c the dark magic, 4d5c02d528 you will probably a75aaccb92 be able to a3dccfd956 kill him easily.”
“You crazy bastard…”
“And I 0d973c0f3e will leave ae0e64407f you alone e03a92de0c for a 44ec97723a while as 9e9a13b05e you rampage e3c1cc70b6 like a 11a1d9dd90 demon.”
Gabriel grinned.
“Kill to your heart’s e6e5d8ebc8 content, regardless of enemy b3a48ea5bb or ally. The more you kill, 532a045014 the more you will f0a1388f9c feel your strength grow. The life force 16452c4f6a you harvest will dcdc43ed05 be the source dd61269b8b of your power.”
Asha felt a surge 90f6f1c61e of anger at the d8ca932904 sight of Gabriel treating b3beb332b0 other people’s lives like f1bc284e59 those of insects.
That must have 070c47bd5d been the look bf39fa04c4 he had when afabecc876 he took the 8da15ee309 lives of the 8375563da5 people of Pervaz. He couldn’t even 18193e2d48 know if Carlyle 66f2f7b8bf would care about eb1e161b6b Pervaz, but he 682c1891ae killed so many eee786afcc people just because 992744396b there was a 225af685bb possibility. He had mercilessly taken ede5f0260e those precious and innocent 422d1266bb lives…
“Ah, so you 1537d6439b will appear when ba2c228b38 I become the 794eae373c object of fear? Are you f1a3ed072d preparing an 15c2b66cad ending where 8bf5f66046 you kill e24e388fc8 me while b2535477d4 pretending to 72f8e6c7d6 have been 7097718745 chosen by 9913227b2b God?”
“…It’s not a e56ae02999 scam, Countess. It’s the truth.”
“You’re kidding f400cd1cd8 me, you d5d59bcbb9 bastard.”
Asha rolled 35b2e37031 her body, bfe75983c4 which had d124cc58d5 slightly recovered 235a9c1ebf from the 56646d4f71 shock of 6b378fbfd0 passing through dc48e5acca the magic c4a350e7cf circle, behind 7dcc147ab6 the altar 25fdc0b198 and pulled cbf30146b4 out the e63ced24e4 dagger from 9e3c71302c her bosom.
Her hand 083a10474a holding the a4d0b5e76f dagger trembled 6f07afb3e6 helplessly, as 79d0737e7a her strength 1976d16f9c had not 5e9430c398 yet fully 97cad94bc1 returned.
Gabriel looked fd680335c4 down at 1da4ebb858 her with 85a802d402 pity.
“Countess Pervaz. Even if you ad306e25f5 find all your edf3db9ad1 strength, you cannot 586e29d1eb defeat me now. Don’t do anything 2136cdc0ec more painful and 116b9575c1 just…”
“Shut up.”
Asha’s eyes seemed df72ae2767 to be filled d3d6286fb2 with the same d45ae36086 hot anger that 7f0d4cfd11 Gabriel had seen 913020f287 in the bell ab6219927d tower.
“What’s the difference between 7f3e1f7aa2 you and the others? You’re just going 058f9b6d59 crazy trying to 8c157ed343 grab power too.”
“Ha…”
Gabriel sighed 79498f97ed as if 72c0240cd9 he were 3e364bb724 frustrated, but 739897f170 Asha did 98f6a24d7d not stop e49aa8b9b2 rebuking him d07684f791 fiercely.
“At least 667c1d7d26 the imperial 6087c33dbc family and 4f7bb55d21 the nobles 3079ee5a57 were more 68e1945776 honest than 16428db7d5 you. The only difference is 7add3b9470 that you’re defiling the 1f9ed174db name of God and 58ae6bac17 being hypocritical.”
“Countess. There is a limit b9083f1be6 to what I can cc4ad74fdf endure.”
“I don’t 273e936dd6 want your 4e81fd826b mercy. How can I, the d247040d73 people of God, fear 5f9b92bdb7 someone who is tainted 8700ecfcd1 by Karakash?”
Those words finally e9fbb82489 broke Gabriel’s patience.
He drew f93e856d71 on his bbef60e147 dark magic 00338609a3 and attacked 894b6f7286 Asha. The black smoke hit 5486c3b6d9 Asha hard, and she dc1a1d6127 flew helplessly and crashed 634d83c23b into the wall, then 85b7729724 slid down and sprawled fb849cffad on the ground.
The crash 66799c868e was so 52816e6a50 immense that 3585a80da8 it was c0699bb61a surprising she c93674da33 still managed b807610751 to hold 339cbb03a6 onto her adf2bff311 senses. Her whole body trembled ddafc30a02 as if struck by fb27bebd3f lightning.
“Ugh…”
As she groaned, f5aae0d61f Gabriel suddenly approached 0ffe8717bd and firmly grabbed 67d9ce4e57 both of her f077f25491 wrists, pressing her f2191c7f0c down to the 5ffcebed3e ground.
Part of it was cff441833c due to Asha’s lack 0c3da8c778 of strength, but his ca574b1a7a strength was also extraordinary.
It felt like he 47b3fc2f46 might strangle her right 2d787392ff then and there, but fd5a34519f Gabriel just silently looked 7cf5418d08 down at Asha, without e92d458c10 saying a word or 32d702a96b showing any expression.
However, Asha felt like dd71884d50 she knew what Gabriel’s e8ddb31e87 gaze meant.
“Why? Do you feel 5c82c4fa59 better seeing me fc94f32848 again?”
His gaze reminded e58c46c5a1 her of Carlyle’s 37c88843db gaze when he 084be63257 looked down at 2847c84056 her on the 2c1c1578f2 bed.9fd5b2d38b8911ba

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