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Chapter 242: Federica. (1)

“Ha, haahk!”

Liltara gasped sharply for breath.

A great celestial being.

Federica had descended to this place, borrowing the body of the saint.

Her mere presence suppressed everything around.

Liltara swallowed hard, her face turning pale in an instant.

“Hm.”

Ketal glanced at her and released the energy he had gathered once again.

The energies counteracted each other, allowing Liltara to exhale finally.

“She’s one of your followers. Wouldn\'t it be wise to pay attention to her?”

[…]

Federica, who had descended into the saint\'s body, frowned.

It was as if another had just advised her on how to discipline a child.

But Federica slowly retracted her energy.

Ketal also smiled and withdrew his energy.

“Ah, ah…”

Liltara, who had barely regained her senses, let out a moan.

In front of her now stood Federica.

The great deity she had believed in and followed her entire life, whom she had never once spoken to.

“She seems to have many questions about you. Can you answer them?”

[…Child. What do you wish to know?]

Federica asked.

Liltara swallowed again at the sound of the great deity’s voice.

Federica was speaking to her now.

Her brain felt like it would burst from the sheer joy and emotion.

But she gritted her teeth and struggled to remain calm.

She asked the question she had longed to ask.

“…Federica, are we, am I… truly following your will?”

[Your faith in me. That alone is for me. I am satisfied with that.]

Federica spoke softly.

[Your faith is most admirable to me. My devotee.]

“Ah…”

The deity had acknowledged her.

Ecstasy filled her face.

But so did despair.

The deity had evaded her question.

She was not following Federica’s will.

“I…”

Just as she was about to speak, the body disappeared.

And it wasn’t just her.

The fallen holy knights and the hidden worshippers were all gone.

They had all been teleported to a clearing far from the sacred ground.

Ketal whistled.

“Evacuating them to avoid getting caught up, huh. You’re working hard.”

[It’s only natural to protect my children from a monster like you.]

“So you do care for your worshippers, even though they defy your will and enjoy prosperity.”

[If my children wish to enjoy prosperity, it cannot be helped. I cannot force the path upon young children.]

“Hm.”

Interest flickered in Ketal’s eyes.

Federica was different from Kalosia.

She showed a strong affection for her worshippers.

Even if they did not follow her will, even if they betrayed her, she loved them like a parent.

She was more humane than Kalosia, who had said it was inevitable for his followers to be destroyed if they did not follow his will.

Ketal smiled faintly.

“I wish you had shown me a little of that kindness. So, what is the reason you’ve summoned me?”

[…]

Displeasure showed on Federica’s face.

It was like a beast that should have been trapped and starved to death, standing before the hunter who had set the trap.

Ketal sneered.

“Did you think that if your slaves pressured me, I would get angry and kill them?”

Killing a deity’s worshippers.

That was a grave sin in this world.

If Ketal had killed Liltara and her group in the Kingdom of Denian, his position would have been instantly destroyed.

That was Federica’s ploy.

“You’re using rather shallow tricks. But unfortunately for you, I’m not a barbarian. I’m closer to being a rational person. More than anything, it’s sad that you tried to use your worshippers as tools.”

[That child would have willingly thrown herself for me. A monster like you has no right to speak of it.]

Federica showed contempt.

[I know about you. Ashen Barbarian. Descendants of those who willingly forsook the world. You who dare to betray us and stand on the other side.]

“Betrayal, huh.”

Ketal stroked his chin.

Federica’s words carried many implications.

[You taint the world. Though I tried to control it, it has come to this. Do you know how much beings like you pollute this world?]

“Not my concern.”

Ketal shrugged.

“What matters is that you interfered with my purpose. If you hadn’t interfered, we could all have been happy. It’s a shame.”

[You must not step out into the world.]

Federica spoke coldly.

[The fact that you, who were cast out and banished in the distant past, dare to set foot in this world is an insult.]

“I have no intention of doing harm to you.”

[Your opinion is irrelevant. Your very existence cannot be tolerated in this world.]

For example.

Imagine if something unknown, that had slaughtered and massacred tens of thousands of lives, was barely driven out of this world.

And then, one day, it suddenly reappears, claiming it has repented, asking to be accepted.

Would you accept it?

Or would you reject it and try to kill it?

“So that’s your perception.”

Ketal muttered with a bitter expression.

It was an extremely harsh view.

Ketal had never committed such crimes, but he was viewed this way just because he was a being from the Forbidden Land.

‘What on earth did the beings of the Forbidden Land do in the past?’

He suddenly became curious.

Federica extended her hand.

Black light began to gather there, forming the shape of a sword.

[Others may be willing to tolerate you, but I am not. You should never have emerged. You should remain imprisoned for eternity.]

“I see.”

The gods harbored various feelings toward Ketal.

Kalosia had a favorable interest.

The Spirit God was indifferent and distant.

And Federica, she harbored hostility and rejection.

“I thought there might be a special reason, given that you are the God of Hunger, but that’s not the case. It seems you truly love the earth and your worshippers.”

In a way, she was a god who loved the earth more than Kalosia.

She had summoned Ketal to this place to eliminate the threat.

It was quite unexpected for a god known as the God of Hunger.

However, from Ketal\'s perspective, Federica was worse.

Ketal reached for his waist and grabbed the handle of his axe.

“Then our course of action is simple.”

Each would achieve their goal through force.

Ketal bared his teeth, revealing undisguised hostility and a readiness for battle.

Federica also responded by raising her energy.

The energies of the god and the barbarian clashed violently, distorting the space around them.

“A-ah…”

Liltara, who was sitting far away, suddenly regained her senses.

She realized.

Something that had never been seen in history, not even in mythology, was about to happen at their sacred ground.

Ketal grinned as he tightened his grip on the axe.

His opponent was a god.

A great celestial being.

There was no need to hold back, no reason to show mercy.

From the very beginning, he would fight with all his strength.

He stomped the ground.

The earth crumbled beneath him.

With his axe in hand, he charged at Federica.

* * *

He swung his axe.

Within it was Ketal\'s true intent.

It was a force that even the ancient dragon Ignisia couldn’t withstand bare-handed.

But Federica did not retreat.

She met his strike with her sword.

The black sword and the black axe collided.

BOOOOM!

The air was violently displaced.

The half-destroyed buildings of the sacred ground were blown away as if struck by a storm.

CRAAACK!

The force made Federica take a step back.

And Ketal also took a step back, his eyes widening.

“Oh?”

Federica approached, dragging her sword across the ground.

With a graceful movement, she swung it upwards.

Ketal brought his axe down to meet it.

THUUD!

Another collision occurred.

The forces perfectly canceled each other out.

Federica stepped back and spoke.

[I reject you.]

The will of the god descended upon Ketal.

It attempted to erase Ketal’s very existence from this world.

Ketal tensed his entire body, resisting the divine will.

“Hmph!”

But a gap opened.

Federica didn’t miss that opening.

She slipped in and attempted to thrust her sword into Ketal’s neck.

Ketal shook his entire body, breaking free from the god’s will.

He twisted his body.

The sword narrowly grazed past his neck.

He spun around, using the momentum to swing his axe.

Federica’s body was pushed back three steps.

Ketal immediately rushed in.

He tightened his grip on the axe and brought it down with all his might.

Each strike contained the power to topple mountains and split seas.

Federica did not retreat before such power.

She gracefully held her black sword and swung it.

CRAAASH!

A thunderous roar erupted.

Federica successfully defended against every one of Ketal\'s onslaughts.

‘Is her strength similar to mine?’

Ketal couldn\'t help but be astonished.

Federica did not retreat at all under his assault.

This was remarkable because even the white serpent that connected heaven and earth couldn’t withstand his power.

But upon closer inspection, he realized that wasn’t quite the case.

At the moment when the axe collided with Federica’s sword, the power contained in the axe noticeably diminished.

It was likely that Federica\'s authority was imbued within that sword.

That fact astonished Ketal.

‘So, if one is a god, they can interfere with my physical body.’

Yet, rather than troubling him, Ketal found this exciting.

He bared his teeth further and swung his axe again.

CRAAASH!

The impact reverberated.

Federica parried the axe and was pushed back, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Ketal.

Just as Ketal had noticed, Federica\'s sword carried her divine authority.

It was an authority that stripped away the value and meaning of anything it touched, leaving it in a state of deprivation.

And that deprivation wasn’t temporary; it was permanent.

However, Ketal wasn’t subject to a permanent loss of power.

Although his strength could be temporarily taken, when they clashed again, his power remained unchanged.

It was as if her authority couldn’t penetrate deep into his body.

‘How strange.’

And that was exceedingly strange.

The fact that it could only temporarily take his power wasn’t what was strange—it was strange that it could take it at all.

Federica had participated in the war against the most ancient beings, those now imprisoned within the Forbidden Land, back in a distant past.

She knew that her authority was ineffective against those oldest beings.

This was because her authority, the power of a god, was inherently at odds with those ancient beings.

But with Ketal, it worked—albeit temporarily.

That was what was so strange.

BOOOOM!

The battle continued.

Although Federica\'s authority had a definite effect on Ketal, it was only temporary.

His strength remained unchanged.

No, rather, his momentum was only growing.

[You should not exist in this world.]

Federica declared, her authority imbued in her words.

The force of the universe itself was within them.

“I said no!”

But Ketal shook off the authority in an instant.

He tightened his grip on the axe even more.

Federica braced herself with her sword.

CRAACK!

With the sound of something breaking, Federica was pushed back.

There was now a clear difference in strength compared to before.

Ketal swung his axe cheerfully.

“I’m getting the hang of this. This is fun.”

[...]

Federica, who had been pushed back, slowly stood up.

She quietly stared at Ketal and murmured as if she understood.

[I see.]

“What do you mean?”

[You are different from the others in there.]

Her black eyes focused on Ketal.

[Though you are a being from that place, you possess power in the way of this world. No... it\'s more accurate to say you’re close to what you desire. That’s why my authority affects you. Because you’re suppressing it yourself.]

Federica frowned.

[Because of that, you’re incredibly weak.]

Even in this mere avatar, which was not her true form, she could somewhat hold her own against him.

[...Why is that?]

There was doubt in Federica\'s voice.

[You, who are deprived—why, despite being a being from there, a descendant of the traitor, do you desire this world?]

“Because it’s what I want.”

Ketal replied lightly.

Federica fell silent.

[...You are indeed different.]

“Have you understood? There’s no need to exclude me.”

[No. I’m more certain now. You must be killed.]

This barbarian must not be allowed to roam the world.

He must be killed before he realized what he truly was.

Before he became aware of that twisted desire.

Federica held strong conviction.

“You don’t listen, do you?”

Ketal shrugged.

“So, how exactly do you plan to kill me? It doesn’t seem like you can.”

Federica didn’t deny it.

As things stood, it was impossible.

This wasn’t her true form.

At best, she was using a mortal body as an avatar.

Considering her strength in this state, she was probably just slightly stronger than the ancient dragon Ignisia.

She didn’t possess the power to kill Ketal.

At this rate, she would lose.

And so, Federica made her decision.

Even if it resulted in permanent loss, even if it meant twisting reality, she would kill Ketal.

All for the sake of the world.

Federica raised her sword toward the sky.

The black sword floated up and soared toward the heavens.

[Open the way.]

And the sky opened.

The space tore apart, spreading wide like a rift.

Stars were obscured, and clouds were driven away.

[Reveal yourself. My world.]

The hairs on Ketal’s entire body stood on end.

‘This is—’

The world itself was twisting.

A gateway opened.

A world of lofty grandeur appeared beyond the sky.

A world filled with light emerged.

Something that should not reveal itself in this world was showing itself.

The aftermath of it shook the entire continent.

“Ah.”

Ketal realized.

High above, the heavens had opened.

And beyond that, something immense could be seen.

It was truly something as vast as the universe.

Ketal instinctively understood.

That was Federica’s true form.

It was something as colossal as the cosmos.

The heavens and the god’s true form were now revealed before him.

A massive, glaring gaze focused on Ketal.

That alone began to distort the world.

Intense hostility enveloped Ketal.

[To kill you—]

Federica was about to declare with all her will but then hesitated, startled.

[...What are you?]

“Ooh, ohhh…”

Ketal let out a sigh of admiration.

It was as if Federica\'s hostility didn’t matter at all.

He looked up at her with genuine awe and reverence on his face.