Became the Weapon Monopolist of the Gods-Chapter 33: Despair Gate (2)

The Dark Attribute is "Magic."

Just the mere existence of the Dark Attribute would cause the danger level of gates to be increased, as magic was a deadly poison to hunters.

The Despair Gate was even worse.

Inside the Despair Gate, surrounded by magic in all directions, hunters were unable to properly use their powers.

“If it weren’t for the magic...”

S-level church hunter Rubenka frowned.

Dark spirits flew through the misty darkness.

Dark Specters.

These creatures, born from the grudges of the dead, were immune to physical attacks.

Even mana couldn’t effectively damage them due to the surrounding magic.

Only light magic, which was complementary to magic, could target the Dark Specters.

But if that were easy, this wouldn’t be called the Despair Gate.

─Damnatorum eccl... te ad mortem...

The eerie sound of the Specter muttering incomprehensible words made the hunters shrink back.

Her relic, the Execution Sword Claymore, was also unable to fully perform its capabilities inside the Despair Gate.

Kaga-kang─!

Just slashing through a Dark Ghoul drained Rubenka’s stamina.

─Vos ecclesiae ministr... Morieris...

The strange monsters, which would have been easy to catch under normal circumstances, became exponentially harder to hunt after being surrounded by the magic of the Despair Gate.

Even though Rubenka had only slain twenty undead, she could already feel herself out of breath.

The situation for the other church hunters was even worse.

“G-get away!”

“Ugh...”

They were making a mockery of themselves with physical attacks that didn’t work against the Dark Specter and lifting crosses—actions that were far from the standard of elite church hunters.

─■■■ ■■ ■■■!

In that instant, a loud scream echoed from beyond the mist, followed by a clamor.

The figure revealed was a headless knight holding a severed head.

“D-Dullahan!”

“Madness!”

The church hunters’ faces darkened.

The Dullahan was a normal B-rank monster, but inside the Despair Gate, it had become a monster close to A-rank.

“Move aside!”

Seeing the Dullahan charging, Rubenka stepped forward and swung her Claymore.

Kaa-aang─!

The Dullahan’s lance, surrounded by magic, clashed with Rubenka’s Claymore, sending sparks flying.

─■■ ■■■!

Red and white energies intersected several times as they faced off.

Rubenka bit her lip. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

‘This won’t work for a proper strategy.’

She had to break through somehow, but piercing the Dullahan’s magic was proving difficult.

“Lord!”

“Please grant us light!”

The bishops poured their holy magic with all their might, but their mana was blocked by the Despair Gate’s magic and quickly lost its light.

“When will the reinforcements arrive?!”

“There’s still no word!”

Damn it.

The reinforcements promised by the Holy See weren’t even showing signs of coming.

Just holding the front line was barely enough.

As Rubenka muttered curses inwardly, she suddenly heard a shout from the communication bishop.

“R-reinforcements have arrived!”

Turning around, Rubenka pushed the Dullahan back and searched for the reinforcements.

What she saw were only a man wearing a black mask and a blonde girl.

She couldn’t possibly be talking about these two as reinforcements.

Rubenka tilted her head.

“Where are the reinforcements?”

“They are these two!”

“!!”

Rubenka’s expression stiffened.

She couldn’t believe it—the only reinforcements that had arrived were these two.

“They are the ones Cardinal Francis sent. They’re candidates for sainthood, so you can trust them!”

Despite the bishop’s words, Rubenka’s expression remained hard.

That was understandable. How many so-called candidates for sainthood had the Holy See presented up until now?

She knew of at least ten herself.

But none of them had ever truly performed miracles.

They were only touted as candidates for sainthood because their light magic was a little stronger than average.

Rubenka thought this would be the same.

It was probably just a message telling her to figure something out herself.

“Hah.”

Weary, Rubenka let her sword droop.

She wasn’t expecting much from the two people claiming to be reinforcements.

So, even as the girl stepped forward, Rubenka didn’t even spare her a glance.

But then—

Fwoosh─!

Suddenly, brilliant light erupted.

“?”

Had the bishops awakened or something?

With that thought, Rubenka turned around, and her eyes widened.

“What is this...”

It wasn’t the bishops emitting the light.

It was the girl who had claimed to be part of the reinforcements.

The light pouring out of the girl’s body was on a whole different level compared to the bishops’ light.

Swoosh...

The magic surrounding the undead evaporated as though it were an icicle melting in the spring sun.

The darkness cleared in an instant.

The mist retreated.

Rubenka, staring in awe at the incredible miracle, quickly snapped back to reality.

Whoooosh─!

The Claymore came down heavily upon the Dullahan.

The Dullahan, who had raised its lance to block, was cleaved in two along with the lance.

Without the magic, a B-rank undead like that was no match for her.

Rubenka, staring at the now-cleared space, looked at the girl in shock.

“...Holy power? The candidate for sainthood was the real deal?!”

[The battlefield, where the saved girl Joan of Arc’s destiny is intertwined.]

[All abilities of Joan of Arc are increased by 80%.]

The abilities of Jeanne, who entered the Despair Gate, surged dramatically.

It was said that the Despair Gate was closely related to Jeanne.

“I still don’t know.”

Jeanne, with a puzzled look, spoke as though uncertain about the cause.

Well, whatever the reason, it was good for me.

Whoooosh─!

Jeanne’s light, restored to near its prime, illuminated the entire Despair Gate.

The vast light washed away the undead’s magic.

And the undead, now devoid of magic, were nothing but ordinary monsters.

“What are you doing? You need to deal with them.”

“Ah, right!”

A hunter, who had been dazed, snapped to attention and cut down a ghoul.

It was a scene where I didn’t even feel the need to step in.

“Is there anything we can help with?”

The bishops, now redundant, approached and asked me.

They had become unemployed in an instant thanks to Jeanne, and they had nothing to do.

Their faces showed a clear desire to stay close to the saint, but I didn’t think they would be of any help.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

“Please move the injured outside the gate.”

“...Understood.”

With disappointed expressions, the bishops moved away, and we advanced into the gate’s darkness.

Jeanne felt something odd when we cleared the third zone.

“I think someone is calling me.”

Jeanne pointed toward the door of ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the “Chapel.”

It was probably the boss room.

The church hunters took the lead and opened the door.

Beyond the open door, a grand Russian Orthodox chapel was revealed.

Beneath the cross hanging on the wall, someone stood with their back to them.

‘A person?’

No.

Beyond the faint figure, the chapel was illuminated.

It was an undead.

A high-ranking undead, cloaked in magic, far stronger than any Specter.

“It’s a Banshee, stay back.”

Rubenka stepped forward to block the path.

The Banshee turned its body.

When I saw its face, I realized why this place was a battlefield connected to Jeanne’s destiny.

‘So that’s why.’

The Banshee’s face was one I knew well.

─Don’t worry.

The knight who had always stood by Joan of Arc.

─The saint... Jeanne has been captured by the English!

The knight who had expressed the most anger when Joan of Arc was captured by the English church.

─Bishop Cambres, he’s the one who handed Joan over to the English church!

The true identity of the Despair Gate’s boss was “Gilles de Rais.”

As the darkness of the Banshee spread, Rubenka raised her Claymore.

In the next instant, a girl rushed past her.

“Danger!”

Rubenka shouted in surprise, but the girl didn’t stop.

The darkness that stretched like hands reached for the girl.

Rubenka, in a panic, dashed to intercept.

But she couldn’t stop her in time.

Rubenka’s eyes widened.

“What’s... happening?!”

Surprisingly, the Despair Gate’s boss didn’t attack the girl.

─Joan...

The Banshee, instead, was vanishing into ashes as it touched the girl’s light.

Rubenka could only think of one conclusion as she watched the unbelievable sight.

‘Is the Banshee... committing suicide?’

It was an absurd thought, but it was the only way she could interpret it.

The Banshee was throwing itself into the girl’s light.

As if it had been waiting for this moment.

“Gilles de Rais.”

The girl whispered through her tears as she embraced the Banshee.

In that instant, brilliant light erupted.

The Banshee, embraced by the girl, smiled.

And then, it turned to ash and vanished.

Amid the light that stained her vision, Rubenka clearly saw it.

The miraculous symbol rising on the girl’s back.

“Holy... mark?”

[The Despair Gate has been cleared.]

[Clear rank: SSS]

St. Peter’s Basilica.

The heart of the Vatican, where the Pope resides, and where the National Council of the Church holds all matters of governance.

Cardinal Francis was summoned to the council as a “sinner” one day before the Despair Gate outbreak.

“Cardinal Francis, why did you arbitrarily give away the sacred relics and essence?”

“I judged her to be a saint.”

“You recognized someone as a saint without going through the miracle examination?”

“Yes.”

“Heh...”

“How could you, Cardinal...”

The bishops attending the council let out a bitter laugh.

Not only had he unilaterally declared someone a saint without a miracle examination, but he had also given away the essence?

This was a serious overstep of the cardinal’s authority.

The Pope, who had quietly been listening to the meeting, finally spoke.

“Cardinal Francis.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Even if she is a saint, giving away the essence without proper consideration was a rash decision.”

“I only did it for the Church.”

“Is giving away the essence something for the Church?”

“I judged she was qualified.”

“Even with one day left until the Despair Gate’s eruption?”

“Yes.”

“...”

Silence fell over the council.

Cardinal Francis’ words were utterly incomprehensible.

Just as the attending bishops were about to continue questioning him, one bishop rushed in.

“Y-your Holiness!”

“What’s the matter?”

The bishop whispered something into the Pope’s ear. Upon hearing it, the Pope’s expression changed.

“The council will conclude here.”

“Your Holiness, but we still have the matter of the essence...”

“The Despair Gate has been cleared.”

“W-what?!”

The bishops gasped in shock at the Pope’s proclamation.

A smile spread across Cardinal Francis’ face.