Azimuth: The Elden Throne (New Version)

Chapter 308 Intervention, the choice

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/Crack.../

/Step.../

"..."

With his shield resting against the ground, the Tank raised his head before turning to look at the Priestess one last time.

Despite the chaos that descended on the battlefield around them, she was still kneeling on the ground, shining faintly as she continued with her prayer.

/Mumble.../

Faint and weak meaningless words were the only things that could be heard from time to time as her body shivered in the wind.

It was a pitiful but pious sigh to behold.

"... I'll buy as much time as I can." He said with determination

'I can only hope it's enough.'

Too much had been sacrificed for them to be there, too many hardships for them to be given this opportunity.

To be ahead of the whole world one must take the hardest of gambles, and this was proving to be just that.

But with their victory, their rewards would only be reflected by the difficulty of their journey.

It was now or never.

/Step.../

"Huff... Humanoid Bosses are always the hardest to deal with."

Compared to the giant creatures that were usually easy to follow due to their telegraphed moves, a creature as tall as himself was much harder to follow.

Much less when it's as intelligent and stronger than himself.

But a Tank, not just any Tank but the best in the entire world had to be ready to face anything.

Even when his skin froze and burned, his muscles snapped and twisted, his blood ran dry, he had to stand tall and protect those behind him so they could display the full extent of his abilities.

Watching his companions die, unable to do what he was meant to pained him greatly, but he knew, everyone knew that if he left his position, then it would truly be the end.

/Step.../

So he took a step forward, ready to sacrifice his own life... When...

"... Thank you Aapo, I'll take it from here." The Priestess said all of a sudden as she got up from the ground, using her staff as a cane

"Marie..."

But before he was done, Marie placed her staff on his chest.

"What?..." He asked in surprise

"I'm sorry for this Aapo... But please, bear with me this time." She said as golden light started to gather around them

"... Phew... I was already planning on sacrificing myself, how I do so doesn't matter much." Aapo replied with a dry laugh as he ignored the notifications playing around his ears

"Are you confident?" He asked as he turned around

"That is not up to me to decide."

"How disheartening... Well, it's on your hands now..." He said with a small smile as his body slowly turned into light...

/FLASH!!!/

/BAAAAM!/

However, before he fully disappeared, Dale rushed to his side, kicking him far away before raising his fist, and punching the Priestess in the face.

/Grab.../

Yet, in a surprising turn of events...

"You're hasty." She said in a deep and distant tone as her eyes flickered with strange cloudy lights

As she said that, the bodies of all party members and their items turned into light, becoming faint specks of brilliance that dissipated in the air before slowly gathering around her in the form of a long disc glowing faintly above her head.

(Image?)

His futile attempt at interruption failed, it was never going to work.

But maybe he succeeded in pissing off the girl.

"!"

She easily blocked his fist with her palm, causing golden sparks to scatter around as his fist trembled as it tried to move.

He had the desire to pull his hand back but his body was unusually slow.

By the time he recovered his senses...

[Ding]

[All conditions have been met]

Hearing the notification, the Priestess said:

"It wasn't their time to fall... As for you..."

"Why don't we find out about that?" She asked with a feeble smile as she pushed him back

/Shine.../ n(-OveLbIn

[Condition, Divine Intervention has fallen onto you]

That was the last thing the Priestess heard before her conscience was engulfed in mist.

/BOOOOM!/

"!!!"

His hand still wrapped up around her fingers, Dale suddenly felt a torrent of light wash over his body.

She wasn't doing anything, this was merely the faint pressure exuded by her body, pushing him back.

It was similar to how he felt when he met Qrubin, the Archmage, and when he saw Sarferato recover part of his youthful body.

And when he stood face to face with the Great Devil...

Albeit this time... It was on a completely different scale, not only in power but... In nature as well.

"Great, a bit limiting but this should be enough." The Priestess said calmly as she cracked her neck a bit

She raised her right index finger, pointing it at his chest.

"Since I'm here, I might as well enjoy this situation to the maximum."

/BLAST!/

A powerful invisible wave exploded in front of his body, but despite its incredible strength, Dale's body did not move.

/CRUNK!/

But whatever strange magic she had employed, it only affected his armor, causing it to rip apart as it was pushed back and eventually, torn apart.

"Let's take that rusty thing off your chest, it isn't doing much apart from being a weight and a nuisance."

/CRACK!/

"Hm... Much better, you're quite handsome, such a shame that you hide yourself most of the time... Or maybe..."

"That's better?~" She asked herself with a chuckle

She then opened her now fully golden eyes, looking at the chains wrapped around his body.

"And those chains as well, you can use them to play with those children but not me."

/BLAST!/

Under the incredibly potent wave of light, all of Dale's armor was peeled off layer by layer, and even his otherwise indestructible chains were decomposed into atoms of light that slowly scattered in the wind behind him, leaving him half naked with only a pair of trousers.

"Hm... Now that's better~" She said in an amused tone as she looked at him up and down

"..."

"I've heard quite a few things, and seen others, but nothing beats the good old practical experience, don't you agree?..."

[DING]

Interrupting her words, both of them suddenly heard system notifications.

But before Dale could read and understand what they were about...

/Snap!/

"Oh no, not so soon. We've barely just started." She said with a chuckle as she snapped her fingers

And with that, the system went silent.

/Open... Dash!/

The 'Priestess' let go of Dale's hand, letting him run back a few meters to try and understand the situation first.

But despite his extremely defensive nature, the girl merely chuckled.

"Why so fearful? I don't bite... Not that deep at least."

Still, seeing how Dale wasn't doing anything, she raised her fingers, touching her chin as she thought deeply.

And eventually, she had an idea.

/Light.../

She raised her right hand to the skies above, and golden sunlight descended onto the dark Abyssal plains, illuminating her and her surroundings.

Dale took a few steps back, trying not to be in the light's range, just in case it was dangerous.

Even beautiful things can kill, and oftentimes, they are the deadliest of them all.

/Crunk!/

/Step.../

The 'Priestess' stepped to the side, revealing a golden-blue door full of intricate carvings and other decorations, locked by many layers of chains.

Joined together by a single lock at the center.

"..."

Despite maintaining his calm, Dale had a faint understanding of what that may be.

"Now now, here is my preposition." She said with a light smile as she stepped forward

"You, the Challenger, possess the Insignia that proves your Title and right."

"You went through immeasurable challenges to be here today, defeated hundreds of opponents, and sharpened your Skills and ability."

"Now, there's only one thing left for you to do, to go after your Fate as one."

"But... You see, just being able to do so would be... Lackluster, you don't hear stories of Heroes that just go and pull out their Legendary weapons from the ground."

"At least, not without a challenge prior."

"So let's make this interesting, I'll make it worth your time." She said as her smile widened

"Prove to me you have what it takes to be a Champion."

"Or... Of course..."

/Crunk.../

Another door opened behind Dale, it was a simple door made out of wood, incomparable with the one behind her.

"You may leave, after all, it's never bad to admit your limits, everyone has one, it's a matter of reaching it and knowing what to do when."

"But that is all talk, no action, no substance, something anyone can proclaim but few can realize."

"The Question is, are you one of them? Or are you still blinded by your own delusions?"

"..."

Dale looked back for a moment and then back at the girl standing in front of the door.

His choice had already been made, far before he even stepped in this room, before he even entered Babylon.

His journey was far from over, and he wouldn't throw in the towel now.

/Step/

So he took a step forward, and the girl's smile vanished.

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Notes