The Cathedral

“So this is the ‘Cathedral’—”

Ludmila gasped as she looked up at the alabaster temple towering before her. She was currently traveling in a carriage alongside the other Sacred Edges. Sitting in the seat next to her was Fiore, the beautiful woman dressed in a gown reminiscent of a young noble lady.

“I have been here once before, but this is your first time, isn’t it, Ludmila-san?”

“Yes.”

A surge of tension welled up within her. Before her stood the Cathedral—the headquarters of the “Hero Guild,” an international organization that united over a hundred thousand Heroes.

Several people who looked like Heroes were gathered in front of the temple. While entry into the Cathedral itself was basically restricted to high-ranking officials, the surrounding facilities were used for the training of Heroes.

“Sister, you’re here? And Ludmila-san too!”

A young boy came running toward them. He had a well-featured face with blonde hair and blue eyes. His refined atmosphere was unmistakably that of a noble’s son.

“It’s been a while, Elio-kun,” Ludmila said with a smile.

Elio Quell. Fifteen years old. He was Fiore’s younger brother and Ludmila’s junior from the Hero training academy.

“H-hello,” Elio greeted them, his face flushing slightly.

“Fufu, you look well, Elio,” Fiore remarked.

“You too, Sister,” Elio replied, turning back to Fiore.

“Were you here for training? You’re certainly working hard.”

“I’ve been chosen as a member of the second wave. I have to do my best,” Elio said with a proud grin.

“The second wave—”

“Yeah, the Demon Realm invasion operation three months from now.”

The operation to break the barrier and invade the Demon Realm had taken place about two weeks ago. In that first wave, a hundred Heroes were selected to strike at the heart of the Demon Realm. Unfortunately, they were routed, and the barrier between the human world and the Demon Realm was repaired by the power of the Demon Lord.

It would take roughly three months to finish preparations to break the barrier again. She had heard that the second operation was scheduled for then.

Last time, the members were strictly selected from users of Cherub-class and Throne-class Miracle Armaments. This time, however, because they were going with a larger force, members were being recruited from lower-ranked users as well. Elio, a user of a Dominion-class armament—the fourth rank from the top—had likely been chosen for that reason.

“I’m going to defeat lots of wicked demons. I wish I could go with you and Sister, Ludmila-san.”

“I wish we could participate as well, but…”

Ludmila bit her lip. Those who possessed Seraph-class Miracle Armaments could not enter the Demon Realm. For that reason, they couldn’t join the previous operation. However, she had heard that the leadership was working on a countermeasure. If she were chosen for the next mission, she wanted to fight to strike down the demons. And this time, she would surely defeat the Demon Lord who had so utterly crushed her the other day.

The number of “Heroes”—those with the aptitude to manipulate the holy “Miracle Armaments” bestowed by God—totaled about 100,000 in all. Miracle Armaments were ranked according to their power, and the number of users in descending order of rank was as follows:

The organization that united these Heroes was the “Hero Guild.” Its leadership—the ten highest executives of the Guild—was now facing Ludmila and the other Sacred Edges.

To be precise, they were not facing the executives in person, but rather magical communication devices that conveyed their will. Ten rectangular plates, each about three meters high, flickered and glowed in front of Ludmila and the others.

“We are glad you have come,” a voice echoed from the plates.

“We have heard much of the exploits of you four.”

“It brings us joy to speak with the Sacred Edges, the symbols and pride of the Hero Guild.”

“Let us get straight to the point. We wish to discuss the second Demon Realm invasion operation scheduled for three months from now.”

Ludmila and the others listened in silence to the voices coming from each of the plates.

“The primary objective of the previous operation was reconnaissance into the unknown territory of the Demon Realm.”

“The route to the Demon Castle had fewer enemies than anticipated, and some even managed to reach the Demon Lord.”

“Ultimately, the Heroes were either killed or routed—but we were able to achieve significant results.”

“Three Demon Commanders were defeated, and the Demon Lord was slain… though it appears a new Demon Lord has emerged.”

“We have received reports from Heroes who fought him and survived that his power far surpasses that of the previous Demon Lord.”

Ludmila instinctively stiffened. Memories of her defeat resurfaced, and she unconsciously clenched her fists.

“At any rate, it has been proven that higher-tier Heroes can stand against the Demon Commander class, of which we previously had little combat data.”

“Of course, we must not be careless. Aside from you four who are exceptional, only a portion of the Cherub-class and Throne-class users can stand against high-ranking demons.”

“The power of the vast majority of Heroes falls far short of that of the demons.”

Yes, demons were strong. Especially the Demon Lord, his aides, and those of similar classes possessed high combat capabilities. The current reality was that most Heroes had to gather in units of dozens, or in some cases hundreds, just to stand a chance.

“Furthermore, we hear the remaining Demon Commanders—the Undead King and the Beast Emperor—are warriors of matchless might.”

“The Vision Eyes and the Dream Demon Princess, who are said to possess special abilities, are also troublesome enemies.”

“But if we unite the strength of the Heroes, we will surely be able to crush them.”

“Defeat the remaining Demon Commanders and strike down the Demon Lord—once that is accomplished, the rest are mere trifles.”

“By the power of the Heroes’ numbers, we shall surely overwhelm them.”

“We humans shall exterminate every last demon.”

“The Demon Realm shall perish, and eternal peace shall visit the world of men.”

They spoke as if chanting a song.

“At the center of it all shall be the four of you.”

“We expect great things from your continued efforts.”

“To ensure the Demon Lord is buried once and for all this time.”

“And—your battle shall become legend.”

Their voices spoke in unison.

“The preamble has been long—but here is the main point.”

“We wish for you to obtain further power.”

“The other day, we were granted the means for this through an ‘Oracle’.”

“The strengthening of the four Seraph-class Miracle Armaments, known as the strongest.”

“The strengthening of our Miracle Armaments…”

Ludmila exchanged looks with the other three. They could become even stronger. If so, they might be able to defeat the Demon Lord next time. However, there was something that concerned her.

(If only God had given us that much power from the beginning…)

Ludmila knit her brows.

(The casualties from the battles with the demons would have been so much fewer.)

Why did God give them, the humans, such limited power… as if he were holding back? It was almost as if God viewed this war as—.

“One must not measure the will of God.”

As if intercepting Ludmila’s thoughts, the plates flickered in unison.

“One must not go against the will of God.”

“One must not doubt the will of God.”

“Believe.”

“Believe in God.”

Several hours later, Ludmila was on the top floor of the Cathedral. Before her stood a door decorated with solemn reliefs.

“Beyond here is the ‘Chamber of Oracles’—”

The only place on earth where one could communicate with the gods of the Heavens. To strengthen the Sacred Edges’ Miracle Armaments and for her training, she had been permitted to enter this room.

“Fufu, I look forward to working with you, Ludmila-san,” Fiore smiled beside her.

“The same to you. Let’s get stronger together.”

With that, Ludmila opened the door. A pale golden light flooded out from the other side.

“I will become even stronger,” she vowed in her heart. “And I will surpass the Demon Lord—”

Ludmila stepped forward into the Chamber of Oracles.