CHAPTER 89
The day I was transferred.
Rain fell from the sky, and red lights flickered below.
“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”
They were people crying out for nothing but my death.
And the man who stepped on me and climbed on top.
The man with a red crown on his head wore a chilling smile.
“Rejoice.”
As his hands touched my arms and legs, red ropes bound them.
The Radiance Faith fanatics excitedly ran over and grabbed the red ropes.
Then, in unison, they began to pull.
“Thanks to Archbishop Bloody Crown, you will go to His side.”
I felt the skin and muscle on my arms and legs tearing, my bones being pulled from their sockets. The Radiance Faith fanatics burst into joyous laughter and poured all their strength into it.
“Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!”
What were they celebrating?
My death?
Amidst their congratulations, my desperate screams echoed endlessly through the rain.
But the Radiance Faith showed no signs of stopping.
When my limbs were finally torn off, they smeared the copious amounts of splattered blood on their bodies as if it were holy water.
That frenzied spectacle was something no one should ever have to witness.
As my consciousness faded, Bloody Crown placed a hand on my head.
“You, too, will now be reborn in our world.”
And with that, my neck was torn off, and I died.
The doctrine of the Radiance Faith.
A Transferee is reborn into the world through repeated death, becoming a person like us. Therefore, all Transferees must be sent to His side to be cleansed.
That was the main doctrine of the Radiance Faith, which was why they killed Transferees without hesitation.
They had transformed even the slightest hint of guilt in their hearts into a sense of mission.
That was why the mere sight of the Radiance Faith disgusted me.
“You know me? Have we met somewhere before?”
Bloody Crown looked as if he didn't remember me at all.
Of course he didn't.
A person doesn't know how many pieces of bread they've eaten in their lifetime.
To Bloody Crown, the death of a Transferee was a daily occurrence.
There was no way he would remember every single Transferee's face.
The fact that he didn't remember didn't anger me in the slightest.
You can only be disappointed if you have expectations.
I had never expected anything from him, so it came as no surprise.
“...Is this the guy?”
Aranseol, however, was a different story.
Killing intent flickered in her eyes.
She looked ready to cut him down at any moment.
“It seems I’m quite disliked here.”
Bloody Crown smiled cheerfully, borrowing the face of Bulldog-ssi’s wife.
Rotten bastard.
Inferno was supposed to have turned the Radiance Faith upside down, but seeing him still intact, he must have survived.
“So I’m quite curious. What did you do? This soul was destined to become an Apostle.”
“You planted your will in every single one of your Apostles, didn't you?”
“I am the only one who truly communicates with Him. Wouldn't that be natural? And I'm sure this woman wanted to become an Apostle as well.”

Disgust rose to my throat, but I didn't argue.
There was no value in arguing with a man like this.
“But aren’t you going to answer my question?”
While the bastard moved his mouth as he pleased, divine power gathered in my hands.
An Apostle had taken root in the wife’s soul.
But even so, it wasn't a perfect Apostle.
It was just faintly clinging to a part of the soul.
I had learned a fair amount about divine power from the Divine Lord, Aigis.
Divine power can also repel divine power of an opposing nature.
Bloody Crown wasn't here in person.
No matter what a monstrous archbishop he was, he couldn't block the divine power I possessed in this place.
I was also a being capable of creating an Apostle, Mi-myeong, through my own divine power.
I immediately pushed a large amount of divine power into the wife’s body.
“So you can handle divine power. Are you from the Holy Church?”
“I have no intention of listening to a heretic, so shut your mouth.”
“Ahaha.”
I had no desire to listen to his cheerful laughter any longer.
As I pushed my divine power with all my might, the divine power remaining in her body was pushed out and disappeared.
Bloody Crown stared at me intently through the wife’s eyes.
“Hey, while you’re looking, make sure you remember this well.”
The Radiance Faith, which the Regular Army was supposed to have wiped out, was still breathing.
So I gave him a warning.
“One day, I’m coming to take your head.”
I won't be able to rest easy until I've cleaned up these persistent bastards for good.

“Ah, I like the sound of that.”
Bloody Crown grinned.
“I’ll look forward to you doing it, just as I tore off your neck back then.”
This bastard.
He remembered.
From start to finish, this son of a bitch had no intention of doing anything but toying with me.
That fact fueled my anger even more, making my killing intent toward him bloom.
Why do Transferees hate the people of this world?
Why do the people of this world hate Transferees?
I felt an unbearable rage toward the one who was a major cause of this fundamental problem.
“Fuck off.”
With that, Bloody Crown's divine power disintegrated and vanished completely.
That bastard left nothing but a foul feeling behind, even at the very end.
A shaky breath escaped me.
I wanted to believe it was something from the distant past, but if I closed my eyes, that day still came back in vivid detail.
The pain may have dulled, but the memory had not.
“Harua.”
Aranseol wrapped her arms around me from behind.
The warmth of her body helped me come to my senses.
At some point, my hands had clenched into tight fists.
My first button was still fastened wrong.
I was once again reminded of that fact.
“Ugh, hnn?”
Just then, clarity returned to the wife’s eyes.
She placed a hand on her forehead and looked around.
“Ha-Harua-ssi?”
“You seem to be in good health now. I don't think there will be any problems.”
There was no need to tell her about Bloody Crown.
As I put on a smooth smile, she seemed to relax a little.
Just then, a clattering noise came from outside, followed by the sound of the front door opening.
It seemed Bulldog-ssi and his son had arrived.
It was family time now.
I decided it was time to leave.
“Harua-ssi, I don’t really understand, but thank you.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“...No. While I was asleep, I saw a light in the darkness. A warm light, just like that little firefly next to you, Harua-ssi.”
Mi-myeong’s guidance, perhaps?
It seems I'll have to praise Mi-myeong some more.
BANG—
“Elena!”
“Mom!”
Bulldog-ssi and his son burst in.
His wife finally managed a smile as she looked at the two of them.
Leaving the three of them, Aranseol and I walked out.
Autumn had already passed, and winter was just around the corner.
The chilly weather greeted us.
Thanks to it, the heat in my body felt like it was cooling down a bit.
Aranseol stood by my side.
And for some reason, she squeezed my hand tightly.
Her hand must have been cold, but she showed no signs of letting go.
“Aranseol, I’m going to the Regular Army.”
It was late at night, but Inferno was surely buried under a mountain of work as usual.
I was going to ask him what had happened with the Radiance Faith.
He would know more than Bulldog-ssi.
Normally, I would have gone back to rest, but I didn't think I'd be able to sleep even if I lay down in bed.
Right now, I just wanted to move my body.
“Okay, I want to go with you.”
Aranseol seemed to have no intention of leaving my side.
Perhaps it was because a part of my emotions was exposed after meeting Bloody Crown today.
Her hand gripped mine even tighter.
“Alright, I understand.”
As we walked through the winter streets.
No words were exchanged between us.
Our lips just wouldn't part.
But even without speaking, it felt like something that had been broken was slowly being pieced back together.
I don't know what it was.
But at the very least, I knew that the buttons I'd fastened after that first one were all perfectly aligned.
The winter was cold, but our hands were warm.
That was enough.

The Regular Army guard post where Inferno was stationed.
When we arrived, a Regular Army soldier was on night watch at the entrance.
When I told him my name and who I was there to see, he promptly saluted and guided me inside.
I wondered what Inferno had told people about me.
Then again, since a Lieutenant General had mentioned my name personally, the people under him would have been thoroughly briefed.
Soon, another soldier came out from inside.
He wore the insignia of a Major and very kindly escorted me in.
“If you would please wait in the guest room, I will inform Lieutenant General Inferno.”
“Thank you. I apologize for coming so late.”
“Not at all. Lieutenant General Inferno told us to take care of you whenever you came, Harua-nim. Please don’t worry about it.”
So it’s true that in the military, rank is king.
The Major treated me with extreme courtesy, bowed his head, and left.
I nibbled on the cookies the Major had prepared and waited quietly.

Aranseol, still worried about me, stayed close by my side, showing no signs of leaving.
She kept glancing up at me, as if to check my expression.
“Aranseol, I’m fine now.”
“But…”
“It’s all in the past. Thanks to the walk over, I’m feeling better now.”
“It hasn’t even been a few hours.”
She worries too much.
Times like these call for a joke to lighten the mood.
“If you keep this up, you’ll give people the wrong idea, just like Babiyen said.”
I gave her a playful smile. Aranseol looked up at me for a moment, then wrapped her arms tightly around mine.
“Let them.”
Was that a bad joke?
She looks a little angry.
“Harua.”
“Hm?”
“If you could go back to your hometown, what would you do?”
A sudden question.
Being able to return home.
I still hate this world.
The people here are uncivilized, and life is inconvenient.
Living in this world, which lacks intellectuals, is a daily torment.
“I don’t know.”
And yet, I didn’t know.
Had I ever even wanted to go back in the first place?
My life on Earth wasn’t anything special.
I got into a decent university and was living a decent life.
I feel a little sorry for my parents, but they were always the hands-off type.
They were both busy with work since I was in middle school, and they’re divorced now.
So I don't have many memories of seeing them together.
I was just a kid who grew up decently in a family you could find anywhere.
I never had any big dreams on Earth either.
The only fortunate thing was that I was smart enough to be good at finding shortcuts.
“If you’re going back, tell me.”
“Why, so you can follow me?”
“I will.”
Is she serious?
I turned to look at Aranseol, and she held my arm tightly.
“I’m serious. I’ll follow you wherever you go, Harua.”
“I haven’t really done anything for you, though.”
“The fact that you think that is so like you. I told you, didn’t I? Wherever I was, I’ve always lived hiding myself.”
Aranseol, who hated Transferees.
That side of her was sometimes visible to others, but she never opened her heart.
But in front of me, there was no reason to hold back.
After all, I felt the same way, viewing the people of this world as uncivilized.
“I like being by your side, Harua. I’ve never felt so at ease in my entire life. So wherever you go, I’ll follow.”
Aranseol looked up at me intently.
“So don’t even think about leaving me behind somewhere.”
“...Have I been acting like I’m going to leave?”
“I’m including what you said today.”
Right, I did tell her to leave me behind if things got dangerous.
I decided not to argue with Aranseol’s resolve any further.
If it was her choice, it was her responsibility.
I had no right to interfere.
And if it was Aranseol’s responsibility, I was more than willing to share the burden.
Knock, knock—
Just then, a knock came at the door.
Only then did Aranseol let go of my arm and step away.
For some reason, I missed the warmth.
“Hey, long time no see.”
The door opened, and a familiar figure walked in.
It was Lieutenant General Inferno.
His eyes met Aranseol’s over his sunglasses, and he smiled.
“You brought your girlfriend?”
“Not exactly, but she’s involved. She knows everything.”
“Right. Well, since she’s the Sword Lord’s disciple, I suppose it’s fine.”
So, Inferno’s side had also done their own research on me.
“By the way, I brought someone with me today. You can be the judge. We can talk about the details separately later.”
Inferno said this and took a step back from the door.
Someone he would step aside for.
Unsure who it could be, I looked at the door, and an old man walked in.
But only his face, with its white beard, was that of an old man.
His physique was larger and more robust than my own.
“Commander-in-Chief Rapha Hastel…”
Aranseol muttered in a shocked voice.
My own eyes widened.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Regular Army, Rapha Hastel.
The strongest of the strong, said to be more powerful than even the Sword Lord among the currently living powerhouses.
He had appeared here.