SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 113

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 113. Holy War (2)
4
The Heresy Inquisitor.
A bearer of a Distinctive Name. A first-generation Hunter active since the Tower’s earliest days—a blonde psychopath who had ruthlessly hunted extremists across all manner of nations, in regions where kingdoms had never taken root, in lands where nations had crumbled to dust, stabilizing the Tower even as countless humans pressed in from every direction.
“I interpret the Constellations as divine entities from other worlds!”
By now a specialist in the Great Holy War, managing all religions on Earth beneath the Pantheon, the Heresy Inquisitor smiled broadly.
“Divinity is, put simply, law! For instance, in our world—Earth—there exists the law of physics! This physical law is like a Windows operating system that fundamentally underlies everything, so there’s nothing particularly special about it! And therefore, there’s nothing especially unique about our world either!”
Well.
“But there are nuclear weapons and guns, aren’t there?”
“As I said, the law of physics is the foundation that underlies everything! So those two can emerge in any world, given sufficient technological development!”
However, the Heresy Inquisitor continued, in places where magic and miracles had become commonplace, purely physics-based technological advancement would be difficult, so both could develop quite late. But that didn’t mean nuclear weapons and guns couldn’t be invented in other worlds at all.
‘True enough—there was an Apocalypse that fell to nuclear war. Even our current twenty-third floor, the Chronicles of the Cosmic Iron Knight, started as science fiction…….’
Was Earth truly the weakest world of all?
It made sense that magic and skills hadn’t been commonplace before the Tower rose, but hearing that our home, the blue planet Earth, was weak left a strange taste in my mouth. Was this patriotism? Or should I call it—love for one’s star?
“But as you say, guns and nuclear weapons are undoubtedly formidable instruments of war! Deploy them in sufficient quantity, and you could sweep away most of the Apostles of the Constellations!”
“Indeed.”
Rabiel tapped her lips lightly with the end of her fan.
“So you’re saying that because the law of physics is the foundational layer, physical force likewise operates universally?”
“A precise understanding! One who lacks physical substance cannot exert physical force in any manner—that goes without saying. And if one possesses physical substance, then physical attacks will naturally be effective! The only remaining question is one of efficiency: whether one fully accepts that physical force or mitigates it.”
Sparkle, who had been floating absently, let out a small exclamation.
-Huh, that bastard’s sharp.
‘Does Sparkle think I’m onto something?’
-Damn right. That’s why Salvation Saint could crack Sparkle’s skull with an Aura burst, and I got strong just by training the blade alone—never fell short anywhere. And that girl ruling the Black Dragon Guild could zap demons with beams. Physical force is an incredibly powerful law.
[Sparkle nods glumly.]
-The rank of each Constellation is determined by how much they’re bound by this law of physics, or conversely, how much they can deviate from it.
I was about to ask what that meant when the Heresy Inquisitor explained it right on cue.
“That part I just mentioned—’mitigating physical force’—turns out to be surprisingly important! It means they follow the physical law, but aren’t completely bound by it! And how that’s possible is…….”
“…Because each Constellation possesses their own law, and their Apostles likewise oppose the physical law with their own unique principles.”
“Magnificent! What keen understanding! Truly, you live up to your title as consort of the Four Kings!”
“Of course I do.”
My consort spoke tender words. By that alone, I could be certain that Rabiel was gracing this small tactical meeting with her presence.
-Zombie, focus, will you? This is the moment that decides whether this world lives or dies.
[Sparkle leaps up and swats the back of your neck.]
Ouch.
What poor wretches, not understanding such love.
-Quit messing around, Zombie.
[Sparkle stares at you with eyes like a rotting fish.]
‘But Sparkle, you don’t have eyes.’
[Sparkle points to the jewel adorning the hilt of the sword.]
Looking at the jewel decoration on Sparkle’s scabbard as directed, I noticed the gem’s color had become somewhat dull.
Mm.
‘Understood. I’ll restrain myself.’
-And focus properly.
‘Yes.’
1. Each Constellation possesses their own unique law.
2. Their Apostles likewise follow that law.
“For instance, what sort of laws do they possess?”
“Hmm! Let me give an example. There exists a Constellation called Babit.”
The Heresy Inquisitor added that this was the so-called “god of romance.”
“This Constellation interprets all things in the world through romance. In the world Babit governs, power and wealth are meaningless! A person’s strength is determined by how much Romance Spirit force they possess.”
“Romance Spirit force? What is that?”
“Ah! A picture is worth a thousand words.”
The Heresy Inquisitor wove a seal with both hands.
“Holy Ritual, Romance Spirit.”
A brilliant flash!
Light spread from the Heresy Inquisitor’s hands. Not just white light, but something reddish—somewhat pink?—in any case, a thick fragrant mist rose in wisps.
“Aha! I have temporarily brought down a Divine Domain of Babit the god into this place! Try taking any action you like, Four Kings!”
“Hmm…….”
I looked around awkwardly. Late night. The Heresy Inquisitor, Rabiel, and I were in the guest quarters of the Duke’s Residence. We were conducting a tactical meeting in preparation for the invasion that would arrive in ten days.
“…Aside from the pink mist, I don’t really see anything different?”
“Pardon me for a moment!”
That’s when the Heresy Inquisitor tripped me. I stumbled forward, and in the chaos, I grabbed Rabiel’s forearm. “Whoa—!” Both of us crashed to the floor.
“Hoh.”
Rabiel looked down at me, pinned beneath her weight. It had all happened in an instant.
“Kim Gongja, such passionate displays in front of others—how indecorous.”
“I—I—”
I floundered, mortified.
“No, wait—that’s not it! I was just falling—!”
“Ahahah.”
The Heresy Inquisitor giggled.
“A classic romance trope!”
“Heresy Inquisitor, what’s happening here?”
“In Babit’s Divine Domain, all actions lead to romance! A simple tumble becomes an entanglement with a nearby person. For instance, should one of the Four Kings wear a white shirt and drink water, there’s a 95% probability of spilling it across their chest—and how could those watching not feel their hearts racing at the sight?”
Good grief. What kind of cosmic horror was this?
“A Divine Domain is a reinterpretation of reality itself—a tool of mass influence. Take the Grand Library we just left: the Bookworm Librarian reinterprets the world as a collection of stories, and within that realm, we are forced to become characters within those tales.”
A soft shimmer faded.
The Heresy Inquisitor wove a sign, and the pink luminous circle beneath us vanished. Face burning, I scrambled away from Rabiel.
The Heresy Inquisitor beamed.
“To oppose such beings and their personal laws with the rules available to us—I call this a Holy War, a Star War.”
Holy War. Star War.
“How should we prepare for the Star War that comes ten days hence?”
“We must know exactly which Constellations we face! As I’ve explained, each Constellation’s law differs, so our strategy must adapt accordingly!”
“True. Intelligence on your enemy before battle is paramount.”
Rabiel tapped her Fan against her lips, and the Heresy Inquisitor nodded.
“Yes! So tell me—which Constellations’ Apostles will assault us in ten days?”
I paused.
“Can you identify a Constellation if I give you their names?”
“With their True Names, absolutely! My skill, the Pantheon, lets me see through to their essence!”
At that, I recalled what I knew of the young man before me—or rather, the woman whose body the Heresy Inquisitor now inhabited, the Geumsamae Young Lady.
‘It was around the thirteenth floor, fighting those demons.’
The Black Dragon Lord had mentioned that though the Heresy Inquisitor relied on sheer skill, she possessed comprehensive knowledge of the religions of other worlds.
Good.
“Can you also deduce a True Name from an Epithet—a Constellation’s Distinctive Name?”
“If they’re renowned enough, yes!”
Then this would work.
“The Harvester of Ruins, the Warhorse of Eternal Plains, the Immortal Apostle of Joy.”
“Hmm.”
The Heresy Inquisitor tapped her chin.
“The Harvester of Ruins—that would be Mutia. Her domains are Destruction and Renewal. Simple, but devastatingly powerful.”
Destruction and Renewal.
“How does one fight her, roughly?”
“She commands tremendous Physical Force with absolute precision. She can flatten vast territories or disassemble the physical structure of a specific being entirely. Through such deconstruction and recombination, she can forge golems—rare, but she can even apply her power to time itself, since time too is fundamentally physical!”
So the Geumsamae Young Lady’s second-round heroine trait had indeed drawn from Mutia’s power.
An Apostle from an outer Constellation was already present in this world.
‘Was that why the Bookworm Librarian chose this world as an Apocalypse?’
By the Bookworm Librarian’s logic, since outside Constellations had already touched this tale, she too possessed grounds for ‘intervention’?
Or was it simply, as Rabiel had suggested, that this world lacked any Constellation of its own?
‘The former seems more aligned with the Bookworm Librarian’s nature, I think.’
As I pondered this, the Heresy Inquisitor continued.
“The Warhorse of Eternal Plains—that’s Mahos. Her domains are Duels and War. Another deceptively simple yet formidable power.”
Duels and War.
“One cannot refuse her challenges, then?”
“Precisely! Or she spreads an aura of fearless battle fervor, or grants wisdom in tactics and strategy. Conversely, by forbidding War itself, she can create peaceful zones—rare, but possible!”
“A mistress of War who also commands Peace… that sounds contradictory.”
At my murmur, Rabiel smiled faintly.
“There is nothing contradictory about it. Peace is merely the state of suspended War. Therefore, one who can enforce War can surely impose Peace as well.”
“A most precise understanding!”
The Heresy Inquisitor grinned widely.
“As for the Immortal Apostle of Joy—I cannot discern her True Name. She must be a lesser-known Constellation!”
An unknown entity, then.
‘Being unknown doesn’t necessarily mean being weak—maybe that’s actually an advantage?’
While I was lost in thought, Sparkle trembled violently.
[Sparkle requests that you ask the Heresy Inquisitor whether he knows about the Guardian Goddess.]
‘Sparkle… I told you to focus on the meeting…….’
[Sparkle insists this is an extremely important matter!]
‘Why are you like this…….’
[Sparkle clarifies that this is purely to verify whether the Heresy Inquisitor’s information about the Constellations is accurate, and declares there is no ulterior motive whatsoever!]
Well.
“Actually, this is somewhat different, but… do you happen to know anything about the Guardian Goddess?”
“Ah-ha.”
The Heresy Inquisitor smiled broadly.
“The Guardian Goddess is Hwiya’s Epithet! The domains she primarily governs are Protection, and Immortality, just as the name suggests! She is a rather powerful divinity, but according to my Pantheon skill, she has currently lost her power due to some matter or another.”
[Sparkle gleams with confirmation—this person is genuine and trustworthy!]
“Gongja, why is that blade suddenly acting up? It’s blinding.”
“Just a moment. Let me dim it a bit…….”
[Sparkle shrieks in protest, begging you to stop!]
In any case, with the former Constellation Sparkle’s confirmation, it was verified (to me alone) that the Heresy Inquisitor’s information was accurate, and Rabiel tapped her chin with the edge of her fan.
“This is troublesome… three different types of enemies, one of each. So we face three Apostles in total.”
“Depending on the Apostle, how much power can be borrowed from the corresponding divinity also varies, making this even more complex!”
“Nevertheless, we can still grasp the general patterns. I’m grateful for the information.”
“Ah-ha, saving this world also benefits our Tower! It is only efficient that we assist!”
“Indeed.”
“Yes! And my other skill, Holy Ritual, allows me to borrow almost all the power of any divinity whose True Name I know! Combined with your strengths, I’m certain we will find a path forward!”
Our strength.
Rabiel and I exchanged a long, searching gaze. Then, simultaneously, we parted our lips.
“Love.”
“Love.”
There are surely many better fighters than us, and many smarter than us as well, but one thing—just one thing—I can say with certainty: we love more deeply than anyone else.
“…Pardon?”
The Heresy Inquisitor tilted his head in confusion.
“This is strange, Four Kings. Watching you two interact so affectionately causes an aching, prickling sensation near my chest. I have never experienced such a feeling before—what could it be?”
“A myocardial infarction.”
“I also hear my Immersion Rate has increased! How should I interpret this development?”
“Well… first of all, please be cautious regarding that Immersion Rate matter.”
If Geumsamae devours the Heresy Inquisitor before the Holy War, everything really will be lost.
I had already warned about this, and Rabiel knew it well. She spoke.
“The ‘love’ I just mentioned has meaning beyond its ordinary sense.”
“What sort of meaning?”
“I’m sorry, but that cannot be shared. Let’s call it a secret weapon.”
“Hmm, without factoring that into tactical planning…….”
“It’s fine. Rather, let us discuss basic tactics and strategy. As a person of power in this world, I can station protective forces wherever I wish at the wedding venue—for instance, borrowing special units from His Imperial Majesty…….”
“Ah, and what is the combat capacity of those special units, roughly…….”
And so Rabiel and the Heresy Inquisitor sat across from each other, continuing their conversation.
‘We can do this.’
These two, once rivals in love—though admittedly one of them is now a different entity—resolving to fight together going forward with such warm harmony stirred some inexplicable optimism within me.
‘This will absolutely work!’
Just as I was bracing my conviction, the Backhoe Spirit poured cold water on my resolve.
-Gongja. Get your head on straight. Three Apostles coming at us is no trivial matter.
‘How serious of a crisis are we talking about?’
-Think of it like about one-and-a-half of the Ravenous Spirits from Floor 12 coming at once.
What kind of absurd unit of measurement is that.
‘But the Ravenous Spirit was a Constellation. What’s coming now are Apostles. Surely Apostles aren’t weaker than Constellations?’
-It was a low-rank Constellation. In Tower ranking terms, probably around D-rank, give or take.
‘The Ravenous Spirit from Floor 12?’
-The Ravenous Spirit from Floor 12.
The Backhoe Spirit, speaking with finality, scratched behind its ear.
-Though considering it’s you, I’m not worried. Or rather, since it’s ‘you two,’ I should say I’m not worried.
As the Backhoe Spirit spoke this way, it glanced at Rabiel.
Having spent so much time with me, it had surely grasped something about the ‘secret weapon’ Rabiel had mentioned.
I felt the same way. Therefore, I did not believe that this invasion itself was something we could not overcome.
But.
—Though honestly, you want to clear this without any casualties, right? A perfect run with zero losses?
‘Yes, that’s right.’
—Then you’ll need to think hard about strategy. Let’s say your clever friend and your husband handle the tactical side of things, but you should work on sharpening your personal combat skills.
The Backhoe Spirit said this with arms crossed, looking down at me.
—Hmm. Now that I think about it, you’re D-rank, aren’t you? You’re not planning to stay at that level forever, are you?
Of course not.
5
And so ten days flew by in the blink of an eye.
“At last, the wedding day has arrived!”
In the Empire, weddings are held in the evening.
Marriage is the union of sun and moon. They say the twilight sky where two celestial bodies mingle is most fitting for a wedding. The more vivid and crimson the sunset, the more auspicious the day is deemed—and today was such a day.
“You look absolutely stunning today, Duchess!”
I found myself surrounded by attendants, experiencing a peculiar emotion.
No fewer than five attendants clustered around me like beetles, coordinating my appearance without pause, ceaselessly exclaiming “How can you be so beautiful!”, “The Duke must feel so fortunate!” It was enough to make my head spin.
“I appreciate it, truly, but all this fuss… couldn’t we tone it down a bit?”
“Absolutely not!”
The attendants responded with conviction.
“At least today, you must become the most magnificent bride in this entire realm! No matter how much virtue lies in frugality and humility, we cannot allow such a thing! Today, beauty itself is the only virtue that matters!”
Ah, I’ve felt this before…
Isn’t this exactly like when the Black Dragon Lord and the great guild masters were making a fuss about shooting my pictorial?
Though there are differences from that time, of course.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Duchess.”
A distinguished elderly gentleman with a finely groomed beard entered the dressing room and greeted me. I had no idea who he was and must have looked bewildered. Seeing my expression, the old gentleman smiled bitterly.
“I am to become your adoptive father. I serve in a minor capacity at the Imperial Palace, managing matters of state. The new Duke of Iveania has told me much about you.”
“Ah…”
Good heavens. Here I was meeting my father for the very first time in my life!
“I… it’s an honor to meet you. That is, well…”
“Please, call me Father, and think nothing of it. I am aware that you do not regard me as your true father in your heart. I assure you, I shall never presume upon your standing to create discord within the Duke’s household.”
The old gentleman bowed with utmost formality.
“I intend to retire from my position after this wedding concludes. Your husband has shown me considerable kindness. Hah. I need no longer worry about my final years.”
“…”
A sigh escaped me. How much effort had Rabiel invested in this day?
For the first time in my life, I spoke this word aloud.
“…Father.”
“Yes, she who shall become the moon of Iveania.”
“I have no connection to high society and am ignorant of politics. Forgive me if this is forward, but what are the Empire’s people saying about this marriage?”
“In a word, it has been a series of unprecedented surprises.”
The old gentleman spoke with measured grace.
“A marriage involving the Duke’s household is equivalent to a state marriage. Organizing such an event in barely more than a month’s time is ordinarily extremely difficult. And then there is the matter of breaking the engagement with the Crown Prince, assuming stewardship of the house—whichever way one looks at it…”
At that moment, the old gentleman fell silent. A considerable commotion had erupted outside the dressing room. The sound of guests murmuring in agitation drifted in.
“…whichever way one looks at it, none of this would have been possible had the Silver Lily Duke not persuaded His Majesty the Emperor.”
The old gentleman stroked his beard and smiled knowingly.
“Duchess, your husband is a most capable man indeed. The very fact that he commands the Emperor’s loyalty is a blessing beyond measure for the Empire. Though this bond between father and child exists only for today’s sake… if I may venture a comment.”
In that very instant, the old gentleman’s eyes narrowed.
Simultaneously, an aura of intensity radiating from his form—nearly rivaling that of the Sword Saint himself—swept through the space.
“Judging by the fact that your husband has also demanded my ‘other position’ and by the security arrangements of the venue, I suspect this wedding may not proceed entirely smoothly.
Captain of the Imperial Household.
And Chief Commander of the Imperial Special Forces—as he spoke these words, the commotion outside the dressing room had transformed into screams.
—Zombie, prepare yourself.
I looked out the window.
—They’ve come.
Just as the Backhoe Spirit said.
[An Apostle of the ‘Reaper of Ruins’ manifests.]
[An Apostle of the ‘Warhorse of the Eternal Plain’ manifests.]
[An Apostle of the ‘Immortal Herald of Happiness’ manifests.]
Two celestial bodies blending and turning the sky crimson.
As that sunset crumbled, the enemies I had long awaited revealed themselves.
SSS-Rank Hunter: Undying by Death (Serial Publication)
Author | Shin Noah
Published by │ Kim Ju-hyeong
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyeok
Address │ 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Post Tower 1st)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
© Shin No-ah 2019
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder and may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from our company and the author.
Violation of this restriction may result in both criminal and civil legal liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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