The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 356

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Chapter 356

Contact with Uriel was absolutely necessary.

After delivering my message about the matter to Saint Nadia and returning, they called the two of us back in.

“The child just kicked my belly.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The baby inside you is still the size of a fingernail. That’s impossible.”

“Th-that can’t be true.”

“This has already surpassed normal biological law. Sure, it’s a half-angel, even carrying the blood of an archangel, so some anomalies are expected—but for its body to already be formed and moving? That’s absurd.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The child in Luna’s womb couldn’t be compared to any ordinary lifeform.

Luna gently stroked her smooth, flat stomach and said to me,

“Leon, touch it. I can feel life overflowing.”

The way she spoke, like a mother overwhelmed by love, was so adorable I couldn’t help but laugh.

Even the little “prenatal education” rituals she’d been doing suddenly felt meaningful, and that made my heart strangely restless.

“Leon, would you like a daughter? Or a son?”

“No preference—but if all goes well… having one of each wouldn’t be bad.”

Like Melissa and me now—able to rely on each other.

It was just a wish, though.

“Anyway, as far as I can tell, there’s nothing wrong for now. Not that I’d understand the full scope of this. Once Saint Nadia is ready for prayer, she’ll let you know. For now, go home.”

He dismissed us curtly—apparently the matter gave him a headache.

“And Luna Basilin, don’t infuse the baby with holy power at will. It might not survive it.”

She pouted at that, visibly displeased.

We soon received word that Saint Nadia was ready.

She herself seemed eager to help, and since High Priest Diablo had pushed for it strongly, the Holy Kingdom wasted no time preparing.

Inside the sacred cathedral, Saint Nadia bathed in holy water, donned her vestments, and walked barefoot across the marble floor toward the divine statues.

Most of the archangel statues stood unblemished—except Gabriel’s.

Its divine radiance was strangely faint compared to the rest.

“Why is that one like that?”

“Lispa Elde snuck in and vandalized it. She was furious about something—broke only Gabriel’s statue and fled.”

Diablo had restored it, but much of the original holy energy was lost.

And it wasn’t as if they could punish Lispa—after all, even stripped of rank, she was once the vessel of Remiel’s statue.

Punishing a divine messenger would have been sacrilege.

Saint Nadia approached me before beginning her prayer.

“I’m glad I can help.”

“If anything feels off, tell me immediately. This is nothing like what I did for you before—it’s on another level entirely.”

She nodded firmly, determined.

“I’ll do whatever I can.”

First, I activated my fusion ability—Song of Suggestion.

She had grown considerably as a saint, but was still inexperienced.

The Song of Suggestion worked through spoken incantation.

‘Librarian.’

[Acknowledged.]

‘If I combine the verbal form of the Hall of Communion buff, how strong would the effect be?’

[Not recommended. The amount of spiritual energy far exceeds safe limits. Her body or mind might not withstand it.]

As I thought—too risky.

So I decided to raise her potential with the Song of Suggestion, then apply the buff delicately enough not to strain her.

If I could establish stable contact with an archangel, that might allow regular communication later.

As the song flowed, her expression began to change.

I remembered the first time I’d done this—when she’d called me an “old man” and insisted she could handle it herself.

Saint Nadia had not been born noble, after all.

Now, she grasped my arm, newfound confidence in her eyes.

“Honestly, I still don’t understand what’s happening.”

“I don’t know how it’s possible. But… congratulations. I can feel it. Luna’s child will be beautiful—probably.”

She collapsed right after those words, while I began to pluck the strings of a light instrument.

The mingling of melody and spiritual energy enveloped her, resonating with the vast holy power and stigma within her—waves of divine light rippled outward, overwhelming in magnitude.

But with that power spike came danger.

If a stigmatized saint lost control and went into overdrive, the consequences could be catastrophic.

The first to react was Luna, who had been lovingly cradling her belly.

She flinched as waves of energy surged around Saint Nadia—energy akin to what archangels used when opening the Gate of Heaven.

“H-huh?! She’s opening a holy gate!”

“Quickly! Calm the Saint! If this continues, she could transcend her mortal shell and ascend entirely!”

Unbelievable.

So that’s possible—because she’s a stigmatized saint?

Should I be astonished at her potential—or at myself, for triggering it so easily?

I rushed forward and gave the praying saint a light chop to the back of the neck.

“Kyaa!”

With a cute cry, Nadia collapsed, and the surging holy light gradually dissipated, the excess power leaking from her stigmata fading away.

“That buff… you layered it, didn’t you? Remove at least five stacks.”

“What, you think buffs are market goods I can add and remove on a whim—”

“You handed a giant kill-switch to someone who can’t control it. What did you expect?”

“…Fair point.”

I’d have to fine-tune it further.

This was the first time in the Hall of Communion that the problem was a buff being too effective.

* * *

The “saint’s ascension incident” ended as a minor fiasco, but since Nadia still couldn’t fully control herself, I re-calibrated the buff in detail.

Even so, chances of reaching Uriel remained slim.

But at least her prayer would carry immense power.

A saint’s prayer ritual lasted far longer than an ordinary one, and was physically draining.

Normally, such ceremonies were reserved for grand occasions—but this time, she insisted herself, and the clergy didn’t oppose it.

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Unaccustomed to her buffed state, Nadia seemed uneasy but eventually began her prayer. Diablo promised to contact us once her divine revelation came.

Back in Cascadia, Luna was the center of attention—surrounded by spirits and Arsha alike.

“Something’s moving inside.”

Grivy pressed an ear to Luna’s belly, eyes wide.

“It’s warm in there!”

Hearing that, Sur and Serqet leaned in, pressing their tiny heads to her stomach.

Beep! Squeak!

They too jumped back in surprise, then spun around Luna excitedly, chattering and dancing.

According to the Heart of the Machine God’s readings, the baby’s cells had finished dividing, now forming a minuscule embryo.

Its growth was slow—but unmistakably progressing.

“I tried listening too,”

Melissa said with a strange look,

“But I couldn’t hear a thing. I guess spirits are different.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just… weird. Having a niece or nephew now.”

True.

Even I hadn’t fully grasped the reality of fatherhood yet.

Then Grivy turned to me.

“Father.”

“What is it?”

“When the baby’s born, will it be my sibling?”

I hesitated only briefly.

“Yes. Your sibling. But not a spirit like you.”

“I know that. I’ll still be nice to them.”

Grivy, once a twisted fragment reborn as a proper spirit by my hand, was my child in all but name.

“I’ll read them my treasure storybook!”

Grivy darted off, fetched a small book, and began reading aloud beside Luna in a bright, chirping voice.

The baby couldn’t possibly understand, but neither of us stopped the sweet little performance.

* * *

Saint Nadia’s prayer worked faster than expected.

Maybe the buff’s efficiency had been too great—or perhaps some other force intervened—but that very night, a divine revelation came to her in a dream.

A saint’s visions were almost prophetic in accuracy.

She delivered two messages.

The first, a vision of Luna holding a tiny child peacefully asleep in her arms—

a clear sign the baby would be born safely.

The second message, however, was the real issue.

[After Archangel Uriel’s miracle manifested in the royal capital of Baltosma, all trace of him vanished.]

Baltosma.

That was the neutral kingdom where the imperial and Kona academies once held their exchange meeting.

For Uriel’s power to appear there, then vanish completely—that was no trivial matter.

It meant, first, that an archangel had personally intervened, and second, that something severe enough to erase his traces had occurred there.

After some thought, I made my decision.

“I’m going to Baltosma.”

“I’m coming too.”

“No.”

Her brows furrowed at my firm refusal.

“I’ll follow you.”

“You can’t—you’re not alone anymore.”

She was an expectant mother now.

Even if she herself was strong, the life inside her was fragile.

Luna flinched and placed her hand on her belly.

“...Leon. Don’t get hurt. I have a bad feeling.”

Her fingers clutched my arm—whether it was maternal anxiety or true intuition, I couldn’t tell.

But caution never hurt.

Mounting the Shadow Dragon, Baril, I muttered softly,

“To Baltosma. Fly as fast as you can.”

BOOM!

Baril shot skyward like a bullet, piercing through the clouds and streaking toward the destination at terrifying speed.

“Baltosma… Considering the chaos Prince Fedmore caused there, it wouldn’t be surprising if more of those consumed by the Red Moon remained.”

Currently, the archangels were waging war against the Red Moon.

So if Uriel had acted in Baltosma, it must have been related.

Baltosma was a small nation—neutral, but militarily weak.

Easy prey if anyone desired invasion.

And truthfully, not even worth conquering except for a few special locations.

Suddenly, Baril rumbled—a low, warning growl.

“Something’s wrong.”

No sooner had I spoken than a mysterious beam of light shot up through the clouds, shredding Baril’s wing to pieces.

Even layered protection spells couldn’t stop it—one hit, and gone?

That was beyond human capability.

Baril’s healing lagged; his body began plummeting earthward.

I immediately dismissed him into shadow form, severing the strange energy line connected to his wounded wing.

Until he recovered within the shadows, I’d have to manage without him.

Falling freely, I caught sight of Baltosma’s capital below.

“Librarian.”

[Acknowledged.]

“You said you’d know if the Red Moon went on a rampage.”

[Yes.]

“Then what the hell is this?”

The city spread out beneath me—

once a charming capital, now a grotesque ruin.

Its streets crawled with shambling, ghoul-like creatures—similar to undead, yet unmistakably other.

Elegant buildings had melted or been swallowed by corruption; no sign of living humans remained.

While scanning for the source of the beam, my eyes caught a massive abomination.

It was monstrous—gray, patchwork skin stitched crudely together, entrails spilling from its torn belly.

And its face—if it could be called that—was a nightmare,

where eyes and nose should have been were rows of small, tooth-filled mouths, and the main mouth twisted grotesquely into overlapping jaws.

Even someone with a strong stomach would recoil.

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be left alive.

Without hesitation, I drew my blade and accelerated my descent straight toward it.

[Nameless Sword]

[Flash Strike]

[Thunder Crash]

Explosive aura coursed through my body, black sparks crackling.

The towering beast, over fifteen meters tall, rose to meet me, swinging an arm that ended in blood-soaked blades.

Just before it struck, time seemed to slow.

Then—

I carved through its body like a blender through flesh, landing lightly as its massive frame erupted in a storm of blood and sword marks spreading like infection.

SHRAAACK!

With a sickening rip, the creature split apart, chunks scattering in all directions.

“What the hell happened here?”

First priority, find survivors.

Amid the ruins, I finally spotted a small girl trembling inside a half-collapsed house.

A familiar face.

“Rebecca.”

The young spirit-tamer I’d met before—

once bright and cheerful, now pale and terrified, trembling as she whispered my name.

“L-Leon… Cascadia…”

At least one person was alive.

That was something.

Now I could finally learn what had happened here.

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