Chapter 388

"This is Hell, beyond grudges and hatred, the Prison Tower bearing the name of the Château d'If!"

After the emotion, still burning like a dim flame in her voice, faded, a White-Haired Goddess man dressed in green appeared. He looked at Ritsuka, a seemingly pleasant smile appearing on his face, before turning to the girl with a fierce grin.

"I am Heroic Spirit, one of the beings you know, one of the curses that bring darkness to this world."

The White-Haired Goddess man continued, his voice radiating Wrath that seemed to consume him entirely:

"Born of sorrow, consumed by resentment, Wrath, and hatred, ultimately manifesting in the world as an Extra-class being—yes, you'll call me A--"

"... He wants me to live."

The Orange-Haired Girl's words shattered the man's self-narration.

Even though the White-Haired Goddess man in front of her was talking boastfully, Ritsuka didn't know who he was. However, the dark flames residing in the man's soul had been conveyed to her with a deep pain. Therefore, in this dark and sunless prison, the girl saw a golden light emanating from the man's body.

It was a vow that would never fade, a light that would never dissipate.

At the same time, the girl witnessed what was arguably the only time the man before her had ever cried.

On a Small Island somewhere in the vast, dark sea, under the shimmering, incomparably beautiful starlight.

The scene was so vivid and realistic, yet it seemed completely out of place with the man before her, because their auras were so different.

"Yeah..."

The White-Haired Goddess man fell silent, glancing softly at the empty bed in the prison. "So, you also have your own Priest Faria? I'm relieved. If that's the case, then it was worth it to walk this path."

Then he looked at Ritsuka Fujimaru again and spoke once more:

"However... what fate awaits those who wander through Hell is of no concern. Even though this Château d'If differs greatly from the original historical site, it is still Hell, and also a hunting ground, a form created by the Sorcerer King."

The man chuckled as he spoke, seemingly pleased:

"As long as we don't die, as long as we can survive, that's enough. Although it's somewhat twisted, this is the kind of place we're in."

Ritsuka was confused. The man in front of her clearly seemed to want to save her, so why was he saying things that sounded like he was trying to stop her?

"I thought you were like my enemy... but I didn't expect you to be similar to me, Ritsuka Fujimaru. In that case, let me repeat myself, you will call me A--"

Edmond Dantès.

Edmond's expression remained calm as usual after being suddenly spoken to by Ritsuka, but he paused slightly.

"Haha, who knows? Anyway, it's a name that's been discarded. That's definitely not me. I am the Avenger, the eternal Avenger! How could I possibly be worthy of a human name that represents being born and dying as a human? I don't know where you learned this name from, but don't forget, if I'm not satisfied with your actions, I will tear your body apart, even if you have your own Priest Faria!"

"Father Priest? That name..."

Ritsuka pondered the name. She hadn't read "The Count of Monte Cristo," but she did so because she remembered Da Vinci's words earlier.

"Snort."

Edmond snorted after hearing the girl's utter confusion. The human in front of him had been imprisoned in this Prison Tower because of his eye contact with the Sorcerer King. If the Sorcerer King hadn't inexplicably transformed him into the Château d'If, he probably wouldn't have come here.

However, upon arriving and seeing Ritsuka Fujimaru in such a predicament, Edmond recalled that he himself had been in a similar situation years ago. Just as he had saved Priest Faria's mercy, he decided to try to save this last Master of humanity.

That's what Edmond thought, and that's what he planned to do.

In his view, Ritsuka Fujimaru should not fall into the Desire for Revenge, because so-called Revenge is nothing more than running at the top of one's lungs, and such steps will never stop, because what is loved has already been lost, and Avenger can do is roar forever.

If what you love still exists, you cannot roar forever, for the flames of Wrath will gradually erode your heart, causing your original feelings to slowly dry up.

"If you don't know, I have no intention of explaining it to you, but just understand that this is a very important person to you, and that's enough; don't dismiss them lightly."

The man's threatening words, accompanied by a sharp gaze and a smile, were met with Ritsuka's reply as if she hadn't heard them at all.

"I'm just curious, is there a Priest named Favia?"

Upon hearing this, Edmond turned around, his back to Ritsuka, and his tone softened considerably.

"Perhaps, if I were the younger sister."

Chapter 417 The Prison Tower Where the 'Evil God' Resides.

"So there really is such a person, and she's a woman..."

Upon hearing Edmond's words, Ritsuka had a sudden realization. She now understood who the mysterious White-Haired Girl, whom only Ritsuka could see, was when she dreamt of Mash in the Sterile Room in Chaldea.

This must be the Favia that Edmond mentioned, maybe even someone's sister.

As for Da Vinci's earlier words, Ritsuka understood some of them. It was roughly that the two knew each other, but 'Favia' had been hiding in Chaldea and hadn't shown up. However, Da Vinci had a keen sense that she should be there. That was the situation.

"Heh, who knows? Just follow me."

Having said that, Edmond walked out of the prison cell without looking back.

Because of his previous performance, Ritsuka did not hesitate and followed him out.

"Once you enter this place, you can't get out, right?"

The Orange-Haired Girl murmured.

This was a filthy, damp, and dark corridor; just walking through it was enough to make one's eyes, nose, and breath uncomfortable.

Outside the few, low windows, there was no sky, only the dark blue sea. There were no landmarks in the sea, yet it seemed to flow on its own toward some unknown place.

It's hard to imagine whether this is a real scene or just an illusion Maya through Magecraft.

"That's right, there's no way out. The only ones who can leave are those who are human, yet no longer human... beyond redemption."

It was unusual that the man's voice sounded somewhat forlorn.

In Ritsuka's eyes, Edmond was staring at an ordinary wall covered with strange patterns and wild animal-like symbols. To her, it seemed like the idle paintings of people who lived there, but to Edmond, it seemed to be something from the past.

Ritsuka gazed at the wall where Edmond had just been looking. There seemed to be three figures on it, now indistinct, only vaguely recognizable as Humanoid due to the passage of time.

How long will the marks on the wall remain? In a decade or two, we won't even know who left them, let alone that this is just a simulation, not the real place from hundreds of years ago.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at a rusty Great Gate.

Before Ritsuka could even voice her doubts, Edmond calmly replied:

"First, I must tell you simply that your soul is imprisoned. If you wish to escape, you must pass through seven 'Judgment chambers.' If you are defeated in Judgment, you will be killed, and you will die. If you do nothing to welcome the seventh day, you will also die."

"Come, this is the first 'Judgment Chamber,' the first Theater prepared so that you may survive."

Then, he pushed Great Gate.

"Witness it, feel it! The Sin of Envy! The First Ruler is the Theater—"

"Oh my, beautiful lady dressed in gray."

The man wielding the Greatsword turned around and bowed in their direction.

"This is a rare opportunity, and I had hoped to show you my handsome side... Unfortunately, I now stand here as Original Sin! I! Fergus mac Róich, the Chief the Red Branch Knights, and also the former King of Ulster! I have a deep love for beautiful young women!"

Then, not only Ritsuka, but Edmond also stared intently at Fergus.

The reason for this was that, before entering the Prison Tower, Edmond perceived the first "Between of Judgment" to be the "Sin of Envy," while Fergus was supposed to be a character in the second "Between of Judgment," the "Sin of Lust"...

Why the change? Or was it due to a shift in the characters involved Jealousy Room? Or did the Sorcerer King intervene?

These questions began to surface in Edmond's mind one after another.

Suddenly, a wind began to blow across the sea visible from the Prison Tower window, the sea breeze sounding like the Melody of some kind of orchestra.

The sea breeze and the unknown Melody whooshed and swirled together.

At that moment, Edmond laughed, for he remembered this feeling—the very aura of Outer God. Although it was different from the aura of Abigail, whom he knew, it was unmistakably the aura of Outer God.

Perhaps this could be considered a form of struggle, he thought, then turned to Ritsuka and said calmly:

"Pry into the heart. Don't look away, because everyone possesses it, and therefore no one can escape it—the desire for others, the trembling, which in turn gives rise to shallow tears—the sin of lust."

"Come on, Ritsuka Fujimaru, what will you do? Will you protect yourself? Will you fight?"

"Edmond, lend me a hand!"

"Hahaha, no one can escape my fireworks!"

Immediately afterwards, in Ritsuka's sight, Edmond's entire body seemed to transform into black flames, the heat of which was unimaginable. The condensed heat and light washed over everything in this prison, but when all of this subsided, Fergus still stood firm.

It looked somewhat embarrassing, but before Fergus could even think of swinging his Greatsword with the thought, 'What? It didn't do any damage at all,' something else arrived before his mind could even process it: flames poured into his body like rain.

Fergus initially trembled as if in a spasm, but as he leaped backward behind Ritsuka and reached out to grab Edmond, the flames that surged into him turned blue, shattering and exploding him completely, leaving nothing behind.

For Edmond, who had successfully defeated Earl of Card and Od, the Dihuang Alter of Machine God, using the Monte Cristo Treasure during his lifetime, such ease was not surprising. Moreover, upon realizing that in addition to the Sorcerer King's intervention, there was also the intervention of Outer God within this Prison Tower, Edmond felt the power of the Monte Cristo Treasure further amplified.

"That solved it, so fast..."

Ritsuka glanced at Edmond and sensed that he seemed surprisingly accustomed to fighting, especially to someone from the Age of Gods.

Besides studying Magecraft and honing her Flesh, Ritsuka was also cramming on esoteric knowledge. Moreover, the AD 1 marked the complete end of the Age of Gods in most regions, a fact that was common knowledge in the Magecraft World. After all, the neighboring Church also heavily promoted their 'Savior' in this way.

"If that's all there is to it, then I think it's quite fast. But pointless gains bring not only strength, but also misfortune to some place. Of course, considering you are 'Priest Favia,' I will still continue with you."

Edmond smiled and turned to look at Ritsuka.

"Speaking of which, I'd like to ask you, in the era before the Human Order Incineration, did the 'Priest' in Alexandre Dumas's writings manage to escape Hell unscathed?"

Alexandre Dumas? I think he was a writer. My Teacher mentioned him in class, but I've never looked into it...

Edmond's question was far beyond Ritsuka's level. After all, the girl had never even heard of Edmond Dantès, the Count of Count of Monte Cristo, so she couldn't possibly have read Alexandre Dumas's "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Therefore, Ritsuka answered decisively:

"I have no idea."

For some reason, Ritsuka felt that Edmond's smile, which had originally been extremely kind and friendly, had now become terrifying.

"Priest Faria's light of reason shines upon everyone, even if the darkness enveloping you is a deeper darkness, even if what lies ahead is undeniably Hell. No matter who you ask, they cannot refute this assessment."

There was no intention to boast; it was merely a statement of fact.

Indeed, Edmond, who had chosen to hold a sharp fork to Alexandre Dumas's throat when he learned that everything about him was being used by Alexandre Dumas as the Prototype for his novel "The Count of Monte Cristo," also told him the same thing.

For the world-renowned Count of Monte Cristo of Monte Cristo, Priest Faria was such a figure. Perhaps in terms of global influence, the Priest was not as significant as him, but to Faria himself, he was an extremely important figure.

"Is that so..."

Ritsuka murmured, for the voice coming from Edmond's mouth was very heavy.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru, no matter what, how this journey will ultimately turn out, there's only one thing I can tell you."

The man in green, with his back to the girl, gave a wry smile and uttered a sentence without turning his head.

"Wait, and hold onto hope..."

The sound, for some reason, carried a desolate echo, sweeping through the various rooms of the Prison Tower that stood amidst the lonely sea.

If the transformation from Jealousy Room to lust surprised Edmond, the next space was exactly as he had initially perceived: Sloth. However, it then changed again, with Wrath turning into Gluttony, but he ultimately weathered the storm without serious harm.

Thus, what remained standing between Edmond and Ritsuka Fujimaru were 'Jealousy', 'Wrath', 'Greed', and finally, 'Pride'.

"... Let me make this clear from the outset: Wrath, rage, and indignation are what I define as the strongest emotions, whether it's personal resentment stemming from personal factors or public Wrath directed at the world."

In the dimly lit corridor, Edmond closed his eyes. "Similarly, justified Wrath is most captivating, and sometimes, even tragedies caused by Wrath are celebrated; however..."

Meanwhile, as Ritsuka listened to his words, she pushed open the Great Gate to the 'Room of Wrath' that stood before her.

"How dare they deny this! How dare they deny Wrath, the purest of emotions! To talk about salvation and forgiveness as if it were the most natural thing in the world! Unforgivable. Unforgivable! The hypocritical savior is disgusting! That hateful Jeanne d'Arc! The woman who willingly entered the Prison Tower to block my path!"

The figure appearing amidst 'Wrath' is Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, the France Saintess.

"Yes, Edmond, just as you said, I came here to stop you. As someone who once stood with Ritsuka, I must stop you. Moreover, I have no Wrath in me. I will not Judgment Ritsuka. I have no right to do so, nor do I even have such a thought."

At this point, Jeanne d'Arc Ritsuka and nodded slightly to her, then looked back at Edmond.

"Avenger, I will save you, just as the holy banner still shines in the Château d'If."

"Shut up! I am an Avenger from beyond the realm of vengeance!"

Edmond roared with what could only be described as maniacal laughter, "Noble, Divinity! All things are equally worthless! There is no venerable Father Priest here, and since that is the case, even the Lord cannot save my soul!"

"... There's no other way; if talking can't stop you."

"Hahahaha! Come on! I've always wanted to know how God really sees me!"

As Jeanne d'Arc and Edmond confront each other, the entire space undergoes an unexpected transformation, remaining a scene of mixed horror and tragedy, creating a surreal, scroll-like spectacle.

However, something abruptly appeared, and not only that, another Great Gate appeared in the room, as if it had merged with the room itself. That was the room named 'Greed'. In other words, 'Wrath' and 'Greed' did not sit idly by and wait for their doom, but instead joined forces to deal with the attackers.

"Some thoughts cannot be conveyed through words, Saintess. You should know this very well."

A voice came from behind the Great Gate of the 'Greed Chamber'.

"... I understand, I understand completely. But I don't want to give up no matter what."