Chapter 132: The Blasphemer's Blessing
"Only you... only you, who does not belong to this world, can change everything..."
The words echoed in the silence, a final, fading whisper from Yae Rin before she vanished completely. Her parting message only confirmed what Rovel already suspected: this world, this memory, was trapped in a suffocating, repeating cycle.
There was no need to rush. With a deliberate act of will, Rovel pulled his consciousness back, retreating from the Stigma Space and returning to the familiar, ethereal landscape of the Elysian Realm.
"How did it go? Any progress?" Klein's calm voice greeted him, her concern evident in her focused gaze.
Rovel sighed, shaking his head. "It's as I feared. I need to sink my entire consciousness into the Stigma Space. A partial projection is useless; I can't exert any real power that way." He paused, a frown creasing his brow. "Worse, I can feel the very rules of that space suppressing me. Even if I go all in, I estimate I'll only be able to access about a tenth of my true strength."
He brought his hands together, offering a slight, respectful bow. "To prevent any unforeseen accidents, I hope I can count on your support if things go wrong, Klein."
"Of course. I understand." Klein nodded, her agreement immediate and without hesitation. "Lie down. I will attempt to connect to your Stigma Space once you are fully immersed."
"Ah... shouldn't we make more preparations?" Rovel asked, a little taken aback by her readiness.
He knew that while the concept of Stigmata was originally proposed by Mobius, they had undergone countless mutations and transformations over the millennia, passed down through bloodlines and altered by circumstance. They were now almost entirely different from the original versions.
For instance, the Stigmata within his own body originated from Yae Sakura, a power inherited, not self-generated. Then there was the Schariac Stigmata, which had mutated over generations to produce the phenomenon known as 'Holy Blood.' These were clear proof that Stigmata were living, evolving variables.
Fifty thousand years separated the present from the first group of warriors implanted with the prototype Stigmata. No one could possibly know the full extent of the changes that had occurred in that vast span of time.
'So... is this really going to be okay?' he thought, a flicker of unease passing through him.
"Among the previous challengers who entered the Realm, we encountered one or two Stigma Awakeners," Klein explained, sensing his apprehension. "Dr. Mobius has already conducted some preliminary research in this area."
"I see," Rovel murmured, his tension easing slightly. 'Leave it to Mobius to have already poked and prodded at this problem.''Well, hopefully, everything goes smoothly.'
Taking a deep breath, Rovel activated the Jizo Mitama once more. This time, he didn't hold back, allowing his entire consciousness to be drawn into the vortex, merging completely with the world within the Stigma.
The transition was jarring, but the result was immediate. He clenched his fists. The phantom limbs no longer felt weak and insubstantial. A satisfying surge of power—a mere fraction of his true strength, yet a world away from the helplessness he'd felt before—coursed through him. It was only a tenth of his full might, but that was a force not to be underestimated.
He quickly finished the rice ball in his hand, the simple food grounding him in this new reality, and then began to search for Yae Sakura. It didn't take long to find the source of the disturbance.
"Before that man appeared, monsters never showed up in this village!"
The angry shout drew Rovel's attention to a nearby house. Inside, a group of villagers was crowded together, their faces contorted with fear and rage in the flickering lamplight.
"He must have brought this calamity! We have to drive him away, now!" another voice roared.
"My husband was killed by a monster!" a woman shrieked, her voice thick with grief and accusation. "That man must pay for it!"
Faced with the rising tide of fury, Yae Sakura stood alone. She lowered her head, her eyes closed as if to brace herself against their hatred. "There is no evidence to prove he is connected to the monsters that have appeared recently," she said, her voice strained with a patience that was clearly wearing thin. "Please, just give me some time. I will investigate this thoroughly."
"What's left to investigate?" a man scoffed. "Isn't it the duty of a Shrine Maiden to protect the village?!"
Not a single person in the room seemed to agree with her. The atmosphere grew thick and heavy, a deadlock of anger and suspicion.
"Lady Shrine Maiden," a cold, authoritative voice cut through the din. "Even if that man has nothing to do with the monsters, you must not forget that the day of the ritual is fast approaching."
Yae Sakura's head snapped up. "Fa... Lord High Priest, are you suggesting we use him as the sacrifice? But the rules of the ritual clearly state..." she argued, a note of desperation in her voice.
"I received a divine decree last night," her father declared, his voice devoid of any warmth. "He is a blasphemer. Offering him to the gods will appease them and protect Yae Village." He leaned forward, his eyes like chips of ice. "It has not rained in this village for three months, Sakura. Do you truly wish for Rin to have died in vain?"
At the mention of that name, Yae Sakura flinched as if struck. An image of her sister flashed through her mind—Rin's bright, innocent smile, the look in her eyes just before she died.
'Sister, you must become an excellent Shrine Maiden!''The Shrine Maiden must offer sacrifices to the gods!''The demands of the gods are absolute!'
A wave of malice, sharp and cold, washed over Yae Sakura from the villagers, chilling her to the bone.
"The Lord High Priest actually heard a divine decree?"
"If the Lord High Priest says it, it must be true!"
"Seize him! Make him the next sacrifice!"
CRACK!
The shoji screen door of the meeting room slammed open, kicked off its runners. Rovel strode into the suffocating silence, his gaze sweeping over the ugly, fearful faces before him.
Yae Sakura looked up, her eyes widening with disbelief as she saw him.
"A 'divine decree'?" Rovel crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "What utter nonsense. By that logic, I could say I dreamed of a god last night who told me that Lady Yae Sakura and I are a match made in heaven and that we should be wed as soon as possible."
The sheer audacity of his statement left the villagers momentarily speechless.
"You bastard!" one man finally sputtered, pointing a trembling finger. "How dare you blaspheme the Lady Shrine Maiden! You will be struck down by Divine Retribution!"
"Blaspheme?" The corner of Rovel's mouth curled into a confident smile. He took a step forward, reached down, and gently took Yae Sakura's hand. Then, right in front of everyone, under her completely dazed gaze, he leaned in and kissed her.
"Mmmph..."
A fiery blush instantly bloomed across Yae Sakura's cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. Her body went completely limp in his arms, her entire weight leaning against his chest as if her bones had turned to water.
Rovel pulled back just enough to look at the man who had shouted. "Alright," he said, his voice laced with provocation. "Where is this 'Divine Retribution' you were talking about?"
"You... you..." The man was so apoplectic he couldn't form a coherent sentence.
"Like I said," Rovel continued smoothly, his arm still securely around Sakura's waist, "I dreamed of a god urging us to marry. If you don't believe me, just watch. The god will send down a blessing for us right now."
He casually pointed a finger toward the doorway.
Outside, the sky had been perfectly clear, shimmering under the oppressive heat. But as they watched, a single, dark spot appeared on the parched earth. Then another. Within moments, a light, gentle rain began to pitter-patter down from the heavens.
"How is this possible?!" Yae Sakura's father shoved past the others and rushed outside. He held out his hands in stunned disbelief as the cool drops of rain fell into his palms.
It was real. It was actually raining. But he had clearly...
He spun around to look at Rovel, only to see the young man holding his daughter, a knowing smile on his face.
"It's really raining! It's raining!"
The other villagers scrambled out of the house, their anger forgotten. The cool raindrops fell on their faces, a welcome relief that washed away the sweltering summer heat. Though it was only a light shower, it was more than enough to make them believe Rovel's words.
But just as quickly as it began, the rain stopped. The slightly damp ground was the only proof of the miracle that had just occurred.
"It must be sorcery! That's what it is!" Yae Sakura's father shouted, desperately trying to sway the crowd back to his side.
"Hey," Rovel's voice cut in, calm and clear. "You might want to choose your words more carefully. You are, after all, speaking to the man who just prayed for rain for all of Yae Village."
The High Priest froze, suddenly noticing the strange looks the other villagers were giving him.
Whether what Rovel did was a divine blessing or mere sorcery was irrelevant. The fact remained that he had simply pointed outside, and the heavens had opened. He was the one who had brought the rain.
To these simple, ignorant villagers, the one who could answer their prayers for rain was the true High Priest. They cared only for immediate benefits, not for dogma or tradition.
Rovel smirked inwardly. He had them. He could have manipulated this world to conjure a torrential downpour, and it would have cost him nothing. Their only goal was to get rain, and he had delivered. His gambit had blocked both of Higokumaru's paths.
Now, whether the entity controlling this Stigma Space made it rain or not, it could no longer achieve its goal of tormenting Sakura. Rovel had seized control of the narrative.
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