After activating the dragon veins, Saint Raphael used them to temporarily transfer every marked life into the earth veins.
And at this moment, the [White Horse] finally charged straight at Saint Raphael.
Facing the [White Horse] barreling through the air, Saint Raphael raised both the Demon Sword of the Lion and the Demon Sword of the Artisan at the same time.
Golden divine power shimmered and curled around the blades. Saint Raphael's red lips parted slightly as she spoke the Words of Annihilation.
[Eli! Eli! Lama sabachthani!]
[My Lord! Why have You forsaken me!]
"This is… the Book That Praises David's Deeds!"
Erica was far too familiar with exactly what kind of Words Saint Raphael was chanting right now.
As long as you were not the sort of magus who pursued only extreme chivalry and did nothing but sharpen your own swordsmanship, the "Book That Praises David's Deeds" held an irresistible allure.
Because within that book were recorded many taboo, forbidden-curse-class Words capable of inflicting effective damage upon divine beasts, and even upon gods.
For example, the "Continuation Book Words," said to be an ancient, vigorous curse that granted the chanter the ability to harm even a god who "does not submit."
Or the "Holy Severing Psalm," said to be a sacred hymn of slaughter that could destroy Jericho, and eradicate the people and king of Midian from the face of the earth.
Erica knew these rumors were not false.
Before Liliana was summoned by Marquis Voban, the two of them had once taken advantage of the moment when Saint Raphael was dueling her amnesiac disciple (the Campione Tōni) to learn several Words from the "Book That Praises David's Deeds."
Although Saint Raphael demanded that they must not take any of the Words out by using "Transcription" magic to copy them down, Erica and Liliana still relied on their formidable memories to memorize several of the chants.
In the original storyline, the reason Godou could use Erica's weapon to inflict effective damage on Athena was precisely because Erica had used "David's Heavy Blow" to attach the "Privilege of Holy Annihilation" to her demonic sword.
…
On Saint Raphael's side, facing the White Horse rushing in, Europe's strongest female holy knight chanted at high speed.
[My Lord, by day I call, and You do not answer; by night I cry, and You remain silent. Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One, praised by the songs of Israel!]
[All my bones are wasting and breaking. My heart turns to wax, melting within me. Cast me into the dust of death. Dogs surround me; I am tormented by evildoers!]
In the original storyline, this was Erica's strongest spell: the "Words of Golgotha" (Golgotha. In DxD, the planet "Golgotha" is one transliteration of that sound, symbolizing a death akin to the one shared by the Ultra Brothers and Jesus).
It was said that the "Words of Golgotha" were the hymn known as the Song of Calamity, chanted by Jesus Christ at the place of execution on Golgotha, struggling until His strength was exhausted.
When chanting it, enormous focus was required. The surrounding temperature would drop. Ordinary people would lose their sight merely from hearing it, and those with weaker bodies would collapse on the spot. It could easily curse-kill everyone gathered around the caster. It was a set of Words imbued upon the sword, steeped in loathing and despair.
So before using this Words, Saint Raphael cleared everyone out of the surrounding area in advance.
Because she knew that the "Words of Golgotha" she unleashed this time would far exceed even her own expectations.
"…"
As Saint Raphael chanted, an unnamed will seemed to descend upon her body, making the murderous, cursed wind around her even more violent.
"Hm? Saint Raphael's state feels off. I get the sense… beyond simple divine power and the dragon-vein blessing, there's some other 'will' layered onto her."
Erica's perception was undoubtedly correct.
The Words of "Golgotha" were the Words of the Holy Son. And Sai Akuto, in the DxD world, just so happened to possess the status of the "Holy Son."
Using the "Words of Golgotha" as the "Holy Son's knight," Saint Raphael's compatibility with the chant reached the highest level in recorded history.
Originally, Saint Raphael's strength had already reached the level of a holy knight (top-tier devil level). If she truly used David's Words, even if she could not defeat a divine incarnation, she would still be able to inflict a certain degree of damage.
After all, even Erica, before reaching holy-knight level, could still deal effective damage to an unguarded Athena after using David's Words.
A holy-knight-level Saint Raphael, plus the dragon-vein blessing granted by Sai Akuto, would find it effortless to handle a [White Horse] that had not returned to its true body and whose strength had not reached the Super Devil King level.
In theory, even Erica, if granted a Super Devil King level dragon-vein blessing by Sai Akuto, would be enough to defeat the [White Horse].
And the reason Saint Raphael insisted on using the "Words of Golgotha" against the [White Horse] was because she had her own reasons.
At this very moment, sensing the strange resonance between the divine power on her body and the "Words of Golgotha," Saint Raphael had already reached a conclusion.
That Holy Son-sama truly was the one from the Bible.
Once she confirmed that, Saint Raphael suddenly swung both blades down at the same time.
[O you who become my strength, grant me aid, grant it swiftly! Save my soul from the sword, save me from the lion's teeth, save me from the horns of the wild ox!]
[Let me proclaim the Lord's name, and praise Him at the heart of the world, for His goodness is answered with goodness!]
Empowered by the Words of Golgotha, a dark-gold wave of cursed power burst from the Demon Sword of the Lion and the Demon Sword of the Artisan, streaking toward the [White Horse] that was charging head-on.
"Boom!!"
Under the "Words of Golgotha," famed for "curse" and "killing intent," the [White Horse]'s legs instantly went weak, and the sunfire around its body immediately waned.
"Weng…"
The next second, in Saint Raphael's hands, the awl-shaped Demon Sword of the Artisan transformed into a silver divine bow, while the sword-shaped Demon Sword of the Lion transformed into a silver divine arrow.
Drawing the bow and setting the arrow, Saint Raphael erupted with terrifying ultramarine cursed power.
[Mountains of Gilboa, I pray for dew-rain to fall upon you! Offer to the thirsty beasts the sacrifice they crave!]
[Abandon the self, become the shield of the warrior beyond. Shield of Saul, anoint with fat, offer yourself here, and devote yourself upon this ground!]
Blue cursed power gathered continuously upon the longbow, rising and subliming without end.
The Words Saint Raphael was using now were called "David's Words — Song of the Bow."
In the original storyline, after Liliana invoked "David's Words — Song of the Bow," she truly did shoot and wound the Eastern sun god, Perseus (Mithra)!
Unlike the "Words of Golgotha," the "Song of the Bow" was a summoning-type release spell. While it would likewise lower the temperature of the surrounding air, the sensation was different. Erica's felt closer to being cornered to desperation, where despair and hatred flooded outward until the atmosphere seemed to boil. Liliana's, by contrast, was a sorrow that seeped into the heart—like the melancholy, regretful lament of the dead, or the chant of a warrior already weary of battle.
All in all, like the "Words of Golgotha," the "Song of the Bow" was a powerful Words with the might to harm a god's flesh.
While using the "Song of the Bow," Saint Raphael felt the same kind of resonance she had felt when using the "Words of Golgotha."
So it was true.
Sai Akuto—this "Holy Son"—was indeed the Holy Son from the Bible.
[But then what is happening?]
[There is no doubt that Akuto-kun has always been himself. He is neither an "unsubmissive god," nor a Campione.]
[Could it be that he was born as a new-era "Holy Son," and only now has he fully understood his mission?]
Even while splitting her attention, Saint Raphael continued thinking about Sai Akuto's situation as she completed the chant of the "Song of the Bow."
[Jonathan's bow will not retreat without drinking the enemy's blood! Saul's sword will not return to its sheath without chewing the flesh of warriors! Until this body is defeated!]
[O Jonathan's bow, weapon of a hero swift and vigilant as a lion…]
[Run, and crush your enemies!]
"Sh-sh-sh-sh!!"
Four ice-blue magic arrows flew out, leaving several beautiful arcs in the air, before striking the White Horse simultaneously—carving four wounds into its platinum-white body, each one flowing with golden blood.
Now, with the double curse-power of the "Words of Golgotha" and the "Song of the Bow" layered onto it, the [White Horse] fell into an unprecedented state of weakness.
…
"Erica!"
Saint Raphael looked toward Erica.
"Understood!"
[O dragon! Lurking within the earth, commanded by Heaven, a dragon that gathers the essence of Heaven and Earth!]
[In the name of my Lord Sai Akuto, to subjugate the thing that destroys the earth!]
[You! Come at once!]
"Boom!!"
Holding the "Prometheus" Tablet, Erica activated both a dragon-qi assault and the power of the Prometheus Tablet at the same time!
"Roaaarrrr!!!"
Several golden true-dragon phantoms surged out, piercing straight through the [White Horse]'s body.
Right after the dragon qi, Prometheus's divine power arrived in tandem, completely wrapping the [White Horse]'s body!
"Weng…"
A few seconds later, the White Horse turned into a golden orb of light that flew into the Prometheus Tablet, falling silent with no further reaction.
"It… it worked!"
Erica gripped the Tablet—now noticeably hotter than before—and was overjoyed.
Even if they had relied on Holy Son-sama's power, they truly had succeeded in capturing a divine incarnation!
"Yes, it worked."
"With this [White Horse], Erica, you should be able to handle a divine incarnation on your own."
"According to Holy Son-sama's arrangements, we split up next. That should be fine, right?"
Saint Raphael spoke as if asking Erica, yet she had already mounted her horse and shot into the sky.
"Other divine incarnations, huh…"
Erica clenched the Tablet and raced toward another coordinate.
…
Elsewhere.
On Sai Akuto's side.
While Saint Raphael and Erica were collecting divine incarnations, the battle on Sai Akuto's side was also approaching its finale.
The war god had stood in place the entire time. The dead branch in his hand seemed to contain endless transformations, as he launched a direct attack at Sai Akuto.
Sai Akuto halted as well, holding his branch at his waist, poised between offense and defense.
Where their gazes met, a nameless artistic conception seemed to condense into substance and collide in midair.
The next second, the two stepped forward at the same time.
Two olive branches clashed again and again, throwing off golden sparks.
In the end, there was no earthshaking explosion.
Only a faint "crack."
The two figures crossed and came to a stop, and the branches in their hands simultaneously turned to golden dust, scattering into the evening wind.
(End of Chapter)
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