Who Said A Necromancer Can't Be A Priest?

Leon didn't waste time. He conjured a shining sword made of divinity and charged at Aaran. The Emperor watched on, uninterested, as if he already knew the result. As for the audience, they were on the edge of their seats, eager to watch Aaran's severed head go flying.

But the next moment, they all were stunned into silence.

As Leon got closer, Aaran muttered a single phrase before a blinding light covered everything.

"Chapter One: Hymn of strength!"

Leon was taken aback and tried blocking the attack with his sword, but it was all in vain. Much like his darkness, Aaran's divinity had also evolved overtime, learning and adapting to the darkness within.

To put it in simple words, Aaran's darkness and divinity were fighting a silent war within his body. Each wanted to triumph over the other and, as a result, both elements had far surpassed the limits placed on other users.

Leon's case wasn't any different. His divinity was weak, much weaker than Aaran's, and he paid the price for it.

When the blinding light lifted, gasps filled the entire arena. People couldn't believe their beloved virtue had a missing arm. His sword was nowhere to be seen. The rest of his body remained bruised, like a herd of a hundred oxes had overrun him.

On the other hand, there wasn't even a scratch on Aaran.

However, that wasn't the cause of everyone's shock.

It was divinity.

How could a necromancer, the epitome of evil, use divinity, the blessing of the gods?

While others were taken aback, no one was in a worse situation than Trantua. He finally understood why Aaran insisted on having a public trial. He wanted to confuse everyone after showing off his divinity.

Just like the law demanded the death of every dark mage, it also protected all virtues. It was the reason Trantua urged Leon to be the executor, since even if Aaran miraculously survived, he would get executed right after for killing a virtue.

But there was one condition where Leon's protection would be void.

Since Aaran had showed off he possessed divinity, it only meant he was chosen by the gods and was a virtue. It also meant a new line of virtues would appear overtime.

In other words, the law would protect the new virtues, not the old.

It meant…

"I can kill you, but you can't harm a single hair of mine."

Aaran smirked as he continued walking towards Leon. The former virtue was already on his knees, yet his eyes remained as defiant as ever, even as Aaran brought out his revolver.

"You… planned it all from the start…" Leon mumbled.

"Of course I did," Aaran laughed. "Do you think I'll go around offend the empire's strongest people without a plan?"

Leon took a deep breath. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't help it at that moment. Aaran had outsmarted them, every single one of them. They had gathered to witness a necromancer's death, instead they got to see the birth of a new virtue.

"Do… what you have… to."

"Of course I will," Aaran smiled, pressing the muzzle onto Leon's head.

However, before he could press the trigger, Trantua's voice echoed in the arena.

"I forbid you—"

"Did I ask you to speak?"

Aaran interrupted him. Not only that, he even flipped him off. Trantua was stunned into silence by the disrespect. Oh well, it would be better if he got used to it, since disrespect was the only thing he would get from Aaran, other than an untimely death.

"Don't forget who I am!" Trantua roared.

"Of course I won't," Aaran shrugged. "But do you want your people to know who you truly are?"

That one sentence silenced Trantua. That was the last thing he wanted, but Aaran had made it clear. He didn't give a rat's ass about what the emperor thought about the situation.

"Have you forgotten the law?" Aaran continued. "Only the victor shall leave the arena once a trial through combat is set in place. I'm only following the law you made, your majesty. Certainly it would be a disrespect to leave such matters unfinished."

Trantua clutched the railing so hard, his knuckles turned white, just like Eleanor's face. Even Vericia was worried about her husband. The only one who didn't care about Leon's life or death was his own daughter.

Seraphina was smiling. She didn't care about Leon's life. Perhaps she knew something he didn't. Either way, it was scary for one's own daughter to act in that manner.

"Besides… if I don't kill you, how will I kill your wife next?" Aaran whispered, so only Leon heard him.

Enraged, Leon got up, intending to fight to the bitter end. Unfortunately, that fire of his didn't last long as Aaran shot his knee. Leon collapsed on the ground, with Aaran putting his feet on his head, as if he was announcing his victory.

"Your divinity proves nothing!" one priest yelled. "There are procedures we need to follow before officially announcing that you're a virtue!"

"By proof, you mean you will link my divinity to that of a god. Is that correct?"

Aaran asked, and the priest nodded. The latter was pleased, thinking he bought some time. Besides, all temples had united following the high priest's death. There was no way the temples would grant Aaran the position of a virtue.

Unfortunately, Aaran was already prepared to foil their plan.

"Then there's no point in wasting time," he said.

The priest and Trantua smiled, thinking Aaran was backing down. But his next words nearly sent them into a frenzy.

"I'll ask my goddess to vouch for me!"

"Call a doctor," Trantua smirked. "The boy has lost his mind."

He wasn't the only one. Everyone laughed at Aaran's absurd claim. Even the priest who had devoted all of their lives to the gods could barely hear their divine voice, and Aaran was saying he could make a goddess vouch for his divinity?

All of them were laughing until the sky turned dark and golden lightning was seen over their heads. For commoners, it meant nothing, but the priests knew the importance of the golden lightning.

A god was watching them.