The Pillar of Light, the Apostle and the Goddess:

The Pillar of Light, the Apostle and the Goddess:

I shouldn't have stopped at the park for this long on my way to school. But, I couldn't find the dog and her pups in the park.

'Were they adopted or something?'

As I was making hurried steps towards the school gate, I could see the last-moment rush of students to get into the school to avoid getting late. Suddenly, from above, a guy on his wyvern landed before the school gate.

After getting its snout caressed by its master the familiar flew away. Though the public usage of skills is prohibited, you can use your familiar as a travel aid if you have it licensed. It's hardly shocking to see a wyvern, but a high school student with a license is.

'The summoning skill, huh. The most common skill in this world. The skill would be the coolest skill if it didn't have the summon limit of 2 or in some rare cases 3.'

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Fortunately, I wasn't late. Ms. Anna, our teacher, arrived not long after me and began taking attendance. 

A girl barged in right in the middle of class. She wasn't panting or sweating, and she didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that she was late. 

Her face had that same nonchalant expression, not a single shred of guilt for being late. 

She had black hair and brown eyes, a bit on taller side in height but the most apparent feature of that girl was that she was wearing an eyepatch... 

Was that a cosplay, fashion, or there really was just one eye on that girl's face, no one in the class knew. She's a mystery girl. 

Ms. Anna asked why was she late. After the teacher was satisfied with her reasons she let her go. 

The other girls started snickering at her. Soon the test started and everyone got busy racking their brains for answers. It was the same regular day, those same regular conversations and same regular shenanigans. 

But. With no signs, no forewarnings. Something irregular happened in this place. Something that destroyed this regular. Something that would change the world, something that was the catalyst for humanity's demise.

Something that made the worst enemy humanity and this world could ever face....

I was lost in my own thoughts when a column of light plummeted from above and engulfed me as a whole.

"What the heck!!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

The light was bright but it wasn't blinding, so I didn't have to close my eyes. I was inside of what seems like a cylindrical pillar of light. It felt like an entirely different dimension, everywhere I could see was yellow light. As I was still in shock from what was happening, a grey rectangular screen flashed in front of me.

There were unknown symbols written on it, but they quickly translated to a language I could understand.

[ Initializing Soul Strengthening . . .]

[ Soul Strengthening complete. . . . 1%]

'What is this?... a hologram!?' as I tried to apprehend what this transparent grey screen floating in thin air is, a realization dawned on me.

'No... this is a Fuking status screen, is it not?'

[ Soul Strengthening complete. . . . 11%]

I regain a bit of my composure.

'Is it the final re-awakening of my skill or something? My own skill... 

Finally, I'll have some supernatural stuff!

After all those years of self-pitying!

Well, it wasn't like I faced any problems due to being unable to use my skill. In fact, in this society, just showing a Skill Possessing Individual Certificate eliminates most possibilities of getting alienated or bullied. Using skills in public without a licence is a crime or as the people of this world say, a 'SIN'. So, no one knew that I didn't know first shit about my skill.

'But I was still suffering from imposter syndrome.'

 

[ Soul Strengthening complete. . . . 52%]

 

'I am excited!'

Still, when will this light go away? I am reluctant to touch it, something deep within me was reluctant to touch it, I feel like I'll get burn into ashes just by touching it.

As I waited, the unknown process in front of me progressed on its own

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[ Soul Strengthening Complete. . . 52%]

I don't know why? But it's stuck at this number for quite some time, 1 min 48 sec to be exact.

?!

' !!.... Oh, the screen changed...'

[Soul Strengthening failed!!! ]

'Wha....???'

[ However, loading of the system... successful. . .]

The light beam around me started to fade and then it disappeared completely.

I felt relieved but when the pillar of light disappeared, what welcomed me was the site of mass panic. The teacher was calling at the students to not panic and evacuate in an orderly way. 

Ms. Anna was standing in the corner of the room, assisting students with their evacuation. Her expressions which were tensed, relieved as she noticed the fading of the pillar of light.

They must be thinking that I activated a bomb or something... Well, why wouldn't they think such... From their point of view, some guy activated his skill in the middle of a class for apparently no reason. Or for the reason to kill everyone with him. 

This is bad... this misunderstanding can label me a Sinner.

'I need to make myself clear.'

Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth.

*ZWOOBOOOOOM*

A ear-bursting burst of sound erupted outside. It wasn't me...

A thunderclap?

No... the sky was crystal clear just now. Then... a Guardian?

'Shit! They are already here to apprehend me, huh.'

A sword pierced the wall of the class, it slashed a "brick" wall to make a door. 

'Such effect can never be achieved by ordinary swords... slicing brick like butter...'

From that "Door", an extremely handsome man, in silver armour emerged. 

That silver armour had a red cross on the chest. Long hairs, handsome face. And.... a wing of features on the back. He is not a Guardian, no... he is something far more powerful, he is a freaking Apostle.

"The boy.... and the girl... hmm... Two of em' huh...", muttered the armoured man donning an indifferent expression.

'Girl?'

I looked behind to see the girl wearing an eyepatch also stood there, that pillar of light, did it fell on her too?

An Apostle is here, to get us. This isn't something ordinary, whatever that pillar of light was it was definitely related to the goddesses or something like that.

'Hah.... keep calm. He's can't kill me straight away, it's not like that pillar of light harmed anyone in the school anyway... probably. He is an Apostle. Apostles are Goddess's aids, he can't harm me without a proper trial at least not in public. He has an image to uphold.'

'I should tell him properly what happened.'

"S-Sir, listen, I haven't d-done anything.... that pillar of light. I don't know anything about that... I promise... it has no connection with terr--" I started down calm but stuttered as I went on, panicking, thinking of worst.

Cutting my words off, he said, "Of course, you don't know anything about it. The last time it happened was 700 years ago. As for the connection... Well, you do have it. Anyway, both of you. The boy and the girl... Goddess Helastia wants to have a conversation. You need to come with me."

'What the goddess needs to talk with us?'

"With all due respect, I am not a citizen of Goddess Helastia's country, please contact this country's prime church before taking me anywh--", shouted the girl behind me.

"Sigh.... this matter concerns the fate of the whole world, besides there is no need for those petty formalities."

Huh?

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We are inside a palace... a pretty grand looking if I have to say. We are waiting for the Goddess. Other than me there are two more people in this chamber, that eyepatch girl and the Apostle. I noticed that the eyepatch girl has her bag with her... 

The Apostle doesn't seem to mind so, it's okay, I guess?

'Well, unlike us boys, most girls carry necessary items with them, no surprise they bring their big purse everywhere they go... haha!'

*Sigh...*

Eugene Von Helasthede is the name of this tall figure in silver armour with a Greek God's visage. 

After we arrived, he informed us his name and that he is an Apostle. Which I had already guessed. 

The Apostles have only one purpose, to obey their respective Goddesses. Apostles aren't humans.

They are some sort of divine beings who came along with the goddesses in this world... to carry out their orders. They have enough power to decimate an entire mountain in the blink of an eye. Not many people in this world know how the Goddesses or the Apostles actually look. The only way by which we ordinary folks can identify an Apostles is their signature silver armour with a red cross on the chest.

I tried to ask him about what was happening, the guy said nothing. After introducing himself the guy literally didn't utter a word.

'If we want to know anything more, I guess we'll have to wait until the Goddess arrives.'

After waiting for a few more minutes, the Apostle irritatingly pointed his hand forward, a cloudy bluish-black portal like thing started to form ahead of us.

'Looks like he lost his patience, did the goddess tell him to wait until she called?'

The Apostle proceeded to move inside the portal and told us to follow him to the Goddess on the other side.

'I am a bit reluctant to step inside, but it must be safe, right?'

I entered the portal along with the eyepatch girl.

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I could see a dazzling white room on the other side of the portal with multiple pillars and shimmering geometric patterns on the wall. Above my head, there is a glass ceiling through which I could see the usual bright blue sky with white clouds scattered about.

I can tell that at least this is not some 'other dimension' or that kind of place. We're still on this planet!

There is a faint pleasant air flowing in my lungs. Also, a thick, dense fog floats near the floor.

In front of the room, several gorgeous men are standing on the stairs leading to a platform, clad similarly to Edmund. And on the platform, a beautiful figure was standing.

That figure was of a woman... a stunningly gorgeous woman, so breathtaking that no words could adequately describe her. Eyes of azure crystal. 

A thin tiara adorns her blonde hair. She also had a great hourglass figure, which was accentuated by her white dress with gold embroidery. The area below her knee is shrouded in a delightful fog. She appears to be an angel between the clouds... 

No, she looks just like she should. She is, without a doubt, Goddess Helastia.

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" --elcome. You were all summoned here, to save this world from a cruel catastrophe that comes again and again to haunt this world. To become the hero you are all meant to be. To fight the Devils... To protect the people of this world... Please lend me your hand... to save this world."

The Goddess wasn't speaking to us, she was speaking to the group that was already present here.

Most of what the goddess was saying, was common knowledge at least for the people of this world. 

But it did surprise me to think that I will witness the rise of the devils during my lifespan, it surprised me for sure... to witness a historical moment...