IBHJ Chapter 959

Enos shook her head. "You don't understand. The ancestors' agreement isn't just some old rule we can toss aside. The Gandharans changed everything for us. Their culture, their knowledge—it opened our eyes to the world. Before them, we were..." she paused, searching for the right words. "We were lost in ignorance."

Her eyes flashed with a mix of shame and determination. "And how did we repay them? With bloodshed. With greed. People like you drove them away. In the past, it was because of many greedy and stubborn people like you that we committed a history of blood and sin against the people of Gandhara who came from afar, and the surviving people of Gandhara were unwilling to contact us again. That's why our founders made that pact—to protect what's left of the Gandharans, to make amends for our sins."

The leader's face hardened, "Pretty words, Enos. But they don't change anything. If you won't hand him over, we'll hunt him down ourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, the leader's hand darted into his robes, emerging with a ram-headed staff. His lips moved in a rapid, guttural chant. The air behind him twisted and warped, and in an instant, a black distortion appeared behind him, from which a nightmarish horde of locusts with sharp wings, scorpions trailing venom, and spirits with hollow, hate-filled eyes flew out, carrying strong curses straight towards Enos.

Grandma Enos's fingers tightened around her cane then she slammed its base against the ground. Light erupted from the wood, and the air around her began to churn.

What started as a breeze quickly became a storm. Grandma Enos stood at its eye, unmoved as the storm raged. Lightning crackled through the spinning winds, each bolt a jagged blue streak of destruction. Then, boom! Thunder boomed, drowning out the unholy screeching of the leader's minions.

The swarm hit the wall of wind and lightning. Insects were shredded, their remains thrown everywhere by the twister's merciless force. Spirits wailed as electricity tore through their ghostly bodies, wiping them out completely.

Seeing this, Morrigan pointed at Enos. "That's the power of the god of wisdom. But back in the Aztec era, that power was taken by the Feathered Serpent God."

Shirou nodded, but he couldn't quite picture Enos, who could barely walk, still having any of the wisdom god's power left in her.

"That old woman probably doesn't use her divine power much, so some of her god's blessing is still there. But she's in danger," Morrigan said.

He looked at her. "Shouldn't a god's power be way stronger than those guys? How is Grandma Enos in danger?"

"That may be true, but in terms of scale, they're not even close."

As soon as she finished speaking, the storm around Enos started to weaken, while the group of vengeful spirits on the leader's side grew stronger.

The leader's face twisted into a cruel smile. With a savage grin, he slammed his ram-headed staff into the ground. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the ram's eyes blazed to life, shooting out sickly green flames. The fire spread rapidly, tracing a pattern in the air.

Reality itself seemed to tear. Where there was nothing just a second ago, a monstrous gate suddenly appeared. Bones and twisted flesh formed its structure, faces frozen in eternal agony peered out from its surface, causing the stench of decay to assault their senses.

Enos stumbled back, her face ashen. "No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It can't be."

Finding her voice, she shouted, "The Gate of the Underworld? That's impossible!" Her eyes wild with disbelief, "The Underworld should be gone! How? How can you summon something that no longer exists?"

Grandma Enos couldn't tear her eyes away as the Gate creaked open. Its massive doors moved with the sound of a thousand dying breaths.

A pale blue mist seeped out of the widening gap. This wasn't just any fog—it was pure underworld essence, bringing emptiness and death with it.

The ghostly mist touched everything in their path. Grass shriveled and turned to ash. Flowers drooped and crumbled. Even the air went stale, like all the life had been sucked out of it.

The mist picked up speed, swirling faster and faster. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a massive whirlpool of death. The whirlpool screamed with an otherworldly hunger, and Grandma Enos's power—her gift from the gods—was helpless against it.

Her protective storm was ripped apart. The lightning that once obeyed her now flickered weakly as it was pulled in. Her mighty thunder faded to a quiet rumble.

With a sound like a giant slurping up the last drop of a drink, the whirlpool gulped down the last bits of the Wisdom God's power. The pale blue mist pulsed, stuffed full of divine energy.

Then, with a final groan, the Gate of the Underworld slammed shut.

Everything went quiet. The only sound was Enos's ragged breathing.

She looked at the leader in disbelief. "Why? The Underworld is gone and the Death God has fallen. How do you still have this power and the ability to summon the Gate?

The leader's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, Enos. You thought you were so clever, hiding that Gandharan. Did you really think we wouldn't notice your little game?"

Enos froze. Her mind raced, connecting dots she'd refused to see before. Everything fell into place, and the cane creaked under her tightening grip.

"No," she whispered. "It can't be... You're not—"

Her voice rose, trembling with a mix of fury and fear. "You... you're..."

She understood now. If she couldn't figure out why they were capturing people from Gandhara and how they were restoring their fading divine power after all this time, then the Wisdom God's blessing truly had been wasted on her.

The leader said with twisted conviction. "We're the saviors Maya needs!" He spread his arms wide, as if embracing a grand vision. "Everything we do, we do for Maya's future!"

"What did you say?"

The leader's eyes blazed with a wild light. He waved his arm around, pointing at everything around them. "Open your eyes, High Priestess Enos!" His voice cracked with desperation. "Just look at what's happened to our world!"

He stepped closer, words spilling out faster. "Remember how it used to be? In the past, we were divided into two factions because of the Gods fighting for control, and we fought fiercely. But that wouldn't destroy this world. But what about now?"

"The gods are gone!" he yelled, spit flying from his mouth. "Our holy city—once so great—now just a sad, empty shell!" He jabbed his thumb at his chest. "And what about us priests? We used to speak for the gods! People looked up to us!"

His voice dropped to a growl. "Now we're nothing. Even rats look down on us." He spat on the ground. "Adventurers, adventurers, adventurers... This world is twisted! It needs to be fixed! It needs to be returned to how it was!"

The leader stared at Enos, his eyes feverish and crazy. "This world needs saving, and we will save it!"

"Save it? No. This is all about getting what you want." Grandma Enos said calmly.

"So what if it is? So what if it isn't? Tell me, Enos—does it even matter anymore?"

The leader sneered, then reached out to her. "High Priestess Enos, you have two choices. Either join us, and we will restore your divine power and give you power beyond the gods. Or, disappear right here."

Enos's lips curved into a small, sad smile. "It sounds like I only have one choice, doesn't it, child?"

"Smart woman." The leader's eyes gleamed with triumph. He could almost taste victory. Having the wisdom god's former High Priestess on their side would be a huge win. "So, what'll it be?"

"Do you know," she said softly, "the great Lord once told us something important. He said the most precious thing humans have isn't some divine blessing." She tapped her chest, right over her heart. "It's respect."

The leader's smug grin began to falter.

Grandma Enos shook her head, "So, I'm afraid I'll have to say no. I hope you can forgive me."

The leader's face froze for a moment, then contorted with rage. "Fine!" he snarled. "Go join your precious Lord God!"

With a vicious sweep of his staff, the air around him shimmered. Ghostly forms materialized—spirits twisted by hatred and pain. They swirled together, merging into a wave of pure malice. The curse surged forward, a tsunami of darkness racing towards Enos.

Grandma Enos closed her eyes.

In that moment, her life flashed before her. Not with regret, no. Her path as a priestess had been one of devotion and purpose. But sorrow washed over her—sorrow for seeing the fall of the gods she had served so faithfully. And the helplessness of not being able to help the person from Gandhara who was being hunted.

"Fall into the endless abyss and regret!" The leader burst into maniacal laughter.

What could be more joyful than personally taking down a former top figure?