I Became The Pope, Now What?

"I will help Maxy the best!"

Miraj left Sylvester and quickly flew to the distant edge of the dried swamp. He landed on top of a ridge and quickly vomited the massive cannon. However, once he did that, he found his brain going blank. 

He had no damn clue how to operate the thing. Every single time Sylvester had operated it, he was busy with something. So he never really saw what goes where and what needed to be pressed. 

"Umm… Light crystals and Solarium crystals!" Miraj remembered and immediately vomited out bags of the said material. 

But then again, he had no idea which crystal went into which place. The boxes to store the crystals were massive, after all, and he didn't even know how many to put in. But he wanted to help, and seeing the battlefield, he felt the need to rush it. 

"Umm… What do I do? Shiny crystal go here?" He mumbled, using his little paws to fill up the boxes where the crystals were stored. But he felt annoyed and shoved the entire bags of crystal into the two places, as many as he could fit inside it. However, he failed to notice the red marker inside the storage boxes. 

Bam!

He closed the storage boxes and began to aim the cannon using his mighty paws. There was a well-thought-out aiming system, but since it required some mathematics, Miraj only relied on his instincts. 

"Now what?" He had no clue how to launch the cannon. He noticed various runes here and there and started to tap on them randomly, rubbing the cannon from all sides, frantically meowing and cursing himself for not being more diligent. 

"Mewaaaaa… I hate this!" He growled and randomly smacked the back of the muzzle, where a tiny 'Press Here' was written that he didn't see. 

BOOM!

A blinding light instantly erupted and drowned everything in it. The sound came afterwards, and Chonky reacted by running away from the shining cannon. All the runes on it began to sparkle, and soon, cracks appeared on the cannon itself. 

"Nyo! Don't break!" Miraj screamed. 

But soon, the massive, tens of meters-wide beam of burning light akin to the Wrath of Heavens shot out of the cannon, while the cannon itself broke apart. It was all too blinding for anyone to notice, but to Miraj's luck, he had set the target correctly. 

A little later, when the light diminished, and Miraj took a look, he couldn't help but giggle in excitement and threw his arms at the sky in triumph. 

"Oopsies!" He meowed in shock. "I knew I could do it! Hehe… Maybe I can help him again with more cannons? I got so many."

Miraj, the menace, now knew how to operate the cannon. Being smart from some lessons he had learned, he shifted away to a new place and took out two cannons this time. He shoved in some crystals soon after and pressed the button. 

Boom!

Boom!

"Mwahaha!" he roared in triumph, shooting beams of light with no care. All were aimed at the monster Bloodling, and they did hit the spot. 

…

Sylvester, Malisius and Rathagun watched the sudden release of uncontrolled energy beams hit the monster Bloodling. It was so powerful that the creature couldn't even let out a cry of pain as it got obliterated in the searing light. But then, more beams of light followed and hit the dead body of the creature until it began to burn into ashes, and even the ashes vanished. 

"J-Just stop… It's already dead," Sylvester mumbled his breath, shocked and proud at how Chonky handled the cannon so masterfully. 

Zama'tar watched his pet die so quickly. It angered him, and it was visible, with his dark horns turning bright red and his yellow eyes starting to glow. His hands began to change; the five fingers divided themselves and turned into ten fingers in each hand as if they were flowers of fingers. 

"I had named it Orion—my little pet," Zama'tar said coldly. "A pet for a pet, then, don't you think?"

Zama'tar aimed his disgusting, creepy-looking hand toward Miraj, who was working on the cannons. In his palm, a black bolt of lightning began to form, and the fingers seemingly added a black mist to it as if it were pure solarium from nature, an ability of the elves. 

Woosh!

Then, bolts of black thunder shot out of his palms and travelled towards Miraj. There were dozens of more bolts let out before the first one even reached the target. 

"You can sulk later," Zama'tar said and changed the arm's direction toward Sylvester and the rest. At the same time, his other hand changed shape again, and his fingers stretched out, forming themselves into a long, sharp spear. 

Boom!

However, before Zama'tar could react, another beam of light came from the edge of the swamp and hit him. Then one more, and after that, a few more blasts came and hit him dead centre, throwing him far into the distance in the air and leaving his body steaming and scorched. 

Sylvester chuckled, knowing very well Zama'tar had made Miraj angry. 'Chonky probably ate the black thunderbolts. Let's wait how long it takes for him to realise he can shoot the thunderbolts back.'

"Attack him at the same time," Sylvester suggested and prepared with his Light Sword in one hand. At the same time, he began to use the Wrath of Heaven beam with the other hand without effort and planned for a larger attack. 

Boom!

Sylvester vanished from his spot faster than most eyes could see. Beside him, Rathagun and Malisius followed. When Sylvester immediately indulged Zama'tar in a duel, using the blades and nullifying the black bolts of lightning the demon fired with his own Wrath of Heavens. 

Woosh!

Rathagun joined Sylvester's side and thrust his sword toward Zamatar's head. On top of the sword, layers of green, muddy brown runes and circles hovered. 

Bam!

Countless, thin, sharp arrows appeared out of the runes and hit the demon in the face, surprising him. The arrows had bodies of wood, and the arrowhead was made of hardened stones—the mastery of Earth and Green magic was utilised with the elven martial arts. 

Sylvester supplemented that attack and stepped above his Light Tiles, gaining altitude. Then he swung his arms toward the sky, and the entire ceiling of the dome-shaped shield Sylvester had made began to shine. 

A second later, billions upon billions of sharp, needle-like raindrops of solid, scorching light began falling. They didn't harm Rathagun and Malisius, but when they struck Zama'tar. They pierced into his mortal human skin and imploded, leaving bloodied holes all over him. 

"Wraaaa!" Zama'tar roared like a Demon, his cries muffled and rage rising. "General Zama'tar knows no defeat!" 

Snap!

Zama'tar vanished from his spot and appeared in the distance. It was akin to teleportation, an ability likely learned after absorbing a wizard with such talent. But following that, Zama'tar smirked and raised his palms toward the sky, mimicking Sylvester. 

"No—That's not possible!" Rathagun exclaimed in shock. 

Woosh!

Just like Sylvester, countless needles of solidified light showered everywhere. Sylvester immediately nullified them before they could touch them and do damage. However, this made the sort of situation they were in very obvious. Zama'tar likely had every magical knowledge possible and controlled every element imaginable. 

"Not so fast!" Malisius' draconic voice reverberated throughout the swamp. He appeared from down below Zama'tar, in his complete dragon form. With his jaws wide open, he was ready to devour the demon with his mouth. 

Sylvester rushed forward in that instant, knowing that this wasn't going to work, "You may know what others do—But you can never learn what I invented. Rathagun! Save Malisius. That fool will get himself killed!"

"It's pointless!" Rathagun shouted back, albeit rushing to stop the dragon. "His pride has been hurt. He won't listen to any of us now." 

Sylvester gritted his teeth and raised both his hands toward Zama'tar, as if he was trying to squeeze him. Sylvester felt his entire body strain itself, and his entire face was overtaken by reddening veins. Blood started to spread in his golden eyes, and his nose bled out rapidly. His palms shook uncontrollably, for the force of nature he attempted to manipulate was supreme and too powerful. 

"Please work!" Sylvester gritted his teeth, watching everything happen in a slow motion in his keen eyes. Foolishly, Malisius barely took Zama'tar in his gigantic jaws, and Rathagun missed by a few inches from hitting Zama'tar. 

Bzzzz!

A circular, almost invisible, but solid air appeared around Zama'tar, and he stared at Sylvester in shock. The creepy smile vanished from the demon's face, and he tried to fly out of Malisius' jaws instead of going in like before. 

"You can't escape!" Sylvester shouted and stepped forward, straining each of his steps and bleeding through his veins. "Electromagnetism spares none!" 

"Aaaaa!" Zama'tar groaned, and his flesh started to tear apart as he fought against Sylvester's localised electromagnetic field around him. He tried to use all the magic he knew to get away, but there was nothing akin to what Sylvester was doing. 

"General… Zama'tar… does not lose!" Zama'tar growled and ripped his own flesh apart, appearing like nothing but a punctured corpse of the mostly exposed skeleton. 

"He's too powerful… Level ten?!" Sylvester grunted, finding himself at his limits. "Even a thousand times, the gravity isn't bringing him down… then let's try more!" 

Sylvester had to get closer for that, but each time he took a step, he felt resistance as well. He had never attempted this ability, nor was it natural for his body. 

"Die! Demon!" Malisius roared and, at last, closed his jaws, gulping down Zama'tar completely. An inferno razed inside his mouth, and crimson flames came out of his nostrils. As if it were a furnace, the dragon tried to burn everything to ashes. 

Sylvester never allowed his magic to die down and kept the electromagnetic field ready. He could still feel Zama'tar inside the jaws. 

'Malisius is too weak for him.'

"Sylvester!" Rathagun bellowed just then. "Look down!" 

"Hmm?" By instinct, he did, and right on the dried swamp land, he noticed the skeleton body of Zama'tar standing, waving at him and smiling. 

"Haha!" Malisius laughed in victory. "And the dragon wins!"

But Sylvester knew there was more to it as he noticed Rathagun's horrified expression. No matter how strained he felt, he walked on Light Tiles beside him and took a look. 

"Dear Solis!" Sylvester exclaimed in helplessness.

"He doesn't know," Rathagun added, sweating profusely at how easily one of them fell to the demon. 

Behind Malisius' dragon body was a massive gaping hole big enough that they could see the giant beating punctured heart covered in flames. Blood was oozing out, and death seemed guaranteed. 

In the false sense of victory, Malisius remained hovering. Not even aware that his body was now beyond repair—It wasn't long before there was going to be despair, and he'd be able to afford no cure but just prayers.