What should I do?
How should I handle this?
This was the first time I was experiencing something like this since coming to this world.
Thinking back, I had just been swept away like I was on a rollercoaster after arriving here. It’s not like I hadn’t acted proactively at all. However, even when I did, it often turned out that my plans or ideas succeeded not because of my own efforts, but rather because my actions coincidentally overlapped with the enemy’s movements.
There were enemies wherever I went. And those enemies were beings I could somehow manage with my powers.
I had never made an effort to track the enemies or deduce their thoughts. Even if I couldn’t find them, they would have come looking for me anyway.
But that ‘faith’ I had in that was shattered for the first time.
Just in case, I had asked for a search around, but no matter how much we dug, there were no signs or evidence of other demons in the vicinity.
“Speak.”
In the end, all I could do was interrogate the demon that had come to me—a bait.
I gripped it tightly with both hands, looked it straight in the eyes, and asked again.
“Where did the others go? What are they planning? Why were you trying to deceive me?”
“I-I don’t know! That guy just told me to go find you! He never said where he was going!”
“If that’s a lie—”
“By the gods! I swear by the name of Demon God Baal, I really don’t know anything!”
Feeling the restraints gradually heating up again, the owl-shaped demon flapped its wings frantically, shouting loudly. One of its wings was already broken and couldn’t spread properly.
“Clara.”
Still glaring at the demon, someone gently placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Andrea standing there.
She shook her head at me and said, “Stop it. You probably won’t get anything more out of him. Even if you manage to extract some information by inflicting pain, there’s bound to be an issue with its reliability. There’s a chance he might just say anything to avoid pain. And—”
Andrea’s gaze shifted to my hands.
“In a situation where lying means death, the possibility of someone who is extremely afraid of death telling a lie is infinitely low.”
Only then did I follow Andrea’s gaze back to the owl demon that barely hung from my hands, its neck and wings drooping. Thankfully, it was still breathing.
“We’ve already lost too many sources of information. Losing what little we have left would be too much of a loss.”
Andrea said this as she stepped forward and reached out toward my hands. I willingly handed over the owl demon to Andrea. She carefully tucked the barely-moving demon under her arm.
“The deed is already done. Now we must anticipate what will happen next; we can’t dwell on what has already failed.”
“……”
I lowered my head, clenching my fists tightly.
“……anyone—”
Andrea opened her mouth to say something but stopped mid-sentence. She gazed silently at me for a moment before letting out a small sigh and gently patting my shoulder.
“……take a break. I’ll go rebind the demon and return.”
Having said that, Andrea made eye contact with Uncle Paul, gave a slight nod, then walked toward the knights surrounding me, quickly disappearing from view.
“Saintess, there’s no need to worry excessively. While they are demons, they have not regained all their power; it’s definitely possible for us to contain them.”
“……but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous.”
“……that’s—”
“I came this far trying to avoid harm to civilians, believing they would come directly to me with some level of certainty, and yet my expectations have turned out completely wrong this time.”
Actually, if I think about it, I hadn’t really made any predictions up until now.
I just moved as I wanted and resolved the incidents as they came along. Of course, it wasn’t always that I managed to resolve them in the way I desired. Nevertheless, the fact that it didn’t go the way I wanted was nothing compared to the real lives that were at stake.
If this operation fails and the demons start rampaging in places where civilians are located—
All of the church’s elite knights were present here. The finest swordsman, Jian, was here, and I, who possessed one of the strongest powers among the clergy, was here as well.
……then who could face those demons?
“Ha, haha……”
They say when one is too bewildered, they start to laugh.
Thinking back, my high status isn’t something ‘too trivial to scoff at.’
What would happen to an organization if someone overestimated their abilities and made the worst mistake obtaining such a high status?
……Speaking of which, I forcibly separated Linnea and Aurora from following me because I thought it was ‘dangerous.’
“Saintess!”
Just as I was sinking down, someone called my name, but I wasn’t in a state to pay attention.
*
The first thing I noticed was the head of a centipede creeping over the wall.
Its bright yellow, segmented antennae were the first to show up beyond the wall, followed by sharp pincers on each side, and then that red head that contrasted sharply with the yellow antennae.
Behind its head was a shell segmented by joints. Each segment looked as thick as a young girl’s arm, and just looking at it was enough to make one dizzy from fear.
Many legs of the centipede were wriggling as it crawled over the wall. It wasn’t just one.
As one centipede crawled over the wall, another followed, and again, another; a total of five were crawling in a row along the wall.
One fortunate point was that those centipedes could not track people inside the church. The centipedes that crawled quickly up the wall suddenly retreated, emitting a creepy sound that made one wonder if such a creature could make a sound. The wriggling legs left faint scratches on the wall.
And behind them, emerging from the corner was the massive head of a snake.
That snake’s head was as large as a human head, darting its long black tongue and making a hissing sound while peeking over the edge with vertically slit pupils. Its mouth slowly gaped open.
“I found you.”
It had a bizarre voice, as if multiple voices were overlapping.
“Keep running! If you stop, it’s over! Never look back!”
Linnea shouted toward those running behind her after seeing the snake’s head. However, a few young nuns turned back despite her warning. They let out high-pitched screams upon seeing the bizarre chimera. The fear spread to the nuns, causing their screams to transmit to others.
Among those who turned back, a particularly young nun around ten years old lost strength in her legs and fell forward, but—
Someone grabbed her arm and helped her back up.
“It’s okay. I have you.”
The one who helped the young nun was Aurora, holding her tightly.
“Got it! I’ve got you! Linnea, hurry!”
Upon hearing Aurora’s voice, Linnea quickly turned and began to run. Though she held a shield and sword, she had no thought of being able to win against that demon.
“Eh? Where you going? I just want to chat. Even if you run away, that won’t change the fact that we’ll be talking, so why exert yourself so?”
Despite its gentle tone, the creature’s voice was a mixture of various beings, regardless of gender or age, and it sent chills down my spine just by listening.
A snake’s head with a rodent’s body.
Spindly spider or insect legs sprouting from its waist and back.
Massive centipedes replacing fingers.
Even a pair of unknown birds’ wings and several animal legs sprouted from its back. Those who saw that creature first fall down would say it ‘came flying,’ but with that imbalanced appearance, it was hard to believe it could actually fly.
“To the right! To the right!”
The Mother Superior leading the nuns shouted.
Spotting Linnea and Aurora as they bolted out of the room, she commanded them to gather the other nuns. Following her lead, Linnea and Aurora called over all the nuns peeking out from the room, alarmed by the loud sounds.
Fortunately, it seemed no one had been left behind due to their swift actions.
“Huh!”
Father Nguyen, who had been running with Linnea and Aurora at the back, grabbed one of the holy water vials and hurled it towards the demon with all his strength.
Crash! The sound of breaking glass rang out, followed by a sizzling sound as something burned—but even drenched in Clara’s holy water, the demon seemed unfazed. In fact, it seemed more preoccupied with the nuns trying to escape to the right.
“Oh, is that the exit? That might be a bit troublesome.”
The demon said leisurely, raising its wriggling finger towards the corridor that led right.
From its centipede-like fingertip, a black mass shot out. Like a lump of tar, it struck the ceiling of the corridor, exploding.
Boom! The ceiling collapsed.
“Ahhh!” The nuns screamed, some tumbling to the ground, gray dust settling on their heads.
“Everyone, get back up! If you stop, you’ll die!”
The Mother Superior shouted in panic, urging the nuns to rise. They all turned and began sprinting in other directions where there were no obstructions.
Somewhere, someone sniffled. A few young nuns were already crying, tears streaming down their faces. Without a moment to think, they simply followed the Mother Superior, who was leading them to safety.
“Linnea……”
Still holding the child, Aurora called out to Linnea. Her voice was trembling.
I understood what Aurora was trying to say.
……That demon was attempting to herd everyone inside the cathedral into one area. And oddly, it seemed indifferent to the other believers, only interested in those within the church.
As they opened the door to run outside, I could see the sky shrouded in darkness. It wasn’t because it was night. It was because the sticky, tar-like substance shot out by that demon was enveloping and blocking the sky.
“……demons……”
I knew they were strong, but not because I had seen it firsthand. I just thought they were something legendary that could bring this world to the brink of ruin.
Hence, I hadn’t properly anticipated that strength.
I had thought they had lost power, so I presumed they were just weak. But even a demon that had lost its power could grow this strong by absorbing the strength of other demons. Moreover, the absorbed powers weren’t even complete.
“Ugh……”
There was nothing I could do.
I wanted to follow wherever Clara was, but as Clara said, the power of the demon was far too tremendous for Linnea or Aurora to contend with.
“Ha, ha……”
“Aurora. I’ll take the child.”
“Y-You would do that?”
Seeing that Aurora was struggling to carry the child, Linnea said this and took the child into her arms. Aurora took the sword and shield instead. Of course, compared to Linnea, Aurora’s swordsmanship was practically non-existent, but in front of that demon, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
Still, I could only hope that that weapon, sanctified by the Saintess’s holy power, would buy us a moment.
*
St. Loyola Old Cathedral in the 21st District is large. It’s not like the Central Church, which has a complicated internal structure, and there aren’t hundreds of clergy bustling around, but being located near a highly populated urban area, its sheer size can’t be helped. Of course, it’s smaller than the cathedral where the Cardinal resides, and there’s only Father Nguyen among the clergy, while the operations of the cathedral are run by nuns and volunteers. Still, compared to the average church, it was quite spacious.
There’s also a garden inside, and the prayer room is large enough to seat over a hundred people.
However, most of that wide cathedral was currently inaccessible. The place was entirely blocked by the sticky, tar-like liquid.
I had no idea what the liquid did. I didn’t know what would happen if it touched me, or if it would really harm me. But just by looking at it, I could feel that I shouldn’t go near it. Thus, those trying to escape instinctively avoided it.
In the end, the places we could go were extremely limited.
There was a small courtyard within the cathedral. It was a round, tiny courtyard that had always bore beautiful white flowers throughout the seasons since before the cathedral was built.
In truth, those flowers were strong enough to bloom regardless of the season; they just grew there naturally. But the people living in the cathedral always adored the legend passed down about that courtyard, a tale of an unknown hero who sacrificed themselves for everyone, whose tears turned into a miraculous land.
By a twist of fate, that was the spot where they gathered together for what was likely the last time.
“Now there’s nowhere left to run, is there?”
Surrounding the courtyard, that black tar-like material inched closer, eroding the area, much like a snake tightening its grip on its prey.
As the fleeing individuals started to take refuge in the courtyard, the flowers that had always inhabited there were trampled underfoot and began to wither away. But they were too preoccupied to feel any sorrow about it.
“Like I said, I just came to have a little chat.”
“What do you mean by chat, showing up here so rudely?”
The priest took a step forward, speaking first.
“The one I want to talk to isn’t you.”
The demon ignored the priest and continued.
“You two nuns over there. Step forward.”
The creature pointed its finger toward Linnea and Aurora in turn.
“……”
“……”
“There’s no need for you to step out.”
The Mother Superior firmly held both their arms, but after Linnea and Aurora exchanged glances, they shook their heads at the Mother Superior.
“No, we must step up. Otherwise, there won’t be any conversation at all.”
At that, the Mother Superior said, “If we stall here…”
“There’s no way that creature will allow that.”
This time it was Linnea.
That was right. That demon was taking it easy while herding us all into one spot, even though it could kill everyone here in an instant. If we tried to stall, it wouldn’t simply let us get away with it.
“……”
In the end, the Mother Superior let her hands droop in defeat.
“……What kind of conversation do you want?”
“Simple. You two, become witches. If you come under me, I might let the others live.”
“……”
“What’s in it for you that way?”
“Of course, if you obey my commands thoroughly, the Saintess won’t be able to move as she pleases. Well, you don’t have to become witches. I just suggested that for your sake. Otherwise, I might just half-kill you and take you as hostages.”
“……”
The demon never intended to have a conversation in the first place.
It simply came to take what it wanted.
“Oh, so you’re saying that……”
“The Saintess will be furious? So what? It’ll be the same, dead in the end. I’m just trying to struggle to maintain my own life. This is what I see as my best plan. Do you know how dangerous a being with nothing to lose is?”
“……What if we took our own lives?”
When Linnea said that, people around held their breath.
“If that happens, those poor children behind you will surely follow you. In a very terrible manner.”
At the demon’s words, the nuns murmured in shock.
“Ah, aaah……”
Someone groaned, and some whispered, “Goddess……”
And someone else muttered, “Saintess……”
“Praying will do no good. The gods have no way of coming down here directly.”
“……”
Linnea and Aurora felt the heavy weight of powerlessness.
“Clara……”
Aurora clenched her eyes shut and whispered.
Clara.
If we become witches and fall into the demon’s hands, how would Clara react? If Clara, who does not forgive evil deeds and punishes wrongs, does she punish Linnea and Aurora? Or does she become unable to strike against them, unable to lose to the demon?
……I had no way of knowing either outcome. Clara had casually mentioned serious matters that would likely shake the theological world countless times, but still, there were so many things she never spoke of.
However, that didn’t mean there was a reason I couldn’t trust Clara.
Clara’s keeping secrets wasn’t for the sake of causing harm to her friends.
Bluntly speaking, Clara just hated it when things got complicated.
She merely wanted to avoid an increase in her workload and disruptions to her daily life.
Though absurdly close to the gods, absurdly loved by them, constantly embroiled in incidents, and absurdly sacred herself, she was also someone who could carelessly rise up there and command the world if she put her mind to it.
But Clara never did.
Because it would absolutely ruin her daily life.
Even amidst busyness, she tried to keep her grades up, studying, and no matter how serious things got, she sought to avoid missing school, which would seem silly to others. But to me, it felt like a struggle.
To protect the daily life she possessed, she kept fighting against the witches, the demons, and headed into dangerous battlegrounds.
That was how I saw her.
That’s why I thought I couldn’t choose to become a witch here.
Because Linnea and Aurora were also part of Clara’s daily life.
If they were to be removed from that life, I could only imagine how devastated and disheartened Clara would be.
I understood very well why Clara went alone, leaving the two of them behind.
“Sacrifice,”
Aurora seemed to have finished her thoughts and spoke slowly.
“Is not simply ceasing to think and throwing oneself to the ground; it is thinking of those standing behind you, those who will remain once you leave, pondering so that you don’t leave a spot of regret, and acting out of your own will—not from anyone else’s coercion. That is sacrifice.”
I had heard that before.
“So, I have no intention of sacrificing myself under your coercion.”
When Aurora said that, she smiled brightly.
“I won’t choose to die nor go under you as your subordinate. I will fight until the very end, for all those here, according to my beliefs, I will die fighting. That’s the conclusion I came to after careful consideration.”
Aurora then looked at Linnea. They locked eyes and both wore a nervous yet smiling face.
“……I suppose it’s better if Linnea takes the black sword.”
“Agreed.”
As Linnea took the sword from Aurora, she readied herself.
“……Father, Mother Superior. Please protect the young nuns.”
“……Yes.”
“Absolutely.”
Upon hearing those words, Linnea and Aurora turned their eyes back to the demon.
“Is that your choice?”
The demon, who had been silently watching them, spoke.
“Was that the will of the gods?”
“No, it isn’t the will of the gods; it’s the decisions made by us who believe in the gods.”
“You know, don’t you? At one time, you believed in the gods yourselves? In those days, all of your choices were merely for the gods’ sake, right?”
“……”
The demon fell silent after hearing Aurora’s words. Its snake-like eyes widened.
“I am someone who refused to become the puppet of the Demon God and chose to be a god myself.”
“And after killing countless people, now you’re begging for your life. Look at your own body. Is that the true physical form of a god you wished for?”
“……”
The demon glared at Linnea for quite a while before speaking.
“Fine, you seem to want to die comfortingly, but know this: you will never die. Therefore, I shall forcibly keep you alive and use you for negotiations.”
“……”
“Those who are slaves to the gods. Remember that the reason you suffer is that you believed in those arrogant beings.”
“……Ha.”
At the demon’s words, Linnea scoffed.
“I’m doing this not because I believe in the gods but because I know Clara will be saddened if I follow your words.”
“Of course. We are friends.”
Aurora chimed in with a smile at Linnea’s words.
“What nonsense.”
The demon replied and raised one hand.
Before the snake head, a mass resembling clumped black tar began to form, just like the one that had blasted through the corridor’s ceiling.
“……”
“……”
Aurora stood beside Linnea, holding her shield up, positioning themselves to cover both of their bodies. Linnea firmed her grip on the sword, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
As the black tar shot forth, the last thing that came to Linnea’s mind wasn’t a famous scripture nor a prayer to the gods.
At that moment, what Linnea thought of last was—
“Clara, don’t worry.
We won’t become a threat to you.
I will be your friend until the very end, just as you asked of me.”
Not looking up at the high and mighty, nor doubting the unknown, just her heartfelt thought emerged.
That thought reflected her genuine belief in something pure.
It was a pure faith, in Clara.
“……Ah.”
Who murmured that at the moment?
In an instant, it felt as though time had stopped, and silence enveloped the surroundings.
Everybody, from the priest and Mother Superior in the courtyard to the nuns, even the demon facing Aurora and Linnea, froze with their mouths agape, staring at a single spot.
Linnea’s sword.
No, it was Linnea’s hand gripping that sword glowed brightly.
It wasn’t the golden glow Clara often showed, nor a mingling of black and white light from Rina. It was a radiant, pure white light.
A stream of blood dripped from Linnea’s hand.
“Ah……”
The light gradually climbed up the hilt of the sword Linnea was holding, steadily imparting an overwhelming brilliance to the blade.
“Saintess……”
Whoever first muttered that, I couldn’t tell.
“Saintess!”
“Ah, Saintess!”
“Clara, the Saintess!”
Those murmurs quickly turned into shouts and gradually spread around the area.
There were no proofs that this power was in relation to the Saintess. Yet, inexplicably, no one present doubted that the power emanating from it belonged to Clara.
They merely thought that the power they were seeing now, unknown and unfamiliar to them, was the strength of Clara.
“The Saintess is watching!”
Someone shouted.
All of those praying there clasped their hands as if in prayer.
From every hand in that space, pale light, reminiscent of something shining through the fog, began to seep out little by little.
“What is this…?”
The demon momentarily forgot to unleash its power and stood frozen.
“……A mere creature cannot be—no way!”
“Seems like it.”
In response to the demon’s words, Linnea replied resolutely.
“But still, it changes nothing. To us, Clara is Clara.”
Linnea said that and looked at Aurora. Their eyes met, both smiling nervously.
“It’s better if Linnea wields the black sword.”
“Right.”
As Linnea took the sword from Aurora, she set her stance.
“……Father, Mother Superior. Please protect the young nuns.”
“……Yes.”
“Without fail.”
Upon hearing those words, Linnea and Aurora redirected their gazes toward the demon.
“Is that your choice?”
The demon, who had been silently watching them thus far, spoke.
“Is that what the gods commanded you?”
“No, it isn’t the command of the gods; it’s what we, who believe in the gods, chose.”
“You must know, right? Once upon a time, you also believed in the gods? During that time, were all of your choices purely for the gods?”
“……”
The demon fell silent after hearing Aurora’s words. Its serpent-like eyes widened.
“I’m the one who rejected being a puppet of the Demon God and chose to become a god myself.”
“And now you’re killing countless people and begging for your life. Look at your own body. Is that the true form you desired?”
“……”
The demon glared at Linnea for a long time before responding.
“Fine, you seem truly wish to die, but know this: you shall never die! So I will forcibly keep you alive to use you as bargaining chips.”
“……”
“Slaves of the gods. Remember that the reason you suffer is that you believed in those haughty beings.”
“……Ha.”
At the demon’s words, Linnea scoffed.
“I’m not doing this because I believe in the gods; I’m doing it because I know Clara will be heartbroken if I heed your words.”
“Of course, we are friends.”
Aurora chimed in with Linnea’s statement.
“What nonsense.”
The demon gritted its teeth, rising, hands raised.
Before the snake head, another mass resembling clumped, black tar began to form, just like before.
“……”
“……”
Aurora stood beside Linnea, shield raised, both taking stances to protect one another. Linnea firmly gripped the sword; she was ready to leap at a moment’s notice.
The moment the black tar hurtled toward them, the last thought that crossed Linnea’s mind wasn’t a famous scripture or a final prayer to the gods.
In that moment, the only thought in Linnea’s mind was—
“Clara, don’t worry.
I promise we won’t become a threat to you.
I will be your friend until the very end, exactly as you wished.”
Not looking up at the powerful or doubting the unknown, simply from her heart came Linnea’s thought.
That thought clearly reflected a pure, genuine belief.
That was a pure faith toward Clara.
“……Ah.”
Who murmured that?
Suddenly, time seemed to freeze, and silence enveloped everything.
Everyone, including the priest, the Mother Superior in the courtyard, the nuns, even the demon facing Aurora and Linnea, stood shocked with mouths agape, all staring in the same direction.
Linnea’s sword.
No, the hand gripping Linnea’s sword was glowing brightly.
It wasn’t the golden light that Clara often exhibited, nor was it a mixture of black and white light from Rina. It was pure white, brilliant light illuminating everything.
A single drop of blood trickled from Linnea’s palm.
“Ah……”
The light steadily climbed up Linnea’s sword, sufficiently and unmistakably covering the blade in dazzling radiance.
“Saintess……”
I no longer knew who murmured that first.
“Saintess!”
“Ah, the Saintess!”
“Clara, the Saintess!”
Their murmurs quickly escalated into cheerful exclamations, reverberating across the area.
There was no evidence that this power was connected to the Saintess, yet somehow, everyone present felt confident that the power enveloping Linnea belonged to Clara.
They simply recognized that the radiant power they had never seen before was Clara’s.
“The Saintess is watching!”
Someone proclaimed.
Hands clasped together as if in prayer formed a circle with the people there gathered around.
From their hands, a faint light reminiscent of something piercing through mist began to emanate little by little.
“What is happening…?”
The demon stood frozen, momentarily forgetting to unleash its power.
“……A mere creature, is it also not possible?”
“It appears so.”
In response to the demon’s bewilderment, Linnea responded firmly.
“But regardless, nothing changes. Clara, to us, is simply Clara.”
Linnea stated this, and gazed at Aurora. Their eyes met, both allowing nervous smiles to surface.
“It would be best for Linnea to wield that black sword.”
“Yeah.”
Linnea received the sword from Aurora, establishing her stance.
“……Father, Mother Superior. Please keep the young nuns safe.”
“……Of course.”
“Absolutely.”
Upon hearing those words, Linnea and Aurora turned their gazes back to the demon.
“Is that really your choice?”
The demon, who had silently observed them until then, spoke up.
“Is that the will of the gods?”
“No, it’s not the will of gods, it’s what we, who believe in the gods, have decided.”
“Surely you must know? Once you believed in the gods, during that time, were all of your choices made only for the gods?”
“……”
After hearing Aurora’s words, the demon fell silent. Its snake-like eyes widened.
“I am one who rejected becoming a puppet of the Demon God and chose to be a god instead.”
“And now you kill countless people and beg for your life. Look at your body. Is this the true form you desired?”
“……”
After glaring at Linnea for a long time, the demon finally said,
“Fine, so you wish to die, but remember you won’t. Therefore, I will forcefully keep you alive and utilize you for negotiations.”
“……”
“Slaves of the gods, remember that your suffering comes from believing in those arrogant beings.”
“……Ha.”
Linnea scoffed at the demon’s words.
“I’m not doing this because I have faith in the gods; I do this because I know Clara will be heartbroken if I take your path.”
“Of course. We’re friends.”
Aurora chimed in, affirming Linnea’s statement.
“What nonsense.”
With a mix of frustration and disbelief, the demon raised a hand.
Before its snake-like head, another mass, like clumped black tar, began forming, just as before.
“……”
“……”
Aurora stood beside Linnea, shield raised, and both adopted protective stances beside one another. Linnea tightened her grip on the sword; she was prepared to spring into action any moment now.
As the black tar flew toward them, the last thought that passed through Linnea’s mind was neither a famous scripture nor a final prayer directed at the gods.
In that fleeting moment, what Linnea thought was—
“Clara, don’t worry.
You don’t need to fear us.
I will remain your friend until the end, just as you asked.”
Not towards the lofty or the unknown, her heart’s voice emerged triumphantly and pure.
That thought embodied an innocent faith, a promise of unwavering loyalty to Clara.
“……Ah.”
Who murmured that in the stillness?
In an instant, time paused, enveloping everything in silence.
All present, from the priest and Mother Superior, to the nuns and even the demon facing Aurora and Linnea, all froze, mouths agape, eyes fixated on a singular point.
Linnea’s sword.
No, Linnea’s hand gripping that sword shone brilliantly.
It wasn’t the familiar golden hue of Clara, nor the mixed black and white glow of Rina, but rather a luminous, pure white radiance.
Blood trickled down from Linnea’s palm.
“Ah……”
The light gradually advanced up the sword’s hilt, steadily transforming the blade into something radiant and magnificent.
“Saintess……”
I couldn’t discern who whispered that first.
“Saintess!”
“Aah, the Saintess!”
“Clara, the Saintess!”
Those whispers crescendoed into shouts, echoing across the space.
While there were no evidences linking this power to the Saintess, somehow everyone felt that the unveiled power radiating belonged to Clara.
They simply perceived that the power before them, entirely unfamiliar and new, unequivocally resonated with Clara’s presence.
“The Saintess is watching!”
Someone proclaimed boldly.
Hands clasped together in prayer intertwined within the assembly there.
From every hand, a dim light, reminiscent of something being illuminated through fog, began to spill forth.
“What is even happening…?”
The demon was caught off-guard, momentarily forgetting to conjure its sinister power as it stood there stunned.
“……A mere creation cannot truly be—can it?”
“It seems indeed.”
Responding to the demon’s shock, Linnea stood firm.
“But still, nothing changes. To us, Clara will always be Clara.”
Linnea uttered determinedly and turned her gaze towards Aurora. Their eyes met, and nervous grins floated on their faces.
“Best for Linnea to wield that dark sword.”
“Absolutely.”
Linnea accepted the sword from Aurora and arranged her stance.
“……Father, Mother Superior. Please safeguard our young nuns.”
“……Certainly.”
“Absolutely.”
Once more, after those exchanges, Linnea and Aurora faced the demon with unwavering conviction.
“Was that your choice?”
The demon, who remained still and watchful throughout their exchange, finally spoke again.
“Was that your prophecy from the gods?”
“No, it’s our resolution as believers of the gods, woven together through our journey.”
“Do you not recall? There was a time you too believed?”
“……”
The demon held a stony silence as it waited; its serpent eyes twitched with recognition.
“I am one who turned down the role of a puppet in favor of divinity.”
“And now you have caused countless deaths, ultimately seeking to beg for existence. Look at yourself—is this the form you desired?”
“……”
The demon gazed at Linnea long and hard, almost as if in disbelief before finally responding.
“Very well. It appears you are ready to embrace the end; however, mark my words: you shall never find death! Hence, I will make use of you to ensure my advantage in this conflict.”
“……”
“Adherents of the gods—do keep in mind the pain you bear stems from believing in those who scoff at your existence.”
“……Ha.”
The sharpness of the demon’s words pierced through Linnea’s focus, yet she laughed.
“It has nothing to do with the gods. This is purely out of knowing Clara’s heart will break if I heed your call.”
“Certainly! We are bound together in friendship.”
Aurora expressed, aligning with Linnea’s affirmation.
“What folly is occurring here?”
The demon snarled, lifting its hand upwards irefully.
Before the sinuous head, another mass wreathing in the form of animated black tar spiraled out, reminiscent of its previous onslaught.
“……”
“……”
Aurora raised her shield beside Linnea, prepared to fend off the impending strike. Linnea firmly established her grip upon the sword, her stance brimming with readiness.
In the moment the shadowy tar unfurled towards them, Linnea’s last thought was neither a scripture nor prayer of desperation.
Instead—this fleeting moment captured a profound sensation;
“Clara, do not fret.
We won’t pose a threat to you.
I pledge that I will be your ally till the very end, the same as you wished.”
Neither gazing upward to the almighty nor doubting the unknown, that pure whisper arose authentically from her heart.
The embodiment of a pure faith, unfaltering in its resolve.
Such faith towards Clara radiated from Linnea.
“……Ah.”
But who uttered that bowing breath of realization?
Time ground to a halt, enveloped in a serene stillness.
Every soul present; priests, Mother Superiors, nuns, even the lurking demon stood petrified, mouths agape, locked onto a single point.
Linnea’s sword ignited.
No, the radiant glow belonged to Linnea’s grasp upon the sword. It shone gloriously, captivating all around.
Not the familiar golden light of Clara, nor the intertwined spark of darkness and luminosity from Rina, this was an extraordinary luminance—a purest white.
A single droplet of Linnea’s blood flowed down the blade.
“Ah……”
The gleaming radiance crescendoed upward, pulsing forth altogether down the sword’s length, enveloping it.
“Saintess……”
Perhaps it was a brief murmur emerged from among the throngs.
“Saintess!”
“Saintess!”
“Clara! Our Saintess!”
This utterance burgeoned into resolute acclaim, a fervent wave rippling across the milieu.
Without manifest proof anchoring this force unto the Saintess, nonetheless, belief flourished—none could refute the notion this power was Clara’s divine essence.
The radiant force surprised all in its brilliance, unfathomable, undeniable.
“The Saintess is watching, she observes!”
A resounding accolade echoed on.
Prayers intertwined as hands clutched together around the gathering.
From those very hands, dim wisps illuminated, akin to ethereal mists unearthing lost light as they glided outward.
“What is transpiring…?”
Caught within its own web of astonishment, the demon faltered, momentarily neglecting to unleash its dark intent.
“……A mere creature cannot be—truly?”
“It seems so.”
In definitive response to the demon’s incredulity, Linnea resolutely replied.
“Regardless, nothing alters the truth. Clara remains our Clara.”
Linnea articulated, glancing toward Aurora. Their eyes locked in mutual understanding, tension dissolving.
“It’s best if Linnea takes the dark sword.”
“Indeed.”
Receiving the weapon from Aurora, Linnea prepared for impending conflict.
“……Father, Mother Superior. Keep the children safe.”
“……Affirmative.”
“Certainly.”
With these declarations, Linnea and Aurora returned their resolute gaze toward the demon.
“Is that truly your resolution?”
The demon, having watched intently throughout, spoke.
“Was the will of the gods propelling you?”
“No, it’s simply our decision as followers of the gods—the bonds we forged along our paths.”
“Recall the times you walked alongside the divine? When every decision you made was weighed against the gods?”
“……”
Intenifying silence burgeoned, the demon was transfixed, those serpent eyes gilding the reality.
“I relinquished the role of the Demon God’s marionette to ascend to a god foremost.”
“Kept capably at the hands of tainted individuals, secured to stoke the fires of ambition; struggling to clench your plea for life. Examine your own form—is this tableau of ratification truly what you wished for?”
“……”
The demon stared intently at Linnea for an extended period, the incredulity palpable before it finally replied.
“Very well. You wish to embrace the demise—but mind you, you shall never achieve it! Consequently, I shall endeavor to retain you alive and employ you in negotiations.”
“……”
“Inhabitants lost to the wiles of the gods, dwell on the fate—your suffering lies solely at the feet of your own foolishness.”
“……Ha.”
Linnea implored as her scoff sliced through the atmosphere, lapping at the demon’s proclamations.
“I don’t act in the name of belief; I solely embark on this path because I recognize Clara shall weep if I falter with your course.”
“Undoubtedly—friendship is our guiding light.”
Aurora emphasized, a mantle of solidarity intertwining their fortitude.
“What farcical notions materialize here?”
Irritation seeped into the demon’s tone as its hand ascended in fury.
From its serpent-like crown, a mass that resembled clumped black tar lurched forth, reminiscent of its previous attacks.
“……”
“……”
Determined, Aurora nestled beside Linnea, poised to elevate her shield to intercept oncoming danger., Zhang. Linnea gripped her sword resolutely, every fiber of her being prepared for conflict.
In the terrifying moment when the murky tar advanced toward them, Linnea’s consciousness melded with a powerful thought.
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