It felt like my vision went completely dark, but it wasn’t just my imagination; it was genuinely dark.
Until a moment ago, I had been so despairing that I could hardly stand, so it’s understandable that my head could go blank and my vision could turn pitch black. However, not being able to see anything at all, as if I had fallen into an abyss, was definitely strange.
When I came to my senses, it wasn’t just darkness I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear anything either.
…Am I back in the realm of consciousness? Have Baal or Ariel come to find me again?
No, if that were the case, they would have spoken to me immediately. Maybe if I were sleeping, but if they had come to see me feeling like time was moving slowly, there would be time constraints.
Moreover, when I’m in the realm of consciousness, I can at least see my body. Even if I can’t see it, there’s usually some sort of sensation. Either way, ‘the body I perceive as mine’ should exist there.
There were no limbs to flail, no body to feel cold, and none of my eyes to see anything, no ears to hear, and no mouth to speak—just an incredibly frustrating feeling.
Did I pass out? But I didn’t think I’d faint from something like this.
Was my mental state that fragile?
I had no idea how long I had been in this state. Since I couldn’t feel anything, I couldn’t accurately gauge the passage of time. Even if I had been able to feel something, my senses weren’t sharp enough to really grasp the flow of time.
After what felt like a long time—as in, a considerable time spent trapped in this black space—something was heard for the first time.
It was like ears suddenly appeared, as indistinct sounds began to mumble and drift in from afar.
It wasn’t just sound. From beyond the darkness that filled my vision, a faint white light began to appear.
“……!”
A cry.
I couldn’t catch the content. All I could ascertain was that the voice was filled with despair and weeping.
I need to help.
For reasons I didn’t quite understand, that seemed to be my thought.
That voice, weeping from afar, was undeniably calling for me, I thought.
I struggled. A clumsy sensation crawled across the tips of my fingers, as if I was trapped in a dense, earth-like space.
I need to move.
With all my strength, I swung my hands. I kicked at the air. My body, which was fixed in place, began to stir little by little.
“……Saintess.”
Someone was calling for me.
“……Clara.”
From a distance, someone desperately wanted my help.
I reached out my hand towards the faint light. Slowly, the light began to shine brighter, and my body started to rise from the depths of darkness. A beam of light from afar illuminated me, gradually revealing my form within the shadows.
Or perhaps, it wasn’t strange to say that this sight was a glimpse of my body being made anew in a place of nothingness.
“Saintess!”
“Ah, Saintess!”
Someone was crying out in despair.
The light became brighter. I stretched my hand toward it.
I reached further, but—
That was my limit. In that state, I couldn’t take a single step further. I could only endlessly listen to the voices of those praying for me from afar.
“Clara.”
However, among those voices, some were particularly calm.
“We will fight here.”
“We will never let things go as that being wishes.”
No, no.
Understanding the words, I scratched the floor—no, the wall?—with the hand I barely extended.
But still, my hand just brushed past the emptiness. It felt as if the force pressing down on my body was so strong that I couldn’t advance even if I tried.
All I could do was gaze longingly at the faint yet brilliant light in the distance.
—No, that’s not right.
I must not let this happen.
I have to be of some help.
I came here to help this world.
I came to take responsibility for the world I left behind.
I swung my hands in the air again. Still, nothing grasped my fingers.
What should I do? How can I help those people?
That place was so far away, how could I possibly lend a hand?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer. My body remained suspended in the air, and that faint light was too distant.
Despair filled my chest.
There was nothing I could do here.
It felt like I would never reach that place.
The only thing I could do here was—
The only thing was to respond to that call.
*
“Is it so… that there’s nothing more to be found here?”
“Yes, that is correct. At least, no traces could be found within the range our forces could search.”
“Alright, I understand. Good work. You may rejoin the ranks.”
“Yes!”
The knights responded with a clarity that could almost be interpreted as déjà vu and proceeded with discipline into the formation that stood ready.
It was certainly time to withdraw. They could no longer leave the city empty. Unless that demon existed here, it could emerge at any time from where people reside. They might already be hiding here.
“……”
For the first time, Clara’s expectations were wrong.
Oh, of course, that wasn’t to say Clara’s expectations were always right. Although it was a bit different, Clara’s predictions often turned out to be the opposite. Especially regarding herself, when it came to Clara’s expectations, they had a high chance of being completely off.
During summer break, she was attacked by beasts while resting, and simply going out for volunteer work led her to face witches. She thought she had reached a definitive point only to find herself entangled in an even bigger matter, becoming an unexpectedly significant person, least of all in Andrea’s eyes, this wasn’t such a negative failure in predictions.
However, this failure was of a completely different nature.
Clara had a knack for finding her enemies so much that it wouldn’t be surprising if she claimed divine revelation.
Of course, it was possible she truly did. Clara sometimes claimed to receive revelations in moments when she needed others’ cooperation.
If so, then this prediction didn’t hold true?
…Whatever the direction, it was clear that Clara was greatly disheartened by this failure. She sat down on the ground and lost consciousness.
Clara, fallen, seemed to be groaning as if caught in a nightmare.
“……Is the Saintess alright?”
Andrea, the leader of the Saint Knights, asked Paul Grace. Normally, when speaking to the Saint herself, she referred to her as ‘Sister Clara’ to avoid making her uncomfortable.
“She is still not conscious. Are we withdrawing?”
“Yes, we must. However, we can’t completely abandon the area.”
“That’s right. In that case, would it be best to move to the Cathedral where the Saintess resided?”
“Yes, that would be good.”
It was impossible to determine which of the Saint Knights or the Inquisition had superiority. Even if Andrea was the head of the Inquisition, she couldn’t overlook the authority of Paul Grace, the leader of the Saint Knights.
After exchanging respectful words, they set out to lead their respective knights. Andrea first moved toward her waiting knights outside. Perhaps because they felt honored to be in the presence of the most respected and beloved Saint in the church, they stood rigid with military discipline.
“Then we should—”
Before Andrea could finish her sentence about relocating to the local Cathedral,
“Commander!”
A hurried voice interrupted her.
Turning around, Andrea saw a young knight from the makeshift headquarters sprinting towards her, clutching a mobile phone in both hands.
“What’s going on?”
“Sister Rina Hicks just contacted us! It’s urgent!”
Without wasting another question, Andrea swiftly took the phone from the knight’s hands.
“What’s happening—”
Before Andrea could say anything, the voice on the speaker burst out, [Why did you take so long to answer the phone, you idiot!]
“What’s going on?”
It seemed the situation was serious enough for Rina Hicks to call Andrea directly. This novice Saint was known to panic even at the thought of becoming the head of her sect.
[The Cathedral is under attack! Ah, what was the name again! Anyway, the Cathedral where Clara was staying!]
Rina’s distant voice sounded unstable as it repeated, as if running and struggling.
“Were there people in the Cathedral?”
[Of course, that’s why I’m calling you in a hurry!]
“Understood. I’ll head over there as fast as I can.”
As soon as Andrea replied, the line went dead.
“We head straight to the Cathedral. Everyone, wait at the transport you arrived in. I’ll—”
“Commander!”
This time, Andrea’s words were cut off by Paul Grace—the leader of the Saint Knights—who approached her with a pale face.
“Commander.”
Andrea responded, yet Paul Grace shouted back.
“The Saintess…!”
But there was no need to finish that sentence.
At that moment, a blinding white light shot up into the sky from where the Saintess had been lying.
*
As soon as Rina heard about the situation at the Cathedral, no one stopped her from running out. In fact, since Clara visited Rina, no one dared to touch her afterward, but lately, if Rina did nothing on her own, really ‘no one’ would bother her.
The nuns had originally thought of Rina as somewhat of an inconvenience.
The convent was no different from what used to be called an orphanage. It was much more common for younger children to come in than for those in their mid-teens.
And among nuns who had spent their childhood years together, relationships were mostly already established.
Those who shared rooms with Rina, as well as others, felt discomfort around her. They didn’t outright ignore her, as the Mother Superior appeared soft yet was, in fact, quite strict. So, they wouldn’t just watch while someone was bullied or ostracized. Perhaps some had experienced the Mother Superior’s temperament in the past.
Rina was also uncomfortable sharing a room with anyone else. So, not long after, a rule naturally formed between Rina and the three other nuns in the room. It wasn’t a demand from anyone, but an unspoken agreement of sorts.
Unless it’s absolutely necessary, they wouldn’t speak to each other first.
Technically, it might be more accurate to say that Rina conveyed that first. After all, she came in, unpacked her things, and lay down without saying a word.
Once the fact that she was close to the Saint Clara became known, the atmosphere shifted a little, but that rule wasn’t broken unilaterally.
The frequency of announcements increased slightly, that’s all.
After rumors circulated that Rina might become the new head of the sect, the gazes aimed at her filled with a sort of admiration, yet it made the situation even more uncomfortable.
In any case, after Rina arrived in such a position, no one bumped into her.
Even the priests and the Mother Superior did not ask her to do things first. If Rina stayed still, the discomfort she felt would be overwhelming, so she merely followed others in a half-hearted manner.
So, when Rina dashed out of the Cathedral after hearing that ‘announcement’, no one stopped her.
In fact, it seemed the priests were busy contacting local cathedrals. She had vaguely overheard something like that.
Having briefly stated her business to Andrea, Rina sprinted towards the Cathedral with all her might.
Rinea and Aurora were in the Cathedral.
Well, they weren’t necessarily favorites of hers—
But it would surely feel terrible if someone she knew died.
Gritting her teeth, Rina charged to the front of the Cathedral.
And there, she saw a black, sticky mass covering almost half of the large Cathedral.
From a distance, people were standing tightly around the Cathedral. With blue and red lights flashing alternately, it seemed police cars and ambulances were present as well.
Rina forcibly pushed her way through the mass of people.
“Hey, move aside!”
As she passed by a few grumbling people, she reached right in front of the Cathedral, only to find police tape blocking her way, with officers again obstructing her path.
“Ma’am, you can’t come through there!”
As Rina attempted to disregard the barricade, a police officer stepped in her way.
“This area is under control. Heroes will arrive soon and…”
“Waiting for them will get everyone killed. Do you know what that thing is?”
“E-excuse me?”
The officer wore an awkward expression at Rina’s words, but Rina was fully aware.
That was a demon’s magic.
The black substance, much like a barrier, was pure demonic energy.
The surrounding area was filled with a foul odor. A smell so nauseating that she had never encountered, not even in front of a High-Ranking Demon, or even a witch.
“It’s demons! That’s demon magic! Just because heroes are coming doesn’t mean that will be resolved!”
“Ma’am, what are you talking about—”
“Ugh, seriously.”
Frustrated by the young officer’s foolish response, Rina ran a hand through her hair, muttering in annoyance.
“Clear a path.”
Concentrating holy power into one hand, she spoke. Unlike the normal golden-hued holy power, it was a blend of black and white light—the power of the Demon capable of incinerating anything it touched.
“Get out of the way! Unless you want to get swept away!”
Ignoring the officer’s expression, Rina yelled. She amplified the force in her hand. People around her screamed and stepped back.
“Ma’am, what is that—”
“Anyone in there needs to be saved! Just back off!”
With determination, Rina pushed her hand forward. The officer in front of her jumped back in shock. Though he might not know precisely what that power was, he seemed to understand he wouldn’t survive if it hit him.
“M-ma’am, let’s just calm down for a moment. If you wait, surely an expert will—”
“Oh, so you trust in experts? Is there anyone here who has faced demons? You really think heroes will resolve this? The one with the strongest holy power among them won’t be able to break through that!”
Focusing her strength on her fingertips, Rina said.
“……”
The officers were left speechless.
“Unless you move, you will really die.”
Rina’s voice was now a far cry from her earlier shouts. It was calm, her voice low and filled with authority. Hearing the solemn tone, the officers finally began to step aside. Those around Rina had already retreated at the sight of the light emanating from her hand.
“Haah……”
Rina exhaled.
While she maintained her focus, it was questionable whether this holy power alone would completely erase the demonic energy. Demons surely possess some level of resistance against holy power. Ordinary holy power wouldn’t be enough to burn that away.
But if she didn’t at least try now, it might be truly too late.
How many people were inside?
Rinea and Aurora, for sure, would definitely be there.
…There was no point in overthinking.
Determined to act, Rina prepared to unleash the light of holy power from her fingertips when—
“Hey, look over there!”
Someone shouted, pointing skyward. Without realizing it, Rina turned her gaze in that direction and felt her mouth drop open.
It was as if the cloudy sky was splitting.
And from between the gaps, radiant light began to pour down like something out of a mural from a sanctuary.
But that light wasn’t the golden hue typically seen in such paintings.
Rather, it was dazzlingly bright, pure white—the very embodiment of a pristine color itself.
As the white light cleared the clouds, it directly illuminated the Cathedral.
The barrier made of demonic magic began to dissolve slowly in that light. It wasn’t so much like ice melting as it felt as if it was subtly vanishing naturally, as if it had never existed at all.
“……”
Rina withdrew the holy power she had summoned.
And like the others there, she gazed up at the sky.
A distant glow, emanating from an endlessly far place, felt so profoundly sacred.
“……Ha.”
After staring at that light for a while, Rina let out a dry chuckle in disbelief.
“Whoever it was calling themself a Saintess?”
And so she murmured to herself.
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