“The war is over. Let’s go back, Karia.”
Golden hair and golden eyes.
A tall man, adorned in a splendid platinum uniform symbolizing royalty, came down to this land wrapped in the Golden Holy.
The greatest sword of the Empire.
Duke Huangyeol, Robelian Chen Imperium.
His eyes, filled with the Golden Holy, glanced at the collapsed Nord.
“Crrrr…”
Nord’s grimacing face suggested he had been hit directly in the chest by the Holy sword.
“So you were the cause of division.”
“Damn… kid…”
“How does it feel to breathe the air of this world after 300 years?”
Not a bit refreshing?
He said it nonchalantly, and Nord spat black blood at Robelian.
Of course, the blood didn’t reach him.
“Damn it…”
“You’ve got a rough mouth.”
As Robelian’s hand twitched slightly, an additional four swords flew out, piercing Nord’s arms and legs.
As Nord screamed, Robelian placed a hand on his head.
“Don’t worry. You won’t die.”
“……”
“The Empire has decided to end the war. You are now a free man.”
“Who’s… heart…”
“Of course, it’s the Empire’s heart.”
Rest now.
The Golden Holy radiated light as the completely incapacitated Nord collapsed.
With his gaze taken away from Nord, Robelian looked at me…
Tukwaaang!!!
…before I knew it, Robelian’s hand resounded with a ringing noise as he blocked an incoming blow.
“Celestial Race.”
“…Lily Elbrite.”
Duke Huangyeol. A user of ‘Holiness’.
I crossed paths with him once in the snowy mountains and have since remained suspicious.
“It’s more than just a simple heritage.”
It’s neither a legacy left by the Celestial Race nor another race that can handle the Holy power.
Magic aside, the Holy power is an inherently impossible force to manipulate.
Countless races have sought to use the powerful and superior Holy power, only to meet annihilation.
So there’s only one possibility left.
“…Could it be that the real thing exists?”
“That’s the same for you, isn’t it?”
“I’m not.”
I am human.
Another loud noise erupted, and I swung my hammer at Robelian.
Kagagagak…! The hammer was blocked by the Golden Holy.
His golden eyes sparkled as five Holy swords rose behind him.
“Step back. The Empire has decided to cease war from this moment.”
“That’s perfect. I also wanted to wrap things up.”
But.
“Now it’s someone else’s turn to deal with it.”
As the barrier of the Golden Holy enveloping Robelian shattered completely, a hammer imbued with pure white Holy power aimed at him.
Kwaaang!!! A powerful strike hit Robelian.
For a moment, Robelian wobbled as he lost his balance.
Pufubuk!
But it seemed he was also waiting for an opportunity, as a Holy sword lurking at the back pierced through my body.
The Holy Sword that had been targeting me from behind pierced my body, possibly waiting for an opportunity.
The opponent is a Celestial Race.
Though it seems to have a slightly different personality from that arrogant Celestial Race I knew, its power, rank, and soul composition are definitely of the Celestial Race.
It’s not something with mixed blood of the Celestial Race, but a ‘real’ Celestial.
‘The soul is an awakened Lower Celestial… but its power and rank are different.’
Despite being a Lower Celestial, for some reason, Duke Huangyeol exudes power that surpasses that of an Intermediate Angel.
For now, I can only catch that guy by wearing the Crown of Succession.
‘Crown of Succession.’
Paaah! The Wings of Light spread open, and the broken Lin descends above my head.
The current maximum is 15%.
The duration is about 40 seconds.
‘Two times might be a bit much.’
Once this crown breaks, I might collapse.
This ability that calls forth the power of the past accumulates tremendous damage to my body and soul.
But.
Paaah…!
‘This should be enough.’
Back then, I was always the last one standing.
Just before the overwhelmingly powerful hammer, different from before, strikes Robelian.
“The Empire… No, ‘I’ have decided to protect humans.”
Kuuung!!!
The hammer merely grazed him.
Fuwaaah! Even though it just brushed past, Duke Huangyeol’s right arm bursts due to the pressure.
Even after losing his arm, he looked at it without concern, then turned his gaze to me, exuding pure holiness.
I wonder what my expression looks like right now.
I can’t know without checking, but it probably looks quite something.
‘Because I heard nonsense.’
“What… what are you saying now?”
“I’ll say it again. As a ‘Celestial,’ I have decided to protect ‘humans.’ That’s all there is to it.”
“…….”
“You must understand what that means.”
Who, who is protecting what?
I can’t help but smirk.
I should kill the bastard spouting nonsense right away, but my trembling hands are stopping me.
Kuuung!
I lowered the hammer.
‘…Maybe things could change. After all, there were ‘people’ like you I once thought about.’
I used to think that way.
But nothing has changed.
No, it shouldn’t change.
Celestial and Demon Races are still garbage and blatant evil causing chaos in the world.
There is no room for revival.
‘It has to be that way.’
“…Hmph.”
Crack.
The Crown of Succession shatters.
Even though less than 40 seconds had passed, I broke the crown myself.
The demons are rushing in, and it feels like I might close my eyes at any moment.
If I close my eyes like this, I’ll surely dream of ‘that’ again.
Perhaps I might fall into another ‘long dream’ like before.
‘…No way.’
I escaped from that place.
The story related to him has come to an end, and I am living a new life.
And.
[Lady Lily…?]
[What is it?]
[What’s the story, lol?]
[Oh]
[What’s up? Quick reconciliation?]
[Look at Duke Huangyeol’s arm getting wrecked]
[😱😱😱😱😱]
[That’s awesome]
[Lily’s atmosphere is going downhill…]
[Wow]
[Why does it end so quickly?]
[Lil’Ree has surpassed 2 million;; excluding the official broadcast, achieved 1st place in global Twitch]
[😂😂😂😂😂]
[Great Lily]
“……”
As I watched the chat that I couldn’t possibly ignore,
“Hahaha! Cough…”
Laughter burst out.
I laughed for a long time like that.
[?]
[?]
[Is Lily out of her mind?]
[OMG]
[Why are you laughing?]
[I’m happy because Lily is laughing too]
[You’re so pretty when you laugh]
[With that level, I can’t help but laugh]
[Lily: Is this the continent’s strongest…?]
[Duke Huangyeol was trash; his arm got wrecked in one hit]
[So is Empire Lily now?]
“…What’s so funny?”
“Because it’s funny. Just. Me too…”
I looked down at the ground with heavy eyelids.
The broken, shattered pieces of Holy Power lay scattered like shards of glass.
‘Let’s let it go.’
The Casket of Succession.
A medium through which the power of the ‘past’ is called forth.
I decided to use it outside as well, having used it to summon the power of the perfect peak in the spiritual world of Kiki Island.
Because in this weakened state, I couldn’t defeat strong enemies like the Magic Lord or Duke Huangyeol.
But, as it’s a power in an unstable state, it brought forth not just the power of the past but also raw ’emotions’ along with it.
That’s probably why I spoke and acted without caring about the broadcast.
‘Penalty… perhaps that’s not a wrong word.’
My past, which wandered the battlefield for decades.
Me, who after returning, easily built relationships with numerous people while doing broadcasts.
There was a clear difference between the two.
Sizzle…
I completely burned the Casket of Succession that had turned to fragments.
The old Holy Power disappeared beyond that sky, and the emotions of the past scattered just like that.
It’s a bit… refreshing.
“Ugh, I’m so tired…”
I stretched out and laughed once more.
[…?]
[Seems like something changed again]
[So what are you going to do?]
“…So, what’s the answer?”
“Ah… I want to kill.”
“…What?”
[?]
“I’m just kidding.”
“…Seems like you’re not kidding.”
That’s right. I spoke with intent to kill.
“May I ask one thing? Does ‘humans’ exclude those who are not of the ‘Empire’?”
“The Empire does not reject those who are to become subjects of the Empire.”
Those who are to ‘become’ subjects, huh.
How extremely arrogant.
‘Can’t shake off the nature, huh?’
I nodded, feeling a sense of familiarity.
I felt a sense of familiarity and nodded my head.
“I don’t want to do this anymore… Well, my purpose has been somewhat achieved. For now, let’s just watch.”
Having swung the hammer back, I glared at Duke Huangyeol.
Even without words, the meaning was clear.
‘If you mess around, I’ll kill you.’
For now, I’ll wait and see.
But if he does something weird, I’ll topple the entire Empire to kill Duke Huangyeol.
Even if it means resorting to the powers of the past again.
Duke Huangyeol showed his displeasure at my unspoken pressure but still nodded in acknowledgment.
He must be feeling it since he’s a true member of the Celestial Race.
‘He knows that fighting me head-on means he’ll definitely lose.’
Of course, that’s only if he wears the Heir’s Casket, but if I build my strength anew, it won’t be long before I reach that level.
And then, surpass that level to my prime.
Beyond my prime…
‘…Will I even make it that far?’
I’ll have to cross the line of death countless times without deception to reach that point.
I’m not sure if that’s even possible.
Duke Huangyeol finished preparing to leave and waved his hand but looked at his right arm.
The one that burst and became empty due to me.
He grimaced, got treated by Saintess Nea, and rose high into the sky.
“Then I’ll take my leave. If you ever want to ally with the Empire, just let me know—”
“Wait. You can’t just leave like that.”
“?”
I, human, Lily Elbrite.
“If you’re leaving, you definitely need to pay the price.”
I’m someone who ensures I receive the right compensation.
[Ah hahahaha]
[Compensation is a must!]
[Seriously, where do those bastards think they can run off? LOL]
[Hand over the Empire! LOL]
[For real, LOL]
Duke Huangyeol’s brows furrow severely.
What’s he gonna do about it?
Is he going to try to kill me?
“…What do you want?”
“First, cease the occupation of lands by guilds that start wars and cause chaos. Also, compensation for the damages caused by the wars is a given. Ah, and continued prohibition of Magic Lord’s experiments… And…”
As the conditions piled up one by one, rage rose from above.
Nea, who was standing next to him, was so furious she was practically yelling, “This heretic is out of his mind…!”
“…Lastly. Hmm. I’ll take the Ronhadia Duke’s territory and the Castle? That one’s mine.”
“…What?”
“I. D. A. A. N!!”
Why?
I’ve received gifts twice already, but I never got the most important gift box.
Of course, I should get it.
[Wow, a charitable angel]
[Even donating herself, LOL]
[Seriously, let’s at least snag some land]
[All hail Lily]
[Now this land is mine. I can do whatever I want with it.]
[Hahahahahahahahahaha]
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