Let There Be Punishment for the Sinner (3)

About five days after parting with Ceres.

“This is strange.”

Both Alec and Yona nodded with gloomy expressions at Kaiyak’s words.

Only Rubina, clinging tightly to Yona’s leg, looked up at Yona with a puzzled expression.

A peculiar silence hung over the mountainside.

Until just a moment ago, the mountainside had been filled with noisy clamor as a pack of wild kobolds swarmed in,

but now, as if that noise had never existed, there wasn’t even a trace of it.

Rather, the kobolds were kneeling before Yona, their heads bowed so low they seemed about to be planted in the ground.

These kobolds kept mumbling incomprehensible sounds while pressing their foreheads to the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

It was a scene that was hard to laugh at.

Although there was no reason to be tense about mere kobolds anymore, it was natural to respond when they charged.

So they had been preparing to fight, but as soon as the kobolds saw Yona, they ended up like this.

The sight of them kneeling and planting their foreheads on the ground with the same momentum they had been charging with was truly a scene that was hard to laugh at.

“It seems the status of being the Saint of the Demon Realm is more impressive than we thought.”

Yona didn’t respond to Alec’s words either.

Until now, Yona hadn’t really felt the reality of being called a saint or whatever.

Not only that, even when she had traveled with Saint Bigrind right beside her, there wasn’t anything particularly impressive.

The manifestation of holy power that could instantly suppress the undead.

Just that— exactly that was the status of a saint that she had felt.

But now that she had become the Saint of the Demon Realm in reverse, and after experiencing this.

This saint thing might be more impressive than she thought.

“We all know that those demon beasts are all from the demon realm. Is it because you’re the Saint of the Demon Realm that they can’t attack you?”

“By that logic, they should attack you.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Even if they don’t attack Yona, who is nominally the Saint of the Demon Realm,

it would make sense for them to attack Alec, who is a cathedral knight and has holy power.

Yona’s question had a valid point.

But thinking about it, it wasn’t really a problem that would have an answer, so pondering over it was a waste of time.

“Shall we rest here for today?”

As Kaiyak said, the sun was already approaching the western mountains.

Even the brilliant afternoon sunlight fades as time passes.

When the sun sets, the moon rises, and day becomes night.

【It seems it’s time to show you.】

‘…Huh?’

Berbaria’s voice, which had been quiet for a while.

At that voice, Yona stopped what she was doing.

As she stood blankly, halting her preparations for camping, Alec and Kaiyak looked at her with puzzled expressions.

However, not even noticing such gazes, Yona stood blankly waiting for Berbaria’s next words.

‘What, what are you talking about?’

【At this point, I intend to show you what the Saint of the Demon Realm is.】

‘Wh-what do you mean…?’

It was at that moment.

Just as it seemed a snake was slithering out of Yona’s left arm, that snake soared into the sky and instantly swelled in size.

A giant snake as big as a house.

Not a snake with nine heads as before, but a snake with just one head.

Surrounded by the characteristic glossy scales of reptiles, the snake lowered its head to Yona’s face, looking down at her.

Yona’s face reflected in the yellow eyes was strangely calm.

She didn’t turn pale blue— or deathly white, but remained in her usual calm state.

In reality, Yona was strangely composed.

Even though such a huge snake— a snake so large it could swallow her whole and still have room left— was looking down at her right in front of her, Yona’s state of mind didn’t change.

Unconsciously, she remained calm as if knowing that Berbaria would never harm her.

Saint. We wish to show you our world.

“—Where are you trying to take Yona!”

Startled by the sudden shout, Yona flinched.

Along with that cry, a thick hand wrapped around her waist.

Before she could even make a sound, Yona found herself enveloped in Alec’s embrace.

“Demon, are you now revealing your true colors to Yona?”

Hugging Yona with the hand holding his shield naturally created a posture that shielded her with the shield.

Alec’s aura, aiming his hammer emanating pure white holy power at Berbaria, was truly impressive.

But there was one problem—

‘…Ah, it hurts.’

Being in Alec’s embrace was fine, but it hurts because he’s emanating so much holy power.

Every time the holy power touched her, there was a sizzling sound accompanied by wisps of smoke rising.

And the skin where it touched stung and hurt,

moreover, the demonic energy reacting against the holy power was instinctively emerging to protect her.

‘He must be hurting too…?’

Looking at Alec carefully, sure enough, sparks could be seen flying from his bare skin visible through his shirt.

Beads of sweat rolled down his jaw, flowing along his neckline, seeming to flow into his collarbone, and then streaming down between his firm chest muscles—

Do not misunderstand, young knight. I highly appreciate your loyalty towards our Saint, but even I cannot handle you. And the Saint seems to be in much pain, so why don’t you let her go?

The yellow eyes somehow even contained a hint of amusement.

Realizing this belatedly, Alec hurriedly released Yona from his embrace.

“Ah, s-sorry. Yona, are you alright?”

At last, the holy power emanating from Alec’s body subsided.

Yona’s appearance wasn’t in great shape either; having been caught between the clash of demonic energy and holy power, which were the ultimate opposites, her face was covered in cold sweat, with wet hair sticking to it, looking quite miserable.

“Um… I-I’m fine. So, Berbaria. What were you saying?”

Somehow it feels embarrassing to look at Alec’s face.

So Yona hurriedly turned the topic to Berbaria.

Suddenly appearing like this and saying they’ll show their world or whatever is quite unsatisfactory, but somehow it’s incredibly difficult to take her eyes off Alec’s disheveled appearance, so it’s better to change the subject.

…I was saying I would show you our world. The timing is good.

“By your world, you mean the demon realm, right? You showed me the demon realm before, didn’t you?”

Ruins.

That place where fires were burning everywhere and smoke was constantly rising.

If it’s that place, hadn’t she already visited it once?

That place was merely a tiny part of my domain. You hardly moved from there in the first place.

That was also true.

Although she had visited, she hardly moved from there.

Now that you have become the Saint of the Demon Realm, you need to know about the demon realm as well. Am I wrong?

“…That’s true.”

Given Yona’s personality, if she was going to do something, she had to do it thoroughly.

It was the same when she became a nun, when she became a healer, and when she lived as an adventurer.

Now that she’s become a saint, it would be right to properly act as a saint.

“Yona.”

Alec approached with a deeply worried expression and grabbed her arm.

After all, Berbaria is a demon, and there’s no knowing what it might do.

So it was natural for Alec to worry about Yona.

“It’s okay. The demon realm… well… I didn’t tell you, but it’s true that I’ve been there once before.”

Although it was in a dream.

There was no need to say that, so she didn’t.

“What Berbaria is saying isn’t necessarily wrong. Whatever Ceres… that damned woman is planning, I need to know something to respond, right?”

“…You really, do you trust a demon because you have no one else to trust?”

“No? Why wouldn’t I have someone to trust? I trust you, you know?”

Beh—

Sticking out her tongue playfully, Yona turned around sharply and looked up at Berbaria.

“Alright, let’s go. To the demon realm or whatever. I had to go there anyway. It’s rather late, actually.”

Is that so. That’s a good attitude.

Berbaria’s yellow eyes turned to Yona.

Yona thought it looked like a strangely smiling expression.

Yes, like that. Use the spell mark. The spell mark is like the foundation of the demon realm, so wishing along with the spell mark is a basic virtue of a saint.

‘…What is this.’

As Berbaria instructed, she pressed down on the inside of her wrist, where the blood vessels could be felt, and concentrated on the thought of going to the demon realm.

Unlike before, the intense demonic energy that now circulated freely throughout her body, free from the restriction of her right arm, surged unhindered towards the spell mark engraved all over her right arm, as if responding to Yona’s wish.

And the first thing that appeared was a vertically elongated oval.

From the oval that opened its mouth slightly, dark red demonic energy was surging and rising.

As it gradually expanded, the demonic energy also rose fiercely.

Demonic energy that whirled so violently that Yona’s hair fluttered.

Demonic energy so intense that even Alec, who was standing close by in case something happened to her, frowned.

In the midst of such demonic energy, the circle gradually grew larger and began to take shape.

This is the gate leading to my domain. Saint, the more demons you subjugate, the more gates you can open.

Before they knew it, the circle had become a huge gate.

The stone pillars on either side were thicker than an adult man’s waist, and above all, the snake crawling up those stone pillars was the highlight.

The snake that climbed up the stone pillars like that then crawled onto the top of the stone gate, finally meeting in the middle, intertwining their bodies and taking on a posture of roaring at each other.

Now, let’s open it. Knight escorting the Saint, stand back. You won’t be able to withstand it.

Slowly, the stone gate began to open.

The demonic energy whirling through the gap wasn’t fierce, but its concentration was extremely high.

Yona didn’t feel anything particular, but Alec felt like his whole body was burning up, causing him to stagger back without realizing it.

Grrrr…

With a heavy sound, the stone gate opened completely.

Nothing could be seen inside the gate, but Yona could tell.

That place, that inside, must be the demon realm.

And rather, that place—

For some reason she didn’t understand, it even felt cozy.