Judgment

‘I’ll go down alone. You two take care of those trying to escape!’

“Stay put and deal with those fleeing. You should be able to handle them.”

Levi and Ryandel nodded in unison.

Levi gripped her bow tightly, while Ryandel raised her staff.

Both looked a bit frightened but determined.

Count Hind still held the unconscious Edgar in his arms.

Under the moonlight, his face was pale, with tear marks under his eyes.

His concern for his son was evident.

Looking at Edgar’s wounds, it seemed my healing pollen hadn’t been fully effective.

Ah, I had the healing authority!

A golden arrow shot out from my fingertips, striking Edgar’s chest.

His body began to glow faintly.

The wounds were healing before my eyes.

Color returned to his face.

“What…”

The Count muttered in surprise.

I shot similar arrows at Levi and Ryandel.

Their bodies glowed momentarily, washing away their fatigue.

Levi’s grip on her bow tightened, and Ryandel’s disheveled robe smoothed out.

Would it work on me too?

I tried it by shooting an arrow at my chest.

My body was enveloped in light.

Oh wow!

An indescribable sensation of pleasure coursed through me.

It felt like fatigue, anxiety, and fear were all washed away at once.

My body felt light, like feathers, and my heart was filled with faith in Michel.

A confidence surged within me, as if I could save the world on my own.

It’s time to fight!

Miel and Cecilia circled around me quickly.

Small flames fell from Cecilia’s three pairs of wings, while Miel’s icy wings shimmered in the moonlight.

Rote remained by my side, like a blue satellite.

‘Glacia! Descend!’

“Glacia, escort me.”

Glacia flapped her wings and flew to me.

Her small feet, despite her size, gripped my shoulders firmly.

She lifted me and descended slowly into the ruined plaza.

Much more stable than when she carried Edgar.

Nice discrimination!

One arm relaxed, the other fiddled with the Crimson Bind.

As we descended underground, the view expanded.

This was clearly a ritual site.

The floor had a symbol of Ouroboros, the snake biting its tail, and black candelabras lay scattered.

And there was the demon.

His form was indistinct, like a walking shadow.

Occasionally, he took a human shape, only to distort again.

A faint mist swirled around him.

The demon watched as I descended.

His status window indicated he was strong.

Glacia gently set me down.

As my feet touched the ground, the blood-drawn symbol faintly glowed.

“Oh! New Apostle of Abraxas!”

People in black robes suddenly knelt before me.

They prayed on the floor.

What… what is this?

Are they talking to me?

I was confused.

Have they gone mad?

The demon’s reaction was different from the cultists.

He simply stared at me piercingly.

His formless face made it hard to read his expression, but I sensed mockery.

An arrogant aura filled the air.

Then, one of the cultists stood up.

He wore more elaborate robes than the others and held a knife with strange, translucent markings.

“No! I sense Michel’s divine power from her! She is not Abraxas’ apostle!”

『 ☆☆☆☆ 【Dzark】 Human LV157 』

For a human, his level was quite high.

And he could detect Michel’s divine power-no ordinary cultist.

Probably the leader of this group!

“Dzark Walter! What are you doing?”

‘O… yes…’

“Hmph.”

I was taken aback by the Count’s cold tone, but his noble trait allowed him to proceed.

Count Hind charged at Dzark, fists clenched, while Dzark raised his knife to meet him.

Their energies clashed midway.

I had no time to mind them.

A stronger enemy stood before me.

The demon still watched me, and the cultists, hearing Dzark’s words, panicked and fled.

‘Hey!’

“Hmph!”

I shouted, and black roots burst from the ground.

They snaked through the earth, impaling the fleeing cultists.

Screams echoed everywhere.

Don’t even think about escaping!

Your blood belongs to Michel!

Be good sacrifices!

But the demon easily evaded my attack.

His form blurred, making the roots miss.

What… what the hell!

How did he dodge!

Again!

I charged at the demon.

Michel’s authority to judge the wicked came to mind.

What was its name again?

I couldn’t remember, but I tried what I could.

‘Sanctus Judicium!’

A warm energy spread through me.

It felt like Michel’s power flowed through my veins.

The air around me cleared.

The black roots and Crimson Bind glowed with a golden aura.

The pollen also shimmered with holy light.

This must be the divine attribute bonus!

Cecilia fired fiery arrows from her wings.

Glacia, despite her usual laziness, charged with icy fangs.

But…

The demon’s space began to distort.

The air rippled like water.

Our attacks seemed to be sucked into the distortion.

“Kukuku!”

The demon’s laughter sent chills down my spine.

Crazy!

What is this!

Nothing’s working!

I approached closer, swinging the Crimson Bind, sending roots everywhere.

But every strike missed due to the distortion.

This sword is useless!

I don’t even know how to use it!

Glancing aside, the Count fought Dzark bare-handed.

His fists, glowing blue, tried to break through Dzark’s defense, but the black energy from Dzark’s knife blocked him.

Huh?

Aren’t they a swordsmanship family?

Why didn’t he bring a sword?

‘Take this!’

“Catch!”

The Count caught the sword mid-air.

“Is this okay?”

He hesitated for a moment.

‘I don’t know swordsmanship!’

“Swordsmanship is just a part of my abilities. I don’t need it.”

What is this guy talking about!

If he knew swordsmanship, I would’ve felt it earlier!

Then, the demon finally attacked.

A strange energy gathered in what appeared to be his hand.

Space around him warped like a black hole.

What the hell!

Black hole!?

The energy shot toward me.

Rote tried to block it but passed through as if she wasn’t there.

It pierced me.

Ahhh!

Unimaginable pain engulfed me.

My soul felt torn apart.

The polymorph ability wore off, returning me to my flower form.

『 HP : 3,494/3,494 + (1,598,127) 』

My health bar dropped by about 10,000.

Ugh… It hurts more than expected.

Maybe because I don’t have my backup battery.

“Kukuku!”

The demon laughed again.

No time to think.

This guy is much stronger than I thought.

Plenty of health, but I don’t want to feel that pain again.

‘Polymorph!’

Nothing happened.

It felt like my ability was blocked.

Perhaps his power did this.

Another authority came to mind.

‘Lux Purifico!’

Golden light spread from me.

It felt like cleansing impurities.

The blocked channels in me reopened.

Trying polymorph again, in flower form, my domain radar showed his distorted space.

Shockingly, parts of his body were empty.

Not just holes, but non-existent spaces.

And the warped space around him was visible.

Like a mirror maze.

That’s why attacks miss!

Now I know where to strike!

Fighting in flower form seems better.

Since I can see the distortion, I know where to attack.

Then, the demon attacked again.

He created shadowy blades and threw them.

Rote tried to block, but the blades passed through her and cut my petals.

Ahh!

It hurt, but manageable.

Two of my large petals were cut, but the backup battery regenerated them instantly.

Time to counterattack!

‘Hey! Hey!’

I sent roots and pollen in multiple directions.

Using the domain radar, roots aimed where the demon truly was, while pollen spread widely.

Roots still missed, but pollen began to affect him.

His form distorted, slowing his movements.

Paralysis and other status effects are taking hold!

Miel, watching from above, flapped her wings in a peculiar pattern.

She seemed to be signaling something.

Cecilia suddenly changed direction, firing a fireball at empty space.

Surprisingly, it hit the demon accurately.

Glacia charged where Miel indicated, striking the demon with venom.

Oh!

How did Miel figure out the spatial distortion first?

Without the radar, how did she know?

Usually childlike, but she’s the smart leader of the butterflies!

“Kukuku!”

The demon’s painful screech was like metal scraping.

Unpleasant, but music to my ears.

Glancing at the Count, he was pushing Dzark back with the Crimson Bind.

Good!

‘Die soon!’

We inflicted more attacks on the demon.

The combined effects of my pollen and the insects’ attacks pressured him.

Finally, the demon gestured.

Space around him swirled like a vortex.

Trying to escape!

Not on Michel’s watch!

‘Death Mark!’

I remembered this authority clearly.

He can’t escape now!

A red symbol appeared above the demon.

A blood-infused light pattern, like Michel’s mark.

Whoa!

So cool!

Just like Michel!

As I admired, the symbol completed.

The world spun, and the scenery blurred.

When it cleared, we were in a sealed, circular arena.

White marble, like an ancient Roman coliseum.

Only the demon and I were there.

No Cecilia, Glacia, Rote, or Miel.

Just us two.

‘Can’t escape now, forced duel!’