episode_0216

A dark, dense curtain hangs in the sky.

This black curtain obscures the clear sky and swallows the brightly shining sun.

Could this be the end of the world? At the center of this abnormal phenomenon was a black ‘something’.

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!!!”

The entity, emitting an unidentifiable, grotesque howl, chipped away at the sanity of those who beheld it, causing them to collapse and crumble with its very existence.

“No….”

Before it appeared, the royal capital, once filled with splendor and peace, was now destroyed and ruined, a place no longer fit to be called a human dwelling. Amidst this scene of destruction, stood a man and a woman.

“No…, no!….”

The beautiful woman with dark purple hair, deeply wounded, looked down at a man whose life was gradually fading, and screamed.

“──!! Stay conscious!!…. You can’t lose consciousness….”

“Cough….”

The man coughed up a shocking amount of blood, and his gaze met the woman’s as he looked at her with dim eyes.

“──…. S-sorry….”

“──!!”

“I, I think…. I wasn’t the person…. you wanted….”

“D-don’t talk. Because I…, I’ll save you, no matter what…. So!!….”

With trembling hands, the woman touched the man’s hand.

But there was no strength in the man’s hand.

Like a flame gradually dying out, the man’s body began to grow cold.

“Ah…. Ah!…. AHHHHH!!!…….”

“Surely….”

“──!──!!──!!!”

The woman cried out the man’s name, but unfortunately, it did not bring him back to life.

The woman knew this fact, but she didn’t want to believe it, so she drew upon her fading magical power.

“Surely…. The destiny and…fate… that you possess….”

“Healing magic…. Healing magic….”

“I hope you unravel it….──.”

It’s cut off.

The man’s life, which had remained faintly, was completely severed.

Despite the woman’s magic, the fading flame of life could not be rekindled.

“Ah…. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

Hateful.

Everything was hateful.

The chains of fate and destiny that bound her,

This world that made the man walk the same path as her,

“What, what happened!! You clearly said that you could control that!!!”

“T-that is….”

“….”

The people of this world who caused the man to die.

“…Ah.”

“….”

Suddenly, the woman looked up at the sky.

‘It’ was looking at her.

At the same time, a question arose.

That thing was sealed because it was dangerous. But humans tried to release it.

Rather, ── died at the hands of the same humans.

Then….

What is dangerous in this world?

“Okay, good.”

The woman stood up from her spot.

Then she reached out her hand towards the sky. Somehow, she felt like the black curtain touched the tips of her fingers.

“My fate too…, my destiny too…. I’ll accept it.”

As if responding to that, ‘it’ stretched out its body and headed towards the woman.

“If there is no way to sever the chains of my fate and destiny…, I will sever this world first.”

‘It’ and the woman touch.

‘It’ quickly began to be absorbed into the woman.

A tremendous power poured into her.

The black curtain that had been hanging as if to cover the world disappeared as if it had never been there.

At the same time, the woman knew exactly what she had to do.

“W-witch!!….”

“Catch the witch!!!”

“…Okay. I’ll become what you say. A real .”

It was the moment when Tammiel first appeared in the world.

* * *

“Kuh….”

Strange.

My defense has increased as much as my physical abilities.

That’s why I’ve reached a point where I’m fine even if I get hit by most attacks.

Strictly speaking, an attack with the power of a fragment of the Demon King could penetrate my defense, but….

It was strange that I was injured by such a ‘dagger’.

Furthermore, Levihya’s physical abilities should have been much lower.

“There were no signs of surrounding her body with magic to strengthen it. What on earth did you do?”

“Not much…. I didn’t do anything. It’s just…. Well, let’s just say that this child’s talent was more outstanding than I thought.”

“Talent…”

“As expected, the Second Saintess’s body is amazing…. The divine power filling my body. If it’s this divine power, I think I can do things like this.”

Levihya…, no, Tammiel, who had taken over Levihya’s body, snapped her fingers.

Then, magic circles that emitted a dizzying amount of pure white light appeared, embroidering the air.

“Where do you think you’re going!!”

I can tell what will happen after this magic circle is completed without having to think deeply.

That’s why I drew my Holy Sword and rushed at Tammiel.

“Can you really cut it down? Bringing an innocent girl all the way here as a means to catch the Demon King…. And you’re trying to cut her down without a second thought?”

“!”

My body stiffened for a moment at Tammiel’s words.

And this moment proved fatal, causing the pure white magic circles embroidered in the air to be completed and activated.

Whoooosh! KWAH-ah-ah-ah-ahng!!!

Pure white rays of light poured out from the magic circles.

Instinctively judging that I shouldn’t be hit by that, I leaped back greatly.

“Have you forgotten where this is?”

“What?…. Could it be?!”

The rays of light that touched the floor ‘reflect’.

Not just one or two, but all the ‘rays’ poured out from at least dozens of magic circles were all ‘reflected’.

“You won’t be able to avoid it.”

In an instant, the world is dyed pure white.

And the pure white rays of light made of divine power mercilessly struck my body.

“Kuh!!”

“Hmm…. Still, is it the Hero after all? It seems you have some resistance to divine power.”

“Tch!!”

After enduring the opponent’s attack, I immediately swung my sword.

The slash created from the tip of the Holy Sword flew towards Levihya as it was, and soon scattered.

“?!”

“You were really going to cut her down? You really have no mercy.”

“It doesn’t seem like you defended separately…. What did you do?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask your Holy Sword? As you said, I didn’t do anything.”

To the Holy Sword?

When I looked down at the Holy Sword, Makina’s voice was heard.

[S-sorry. Our Holy Swords are unable to cut down the followers of our creator, the Goddess….]

“Followers?…. Even in that state, she’s still a Saintess?!”

“T-that is….”

“Of course. This child’s consciousness is still alive deep within this body. She’s just quietly fallen asleep in the sea of my memories.”

Damn it.

I put the Holy Sword into my inventory and took out another sword.

Blood Demon Sword, I never thought I’d use it this effectively. I should at least bow to the Sword Demon later to thank him.

“Blood Demon Sword…. I know about that sword. It’s definitely a great sword, but…. It’s far short of your current Holy Sword’s performance.”

“Don’t worry. It’s enough to cut you down.”

“That’s too much…. You’re trying to kill Levihya without hesitation, even though she’s alive….”

“You’re speaking so eloquently even though you’ve taken Levihya’s body as you please. Don’t worry. Levihya will understand too….”

I draw out the Blood Demon Sword’s dark crimson aura.

And I create a double concentration by surrounding it with a golden aura of dawn, as if to cover it.

‘Still weak.’

Originally, the performance of the Holy Sword and the Blood Demon Sword were similar.

To be exact, the performance of the Blood Demon Sword and the Holy Sword were the same until I fought the Heavenly Demon in Mt. Cheon.

However, when fighting the ‘Demon’, the power of the Holy Sword surpassed the Blood Demon Sword by combining the two Holy Swords.

To the point where it could overwhelmingly cut down even a fragment of the Demon King.

But since I can’t use this Holy Sword….

“I’ll have to settle for second best.”

“Hmm…. Well, you are the strongest of the Heroes I’ve seen so far…. If it wasn’t for this situation, you probably would have been defeated in an instant, right?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll defeat you even in this situation.”

“I think so too. So, should we make an ally?”

Ally?

The moment I frowned at Tammiel’s words, I felt a presence behind me.

If it’s behind me….

“Ah, that hurts.”

“…How?”

“It’s simple. I’ve been controlling the main body and the possessed body at the same time.”

Clearly, even though I cut off her head, Tammiel’s real body is regenerating and starting to stand up again.

But the Levihya in front of me is still being eaten by Tammiel.

She divided her personality into two?….

“Isn’t 1:2 easy? My Prince.”

“Please take care of me..”

In front, Tammiel, who took over Levihya’s body, is drawing out tremendous divine power and engraving magic circles with that power.

Behind, Tammiel, in her original body, is engraving magic circles with an ominous black energy.

The balance is terrible.

“…I’m not the Prince in your memories.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Maybe so.”

With those words, the attack began.

From the magic circles in front, the same ray attacks as before poured out.

From behind, chains with black flames surging from the black magic circle rushed at me.

“Tch!”

There’s no way to block the rays. At the same time, I’ve already experienced that I can withstand the ray attacks to some extent.

So I’ll get hit and endure it.

I intercept the black chains approaching me.

“Good judgment.”

“But haven’t you underestimated me too easily?”

Stab!

“Cough!!”

Hidden in the light was a pure white spear of light.

A sharp spear pierced my heart.

A pure white spear of light hidden in the pure white rays of light.

“There’s a saying that you should hide a tree in the forest.”

“If you judged that you ‘could withstand’ the attacks pouring out as pure white rays of light.”

“I thought you would endure the attacks you could withstand with your body, and intercept the new attacks.”

The black chains instantly bind my body.

“Got you.”

“Prince.”