episode_0243

“Ah… Ahahaha… Don’t worry about it, Remie. Honestly, we didn’t do anything right either… We’re just fools who only regret things belatedly…”

Remie, after learning the truth about angels and demons from Cecilia and Merzel, apologized for having secretly doubted them earlier. Cecilia and Merzel, recalling how they had gone berserk and killed innocent people, replied bitterly that they too were not beings who could be forgiven. Rapien, caught between the three people filled with regret, became flustered, scratched his head, and spoke.

“Still, it’s a great relief that you’ve all returned to the right path like this… B-Because if you all hadn’t changed your minds… there wouldn’t have been anyone to accept you… Hehehe…”

“…Your comfort is truly appreciated, Mi… No, it’s proper to call you by name… Thank you for your comfort, Rapien. Of course, I wasn’t in my right mind, but… recalling how I dragged innocent people to the depths of hell with these hands… my heart aches.”

“I know that feeling well. Seriously… sometimes I think I would have killed Merzel if it weren’t for Zeke, you know? Every time I think that… I look at myself in the mirror and scare myself. Merzel was like that before too…”

“Ahahaha… This atmosphere isn’t improving… Huh? But… over there… Cecilia-nim? Doesn’t the barrier seem to be blurring?”

“Huh?”

As the three people continued discussing the heavy topic of reflecting on their past, Rapien, who found it difficult to join this somber atmosphere, became flustered and noticed that the inside of the barrier they were in was blurring. The other three also looked around, seeing with their own eyes that the barrier was fading. Soon, as the ceiling began to collapse, Cecilia let out an awkward laugh and spoke.

“Oh, right… I used all my strength to save Remie, even the power to maintain this barrier…? Ahahaha… I completely forgot, didn’t I?”

“….?! What do you mean telling us such an important fact *now*, Cecilia?! Damn it… I’m so exhausted I can’t even move my body properly…!!”

When Cecilia belatedly announced that the barrier would collapse, Remie frantically tried to pick up her sword and shield and stand up, but she couldn’t move her body properly, perhaps due to the holy radiance from earlier, and became greatly flustered. At that moment, the cultists who had been waiting near the barrier for them to emerge began to rush at them, weapons in hand.

“The barrier is finally broken! Quick, kill those heretics!”

“Uwaaaaaah! It seems these people were waiting outside the barrier the whole time?!”

“Damn it… If only I could move my body properly… Still, at least Cecilia-nim must…!!”

As the cultists charged at them, those who were too exhausted to move began to sense their end. At that moment, humans and elves appeared from the surroundings and blocked the cultists’ weapons, protecting the four people. Then, a human who was blocking a cultist’s hammer with his sword asked Merzel.

“Angel Noona! It’s such a relief to see you safe and sound~! You didn’t know we’d been watching all this time, thinking you might be attacked like this?”

“A-Angel Noona…? More importantly, you were watching…? What about the cultists you were fighting…?”

“Perhaps because they were shocked by the fall of another Child of Light member elsewhere, they showed an opening, and we were able to quickly subdue them. But these idiots targeting you kept bothering us, you see. So we were waiting too. More importantly, Cecilia…!! That Saintess next to you…”

“…! I… I am….”

When the elf, who was blocking a cultist’s sword with a spear, asked about Remie, Remie knew from fragmented memories that she had been brainwashed but had also committed atrocities as a member of the Children of Light. She assumed the resistance fighters would surely hate and curse her, so she couldn’t easily introduce herself. At that moment, Cecilia smiled, put her arm around Remie’s shoulder, and spoke.

“She’s our friend now. We took Remie’s divine power with all our might~!”

“F-Friend, Cecilia…? But I….”

“Ah, so she was a Saintess controlled by Camilla’s divine power, just like Viola-ssi!! Still, it’s a great relief that she’s back to her senses and has become a friend!!”

“….? You… you don’t doubt me…? Why…?”

With just Cecilia’s explanation, the resistance fighters dropped their suspicions, and Remie couldn’t understand the situation at all. Was it because the continent was different and these people were odd, or was it because there were cases like the Viola that the resistance mentioned? Remie simply couldn’t accept that they had immediately trusted her. Then Merzel patted Remie’s shoulder and spoke.

“You don’t need to overthink it, Remie. Everyone has come to understand the power of Camilla’s divine energy now. Even the subsequent regrets of those who were forcibly made into cultists by being controlled.”

“….”

Merzel encouraged Remie, recalling how the resistance fighters had previously felt the despair and regret of the brainwashed cultists through Viola. Remie, flustered, watched the resistance fighters protecting her. When their protection overlapped with memories of her kingdom’s knights protecting her in the past, she smiled faintly and murmured.

“Is this kind of spirit still present in this era…?”

“Alright everyone! How about we chat later?!”

“You all seem exhausted right now… It would be best to quickly evacuate to a safe place!! Everyone, push yourselves!!!”

The moment Remie fully realized that such a spirit still existed in this era, the resistance fighters pushed themselves to subdue the cultists so that the four people could escape to a safe place. Meanwhile, Arvina, who had suffered injuries all over her body from the battle with Kate and eventually collapsed there while fighting, also stammered in surprise when she saw human and dragon resistance fighters saving her.

“Elder Arvina!! Please take my hand quickly!! I will escort you to a safe place!!”

“Ah… Ah… Hahaha… I’m not used to human hands, so… it’s a little scary…”

“Well… I suppose so. Your hand, which sacrificed its life to defeat the Children of Light or whatever they were, is more noble…!! No, this isn’t the time for such talk!! Please take my hand quickly!!”

“Hahaha… Truly… times must have changed greatly… Hahahaha…!!”

Arvina felt a strange sensation when a human once again reached out a hand to save her life, and she took the human’s hand. The human resistance fighter then guided Arvina onto the dragon’s back. As soon as the dragon felt Arvina mount its back, it immediately flew into the sky and escaped from the spot. Similarly, Esti, Iruvan, and Rubaea, who were also exhausted and unable to move, were receiving protection from Nerha, Riera, and Tiara.

“N-Nerha Noona… You’re too late… I already took down the strong one…”

“Fufu… So this stubborn younger brother finally did something, didn’t he? You worked hard, Iruvan.”

“Although our origins are different… as fellow fairies, I must express my gratitude… Melodian fairy… you saved my life.”

“Oh, come on… what do race or origin matter in this situation? By the way, can you move?”

“Haaah… Haaah… Even flying is hard…. Uwaah…?!”

When Riera asked if she could move, Rubaea was panting, trying to reply that she couldn’t even fly. At that moment, perhaps having regained some strength, Esti suddenly lifted the fallen Rubaea and Iruvan, then spoke to Riera.

“I still have enough energy to carry these two. But I don’t have the strength to attack or retaliate… So, I’ll owe you a favor for a bit.”

“Ahahaha… Understood… But who are you…?”

“…A slime summoned by Zeke, and… let’s just say I’m a slime whose heart feels refreshed after finally avenging my grudge. Can you please guide us to a safe place quickly?”

“In that case, please follow us quickly!! We will definitely cover you!!!”

When Esti asked where a safe place was, Nerha said they would cover them, and together with Riera and Tiara, they protected them while guiding them to a safe place. While Esti and her companions were safely escaping to a secure location, Pertian, protecting the exhausted and fallen Tess and his group with other resistance fighters, smiled and spoke to Tess.

“With blood flowing so profusely from your leg, yet still holding onto your consciousness… As expected, you’re amazing, Commander.”

“Kuku… I’m on the verge of losing consciousness right now, Pertian? So please help us escape to a safe place quickly… bringing this Child of Light kid too.”

“As you command. Everyone!! Escort them to a safe place quickly!! Everyone, hurry!!! Now that we’ve almost depleted Camilla’s full power, this is our chance!!”

“Everyone, hurry and escape to a safe place!! Then quickly recover your energy and fight again!!”

The resistance fighters, realizing that all of Camilla’s main forces, the Children of Light, had been defeated, changed their strategy to quickly recover their energy and fight again. As the resistance fighters who had defeated the Children of Light were escaping to a safe place with the help of other resistance fighters, Camilla seemed to sense that all of her Children of Light had fallen, and she cried out in great anguish.

“Kraaaaaah…. My… my Children of Light…. My children who were to be with my dreams… who were to be with my world… all of them…!! Aaaaaaaaah!!!”

“Uwaaaaaah?! The ground is starting to shake!!”

“Surely she hasn’t already regained all her power, has she?!”

As the ground began to shake, perhaps influenced by Camilla’s rage, Cecilia, who was frantically fleeing, became greatly flustered, and Remie began to worry if Camilla had regained her original power. Camilla, suffering from the fall of all her Children of Light, glared at the fleeing resistance fighters with eyes full of fury, then spread her hands toward them and shouted.

“You dare to defeat my precious children… You worthless wretches dare… Then I will extort from you as much light as I have lost…!!”

When Camilla declared from the sky that she would extort from them, gathering divine power in both hands, Tess became greatly flustered. This was because he had been certain that Camilla could not control them, as the elves had previously helped them remove all divine power from their bodies.

“Extort?! Surely she’s not trying to control us with divine power now,?!”

“T-That’s impossible, Tess…!! Our elves removed your divine power, so how could Camilla possibly control us….?”

“…!! Wait a minute, Uncle, Veronica…!! Come to think of it, Camilla implanted divine power into living beings a long time ago, didn’t she…!! S-Surely she’s not doing that again here right now…?!”

As Karina speculated that Camilla had already implanted divine power into living beings a long time ago and was now trying to implant it into them again, everyone began to gasp in shock. However, the divine power gathered in Camilla’s hands had already become powerful enough to emit an intense light, and Camilla, seeing their terrified faces, smirked and shouted.

“Did you think I, who have almost fully regained my power, couldn’t implant divine power into you again…!! Hehehe… You truly harbored a vain hope…!! I will make you fight each other…!!”

“N-No….!!! If we fight each other in this situation….!!!”

“Everyone… you shall become my servants…!!! Serve Holy!!!”

Yuria, who had been fighting the cultists, was greatly horrified, realizing that most of the resistance fighters were currently gathered due to a tactical retreat and were all exhausted, meaning if more enemies appeared, their chances of victory would be almost zero. However, as if mocking Yuria, the divine power from Camilla’s hands split into multiple rays of light and began to fly rapidly towards the resistance fighters. And at that moment…

“….!!”

Suddenly, a black aura appeared, spreading like a massive curtain, and began to block all of Camilla’s divine power. Camilla was flustered by the sudden appearance of the black aura—no, the black divine power—and Aria, who had protected everyone through it, let out a chuckle and spoke beside me.

“So you’re going to do something Zeke-nim dislikes most right in front of me again? You really are determined to die young, aren’t you, Camilla?”

“Aria…!! Aria Litt!!!!”

“Oh my. Yelling like that doesn’t scare me at all, you know? In fact, seeing how desperate you are makes me feel pity for you. Fufu… You’re a has-been Kaju, aren’t you, Camilla?”

No matter how much Camilla screamed at her, Aria merely scoffed at Camilla as if she found her pathetic. Then, Aria looked around, and when Cecilia and Merzel caught her eye, she suddenly smirked, smiled at me, and spoke.

“Zeke-nim. It seems this Aria can give Zeke-nim a veeery big gift.”

“What? What gift are you suddenly talking about, Aria?”

“Hahaha… It’s a gift that Zeke-nim will truly appreciate. However… to give this gift, I paradoxically seem to need Zeke-nim’s help. Will you take my hand and channel your magic?”

When Aria offered her hand, asking for my cooperation to give me a massive gift, I naturally smirked and, without hesitation, took her outstretched hand and began channeling my magic. I didn’t know what Aria was thinking, but… I trusted Aria. Aria… truly shows me things beyond imagination… And more than anything, how could I not trust her when she’s my lover…!!

“Aaaah…!! Zeke-nim’s magic, full of love…!! Ehehehe… Oh no… The joy is so overwhelming my mind is going blank… Ehihihihi….”

“…Whatever you’re planning, let’s focus first, Aria… I’m also curious about what this ‘gift’ you mentioned is…”

“Ah… Ehehe… I was too ecstatic and lost my focus again. It looks like Merzel and Cecilia used an interesting method. So, if I apply that method with my divine power and Zeke-nim’s magic…. Hihihi…!!”

“….!! S-Surely… A-Aria Liiiiittt!!!!”

When Aria looked at her with a significant smile, Camilla seemed to realize something and, greatly flustered, screamed at Aria. Aria then stuck out her tongue at Camilla to tease her again, then leaned her head back and spread her empty left arm, speaking.

“Release From Pride.”

“…?! Uwaah?!”

Along with Aria’s incantation, an alien aura, a fusion of divine power and magic, rapidly spread around her body in the form of mist, startling me. The black mist emanating from Aria’s body began to completely cover the entire area around the Pioneer Temple. It then immediately started to dissipate, and as the mist began to clear… truly astonishing things began to happen.

“Ugh… My… my head… What just happened…?”

“…?! Something is coming out of the cultists’ bodies… S-Surely…!!”

Surprisingly, divine power began to emerge from the bodies of most of the cultists who had been covered by the mist, taking the form of spheres of light. This was the ability Aria used. It was a purification ability, applied broadly, derived from Cecilia and Merzel’s method of expelling divine power from Remie’s body, which had not fully assimilated with it. Thanks to this ability, most of the cultists began to regain their senses, and some resistance fighters began to cheer, shedding tears as their brainwashed family members or friends, whom they had been fighting, started to come to their senses.

“Hey…. Hey…!! Did you come to your senses?! Are you finally okay…!!”

“Huh…? Why are you crying…? Ugh… I feel like I’m remembering something…”

“….Aaaah… Thank goodness…. Thank goodness…. Khh-uuuh….”

Some cultists had voluntarily followed Camilla, so they were unaffected by Aria’s ability, but most of the cultists had been brainwashed by Camilla, and thus could finally be freed from Camilla’s spell. Camilla, watching her cultists being freed one by one by Aria’s ability, became greatly enraged and screamed at Aria.

“Aria Litt!!! How dare you do this!!!”

“Fufu… Alright then… Let’s end this long battle. That way, I can do various things with Zeke-nim later…!!”

*’…I somehow feel a little scared that some of those “various things” might be terrifying… ‘*