Sacrificial Beings Forged for Sacrifice — Part 3
In the dim, flickering light of the ruined plaza, the air hung heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the faint, acrid bite of demonic energy still lingering from the earlier clash.
The massive, radiant bird of pure holy light hovered above them all, its feathers blazing like the dawn itself, casting an ethereal glow that made even the shadows retreat.
Lucretia stood atop its back, her silver hair cascading down to her waist like liquid moonlight, the sapphire-blue of her eyes piercing through the gloom as cold and unyielding as the steel of forgotten blades.
Her flawless, alabaster skin shimmered under the divine radiance, her white tank top and tight blue hot pants the very picture of seductive defiance, every curve and line of her body oiled and glistening as though freshly anointed for a ritual of carnal worship.
Deep in the night, yet the bird’s holy power transformed the darkness into something almost holy, highlighting the swell of her breasts, the flare of her hips, the smooth expanse of her midriff where the fabric had ridden up slightly.
Jason and Griffith stared in stunned silence, their mouths agape.
“Holy power…?”
“Such an enormous amount of holy power!”
Yu Ji-ho and Gabriel could not hide their shock; they had exchanged the same stunned glance almost at the same moment.
Even the combined might of four archangels paled in comparison to this single being.
“More than sixteen times the holy power of a Great Archangel…”
“Four times the combined strength of all four Great Archangels combined…”
The words felt impossible to process, yet the evidence stood before them, undeniable.
“Could it… be the Demon King?”
The thought surfaced instantly in every mind present.
After all, who else in the entire Intermediate World—and even Heaven itself—could wield such vast, overwhelming holy power?
If the Demon King truly held the Holy Sword, perhaps he could channel enough holy energy to mask his demonic aura.
But the figure revealed in the blinding light was nothing they had anticipated.
Instead of the Demon King, a woman had emerged, radiant and untouched by corruption.
Her entire body radiated with unadulterated holy light, as if she had been anointed by the Goddess Astraea herself.
“Saint!”
“Saint Lucretia!”
Jason and Griffith cried out in unison, their voices cracking with disbelief.
Yu Ji-ho’s expression shifted from shock to something far more complicated.
He had read Griffith and Ferdinand’s memories, after all.
He knew the Saint’s legendary beauty better than anyone.
Yet seeing her in the flesh, dressed so provocatively, made her even more breathtaking.
The man who had once only seen her through memories now felt a sudden, unwelcome surge of anticipation when he thought of Irene.
How would Irene’s beauty compare…?
The thought slipped away as quickly as it had come.
Lucretia was an enemy.
She had not fallen to the Demon King’s corruption.
She stood here, still the Saint, and still they fought her.
It was an impossible situation, yet an enemy was an enemy.
They would crush her.
“How… how can she possess such an immense amount of holy power?”
Griffith’s voice trembled with genuine astonishment.
He remembered the Saint’s performance on the battlefield, her purification of the demonic land after the Demon King’s defeat.
He had witnessed her holy power firsthand.
At that time it had been enormous, but nowhere near what he saw now.
Ten years had passed.
Back then Lucretia’s power had already reached the level of a single Great Archangel.
Now it surpassed all four.
Jason and Griffith had monitored her closely for years, exchanging information through spies, yet they had never grown particularly close to her.
They knew she kept the full extent of her power hidden like a hidden blade, but even then they had been certain she could not possibly possess this level of holy energy.
Only half a month earlier she had still been far below this threshold.
“Master,” Griffith said quickly, “only half a month ago the Saint did not possess this level of power.”
“Hmm,” Yu Ji-ho murmured, his gaze never leaving Lucretia.
Those piercing blue eyes stared back with pure hatred.
Yet despite the enmity burning in her gaze, Yu Ji-ho chose mercy.
She was, after all, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
“Saint Lucretia, correct?”
“Among the women of this age and even the entire continent, the most beautiful beauty—excluding the Flash Magic Swordswoman Irene.”
Lucretia’s jealousy toward Irene had never been hidden.
Jason and Griffith had known it all along.
They remembered the raw, venomous words she had spat at the time of her betrayal.
Yu Ji-ho deliberately pressed the wound.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Lucretia answered calmly, without a trace of irritation.
“You’re using holy power,” Yu Ji-ho continued, choosing his words with care.
“You haven’t fallen to the Demon King’s corruption, yet you still stand against us.”
“Isn’t it your duty as Saint to help us?”
“To help us?”
Lucretia’s voice was soft, almost gentle, yet edged with something colder.
“Why should I help you?”
“Because you’re a Saint!”
Yu Ji-ho’s voice rose slightly.
“The entire continent is suffering under the Demon King’s tyranny right now.”
“To save this world, we must defeat him.”
“As a Saint, you would be a tremendous help to us.”
He meant every word.
After all, he wanted her badly.
Lucretia let out a soft, mocking laugh.
She crossed her arms, her long silver hair fluttering in the sudden breeze that passed beneath the glowing bird.
Her body was still glistening with holy oil, her thighs and midriff completely exposed, radiating an overwhelming, carnal allure.
The combination of sacred holiness and raw sexuality was intoxicating.
Yu Ji-ho felt his desire intensify even further.
Yet his face remained perfectly calm, his eyes steady, betraying none of the hunger he felt.
“I have one final decision to make,” Lucretia said suddenly, staring down at him.
“Ten years ago, I betrayed the Hero.”
“Because of that betrayal, he became the Demon King.”
“If I hadn’t betrayed him back then, he would have been shattered by the pain of being betrayed by everyone and never become the Demon King at all.”
“At that time I was blinded by jealousy.”
“I thought that since I couldn’t have him, I would destroy him instead.”
She paused, her voice dropping.
“But after that day, I realized he was gone.”
“A hollow feeling filled my chest.”
“So I threw myself deeper into power, training harder than anyone.”
“Every night I woke up hating myself more, cursing myself for being so weak.”
“I wished with all my heart that the Demon King would break you even more completely.”
“Your miserable life was the only joy I had left.”
“But now…”
“You are the victor, and I am the loser.”
“I watch you wrapped in his embrace, always loved and cherished.”
“I watch your own children being born from your body.”
“I remember how many times you’ve taken what was mine—my purity, my innocence—without ever caring whether I was human, beast, or simply willing.”
“And in the end, I understood something terrible.”
“I never stopped loving the Hero.”
“My love for him is as eternal as a curse.”
“He can never abandon his revenge, and neither can I abandon my love.”
“So I accepted his proposal.”
“I will endure his cruelty as long as I must.”
“But one day, when his hatred finally burns out, I will still be here.”
“Alive, waiting, suffering for a thousand years if that’s what it takes.”
“Yet I will still be waiting.”
“Because revenge cannot bring me happiness.”
“But at least I can become his woman.”
“I will keep myself beautiful and desirable.”
“No matter how much pain he causes me.”
“Because one day he will finally accept me.”
Her eyes burned with an endless, poisonous resolve.
Yu Ji-ho clicked his tongue in disbelief.
This will be difficult…
Lucretia had changed so much.
The woman who had once been a devoted Saint was now something far more twisted.
She had been broken repeatedly by him, yet she had learned to smile through the pain.
“Are you thinking of betraying the Goddess Astraea?”
Yu Ji-ho tried a different approach, mentioning the Goddess to exert pressure.
“No matter how strong your obsession with the Hero, as a Saint you cannot defy the Goddess’s will.”
“Betraying the Goddess and joining the Demon King’s army would strip away your holy power.”
Lucretia’s gaze remained steady.
“I still serve the Goddess Astraea,” she said softly.
“I am still her Saint.”
“I simply cooperate with the Hero as the Saint of this age.”
“I am not taking the Demon King’s side.
“I am taking the Hero’s side.”
“A clever workaround,” Yu Ji-ho muttered.
“The relationship between Goddess and Saint is a complex contract.”
“The Goddess can only awaken a worthy woman as her Saint.”
“And once awakened, the Saint gains power far beyond any other priestess.”
“The title of Saint is a sacred contract.”
“The Goddess cannot revoke it, and she cannot choose another Saint while one exists.”
“You haven’t denied or cursed the Goddess, nor have you turned against her.”
“Yet you’re not fallen either.
“You’re simply helping the Hero as his Saint.”
“That makes you an enemy wearing the full power of a Saint.”
“Lucretia!”
Jason could no longer remain silent.
“Do you truly believe you can earn the Hero’s forgiveness?”
He stepped forward, voice thick with anger.
“After everything he’s done to you?”
Lucretia did not flinch.
Her cold blue eyes met his without hesitation.
“I will wait,” she answered quietly.
“No matter how long it takes.”
“Because my love for him will never disappear.”