The Light to Oppose the Approaching Darkness (1)
Your Majesty the Emperor. I hope this letter finds you in good health. The reason I write is that while investigating the holy relic Your Majesty mentioned, I discovered an extremely sinister energy lingering within the academy. I performed a grand purification on it first, but it appears further measures will be required. I recommend that Your Majesty personally come and reestablish the barrier. Furthermore, the statue believed to be the holy relic seems to be an artifact possessing an ego at a stage far beyond ordinary holy relics. Given that it has self-awareness, it must be handled with the utmost care.
And there is something I must tell you about Raphael. Raphael appeared before my eyes yesterday. She stayed with me for an entire day before vanishing in a flash of light at the end. Her final words were a request to look after her disciple well.
Could it be that some great anomaly is occurring in the world, one that would require even Raphael to need a disciple? Your colleague and the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom,
— Audrey
Meanwhile, the Demon King felt the death of the demon she had planted within the empire.
“...Already dead? Don’t tell me the emperor used Holy Descent? That carries heavy penalties, though?”
The Demon King sat upon her throne, deep in thought.
“Hmm… Now that I know the empire lacks the Dragon’s Heart… I suppose I’ll have to hunt a dragon myself.”
“The Dragon’s Heart is an essential ingredient, yet…”
At that moment, a voice echoed from nowhere.
“Hehehe… So you were here after all?”
The Demon King flinched at the sudden voice and whipped her head around.
“Demon King Metelia. Calm yourself. I have come to offer you aid.”
“What are you—”
Before her, an incredibly dense demonic energy coalesced, taking on human form.
“...Raphael?”
“Y-you insane bitch! You’re still obstructing me even in death!”
“Ah, does this form trigger your trauma? Yes… I suppose it would.”
“Then how about this one?”
The evil-voiced Raphael transformed, her hair and eyes turning the black that symbolized the demon race.
“Now, Metelia. Can you trust me like this?”
The Demon King steadied herself slightly before asking the entity before her.
“Just what are you? The demonic energy is so overwhelming that even I, the Demon King, am shaking…”
“Hmmm… Indeed. What am I, I wonder?”
“Ah, yes. Just think of me as Raphael. I’m a supporter here to help you.”
“...Have you fallen? That appearance is unmistakably a demon’s…”
“And before that, you should have definitely been dead…”
“Puhuhuhu, Metelia. Keep it simple. I’m a supporter here to help you.”
“And shall I tell you one more thing? The next-generation hero who will kill you has appeared.”
“You will die again. By that hero’s hand.”
“So trust me. I will make you strong. Stronger than that Raphael ever was!”
The Demon King froze at those final words.
“...Stronger than Raphael?”
“How about it? Tempting now, isn’t it?”
After hearing she could become stronger than Raphael, the Demon King pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Fine… What should I call you?”
“Kukuku. Lucifer. Call me Lucifer.”
“All right. Lucifer. I’ll be counting on you.”
“Good. I think we’ll make rather excellent friends.”
Around the time the Saintess was conversing with the remnant of the Fiend, Sein and Eiron also sensed the energy and were working to erase it.
“May Your servant not harbor evil intentions. Purification—”
“Hey. Sein. This energy… do you feel it?”
“...This belongs to the Saintess…? Wait a moment… And this terribly horrifying energy…?”
“Ugh… Uweeeeck!”
Sein began to vomit the moment she felt the horrific energy. It was as though countless disgusting things had gathered and fused into a solitary, terrible, and overwhelming power. She trembled from the wicked aura, unable to regain her composure.
“Sein! Get a hold of yourself! We have to save the Saintess!”
“This round is too strange… It’s all wrong!”
“Yeah… It’s way too strange…”
“Why is the Saintess even here?”
“And the Saintess hasn’t fallen yet!”
“Sein, remember? In every round we regressed through, the Saintess had always fallen and become the Witch of Ruin.”
“But not this time.”
“So we must protect the Saintess at all costs!”
“...You’re right. If the Saintess falls, no new Saintess will be born until the fallen one dies…”
“That’s why we always tried to defeat the Demon King without a Saintess…”
“Maybe we started everything wrong. It seems a hero party without a Saintess can never kill the Demon King.”
“Eiron…”
“It’s all right. The current Saintess hasn’t fallen. So… it will be okay…”
“Let’s focus on rescuing the Saintess first!”
“Yes!”
Tap-tap—
Sein and Eiron sprinted toward the plaza where the Saintess was at tremendous speed.
The moment they arrived, the remnant of the Fiend vanished, erased by the light radiating from the statue. Sein and Eiron stared at the scene in shock.
“What on earth is that…”
“Eiron… Just what is that statue?”
“Was that statue there from the beginning?”
In all 99 rounds, this was the first time they had seen an angel statue. What could it possibly be?
“Sein. Was there ever a statue like that in our previous rounds? This is my first time seeing it.”
“And last time when the crowd gathered, I saw people praying to that very statue…”
A statue that receives prayers… Did that mean it accepted prayers in the same way the Goddess did?
“Does that mean something is hidden inside that statue?”
“Sein. Look at what’s happening. It’s protecting the Saintess from that sinister entity right now.”
“And I sense an aura from that statue far stronger than Ian’s.”
“Remember the power of annihilation Ian used last time? I feel an even stronger version of that power coming from the statue!”
It was unmistakable! An energy they had never encountered in all those countless rounds! It was definitely the same power Ian had used. How could such strength emanate from a mere statue…?
“Eiron, you’re right, but the holy power is just as overwhelming. You were an apostle once, so you’re sensitive to holy energy, aren’t you?”
“Sense the holy power within that statue. From a distance it feels like nothing, but if you focus carefully, you can detect an immense holy power lying dormant.”
“.......!!!”
“This is… this is… stronger than the Saintess…?”
Sein nodded at Eiron. A holy power stronger than that of the Saintess standing before them was clearly present.
Did this even make sense…? Holy power was a force granted by the Goddess herself. How could a mere statue possess it?
What exactly was that statue, that it could wield both holy power and that alien energy?
Sein spoke to Eiron.
“Eiron. The Saintess appears to be fine for now.”
“Once she leaves, let’s approach the statue.”
“I have a feeling we’ll learn something important about it.”
“Won’t it be dangerous? That power of annihilation might affect us too.”
“...No. From what I can tell, that statue seems to possess an ego. Like a holy sword…”
“...Sein. Do you even realize what you’re saying right now?”
“I do. That statue is a holy relic… No, something beyond a holy relic.”
“Maybe the Saintess came here specifically to investigate it?”
“Considering what the statue has done, it’s more than enough reason for the Holy Kingdom to send someone.”
“It healed the people at the Hero Academy and even cured the citizens of the empire. Of course the Holy Kingdom would take interest.”
“...So the Saintess came in person to investigate the statue?”
“Yes. In short, this is all because of the influence that statue has brought. It’s completely different from the previous rounds…”
“And think about Ian’s behavior.”
“Ian’s behavior? That’s… ah.”
“Eiron. You understand now, don’t you?”
Ian always spent over two hours praying every evening. And he’s been sparring with a woman I’ve never seen before.
“I’m looking into that woman separately, but I still don’t know who she is. It’s not important right now, so I’ll move on.”
“...Wow, Sein… Your obsession with Ian is on another level…”
“Eiron. Shut up.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Anyway, the only reason Ian has become absurdly strong in this round seems connected to that statue.”
“Isn’t that too much of a leap? All because of one statue Ian became this powerful and the Saintess didn’t fall?”
“Eiron. Look at the truth right in front of you. The only difference from the previous rounds is the presence of that statue. Therefore, it must be related.”
“Sigh… I don’t know anymore… Just one statue can influence the entire world…”
“Let’s wait until the Saintess has completely left, then go to the statue ourselves.”
The Saintess was just about to depart when she sensed a presence.
“Hmm…? Is someone there?”
“............!!”
“...No?”
“Hmm…?”
“If anyone is there, please return quickly. It has grown quite late.”
“Then farewell.”
The Saintess gave the area one last cursory glance before turning away. She returned to the Holy Kingdom using teleportation magic and entered her personal chambers.
At that moment—
“My faithful servant. A tremendous ordeal is approaching this world.”
“You must block this ordeal using the power of the apostles and the hero I have sent…”
“Your role is to raise one of the apostles I dispatched as a new Saintess to take your place.”
“The apostles are present within the academy. Since they have already witnessed the destruction of the world, they will prove invaluable against the coming trial.”
“Finally, when the day of choice arrives, you will have to make a decision.”
“The day will come when you must choose between sacrifice and @#$…”
Huff—huff—
“What is this…”
“Goddess… Just what kind of catastrophe is about to befall this world…?”
That night, Saintess Audrey could not sleep. She spent the entire night in fervent prayer.