This, too, must be the Goddess's will (4)

Translator : Elizabeth

A white flash of light that seemed to pierce the eyes.

The dark interior of the abandoned church became as bright as midday in the blink of an eye.

"Kuaaak! My eyes, my eyes...!!"

Soon, the demon let out a loud, painful scream and collapsed helplessly to the floor.

The dark red demonic energy that had gathered at her fingertips vanished without a trace, and clutching her burning eyes tightly, she rolled endlessly on the floor.

"Huh?"

An unpleasant vibration and intense heat felt throughout my entire body. That light continued to leak out uncontrollably, regardless of my will.

"Whoa..."

Every time the demon's skin, which was rolling on the floor, touched the light, it melted with a sizzling sound. Where on earth had that overwhelming pressure that tried to crush me just moments ago gone? It was like watching an earthworm thrown under the scorching sun.

"Stop, stop it!!!"

It is truly a gratifying sight. But I can't understand the situation at all. I definitely intended to counterattack, but this wasn't the magic I intended to use...

"I-it's a miracle..."

Just as I stood blankly for a while. Suddenly, Chloe's trembling voice came faintly from behind my back.

"Even while her body is being eaten by the curse, she is burning her soul to protect us..."

I slowly turned my creaking head to look back. Then, Chloe, lying flat on the floor and looking up at me, immediately came into view.

"To give that precious life force to people like us..."

Chloe, overcome with emotion, pressed her forehead to the floor. As her prayer deepened, the light from my body strangely became even stronger.

At the same time, my body was burning rapidly just like the demon. It seems this magic is the light that burns demons, Holy Magic itself. I don't know why I, a demon, have become able to use Holy Magic. But considering my body is burning, it doesn't hurt that much, so is it okay?

"What on earth are you...?!! How can you use Holy Magic...!!"

"Well. I don't know either. My body feels hot too."

"W-what...? Do you mean you are taking damage too?!"

"Yes. But not to the extent of rolling on the floor pitifully like you."

At my calm answer, the demon immediately wore a bewildered expression.

"You are a demon after all... But then why the Holy Magic..."

"That is a question for me too. Why have I become able to use Holy Magic?"

To say I satisfied a condition, I don't remember doing anything special here. I just consistently swept the floor during the almost one month I stayed at the abandoned church. I wiped the rusty candlesticks and brushed the dust off the broken statue of the Virgin Mary.

And every night before going to sleep. Standing before the collapsed altar, praying briefly to let me get through tomorrow safely was all I did.

"No matter how much I think about it, I don't know."

To say the condition was met with just that much and Holy Magic was unlocked... No matter how much I think about it, I can't accept it.

"Kuaaak!!"

Lost in deepening thought, I inadvertently raised my right hand and gently touched my chin. Then, the light that was softly emitting from my entire body suddenly turned into an explosive radiance.

"H-Hiiik!!"

The walls and floor of the abandoned church, which had been covered in all sorts of dust, stains, and mold, instantly began to transform into a dazzling pure white.

It wasn't just at the level of becoming clean. The floor tiles, which had been overgrown with weeds through the cracked gaps, emitted the luster of smooth marble. The collapsed stone pillars also regained their original intricate carvings and soared upright as if defying gravity.

The statue of the Virgin Mary also regained its original appearance. A brilliant white jade luster hovered in the place where dark moss had fallen away. The benevolent smile of the statue held a warm warmth like a living person.

"Ah... Ah..."

Eventually, the church completely regained its original appearance. Daren and Chloe, who watched that unbelievable spectacle right in front of them, immediately stiffened their expressions strangely.

"What on earth is this..."

Daren carefully felt the marble floor with a trembling hand. His body, which had been tattered by the demon's attack just moments ago, had also returned to normal for some reason.

"......."

What is it? I just rested my chin on my hand... Everything has changed holy as if touched by the hand of God. Furthermore, the demon had vanished without a trace from before my eyes. Not even burnt ashes remained. It seems she was swept away by the light I emitted and completely annihilated.

"...It's hot."

The heat that felt like my body was burning went beyond the simple sensation of being hot and turned into a strange pulsation that seemed to reconstruct every cell in my body one by one. That pulsation rang in my ears much louder and clearer than my heartbeat.

"Sister...!"

Just as I was standing blankly in place, staring intently at my body which was heating up more and more. Chloe suddenly called me urgently with a voice soaked in emotion.

Before I could even turn around, Chloe, who had approached close to me, suddenly hugged me tightly.

"You can stop now... We are sorry..."

Chloe's slender arms tightened around my waist more and more.

"Because we were incompetent, we made the Sister bear a heavy burden. So please stop burning your soul..."

Her voice was full of sincere pity and worship. However, my actual condition was far from the sublime sacrifice of burning one's soul.

"I want to do that too, but this isn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something I can control at will."

My body is just burning because I used Holy Magic with a demon's body. It has nothing to do with the sublime sacrifice the two are talking about.

"It will probably be fine in a little while. So please don't mind it too much."

Even though faint white-black smoke is rising from my whole body. Strangely enough, I don't feel any pain.

However──.

"I apologize, Sister... It is because my strength was too lacking..."

That is only my personal thought. In Daren and Chloe's eyes, it seems it doesn't look like that at all.

"I am truly sorry I couldn't protect you..."

"I am truly sorry I couldn't do anything..."

Daren blamed himself and banged his head on the floor. Chloe also sobbed sorrowfully while hugging me tightly and shaking her shoulders.

"Well... in life, things happen."

I lightly patted Chloe's back a few times and carefully slipped in a word of comfort. I was worried in many ways that Chloe might get burned because of my burning body. But it seems this hot heat felt from my body right now can only be felt by me.

"I understand everything."

The light is definitely rejecting my demon body and burning hot. But the situation created by it is absurdly merciful and warm. How on earth should I accept this ironic contradiction...

"......!"

...Thinking that was brief. The original purpose I had forgotten while being swept away by the atmosphere came to mind belatedly.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I think I really have to go now."

I naturally pushed away Chloe, who was hugging me, and spoke as calmly as possible. Then Daren and Chloe, who were silently blaming themselves, raised their heads at the same time and stared at me intently.

"G-go? Where on earth are you going with that body?!"

Daren asked in shock.

"As I said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠earlier, I am really fine."

"But smoke is still coming from the Sister's body..."

"There is something I must do right now. It has to be now."

Actually, there is no such thing. It is just an excuse I forcibly attached to escape this suffocating space somehow.

"So please don't hold me back anymore. If you hold me back again, I will get angry."

"S-Sister..."

Why I, a demon, became able to use Holy Magic. And why that magic restored the abandoned church to its original appearance... Honestly, I don't know a single thing. I don't even have a guess.

But that is something I can think about slowly later. Anyway, I have to get out of here as quickly as possible right now. Even if I became able to use Holy Magic. I am still a demon.

"Then, take care of yourselves."

With a simple farewell, I hurriedly walked toward the main gate.

But for some reason, every time my foot touched the ground. Along with the sound of clear glass clinking, golden petals scattered gorgeously around me. Those petals, as if blessing the path I walk. Strangely left afterimages of bright light wherever my steps touched.

"...?!"

I was greatly flustered by the sudden flashy effect. But even so, I didn't look back until the end. Rather, I sped up even more and ran out toward the outside, patter patter.

About thirty minutes after Vivian left the church.

Inside the church where suffocating silence lingers. unlike when it was an abandoned church, everything was beautiful and perfect. However, for some reason, Daren and Chloe felt strangely uncomfortable with such perfection.

Moonlight poured in dimly through the stained glass. But even that soft light felt awkwardly baffling to the two. Smooth stone pillars and bricks, shiny candlesticks, and the noble statue of the Virgin Mary. Everything was orderly, but that neat order seemed to confuse the two's minds even more.

"What on earth was the thing the Sister said she must do...?"

Chloe let out a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heavy sigh weakly and murmured quietly.

"Well, I don't know either."

Daren, with his head bowed low, answered in a quiet voice.

"Was it truly the right choice to let the Sister go like that...?"

"Stop it, Chloe. It's too late to regret it now."

"But..."

"It's already in the past. Know that anything more is presumptuous."

Daren, just like Chloe, wanted to stop Vivian running outside somehow. But remembering himself unable to properly handle even a single demon that barged into the church, he eventually couldn't.

Perhaps, the thought crossed his mind that the nun Vivian ran away because she was disappointed in them.

"This all happened because we were weak..."

The words Daren spat out with difficulty pierced Chloe's heart like a dagger. She endured the pain of her body burning while emitting such noble light. Yet all they did was lie on the floor and hold her back.

"If only... other knights were by our side..."

At the very moment Daren murmured that one sentence weakly. The existence of the Dawn Knights surrounding the forest suddenly came to Daren's mind.

"Wait, come to think of it, what happened to our knights?"

"What do you mean? At this time, wouldn't they all be sleeping somewhere?"

"No, something is strange. This vicinity is definitely surrounded by our knights, so how did that demon..."

At Daren's words, Chloe's eyes immediately flashed wide.

"D-don't tell me..."

The Dawn Knights' encirclement is famous for being watertight. But the fact that a demon entered this church piercing through such a tight encirclement means. Either a large-scale battle is taking place in the forest, or the knights have suffered damage close to annihilation.

"Did the Sister know that in advance...?"

Daren clenched his fists tightly and jumped up from his seat.

"The Sister went to fight alone... to save our comrades dragging that burning body..."

At Daren's confident words, Chloe immediately trembled her lips and gathered her hands with difficulty.

"W-we didn't even know that..."

"Chloe, this isn't the time to be crying! We have to go quickly too..."

At the very moment Daren shouted as if screaming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and ran out hurriedly toward the main gate. An unbelievable sight unfolded before his eyes.

"T-this is..."

Footprints remaining clearly for some reason along the path Vivian headed.

Wherever Vivian stepped and passed, faint golden petals fluttered quietly, leaving a strange trace. Along that path, the surrounding old trees were all tilted toward the direction Vivian left, as if bowing their heads in worship.

"As expected, she was a Saintess..."