Reclaiming the Light of the Jewel
The jewel reclaiming its light—how long had it advanced, guided by the guardian's hand?
The blood-red mucus that had filled every corner began to subside, revealing an endless, beautiful, and radiant crystal passage lined only with transparent crystal walls.
But that awe-inspiring sight lasted only a moment. I quickly lowered my gaze, staring blankly once more at the small back of Adelin walking ahead.
'I've heard that the guardian of the heart holds memories and emotions that are far clearer and undistorted than the original's—more essential, pure.' That fact suddenly resurfaced, pulling me into brief contemplation.
Figuring it out now would be pointless anyway, but for some reason, if I didn't ask right then, it felt like the nagging doubt would linger forever. So in the end, I just blurted out the question as it came to mind.
"Does Adelin truly regret it? Repent? Were those words you said to me outside all sincere?"
"……."
At my sudden question, the guardian ahead halted her steps. She slowly turned her head, looking up at me without a hint of hesitation, her childlike voice clear and pure as she replied.
"At the very least, I swore to the Creator God that I would never lie to you again."
Straightforward words, untainted by excuses or embellishments.
"I'm truly sorry to you, Kail. But that doesn't change anything. So I just kept the conversation going at a level where you'd mildly dislike me. It seemed less exhausting for you to accept."
A confession so brutally honest it felt like she was stripping away her own selfishness and pretense, hurling them to the ground.
I was momentarily speechless at her brazen attitude, silently gazing down at her.
The guardian, staring back just as steadily, gripped my hand—still clasped to guide the way—a little tighter.
"But since the chance is here, let me ask."
Her iridescent eyes fixed on me without a flicker.
"Do I... have even a sliver of a chance to atone to you? That tiny forgiveness Selina gave everything for... can I have it too?"
"……."
I couldn't answer right away.
My feelings toward those who betrayed me and cast me into the abyss had long burned like a volcano, leaving only cold ashes behind. No room for forgiveness, nor the passion to rage like fire.
Then, a single quiet phrase Raysilla had once whispered to me flashed through my mind.
I lowered my gaze slightly and echoed her words calmly.
"If you show sincerity to the very end. I might not forgive, but I could completely erase the hatred."
A flat, emotionless tone, utterly parched. Yet it seemed enough—the guardian's face showed a faint trace of relief.
"That's far too generous a mercy for a sinner like me."
The guardian turned forward again and resumed walking.
"More than that, it's awkward to say after wrapping up the talk so neatly, but…."
Her pace quickened slightly.
"If possible, could you cure the Petrification Disease quickly? My original self is starting to crumble."
The earnest plea for atonement vanished; now it was a shameless demand to save her life, stat.
That subtle, arrogant attitude—Adelin through and through, yet somehow not the one I knew—finally made me crack a short, dry laugh. "Ha."
Her personality hadn't changed a damn bit.
"Don't worry."
No sooner had I replied than the narrow cave passage opened wide, revealing a massive cavern before us.
"……."
And at its center loomed a grotesque mass. I halted for a split second upon seeing it.
An utterly unforeseen scale.
Enormous mana crystals tangled chaotically, rising like a mountain range. At the heart of that jeweled peak pulsed the origin of one of the Seven Demon Lords, the Blood Creation Lord—vibrating like a heartbeat, just as with the Subordinate Lord before, extending thousands of blood threads.
I gazed up at the overwhelming clump of malice, murmuring unconsciously.
"If only... you'd gotten proper treatment early on…."
If I'd noticed before fully purifying and absorbing it. No—if you'd sought my help instead of an uncertain saintess, before fusing this horrifically, it never would have come to this.
Of course, it was spilt milk now. The only solution was to incinerate this massive filth completely.
"Simple enough." I drew my sword from my waist.
Pure white aura blazed along the blade like flickering flames. The purification power drawn from my soul's depths—White Purification—bathed the dark crystal cavern in blinding white.
"Sacrifice yourself for the upcoming battle with the Demon King reborn." I kicked off lightly from the ground, charging straight at the throbbing blood origin.
-Hero…!! Why are you here!!
Somehow regaining a degree of consciousness, a familiar voice echoed from within the Blood Creation mass.
"You're as ugly and filthy as the Subordinate Lord. After defeat, shouldn't you accept death?"
-Don't spout nonsense!! How dare a pathetic created being spew such drivel at a great lord!!!
With the lord's roar came the sound of something shattering. Crack, craaaack—boom!!
Suddenly, hundreds of blood vessels from the massive clump morphed into spears, flying at me too fast to track.
'Not just a bit of recovered power?'
One attack I knew well: the Blood Creation authority, Spear-Blood Wedges. A vicious curse that dries the target's blood on contact and petrifies the body.
But knowing it, I didn't dodge. No need for an unsightly evasion.
Sizzle—!
I lightly slashed White Purification through the air, and before they reached me, the blood spears crumbled into white smoke.
Thanks to the demonkin fight near Tarnass village and the lord battle in Talia, my body had nearly regained its peak sensation—making the defense possible.
-Y-You filthy worm…!
With the Blood Creation Lord's anxious bellow came a new assault: the crystal floor turned to a blood sea, acidic waves melting everything in their path.
A vast, unavoidable area attack. Simple counter: I leaped into the air.
Twisting midair to evade the wave, I condensed White Purification into a vertical sword beam and slammed it down.
Crunch, split!
One slash parted the blood sea like Moses, white purifying flames devouring the Blood Creation mass relentlessly.
-Graaaaaah!!!
"Weaker than before, clearly. Couldn't absorb the jewel's power?"
The fight flowed easier than expected. A remnant of power after being sliced once before couldn't withstand my White Purification, breaking limits to evolve.
At that moment, in the Einiss royal castle's underground lab.
The floor was drenched in corpses and blood.
Selina, shoulder deeply gashed by the assassins' leader, dripping red, whirled toward the bed without staunching her wound—and gasped in horror.
"Adelin…!"
Adelin, somehow laid facing Kail's way, was plummeting toward catastrophe. From eyes, nose, mouth poured near-lethal dark red blood.
Mixed in were shards of shattered organs and sharp crystal fragments. Imminent death spasms.
Selina's trembling hands fumbled in her bosom for the communication orb.
"Raysilla! Get in here right now—Adelin's dying!"
"…Got it."
Raysilla, hidden nearby under invisibility magic for ambush prep, bolted toward them. Clank, bang!
In just three minutes, she wrenched open the heavy iron door and burst in.
"Haa… haa…."
Panting, confirming the carnage, Raysilla pulled high-concentration healing potions and rare hemostatic herbs from her pouch without pause.
"Selina, open her mouth."
"Got it."
Raysilla forced crushed herbs into Adelin's mouth and poured potions. But the endless internal bleeding overwhelmed it.
"…Too much blood loss… She'll go into shock and die before Oppa finishes purifying."
Raysilla bit her lip in thought, then shed her outer garment and rolled up her sleeves.
Thank heavens she'd noted matching blood types from hero party days.
From her subspace pouch, she grabbed syringe and tube, jabbed one into her arm, confirmed clean flow, then plunged the other into Adelin's vein—transfusing directly.
"Ngh…."
Blood drained rapidly, paling Raysilla, but she didn't look away.
Selina channeled mana beside her, desperately compressing Adelin's chest to keep the heart beating.
All to ensure Kail returned unscathed, body and mind—and to fulfill their atonement and salvation.
The two women clung to their dying ex-comrade's lifeline in a desperate struggle.
Meanwhile, the heart-world battle neared its end.
-Graaaaaah! You—a mere human—dare to…!!
Everything blazed in fierce white aura.
The Blood Creation Lord, lashing thousands of blood-tentacle vessels in frenzy, had its defenses crumble—reduced to a handful of ashes on the verge.
"Hoo… You're still too tenacious." I exhaled lightly, regripping my sword.
-Fake hero, daring to… a great demon…!!
"Shut your yapping—it's giving me a headache. Time to end this."
I sensed instinctively: drag it out, and Adelin dies. So I poured all power into a final charge.
Blood barriers and giant blood cells surged to block, but couldn't slow me.
Fierce exchange, all-or-nothing. The lord's final venomous blood spray clouded vision.
But I plunged straight ahead, unblinking.
At last, the red core exposed.
From my dantian depths, I summoned remaining White Purification, compressing to blade limit. Sharpened further from past fights—a flawless, massive pure-white slash.
Schwing—!
The precise vertical cleave split the mass cleanly, zero margin for error.
-No, nooooo!!
With the lord's final scream, white light erupted from the severed stump's cross-section.