“Is it really the second awakening?”
Argen, who was watching Evan as he smoothly exterminated the demons with a satisfied smile, turned her head to look down at the heart, her original objective.
She could not forgive that damned lich for daring to attack her academy.
This was not something that had happened just once or twice.
Especially since she had come across Maleficent so many times during her time as an active hero in the party, the emotions that had built up over those hundreds of years were incalculable.
I will definitely catch her.
The only thought occupying her mind was to find Maleficent’s location.
It was unintended, but she had put Aria’s safety on the back burner.
If it had been a normal day, if she had been her usual self, she would have prioritized preventing any harm from coming to Aria before trying to trace Maleficent’s location.
However, she was now on the cusp of a breakthrough.
A chance to finally end the one she had hated for hundreds of years, a foe she despised like no other.
A chance to sever this long-standing connection.
The reverse calculation didn’t take long.
She quickly found Maleficent’s location.
There was no longer any hesitation.
Argen thrust her fist forward, tearing through the space.
“Come here, you bastard!!!!”
With a shout that was much harsher than her usual demeanor, Argen reached into the rift and magically seized Maleficent, pulling her through the gap.
Even the magic flowing out from the rift was extraordinary.
Evan, who was behind her, gulped as he realized that this was finally the identity of the Demon King Army officer who had tormented them all this time.
“Graaaah!!”
As the space was forcibly torn apart, Maleficent’s body was dragged out.
“Y-You again, Argen Isis!!!”
Smash!
“Ugh…!!”
Maleficent groaned as half of her skull was brutally shattered.
As a lich, the pain was of no consequence, and even if her body was destroyed, as long as her life vessel remained intact, she could regenerate with ease. But the situation was different now.
Her life vessel was currently being continuously purified by the saint.
Maleficent, who was draining her strength to counteract that purification, found herself in a dire situation.
In such a restrictive circumstance, overcoming Argen, who was of equal power, was nearly impossible.
That alone was frustrating enough, but both Argen and the hero behind her were glaring at her with piercing eyes.
“It’s all because of you… You’ve ruined everything…!!”
“That’s something I should be saying!”
With a look of disbelief on her face, Argen smiled as she finally felt she had captured Maleficent.
This was truly the end.
There was nothing more to see.
Argen was preparing to unleash magic in order to finish things right then and there.
However,
“Ha, ha ha…!! You’d do well to stop now…!!”
“…!”
The magic was flowing away rapidly.
In a panic, she tried to cast a counterspell, but it was already too late; the magic had long since reached the melted half of Aria’s body.
“Of course, I’ve become weaker… Just being cut by that pathetic hero behind you would shatter my life vessel.”
“…”
“And although I’ve become so weak… If I unleash an excruciating pain on the saint, who is now as weak as I am due to my life vessel, it will be easy for me. No matter how much of an immortal I am, my mind is still that of a lowly human. Do you think she has any chance of enduring this torment?”
“You… you bastard…!!”
This was a blunder.
I should have prioritized moving Aria to safety first, or at least focused on protecting her.
Of course, it was true that in the midst of seeking Maleficent’s location, Argen had ignored Evan’s concerns of potentially losing Aria in the process.
Argen bit her lip tightly.
She had thought she was doing much better, but just hearing Maleficent’s name sent shivers down her spine.
In the end, she had messed everything up.
‘The saint…’
While Argen wished she could ignore Maleficent’s threats and take her life, she knew better.
She had firsthand knowledge of just how difficult the saint’s life had been and what sacrifices she had made.
And how true, kind-hearted Aria was.
How could she possibly stand by knowing that such a pure child was suffering?
“…What do you want?”
“…Ha ha ha! Even you, Argen, have become rather placid. If it were you from the past, you wouldn’t have cared and would have just plunged ahead!”
“Ugh…”
I want to kill her.
Though Argen felt her past temperament surging up within her and distorted her expression, there was little she could do.
It would be easy for her to perceive whatever he was plotting against Aria.
However, being on the same level as a magician meant that any alternative method she attempted would easily be discerned by him.
The moment she tried to act, he would surely launch a mental attack.
“Then, first of all, let me go. We can postpone the academy attack for later.”
“Damn…!”
For now, she had no choice but to follow his words.
Would it be best to take this opportunity to retreat with Aria and prepare to fight back?
As she pondered her options, she was about to accept Maleficent’s proposal when suddenly—
Whoosh!
“What the…!!”
Something flew in.
As Maleficent sensed it and wished to inflict pain on her,
Boom!!
The destruction of Maleficent’s life vessel was even quicker.
“…!!”
Argen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“The hero… possesses many useful skills…”
In the midst stood Evan, raising his hand filled with the red glow of purifying divine power.
“Graaaaah!!”
The life vessel was destroyed.
It was now impossible for the lich to exist in this world.
With the source of her life gone, this was only natural.
‘Thank goodness…’
Argen thought to herself, ready to apologize to the two before her.
As an elder, she had almost allowed Aria to suffer serious harm due to her recklessness.
Had it not been for Evan, they would have most likely missed Maleficent, and Aria would have been left to suffer alone… it could have resulted in a worst-case scenario.
However,
‘What’s going on…’
This is strange.
Seeing that Maleficent still retained her form despite the destruction of her life vessel raised questions in her mind.
Why was she still alive?
Just when that question lingered,
“Ha, ha ha, foolish mortals…!! Did you think I couldn’t foresee such a situation…!!”
“Maleficent…!!”
“Hero, from the moment your attack flew toward me, I have inflicted extreme pain upon that saint you hold dear. No matter how accustomed to pain she is, she wouldn’t be able to withstand it…!!”
That’s absurd.
Argen quickly turned her head to look at Aria.
Just as she had said, Aria was grimacing as if trying to move her body.
Seeing the poor girl struggling in her melted state made Argen clench her fists tightly.
“You bastard…!!!”
“Demon King…!! I will sacrifice this body to offer the broken soul of the saint!!”
As she cried out, that moment when she was gradually fading away,
Aria’s trembling body suddenly stiffened.
‘Ah…’
She recognized the magic that Maleficent had cast.
Mind Crash.
A terrifying spell that stimulates extreme pain or psychological trauma to shatter someone’s mind into nothingness.
She had cast it on Aria with her remaining strength just before she was about to perish.
Though it was said that those with strong mental fortitude could overcome it, Maleficent was a lich grand magician who had lived for an incomprehensibly long time.
Even a saint with the fiercest mental resilience would find it impossible to endure.
Argen had given up hope.
However,
“No way…!!”
A mix of horror emerged in the fading voice of Maleficent.
“This shouldn’t be happening… The goddess must have lost her mind… How could this be…!!”
“What…?”
“This is not the pain that a human could endure!!”
Argen frantically turned back to Aria.
Evidence of faith remained; divine power was still present.
If her soul had truly been shattered, there should have been no divine power manifesting from her body. Without the blessed body of a saint, she would ultimately perish, just as she was melting away.
Yet,
“She is… recovering…?”
The divine power was increasing.
The melted half of her body was healing.
“This is… impossible…”
Argen, gazing down at the barely remaining form of Maleficent, found herself at a loss for words.
The strength of this new hero and saint was beyond imagination.
Especially that girl, Aria.
“Is this… a miracle…?”
Faith in the divine.
An infinite love for humanity—was that the force allowing her to endure this torment?
The young girl, who had managed to withstand the unbearable pain, lay down quietly on the ground with a joyous smile.
As the lich grand magician, who had spewed hatred toward the gods, met her end with an expression of disbelief, she mumbled,
“Crazy… girl…”
Looking at the pure girl who could never be understood by undead beings filled with hatred toward the gods.
