All eyes were drawn to Arundel, who had returned as the Archangel.
Arundel soared into the sky, gripping her spear tightly.
“Hills!”
Arundel, who had risen high in an instant, called out to Hills. He seemed to be struggling immensely.
Hills, who had spotted Arundel, widened his eyes.
“Arundel!”
The roar cut through the air.
“I told you not to come! I can handle this…”
Just then, Leviathan’s magic power wedged between Hills and Arundel.
Arundel quickly pushed Hills away.
“Go down, Hills. I will deal with Leviathan.”
Arundel wrapped Hills’ wings with divine power. Then, Hills fell helplessly.
He must have been seriously injured, he wouldn’t have the strength to unseal the divine power. Therefore, he wouldn’t be able to move his wings for a while.
“So, we finally face each other, Archangel Arundel.”
Leviathan murmured quietly. Despite the soft voice, there was an immense pressure in his words.
“Why did you come to find me yourself?”
“If Mannheim had handled things quickly, I wouldn’t have had to come all the way here.”
Leviathan clicked his tongue.
“God is so unfair.”
Mannheim…
He occasionally gave me opportunities, more than generous. If my guess is correct, the prophecy just now would have been his voice.
Arundel unknowingly gripped the spear in her hand tightly.
“So, I just have to follow you?”
At that, Leviathan let out a laugh. And then, his eyes sparkled for a moment.
“No.”
Arundel, without panicking, steadied her posture.
As expected, when the Demon King himself steps forward, it’s not just to take her away.
The prediction was not off.
“To prevent the plan from going awry any further.”
His meaningful words sounded strange, but she couldn’t think deeply about it. That’s because an enormous energy was swirling around Leviathan.
“I intend to eliminate you.”
And then, an enormous magical power was unleashed. Arundel quickly formed a protective shield with her divine power.
Her true form had no restrictions in using divine power. She had been worried about not being able to perform well because she hadn’t used it for a while, but it was an unnecessary worry.
Just like Royden and Bianca said, a crisis makes one stronger.
After retracting the protective shield, Arundel charged at Leviathan with her spear filled with divine power.
But likewise, Leviathan quickly formed a protective shield, and the spear couldn’t reach him.
“Not bad.”
Arundel, noticing the lack of composure in Leviathan’s voice, forcefully infused divine power into the spear stuck in the protective shield.
Crack!
The spear threateningly approached Leviathan’s face, piercing through the protective shield.
‘Just a little more…!’
But before it could touch his face, Leviathan threw lumps of magic power here and there.
Arundel quickly pulled the spear out of the protective shield and dodged.
The lump of magic power was not aimed at Arundel. Just like when he had distracted Hills earlier, Leviathan attacked below.
‘No!’
While Arundel was rushing to the ground to block the attack, Hills blocked the lump of magic with his wings.
However, blood flowed between the black scales.
“Are you okay, Hills?”
Arundel, who had landed on the ground for a moment, examined Hills. The injury looked serious.
“Just focus on Leviathan… I’ll protect this place, cough…”
Arundel briefly scanned the surroundings.
Royden, Bianca, Lucas… and Zion. They were all looking at her.
No matter how strong they were, this power was not within the realm of humans.
The only one she could rely on now was Hills.
I’m sorry, Hills.
“…I’m counting on you, Hills. Please protect them.”
And then Arundel took off again.
She had to end this battle quickly. If it continued, it would cause too much damage to the ground.
Arundel gathered divine power in her hand once again.
The spear was trembling, unable to withstand the excessive divine power.
This might be the last blow.
While dodging the incoming attack, Arundel continued to concentrate divine power on the spear.
Thinking that the gathering power was unusual, Leviathan also gathered magic power.
But now, he was gathering a power like never before, having previously launched sporadic attacks at random.
“How dare you…”
Chunks of magic power gathered, emitting an enormous energy. The surrounding wind lost its way in the face of such a massive force that seemed to swallow everything around.
Arundel was no different.
The divine power that had gathered as much as possible was shining brightly in the descended darkness.
When the light finally reached its peak.
‘Now.’
Arundel, who took a deep breath, charged at Leviathan, and Leviathan likewise rushed at Arundel.
And then,
Bang!!
The world stopped as darkness and light collided.
****
She felt a sensation of floating as if her body was bobbing. In reality, Arundel was looking at herself through a third person’s eyes.
Below, she saw Zion’s fierce face and her own surprised face.
[Don’t touch my body.]
Arundel remembered. The moment when the cold voice became a dagger and pierced her heart.
She couldn’t think of her appearance now, but if she went back to that time, she wouldn’t refuse.
Even if she could see her beloved Zion again that way.
And her body naturally flowed to another place. When she came to her senses, it was a familiar bedroom.
Unlike the scene she had seen earlier, Zion’s eyes held a softer color.
[I will give you freedom.]
It was the moment when she won in the tug-of-war with him. She had exclaimed at the great happiness she felt for the first time in a long time.
Her vision mixed again.
And she saw Zion with dark eyes.
[Don’t forget, you’re mine.]
[Until your breath stops.]
It was the worst crisis she faced after entering the body of Empress Irina. Although it was resolved in the end, even thinking about it now made her palms sweaty.
And then,
[I love you.]
The desperate voice was not sweet. Even now, the desperate look in his eyes made her heart ache.
‘Zion…’
Before she could reminisce about that time, Arundel felt like she was being sucked somewhere.
The final destination of the carousel was,
“Mannheim.”
A familiar presence was in the white space.
“Arundel.”
For some reason, he had a subdued expression. It was quite different from the always kindly smiling Mannheim.
“What happened to me?”
Arundel, who remembered the last moment, asked. She definitely lost consciousness after a strong collision with the Demon King, Leviathan.
Mannheim quietly nodded his head.
“Fortunately, nothing happened. Because I stopped all space-time at the moment of the strong collision with Leviathan.”
It was really fortunate. Arundel was finally able to feel relieved.
“Arundel.”
But at the serious voice of Mannheim, Arundel felt her body tense again.
“I’m sorry.”
But unexpected words flowed out. To her knowledge, Manheim had nothing to apologize to her for.
As Arundel made a puzzled face, Mannheim slowly spat out his words.
“I gave you a mission at first.”
“…Yes.”
Arundel slowly nodded her head. That was the reason why she had been in the body of Empress Irina until now.
“At that time, I couldn’t see even an inch ahead.”
Arundel’s curiosity grew at the incomprehensible words.
“What…”
“At first, I simply thought.”
Mannheim confessed the truth as if confessing.
“You touched the treasure of the demon world to save a woman, and as a result, Zion, who should not have been born, was born. And he was born with the fate of becoming a tyrant and destroying the world.”
Mannheim slowly spoke.
“I wanted to give it to you. The opportunity to correct the future and eliminate the karma you created.”
Only now did she understand Mannheim’s mission.
At that time, she didn’t know that Zion was Mary’s child, so she secretly complained that she was given an impossible mission with no relevance.
But there was such a secretive meaning hidden in the mission. Arundel was about to admire, but soon Mannheim’s subdued voice was heard.
“But soon, I realized that everything was wrong.”
Mannheim quietly lowered his head.
“The absence of the forbidden seed caused an imbalance in the demon world, and the imbalance in the demon world led to the collapse of the world.”
Mannheim’s darkened eyes were directed at Arundel.
“Nevertheless, I wanted to protect Arundel to the end.”
But she already knew the ending.
“I’m sorry, Arundel.”
Arundel gave a faint smile and shook her head.
“No, it’s all my fault.”
“…Arundel.”
“Now tell me. What will happen to me?”
Mannheim paused for a moment before speaking.
“They demanded Arundel as a substitute for the forbidden seed.”
Arundel’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Can I… become a substitute for the seed?”
Despite the clearly unfavorable situation, hope was evident in Arundel’s voice.
She was truly happy.
She never thought she could prevent the collapse of the world, but if there was a way to prevent it, she could do anything.
“Of course, it would be best to return the forbidden seed to its original place.”
Mannheim’s eyes, piercing the abyss, penetrated Arundel. He knew the truth.
“Arundel wouldn’t want that.”
“…”
“Becoming a substitute for the seed is more terrible than you think.”
When Arundel didn’t answer, Mannheim sighed and changed the subject.
“Arundel, who becomes a seed, will gradually lose her soul and spirit. She will lose her ego and eventually become a complete substitute for the forbidden seed.”
Despite the creepy words, Arundel was not afraid.
She knew that the price was high for what she had impulsively resisted. But because of that, she met Zion and gained precious people.
She still has no regrets.
“Will you accept it, Arundel.”
Arundel felt a sense of déjà vu about this scene.
It was right before she entered the body of Empress Irina. When Mannheim asked if she would accept the mission, she answered while suppressing her tension and anxiety.
But not now.
Since she has the opportunity to scoop up the water she poured out with her own hands, she can be calmer and more composed than ever.
However, there is one thing that bothers her.
“Will I be erased from the memories of others?”
“…Yes. In the human world, all memories related to you will be erased, and the original appearance of Empress Irina will take its place. Of course, her soul will return.”
In the end, his subtle expression was a bit troubling, but it was the ending she truly wanted now.
So she can answer without hesitation.
“Then, I will gladly accept.”
With the end of the words, the flash of light flared up again.
