Dense beams of light rained down from the sky, continuously bombarding the earth. The once solemn and dignified chapel was now scarred and ravaged.
Yet, despite this onslaught, the wolf formed from darkness persisted like a shadow, proving difficult to eradicate no matter how the light shifted.
Aponia, floating high above, had lost her earlier elegance; even her hair was disheveled. She looked down gravely at the wolf spirit and Ren on the ground.
While the wolf couldn't fly, its attack methods were endlessly varied. Whether at range or in close combat, it posed a significant threat. Worse still, being struck by it seemed to draw out her own inner darkness. Her mental stability, already maintained solely through the Discipline, felt increasingly precarious; the seal was in danger of breaking.
Aponia knew clearly that dragging this out would only weaken her power further. Defeat was merely a matter of time. The only solution was to eliminate both the wolf spirit and its source, Ren, simultaneously.
Yet, from the moment Ren entered the Deep End, she had been attempting to probe his mind. No matter how she tried, she couldn't breach his mental defenses. As one of the Previous Era's powerful MANTISes, her unique psychic abilities were something even the Herrscher of Sentience had to be wary of, yet now she couldn't even get a glimpse into Ren's thoughts.
He is definitely not human.
Aponia quickly reached this conclusion. The destruction wrought by the Previous Era's Herrschers was still vivid in memory. If Ren truly was a Herrscher, his existence would be an absolute catastrophe for humanity.
She didn't know why Ren would go to such lengths to infiltrate the Elysian Realm just to save one girl, but this only strengthened her conviction not to release [Kiana]. Because she had indeed foreseen the disaster looming over the Current Era.
"Elysia pulled the strings of fate, making it impossible for me to prophesize accurately anymore. But since she granted humanity a future, I absolutely will not allow anyone to alter it."
Her butterfly wings fluttered behind her, scattering specks of starlight. Aponia soared higher, dyeing even the clouds in the sky with her aura. She closed her eyes, hands clasped tightly before her chest.
An intense psychic wave surged from her body. Both darkness and light merged into the most fundamental energy of the Discipline. At this moment, she truly resembled a holy angel.
"Prayer... comes too late!"
Her tightly shut eyes slowly opened, the previously dim gray irises now filled with nothing but blood red. This was the persona she had replicated from the Previous Era's Herrscher of Sentience—her Artificial Cascade as a MANTIS.
Her praying hands slowly unfolded. Like a Holy Mother filled with compassion for the world, Aponia gently embraced everything. Ethereal hymns sang from the heavens, and small angels with pure white wings unconsciously circled around her. If before she was merely a sinner restraining her inner darkness, the Aponia now truly was, as she claimed, a merciful savior god.
Ren's expression showed surprise; even he could feel the pure sanctity emanating from her. A mere psychic ability user could absolutely not achieve such a state. The only possibility was that she genuinely harbored compassion for humanity, truly willing to sacrifice herself to save the world.
"It seems I underestimated you." The mockery vanished from his tone. He truly felt her benevolent intent, but unfortunately, they were now enemies.
The moment Aponia unleashed her power, the clouds in the sky gradually dissipated. The next second, a beam of holy light wide enough to cover the entire auditorium descended abruptly. Be it the shadows behind pillars or the darkness hidden beneath stained glass, everything was enveloped and cleansed.
Malice is the eternal dark side of humanity, like a shadow cast by light, impossible to erase completely. But this single beam of light genuinely expelled all darkness within the chapel.
The wolf spirit formed from Sentience let out an agonized howl, its form slowly dissolving like smoke. If the holy light could persist for half an hour, it might truly have completely dissolved the wolf's darkness.
Ren, also bathed in the light, shook his head slightly and casually recalled the wolf. Continuing the drain would have been possible, but pointless. Malice couldn't simply vanish; only true, great goodness could encompass it. Clearly, Aponia had achieved that.
Just as expected, the light didn't last long before gradually fading. Her power depleted, Aponia fell from the sky like a butterfly with broken wings. Before she hit the ground, two small angels formed from holy light caught her, dissipating only after she landed safely.
"Salvation..." Aponia collapsed onto the ground. The holy light of salvation had drained all her energy, but her heart was calm. This light could cleanse all darkness; anyone tainted by even the slightest sin would be obliterated by it. Someone like Ren, who nurtured such intense malice, had no chance of survival.
However, just as she prepared to close her eyes and rest, footsteps suddenly sounded behind her. Aponia forced her eyes open and saw Ren, who should have been dissolved, standing before her completely unharmed. Even the skin burned earlier had already healed.
"...Impossible." Her eyes filled with astonishment. Her attack was the very manifestation of the Discipline; anyone with even a shred of darkness should have faced judgment. If Ren had merely endured it through sheer power, that would be one thing, but he was completely unharmed.
"Nothing's impossible. Your holy light targets malice. It's perfectly normal for it to be ineffective against me."
Ren's answer didn't dispel Aponia's surprise; instead, it plunged her into even deeper shock. The birth of humanity marked the beginning of contact with the world's darkness. Throughout growth, everyone becomes tainted, more or less. A purely immaculate person couldn't possibly exist, especially not Ren, who had clearly displayed intense malice himself.
"No... an immaculate person does exist." In a daze, Aponia suddenly recalled a name. "Elysia..."
She looked up, trying to commit Ren's face to memory. "You and her... what is your relationship...?"
Unfortunately, all she received in return was the sight of a retreating back.
...
With Aponia dealt with, the Discipline she imposed finally lifted. Ascending the floating stairway, Ren arrived in a completely new hall.
Sunlight streamed in brightly. White gauze curtains danced gently in the breeze, and the air was filled with the dense fragrance of flowers, making it feel like stepping into a delightful garden.
However, there was no pink-haired girl scattering petals, nor a purple-haired Herrscher of malice here. There was only a transparent ice coffin, resting silently in the center of the hall.
Inside the coffin, a white-haired girl slept peacefully. Even in slumber, a lovely smile graced her lips, as if anticipating the arrival of the one she awaited, wanting him to see her at her most perfect.
Ren's fingers traced the surface of the ice coffin, his expression complex as he gazed at the person within. He let the gold fade from his eyes, revealing his most ordinary self as he pushed open the coffin lid.
"You've waited a long time, [Kiana]."
At his soft call, the girl in the coffin slowly opened her eyes. The moment they lit up, the world's most exquisite jewels seemed dull in comparison.
"Good morning, my Overseer."