My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 445 A Trivial Skill, Yet Daring to Show Off Before an Expert?

Suren didn't really have a choice. The moment Roland finished speaking, she was instantly swept out of the Sky Temple by Kalia's shadow, who seemed to have a telepathic connection with her.

Just as Suren was about to rush into the temple, the Pope, who had just recovered his senses, stopped him.

The kind old man, who wore small round glasses and had a long white beard that reached all the way to his belly, now had an unusually serious and frightening expression.

He naturally knew Suren. As a rising star of the Holy See, how could he, the Pope, not know her? Not to mention that she was a student of that maverick Clark.

Although I really want to know what Suren went through, why he became a saint in such a short time, and why he seemed to be a saint of the goddess of earth and abundance who rarely bestows power.

But clearly, the current situation doesn't allow him to think that way.

Just as he didn't have time to care who was in the temple, why they chose to break the seal, or whether the person who broke the seal could defeat the great enemy beneath it.

But he is an enlightened and rational person.

To die for no reason and without any purpose is the most foolish thing to do.

"Wait, child... even if you go in now, you'll just be throwing your life away."

"Let's leave the Papal City before things escalate further. I can't possibly run out of the city with so many people."

As the Pope spoke, he pressed down on Suren's shoulder, looked at her, and shook his head: "Don't make unnecessary sacrifices. This disaster... has already claimed enough lives."

The Pope looked around the Papal City.

He is now only grateful that he evacuated the vast majority of civilians early on.

However… judging from the scope of this disaster, the evacuation only covered a few small towns outside the Papal City, which is probably…

Suren, who had wanted to resist something, also sensed a faint sadness and guilt from the Pope.

Yes, there have been enough casualties this time.

Those undead who were re-formed from ashes...aren't they the people who once lived in the city of the Holy See?
"I understand, Your Majesty."

Suren nodded, then stopped and began to retreat with the Pope, leading the unconscious high-ranking officials of the Vatican.

They also woke up a few saints who were still barely able to move, and asked them to help bring a few people along.

Everyone tacitly refrained from asking what had happened or the status of the seal.

The terrifying shadow that completely enveloped the entire Temple of the Azure Sky, exuding a dangerous aura, and the shadows that now permeated the entire city, all proved one thing.

The saints recognized that this was a so-called "divine gift" belonging to the bishops of the Chaos Brotherhood, and only those veteran cult madmen could possess it.

But they dare not ask now, nor do they want to ask.

Because no matter how you look at it, this person is helping the situation to escalate further.

Regardless of the purpose, who it is, or what they want to do... we'll have to wait until we resolve the issue of what's inside the seal before discussing it.

The group hadn't gone far when they encountered Father Galileo and his hundred-strong army of undead who were heading towards the Temple of the Azure Sky.

Just when Father Galileo wanted to get these spirit friends to help carry the person, he finally realized that he couldn't command them at all.

The previous protection and obedience to orders were simply because he was the only living person nearby.

Now, the army of the undead marches past the survivors of the Holy See and continues its advance toward the Temple of the Sky.

The Pope watched the scene unfold silently. A strange light flashed in his somewhat cloudy eyes at that moment.

He also looked back at the Celestial Temple, but this time his eyes no longer held any worry.

There was only one: the astonishment of witnessing the legend from mythology walking towards oneself.

“Your Majesty, we should go now,” a saint whispered.

"I know." The Pope nodded, but stared at the departing undead army for a few more moments.

As the Pope, and the only one who knows all the secrets of the Papacy.

He knew perfectly well why the Papacy had chosen this location, and he also knew why that king had placed a seal here.

He knew even better what the true treasures were buried beneath that sacred temple of the heavens.

Now, the owner of the treasure has returned.

The Pope turned and then retreated out of the city.

Just then, a violent ash storm formed behind them again, even shattering the hemispherical shield formed by their shadows and hurtling towards them.

The few remaining saints who still possessed magic, together with the Pope and Suren, erected a barrier. Galileo also activated the large stabilizer left behind by the undead army. The double barrier successfully blocked this invasion.

Even though the semi-transparent shield formed by the stabilizer cracked rapidly in the ash storm, it eventually formed a safe zone on the edge of the Papal City thanks to the efforts of several saints.

But clearly, they couldn't continue their evacuation until the storm subsided.

Even legendary experts cannot move under such a terrifying storm, let alone lead a group of unconscious people.

Fortunately, they could at least use magic to lift these people up and hide them in a nearby house, and most of them were unconscious simply because they had run out of magic power, while Xiao Yuan was only slightly injured.

This injury is not fatal to a legendary expert; with a certain amount of rest, he can recover enough fighting strength to protect himself.

With no hope of evacuation, the twenty-odd people had no choice but to take refuge in a nearby house.

They also moved the incredibly heavy large stabilizer to the small yard in front of the house, and then the saints who still had magic power used earth and wind elemental magic to add another layer of protection to the stabilizer.

They knew very well what truly enabled them to survive in this environment.

……

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, are we really just going to stand by and watch?"

Inside the command post, Andreich tapped his pipe on the edge of the conference table with some frustration: "As a soldier, I cannot accept just sitting here and waiting to die."

"At least, let's go find the survivors."

The Demon King laughed and repeated the explanation he had already given several times: "I've said it many times, Commander."

"Those beings below the divine realm, unless they are special beings like the saints of the Church, cannot maintain themselves amidst those ashes."

"A rash attack will only increase casualties and may even create another enemy among the ashes."

"The situation is stable now, isn't it? Roland has done his job very well."

"The spreading ashes have completely disappeared. Even the ashes of the Papacy have vanished."

"My observation technique should have already shown you the general situation."

"Moreover, no new ash is generated anymore."

The Demon King paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly: "Do you know what this means?"

"This means that either Roland and Kalia have already resolved the problem."

"Either... the seal has been completely destroyed. The entity within is beginning to retract the expanding power back into its own body, and perhaps an even greater crisis will erupt soon."

"at last……"

When the last possibility was mentioned, the Demon King did not continue speaking.

She entered a subtle moment of reflection.

Iluvia, who was listening nearby, glanced at Andreich, who was about to speak, and gestured to him with her eyes to keep quiet.

Given that Iluvia is currently the de facto leader of the military, Andreich must respect the opinion of his superior, both in terms of his position and authority.

Then, Iluvia frowned and asked, "Why don't you continue?"

The Demon King, whose thoughts had been interrupted, was not annoyed. After all, considering the time, he and this princess were already acquaintances. He simply chuckled and met Iluvia's gaze: "I was just thinking about an answer that wasn't very likely."

"An ending that is... somewhere in between."

"You've seen that girl named Little Gray, haven't you?"

"Dansor told me that during blood tests to screen cultists entering the city, an unfortunate blood demon burst into flames after drinking her blood."

"Countless ashes began to form in his mouth and throat. If Kalia hadn't happened to pass by and used her wondrous power to stop the phenomenon, and then Roland hadn't dispelled the power, the guy would have died."

"I would never want to be like this, sucking blood in the hospital to repair my burned throat."

"Now that I've said that, you should have some reaction by now, right, Iluvia?"

"Don't you think this guy looks a bit like Kalia?"

Iluvia said quite calmly, "That guy seems to really hate Roland, and he even seems to prefer Kalia."

The Demon King nodded, knowing that Iluvia had understood what she meant: "Ah~~~ It doesn't matter who you like more. I just want to say that if this being called Little Gray is really related to the being under the seal, then at this point in time, she must have already been absorbed by the main body."

"You can't possibly know as much about the soul as I do, especially about the split soul and consciousness."

"When a small part of the soul that splits from the original body comes close to the original body again, it will almost inevitably merge into the larger individual."

"To use an inappropriate analogy, it's like those slimes that can be found everywhere in the wild."

"After the farmers smashed these monsters with pitchforks, the fragments that had lost their vitality would still fuse together if they got close enough."

"However, this is just to make it easier for you to understand; the actual fusion of souls is much more complex."

"But even the smallest individual is part of the soul, let alone a child who has developed self-awareness, can speak, can communicate, and can even hide his emotions and threats."

"It's just that her acting is a bit poor, and she's hiding it too clumsily. Even Kalia could see that she was trying to cover something up."

"But what happens when this self-aware soul returns to its original form?"

"Even a tiny difference in thought can change the final outcome of things."

Andreich, who was standing to the side, nodded thoughtfully.

Even if one cannot understand the similarities between Little Grey and Kalia, the Demon King's explanation is concise and easy to understand.

Anyone with a normal IQ can understand what the Demon King is trying to say.

That's the gray-haired girl; she will directly influence the course of this incident.

Whether it's good or bad...

He picked up his pipe and took another puff, then looked up: "So, you still choose to hold on?"

“Of course.” The Demon King nodded. “Can’t you sense the restless magical fluctuations within the Great Source?”

"This means things aren't over yet." "If things stabilize, I would certainly suggest you deploy airships and ground troops."

"But not now."

"Even if there are indeed survivors in the Papal City, it's the same."

"Of course, I am just a demon king. I have no command over your human army. You can do whatever you want. I am just offering advice as a friend."

After saying that, the Demon King got up and left the meeting room. Before leaving, he glanced at Iluvia and said, "Come to me if you encounter any difficulties."

"But don't come to me if you don't have any problems. Things in the Federation of Nations don't seem to be as simple as you think."

"I need to take care of some minor matters concerning the demons. Also, inform the imperial army still in Platia to be on high alert for any movements from the direction of the Kingdom of Hetland."

"The Lich King's Court is withdrawing its troops and moving towards Platia. Danso will go to meet them."

"What follows will likely be a civil war among the demons. If you do not wish to continue interfering, I suggest that you evacuate your troops and civilians to at least the Emerald City of the Wislow family."

"If conditions and time permit, we should evacuate to a more distant location."

Iluvia nodded: "Thank you for the reminder. I will pass it on to Commander Elson."

The Demon King nodded and then left the command post.

After the Demon King left, Andreich turned to Iluvia and asked, "Your Highness, you seem to know this person quite well?"

Iluvia nodded, her expression somewhat complicated: "Yes... we're quite familiar. But I still prefer how we were when we first met."

Andreich nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any further questions.

It's obvious that the Demon King and Roland have a close relationship.

After all, Roland's presence was indispensable in easing tensions between demons and humans.

Even though the demons clearly obeyed the orders of the Demon King who had been slain by the hero three hundred years ago and had now returned, the Demon King obviously preferred to listen to the opinion of Grand Duke Roland.

Tut tut...

Andreich began to admire Roland.

Although I had previously admired this young Grand Duke for slaying multiple bishops of the Chaos Brotherhood and resolving several major crises, my current admiration is more for what he has accomplished as a man.

Iluvia then stood up and looked at Andreich with a somewhat unfriendly expression, saying, "Send over the ritual materials that Ms. Flam specifically requested as soon as they are ready."

“In a few days, Master Toran and Master Russell will also arrive at the Chalk Wall by magic train. Make sure to prepare all the materials before they arrive.”

"Roland has been waiting for this armor for a long time, and the Demon King is also very concerned about it. Considering the harmonious development between the human and demon races, you should be more mindful and stop thinking about such nonsense."

"In addition, the special team sent by the Society will be arriving soon. Although the number of people is small, it seems that they need some space for equipment maintenance. See if you have any warehouse space and approve some more."

"Finally, you heard the Demon King's reminder just now. Forward it to the front lines in Platia and make sure Commander Elson receives the message."

"Yes!" Andreich stood up and saluted, then watched as the princess walked out of the command post.

Tsk, was I too obvious just now? How did they see through me?

It's a big no-no to talk about crickets in front of your boss.

Having been a seasoned veteran in the border region for so long, he had indeed become lax in his appearances.

Fortunately, the princess didn't pursue the matter further... she just pushed all the troublesome trivia onto herself, some of which were originally her own responsibilities.

This kind of thing would never have been done by someone of Iluvia's status.

……

……

"Roland? Roland, can you hear me?"

In the ocean of ashes, Kalia walked forward step by step on the ground made of shadows.

Even though waves kept crashing against her, they couldn't affect Kalia's safety at all, or even make her stumble a few more steps.

Describing Kalia as walking on flat ground is perfectly appropriate.

However, Kalia was not happy.

I found myself trapped in this strange place again.

And Roland has disappeared again.

When they first entered that sealed dimension, Roland and he were still together.

Suddenly, the scene changed again.

However, having already learned how to solve a problem once before, Kalia has now learned what it means to take initiative.

Anyway, her self-imposed seal has been broken, and there's no indication that it's time to seal it back up now.

So……

Kalia chuckled mischievously, then plunged her hand directly into the sea of ​​ashes.

The next moment, the sea of ​​ash, which had been churning and seemed to have a life of its own, came to a standstill. Then, all the ash was eroded by the shadow and became part of the shadow itself.

Then, just like what happened not long ago.

The dimension has collapsed.

However, Kalia still has not returned to reality, nor has she seen Roland or the enemies sealed within.

She simply fell into another dimension.

But this place... doesn't look like what should be inside the seal at all.

A peaceful village.

It was built right on the edge of the sea cliff.

Windmills, wheat fields, pastures, and sea cliffs where you can enjoy the sea breeze and the ocean view.

It's just like those ideal worlds described in traditional Chinese novels.

Beautiful and tranquil.

It doesn't look like the style one would expect from the lair of a major villain.

Kalia crouched down and gently stroked the grass at her feet, but with her touch, the grass quickly turned into ashes and vanished.

The same was true of the spot where she stood; the ashes disguised as grass revealed their true form the moment Kalia stepped on them, and then vanished completely.

But these ashes... were not aggressive or harmful at all, just like the ashes floating in a stove.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and Kalia looked up and saw a little boy who looked a lot like Roland running past her.

Kalia didn't think this was Roland; after all, she always felt there was something strange about this place.

But Kalia, who had only seen Roland as a child in photos, still followed the running little boy out of curiosity.

But as the other person ran, the scene before them began to change rapidly.

The village was destroyed in a monster invasion, and no survivors could be found.

The boy had disappeared without a trace.

Kalia looked up again, and now she had arrived at the foot of a magnificent, indescribable golden city.

At that moment, Roland appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Kalia's wrist. Then, a surge of magical energy hit her, and Kalia was jolted awake from her hallucination.

"Lia, are you alright?"

Roland, wielding his greatsword, remained within the Sky Temple.

Kalia was a little confused. She rubbed her aching and throbbing head and asked, "What just happened to me?"

"You were just under some kind of illusion. Did it affect you?"

Kalia shook her head, then asked, "Where did the thing inside the seal go? Did you take care of it?"

Roland nodded: "Although it was a bit troublesome, it surprisingly didn't take much effort."

When Kalia heard these words, her body trembled almost imperceptibly, and the shadows around her paused for a very brief moment. Then, Kalia began to look at Roland beside her.

then……

The multiple shadow spears pierced Roland's body without hesitation, forcefully lifting him into the air.

"Please, even if you're going to impersonate someone else, you should at least put some effort into your makeup and styling. And what was the purpose of that inexplicable hallucination earlier? Was it to make me subconsciously lower my guard at times like this?"

Kalia crossed her arms and stared at the extremely simple two-handed greatsword in the other person's hand, complaining, "At least restore the appearance of Roland's weapon clearly."

The "Roland" that was pierced through the air also instantly disintegrated into a pile of ashes and vanished into nothingness.

The environment of the Celestial Temple also vanished at that moment. Kalia finally encountered her true enemy.

When a creature that looked exactly like Little Grey, except with a more manic expression, appeared in front of Kalia, Kalia launched an attack without hesitation.

Unfortunately, this time her attacks were no longer invincible.

The shadows that had never encountered any obstacles before were now being swallowed up and assimilated by the ashes filling the sky.

If Kalia hadn't increased her efforts at the last moment and maintained the balance, she would have suffered a great loss.

The Witch of Ashes looked at Kalia and sneered, "I've finally managed to put together a good show for you, and you won't even watch the beginning? What's so great about that man?"

"Is it worth your concern? Even if he weren't here, would you still go against me? Don't forget, you and I are the same kind of people. You've never been human. You should know that very well, right?"

Kalia did not answer. The two stood facing each other, and the blank space they were in formed two distinct sides at this moment.

On one side, there was a sky full of shadows; on the other, there was a sky full of ashes.

The two stood facing each other, turning the world into black ash.

"Tell me! Where did you hide Roland?!" Kalia demanded menacingly.

"Ha, I won't tell you~~~ Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

(End of this chapter)