The miasma of the Demon God Pillar had corroded Vanessa’s very marrow, rotting her body from the inside out. The only reason she was still alive now was sheer willpower clinging to her final breath.
Earlier, she had poured every drop of mana into fueling the Flame of Divine Benediction, leaving nothing behind for self-healing. Now, with her mana utterly depleted, she used her own life and body as kindling, igniting the holy flame and unleashing the greatest Flame of Divine Benediction she had ever conjured.
But even so, compared to that towering, sky-high silhouette of darkness, the flame was far too small... painfully insignificant.
Like a fallen angel with shattered wings, the girl—despite being grievously wounded, with death looming—stretched out those wings, shielding the others behind her.
The colossal tentacle of the Demon God Pillar extended forward, greedily sweeping toward the Order Spire. The sheer, overwhelming scene made every instructor and student instinctively hold their breath—it felt as though even the surrounding air had been consumed by the Demon God Pillar’s higher-dimensional field.
The tentacle carved through everything in its path, leaving utter devastation behind. Within a radius of ten miles, all structures and terrain were reduced to their most basic particles, ground into dust.
It was like watching a great skyscraper collapse—the towering appendage closing in on the spire, humanity’s greatest work of craftsmanship, forged to seal away the unspeakable.
This spire had withstood the erosion of time, a crystallization of countless generations of civilization and wisdom.
But even that could not stand against the unstoppable onslaught of the Demon God Pillar. A single blow would flatten it—no, the mere presence of the higher-dimensional field surrounding the tentacle would grind it to powder.
In the face of such despairing disparity, the dying girl pressed on without hesitation. Her life flickered like a candle in the wind, her resistance laughably weak before the might of the Demon God Pillar.
When the tentacle neared the girl, her body ablaze with the Flame of Divine Benediction, the flame dimmed noticeably—like a fragile spark flickering in the breeze, the holy fire for the first time faltered, unstable and guttering.
The Flame of Divine Benediction was locked in a fierce battle with the oppressive field enveloping the Demon God Pillar's appendage.
But just as the enormous tentacle was about to collide with that pitiful flame, it stopped.
It hesitated.
As if sensing something that even a being like the Demon God Pillar should fear, the massive entity paused, reconsidering its approach. Then, deliberately, it changed course, skirting wide around the girl burning her own life to sustain the Flame of Divine Benediction.
Clearly, even the Demon God Pillar understood... unnecessary risks were unwise.
After all, it had waited countless eons for this moment. Any unforeseen variable—no matter how trivial—was to be avoided. Even Elrunas himself would exercise caution.
Perhaps, had it been another Demon God Pillar, pride would compel a head-on clash with the Flame of Divine Benediction. How could a Demon God Pillar lose face before a mere mortal? To alter its path because of a human—wasn’t that retreat?
But Elrunas... was different.
He would not sacrifice victory for the sake of his avatar’s pride.
There was no need to risk it. The initiative remained firmly in his grasp. To him, skirting this threat meant nothing. But for the mortal before him—it was fatal.
Elrunas didn’t know how the bloodline of his ancient nemesis still survived after all this time. By all logic, they should have been wiped out by history long ago.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things. If he could break the seal within the Order Spire and destroy it, his return to the throne of the True Gods would be inevitable.
When that time came, even the Goddess of Radiance would be powerless against him. So why concern himself with a weakened, diluted remnant of a long-fallen bloodline?
Just as Elrunas expected, as his tentacle veered to bypass her, Vanessa’s heart surged with panic.
Her body was ruined, sustained only by the final wisp of Flame of Divine Benediction fueled by her very life. Her shattered wings, like snapped harp strings, barely functioned. Remaining airborne was a miracle. Moving further? Impossible.
If Elrunas simply bypassed her... everything she’d done would be meaningless.
She had to stop him—she had to.
Vanessa clenched her teeth, the metallic tang of blood filling her mouth.
She couldn’t count her injuries anymore. Her body was little more than a mass of wounds, rotted from the inside. Her flesh was failing, her spirit guttering.
Her wings... wouldn’t move.
Her life, burned as fuel, was nearly spent.
She couldn’t... fall... here.
But reality was merciless—her options exhausted, her body failing completely.
Her vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. She raised her hand before her face... but she couldn’t even see her own fingers.
So dark... so cold.
She heard nothing.
Saw nothing.
Where... was she...?
Her wings... collapsing, unable to support her. Was she about to fall, like a burnt-out feather drifting to ash?
Her eyelids grew heavy, impossible to keep open.
Funny, wasn’t it?
Her final moments... weren’t at the hands of Aesphyra's revenge... nor from some unknown AOE attack... nor from failing her redemption arc.
But from sacrificing herself... for others.
The Vinny of the past, who only ever acted to scrape by, could never have imagined such an ending.
Her outstretched hand fell limply.
Her once-alluring, heart-shaped eyes shimmered with unshed tears... dimming into darkness.
Had she... failed after all?
“Your Holiness! Hang in there!” Suddenly, shouts erupted from below.
“Your Holiness, are you okay? She’s so hurt... her feathers... they’re almost all gone...” A female student with Church affiliations wept, her eyes swollen.
“What are you all saying?! There’s no way—no way Her Holiness would lose! That damn Demon God Pillar... that filthy cockroach must’ve used some despicable trick!”
“No! Her Holiness is invincible! There’s no way she’d lose to an evil thing like the Demon God Pillar!”
“We can’t just stand here! We should go help her!”
“Calm down! Are you insane?! If you rush up there, you’ll only get in Her Holiness’s way! Even without its full body, that's still the Demon God Pillar. Its domain kills on contact. We aren’t like Her Holiness—we don’t have holy fire shielding us. Step too close, and we’re paste!”
“But... are we just supposed to stand here? Do nothing...?”
“Your Holiness... hang in there!”
“Her Holiness is invincible! She won’t lose to trash like that!”
Countless voices of support rang out from below. Despite Vanessa’s fading senses, those words pierced through to her, clear as day.
“All of you! Release your Divine Envoys! Aid the Goddess!” Fenny rallied the Church-affiliated students, all of whom summoned their Soul Spirits—the Divine Envoys.
In an instant, countless beams of radiant light joined together, illuminating a patch of darkness that had seemed impenetrable.
Healing Beams, Healing Orbs, Restoration Spells, Vitality Dew—countless healing spells of every hue and variety flew toward Vanessa.
But they were far, far away.
Most of the healing spells fizzled long before reaching her. Only a few high-grade spells from upper-year students managed to close the distance... only to be shredded into motes of magic by the Demon God Pillar’s higher-dimensional domain.
Even so... the energy... the hope... the determination—they reached Vanessa all the same. A surge of unseen strength filled her.
She couldn’t fall here.
Even if she burned away completely—she couldn’t let the Demon God Pillar succeed. If she did...
The continent of Terrilis would be plunged into ruin, shattered beyond repair.
The angelic girl, with tattered, blackened wings, poured every last ounce of strength and life into one final charge at the tentacle.
But she’d stalled too long. Her last reserves of Flame of Divine Benediction were spent.
She’d only survived near the Demon God Pillar by burning the flame to erode its domain.
But now... the flame was gone.
The outcome was clear.
Her desperate final strike brought no miracle.
The moment her life extinguished and the holy flame faded, all hope crumbled.
She couldn’t even muster the strength to collide with the Demon God Pillar, to hinder it in any way.
As she was fully exposed to the domain’s crushing force, a terrifying, invisible pressure slammed into her.
She could hear the sickening crack of her bones shattering.
Like a flawless porcelain vase falling to the floor, turning from priceless masterpiece... to worthless shards.
The process of being crushed dragged on—far longer than she imagined. To onlookers, it lasted less than half a second.
No blood, no remains.
The immaculate angel girl vanished, leaving not a trace behind.
Vanessa’s consciousness slipped into bottomless darkness.
Yet in her final moments, what filled her with despair wasn’t the pain... nor the fear of death... but—
The fate of Terrilis... what would happen to everyone...?
No.
She couldn’t die like this.
Saving them... had been her choice. If she failed, even the survivors would perish.
It was all her responsibility.
She... must take full responsibility!
For the living. For those still waiting to be saved.
‘That’s the spirit my successors should have.’
A soft, melodious voice whispered in her ear, like a gentle girl murmuring close by.
Who... is that?
“Milady... Vanessa... it looks like she’s losing...?” In the maid café, Nyako’s voice grew frantic.
Luna sipped her tea in silence, her expression unchanged—but upon close inspection, her grip on the teacup had visibly tightened.
Everything hinged on this moment.
Heaven entrusts great responsibility upon those it favors.
If Vanessa truly bore the Goddess’s blessing... if destiny smiled upon her... she would overcome this calamity.
“Vanessa...”
High in the air, Mirexia, her dragon wings unfurled, watched with bloodless lips and hollow, terrified eyes.
[Virtue +1000]
Current Virtue: 1524
While the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° others remained frozen, streaks of holy sakura-colored light enveloped the fallen girl, shielding her body.
The light... didn’t come from Vanessa herself.
Everyone’s gaze instinctively followed its source—to Saintess Selina Cathedral.
“What is this...?”
All eyes turned skyward, where the oppressive black clouds split apart. Sacred light poured through, coalescing into the form of a six-winged angel towering across the heavens.
Hands clasped in prayer, the divine figure seemed to bestow salvation upon all living things.
Beams of light rained down, merging into the broken-winged, defeated angel below.
“A miracle...!”
A Church student fell to his knees, staring in awe at the divine radiance that turned the bleak heavens into blinding day.
“This is a true miracle!”
Even Elrunas wavered. That overwhelmingly familiar aura made him hesitate, his voice shaking the space of Terrilis.
“Who... are you?”
Vanessa barely remembered—just as her consciousness dissolved—hearing that gentle, loving voice, like an elder offering affection to a beloved descendant.
Who... is speaking...?
“Milady... Vanessa... she’s about to lose...?” Nyako fretted.
Luna said nothing, her tea trembling faintly in her grip.
Everything would be decided here.
Would she live...? Would she prove herself worthy of destiny’s favor?
“Vanessa...?”
Above, Mirexia hovered, her eyes void of hope.
[Virtue +1000]
Current Virtue: 1524
The sakura-colored holy light wrapped around Vanessa’s broken form, protecting her.
The source... Saintess Selina Cathedral.
“What...?”
Everyone looked to the heavens. The clouds split apart—the sacred radiance forming a six-winged goddess towering above.
Hands clasped, the divine figure bestowed salvation upon the land.
Light beams merged into Vanessa’s broken body.
“A true miracle!”
Even Elrunas faltered. That aura—so familiar, so terrifying.
“Who... are you...?”
As her awareness returned, Vanessa opened her eyes to find herself within a sacred temple, floating among clouds.
Towering pillars upheld the sky itself. At the temple’s heart stood the six-winged goddess, crowned in feathers, flanked by statues of Cross Knights clad in radiant armor.
Vanessa looked down—her body was whole, her Armor Fortress fully restored.
Where... was this?
It resembled her meeting with Fasylis... but this was somewhere else entirely.
“Finally, we meet, my adorable little successor~”
Before her stood a vivacious sakura-haired girl, dressed in a short laced dress, white thigh-high stockings, and high-heeled boots, exuding youthful energy.
Her pink twin tails, tied with butterfly ribbons, gave her the look of a popular idol from her past life.