A great battle had come to an end, and it was finally time to declare it over.
Riezel fell from the sky, landing in the ruined remains of the Eight Fingers' hideout, then glanced toward the horizon, looking in the direction of the royal capital center.
Gazing in that direction, Riezel frowned for a moment before suddenly speaking up.
"After watching for so long, it's about time you showed up, right?"
Riezel's voice echoed in the empty air above the ruins.
"..."
However, the response came as an indescribable silence, as if nothing existed around him.
"Not planning to come out?" Riezel continued, already expecting this outcome. "In that case, let me bring you out myself."
With that, he reached for the sword at his waist.
Seeing Riezel's hand move toward his sword, the figure hidden in the shadows could no longer stay silent.
"I'm coming out now!"
Exclaiming in panic, a girl dressed in paladin-like armor, with long hair that was half black and half silver-white, and heterochromatic eyes jumped out from the shadows.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this strange girl with such unusual hair and eye colors, Riezel was momentarily stunned before speaking in surprise.
"Certain Death?"
At the mention of her name, Certain Death froze.
"Y-You know me?"
Certain Death looked more surprised than Riezel himself.
"Of course." Riezel reined in his surprise and regained his calm demeanor. "I've long heard your name. You're the Extra Seat in the Black Scripture, known as the guardian of mankind, right? I've always admired your reputation."
Upon hearing this, Certain Death instinctively wanted to retort, telling him that he was a great liar.
It couldn't be helped.
One should know that the Black Scripture was one of the Six Scriptures of the Slane Theocracy.
However, what were the Six Scriptures?
They were the elite, secret military units of the Slane Theocracy, directly under the Six Cardinals, consisting of six units deployed on missions they deemed crucial to the security of their nation and the continued survival of the human race in service to their ideology of human supremacy.
Given this, the information about such organizations was tightly protected by the nation, where ordinary people didn't even know they existed. Even the citizens of the Slane Theocracy themselves might not know of them, let alone those from other countries.
If it weren't for someone like Gazef, who held a high position in the Re-Estize Kingdom, he wouldn't even know the name 'Six Scriptures'.
Nevertheless, even for someone like Gazef, who held a significant position in the kingdom, it was unlikely he would know much about the Six Scriptures. He might know of them and understand their main duties, but to say he knew the individuals from the Six Scriptures wouldn't be certain.
For example, at the time in Carne Village, Gazef knew about the existence of the Sunlight Scripture and that they were a special unit directly under the Six Cardinals, with their main purpose being to wipe out the dwellings of demi-humans.
He also knew that to join the Sunlight Scripture, one must at least be able to use 3rd-Tier Magic, but he likely didn't know who the captain of the Sunlight Scripture was or what kind of feats the person named Nigun Grid Luin had accomplished.
Since even the Sunlight Scripture, which often went on missions outside the Slane Theocracy, kept their information secret, the secrecy level of the Black Scripture, as the most special and strongest unit among the Six Scriptures, was obviously always the highest and could never be leaked easily.
Especially for someone like Certain Death, an awakened god-kin and a player descendant, once her identity was exposed, it would almost certainly attract the hostility of strong beings, including the dragon race, who once fought against the Eight Greed Kings. If her information was leaked, in the worst-case scenario, even True Dragon Lords might get involved.
Because of this, when the members of the Black Scripture went on missions, they mostly wore magical masks that could disguise their appearances—always keeping a low profile and being very secretive, never exposing their identities easily.
In other words, when Riezel said he had long heard of Certain Death, the Extra Seat in the Black Scripture, he was no different from admitting he was lying.
If he had only heard her name, that would have been one thing, but the fact that he recognized her identity as soon as he saw her could not possibly be explained by something as simple as 'hearing her name'.
Regardless, after thinking it over carefully, Certain Death decided it was better not to sour their relationship over such a trivial matter.
"Since you know me, it's easier to talk." Certain Death said with what she thought was a friendly smile. "I have no ill intentions. Like you, I came here to deal with that vampire. As for why I was hiding, it was to find an opportunity to lend you a hand—I'm definitely not trying to harm you."
"Hmm, really?" Riezel gave a half-smile. "You wanna deal with that vampire? Well, since it's you, there might be a chance of success if you sneak up from behind."
Riezel's half-smile and words, as if he could see through everything, made Certain Death feel like her secrets were laid bare in front of him, indicating that he clearly knew her well—not just her appearance and existence, but even her strength seemed to be fully understood by him.
"...You flatter me." Certain Death said humbly, suppressing the slight discomfort in her heart. "It's just a pity you don't need my help. I never expected there would be such a powerful existence among humans like you."
"Same to you." Riezel responded calmly, returning the compliment. "It's hard for most people to imagine someone as powerful as you among humans. Thankfully, you came late, or else those women who came with me and that so-called genius swordsman who once doubted the potential of humans might've had their worldview shattered again."
For Riezel, this was already quite rare praise, and of course, the girl before him truly deserved such praise from him.
Because, aside from the overpowered beings from the Great Tomb of Nazarick who had crossed over from YGGDRASIL, Certain Death was undoubtedly one of the very few natives in this world who could be considered a powerhouse in Riezel's eyes.
In the original work, this Extra Seat, regarded as the guardian of mankind, was rumored to have a level as high as Level 88.
Such a level, though not reaching Level 100 of NPCs in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, was still stronger than most beings in this world. Even those legendary Dragon Lords, except for a very few True Dragon Lords, would probably not be able to match Certain Death.
If Certain Death used the high-class equipment left behind by the Six Great Gods, she could probably fight on par with a Level 100 NPC. Naturally, this was assuming she didn't face an NPC who, like her, wore high-class equipment, or she would still be at a disadvantage.
From Riezel's perspective, if Certain Death used the equipment left by the Six Great Gods and went all out, she would be at least Level 6 in the world of Danmachi, in which, for a native of this world, reaching this level was already quite rare.
Certain Death, unaware of Riezel's thoughts, couldn't help but feel pleased upon hearing his praise.
It wasn't that she was particularly vain, but quite the opposite.
She had long been accustomed to others flattering her and no longer paid much attention, but receiving recognition from Riezel, someone even stronger than she was, genuinely made her happy.
'Maybe... I should invite him to the theocracy and have him join our side?'
Wearing a small smile, Certain Death entertained this thought.
However, while she was fantasizing about such a future, Riezel suddenly threw cold water on her.
"Enough of the small talk. Instead of wasting time chatting with me, you'd better pay attention to what I'm about to say." Riezel said indifferently. "She, that vampire, and her companions seem to have set their sights on your country. You'd better get your people out of here as soon as possible."
'Huh? What does that mean?'
Certain Death wanted to ask, but just then, Riezel had already used Fly and soared into the sky.
"Wait! Wait a minute!"
Certain Death exclaimed in surprise and instinctively extended the wings attached to the armor she wore.
As equipment once worn by the God of Wind from the Six Great Gods, the armor had wings on the back that allowed flight, enabling the wearer to spread them out freely. Using this armor, Certain Death spread the angel-like wings and flew toward Riezel, soaring into the sky.
Fortunately for her, Riezel hadn't flown far.
Shortly after leaving the secluded area where the hideout of Eight Fingers resided and arriving near the center of the royal capital, Riezel stopped midair.
Seeing Riezel stop, Certain Death flew up to him, about to speak, but the scene that greeted her eyes left her stunned.
She saw that the royal capital, which once looked ancient and lacking vitality but still peaceful, had turned into a hellscape without her realizing it.
Buildings were burning.
Flames and smoke were rising.
People were screaming.
Monsters were rampaging.
Monsters that seemed to come from another world, with an inorganic feel to them, resembling dolls or machines, but without exception radiating a divine aura, were flying in from all directions of the royal capital, wreaking havoc.
Some of them wielded glowing swords, chasing after the panicked citizens.
Others carried staves, releasing magic beams that destroyed buildings and streets.
Under their rampage, the entire royal capital had fallen, with fire everywhere, blood everywhere, and screams filling the air.
Certain Death could hardly believe her eyes because the monsters rampaging in the royal capital were something she knew all too well.
"Angels...?"
Yes.
They were angels—countless angels.
Summoned from another world, they were viewed as messengers of the gods in many countries where religious beliefs were deeply rooted, especially in the Slane Theocracy, which embraced this belief and considered it an integral part of their faith.
Yet, those angels were now ravaging the royal capital, either slaughtering lives or destroying objects.
"How... How could this happen?" Certain Death muttered, her voice trembling.
Riezel, on the other hand, furrowed his brow, lost in his thoughts.
'Angels, huh...'
Angels attacking the royal capital?
Was this the Great Tomb of Nazarick's doing? Something they had been secretly planning all this time?
'Why though?'
Riezel felt confused.
Regardless of the confusion, he wasn't about to just stand by.
He saw a large group of civilians being chased down by several angels on a street not far from him, their terrified screams echoing, especially those children and their parents who were desperately protecting them.
Riezel instinctively reached out his hand, wanting to chant magic, but—
"I won't let you interfere, Sir Riezel."
A voice rang out perfectly from behind Riezel, interrupting him.
Riezel froze, his hand halting mid-motion.
Certain Death snapped out of her daze and quickly spun around.
Riezel, on the other hand, slowly turned, his gaze locking onto the source of the voice.
Over there stood a figure—a figure of his 'old friend'.