The night breeze was cool, brushing through Emilia's silver hair.

But no wind could blow away the shock that had frozen her in place.

She stood there, stunned.

Her eyes were locked onto Olba Meyer — messy, bloodied, but unmistakably him.

"Rei Ao… you caught them? And… you hit High Priest Olba?"

Her voice was full of disbelief.

"Yeah. That was me," Rei Ao replied, calm to the point of being cold — like he'd just taken care of some trash.

He turned his gaze toward Olba, who was curled up in the corner, visibly trembling.

His eyes were like ice. Unfeeling.

"Olba. Speak."

"Say everything — here and now, in front of Emilia. What you and that bird-brain were plotting. Don't leave out a single word."

Olba flinched hard.

Sweat poured from his bald head, mixing with the blood on his face. He looked utterly pathetic.

Rei Ao's voice made his heart seize.

He had never imagined anyone could be this terrifying.

He couldn't even look Emilia in the eyes.

The gaze that once held trust and respect now felt like a blade driving into his soul.

With Rei Ao's overwhelming presence bearing down on him, he didn't dare lie.

"Y-Yes… I…"

His voice was dry and raspy, filled with helpless fear.

"I—I made a deal with Lucifer."

"I was afraid Hero Emilia's rise would shake the Church's foundation. That the upper ranks, who once supported me, would turn to her instead. I couldn't let that happen…"

He spoke in stammers, each word cutting deeper into Emilia's heart.

"So I had Emerada and Albert locked away. I couldn't let them go looking for her."

His voice dropped lower and lower, trembling, yet tinged with a kind of manic desperation.

"Then I reached out to Lucifer. He was desperate to return to Heaven, to erase the shame of being a fallen angel."

"So I offered him a deal — help me erase Hero Emilia and Demon King Satan from this world, and I'd help him."

"If you were all gone, with no witnesses left behind, the Church would remain in our hands. Absolute authority, untouched."

"You bastard! You scumbag!!" For more chapters visit N0veI.Fiɾe.net

Maou exploded, his rage boiling over. Spit practically flew into Olba's face.

"You self-righteous freaks are worse than demons! You kill your own people for power?!"

Ashiya adjusted his glasses, eyes sharp behind the lenses.

Coldly, he added, "Lucifer, you're a damn fool. You actually believed the word of a church priest?"

"They betrayed their own hero. What made you think they'd ever help a fallen angel like you?"

"You got played. Completely used."

Lucifer's face — swollen like a balloon — was filled with both rage and regret, his eyes barely open.

He wanted to scream.

But the searing pain in his face and Rei Ao's oppressive presence reduced him to nothing but pitiful whimpers.

Maou and Ashiya's words cut deeper than any wound.

He had actually fallen for Olba's sugar-coated lies. He'd turned himself into this pathetic wreck for a fantasy.

And now…

No — he'd already provoked the one guy in this world who made the Demon King look tame by comparison.

Emilia listened in silence, her body shaking slightly.

She looked at Olba — the man who once guided her in Ente Isla, who offered her support when she was most lost.

Now, seeing him like this...

The pain of betrayal stabbed far deeper than any enemy blade ever had.

The land she'd fought for, given everything to protect…

The Church she'd devoted herself to…

So much darkness was hiding beneath the light.

This was her first real taste of how complicated the human world could be. It wasn't black and white — it was full of shades of gray.

"..."

A wave of exhaustion and heartbreak hit her all at once.

Her knees gave a little.

And then—

A warm, strong arm wrapped gently around her shoulders, pulling her into a steady embrace.

Rei Ao said nothing.

But his presence alone was solid enough to lean on.

Emilia instinctively leaned into him.

His warmth grounded her. Her chilled body finally felt a little less frozen.

Maou looked at the broken look on Emilia's face, then up at Rei Ao's unreadable expression. His nerves were on edge.

He swallowed.

"S-So, Rei Ao-sama… What do you plan to do with these two?"

He motioned toward Olba and Lucifer.

Rei Ao looked down at Emilia in his arms. His voice softened.

"Emilia, your call."

"They came for you. You decide what happens to them."

Emilia rested against his chest, silent for a moment.

She could feel Olba and Lucifer's eyes on her — a mix of fear and silent begging.

She closed her eyes.

In her mind: the sunlight of Ente Isla… the smiles of rescued villagers… Olba's teachings from long ago…

Finally—

She took a deep breath.

And opened her eyes.

Still hurting, but clear. Resolute.

"Just make sure they can never hurt anyone again."

Her voice was soft. But unwavering.

She was still the kind-hearted hero.

Even betrayed, she couldn't bring herself to order an execution.

Taking away their power, making sure they could never cause harm again — that was the harshest sentence she could give and still stay true to herself.

Maou felt like a death sentence had just been lifted from his shoulders.

He dropped to his knees with a thud, then grabbed Lucifer's oversized purple head and slammed it down against the floor several times.

"Ugh!"

Lucifer groaned in agony.

"Say thank you to Hero Emilia and Rei Ao-sama — now!"

At least Lucifer would live. Maou could breathe again.

"That's fine," Rei Ao said calmly.

He wasn't surprised by Emilia's decision.

He kept one arm around her.

And with his other hand, casually lifted a finger and pointed it at Olba and Lucifer.

No light.

No sound.

But both men immediately felt something inside them ripped away.

And then came the complete, final seal.

~~~

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