Damn it…
I stared at the hero, pointing the holy sword at me, and thought to myself:
Why did things end up like this?
The gods must be dead. Surely, they must be. They had to be.
Otherwise, how could I keep finding myself in these absurd situations?
While I fixated on the hero holding the holy sword and tried to deny the reality of this cursed scenario, someone approached me.
“Lady Ruina, I will assist you.”
It was the paladin, Artorius, speaking while gripping his spear.
Certainly, having him on my side might be helpful. A title like “paladin” isn’t given lightly.
But Kairen had no intention of allowing him to help me.
“Stop right there!”
Before Artorius’s words could fully settle, Kairen shouted at us.
“My, my, dear Paladin. Even if you’re worried, you can’t interfere in a sacred match. You know that interruptions are forbidden, right?”
She spoke with a mocking tone, her voice directed at me as if she wanted to ensure I heard.
“Ruina! Are you listening? From now on, only you are allowed in the center. Got it? If you bring anyone else along…”
She raised something in her hand as she continued.
My gaze shifted to her hand, and my eyes widened as I realized what she was holding.
It was—
“Reina!”
It was Reina, her eyes closed, held aloft in Kairen’s grasp.
“You see this, Ruina? You wouldn’t want me to harm her, would you? You’d better behave, or who knows what might happen to her?”
Kairen brushed a hand against Reina’s cheek, smiling.
“So, Ruina, come to the center. Alone.”
Damn it…!
Clenching my teeth, I glared at her and thought.
From what she was saying, it was clear she wanted me to face the hero alone.
I could guess why she wanted that.
A hero who kills demons.
And me, a demon disguised as a saint.
Her intentions couldn’t be more transparent. She wanted to see us fight.
Like someone watching animals battle for entertainment.
I shut my eyes tightly.
There was no other choice.
I had to face the hero alone.
But first, I needed to find a way to bring him back to his senses. That seemed like the easiest way to end this fight.
I turned to the others who might have faced the hero before we arrived.
“Lady Olivia, did you try using any dispelling magic on the hero?”
“Yes, I tried every kind I could, but… nothing worked.”
Olivia replied with a dark expression.
“What about Lady Agnes and Sir Artorius? Couldn’t a powerful shock bring him back to his senses?”
“We managed to approach him somewhat, but even when Lady Agnes and I attacked simultaneously, it barely fazed him. Worse, she ended up seriously injured.”
Artorius responded with a look of guilt.
This was bad.
Their grim answers made the situation feel even more hopeless, and my vision darkened.
“Isn’t there… anything we can do?”
I asked with a trembling voice.
No one answered.
My question dissipated into the air, unacknowledged by anyone.
Despite the five of us standing here, no one had a definitive solution to offer.
“There is one divine spell that might work on the hero.”
Bliss cautiously spoke up.
“What is it?”
All four of us turned our attention to her, our gazes intense.
Caught off guard by the sudden focus, Bliss hesitated briefly before continuing.
“Sanctuary Declaration.”
“Sanctuary Declaration… If it’s that spell, it might just work on the hero.”
Artorius murmured in agreement.
“Could you explain it in more detail?”
I turned to Artorius and asked.
“It’s one of the highest-level divine spells. It temporarily declares the area as the sanctuary of Goddess Naias.”
“And how powerful is this spell?”
“In terms of purification power, it’s the strongest among all known spells.”
If it’s that powerful, why hadn’t they used it earlier? If they cast it now, this ordeal might be resolved easily—
“But… there’s one problem with this spell.”
Of course. It was never going to be that simple.
“What’s the issue?”
I shifted my gaze to Bliss.
“It takes a long time to prepare. It’s a spell that normally requires multiple people to cast simultaneously…”
“How long does it take?”
“At least seven minutes.”
Seven minutes.
That could be either a long or short amount of time, depending on the circumstances.
The word at least suggested it might take even longer depending on the situation.
Still, this seemed to be the only viable option right now.
I sighed deeply, my frustration evident, then looked at the hero standing at the center of the plaza.
“Bliss, start preparing the spell. Everyone else, protect her.”
I took a step forward, lifting my foot that had been frozen in place, and began to walk.
“In the meantime, I’ll…”
Another step, heavier than the last.
“I’ll try to hold off the hero on my own.”
With one step after another, I started making my way toward the center of the plaza.
“Of course, you’re helping her…”
“Stay where you are!”
Artorius’s voice from behind startled me, and I turned around abruptly, shouting back.
“If you come out, Reina will be in danger!”
If he stepped forward, there was no telling what Kairen would do to Reina.
“So just protect Lady Bliss. I’ll try to hold on as best as I can on my own.”
With those words, I turned back and continued toward the center of the plaza.
“Oh, my divine Lord, your child…”
Behind me, I could hear Bliss beginning her prayer.
The spell had started.
As I walked, I kept thinking.
Seven minutes. Seven minutes. I just needed to hold out for seven minutes.
Even if my opponent was the hero who had slain the Demon Lord, if I focused solely on defense, I could manage seven minutes.
I was trembling.
Was this how livestock felt as they were dragged to the slaughterhouse?
To calm my shaking heart, I repeated to myself:
Focus on defense.
Do everything to buy time.
Dodge rather than block.
And finally…
Do everything I can to defeat him.
Meanwhile, atop the statue, Kairen noticed the activity on our side.
Although she couldn’t discern exactly what we were doing, she instinctively felt it wasn’t going to end well for her.
Turning to the man idly lounging nearby, she spoke.
“Wolff, stop whatever they’re doing.”
“Huh? Me? Why?”
“Because you’re just sitting around doing nothing?”
Wolff pointed lazily toward the crowd below with a dissatisfied expression.
“Ugh, aren’t there plenty of people down there for you to use?”
Kairen’s brow furrowed at his reply.
She closed her eyes briefly, trying to suppress the annoyance bubbling up inside her.
But even with her quick effort, it was clear her patience was wearing thin.
Her hand trembled.
Her teeth ground audibly.
Her face twitched with barely restrained fury.
A low, growling sound escaped her lips.
“You bastard!!!”
Moments later, she unleashed her frustration in a deafening shout, directing her anger at Wolff.
“I’m barely holding the hero under control right now! If I slip even a little, the control will break, and I’ll lose it!
Do you even understand what I’m going through?! It’s like walking on a tightrope made of ice!
If you don’t help me now, and the hero wakes up, we’re both dead! Got it?!”
Her voice was loud enough to feel like it might burst Wolff’s eardrums. All her pent-up emotions poured out in her yelling.
She even briefly hoped that Wolff’s ears might actually explode—maybe that would help vent her overflowing rage.
“Alright, alright. I get it.”
Perhaps her emotions had gotten through to him, as Wolff finally replied, his tone dripping with irritation, before standing up.
“But before I go, let’s make one thing clear. I’ll only disrupt them.”
Wolff stretched leisurely as he spoke.
“Fine, just do something already!”
Kairen snapped, her patience completely spent. Even his casual stretching grated on her nerves.
Wolff, unbothered by her outburst, finished stretching at his own pace and turned his gaze toward Bliss.
He stared at her intently for a moment, then paused.
“Hmm?”
After spotting something—or rather, someone—his eyes narrowed, and he stopped in his tracks.
“Well, well, looks like someone special is over there.”
He had noticed someone among the group.
Someone who had once smashed his face into the ground.
Someone he had personally thrown into prison.
And…
Someone who was a paladin of the Origin Church, standing firmly on the opposite side of him.
“A paladin, huh… This will be my first time fighting one.”
He grinned, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
“This should be interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing how strong they are.”
Fixing his gaze on Artorius Ludbeckia, Wolff muttered under his breath.
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