However, since no one showed any sign of moving, the voice of ‘That One’ grew increasingly anxious.
In truth, even it did not dare to attack Iris.
It was difficult to even look directly at the Vessel as it emitted such a brilliant light.
Nevertheless, its desire to obtain the power of the Relic surpassed its instinctive fear, and as a result, it reached the point of screaming in frustration.
But it could not finish its sentence and had to quickly use an evasion skill.
Flash—!
With a massive roar, the spot where ‘That One’ had been standing was deeply gouged. Iris, who had thrown a Sphere of Light at ‘That One’, raised one eyebrow and sneered.
“What? Is this a show?”
“Ugh, don’t be scared! Attack quickly, what are you doing? It’s a Total Solar Eclipse, so there’s no way she can use the completed power of the Relic…”
‘That One’ commanded again, but still, no one moved.
Iris continued to rain down attacks.
Ever since her body began to glow, she felt overflowing with power, and she could immediately manifest not only her own skills but also the skills of other Superpowered Individuals just by thinking about them.
Furthermore, descriptions of the skills appeared above everyone’s heads, making it easy to choose.
Even without anyone telling her, she realized instinctively that she could freely use the skills of everyone present.
‘Is this thanks to the power of the completed Relic?’
She thought as she fired massive flames and sharp arrows at ‘That One’.
Even though she used skills consecutively, there was no need to drink a Magic Potion.
It felt as if her mana had become infinite. Iris didn’t even look at ‘That One’, who was busy dodging her attacks, and spoke to the owners of the skills.
“Whew, this one is yours, right? And this one belongs to you.”
The Villains nodded their heads frantically as they watched her cast their skills at maximum output.
It was due to the unique habit of Villains to bow before an overwhelmingly powerful being.
‘That One’ no longer said anything; it simply contorted its face and dodged the attacks.
Its evasion was swift, but with so many attacks being poured out at once, it seemed there was nowhere left to run.
Eventually, black blood began to seep out from various parts of its body.
Because the Holy Power of the Goddess was infused into Iris’s attacks, recovery was impossible.
“And, this one is yours.”
At that moment, Iris, wearing a confident smile, slashed the air sharply with her hand.
Large, white claw marks flew through the air and struck ‘That One’.
Seeing the Vessel copy its own unique skill exactly, horror clouded the face of ‘That One’.
“Urgh… this is impossible. It’s a Total Solar Eclipse, so why…”
Hit by a skill infused with Holy Power, ‘That One’ staggered and clutched its stomach.
Seeing this, Iris’s lips parted, and words flowed out as if a revelation had been handed down.
“…The sun is only hidden for a moment; it doesn’t disappear.”
Iris was momentarily surprised, but a faint smile soon appeared on her lips.
It felt strange, as if the Goddess had spoken through her mouth.
“Ugh… such a thing is… impossible…”
At this rate, it would be obliterated. Upon realizing this fact, fear enveloped its entire body, just as it had during its fight with the Goddess long ago.
Before long, the Total Solar Eclipse passed, and the surroundings began to brighten.
Once the sun regained its form, the Vessel’s power would become even stronger.
‘That One’ bit its lip and then assumed a groveling expression.
At this rate, it could not escape this place. Therefore, it made one last desperate struggle to survive.
“Forgive me just once. I’ll leave Gyodam City and live as if I’m dead.”
“No.”
But before it could even try anything, a flat rejection came back.
Iris tilted her head as she watched ‘That One’ despairing while leaning against a dead-end wall.
“Hmm, how should I finish this? Right, I’ll send you off with my skill for the finale.”
As soon as she spoke, Iris’s Clones began to appear one by one in various places, and in the blink of an eye, they increased in number until they reminded one of a crowded marketplace.
When Iris pointed a finger at ‘That One’, the Clones slowly began to tighten their circle around him.
Surrounded by Iris’s Clones, ‘That One’ let out a final scream.
“No! Ahhh, save me… Save me!”
A white light emitted from the hands of the Clones and shot toward ‘That One’, and a white steeple of light soared into the sky.
An unidentified roar echoed so loudly it made one’s ears go numb.
The steeple of light, rising in a strong whirlwind, flashed with five colors before disappearing.
At that moment, the sky split in half and then closed.
Everyone who had been blankly watching Iris’s performance stood with their mouths agape as they heard a rumbling sound, and the Black Castle distorted and returned to its original state.
***
The Black Castle instantly returned to the original White Temple.
When Iris withdrew her Clones, only a small amount of black soot remained where ‘That One’ had been.
‘Did it completely vanish?’
In the moment Iris was thinking while looking at the scorched marks on the floor, the beautiful voice she had heard in her dreams, the voice of the Goddess, echoed in her head.
[You who believed in yourself and believed in love. Even in the worst situation, you have completed your given mission. Now, the peace of Gyodam City depends on what you do.]
‘Hasn’t peace arrived since the Evil Spirit was destroyed?’
She couldn’t understand the Goddess’s words. She had resolved the root cause, yet peace hadn’t come yet. Then, a tinkling laugh was heard, followed by a kind voice.
[Well. That depends on what you do. Both peace and everything you desire. Dimension Traveler, now live the life you want.]
‘Pardon? A Dimension Traveler? Was I not possessed in a Comic? So this is the real world…’
Iris’s mouth fell open in a daze. She thought it was a Comic world, but it was actually a real world.
[Yes. This place is a world in a different dimension from Earth. You were the only one who truly felt sorry for our story after reading it on Earth. That is why I brought your soul, which was heading to the Afterlife, and had you live a new life here. Thank you for enduring the weight of the King’s Crown and doing much better than expected, My Hero.]
She felt strange at the Goddess’s explanation. This was because she finally realized that this place was a real world.
Dizzying memories of her going around pinching cats and stray dogs because she believed it was a Comic flashed through her mind.
Anyway, she never expected to hear the words “My Hero” from the Goddess.
Iris’s cheeks turned rosy. Scratching the back of her neck, she asked.
‘Ah… but what should I do now?’
[Whatever you want.]
The Goddess’s last words echoed in her ears, and her vision blurred. Gradually, her mind became clear, and she returned to reality.
At that moment, the rustling sound of the Villains moving brushed past her ears.
Iris rolled her eyes and, understanding the meaning of the Goddess’s words that “the peace of Gyodam City depends on what you do,” she wore a meaningful smile.
After lightly dusting off her hands, she turned around, and the Villains flinched and stepped back.
“Phew, the leader is dealt with… Someone stronger than me, come out. Let’s discuss the peace of Gyodam City right here.”
The Villains kept their heads low and only looked at one another.
After seeing Iris brutally execute the Black Shadow Figure, who had seemed overwhelmingly strong, there was no madman who would step forward.
There was even a Villain who politely folded his hands, fearing he might be caught for making a single careless gesture.
Iris crossed her arms and tapped her foot, letting out a hollow laugh.
“Heh, no one is coming out? Then, as of today, I’m taking over Gyodam City. From now on, there are no criminals or Villains in Gyodam City. Because I’m going to eliminate them the moment I see them. Oh, those who have already committed crimes don’t need to worry about being careful. You’re all going to prison anyway. Understood?”
When Iris glared and made her declaration, the Villains nodded their heads frantically.
Among them, some even knelt down and rubbed their hands together, begging for their lives.
It was the moment peace was forcibly introduced to Gyodam City, which had been a paradise for criminals.
Then, a short Villain pointed behind and shouted.
“Don’t—don’t leave that guy alone either!”
“What? Ah, I forgot about Abellus. You should go up there with the black guy too, right?”
Iris cracked her neck from side to side and then clenched her fists as she approached Abellus.
She had thought about not leaving him alone first, but she had briefly forgotten his existence while dealing with the Evil Spirit.
Abellus, who had flinched while hiding in a corner, took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. Then he poured out a long-winded excuse.
“Ha… I just wanted to become strong. I couldn’t become a Hero chosen by a god like you…”
“You talk too much.”
Iris summoned her Clones. She planned to humiliate Abellus by giving him a beating in front of everyone instead of dealing with him quietly.
At that moment, Abellus bit his lip and pulled out a Teleportation Device from his chest.
Then, before he could be caught, he slipped away and disappeared.
“Ah! You coward!”
To think he would escape the crisis by using a Teleportation Device.
Iris clenched her fists and suppressed her anger before pausing.
This was because she remembered his words about a lab rat vomiting blood and dying while researching the Teleportation Device.
Had he eliminated the side effects of the Teleportation Device in the meantime?
Or had he run away while accepting the side effects?
Regardless, she couldn’t just let him escape so easily.