The only sound I could hear was the strange and unsettling shrieks of demons as I killed them. Any human survivors were most likely hiding away in the basement in silence, praying for the nightmare to end. I didn't slow down as I looked up and glanced at the Dark Tower that was standing tall quite a distance from me.
The toxic fog from the dungeon was creeping into the building where the walls had been destroyed, which was a clear sign that the towerâthe symbol of the Republic of Magic and the center of its most important organizationâwas also under attack. It was a stark reminder of how a large city with hundreds of thousands of citizens was on the verge of falling to demonic forces.
«Ailette.»
My necklace vibrated with a voice that was deeper than usual.
"Yes, Agnes."
«How many survivors were there in the future you know?»
"Less than ten thousand."
«...»
Her shock was communicated in her silence. I didn't elaborate, but if this Loop had been following the original plot from Loop Seventeen, then the situation in Gehenid would be reflected in all other capital cities. If Gehenid were completely destroyed, if Feronsa hadn't defended itself, if Tesilid hadn't subjugated the dungeon burst at Vilhelon, and if Fanel hadn't owned the Sacred Place Establishment, then the number of casualties would have been far higherâinstead of a few hundred thousand, we would have lost millions.
"Reed..."
I tried to mentally calculate the toll of his crimes. It was difficult because it felt like a gust of chilly air had just blown through my chest. That was when an explosion snapped me out of my thoughts.
Boom! Bang!
I could see Moriphys' balls of fire surge into the sky on my far left. Although I had no desire to compete with his display, I also gave a lightning performance so that the demons could hear it and gather around me.
Crackle!
Thunder and lightning bolts bloomed around me, starting from the center and spreading out further and further as a wave of electricity crashed down from the sky. The incredible firepower melted the demons away and tore through the surface of the ground. I could see darkness creeping in from my peripheral vision as the demons detected the commotion and marched in my direction.
I was surrounded by evil red eyes that glistened as they stared at me, when a few of them decided to make the first move. Five figures from the army that looked like an ocean of shadows emerged from the crowdâthey were none other than the Grim Reapers, massive skeletons that only existed from the waist up with the scythes of death in their hands.
I quickly scanned the enemies as I infused my seven aura blades with the power of the divine light.
"I'll make this quick."
The materialized aura blades danced in a spiral motion as they cut through the enemies, painting the area with white light and blue sparks. The Grim Reaper Lords were hacked and shredded by the seven flying swords, crumbling away, one by one. After instantly destroying five of them, I expanded the reach of my aura blades. With a greater area for them to roam around, the flying swords began cleaving through the massive, dark mass of enemies. Each of the aura blades flew in zigzag motion as they swiftly carved a path, extinguishing the red eyes that stared at me from the darkness.
Wheeze!
Clank!
Clatter!
The slaughter continued as I leisurely walked through the path created by my blades.
â¬The Critic for Balance isn't pleased with how uneven the playing field is in this fight.â
â¬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering likes your total dominance over your enemies.â
â¬The Voice that Shapes the World likes you in general.â
Feeling encouraged by the gods' reaction, I raised my hand to speed up the process.
"Holy Purge."
My index finger drew a horizontal line along the horizon, and the demons touched by this invisible barrier shrieked like their souls were being torn to pieces. The aura blades that had completed their hunt swooshed back and gathered behind me again, for all the red eyes had been extinguished
«You've cleared the path well.»
"I did improve the look of the environment here quite a bit. Now, I'm going to head north."
I had just turned a corner and stepped into a small alley when I heard a scream.
"Ahhh! A human female! Die!"
A crowd of bats that were hiding attacked me, but their attempts were completely useless.
"Blue Flames of Sanctity."
The low-grade vampires that couldn't even take a human form instantly became a pile of dust.
"Ahhh!"
One that luckily managed to survive flapped its burning wing and attempted to fly away, but I had no intention of letting it escape.
Crush.
An aura blade penetrated the bat and wedged itself into a nearby wall, painting the bricks red in an instant. It was a dark red hue that was different from the typical blood of the Demon Realm, which was proof of how much human blood this bat had consumed.
Silence fell upon the alley, but I didn't move. Instead, I stood still and murmured, "Agnes. Is it just me? I sense another one lurking around here."
«No, it's not just you.»
Before she finished her sentence, my heightened senses had already detected the presence of the enemy.
"Come out!" I shouted as I did a quick pivot and shot my aura blades.
Boom! Bang!
The seven aura blades burst against an unseen force in the empty air and vanished, the explosion creating a cloud of dust that blurred my vision.
Not bad. An unexpected character had appeared, but I remained calm and drew Serpens. The moment I raised the sharp edge of the blade to the enemy's neck, they spoke.
"Allie."
I froze.
â¬The Scale that Judges Souls gasps.â
No way. I widened my eyes as much as possible and stared out in front of me. It took what seemed like forever for the shadow inside the dusty cloud to take form and display any color, during which time the pleasant ring of a deep voice touched my ears and heart.
"It's me, Allie."
The dusty veil finally cleared to reveal the face of a handsome man, more gorgeous than a holy piece of art.
"Oh..."
His silver hair was longer than when I saw him last as his eyes peered from beneath his bangs into my own, his lips wearing an affectionate smile. The matching rosary ring that was shining on his left hand further confirmed his identity.
Tesilid.
It was Tesilid Argente.
"..."
"..."
I felt like my brain had shut down as I blankly stared at him, unable to react. There were so many things I wanted to say when we met again, but I couldn't come up with a single coherent sentence. It was as if my brain was completely empty. My heart wavered so violently that I couldn't form words. I remained frozen as I stared at him, when I suddenly realized somethingâthat I was blocking him from approaching me.
I quickly took Serpens away from his neck and murmured, "I..." I wanted to say, "I'm sorry," but I couldn't finish the sentence.
Now that he was free to approach, he instantly bridged the gap between us. More than I expected him to. I felt his arms wrap tightly around my shoulders and back as the loud beating of his heart vibrated through my cheek and ear that was pressed against his chest. Silence persisted again, the sound of our panting breath muffled beneath the din of demons screaming in the distance, growing closer.
Boom!
Clatter, clatter.
The demons that heard the explosion were gathering around us. I knew I had to fight them, but I couldn't bring myself to let go. I felt Tesilid's hug tighten as if he wanted to capture all of me in his arms, which caused my heart rate to jump.
That was when he murmured, "I know it's urgent, but..."
"..."
"Just five more minutes."
"..."
"No, even just a minute."
"..."
I listened to his sincere plea and thought that I wouldn't mind if this moment was the end of the world.
Clunk.
My right hand helplessly dropped Serpens as I raised my arms and hugged him back. Only then could I speak.
"Tez, Tez..."
I missed you, I'm so glad you're safe.
I captured all of these emotions and delivered them in the form of his name. I couldn't tell how long we stayed like this, but Tesilid dropped his arms first. The complete lack of space between us began to fill with air when he stepped back, his eyes meeting mine just half a step away. He took a long, slow breath as if to calm himself down. Then... he closed his eyes.
The charming furrow between his eyebrows slowly melted away as he turned back into the proper holy knight that he was known to be. Then, quite suddenly, he began leaning his face toward mine.
"Tez?"
Soon, I felt a gentle bump against my brow as he spoke with our foreheads touching.
"Be with me."
"..."
"Be with me when this is all over."
"..."
I embraced the possibility of my heart jumping out of my throat and opened my mouth to reply.
"I will."
I opened my eyes after exchanging our promise and forgot how to blink again as we stared at each other.
«Seriously, guys, it's been ten minutes of this.»
"..."
"..."
Tesilid and I quickly hopped away from each other. While I looked to the side in shame, Tesilid cleared his throat uncomfortably and remarked,
"It's been a while, Saintess Agnes."
«It has. I'm happy to see you again, and congratulations, both of you.»
"Ahem."
"Um..."