Chapter 71: Chapter 260

✠

I wasn't exactly lying to Inferinos.

⟬«System» Upgrade subscription service [Violence Mitigation Filter] to premium subscription. The Premium Violence Mitigation Filter allows the transmigrator to remain calm in even more extreme situations.⟭

⟬«System» Your previous 99,000 cash / month subscription will be canceled, and you will be charged 199,000 cash / month for the new premium subscription. Switch to premium? (Yes / No)⟭

I made use of the pay-to-win system to safeguard my mind. Then I received the blessing of my God.

⟬«System» [The Voice that Shapes the World] expends plausibility and divinity to give you a blessing. Applying [Greater Love of the Voice that Shapes the Voice that Shapes the World].⟭

⟬«Status» [Greater Love of the Voice that Shapes the Voice that Shapes the World] The first apostle of Voiceism shall not be left vulnerable to Voice skills. Gain 200% resistance against Voice skills.⟭

And the support from the stands boosted my morale.

⟬«System» [Primordial Chaos] actively cheers you on from your stands. Skill resistance greatly increased.⟭

⟬«System» [Tesilid Argente] neglects the duty to cheer for your opponent. [Demon Lord Inferinos]'s skill effect slightly decreased.⟭

So, I figured it wouldn't be a stretch to tell the Demon Lord the three changes resulted in the improvement of my willpower. But despite all the extra help, my sheer willpower remained the key to regaining control of my body, which was something I had in abundance—I was desperate to survive and fight back.

If I die, Tesilid will get killed as well. I knew he would have activated the Defend Partner skill by now and would gladly risk his head in exchange for mine. The very thought of that promptly snapped me out of the Demon Lord's trance.

Inferinos and I faced each other with about a dozen steps between us. I took my stance and switched my grip on Liv Lily as the light of my aura rose from the lowered blade. This was my first time activating Divine Advent after becoming a Tier 9 divine power user and aura master, and I noticed my aura had changed. It was the same clear divine aura only Tesilid could use. That's when I realized I had a fighting chance.

I can win this fight.

⟬«Skill» Ultimate Skill [The Force of a Queen] activated.⟭

Boom!

I transferred the force down to my legs and kicked off the ground. A crater formed where I had been standing and provided my legs with explosive speed.

Inferinos outstretched her hand in haste when she saw me approaching. "By my command, kneel!"

"It won't work. I already paid to win."

Inferinos' Voice skill could no longer seize control of my body. I darted in a straight line toward my target and activated multiple skills, placing the armor of Divine Inviolability around me while singing hymns requesting the blessings of God.

It's time to bring my tools into action.

⟬«System» Ultimate Skill [Blooming Sword] activated.⟭

Dozens of aura blades formed in the air. The fierce swords of light fanned out around me in a glorious bloom. I ran forward with my battalion of swords behind me as Inferinos spread her blue gold strands out to push me back. Numerous hair strands fiercely slithered their way toward me like a pit of hungry snakes, but my aura blades forced them to change course.

I was now five steps away. Inferinos did not like fighting in close range, so she made it extremely difficult to get any closer than that. I asked God for foresight in battle and activated a skill that would help me break through the demon's defense.

⟬«System» Transcendent Skill [A Second of Foresight] activated.⟭

⟬«System» Ultimate Skill [Rule of Might] activated.⟭

"Ugh!"

I fought through her defense and continued onward. I was making progress. Four steps... Three steps left...

"Inferinos!"

My foe did not answer. I shouted out my enemy's true name like it was a battle cry of sorts and took another step forward. I was finally two steps away. Inferinos was now within the range of my attack. I could already feel my blood pumping wildly after the dozen or so of skills I had activated, but I chose to add yet another one to the list. This was going to be the final one.

⟬«System» Ultimate Skill [Supreme Martial Arts] activated.⟭

I was immediately equipped with the ultimate understanding of martial arts that allowed me to make the most graceful movements without any effort. I kept switching between the scythe and the blade of Liv Lily as I moved in and out of my enemy's reach.

Likewise, Inferinos thrashed her hair with incredible force to push me away or reel me in at times. The coliseum had turned into a ballroom, where the queen and her challenger joined each other in a dance for the throne.

"How preposterous!"

Inferinos shouted in disgust, but her red eyes were filled with ecstasy, even though her body was starting to get covered in wounds. We both knew the tide of battle was gradually turning against her.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World reminds you that you don't have much time left.⟭

My battle with Inferinos blasted bright lights of destruction all around us, but our gazes somehow managed to meet amidst the scorching flashes. Both of us must have felt something in that moment because we briefly halted to change our fighting stance.

Inferinos drew a big gulp of air and sucked in all the demonic energy around us. The concentrated demonic energy within her then exploded in a blast that sent tremors through the ground and the air. The demon's blue gold hair fanned out ferociously as if it would cover the entire world and lunged toward me in an attempt to swallow me whole. It felt like watching a flower bloom and wind itself back into a bud.

I continued moving toward my target and pointed Liv Lily's vertical shaft forward, making its sharp tip glare against Inferinos. I gathered a force powerful enough to level mountains and evaporate entire lakes into its tip. I thrust Liv Lily forward and sent gusts of wind that formed what looked like multiple sets of wings on my back. When the petals of the blue carnivorous flower finally closed in on me, I slammed my enemy with the force of a battering ram.

"Inferinos!"

The Demon Lord barely had time to gasp.

Boom!

A streak of light pierced through Inferinos. It ripped her powerful demonic energy, crushed her mighty prowess, and shattered her sinful body in the end. I clearly felt the weapon stab through my foe this time. A circular shock wave traveled out of the medium and blasted the coliseum into pieces.

The eruption was so powerful that it made my legs skid back, even though they had been reinforced to keep completely rooted on the ground. The blinding light eventually subsided, and my vision was finally restored enough to see the particles of light flicker in the air like fireflies. I could see my enemy right in front of me. But she was silent. Liv Lily had pierced right through Inferinos, and she was slowly crumbling down.

"Ailette Rodeline."

The demon spoke in her usual voice again.

"I acknowledge your power."

I didn't get to say anything back. A gust of wind on the battlefield rattled her fractured body and swept its particles away like dust. It was a dignified death worthy of a queen.

⟬«System» [Battle for the Throne] has ended.⟭

⟬«System» The victor [Ailette Rodeline] consumes [Demon Lord Inferinos]'s powers.⟭

⟬«System» Acquired [Demon Lord's Command], a new dark stigma. The Holy Scythe converts the dark stigma into a stigma, turning [Demon Lord's Command] into [Royal Command].⟭

My body was burning up. It felt as if I was the one who had exhaled all those sparks of flames in the air. I stood in the middle of the battlefield and waited for my pounding heart to settle.

✠

The troops were lost for words once the battle ended. The Divine Emissary displayed a tremendous show of force. She was in a class of her own, and it seemed as if God had directly manifested in her. The vanguard of the end of times defeated the Demon Lord and had emerged victorious. Her sparkling silver hair fluttered in the air like a victory flag, making everyone stand still in wonder.

"Her Eminence..."

"S-she did it. She vanquished the Demon Lord!"

"We're saved! She saved us!"

"Her Eminence has won! We're victorious!"

Jubilant cheers erupted and filled the air. The joy of victory also led to the praise and evangelism of the god who brought her into this world. Voiceism was sure to gain more followers once again.

"Allie..." Tesilid whispered silently in his VIP seat. He smiled in relief and closed his eyes.

The Holy Demon Sword slowly drifted down to the floor. It had managed to retain the impressive colors of its white blade and blue square gem. Tesilid was ready to turn evil for the sake of safeguarding his reason for goodness, but it hadn't come to that point. He hadn't been forced to conjure the demonic sword.

Ailette Rodeline never failed to impress him. She was fully capable of achieving whatever she had set her mind to, which was starkly different from how he had been in the past. She never acted like him, who used to despair about his lack of power and how the seemingly good choices he made always led to the worst outcome.

She won't be corrupted by darkness as I was. She will remain good until the end. He felt as though staying by her side consoled him from all the unsuccessful timelines he went through as a benevolent man. That's why he hoped to see her save the world in her own way.

It made him return to his benevolent self, who used to long for salvation of the world and want to become someone worthy of her no matter what kind of suffering it entailed. That's what the repentant sinner hoped for. But it also made him forget how his God always responded to his wishes in the cruelest way possible. There was no exception to their vicious consistency.

"Ugh!" Ailette let out a groan and suddenly bent over in the middle of the battlefield.

"Allie?" Tesilid's voice trembled. His eyes wavered as he watched her. He tried to get up, but the spectator seat still held him down for some reason, even though the battle was over.

It seemed to be saying the battle wasn't finished yet. Perhaps this was only the beginning. Unable to shake off the ominous feeling creeping in, Tesilid's ocean-blue eyes wavered in confusion.