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  Vol 2 Chapter 32: Aris Apologized

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  Jade, Ten-Star Holy Knight of the Church, serving as the Saintess's Guardian Knight, appointed in the year 505 of the Light dar.

  This is the informatioaining to Jade, which Aris had ced upon when she was still the Saintess.

  At that time, she had not fully uood its implications. However, now, as Arymm, a maion of Aris's inner demon, she prehended all too well.

  The time at which Yverantheia Kallianthi, now Aris, had assumed her position as Saintess cided with when Jade ointed as her Guardian Knight. This, of course, meant that Jade had boro the ‘death’ of the Saintess-- twice.

  Putting together the words Jade had uttered before his untimely end, Arymm sidered that perhaps the person he had not named was...

  "Never mind. The destru of the barrier geor and teleportation array is more urgent."

  Arymm bypassed Jade's lifeless form, casually pung the barrier geor and teleportation array into oblivion.

  She felt an unfortable sensation deep within for reasons unknown.

  "How terribly inve," she muttered.

  Ohe task was plete, Arymm turard Jade's frozen corpse, casting a spell.

  In an instant, white mist enveloped Jade, eng him in a block of ice, transf his form into a statue. It stood as though a transparent coffin, upright and eerily still.

  "Much more pleasing to the eye."

  Though she had no idea why she felt pelled to do so nor uand the dissipating unfortable sensation deep within, Arymm decided not to dwell on it. After all, the matter was far from over.

  Turning her gaze toward a particur dire, Arymm vanished from the chamber.

  ...

  "…The tremors… they’ve stopped?"

  The fmes in the man’s hand flickered and vanished as the shakih him subsided. He paused, puzzled by the sudden halt of the quake.

  "…Wait! This isn’t ahquake zone…!?"

  Suddenly, a heavy blow struck the man’s face, sending him hurtling through the air with force that shattered his bance.

  "Who... are you!?"

  Grimag in pain, the man staggered to his feet, log eyes with the one who had so easily tossed him aside.

  Her figure was slightly smaller than the womaed nearby, Sisi, yet the bck garments she wore had been singed in parts. Her golden hair, streaked with hints of bck, gave her an aura of a divinity tainted by something far darker.

  "…Arymm, Miss?"

  "Arymm?"

  Sisi involuntarily spoke the name of the girl, drawing a fused query from the unaware Marlyno.

  Meanwhile, the man across from them was in a state of shock.

  He kwo individuals had infiltrated this pce disguised- ohe seated Sisi, and the other, the one who had goo deal with the barrier geor and teleportation array.

  By all logic, she should still be searg that hidden chamber or perhaps fag that brokened knight. Yet, why was she here now?

  As this realization dawhe man’s unease grew.

  'Could it be… she defeated that knight? Impossible! He was leagues strohan even I am! …Wait, the tremors earlier…'

  It was the worst-case sario. The stro among them had been taken down, and the teleportation array, their only means of escape, was likely destroyed- along with the barrier.

  'I must escape, immediately. Even if it means abandoning the entire pn.'

  Hastily, the man began to rise, preparing the magic to ceal his presend any other spells that could aid in his flight.

  '...Huh? What’s happening to her?'

  It was only then that he noticed the girl, who had just moments ago been a whirlwind of power, now stood motionless.

  'Could it be... the side effects?'

  Overextending one's power ofteed in sequences: physical exhaustion, shortening of one's lifespan, or even worse. The girl now seemed to have drained herself, as if her body could no longer fun following such a dispy of power.

  'Ah… so that’s it… I k was impossible for her to simply defeat that knight!'

  The knight’s strength was at the ninth level, a realm few humans ever approached, and especially not in such a remote pce. Even with great cost, it was doubtful one could defeat a warrior of that caliber.

  'This is it… advantage is mine!'

  With that thought in mind, the man dropped his escape spells and turo unch a deadly offensive.

  "It seems the temporary power you gained has already worn off. Your life is but a flicker in the wind!"

  Above him, the fmes surged once again, growing hotter and rger, surpassing even the destructive power of Marlyno’s previous strike.

  "Since you’ve sin that knight, I shall see you off. Those two iher realm shall be dealt with in due course..."

  Fzzzz.

  A mog sound, almost like a ugh, echoed through the air. The man’s eyes darted towards the girl, yet her face remained unreadable.

  "Not her… who’s ughing?"

  Frantically, the man sed the room. As he looked up, his heart nearly stopped- his magic had vanished without a trace.

  "What’s happening!?"

  Panic set in as he cast another spell, only for it to dissipate once more.

  "What have you… done!?"

  He gred at the girl, but this time, as his eyes met her expressionless face, a wave of profouion engulfed him.

  For reasons he could not prehend, he saw nothing but an endless expanse of blood and flesh. A torrent of vengeful thoughts seemed poised to tear apart the world. But among it all, there was something even more terrifying: the overwhelming force that ruled over all.

  Merely looking at her felt like his very spirit was being twisted at will, his psyche threatened with utter fragmentation.

  At that moment, even as he wished to turn away, tet what he had witnessed, he found himself incapable of trolling his body or thoughts.

  ‘This is inprehensible. I should not, must not uand,’ he repeated in his mind, but the more he thought, the deeper the spiral of fusion and torment became, twisting ever tighter, a never-ending cycle of despair.

  "...Enough, Aris!"

  From the ceiling, or rather, the surface above her, bck butterflies and Farkonia dropped dowraining the girl.

  ures like Farkonia and Elyssa arrived, some to subdue the girl, others to attend to Sisi and Marlyno.

  "...What’s going on?"

  "Do you eveo ask? Look around."

  Farkonia gestured toward the surroundings. Marlyno and Sisi wore expressions of agony. Meanwhile, the man on the opposite side had blood p from his seven orifices, his eyes rolled back, and his entire body twisted in ways that defied description.

  "Holy, Arymm, your inner demon was more thoughtful ale than you."

  Farkonia spoke, gazing at the still expressionless girl, muttering in mild reproach.

  The girl, now reverted back to Aris, had only just emerged from her transformation moments prior.

  "...Apologies?"

  Aris tilted her head slightly, an apology to those present.

  "Oh, no need for apologies. We should be thanking you. Thanks to Arymm… or rather, to you, we are safe," Sisi said, her voice slightly dazed.

  Marlyno, her head spinning, could only blink in fusion.

  "…Well, if they aren’t upset, I suppose I shouldn’t say anything."

  Farkonia and Misako exged exasperated g Aris.

  "So, how’s your sleep, sis?"

  Suddenly, Veridith rushed into the room and asked Aris.

  "…I’m not sure, but it seems fine."

  "That’s wonderful!"

  The excited sound of Veridith and the small cloth atop her head seemed to vey delight.

  Meanwhile, Mira gred at Marlyno with displeasure, while Elyssa and Diana, standing nearby, wore expressions tinged with reproach.

  "We should head baow."