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  1470 AD

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  ? LUCIA POV ?

  Alaric's body struck the ground at the center of the city with a crushing thud.

  The sound tore through Lucia's chest.

  As she understood what happened the grim realization struck her. She screamed,

  "Alaric!"

  Leaving Duke Thorne behind without a glance, she ran like her life depended on it. When she reached him , her breath stopped.

  There was a hole in his stomach.

  Blood soaked his clothes. His eyes were half open yet unfocused.

  "No… no…"

  Her hands pressed against his body. Light surged from her palms. She poured mana into him without restraint.

  Come on! Please, You always stand back up. You promised me.

  The light flickered but the wound just wouldn't close.

  Deep inside she understood the truth. The damage was beyond her reach.

  · · ─────── ·??· ─────── · ·

  Suddenly a heavy thud echoed behind her.

  Lucia turned.

  A figure stood amidst the broken plaza. His presence bent the atmosphere itself. Beside him space tore open like cloth and Lancaster stepped through.

  The man's crimson eyes settled on her and spoke with calm disdain. "So she is the vessel?"

  Lancaster nodded. "Yes my lord. We should end this problem once and for all."

  Lucia's mind went blank.

  Her grief twisted into fury. She raised her hand and screamed the incantation.

  [Creo Lux: Spears of Judgement.]

  Light gathered above her. Dozens of luminous spears formed in the sky. They multiplied until the sky itself seemed armed. With a cry she thrust her hand forward—

  Lancaster reacted instantly. He leapt aside in a desperate retreat. Even he would not attempt to block such density.

  But the other one walked….

  Asteroth moved through the storm with minimal motion. A tilt of the head. A slight shift of the shoulder. Each spear missed by the smallest margin. Explosions erupted around him yet his expression did not change.

  He was closing in….

  · · ─────── ·??· ─────── · ·

  "Don't you dare touch my daughter!"

  The shout tore through the chaos.

  Duke Thorne rushed forward.

  She had never seen such ferocity on his face. Lucia's breath caught. He had collapsed earlier from Asteroth's aura alone. His body had not fully recovered. Blood still stained his armor.

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  Yet he did not hesitate.

  His sword descended with full force.

  Asteroth sidestepped and struck him with the back of his hand.

  Thorne's body flew into a wall with a loud sound.

  Yet he rose.

  Blood covered him. His stance wavered. Yet he ran again.

  Again he was thrown aside.

  Again he stood.

  Again and again and again……..

  Lucia felt something breaking inside her.

  Father… stop…

  "What a persistent bastard," Asteroth muttered with faint irritation.

  The exchange repeated until the demon lord sighed. "Enough."

  He caught Thorne's sword mid swing. With a flick of his wrist he tore it from the duke's grasp and sent him crashing to the ground. Then he drove the blade straight into Thorne's stomach.

  "Finally. This annoyance ends."

  Thorne's body sagged as he lifted his head with everything he got.

  And he laughed…..

  No sound came out. His lungs were failing. Yet the curve of his lips was unmistakable.

  · · ─────── ·??· ─────── · ·

  Asteroth felt a chill as he turned.

  Lucia was glowing.

  Brilliant light enveloped her body with something deep and ancient. She was finishing a chant he knew far too well.

  Asteroth's eyes widened. "No way."

  He lunged toward her.

  Lucia opened her eyes. They shone like stars.

  "Sacred Descent."

  A wave of power erupted outward. It was not mana but authority. Asteroth halted mid step as if space itself rejected him.

  Understanding struck him. Thorne had not fought to win but to buy time.

  · · ─────── ·??· ─────── · ·

  ?? ASTEROTH POV ??

  Damn it.

  He was a demon lord. Goddesses were not myths to him. He had seen what they could do.

  The saintess before him now radiated white brilliance. The girl before him was no longer merely a girl.

  Radiant white light surrounded her. Her gaze held neither fear nor hatred. Only judgment.

  "Did you cause all of this?"

  Her voice was calm.

  "And what if I did?" he replied.

  She did not answer. She walked past him toward Thorne.

  Opportunity!

  Asteroth seized the chance. She cannot fully incarnate. A mortal vessel cannot contain a goddess. He rushed forward intending to kill her in a single strike.

  But instead he crashed into an invisible wall.

  Her finger pointed at Thorne.

  [Hope's Will. Reinitiate.]

  White light engulfed the duke. The wound vanished.

  Asteroth watched closely.

  This was not healing. It was a reversal of state.

  Damn the gods and their dominion over concepts.

  "Hope? Goddess Elyss is it?" he asked.

  The woman turned slowly. Disgust filled her gaze.

  "Do not utter my name you filth."

  The nerve.

  "Huh. Acting mighty when you are about to die. That vessel is mortal. You cannot display even a fragment of your true power. All that struggle only to fail again." He laughed.

  "I do not have to," she replied calmly. "Even if this body perishes from strain I will kill you should you attempt anything foolish."

  Her tone did not rise.

  "That threat alone is enough. You know I do not lie."

  His laughter died in his throat.

  She was right.

  Goddesses did many cruel things. Lying was not among them.

  Silence stretched between them.

  "Very well," he said at last. "I will retreat. For now. When our god returns even the heavens will bow."

  She did not respond.

  Lancaster had collapsed unconscious from her presence.

  A tear opened in space. As Asteroth stepped into it he lifted Lancaster with one hand.

  "I will take this one."

  The rift closed.

  · · ─────── ·??· ─────── · ·

  ? ELYSS POV ?

  Silence returned to the ruined city.

  That bluff worked.

  Elyss exhaled softly.

  She was a conceptual entity. Incarnating her full existence inside Lucia would destroy the girl's soul. Even now this was only an astral projection layered over Lucia's body. Filling Lucia with enough Arcana to slay a demon lord would erase her essence.

  If Asteroth had pressed further he would have won. She would not die. Yet Lucia would.

  That was unacceptable.

  Her gaze shifted across the ruined plaza.

  Alaric.

  Her perception pierced beyond flesh.

  He is dead.

  She saw clearly. The soul had separated. It hovered faintly above the corpse. Given time it would disperse into the world.

  Reinitiate would restore only flesh. Resurrection would fail if the soul vanished entirely.

  She narrowed her eyes.

  "Hm?"

  The soul had not drifted far. It was still clinging.

  Ah.

  A memory surfaced.

  Alaric's vessel housed two entities functioning as one. The secondary presence was sacrificing itself to anchor the primary soul.

  How interesting. Even in death he struggles.

  A faint flicker of approval stirred within her.

  She extended her hand.

  [Hope's Will. Resurrect.]

  Light descended upon Alaric's body.

  She examined the soul carefully.

  The soul remained fragile. Nearly sixty percent had already dissipated.

  The missing fragments would not return.

  Without them consequences were inevitable. Memory loss perhaps. A shortened lifespan. A decline in power.

  Whatever the cost.

  She would not let Lucia watch his body grow cold.

  White radiance engulfed Alaric completely as she held her breath….

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  End of Chapter

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