Chapter 238
Swish!
An Aura Blade flew furiously towards Cavalensha. Tesillid had fired it.
“Cough…!”
Cavalensha’s body bent backward from the ruthless piercing power. The struggling convulsions quickly quieted down.
[
Cavalensha died. However, the activation of the self-destruct mechanism was a separate matter.
I hadn’t just stood by while Tesillid finished off the boss. I did what I could.
The light of the explosion engulfed my vision. I squeezed my eyes shut to protect my retina, which might have burned, and shouted.
“Bulwark of Mercury!”
A Silver Citadel formed a circle around Tesillid and me. An absolute safe zone protected us.
With a thunderous roar, the explosion swept through the entire theater. The Silver Citadel naturally withstood the impact.
After the explosion, collapse awaited. The ceiling and walls burst open, and the building began to crumble.
Boom! Bang! Crash!
Broken structures fell, mercilessly battering the barrier.
Though no physical impact was felt, the dull resonance seemed to weigh us down.
The Silver Citadel was quickly buried.
After quite some time had passed.
“…”
“…”
Finally, silence descended.
“Is it over…?”
“It seems so, Ail.”
A low voice echoed close to my ear.
I looked up and found Tesillid’s face right before me.
I just realized that Tesillid must have been holding me tightly while the building was collapsing.
“…”
“…”
We took another moment to gaze deeply into each other’s eyes.
I almost got sucked into his ocean-colored eyes but managed to regain my composure.
“S-shall we go out?”
“…Yes, Ail.”
As I withdrew the barrier, I released my aura as if it were bursting forth.
Thud!
The debris piled on top of the barrier was instantly blown away.
As the gray dust that had been swirling in my vision settled, the miserable state of the building was revealed.
The antique opera house was reduced to mere skeletal remains, looking like a rusted birdcage at first glance.
“Which way was the stage again?”
“That way.”
Cavalensha, whom Tesillid had finished off with the final blow, had already turned to ash and vanished.
Only loot remained where she had been. I meticulously gathered it.
Unfortunately, there was nothing particularly useful.
[
One of Cavalensha’s cherished dresses. She saved it for invited performances at the Demon King’s Castle.
Its design directly appeals to demon tastes, so wearing it can gain favor with demons.]
One was a rather revealing outfit.
[
Cavalensha is famous for losing control and massacring audiences when she gets carried away while singing.
This hard candy is what she secretly eats every time she goes on stage to erase her notoriety. Taking it when in a frenzy can temporarily restore her sanity.
Note: It is addictive and has side effects, so caution should be exercised when taking it.]
And a bottle’s worth of a strange medicine also came out.
“Well, I should probably keep it just in case, right?”
“Then I’ll put it in the sub-space storage, Ail.”
Tesillid carefully placed the dress and candy into the Inventory.
Meanwhile, I poked around, wondering if there was any loot blown away by the explosion or hidden in the debris.
Soon, realizing it was unnecessary, I let out a soft sigh.
“Looks like there’s nothing else.”
Since the looting was done, there was nothing left to do in the dungeon. In that case.
“Then now…”
I was about to turn to Tesillid and say, ‘Let’s go out.’
However, an unexpected situation stopped both my words and actions.
“…Ail.”
Two firm arms reached out from behind and gently wrapped around me.
“…”
“…”
Warmth pressed against my back. It was a hug from behind.
<Oh, um, I need to go to the Hall of Saints for a bit! I’ll be playing with Saint Lucretia!>
A brief breeze swirled around my necklace and then vanished.
Impolite as it was, neither Tesillid nor I could say goodbye.
After a long while of standing there, hugging each other from behind.
Breaking the silence was a pleasant, low voice.
“I’ll open the exit, a little later.”
“…”
“For now… just stay like this.”
“…”
“Stay with me.”
“…”-After it’s all over, stay with me.
Could there be any doubt?
All around us was rubble. It wasn’t exactly an atmospheric place, but if he was by my side, I didn’t care.
After a long time in his embrace, I opened my mouth, speaking softly like a whisper.
“I… I want to see your face. Will you show it to me…?”
“…”
At my words, Tesillid slowly released his arms. I turned around to face him.
I liked the ocean-like color of his two eyes gazing deeply into mine.
I liked the graceful curve of his lips, silently parting as if he had something to say.
I felt like I wouldn’t get tired of looking at him all day.
Perhaps I wasn’t the only one having such idle thoughts.
Tesillid, too, seemed to have forgotten the passage of time, holding me in his gaze.
His lips had ceased moving, as if he had forgotten what he was about to say. It seemed as though in this moment, all his attention was focused solely on me.
In that case, I suppose I can speak first.
“There was a lot I wanted to tell you when we met again.”
“…”
He didn’t ask what I meant.
Of course. There would be no need to ask.
Leviathan’s attack. The genre deviation that caused a sudden Dungeon Burst.
Tesillid would know what implications this series of events held.
I could be sure. The piles of gold coins he had earned from the Pleasure’s Dark Auction House were proof.
So, the story I was about to tell him, he probably already knew it all.
A story we both already knew, without needing to spell it out.
Perhaps even a bit unoriginal.
Such a story.
In the silence, his Adam’s apple bobbed once. Showing his tension, his gaze seemed deeper than before.
I put on the brightest smile I could muster and opened my mouth.
“I like you.”
“…”
“Very much.”
“…”
A unique shimmer rippled across his ocean-colored eyes. It was a sight beautiful enough to be enchanting.
✠The deep ocean and fresh-green met. The moment of possessing each other’s gaze continued as if it would last forever.
Tesillid was looking at Aillet with a half-entranced expression.
His eyes, filled with attachment and affection, sparkle like spring.
It felt as if he had endured thousands of winters for this moment.
It felt as if emotions remained in his worn soul for this moment.
Solely for this moment.
To meet you in this moment.
The grueling path that had only been penance, struggle, and desperation.
Crawling on two arms, dragging a body like a burden.
It felt as if he had come all this way.
Could he have ever dared to imagine such a moment would come in his life? It was wondrous that life held a reward greater than death.
The salvation he ceaselessly coveted, this moment where she desired him, was ecstatic.
To the extent that this world, which had been terrible like a monster, now seemed beautiful.
“Terri, and you?”
“…”
A voice with clear pronunciation and a pure resonance, strong enough to instantly catch his ear even from a distance.
That woke him from his reverie.
Aillet Rodelain, who had stolen the initiative in confessing, now urged for his answer with a slightly flushed face.
Tesillid let out a small chuckle. Somehow, he felt like he had won.
“…Don’t just laugh.”
The word ‘like’ was too light.
Tesillid Argent’s feelings could not be measured by such a simple word.
If he were to voice this emotion, the scales would tip.
Perhaps she might feel burdened.
…But he couldn’t help it.
“Terri…?”
Tesillid’s large right hand cupped Aillet’s left cheek.
Though the touch was gentle, the contact felt strangely hot as warm skin met warm skin.
Maintaining eye contact, he slowly leaned in towards her.
Aillet’s eyes, which had widened momentarily in surprise, quickly returned to their original size.
Though tension could be read in her subsequent soft breaths, she showed no intention of avoiding him.
Indeed, it was nothing new. She had always allowed herself to him.
The man’s well-formed, curved lips finally parted.
“More than just liking you…”
Tesillid tilted his head slightly. To prevent their noses from bumping.
The confession brushed past her ear, and their breaths gently mingled.
Words were swallowed, and silence settled around them.
Quite a long time passed like that.
Whoosh.
Before they knew it, a slow vortex swirled in the air, creating an exit.
The two, separating with slightly quickened breaths, silently faced each other, exchanging smiles. Then they looked back at the exit.
The retreating figures of the man and woman, walking unhurriedly out of the gate from the crumbling space.
Their tightly clasped hands seemed to show their trust in each other.
✠Pan-El, the capital of the Elfenheim Holy Theocracy.
The Pontifical Palace was still being protected by the Holy Ground Construction artifact deployed by Muriel.
Even amidst the catastrophe of a 10,000-strong demon army pouring out, only the fortified Pontifical Palace remained safe.
It was no different from an ark where humanity’s descendants boarded and survived the catastrophe of a great flood.
Some believers superimposed themselves onto biblical figures, deeming themselves chosen by God.
It was rationalization.
Thinking that way diluted the guilt they felt about the 30% of the city’s population abandoned outside.
Looking at the results, the Pontifical Palace’s strategy was not wrong.
The plan to hold out within the fortress and await aid from other nations was proceeding smoothly.
As evidence, the situation outside had been unusual for about an hour now.
Human screams were replaced by demonic roars, and the thunderous sounds of destruction erupted everywhere.
It was undoubtedly the sound of combat.
Occasionally, the excited shouts of the theocracy’s citizens could also be heard.
Listening carefully, it was the sound of them cheering for Duke Hispenril and Marquise Lekandro.
Then, at some point, the noise from outside no longer seeped into the Pontifical Palace.
“How come it’s… quiet outside…?”
“I-is it over?”
The cardinals who had come out into the central courtyard sought each other’s opinions.
Someone stepped forward and ignited hope.
“I-it seems to be over!”
“Oh, ohh!”
Just then, the hemispherical barrier encircling the Pontifical Palace lifted.
Muriel, in the Grand Chapel, had withdrawn the Holy Ground Construction.
It was clear that the personnel inside also judged the situation to be over.
There were no Demon Realm Moons in the sky that was revealed again. The demonic night receded, and the normal night of reality unfolded before their eyes.
It was a time when the survivors shed tears of joy. The main gate of the Pontifical Palace opened, and two figures appeared majestically.
The two figures, exuding the intimidating aura of continental powerhouses, were none other than Duke Hispenril and Marquise Lekandro.