“————With this, all defenses have been breached.”
Ignoring the blast of wind that exploded nearby, Nel stood calmly, gazing at the radiant shards of the shattered sanctum barrier.
If the full force of her Ram Attack, “Avenger,” had failed to reach the sanctum barrier protecting the palace, Nel was employed as another means to break the barrier.
In this operation, Nel was not leading the medical division as a chief medical officer, but participating as a battle priestess seated at Fourth Rank of “Anti-Cross.”
Therefore, her attire was not the pure white priest robe symbolizing healing, but a traditional red and white hakama.
Exerting her power that could even shatter dimensional magic without reserve, Nel successfully executed “Sanctum Break” for the second time.
“Although I have achieved my objective, the fact that I couldn’t breach it in a single blow shows that I am still inexperienced.”
The “Sanctum Break” she had just unleashed was at maximum potency, having received every possible enhancement from the magician squad of Shangri-La and with meticulous force accumulation prior to the attack.
Even so, it wasn’t instantly obliterated because it was a sanctum barrier of strength surpassing that of Avalon Royal Castle, both in the skill and number of its casters. However, if she could shake the barrier even slightly, a subsequent attack could push through.
Nel was set to fire the main cannon immediately after unleashing “Sanctum Break,” faster than the barrier could be restored.
The cannonball meant for breaking barriers, focusing more on penetration than explosive power, dealt the final blow to the sanctum barrier that had been shaking near collapse, causing all barriers protecting the floating fortress to vanish.
“All that’s left is to take the apostle’s head ————”
As Nel took a step forward, ready to infiltrate the enemy’s stronghold, innumerable arrows of light fell upon her in that moment.
It wasn’t just a counterattack from a magician squad, as the brilliance and sharpness of the light arrows, coupled with the murderous intent behind them, immediately alerted her. It was a powerful light magic attack, as if released by Lily.
“Ha.”
With a sharp exhale, Nel’s arms flashed.
Though not fitting for a pure and lovely princess, the gauntlets made from the shell of a white dragon, “Sky Dragon’s Hands: ‘Aoten’ ‘Konyaku,'” easily deflected the raining attack magic.
The scarlet gem set in her right hand, “Konyaku,” delicately diverted the trajectory of the light arrows with its gifted ability of “Reflection.”
Her left hand’s “Aoten,” shimmering with pale blue, swiftly absorbed the decisive blow aimed at a vital point.
The rain of shining arrows aimed to close off all dodging opportunities, yet for Nel, it was merely manageable without moving a step.
“It’s useless. Attacks of that level won’t ————”
Boom!!
A blinding white light erupted with a fierce explosion. If piercing arrows wouldn’t reach her, then they would consume her with an all-encompassing fiery explosion, unleashing a barrage of area-of-effect light magic. The open deck, where Nel stood without cover, erupted in a broad explosion of light.
“————You can’t stop me.”
Nel stepped out from the inferno with elegance, swaying the hem of her crimson hakama as if taking a stroll in her garden.
In front of her graceful stride stood several figures.
“It seems that’s the case.”
“The princess of Avalon, Nel Julius Elroad. Who would have thought such a powerful individual existed?”
They were knights clad in silver armor.
Two voices rang out, and behind them stood a line of about ten shield-bearing knights. A short distance away, others could be seen with bows or staves as the rear guard.
“They certainly don’t seem to be just any knights.”
There was no doubt that they were the ones responsible for the earlier attack. Despite wearing heavy armor, they effortlessly cast potent attack magic on par with elite magicians, demonstrating their proficiency in both swordsmanship and magic.
Especially from those lined up in the front line, they emitted a presence sharper than anything Nel had felt among Avalon’s knights.
Apart from the apostle, there were this many formidable warriors gathered. Facing over twenty of what appeared to be elite knights alone would surely be a tough battle, and Nel steeled herself for the encounter.
“————’Flame Lance.'”
Immediately after, a massive tornado of flames struck the front-line knights. The roaring, raging flames swirled in a size large enough to engulf not only the knights but also Nel, who stood opposite them at a distance.
“Eh? I’m surrounded!”
Realizing it was not a barrier that could be pierced through in one go, Nel halted mid-flight, donning a furious demeanor as she glared down at the conjurers below from atop Venus, her ancient weapon.
“Could that puny child truly be the ruler of the empire after the demon king, Queen Lily?”
“She flies that weapon around, so there can’t be any mistake.”
“Hmph, if it’s not a mistake, then that’s just fine. Coming all the way to Pandora is totally worth it ———— Hey, fairy girl! Transform and come at me already!”
The knight, evidently the commander, shouted enthusiastically.
Even young Lily understood that they were elite warriors, renowned as the strongest knights of Sinclair, labeled “Sanctum Knights.”
However, the reason Lily shifted her consciousness to the next moment was not just because they were formidable opponents.
“Rumor has it that you’re not that guy, but you’re the real demon king, huh? Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to take you both down ———— ‘Stigmata’ release!!”
Gathered inside the light prison to slay the fairy queen were the sanctum knights, their number exceeding thirty.
Half of them bore “Dual Stigmata,” while the other half had “Triune Stigmata” and “Quadraknot Stigmata.” A few even boasted “Five Extremes Stigmata.”
And the boisterous commander had activated his sixth stigma, reflecting the light of the “Sixfold Stigmata” at his chest.
“————Oh, is that so? That’s how it’s relayed in the Crusaders.”
The innocent, glimmering eyes of the fairy girl darkened into a cold, merciless glare, looking down upon the fools borrowing the might of gods.
“How outrageous and unpleasant. The demon king is only Chrono.”
Lily had no ambition to replace Chrono as the demon king. She felt no allure in the thought of dominating the entire world.
There was always one thing she sought. It had never changed, nor would it ever.
“I am Lily, the beloved partner of the demon king Chrono. Yes, once you meet God in the afterlife, tell them this ———— ‘Venus’ reverse transformation.”
Surrounded by a glow of transformation, Lily leaped from Venus.
Her limbs stretched, fairy wings unfolded, and gracefully she descended as if floating, while behind her, Venus began to change shape as well.
Standing upright, the pentagram rotated like a clock. The sound of gears clicking echoed, and the shape transformed into a hexagram. The six points moved further, extending their lengths.
On the sections that had slid and stretched were intricately inscribed ancient magical circles, with massive ether flowing in and emitting an ominous red glow.
Just as Lily completed her transformation into a beautiful girl, the ominous crimson hexagram morphed into battle armor, fitting snugly onto her glowing fairy wings.
In that moment of fusion, three pairs of large red shining wings spread from the hexagram. With a divine appearance possessing the same number of wings as the goddess “Fairy Queen Iris,” Lily descended after fully transforming.
“————’Lucifer,’ reverse activation complete.”
This was the mechanized armor dedicated entirely to Lily, with all of its powers unleashed.
Even in her young form, Venus had a stable operating state, one where output and combat abilities were suppressed.
However, once Lily transformed into her true form, the mechanized armor no longer needed to restrain its power. A terrifying weapon that granted Lily even greater strength; its overwhelming destructive power and dazzling brilliance were such that Chrono deemed it worthy to bear the name “Lucifer.”
The beautiful planet Venus transformed into the morning star, shining even more intensely and brilliantly.
Not as the white god, but as the fairy goddess’s glory, and shining brilliantly with all her everlasting love, the sanctum knights trembled and whispered.
“W-What is this… the true power of the demon king…”