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"Thank you for loving me…"
The Heavenly Empress could still hear his voice echoing in her mind as she stared at the monstrous demon from another world. This was the being the Heavenly Demon had sacrificed his life and soul to defeat.
Yet it had survived, displaying a level of tenacity and monstrous strength never before seen in this world.
Tears streamed down her face as she furrowed her feathered brows and glared at the monstrous being before her, the King of All Demons. Even while inhabiting a mere vessel, he remained immensely formidable.
So much had been left unsaid, so much left undone. She clenched her fists tightly. An entire future with her beloved had been stolen from her in an instant.
She never imagined this would happen. Though she felt the deepest pain of all, she had to remain strong.
The weight of the entire world of Bestia rested on her shoulders. If she hesitated now, if she broke down and surrendered to despair, who else would these children have to rely on?
"He certainly… wouldn't want that!"
Gritting her beak, she fought desperately to contain her agonizing sorrow, the hollow ache that had consumed her heart the moment her beloved fell lifeless. She glared at the monster with unyielding resolve.
Her Heart of Hope twisted violently. Hope for the world collided with despair, pain, and agony, swirling together into a storm of tremendous power.
"I'll kill you."
At that moment, the Heavenly Empress chose to walk the Demonic Path. She fixed her gaze on the King of All Demons, the King of All Evil, the first Demon, Lucifer, the true ruler of every Hell.
The fallen Archangel responded with a smile that spread across his many mouths. His eyes glowed bright red as countless fleshy tentacles burst from his body and twisted into several animal-like heads.
"Heh… You're a cute birdie too… Would you like to become my pet~?"
His body continued to expand monstrously, losing all traces of his former handsome, humanoid appearance.
In truth, despite his mocking behavior, he was enduring immense pain. He could no longer maintain his humanoid form. His body and soul had been damaged so severely that proper regeneration was impossible.
"What did that birdie do to me?! My soul feels warped! Is it cracked? A mere little bird crushed my soul to this extent? It is as if my original form… feels blurry… This is not bad, hahah…! But why am I laughing? Ah, yes, this is fun…! I want more of that feeling…! Excitement, despair, hope… all these emotions mixed together. Indeed! Only mortals, only these little birdies can show me what I lack… what I lost long ago…"
His thoughts raced chaotically. Anyone who tried to peer into the mind of such an insane monster would quickly descend into madness themselves.
"Little birdie…! Become my pet… yes? I don't want to hurt you anymore… You're so perfect, you're white…! Your feathers remind me of Father's Holy Spirit…! So brilliant… I want them… I WANT YOU…"
As he spoke, his body kept growing. Hundreds of humanoid hands and arms erupted outward, clawing at his destroyed face, pressing into his eyes and flesh as he gouged out his own eyes in his obsessive fixation on "adorable animals."
"You don't even recognize the incredible warrior who fought you," the Heavenly Empress said coldly, refusing to meet his gaze. "You are worth nothing… You are just a monster. Stop pretending to be clever, you deceiving abomination."
"Abomination…?! Hahahah… Deceiving?! Heheheh… HEHEHEHAHAHAHA!"
Lucifer burst into manic laughter as giant bleeding feathered wings sprouted from his endlessly twisting flesh, covered in bleeding eyes and torn feathers.
"OH FATHER…! IS THIS ANOTHER OF YOUR AVATARS?! HAVE YOU SENT HER TO PUNISH ME?! HEHEHEEEEEEHAHAHAHAHA!"
While he ranted deliriously, the Heavenly Empress compressed her aura. Golden and black armor enveloped her entire body as she unleashed the full power of her Imperial Armament.
"I'll crush you no matter what!"
She charged toward him without hesitation, still crying, still mourning, yet fully aware that with Anna and Song in such a broken state, she was the only one left who could fight.
Her aura erupted, manifesting a giant golden Buddha with six massive arms that attacked the demon with everything she possessed.
"HYAAAHAHAHA!"
The demon laughed wildly as his insanity deepened. His tentacles and countless heads clashed against her golden palms, unleashing violent explosions of demonic flames, darkness, and light.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
As the battle erupted, denying the Heavenly Empress even a moment to mourn her beloved, Anna and Song hovered above the sea, staring at his lifeless body.
His blood spread across the ocean, painting it crimson and attracting small fish that watched warily from below, too afraid to approach.
Anna's tears fell onto the Heavenly Demon's face. When she noticed the fish gathering, her brows furrowed in rage.
"Don't you dare get closer…! He is not… He is not some corpse for you to feast on, you animals!"
With a furious roar, her Immortal Will crushed the innocent fish into pieces, staining the sea red with their remains.
"A-Anna…!"
Song grew frightened as he realized Anna had completely lost control. Her hands trembled, her eyes burned bright red, and she gasped for air, consumed by fury and unable to maintain her usual calm.
She had never imagined something like this could happen. Everything had been planned so carefully, progressing so well until now.
To suddenly see him lying there, dead…
She simply could not accept it.
"Don't worry, Song!"
She smiled desperately through her tears, her eyes twitching uncontrollably.
"Huh?"
"I'll revive him! Heheh…! I can do that! I've done it with Sara, you know?! And with Fang Shuan! They were revived! I can revive people!!!"
"Anna…?!"
Anna pressed her hands against the Heavenly Demon's chest and poured her Divine Aura into him, desperately activating her Privileges and Specializations.
"Rise!"
"Anna! What are you doing?!"
Song panicked and rushed forward to stop her as the foreign energy seeped into his father's body.
FLUOSH!
"There! Please come back! I know you can… Your soul is…!"
[ERROR]
[Unable to revive target as Undead through the power of your Skills or Specializations.]
"…Huh?"
The light in her eyes dimmed.
"Rise…!"
FLUOSH!
[ERROR]
[Unable to revive target as Undead through the power of your Skills or Specializations.]
Nothing happened.
"Anna, stop! Let my father rest in peace!"
Song ran to her and tried to pull her away from the Heavenly Demon's body.
"No! I can revive him! I SWEAR I CAN REVIVE HIM, SONG! I CAN DO IT!!!"
She kept reaching for the Heavenly Demon, using every skill and ability she had.
Yet the errors repeated relentlessly.
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
"No…! Wait…! I can do it…! I can do anything, Song!"
"He's dead…! Father is dead, Anna!!!"
Song cried as he struggled to restrain her, but Anna had completely lost her mind.
No matter how many times she tried, she could not turn him into an undead.
When she attempted to use Gaia's Privilege instead…
[WARNING!]
[Unable to compensate enough Lifespan to Revive Target.]
[WARNING!]
[Unable to compensate enough Lifespan to Revive Target.]
[WARNING!]
[Unable to compensate enough Lifespan to Revive Target.]
She simply did not have enough lifespan. He was too powerful for any of her abilities to work.
"Aaahh…! I can…! I can…!"
At that moment, Anna stopped struggling. All strength left her body as she stared at the scene in stunned silence.
"Anna… Please stop…"
She looked at Song, who was still crying but now glaring at her in anger.
"Don't sully my father's corpse anymore… Let him rest in peace!"
"A-Aah… S-Song…"
Anna stared at her own bloodied hands, then pressed them against her face, gripping it tightly as if ready to tear it apart. Song quickly noticed blood trickling from her fingers.
"Anna!"
He stopped her before she could harm herself in her overwhelming horror, panic, anger, frustration, and despair.
"Stop…! Don't…! Don't hurt yourself…!"
"Aaahh…! I couldn't… I couldn't save him…! I…!"
"Please… calm down!"
Song pulled her into a tight hug. Anna gazed at the sky, then at the Heavenly Empress battling the King of All Demons. Fresh tears began flowing from her eyes again as they slowly returned to their original golden color.
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