Pierce believed it without a trace of doubt. If what he saw was not a miracle, then there was no word left to describe it. The silent and massive dark figure released soft light that brought comfort rather than pain.
What shocked them even more was where that light passed. Pierce and the thousands present watched as their dead companions and family members were restored. Severed bodies and scattered remains returned as if time itself were moving backward.
Even their own hunger and exhaustion vanished. Fresh wounds healed as if they had never existed. After the first wave of panic, everyone stood frozen, watching.
When the bodies fully reformed and lay on the ground like newborns, people held their breath. They waited for something impossible. Then those people woke up, rubbed their eyes, and looked around in confusion.
"Damn, this kind of scene is not bad, but why do I feel so uncomfortable?"
Seeing thousands of people crying and kneeling in prayer toward him, Belial felt chills all over. He had seen many grand scenes before, but never this. It felt like dragging a shady creature into a spotlight.
"No, I have to leave quickly." "They are alive now, so it has nothing to do with me." "I still have monsters to fight."
After thinking it over, Belial decided to move on. At least this confirmed that his revival system worked close enough to the original. Even if someone tried to strike from behind, he could pull them back.
He returned to his true form and continued flying. By now, he had officially left Demonkind territory and entered Faris Empire. His goal was a straight line toward the head of Faris Empire's emperor, Augustus.
In a way, he respected the man. He had never seen anyone so bold. While others hid as much as possible, this one openly released his presence and spirit, shining brightly.
If others were fireflies, he was a star. His radiation even exceeded the borders of his own land. To Belial, it was the perfect landmark.
The endless and oppressive darkness moved slowly forward, covering the sunlight bit by bit. Both sides clearly sensed each other's location. Augustus could feel his domain being swallowed, and his own Laws and authority were being torn and interfered with just by the intruder entering his land.
That darkness was unlike anything he had ever known. If there was something darker, it was probably Augustus's expression at that moment. He was certain he had caused a huge problem.
So far, both of his so-called allies had lost contact. Edward was likely dead, or possibly sold off. As for Elfido, there was a chance he was hiding, a chance he was waiting to profit, and a chance he was already planning to sell Edward.
Augustus had ordered the execution of all internal church staff and banned the beliefs of the Church of Holy Light. Yet Elfido showed no reaction at all. That silence was unsettling.
What did they take him for? His actions should have been a heavy blow to that old man. If there was still no response, did that mean the problem no longer mattered? Or did it mean that soon, he would no longer be the problem himself?
"One drinks reptile blood and dreams of becoming a beast." "The other hides behind empty authority, a soul parasite that should have been buried long ago." "Do they all think I will die?"
Augustus breathed heavily, his face dark. In the golden hall, the blood of nobles and ministers stained his vision. He clenched his teeth and spoke again.
"They are all just beasts."
"Pass my order." "Withdraw all defensive forces and return them to the capital." "All Demonkind frontlines in the north, south, and east are to recall every soldier." "Leave not a single one behind. Disobey, and lose your head." "All knight families and all Faris Empire citizens of Black Iron Rank and above are to gather in the capital." "I will restore the glory of dragon hunting from my coronation."
Along with his command, Laws and authority spread across the land. Soldiers stared at their generals in disbelief, yet obeyed. The next day, every street carried the same news.
The papers declared that Emperor Augustus had finally stopped pretending he was sane. He had gone mad, and he was going to hunt a dragon.
"You can clearly just read the screen, so why do you make me go get the newspaper every time?"
"That is where you do not understand. It is like you asking why I live like a human when I clearly do not need to eat."
"But newspapers do not even taste good."
"…"
Hidden within layers of overlapping Barrier, a delicate castle of blue and white stood atop a silver funnel-shaped floating base. Its surface was covered in ornate reliefs, gemlike tiles, and various structures suspended directly in the air. Pale blue modules and lines with a technological look connected everything into a single whole.
Rubbing her head out of habit, she closed eyes that looked like some strange Crystal. With a simple thought, Lilith moved from the laboratory to the dining table. She held a cup of coffee with both hands and let the newspaper float in front of her eyes.
As for Bella, she lived like a human just as she said, so she went to make breakfast. Even though anything they wanted could be printed directly with nanomachines, she still preferred to make it by hand. That was simply how she liked to do things.
Every weekend, Lilith rested or did whatever she wanted, even turning down lecture invitations from top academies. This was a habit she had only developed recently, even though she might have spent the previous five weekdays in much the same way. As she had said before, she and Bella wanted to live at least a little like humans.
One of them had been buried underground as a seed for who knew how many years, and the other had lived in isolation for decades as an older shut-in. Neither of them could really be called normal. By the way, after some years had passed, Lilith's appearance had changed just a little.
In the first year after getting the new Magic Staff, Lilith noticed that the Crystal on her body slowly melted away. She no longer needed to wear that oversized hat. In the second year, she woke up one morning to find that both her eyes had returned to normal, and she could freely see extremely tiny elements and energy fields.
In the third year, her skin grew paler, and Lilith realized her hair had become hard to tear, each strand like a crystalline material. By now, if she used Magic on a large scale, even her hair would glow. Her strange physique had also become strong enough to tear Nanometal apart with her bare hands.
After a detailed examination by Bella, it seemed that the function of that Magic Staff was not just absorbing and suppressing Magic. Perhaps it decided that instead of treating the symptoms, it was better to remodel Lilith's body so it could endure such Magic in the first place. The result was that her body had changed slightly from the inside out, with only the outer appearance still resembling a human.
"Hm?"
Lilith raised an eyebrow. She was no longer someone who reacted to trivial matters, but what the newspaper reported this time was indeed big. The headline made her pause.
"Imperial Capital of the Faris Empire, a violent explosion occurred at the imperial palace above the Augustus mountain range. Half of the palace was destroyed, but the current Augustus survived and has sealed off the palace area?"
This was truly major news. The newspaper's guesses about unknown ancient relics or Magic running out of control made Lilith snort in disdain, because this was obviously done by someone. To cause such an explosion under the watch of so many powerful figures was absurd, and she was curious who would dare make trouble on the head of the strongest nation on the continent.
The next piece of news said that Faris Empire was continuously drawing troops from other regions back to the capital. That made Lilith's expression even more amused. As for the remaining shocking rumors about charred bodies falling from the sky and the Demonkind defenses shrinking sharply, she only glanced at them and paid no further attention.
"Lilith, do I need to make an extra portion of breakfast?"
Bella ran out of the kitchen to ask. Lilith shook her head. "No. Why are you asking such a strange question?"
"Let me ask you first. That teacher you once mentioned, the old man named Safas, did he carry a rather flashy Magic Staff, have a beard down to his chest, and two moles on the right side of his face?"
"…I think so. I do not know where he died, but I remember him pretty clearly."
"And was he kind of smug when he talked? Very self-centered, for example?"
This time Lilith nodded hard. She had not forgotten how that old man suddenly fell from the sky into her courtyard when she was young, acting arrogant and annoying. He declared on his own that her bones were extraordinary and that she was good material to become a hardworking Mage, so he would reluctantly take her as his disciple.