Chapter 97: A Sun For The Saintess

Flaming white flames rushed towards Stella.

Holy Power was lethal to Demons, and it would now be the same case for Stella since she had merged with a Demon.

The carriage had already come to a stop long ago.

The nuns knelt and prayed, shedding tears in front of the white flames.

Findenai and the Dark Spiritualist were simply staring blankly at it.

"Gosh, is this why you told us to run in the first place?"

Now that everything was over, Findenai glanced my way with a sigh.

The Dark Spiritualist applauded while nodding in agreement.

[I didn't expect that you would take advantage of the souls who have received the grace from the Saintess.]

"It is not taking advantage of them."

Given that the Dark Spiritualist was also a Necromancer, there was a tendency for her to view souls as expendable. I could also sense it from her tone right now, so I corrected her.

"It is about giving them a chance."

I watched as Stella let herself burn, neither screaming nor struggling.

"I only tried to prove to her that what she had built up until now was worth it."

What Stella desired was death.

Therefore, out of respect for her, I granted it.

I granted her wish because I wanted to acknowledge and reciprocate the comfort and encouragement, as well as the momentary respite she had given me.

Since the debt had been repaid, it was time to act according to my will.

"Stella, I will now deny your wish."

Although Stella couldn't hear my voice, I declared it as if to resolve myself.

She feared what came after her death.

Did she really find the Demons, those who eagerly awaited her death for a long time, so frightening that she wished for annihilation?

Unfortunately, that was not a happy ending.

It was just avoiding the worst outcome by choosing the path that gave lesser pain.

"That is a false happy ending."

If it were what she truly wanted, I would respect it.

However, I would definitely twist this at the very end.

And with that, I rolled up my sleeves.

As I forcefully squeezed out my last remaining mana, the chains that once bound the Superior Demon had wrapped around my right hand.

The Superior Demon had already been completely annihilated in the battle with Stella.

[W-What are you trying to do?]

The Dark Spiritualist was surprised to see me about to act again. It was obvious that she preferred that I didn't do anything more.

"To save Stella."

[Y-you already saved her, didn't you? What she wanted was annihilation! Isn't it over now?! You have already granted her wish!]

"No, that is simply choosing the lesser of the bad options she was presented with."

Stella's death was inevitable.

In the first place, even if she hadn't died, the discomfort and pain caused by her physical wounds would continue to torment her.

I had no intention of forcibly keeping her in this life any longer.

But if it was about what she was going to experience after death...

Clearly, there was something I could do as a Necromancer.

I strapped the chains I created around my waist. They didn't feel tight or heavy as they were made of mana.

I handed the end of it to Findenai.

"Pull it when I give you a signal."

"Are you going in there?"

Findenai pointed to the massive white flames with disbelief. I nodded without hesitation.

After all, these were not real flames but just a manifestation of Holy Power.

Of course, if I were to jump in there without any protection, I would suffer considerable damage.

Nevertheless, I still had to go.

"You've gone crazy."

Findenai laughed bitterly; she firmly grabbed the chain and responded..

"Five minutes. I'll definitely pull you out right before you die. Do everything you need to do inside."

"That is enough."

As I took a deep breath and prepared to go inside, a thin mana barrier enveloped my entire body's skin.

Upon seeing me doing that, the Abbess knelt with tears in her eyes and her forehead pressed to the ground.

"You will fight for the sake of the Saintess, right?"

"......"

"I am truly sorry because we can only do this much to support you."

The other nuns also cast a spell on me, then begged with their foreheads on the ground.

"Alright."

I didn't expect to get such support, but I could surely endure a little longer with this.

I then leapt into the white flames engulfing the woman, carrying the hope of the nuns with me.

"Keugh!"

The paralyzing heat enveloped me. Although I didn't suffer any burns, it was clear that my body was resisting it.

It was so pure that it became poisonous to humans.

Holy Power was exactly that kind of power.

I closed my mouth and eyes, weakly trying to resist the heat that was pushing into my body.

I reached out my hand and started to climb up her burning spider-like legs.

There were times when I stumbled on the way up her legs, or my hand had brushed through empty space.

However, no matter what, I continued to approach Stella without stopping; the place where she was was obvious.

The Demon Lord's left hand had completely burned away and disappeared, while her remaining right hand was still holding onto the rosary of Goddess Hearthia.

"Thank you."

She calmly closed her eyes and muttered her farewell to everyone.

"I am sorry."

An apology flowed out of my mouth even though I knew she could no longer hear my voice.

"Because I am a Necromancer."

In fact, I had asked her if she wanted to continue living her life. I also inquired if it would be possible for her to use Professor Fel Petra's research on body imitations.

However, Stella refused.

Upon hearing her response, I was convinced.

Stella was no longer living; she was dying.

She had no lingering attachments to this life.

"I can interfere only after you die."

I watched her dying moments.

The Holy Power's flames not only stopped at her skin but also rushed into her organs.

If it weren't for the nuns' magic, I might have already lost consciousness here.

Normally, the physical force exerted by Holy Power wasn't considered significant, but when gathered in immense amounts, it couldn't be lightly taken.

"Farewell."

Then, I could hear Stella's final words through the gap of the flames.

It was her end.

Stella had died in such a manner, and having lost her flesh, her soul began to dissipate under the influence of Holy Power.

But then, at that moment, I abruptly snatched her soul.

"If you want to avoid the worst by choosing the lesser of what you fear and calling it a happy ending..."

Stella suddenly opened her eyes in surprise and looked at me, not with the Demon's, but her original eyes. They were lovely.

"I will not send you away."

Now that she had become a soul and could now see, Stella looked at me with a shocked expression—as if asking why I was here.

I wanted to give her a gentle smile, but I could only twist my expression because of the pain.

[L-Let go of me! I-I want to disappear like this!]

"No, I cannot leave you alone like this. Disappearing on these terms will never be a happy ending for you."

[I-I! This is what I want! I want to forget everything! I want to have complete annihilation!]

"I am sorry, but..."

Whoosh.

Another thin chain appeared from my fingertips. However, due to the lack of mana, I could only create a short chain, but it was enough to become a thread connecting our wrists.

"You are already deceased."

And a Necromancer was someone who controlled the dead.

"Now, you belong to me, a Necromancer."

[......!]

I pulled my hand, and due to the chain connected to her wrist, she was immediately dragged, falling into my arms.

While holding her firmly with my other hand on her back, I shout towards the sky.

"Findenai!"

Whoosh!

Findenai immediately pulled the chain around my waist as if she had been waiting for this. I held Stella tighter in case I might lose her.

Stella and I swiftly escaped the Holy Power's flames and tumbled to the ground.

Thud! Thud!

"D-did I pull too hard?"

The heat felt inside me, one of a fire that could bring about the world's end, slowly dissipated and my body gradually cooled down. However, there was no time to enjoy the aftermath.

Even though I succeeded in retrieving her soul from her corpse, the flames of Holy Power still lingered in her astral body.

I hurriedly took out Lemegeton to stabilize her soul.

Although she became somewhat translucent, it was clear that Stella's soul hadn't been annihilated yet.

Realizing the situation, she blankly stared at me with her mouth agape.

It turned out Stella, who always wore a calm smile, was capable of making such an expression.

[Y-Y-Y-You!]

Startled, Stella stammered and rushed towards me.

[What are you doing?! How could you ruin what Velica and I created as our ending?!]

"No, that was not right."

[This cannot go on like this! Soon...!]

Krrraaaackk!

Grrr! Grrr!

The screams of Demons began to spread in the dawn sky, like if birds rose early to seek for insects; it was a chillingly long, tearing laughter.

The Demons who witnessed Stella's death were approaching like grim reapers, eager to take her soul.

In such a situation, I looked directly at Stella and said.

"So, this is how your eyes look like."

Sometimes, souls could carry wounds after death.

In fact, it was a kind of illusion caused by the materialization of trauma. That was why, even with distorted bodies or strange forms, souls could still move around freely.

Anyway, Stella's body was in perfect condition.

This was another example of how strong her mental strength was.

[P-Pardon?]

Flustered, Stella hastily brought her hands to her eyes. Then, she was surprised to see that her left hand was properly attached.

"Your eyes suit you better than I imagined."

[N-No! This is not the time to say that!]

Flustered, Stella quickly looked up at the sky with a flushed face.

Demons were swarming like a flock of crows.

I embraced and reassured her.

"It is okay, I will not send you anywhere."

Our souls were already connected.

Although I was a Necromancer who willingly did not possess any soul, I decided to make an exception this time.

Stella's soul had now become mine.

[Ah.]

Furthermore, being connected by the Lemegeton, our bond was strong and would never falter.

I breathed evenly and responded.

"Now, as long as I am alive, there is no way for the Demons to take your soul."

This was also due to Lemegeton, the legacy of a Demon Lord, still intact. Unless they killed me and destroyed it, it would be impossible for them to take Stella.

[But still! You will be in danger!]

"I am not going to die."

I made an unreliable promise while slowly turning to look at the sky. However, I truly believed in myself.

I had no intention of surrendering myself and her to mere Demons.

For instance, Demons might attack me in disappointment. Or they might even consider waiting for my death as another form of entertainment.

But whatever they did, I simply needed to break through the entities that obscured the sky before the Demons.

"Having obtained the Saintess' soul, I'll have to see what benefits come with it."

White flames once again illuminated the dark night sky.

The remaining souls had formed constellations in the sky as flames of Holy Power.

[Ah.]

Stella's eyes filled with tears when she looked up at those who had burned their souls to protect her.

"I know it was tough."

I gently embraced her as we both looked up at the sky.

The Demons, who had rushed in to try and seize Stella's soul, could not help but express their frustration as they watched the flames of Holy Power engulfing them.

Of course, those souls did not retreat, as they were already prepared for their own demise.

There were no Demons who felt it was worth risking injury, let alone sacrificing their lives. Harassing the Saintess' soul and taking it away was merely a form of entertainment to them.

As the Holy Power's flames surged towards them with determination to be annihilated together, the demons clicked their tongue and chose to flee without retaliating.

[Ah, aah.]

Stella shed tears as she looked up at the sky.

Though the sun hadn't risen yet, to drive away the dark nightmares that tormented Stella every night, they had become the sun for the Saintess—just like how she had become theirs.