Vol 2. Chapter 44: Divine Manifestation

“Praise the Saintess! Praise the Goddess!”

The moment Vanessa revived and returned in the form of a Six-Winged Angel, the previously deathly silent scene instantly erupted with fervent excitement.

Shouts of ecstasy surged like waves, one after another. It wasn’t just the sudden arrival of hope amidst despair—the fact that every injury in the academy had been healed by the shimmering particles cast down from Vanessa’s wings made the atmosphere even more electrifying.

“See?! Earlier, someone accused me of exaggerating—where are they now? Stand up! Come on, stand up! Those glowing feathers alone can regrow flesh and bone in an instant. Not even high-grade healing spells can manage that! If that’s not the Goddess, what is?!”

Voices of argument broke out immediately.

“Your Excellency, have You heard Your followers’ prayers?!”

Loyal Church believers wept with emotion.

“The Goddess still loves the world... still loves all of us!”

But just then, a sudden black wind swept through the area, and everyone instinctively shielded their eyes. Thunder roared across the clouds, as if the very heavens would be torn apart.

The furious roar of the Demon God Pillar.

‘Vanessa’ spread her wings, shielding herself. The radiant light cast from her wings formed a solid barrier of divine brilliance, protecting the people below.

The sight resembled the Goddess unfurling her wings to shield her faithful from the corruption of the Demon God Pillar.

“So beautiful... truly too beautiful...!”

A non-combatant instructor, specializing in art and painting, caught sight of the scene from within the shelter—and in that instant, became a devout follower of the Goddess of Radiance.

“No, I have to immortalize this scene! It’s too beautiful! If I don’t paint this, it’ll be my life’s greatest regret!”

The artist stared intently, desperately imprinting the moment into his mind, as though blinking once would forever rob him of the memory.

But he wasn’t the only one shaken to the core—thousands upon thousands of spectators felt the same.

In truth, many students and instructors at Carillian Academy only superficially believed in the Goddess of Radiance. Most simply treated Her as a symbol of humanity, a figurehead.

But after witnessing such a grand, undeniable miracle... few could resist the pull of genuine faith.

“It’s been so long... Tyrellis Continent...”

‘Vanessa’ exhaled lightly, reaching her hand toward the distant mountains and rivers, as if caressing an old, familiar homeland.

“And you as well... the ‘old friend’ of the Fasylis family. After all these years... you still haven’t changed one bit.”

‘Vanessa’ smiled playfully, gazing toward the massive shadowy figure behind the writhing tendrils beyond the Gate of Six Dead Stars.

The meaning was clear: ‘All these years, and you still haven’t improved in the slightest.’

“Well, if you think that ridiculous outfit is fashionable, that’s your business. I won’t argue, but...”

Between the Six-Winged Angel’s palms, a brilliant flame ignited—its core a shimmering pink, wrapped in multicolored, glass-like brilliance.

Completely different from Vanessa’s version of the Flame of Divine Benediction, the fire in Selina’s hands burned with devastating, world-shattering intensity.

Compared to Selina’s flame, Vanessa’s Flame of Divine Benediction was little more than a fragile spark. What Selina held now... was the true Flame of Divine Benediction.

“You bullied my adorable descendant... You tried to destroy the Order Spire’s sealed Divine Authority, schemed to overthrow Tyrellis Continent, endanger all living beings... I can’t just sit back and ignore that.”

It seemed like no one could understand the Demon God Pillar’s words except ‘Vanessa’—and likewise, no one but Elrunas could hear ‘Vanessa’ now.

In response came a thunderous sea of clouds and lightning flashing across the sky.

‘Vanessa’ understood—the Demon God Pillar was calling her name in a voice thick with rage.

Selina Fasylis.

“My, my, Mr. Elrunas still remembers me? I’m honored.”

Possessing Vanessa’s body, Selina smiled radiantly.

“This isn’t your Demon God Domain. Tyrellis’s rules are restricting you every second. And you’ve only managed to extend a single tentacle into this world. I can’t kill you, but ‘politely’ sending you back? That’s easy. So, please, return before I have to get rude.”

A bolt of lightning struck down onto the radiant barrier formed by her wings—Elrunas’s answer.

“How unnecessary. Why be so stubborn? Making us both look bad... what’s the point?”

Selina raised her hand, unleashing the Flame of Divine Benediction.

Unlike Vanessa’s close-range flame, Selina’s Flame of Divine Benediction surged forward like a roaring fire dragon, hurtling toward Elrunas’s tentacle.

But Elrunas was, after all, a Demon God Pillar. The tentacle shimmered with a greenish-blue sheen, scales gleaming across its length, colliding directly with the divine flame.

The Higher-Dimensional Field surrounding Elrunas’s tentacle shattered instantly under the holy fire. The scales burned away, not even ashes remaining.

Before the flame of the Consecrated Angel, even a Demon God Pillar could be wounded—could even die.

But the difference lay in endurance. The Demon God Pillar could last far longer, while his powerful subordinates or lesser demons... they burned away like paper, without a sound, without resistance.

Elrunas had no intention of retreating. After waiting so long, finally seizing this opportunity, there was no way he’d give up so easily.

He was certain—even with Selina’s arrival, her presence was unstable. Once she exhausted her strength and faded, victory would belong to him.

All he needed to do... was endure. If he could survive the burning of the Flame of Divine Benediction, ultimate victory would be his.

Correct. Temporarily manifesting, Selina couldn’t remain in this world for long. Elrunas judged that accurately.

Yet...

Selina showed no sign of urgency, her demeanor brimming with quiet confidence, as if this outcome was inevitable.

But Elrunas wasn’t deceived by appearances. Of all the Demon God Pillars, he’d tangled with the Fasylis family the most. He knew exactly what kind of people they were—masters of deception, charm, theatrics... just like their infamous ancestor.

After being tricked more than once, Elrunas wasn’t falling for it again.

Bracing against the holy fire, Elrunas endured. His colossal body too vast to burn away instantly—the air filled with the roaring of his fury and the sizzling of scales incinerating.

The Demon God Pillar lashed out with his tentacle, aiming to coil around the flame-wielding Selina. But the tentacle’s tip had already been melted completely, and its advance lagged behind the flame’s spread.

Elrunas couldn’t reach Selina, yet Selina couldn’t burn through the entire tentacle at once—the scene locked in stalemate.

But defeating Selina wasn’t Elrunas’s true goal. As Selina herself had stated, Tyrellis rejected the Demon God Pillars. The rules of this world relentlessly restricted them. Even if invited, the Demon God Pillar could only exert a fraction of his true strength.

And only a single tentacle had breached Tyrellis.

For him, exhausting Selina was far easier than defeating her outright. He was confident—Selina couldn’t linger in this world much longer.

In fact, he could already sense the instability in her presence. So far, the holy fire hadn’t come close to fully consuming his tentacle.

He had won.

This time, he would reclaim what was his—the throne of the Supreme God.

The Demon God Pillar’s roar echoed through the clouds, the sky fracturing with dimensional ripples and lightning storms.

At this scale of battle, spectators usually died first. But thankfully, Selina had woven a radiant barrier with her wings, shielding everyone below from the shockwaves of the Pillar’s rage.

The Flame of Divine Benediction illuminated every face, igniting hope in all hearts.

Yet, at the critical moment—the flame stopped burning.

Selina maintained her raised-hand posture, cutting off her power—before Elrunas’s tentacle was completely incapacitated.

Staring silently at the pink-haired angel, Elrunas knew... he had the last laugh this time.

Selina’s strength had been fully depleted.

The millennium-long struggle between the Fasylis line and the Demon God Pillar... ended in his triumph.

All that remained... was to destroy the Order Spire.

But why... was that woman still smiling so confidently? As if... victory was already hers?

It had to be another of her infamous performances. A pointless facade.

Facing inevitable defeat, she still wore that smug, victorious grin. Couldn’t she see there was no point?

“Well then... until next time, Mr. Elrunas. Though I’d love to say ‘never see you again,’ we both know that’s impossible. I do hope we meet again soon~”

Selina waved mockingly, lips curved in teasing amusement.

Elrunas finally realized—his gaze snapping toward the Gate of Six Dead Stars.

Not only Elrunas, but every spectator now understood—Selina had been scheming all along.

Their eyes shifted to the Demon God Pillar’s portal—blazing with seven-colored, glass-like flame, almost entirely burned away.

Indeed, Selina’s true target was never Elrunas himself—she never expected to fully destroy his tentacle.

She only pretended to—making everyone believe her goal was to clash head-on with Elrunas. In reality, as her flame swept over his scales, the tail of the fire had secretly curled upward, incinerating the portal above.

It was a blind spot—a trick Elrunas missed, along with the distracted spectators—none of them noticing the Gate being consumed by the Flame of Divine Benediction.

A flame that could ignite anything... even the Demon God Pillar... let alone an energy-based construct like the portal.

Under Elrunas’s furious gaze, his painstakingly crafted ‘ticket’ to Tyrellis burned to ash, his ambitions consumed alongside it.

Battered by the divine flame, with no gains to show for it—a total loss.

The Order Spire. The lost Divine Authority. The throne of the Supreme God. None of it would be his today.

The Gate of Six Dead Stars—symbol of the Demon God Pillar—collapsed, forcing Elrunas to retract his tentacle lest it be destroyed entirely.

Though losing a limb meant little to a Demon God Pillar—it would regrow in his domain—the energy loss was undeniable.

His tentacle, nearly a third incinerated, withdrew through the portal as the world settled back into uneasy calm.

But it wasn’t over.

High above, Selina stood against the tainted sky. Her six immaculate wings blocked the sun as her hands came together in prayer. Eyes closed, lips parted, she began singing a sacred hymn—ethereal, otherworldly, unlike any song heard before.

Her voice, clear as an oriole’s call, echoed across heaven and earth, soothing war-torn lands and withered soil.

The dead sky revived—the black clouds split apart, revealing a vast rift as light returned. The earth’s scars and wounds healed under the Saintess’s song.

The starry light from Selina’s wings and scattered radiance drifted down into the sacrificial formation. The students, transformed into the Pillar’s thralls, began reverting—hardened, inhuman skin peeling away. Their corrupted traits faded, skin color normalized, their appearances restored. One by one, they collapsed, unconscious but human again.

“Look—!”

“Her Excellency restored those students! She freed them!”

“Is this... divine salvation?”

“Praise the Goddess!!”

From the depths of their souls, the people dropped to their knees, weeping in gratitude, offering their prayers.

The hymn reached its final verse.

The pink-haired angel opened her eyes, casting a final glance over the crowd. With a flap of her wings, she soared skyward, transforming into a streak of light, descending upon Saintess Selina Cathedral.

“Ahh... little Vanessa... what do I do... I regret it now...”

Landing within the cathedral, Selina suddenly spoke, voice filled with annoyance.

‘What’s wrong, Senior Selina?’

From earlier, her body possessed by Selina, Vanessa now hovered nearby like a spirit, watching, confused by Selina’s sudden regret.

Still, seeing the crisis averted, Vanessa couldn’t help but sigh in relief—though technically, she was in no state to actually breathe.

Truly, this time... she owed it all to her ancestor.