Why must the devil be Defeated?

"The use of 'Reincarnation Destiny' was not without cost."

Its consumption of magic power was terrifying, even just doubling one's power would consume an astonishing amount of magic power.

If it weren't for the fact that Shane's magic power was also superhuman, any regular person would be instantly drained dry as soon as they activated the 'Reincarnation Destiny' skill.

Even for someone with a scale of magic power like Luoqi, once she used 'Reincarnation Destiny' to double her power, it's feared that she could only maintain it for about ten minutes or so, right?

Under such circumstances, Shane only used 'Reincarnation Destiny' to double his power, and he really didn't want to increase his power any further.

As for the Holy Sword, that was not a force to be revealed under the watchful eyes of the public.

So, this time facing Moro, Shane had not planned to reveal all his cards.

After all, with Lilith holding the fort, Shane wasn't too worried.

No matter how strong Moro was, at most she was on the same level as himself, it was impossible for her to be more powerful than this strongest Evil God, who was comparable to a Demon.

With such thoughts, Shane felt little pressure.

To Shane, Moro was a troublesome opponent, but that was as far as it went.

To call this person a threat, Shane didn't really think so.

However, seeing Lilith completely swallowed by the black curtain made of her own evil energy, Shane only felt the blood in his body run cold.

Then, Shane erupted.

What consumption?

What couldn't be exposed?

All those considerations had already ceased to exist in Shane's mind.

At this moment, under the control of his boiling emotions, Shane burst forth with all his power.

"Boom——!"

Brilliant flames of light, like a surge in attention soaring to the heavens, ignited from Shane's body in an instant, shooting straight into the sky.

The atmosphere trembled.

Heaven and earth lamented for it.

In that instant, the light that burst forth from Shane was ten times what it had been before.

In other words, Shane had finally pushed 'Reincarnation Destiny' to its limit.

"Unsealing (Heresu)!"

Shane held up the Holy Sword high, loudly chanting the spell of liberation.

"Unsealing (Heresu)—!"

Before the seal on the Holy Sword had time to react, Shane chanted the spell a second time.

"Unsealing (Heresu)—!"

Right after, the third chant of the spell promptly followed.

Only then, atop the raised Holy Sword, layers of steel blades began to fall off, turning into ring after ring of swords, embedded into the hilt of the Holy Sword.

At this moment—the 'Strongest Holy Sword'—descended.

"Clang——!"

When that radiance, dazzling like the sun, sparkled from the blade of the Holy Sword, the colors of the sky were all replaced by a sheet of gold.

The holy radiance appeared above the Imperial Palace, as if intent on shining down upon the earth, descending from the heavens.

"————!"

Tielle held her breath.

"————!"

Cappelen's pupils contracted, her expression revealing shock.

"————!"

Rocque, Sarilo, Tilly, Geno, and others who were evacuating from the Imperial Palace, also widened their eyes at this brilliance, displaying disbelief.

"————!"

At this moment, this instant, all who saw that holy light and were reminded by it of deep memories etched into their souls, were as if they had witnessed the most inconceivable sight in the world, they were dumbstruck.

Even Moro had all her attention seized by the blinding light.

"Finally..."

She muttered, watching the Holy Sword emit a radiance thousands of miles wide, complex emotions for the first time surfacing in her eyes.

That was hate.

That was fear.

That was nostalgia.

That was wavering.

In that one second, a new Holy Sword, a new Hero, appeared before the eyes of the people in this world.

That glow, seemingly eternal into the future, all finally transformed into pure power, surging into Shane's body.

"Thump——!"

Shane's figure, ablaze with brilliant light, suddenly shook the void, shooting straight towards Moro.

"...!"

Moro finally regained her senses, wanting to move but it was already too late.

"Puchi!"

The Holy Sword, shining with golden light, streaked through like an ultimate flash from an Otherworld, slicing not only through space but as if through time as well, it cut through Moro's body before her consciousness could even catch up.

The golden slash instantly breached Moro's barrier of Death Qi, cutting through her Transcendent defensive power beneath the 'Death Spirit', from Moro's left shoulder straight to her right side.

That slash, like a monk's robe, caused Moro's skin and flesh to burst open in an instant.

Blood light, greatly emerged.

"Hmph...!"

Moro couldn't help but emit a stifled grunt as if struck by lightning.

The huge wound caused her entire body to shake violently, nearly causing her to crumble and fall from midair.

Holy Power from the Holy Sword directly invaded Moro's body, stirring within her.

The 'Death Spirit'—a being against the common sense of the world, created by crooked and devious means—faced the Holy Power of the Holy Sword that could restrain all evil, and was nearly melted like a snowflake nearing thousands of degrees of heat.

Intense pain then assaulted Moro's mind, both from the surface and inside, leaving her in agony.

Only then did Shane's figure appear before Moro.

"What have you done to Lilith?"

The voice, carrying overwhelming emotion, pierced into Moro's ears, leaving her as if she had fallen into an icy cave.

Shane, ablaze with fierce flames, glared at Moro and, without a word, unleashed another slash from the Holy Sword that radiated boundless light.

Time seemed, at that very moment, to declare a halt.

At least, in Moro's perception, it did.

Her pupils clearly reflected the sword light slashing toward her with a speed that she couldn't possibly react to.

That sword light, both beautiful and brilliant.

Frankly, it was the most beautiful slash Moro had ever seen in her life.

The slash almost stole away Moro's soul and mind, tempting her to immerse herself in it.

Even if the price to pay was her own life.

However, Moro quickly dispelled such thoughts with immense willpower.

The crisis that now appeared before her was, without a doubt, the greatest she had faced to date.

Her body was already ravaged by the power of the Holy Sword, shattered inside.

The pain that would have made an ordinary person faint instantly instead ignited the ferocity in Moro's heart.

"Sacrifice!"

In an act of desperation, Moro shouted and sacrificed the girl's dissevered body she had been clutching to the heavens and earth.

"Rumble..."

The world trembled.

An invisible force seeped out from the slowly rotating Magic Array in the sky and earth.

It rose like an intangible steam to the horizon.

It spread quickly like unfurling blood water, occupying the land.

The world seemed to sense something, causing the magic power to become chaotic.

For some reason, the sky darkened suddenly.

It wasn't darkened by clouds, nor the darkness of nightfall, but an ink-like, supreme darkness that blacked out the entire sky.

All the light in the world seemed to be stripped away by the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

Meanwhile, the earth began to change as well.

It turned red.

The soil became cinnabar.

The rocks turned into Crimson Iron.

The deep red, like blood, shockingly took over the land with astonishing speed.

Before long, the sky of the Empire was entirely darkened, and the land completely turned red.

This was — "When the sky is shrouded in darkness and the land becomes the Red Prison."

This was the prophecy left by the Supreme God.

It signified that the treasure, deeply buried under this land, had been awakened.

The Branch of Resurgence, the world's very first material body, appeared at this moment.

"Clang..."

As if it were all meant to be, as naturally as water flows in a channel, a light carrying an unimaginable power appeared between the red earth, drifting up into mid-air.

Then, it was enveloped by the Magic Array spread across the sky and earth.

When it reappeared, it was as if by Instant Teleportation, appearing in the arms of the gravely injured and dying Moro.

Immediately, it merged into Moro's body.

"————"

Moro's expression stalled.

Within her, a terrifying power fluctuation suddenly released.

...

Divine World.

At this moment, several beings at the apex of this world stirred as if awakened and abruptly looked up.

"This power..."

Nadura, who had been instructing an Elf girl, suddenly stood up.

"Is this...!?"

Anima, who was investigating something at the remote fringes of the Divine World, was also shocked.

"Ah!"

Lidas, about to step out of the Temple, shivered from the sudden sensation and, in her distraction, kicked the threshold, tumbling to the ground in pain and crying out loudly.

Beyond these, another Goddess, who had been working on some documents with a serious face, also sensed something and looked up in surprise.

"What exactly is this unusually peculiar power that is not inferior to mine?"

Inside the Divine World, the four Goddesses simultaneously felt the changes occurring in the Human Realm and were all filled with confusion, amazement, and incomprehension.

...

Demon Realm.

Like the Divine World, several beings at the pinnacle of this world also perceived something amiss.

"What is this power?"

In a castle, Sera emerged from her room, looking unto the sky of the Demon Realm with a face full of bafflement and uncertainty.

The other Demons too sensed something, to varying degrees.

"What's going on?"

Lide looked at the sky with a deeply solemn gaze.

"Hmm?"

Milu also showed a puzzled expression in her own territory.

"A power that can alarm the Demon Realm..."

A girl who arose from a swamp looked toward the sky and whispered to herself.

"It seems there's something quite interesting happening in the Human Realm."

A bewitching woman, surrounded by men with adoring gazes, laughed, her charm powerful enough to beguile all beings.

Finally, a little girl clutching a pillow also emerged from a castle, in the company of dragons bowing to her.

She peered into the sky, her eyes sparkling.

"I hope it's not trouble stirred up by that guy again."

And with a soft murmur from the girl, the dragons roared in unison.