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The demon boss is now left to Black Lily, and I can just focus on my own tasks.

No matter how strong the God of the Dead is, Black Lily, alongside the user, is quite powerful.

As Uriel thought this, she was just about to leave the Demon Realm.

“Wait a moment.”

“…?”

“Uriel? Come over here.”

Black Lily called out to her.

The door beyond the universe may have closed, but she still had some faint power left.

─It seems better to answer just enough and move on.

…Let’s at least respond.

The opponent is not a real user but a boss monster.

While I respect her to some extent as an avatar of Lady Lily, I cannot let my guard down since she fundamentally is an ‘enemy.’

“So what do you want to show me…?”

“What do you mean? We need to catch the God of the Dead before it’s too late, now that everything is ready.”

“Eh? Isn’t that something Black Lily should…”

“Oh dear. Isn’t it a bit too much for me to handle alone? We’re part of an ‘alliance’ after all, so we should catch it together. Hehe…”

Black Lily said, giving a grin while glancing at the other users who were standing awkwardly.

If we include the users who returned after resurrection, about ten people would be participating in the battle.

Each one is a high-level ranker, but compared to the God of the Dead, they’re practically bugs.

The assumption that we would be ‘catching it together’ is fundamentally flawed.

Uriel shook her head as she felt an inexplicable sense of disgust.

“…I don’t think our power will be of much help? Compared to the demon boss—”

“Oh, come on. Just having you next to me will help. Didn’t you see before? The God of the Dead couldn’t use any of his abilities?”

“In that case, it doesn’t have to be anyone specific. Any user could just stand beside you.”

“Sure, that’s true. But the fight in the God of the Dead’s domain will be fierce. I really need a skilled user.”

“Why would that be…!”

─Don’t get worked up.

…Phew.

Stay calm.

Although Black Lily’s gaze seemed to settle a bit, being excited doesn’t help the situation.

No matter how great a user is, they’re still just bugs in the end.

Even if it isn’t Uriel herself, as long as she receives protection from Black Lily like before, she would survive on the battlefield.

Uriel maintained her calm as the Holy Presence of the God of Balance shone brightly within her, recalling one important fact.

‘Right.’

“Master of the Magic Tower!”

“Master of the Magic Tower?”

“Master of the Magic Tower Neris is your subordinate, so why don’t we take her along? I think there’s no reason to take all of us there when she can handle it alone, especially with her abilities.”

“How strange. Isn’t this an opportunity to catch the demon lord? The rewards would be tremendous!”

“……”

Rewards.

I certainly do feel tempted.

The demon lord must be at least level 200, and the weapons, equipment, or items dropped from such a boss would be beyond imagination.

Perhaps there could even be grades above ‘transcendence.’

But…

─There’s a more precious glory waiting, so I don’t need the wicked power of evil.

…It’s meaningless.

From the moment I chose the angels, anything related to evil became completely useless.

Uriel stood proudly, absorbing the radiant light of holy power.

“I don’t need it. What I have to do in the future is much more important.”

“Hmm… What exactly is that?”

“I can’t tell you.”

If I say I’m going to go after Lily, Black Lily might intervene.

Of course, while Lily and Black Lily can’t exactly be regarded as on the same side, since they share the same ‘Lily’ name, I had to be cautious.

Black Lily nodded and took out a staff from the air, swirling it once in the air.

Then, a dark purple aurora spread across the sky.

This was a phenomenon caused by Black Lily’s magic, not the God of the Dead’s ability.

A sense of foreboding surged.

“That’s enough. I was unsure if it was a forced possession or cooperation, but I think I understand now.”

“Okay, then I’ll just…”

“What are you plotting by inhabiting the body of a bug, you mentioned?”

“…What?”

The sky began to shift.

After the God of the Dead was neutralized, the Demon Realm of the Four Lords operated solely under Black Lily’s management.

Countless stars from the night sky looked down on Uriel.

It felt as if the starlight itself was dripping down.

I was momentarily dumbfounded by the overwhelming spectacle, as another phrase etched itself into my soul.

─Run away.

Flap!!

Uriel immediately spread her two-wings and soared into the air.

Even though she exhausted all her holy power fighting the wild dogs, for some reason, the divine essence was overflowing.

No, it was even three times greater than before.

‘Is it because the opponent is strong?’

Does the power of balance increase with the strength of the opponent?

‘…No.’

Not at all.

The change in Uriel began the moment she heard the phrase etched into her soul from earlier.

─This place is nothing less than the belly of an author; do what you do best.

The voice of someone she kept hearing from earlier!

At first, she’d sensed something strange, but at some point, she started accepting the words as if they were her own ‘thoughts.’

Uriel felt fear yet simultaneously recalled a similar energy.

‘…The God of the Dead?’

The inherent attributes were completely opposite, but the energy itself was akin to that of the God of the Dead.

If that’s the case, then what’s possessed within her soul right now…?

─You have a lot of distracting thoughts, just like your older sister. I’ll help you out.

Beeeeep──

“…Inventory.”

The space opened.

Since the surrounding area was as if entirely in Black Lily’s grasp, breaking through was impossible.

Even the nearest dimension gate would take at least 30 minutes to fly to, even if she managed to make it there, they’d have already blocked her.

So, there’s only one way.

‘Using the System!’

In Uriel’s hands, a button imbued with the power of ‘forced logout’ appeared.

It was a consumable item with a red button sitting atop a silver disc.

Just as Uriel was about to think of ‘using it’—

“Oh dear. That won’t do.”

Clatter!

Uriel’s arm disappeared.

No, it was the ‘space’ where her arm existed that flew beyond the dimension.

Gritting her teeth, Uriel tried to pull out another ‘forced logout’ button…

“……”

“I told you it won’t work.”

This time, her entire inventory closed off.

No matter what trick was used, the user’s autonomous pocket dimension, the inventory, could not be opened.

Seeing Black Lily smile subtly, Uriel’s eyes completely turned over.

The colossal entity lurking behind her soul began to fully occupy her body, transcending the forced possession.

Flap.

Three wings spread behind Uriel.

A semi-transparent, colossal balance appeared behind her, whose strength was at least upper-level.

A holy existence that radiated presence even in a world filled with magic.

“God of Balance.”

The boss of the angels, a calamity comparable to the God of the Dead.

A part of it had embedded itself in Uriel’s body.

“I don’t understand.”

“So, you’re not even going to hide it anymore?”

“Your objective is simply to catch the demon race and the God of the Dead. There’s no reason to fight with me.”

“There’s no reason not to kill a passing celestial.”

“Wasn’t your enemy the demon race?”

Lily abhors the celestial race, while Black Lily detests the demon race.

That’s why Lily was rampaging and wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Realm, and Black Lily was doing the same.

Black Lily chuckled and shook her head.

“It seems that while our priorities might differ, we both agree that both should die.”

“…Is that so?”

“Besides, from the moment you inhabited the user’s body, annihilation was already foretold? Self-proclaimed.”

“……”

“To call yourself the God of Balance just because you’re labeled that—how ludicrous is that?”

The real God of Balance, Statera, of the Eight Seats, is already dead.

What’s left is just a high-tier celestial who merely inherited the ‘heritage’ of the God of Balance.

“Not true? Originally, I was only an Intermediate or an Upper-level, but I have attained this position due to inheritance?”

“You speak as if you’ve grown differently.”

“This side feels it isn’t suitable to have died yet, so I hardly consider it a genuine death, do you?”

“Arrogant you are.”

Clatter!

The balance moved.

As Black Lily reacted instantly and prepared to exert her strength, Uriel’s neck was snapped.

“?!”

It wasn’t Black Lily who did that.

It was the one claiming to be the God of Balance residing in Uriel’s body.

As the self-killed Uriel ascended to the scales, she emitted a brilliant light, causing the balance to teeter.

Laughter echoed from the balance.

─To kill a being of light under contract, how grave is the sin of darkness.

“…Is it you who killed it?”

─A fragment of the fallen star. You will receive your punishment from those belonging to the light.

The balance shattered along with the light.

Black Lily attempted to catch it with her strength, but the heritage of the Eight Seats made it impossible.

While she considered using her cold-power, she shook her head.

‘The loss is too great.’

Even if she succeeded, it was uncertain whether she’d be able to hold it, plus it wasn’t even an allowed power to begin with.

A pang…

There still remained a faint chill in Black Lily’s palm.

She looked up at the sky.

The God of the Dead, recovering from her injuries, was trying to rise again.

And from afar, something was singing, the God of Balance.

She couldn’t block everything.

No matter how strong Black Lily may be, there are limits.

“…I have no choice but to believe.”

May Lily recover quickly.

She had to believe.

 

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