Chapter 94
Two weeks before the Saintess Succession Ceremony, at Briarflower Monastery.
“Ugh……”
I was in the middle of carrying a pile of docunts while dripping with sweat.
Perhaps because of overwork, my arms trembled.
“Sister, let help you.”
A nun placed her hand on the stack of docunts.
Thanks to the lighter weight, I felt a bit relieved.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and smiled.
“Thank you.”
“It’s who should be thankful. You don’t know how much easier things have been because of you, Sister.”
The nun replied one after another with a worried look.
“But you’re overworking yourself. You should rest a little……”
I shook my head as if to deny her words, and spoke with an even brighter smile.
“No, not at all. It’s not hard for . It’s good exercise, and I couldn’t ask for more.”
“……”
The nun closed her mouth.
She knew I was lying.
The work I was solely responsible for included the monastery’s general affairs, planning, content managent, chapel operations, and storage organization.
I was so capable that I could handle even difficult tasks with ease.
Day after day, I labored tirelessly both physically and ntally, sacrificing my sleeping hours.
No human could avoid exhaustion.
And hadn’t I been doing this for nearly a year?
It was true that because I handled everything, the other nuns had an easier ti.
‘I want to tell Sister Angela to rest, but she won’t listen……’
No one had pushed to do it—I volunteered for service on my own.
I was so stubborn that no one could bend my will.
“Up we go.”
After moving the docunts, I participated in the opening ceremony.
When it ended, I took a placard out of my locker and headed to the Main Building.
After all, today’s recruitnt and promotional activity was also my responsibility.
“If you are interested in healing and wish to serve God with devotion, please co to Briarflower Monastery.”
I had even prepared a handmade placard, shouting toward the first-year students, when—
“Angela!”
A familiar voice called out from sowhere.
I turned my gaze to see my younger sister from back ho waving at .
She was the lovely sibling who had followed around since childhood, always calling “sister, sister.”
“Arowell!”
Overjoyed to see her face for the first ti since vacation, I ran toward her.
Next to Arowell stood several cadets who seed to be her friends……
And there was also ‘a certain man.’
He was tall, with pale skin that hinted at noble status, and a face devoid of expression.
His appearance alone gave off a terribly intimidating impression.
I couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Why would timid Arowell be with soone like him?’
Though I felt puzzled looking at him, I soon realized.
‘Ah, could it be……’
I instinctively felt that this man was the “one from the rumors.”
The man infamous for his exceptionally high notoriety.
‘The worst villain in this school.’
If pure evil existed, it would be none other than ‘Villed.’
Though it was my first ti seeing him in person, I knew plenty about him.
Countless students who had suffered at his hands had co to the monastery for counseling.
Since I was the one who always took charge of such matters, I had listened to all their stories and heard of Villed’s infamy directly from the victims.
‘A thoroughly wicked human.’
Yet, instead of disgust, my expression carried delight.
This was a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity.
Yes……
If I could make this monstrous villain repent……
All the credit would co back to .
‘A trendous opportunity has co my way.’
But one thing bothered .
Even after spending ti closely observing him, Villed’s behavior was much quieter than the notoriety I had heard about from victims.
Moreover, no new counseling requests about him had co in recently.
‘Did Arowell already make him repent? No, maybe he repented on his own.’
……But that didn’t matter in the slightest.
As long as people believed that I, Angela, was the one who led him to repentance.
I would take him to the monastery and make him repent in front of all the nuns.
With that thought, I tightly grasped both of Villed’s hands.
***
Kwaang―!
The vibration of the ground striking echoed.
Amid the billowing dust, I leisurely looked at Angela.
Whoosh―!
Angela’s attack pattern was to slam down on the player and, if it missed, swing her massive right arm in a full 360-degree arc.
Predicting that, I backstepped and narrowly avoided it.
The gust of wind from Angela swinging her arm swept over .
‘Each of her movents is huge, and so is the destructive power.’
At close range, it was hard to block such physical strength even with a sword.
‘If only I had a sturdy shield, things would have been much easier.’
Clicking my tongue in regret, I began to move according to the strategy.
Bang―!
Dodging Angela’s attack once more, I completely read her movents.
Because her upper body was abnormally larger than her lower body, Angela always staggered after attacking.
‘Her destructive power is great, but so is the recoil…… the counter-motion is huge.’
The delay that ca while Angela tried to regain her balance.
This short ti was the only chance to attack.
‘Thanks to Shurk’s ability, I can play a speedy hit-and-run style.’
There was no need to get greedy with many attacks.
I just needed to repeat dodging and striking, slowly chipping away at Angela’s health.
Fwoosh―!
Angela clasped her two arms together.
She twisted them like a pretzel, lengthened them, and raised them in a straight line.
Not missing the mont, I deliberately stepped into Angela’s attack range.
“Repent, brother in black clothes!”
As she brought her arms down in a straight smash.
I rushed toward Angela.
And before her arms could reach , I quickly rolled forward toward her waist.
Boom―!
After evading Angela’s strike, what caught my eye was her defenseless side.
Being a weak spot, it would surely deal heavy damage.
Slash―!
I swung the Fla Sword there.
“Arghhh!”
A shrill scream rang through the Chapel, proof of a critical hit.
The scent of burning white briarflowers stabbed my nose.
Abandoning the greed for follow-up attacks, I retreated from Angela before she could counter.
“Brother, are you rejecting the will of God?!”
Angela clenched her fists and leapt high into the air.
“Repent!”
Crash―!
She struck her arms down at , but there was no way I was still there.
While Angela was in the air, I rolled forward and positioned myself behind her.
Then I swiftly swung my sword at her back.
“Aaaaaghhh-!”
Angela scread and swung her left arm behind her.
But rembering the pattern, I had already dodged.
Everything was going smoothly.
I repeated her patterns and counterattacks over and over.
‘It’s about ti.’
By then, Angela was utterly exhausted.
As I reached out to the air, Hwayo’s card appeared in my hand.
‘This will be the last.’
From the golden magic circle torn open in the air, a blue lizard erged.
Paaahhh!
The dazzling light engulfed Angela.
“Aaahhh……!”
With a grotesque scream, Angela’s body collapsed forward.
Thud―!
The once pure-white monster was charred black.
As if battle had drained her, Angela dropped to her knees and bowed her head.
It was a pattern where she lost consciousness once her health was depleted.
I stepped closer to Angela.
……When you succeeded in clearing Angela in the ga, the choices split into two.
The first was to kill Angela imdiately and end the Briarflower Monastery episode.
The second was to enter the final phase and save Angela.
‘If I really had to choose……’
As I quietly looked down at Angela.
The light burning within the Heart of Ilawne faded.
I slipped the hand holding my weapon into my pocket.
And instead of the Heart of Ilawne, I pulled out an old music box.
‘Let’s go, final phase.’
Not killing Angela was not hypocrisy.
Nor was it pity for her corruption.
‘As a gar, I just wanted the best ending.’
If I had been on equal footing with the monstrous Angela, I would have chosen without hesitation to kill her.
Because my abilities would have only allowed that choice.
But……
I knew the exact ‘strategy’ to completely subdue her, and I even had the ‘power’ to overwhelm her.
That ant I had the luxury of choosing to spare her.
‘Let’s see the good ending where no one dies.’
The ability to make that choice was the ‘privilege’ that ca with my power.
A privilege given must be enjoyed.
Creak, creak……
I wound up the spring of the music box.
Instead of Angela’s voice, the old music box played the sound of the organ she once let hear.
♬~ ♩~ ♪~
After so ti, the monster’s fingers began to twitch.
“Ah……?”
The monster slowly raised her head.
“Here…… I…….”
And she looked around.
“Arowell? Sisters……?”
As if she could not believe it, Angela slowly touched her own face with her large arm.
“Ah……!”
Angela seed to recall everything.
“Ah, ahhh……. Ah……!”
Then pain found her.
Angela belatedly noticed the flas clinging to her body.
Her monstrous form began to lt and flow away.
“Is this the price for committing sin……!”
This was the final phase, ‘Fla of Repentance.’
Angela, overco with agony, looked up at the ceiling and scread.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to you as well……!”
She cried out.
But I spread my arms and embraced that massive monster.
The flas on Angela’s body clung to instead.
“……What are you doing? Let go of !”
Yet, it was not hot at all.
Though blazing fire engulfed , I only held her tighter.
“Why are you doing this, you’ll die!”
Still, it was not hot.
The massive monster lted smaller and smaller, and the space between my arms narrowed.
‘This should lessen her pain.’
By holding her, I helped disperse the flas clinging to her body.
Cost 4 consud – Borrowing Pau’s regeneration temporarily.
Your exhausted body regains vitality, new flesh grows over wounds.
Health is restored, and all abnormal states are removed.
Each ti I gathered 4 cost, I used Pau’s skill on Angela.
In this infernal blaze, I had to endure until the monster’s body lted completely away.
“……I repent.”
As the monster’s body lted away, its size diminished.
“My attempt to make Brother Villed repent was purely because of my own desire.”
Angela’s tainted mind was gradually returning.
“If I could make the vile Brother Villed repent, all the credit would be mine. I was certain that would make the Saintess. But I failed.”
Her plan to reform Villed had gone wrong, and impatience had consud her.
Her faith and confidence in herself must have crumbled too.
That was why she lost her chance to be the Saintess.
“Because of my greed, I hard my sisters. I even wronged Arowell.”
Angela sobbed.
“I am a monster. My current form is so hideous!”
Angela wept, consud by self-reproach.
“I have committed an irredeemably great sin……!”
Hearing her wails, I answered with disdain.
“Why is it irredeemable?”
“……?”
Before I knew it, the massive monster had completely lted away.
“No matter how great the sin, if you repent sincerely, it’s enough.”
Angela’s true form, hidden within the monstrous body, was revealed.
“You were the one who said that.”
Her blue eyes, longing for salvation, turned toward .
“If you wish to regret your sins, then repent.”
“……”
Angela’s breath trembled.
As she slowly bowed her head and closed her eyes, tears stread down.
“……I repent.”
With the first drop of her tears falling to the ground.
The black current surging through the monastery vanished.
A dazzling radiance engulfed the surroundings.
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