Chapter 227

Only one 【Firmament】 Barrier could exist at a time. The barrier at the border fortress had been broken, which meant that 【Firmament】 could now be reactivated.

A glimmer of light appeared at the edge of Sheffy’s vision. She looked up at the enormous magic array forming a hundred meters above her head, stepped out of the wooden cabin, and tread lightly on the snow without any intention of dodging.

“No problem with this?” Sheffy pointed at the magic array spanning over a hundred meters in the sky and asked back, “Using that will completely give away your location, won’t it? Aren’t you afraid the army will come to hunt you down?”

“Is the army scarier than you, damn Princess!”

“‘Damn’…?! I just realized—you’ve been cursing me this whole time, haven’t you?!”

“Enough talk! You’re staying here forever! Monster!”

It didn’t matter anymore if the commotion got him discovered.

At worst, the army arriving would ruin the plan. But if he got caught here by Princess Sheffy, everything would be over.

Even if it couldn’t completely seal her, he had to trap her within 【Firmament】 and buy time to escape—then reassess the situation!

——【Firmament】

High-concentration magic particles screeched sharply as they collided with the air. The aerial magic array stopped spinning and suddenly unleashed ten thousand beams of golden light toward the ground!

Murof, dragging his nearly shattered body, scrambled and rolled to escape the range of 【Firmament】.

At the instant the sealing magic poured down like a mighty waterfall, Murof, having crawled to safety, turned back to look at Sheffy, who remained perfectly still as the magic closed in.

“Haha…! Witch! You let your guard down! Did you think that was all I had? You’ll fall because of your arrogant underestimation! It’s too late to run now!”

“……”

Murof widened his eyes, eager to witness the moment his magic sealed the Six Wings in glory.

But what happened next…

Was something he couldn’t comprehend at all.

Sheffy stood still within the golden light, doing nothing.

She simply crossed her six wings and raised them above her head.

From the tips of the black feathers, layers of dark purple vortices bloomed outward, resisting the golden brilliance trying to engulf and consume her.

At first, under the immense force of the sealing magic, these purple vortices seemed insignificant—like futile resistance.

But in the span of just a few blinks…

The vortices had become an ocean.

This was clearly the ground, yet what Murof saw before him looked as if the entire world had sunk to the bottom of a deep purple sea.

Like a painted canvas, the dreamy purple pushed back the feeble golden light toward the sky—without the slightest obstruction—reversing course to swallow, shatter, and destroy the magic array suspended in the air.

It was no longer clear who was prey and who was predator, who was resisting whom.

Murof once again witnessed a “world” beyond his comprehension.

And even having seen it, he still couldn’t understand it.

When all was calm again, it was still the same snowy field, the same half-collapsed wooden cabin.

Only, 【Firmament】 had dissipated, and the purple light was gone.

As if nothing had happened—yet everything had mysteriously reached its conclusion.

“What… did you do?”

Sheffy no longer answered him.

She spread her lifted black wings once more, extending them to either side.

She walked slowly toward Murof. Each firm yet light footstep in the snow sounded like a countdown to Murof’s death.

For the first time in his life, Murof tasted the flavor of despair.

Only now did he realize—perhaps he had never even glimpsed the world he had imagined!

Kicking weakly at the snow with unsteady legs to retreat, Murof’s terrified expression could no longer be hidden. His warning cries, instead of intimidating, sounded more like desperate pleas for mercy.

“Don’t come closer… don’t come closer…! Ahhh, my lord, save me…! I just didn’t want to spend my whole life stuck in this cursed place… I just didn’t want to…!”

—Whoosh!

Murof vanished on the spot.

His voice abruptly cut off. After a brief flicker of an afterimage, his body disappeared in an instant.

【Teleportation】

Sheffy had sent him to a prison cell hastily erected ten li away by the Second Army Corps.

There, of course, professionals responsible for judging war criminals would assign him his verdict, and Belith knew exactly how to handle things in the most appropriate way.

With a casual wave of her hand, wind and snow swept across the scene, covering the glaring pool of blood in the snow.

Only after all traces of blood were completely buried did Sheffy’s slightly trembling hand finally calm.

—Of course, she reached into her pocket and touched the gold coins inside. The crisp clinking sounds of the coins rubbing against each other brought her considerable psychological comfort.

She’d come here to capture someone, and she had done so efficiently—but Sheffy was self-aware.

She truly wasn’t suited for killing.

While apprehending this war criminal just now, Sheffy had been deliberately holding back her strength, afraid that with a single careless blow, she might splatter him into paste.

If that had happened, she would’ve had nightmares.

So, Belith, don’t go saying you’re useless. There are far too many things you can help me do.

“Ugh… complaining about this, complaining about that—what, you think you’re the only one with problems?”

With both hands behind her head, Sheffy turned around. She didn’t feel the slightest bit of pity for Murof.

He had wanted to climb higher, but he didn’t understand that those in high positions bore their own burdens—and had no one to confide in.

Murof had come from a prestigious family to begin with. If he had been unhappy with life on the frontier, he could have resigned and returned to the Royal Capital to waste away. But instead, he claimed the Demon King treated him unfairly, and in pursuit of his own ambition, trampled lives underfoot and looked down on everything.

A true leader might be ruthless—but never this shallow.

Humming a little tune to soothe her mood, Sheffy spread her wings, planning to enjoy the scenery along the way before returning to meet up with Belith.

But at that moment…

A single strand of Sheffy’s silver hair sprung up sharply!

She halted, a sudden irritability welling up in her chest.

Tch…

Seemed like trouble was coming.

As that thought surfaced, a childish voice echoed behind Sheffy.

It echoed faintly, as though resonating directly within her mind.

“As expected, Demon Clan idiots are all so unreliable… Little Sister Sheffy, you’re so kind. Even though he interrupted your nap, you mercifully spared his life on the spot? Hee… was it that you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, or do you just find killing distasteful and didn’t want your hands tainted by blood again?”

“Who are you calling your sister… disgusting.”

She turned her head.

Seemed far, and yet seemed close.

Long golden hair shimmered with light, its length trailing across the snow.

A loose robe, woven from threads glowing with a mysterious golden hue, looked as if it were sewn from myth itself.

Her heterochromatic eyes—one emerald, one pale gold—reflected Sheffy’s figure.

She smiled, but no emotion rippled beneath it.

Barefoot in the snow, wearing a satisfied expression, a little girl walked slowly toward Sheffy.

She was speaking as she did.

It sounded almost like she was singing.

57. Probing

Even if her appearance had changed, no longer the indistinct golden sphere of light from before—

That repulsive aura rushing toward her felt just the same to Sheffy as ever.

Sheffy’s eyes showed unrestrained disdain and loathing.

Toward this figure who’d constantly schemed from the shadows, she had no intention of showing any goodwill.

“Turning into a child and changing the way you speak—what kind of twisted hobby is that supposed to be…?”

“Aiya… I was merely trying to adapt to how people speak in your era, that’s all. You… mm, you don’t like it?”

“Disgusting.”

“How cruel. Mmh, you’re right, I suppose I find it disgusting too. But… you still managed to recognize me in an instant? Even though I went out of my way to spruce up this external form? Well… ‘external form’, but in truth, this is what I originally looked like at the time of my birth.”

The golden-haired little girl spun in place, as if she truly wanted Sheffy to appreciate her appearance.

“Even if a big fish is reduced to ashes, it’s still a big fish. Just because you’re no longer a glowing ball of light doesn’t mean I can’t recognize you. It’s you—Aimeren.”

“My name is Aimeris, you rotten thing.”

“……”

She wasn’t good at remembering names. Yell at her all you want—it still wouldn’t stick.

Although she was in a rush to head back and check whether Xiarette and the others had returned, Sheffy now found herself unable to just leave.

After all—

The true mastermind had appeared in person.

Sheffy quietly assessed the golden-haired girl standing across from her. Aimeris’ true form was smiling. Even though her magical presence stirred intense disgust in Sheffy, in terms of appearance alone, this vessel was quite cute.

Long eyebrows, heterochromatic eyes, a doll-like delicate face, waist-length hair trailing across the ground shimmering brightly, gilded dress, bare feet in the snow—tiny toes translucent, pale, and unreddened by the cold.

Had it been her past life with her lolicon tendencies, Sheffy might’ve been tempted to admire her a little.

Ahem…! But now, Sheffy had reformed!

With a snap of her fingers, a 【Storage】 magic black hole appeared.

She pulled out a wooden chair, planted it steadily in the snow, then flopped down carelessly with legs crossed, waiting for this uninvited guest to speak.

“So? You came out on your own—here to cause trouble? Honestly… you’d better start thinking about how you’re going to run. I’m feeling a little pissed off right now.”

“Oh ho… someone who dares sit before a god—Sheffy, you are the first since the primordial age.” Aimeris’s brows creased as if displeased, but her smile returned in the next instant. “Still, I shall forgive your insolence.”

“Well, I sure do appreciate that.”

The playful remark fell—

But wild snowflakes suddenly surged into a storm.

The snow blanketing the ground seemed to gain a soul of its own, roaring and churning around Aimeris.

Beneath her silver fringe, Sheffy lowered her gaze, a dark glint flickering in her eyes.

Unlike her usual easygoing demeanor, at this moment, she radiated the absolute dignity befitting the Demon Clan Princess.

“What you plan to do—I don’t care. But I need one promise from you.”

“I shall allow you to voice your desire.”

“Whatever it is you’re planning—don’t let it affect me. Or anyone around me. No… judging by what happened today, you’ve already crossed the line.”

“Heh… and what of it? My vision cares not for any obstacles. What, are you arrogant enough to challenge a god?”

“How will I know if it’s possible, unless I try?”

“Hmm…?”

【Tenfold Sealing Barrier: Super Soul Annihilation】

BOOM————

The world lost all color.

Only black and white remained.

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