As sinners were dragged toward the pyres one by one amid piercing screams, the emotions of the crowd in the square were pushed to a fanatical breaking point.
Seeing that it was almost Katy’s turn, Gray grit his teeth.
One hand was already resting on the hilt of the long blade at his waist, his thumb pushing against the handguard.
Before the faint sound of the blade unsheathing could spread, swirling rose petals wrapped around his wrist.
“Don’t forget, Gray,”
Lobelia’s voice rang in his ear, carrying a hint of warning and coldness.
“This premium seat was only given to you because the Church respects my standing.”
“This is Lothric Cathedral. Even if you plan to be disrespectful to the Goddess, you should at least show some respect to your former teammate, shouldn’t you?”
One had to know that if a premium seat for Execution Day were put up for auction, it could sell for a high price of over 100 silver coins — enough to cover more than six months of food for an average working family.
Gray did not answer her.
He only gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles turning white as the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
Lobelia shook her head helplessly and was about to look away.
However, the moment she turned her head, she froze.
Deep within those iron-gray eyes that were usually gentle and perhaps a bit dull, she clearly saw a fleeting flash of pale blue lightning.
‘He wouldn’t actually be planning to make a move, would he? This is the same Gray who was so cowardly he didn’t dare say a single word when the Dawn Blade disbanded.’
It was probably an illusion.
Either she was crazy, or this guy was.
“Sinner Katy, step forward!”
The raspy voice of the Black-robed Bishop interrupted her thoughts.
Two tall Inquisitors escorted the blonde girl to the front of the stage.
The Bishop opened the code of law, his voice echoing over the square.
“The sinner, Katy! Her crimes are — being a suspected spy of the Demon Race capable of Resonance with Mana, and a heretic who uses foul sorcery to bewitch the people!”
An uproar broke out among the crowd below, and hushed discussions spread everywhere.
To those who were born and raised in an era of peace and were not Heroes, “Demon Race” was a distant term that usually only appeared in stories told after tea or dinner.
Most people looked at the seemingly harmless, or even overly beautiful, girl on the stage.
It was difficult to associate her with the images of the monsters seen in the Labyrinth Stream.
Perhaps because of the commotion in public opinion, or perhaps because she was the person Lobelia had brought, the Black-robed Bishop made an exception and closed the code.
“The Goddess is merciful. Sinner, before the judgment, I will give you one chance to defend yourself.”
The entire square fell silent.
Hundreds, thousands of eyes stared at the girl standing in the Bishop’s shadow.
Katy took a deep breath and looked up.
Facing the two Inquisitors clad in heavy armor and holding torture implements, she showed no sign of stage fright.
Her azure eyes looked directly into the Bishop’s cloudy pupils, and her voice was clear and firm.
“I admit, I did indeed guide Mana.”
“But that was to save innocent people whose lives were endangered by a curse. If I hadn’t done that, they might have died. In that situation, as a Priest, I had no other choice.”
This time, the square completely exploded.
Even the two expressionless Inquisitors could not hide their surprise.
No one expected her to admit it so frankly, and even fewer believed that a fragile girl could resonate with Mana, which belonged only to the Demon Race, let alone claim she did it to save people.
Gray’s long blade had already left its scabbard by half an inch, its cold light glinting.
But in the next second, the back of his hand was pinned down firmly by an exquisite conductor’s baton.
“Don’t get excited, Gray,”
Lobelia narrowed her eyes, a hint of excitement in her voice.
“This is the path she chose for herself.”
Unlike the young man whose expression was so dark it looked like it could drip ink, Katy acted as if she couldn’t hear the overwhelming tide of doubt around her.
Her face remained unchanged.
“I believe that the All-Knowing and all-powerful Goddess will make a just ruling.”
Facing the girl’s self-defense, the Bishop remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he called the two Inquisitors over.
They discussed in low voices for a while, occasionally casting inquiring glances toward Lobelia in the VIP section.
Lobelia merely smiled without a word and made a gesture that said “Go ahead.”
Finally, the discussion ended.
The Black-robed Bishop turned back to face the crowd and announced the verdict.
“Although, logically, only the Demon Race can resonate with Mana and the sinner Katy should be executed immediately, since she insists it was for a good cause, and the Inquisitors and I have not detected the aura of the Demon Race on her, then…”
“The final right of judgment shall be handed over to the Goddess to decide.”
Lobelia smiled with satisfaction.
This was essentially a polite way of announcing a death sentence.
All that remained was to go through the motions of an act of contrition and prayer under the holy statue.
Once the Goddess’s statue showed no reaction, they could rightfully tie the girl to the pyre and have Gray be the one to light the fire.
Of course, if this guy dared to raid the execution ground, she was prepared to take him down and discipline him properly as well.
Following the Bishop’s verdict, a twisted human desire to see this “Saint” burned at the stake began to spread rapidly among the onlookers.
“Witch! She’s a witch!”
“Burn her! Burn this member of the Demon Race!”
Amid the overwhelming shouts, Gray felt the hand holding his sword trembling violently.
Just as he was about to break free from Lobelia’s restraint and rush forward, the girl on the stage suddenly turned her head.
Across the crowd of heads and the waves of malice, she gave him a reassuring smile.
Then, Katy slowly walked to the giant holy statue of the Goddess.
She lifted her skirt and knelt down elegantly and devoutly.
At this moment, if someone said Katy wasn’t panicked at all, they would definitely be lying.
But she wasn’t unprepared.
The good news was that neither the Inquisitors nor the Black-robed Bishop had seen through her identity as a member of the Demon Race.
This proved that the disguise left by the Demon King was very effective.
What she had to do next was perform a divine manifestation of the Goddess in front of these people.
The girl closed her eyes and pressed her hands together.
Her plan was simple.
Since the Mana in her body hadn’t been detected, she would simply convert all the Mana in her body into light elements in one go and release them.
She would turn herself into a giant light bulb.
Let’s see who dares to call her a member of the Demon Race then!
***
A girl kneeling before the holy statue in devout prayer, contrasted with the surrounding believers ignited by fanaticism and killing intent — what a mocking disparity.
Gray let out a soft sigh.
Lobelia immediately turned her head and warned him as a reflex.
“If you dare to act rashly, even you will —”
Before she could finish, she froze.
Gray’s expression had changed.
It wasn’t the expected rage or despair, but… surprise?
Immediately after, the shouts of the surrounding crowd also changed.
The fanatical cries for death were gradually diluted by gasps of shock.
Following Gray’s gaze, Lobelia looked toward the center of the grounds.
“This… this is impossible…”
A giant hole had opened up at some point in the originally gloomy and thick clouds in the sky.
Golden sunlight poured down in a straight line, landing directly on the girl kneeling at the feet of the holy statue.
‘A coincidence! It must be a coincidence!’
The probationary Cardinal grit her teeth fiercely.
Katy was clearly just a soul-stealing spy for the Demon Race.
How could she trigger the Goddess’s pity?
But as if reality insisted on opposing her, under the unbelievable gazes of countless people, golden specks of light began to gather within that pillar of light.
Finally, a Crown of Thorns slowly emerged from the radiance above the girl’s head.
The entire square fell into a deathly silence.
Even the code of law in the Black-robed Bishop’s hand hit the ground with a thud.
Meanwhile, Katy, bathed in the miracle and the sunlight, seemed to have fallen asleep.
Her head was bowed, and she showed no reaction to her surroundings.
‘Ugh, I still have to kneel and pray. This is so annoying.’
‘Almighty Goddess, may you forgive my sins… I don’t even know if the way people pray in this world is different from Earth. What if the Goddess can’t understand me?’
‘At the end of the day, I’m a member of the Demon Race now. The Goddess is a deity of the opposing side. I should be praying to His Majesty the Demon King. What’s the point of asking the enemy boss for help?’
‘The floor is so cold. My knees and feet are freezing. Isn’t the Church supposed to spread the Goddess’s mercy? This is a bit too inhumane.’
‘Well, what was I expecting from a Church in another world? I should think about how to escape next.’
‘Actually, if I transform into Noctiluca right now and fly away at full speed, these humans most likely won’t be able to catch me. But then the task given by the Demon King will be ruined, not to mention how devastated Gray would be.’
‘Gray… Sigh, that guy is really a handful. He’s a man over 6 feet tall and his strength isn’t weak, so why is he so prone to being sentimental?’
While praying, Katy’s train of thought somehow slid toward Gray without her even noticing.
‘I am the great Calamity Pillar, Noctiluca! If it weren’t for the sake of taking care of that guy’s fragile heart, I could have thought of a hundred different violent ways to escape long ago! Would I really need to be kneeling here and freezing?’
‘Gray, oh Gray. If you hadn’t insisted on fighting the 13th Dungeon back then, you wouldn’t be here now, with a face full of pain at an execution site, watching the girl you care about walk toward the gallows amid overwhelming malice.’
‘In the end, why do you like Katy? Is it just because that girl gave you a bit of insignificant help and a smile when you were at your lowest?’
‘Gray is such a fool. He has no idea that the pure girl named Katy he’s so worried about doesn’t even exist in this world. She’s just an illusion performed by his nemesis, Noctiluca.’
‘It’s like… a butterfly chasing colorful soap bubbles created by a bug catcher.’
‘As expected, it’s better to be a member of the Demon Race. Humans are just easily shackled by these stupid and heavy emotions.’
‘…Forget it. He already seems a bit slow. What if my other prayers don’t come true but this one does?’
‘If there really is a Goddess in this world, then please protect this idiot. Don’t let him make that face like the sky is falling anymore. Just let him live a bit more happily.’
***
The prayer ended.
Katy sighed in her heart and prepared to start implementing her “artificial sun” plan.
‘…Wait, why has it been quiet for so long? That Bishop still hasn’t started the execution? It’s too quiet around here.’
The girl opened her eyes in confusion.
What met her eyes was not the cathedral square, and the giant stone statue in front of her had vanished without a trace.
She was kneeling in the middle of a vast, mirror-like lake.
Above her head was a deep sky reflecting the galaxy, and beneath her feet was a water surface that clearly reflected her own bewildered face.
The execution ground, the fanatical audience, the Black-robed Bishop, the Inquisitors… even Gray and Lobelia had disappeared without a trace.
It was as if she were the only person left between heaven and earth.
“…Eh?”