The Goddess's Might Saves the World - Chapter 3

“WHOOSH—!”
The entire sea surface heaved and the massive cluster of tentacles, like countless black towers, lunged simultaneously toward the shore. The sight was terrifying—the world itself seemed to collapse. An infinite shadow blotted out the sky, silencing the rain, the thunder, and the waves. All that remained was suffocating darkness.
The Hero’s eyes pinched shut in horror. He could only force a hoarse, despairing cry past his lips:
“Ah… how… how could anyone stop that?!”
He stumbled back instinctively, his feet skidding on the wet rock, nearly sending him tumbling into the boiling sea. A cold dread shot up his spine. He realized instantly: this wasn’t a battle; it was ‘annihilation’.
“Hero!”
The Goddess’s voice sliced through the storm. She didn’t retreat; she took a step forward. Her silver hair was plastered to her face by the deluge, but her eyes shone like brilliant stars.
The Holy Light upon her Holy Core flared up abruptly, bursting like a lighthouse in the tempest.
“—Holy Protection Bulwark!”
Light instantly streamed from her chest, forming a colossal, semi-circular shield that enveloped the Hero. The churning mass of tentacles slammed down with a deafening, earth-shattering roar.
BOOM—!
The coastline shuddered as if hit by an earthquake. Rocks flew, waves reversed, and the Hero was thrown to his knees.
“Cough… cough! T-this is… a mythical-grade defense…!” His face was slick with rain and tears, and he clutched his head, yet he couldn’t resist sneaking a peek.
The tentacles lashed out wildly, strike after punishing strike. The bulwark trembled violently, cracks spreading everywhere. Though the light was sacred, it began to falter against the boundless power of the darkness.
“Goddess… it won’t hold!” the Hero cried urgently, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Yet Lumina stood unshaken. She spread her arms, and the light of her Holy Core grew even more dazzling.
“If this Holy Core retreats even a step, the Abyss will seize everything. I… will never yield!”
BOOM—!
The Holy Light erupted again, a milky-white torrent that forcefully shoved the tentacles back dozens of yards like a reversing waterfall.
The Hero’s eyes were wide, completely speechless. The Goddess before him was an entity contending with Heaven and Earth. Even as the rain lashed her face and her silver armour clung soaked to her skin, she stood tall and unmoving, a living wall against destruction.
However, a colossal eye in the Abyss glimmered with evil light, coldly observing the scene.
As it gazed, even more tentacles poured from the seabed; their number had doubled again.
The Hero’s hope sank completely. He gripped the Holy Sword tightly, his throat trembling, and whispered:
“If even this Holy Core is swallowed… is the world truly lost?”
The Goddess heard him but didn’t turn back. She simply whispered, offering both comfort and a proclamation to the world:
“No, the Holy Core is infinite. Even if the Abyss opens its great maw, it will be pulled into my Sacred Aegis and crushed.”
With her whisper, the Holy Light swelled once more, colliding head-on with the dark tide of tentacles.
The downpour, the thunder, the wild waves, the tentacles, the Holy Light torrent—everything erupted simultaneously, turning the sea trench into the genuine End of the World.
“WHOOSH—!”
A giant wave crashed again, shaking the entire shore until the rocks fractured. In that instant, the first tentacle shot out, like a black dragon baring its fangs, lunging straight for Lumina.
She immediately unfurled her Holy Wings. Silver feathers shone with sacred light, and with a sweep, she cut through the rain curtain, attempting to drive the tentacle back.
“Stand down—!”
However, in the next second, a second, a third, and countless tentacles surged out simultaneously, moving so fast they were reduced to blurs. They wrapped around her wrists and ankles like ferocious vipers, their suction cups latching on like iron chains, locking her in place.
“Ugh…!”
Lumina frowned. Her wings flapped desperately, Holy Light flashing, and huge ripples spread from the seawater. But the number of tentacles was overwhelming; they coiled tighter and tighter, forcefully dragging her entire body away from the shore and pulling her violently toward the Abyss.
“Stop—!”
The Hero yelled from the shore, desperately trying to rush forward, but another tentacle slammed down, splashing seawater several feet high. He was flung several metres away by the impact, utterly disheveled.
“Stop it! Let her go—!”
The Goddess was dragged airborne, rain pouring off her body, her silver hair whipping wildly in the wind. The light of her Holy Core flickered as she tried to cast a Holy spell, but more tentacles immediately bound her waist, abdomen, shoulders, and neck. Dozens of black whips formed a net, restraining her until she couldn’t move.
“This power… is heavier than I anticipated…” she murmured softly. Her voice was still calm, but a hint of strain had appeared in her expression.
BOOM—!
The wave exploded violently, and her body was dragged entirely beneath the surface by the tentacles, instantly vanishing under the raging torrent.
“Goddess—!”
The Hero’s heart seized with sudden pain, his voice swallowed by the downpour and the waves. He scrambled to his feet in panic, his tears mixing with the rain, trembling all over, but could only watch helplessly as she was consumed by the black tentacles into the sea trench.
Only massive, swirling foam and waves remained on the surface, and that colossal eye, glimmering in the Abyss, coldly watched the Hero on the ground. Its gaze was part mockery, part cold judgement.
“No… impossible… she was actually…!” The Hero’s lips trembled. He gripped the Holy Sword tightly but found he lacked the strength to lift it, his knees buckling onto the slick reef again as a profound sense of helplessness overwhelmed him for the first time.
BOOM—!
The sea surface suddenly exploded, as if the entire ocean had been flipped over. The Hero watched in terror from the shore, his eyes reflecting a suffocating sight.
In the Abyss, countless tentacles were tightly wrapped around Lumina’s body. The black whips not only locked her limbs but also coiled around her waist, abdomen, and Holy Wings, completely immobilizing her. Rain mixed with seawater poured into the Abyss, forming a chaotic vortex, dragging her toward deeper darkness.
“Ugh…!”
The Goddess gritted her silver teeth, her Holy Wings struggling desperately, the feathers shooting out silvery-white sacred light, but they were immediately covered by the tentacles, and the light gradually dimmed.
The colossal eye shimmered at the bottom of the Abyss, its cold light sweeping like a blade, seemingly watching her futile struggle.
“It’s no use… this is His Sea Trench, a prison of tentacles…” a desperate whisper echoed in the Hero’s mind.
“No… I can’t let this happen…!” The Hero suddenly wanted to pull out his Holy Sword and charge into the waves.
However, in the next moment, a frenzied tentacle swept across the surface, pushing the entire sheet of water away. He was instantly flipped over by the shockwave and slammed hard against the rocks.
“Cough—!” Bl00d and seawater erupted from his mouth simultaneously, and the Holy Sword slipped from his grasp.
He lay sprawled in a crevice of the rocks, with towering waves above him, and only roaring noise in his ears, yet he struggled to lift his head, looking toward the churning Abyss.
He saw that the Goddess’s Holy Core still flickered with a faint radiance, like a lonely star struggling in a black sea. But every flash of light was immediately crushed and submerged by new tentacles. Her body was even being forcefully bent, the sound of her bones creaking audible from her spine.
“Goddess…!” The Hero’s voice trembled, tears streaming uncontrollably.
His spirit began to shatter.
—If even she is swallowed by the Abyss, what can resist it in this world?
—What am I? I don’t even have the courage to stand up.
—Is this… the end?
His fingertips trembled as they reached for the Holy Sword that had fallen near his feet, but the blade was dull and dark, without light. Just like himself: powerless, lightless.
“No… please… don’t take her away, at least…”
The Hero cried out, his voice ripping his throat, but it was utterly drowned out by the wind and waves, unheard by anyone.
The roar of the Abyss echoed violently, as if responding to his wail, or perhaps mocking him. The tentacles tightened fiercely once more, and Lumina’s figure was completely submerged in the darkness, leaving only that isolated light on her chest, struggling alone beneath the water.
“BOOM—!”
The sea surface exploded again, a water column more massive than before rocketing toward the sky. The Hero’s eyes were stung by the shock, and he frantically wiped away the rain, only to see the scene in the Abyss clearly.
The Goddess Lumina was tightly bound by tentacles across her entire body. Several feathers were torn from her Holy Wings, and her silver hair drifted wildly in the murky seawater. Her Holy Core still flashed with radiance, like an isolated lantern, but every flicker was instantly wrapped by new tentacles, and the light was forcefully suppressed.
“Ugh—!”
She muffled a low roar. Her body was pulled to the absolute limit; her armour emitted a heavy cracking sound, and bl00d and Holy Light diffused together in the seawater. She desperately tried to spread her wings and break the blockade, but a dozen tentacles tightened simultaneously. The force felt as if it would snap her completely.
The Hero on the shore gritted his teeth, and impulse drove him to pick up the Holy Sword again.
“I… I must save her!”
He stumbled into the waves, only to be instantly slammed back onto the shore by a wall of water created by the next tentacle.
“Cough—!” He fell heavily onto the reef, bl00d seeping from his forehead. His body was aching, and breathing was difficult.
“Why… why can’t I even take a single step…!”
His fingers trembled, gripping the Holy Sword fiercely, but the blade was cold and lightless, offering no response.
—He remembered countless moments since the start of their journey.
Every crisis saw the Goddess standing in front, opening her Holy Core to protect him.
And him? He merely trembled, hiding in her Sacred Aegis, only able to cry, “Save me.”
“I am nothing…”
A broken sound squeezed from the Hero’s throat. Rain and tears blurred his vision.
“If even you are swallowed, what hope is left for this world…? If even you disappear, what meaning is there in my life…?”
The waves did not answer, only the roaring and howling.
The colossal eye in the Abyss finally opened completely.
Its pupil was like a black hole, and its evil light swept across the sea and shore like countless blades. The Hero instantly felt his heart clutched, his soul being yanked from his body.
“Ah—!” He screamed, clutching his chest, collapsing in pain as the world spun.
Lumina’s figure struggled beneath the water. The Sacred Light on her chest was almost entirely covered by darkness. Tentacles were tightly packed, like a cage pressing her toward the deepest depths.
“It’s over… she truly will be…!” The Hero’s spirit completely disintegrated, tears flowing like a burst dam.
However, in this moment of ultimate oppression, a deeper power slowly gathered in the Goddess’s Sacred Aegis. The light had not yet burst forth, but its pulse was already faintly vibrating within the darkness of the Abyss.
“—DONG!”
The world trembled, as if ten thousand thunderbolts had struck simultaneously.
The colossal eye in the Abyss finally opened fully.
Its pupil was deep and bottomless, like a black hole capable of devouring everything. Evil light shot forth, dyeing the entire sky a bizarre blue-black. Clouds churned, lightning crisscrossed, and even the downpour was driven away, turning into water droplets suspended in mid-air, frozen within the evil light.
The Hero’s pupils suddenly contracted. His heart was seized by an invisible force, and his breathing instantly stopped.
“Ah—!?”
He screamed, clutching his chest, falling painfully onto the reef. The light did not touch his body, yet it felt as if it was plunging directly into his soul, forcefully dragging his will out.
He felt himself being pulled away from his flesh, like transparent silk threads being wrapped around him and hauled into the Abyss.
“No… I can’t…! I’m being… taken…!”
His voice was shattered, his face pale. The Holy Sword slipped from his hand, emitting a cold metallic clang.
At the same time, the cluster of tentacles stretched out frantically. Dozens of them simultaneously swept the shore, shattering the rocks. The Hero was soaked, drowned repeatedly by the waves, and nearly hooked away by a tentacle.
Just in this moment of utter despair, an enraged roar came from the Abyss.
“—ENOUGH!!”
It was the voice of the Goddess Lumina.
Suppressed in the deep darkness by countless tentacles, her silver hair shimmered like a stream of light in the seawater, her armour almost shattered. Her Holy Wings were bound, and her body was covered in marks of restraint, yet a blinding light ignited within her Holy Core.
“Abyss—no matter how you try to devour… you shall not seize the soul I protect!”
BOOM!
The light of her Holy Core erupted entirely. Not a faint glow, but a torrent. The power surged upstream, rushing from the Abyss straight to the surface, shattering the tentacles wrapped around her, one by one. Suction cups burst, and black bl00d mixed with seawater, emitting an ear-splitting howl.
The Hero looked up, tears mixing with rain, seeing for the first time that “within the darkness, light could surge upstream.”
“Goddess…!”
Lumina’s voice boomed, a literal thunderclap that spread across the seabed and the surface, drowning out the colossal eye’s evil light.
“The Holy Core is a vessel for protection, not a cage! Even the Abyss shall be suffocated within this Sacred Aegis!”
Light and shadow collided, the entire ocean roared, as if the heart of the world was beating violently.
“CRACK—!”
A deafening snap echoed through the Abyss.
The Hero’s eyes widened. He saw that the tentacles tightly coiled around the Goddess’s arms were actually shattered by the light of her Holy Core. Black bl00d spurted into the murky seawater, spreading like ink.
“How is that possible… those tentacles can even crush steel…!”
The Hero was dumbfounded, trembling all over, but a faint glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes for the first time.
Lumina opened her eyes beneath the water, her silver pupils flashing with thunderous wrath. Her entire body was pulled by countless tentacles, like a sacrifice bound to a dark altar, but the light of her Holy Core grew ever more dazzling, its oppressive force stronger than the deepest sea pressure.
“Abyss—you are mistaken.”
Her voice resonated through the seawater, causing the Hero’s heart to shudder.
“No matter how many tentacles, they cannot defeat the Sacred Aegis. No matter how deep the darkness, it cannot suppress the Holy Fire on my chest!”
BOOM—!
Another wave of light burst from her Holy Core, instantly pulverizing dozens of tentacles. The wicked whips writhed and snapped, their shrieks echoing through Heaven and Earth.
The Hero’s eardrums ached from the sound, and he clutched his head, yet he stared fiercely ahead. He saw the Goddess’s silhouette gradually become clear beneath the sea—the only lighthouse in the darkness.
“She… she’s turning the tide…!?”
His tears mingled with the seawater, his throat trembling.
“No, that’s wrong… she isn’t turning the tide; she was always the world’s strongest protector!”
However, the colossal eye of the Abyss finally reacted. It burst forth with chilling, bone-deep evil light, and the darkness transformed into a sharp blade, slashing down toward the Goddess.
“Arghh—!”
The Hero screamed in agony, feeling his soul nearly torn apart. He almost fainted.
Lumina, however, let out a fierce roar and suddenly spread her arms wide.
Her Holy Core transformed into silver twin moons. Holy Light streamed from the gap between them, tearing apart the evil light like a tide sweeping away flames.
“This is—the Prelude to the Divine Sacred Light Press!”
Her voice was like a judgement, making the Hero’s bl00d boil.
The tentacles snapped one by one, the sea surface whipped up into a vortex taller than a mountain, and Heaven and Earth seemed to tremble simultaneously. The Hero’s trembling hands picked up the Holy Sword, tears streaming down his face, as an undeniable belief welled up in his heart for the first time:
“She can do it… she can truly crush the Abyss!”
The colossal eye suddenly contracted, and evil light spread frantically, like a final struggle.
Lumina spread her Holy Wings, the radiance of her Holy Core burning like a thousand suns simultaneously.
“Neota! Let me crush you utterly with this Sacred Aegis!”
She surged upward, breaking through the waves with the remnants of tentacles clinging to her, charging straight toward that enormous eye. The seawater around her coiled into a whirlpool, seemingly parting the way for her, and the entire sea surface roared incessantly.
“Ah—!”
The Hero nearly lost his voice in a scream, for he witnessed it with his own eyes: Lumina burst through the waves from the depths of the Abyss, her Holy Wings spread, countless tentacles snapping like dead branches, their fallen fragments and black gore scattering with the splashing water.
She lunged directly at the colossal eye. The eye was larger than the moon, its evil light capable of evaporating all things, yet under the illumination of the Goddess’s Holy Core, it began to tremble.
“Neota—!”
Lumina roared, her voice penetrating the storm and the Abyss.
“Your gaze seeks to take everything? Then bear witness to the Sacred Light’s Judgement!”
She suddenly spread her arms and wrapped the entire colossal eye in her Sacred Aegis.
BOOM—!
In an instant, Holy Light erupted like a million torrents. The sea surface inverted, the sky trembled. The Hero felt he was almost thrown into the air, his eyes stung to tears by the powerful light, yet he fiercely stared at her figure.
“Divine—Sacred Light Press—Spinning TOSS!!!”
Following the roar, her entire body began to rotate.
Her Holy Core pressed tightly against the colossal eye, dragging the massive body of the Demon God to flip and tumble with her. The sea surface was churned into pieces, forming a vortex that threatened to swallow Heaven and Earth.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
With every rotational plunge, the Hero felt the ground shaking and the sky trembling. The colossal eye struggled continuously, its tentacles frantically lashing the sea surface, only to be crushed by the more intense pressure.
“Impossible—!”
The Hero’s throat was hoarse, stunned beyond breathing.
“She actually… crushed the Abyss… with her Sacred Aegis!”
BOOM—!!!
Finally, she slammed the colossal eye violently into the deep seabed. Her Holy Core exploded with endless light, like silver twin moons overlapping, and Heaven and Earth were engulfed by the dazzling sacred radiance.
CRACK—!
A fissure spread across the surface of the colossal eye, like shattered glass. In the next instant, the entire eye exploded with a crash, and the evil light instantly vanished.
“YEEEAAAHHHH—!”
The abyssal Demon God’s shriek echoed through the sky. The cluster of tentacles twitched and disintegrated simultaneously, black remnants falling like rain, finally sinking into the endless sea trench.
The sea surface fell into a brief, deathly silence. Then, the entire ocean seemed to release a single roar, as if the world was letting out a long sigh of relief. The giant waves began to recede, the downpour gradually stopped, and the shadow of the storm was dispelled.
The Hero knelt on the shore, soaked to the bone, tears mixing freely with the rainwater.
“…She did it…”
His voice trembled, but it carried an incredulous laugh.
“She really… saved the world with her Holy Core…!”
And at this moment, the Goddess still stood upon the sea surface. Her silver hair was wet and scattered, her Holy Wings unfurled, the Sacred Light on her chest slowly receding, like the conclusion of a myth.
The world was still. Only her figure remained, the sole light after the darkness.
“RAAAHH—!!!”
Lumina’s roar pierced the sky.
She tore through the waves at an unbelievable speed, the silver light of her Holy Core like twin moons overlapping, tightly embracing that impossibly huge, colossal eye.
The seawater, in that instant, seemed to evaporate. The downpour was flung into a reverse current, and Heaven and Earth were left with only a dazzling white light.
“Neota!”
Her voice was like thunder, shattering the fog in the Hero’s heart.
“Behold—the Judgement of the Sacred Aegis!”
BOOM—!
The Goddess suddenly spun, tumbling with the colossal eye completely. The sea surface violently warped, countless tentacles were flung away, writhing in the air like broken black snakes.
“Divine—Sacred Light Press—Spinning TOSS!!!”
Heaven and Earth roared.
She plummeted from the sky into the seabed with the colossal eye, the force of the spin turning the ocean into a devastating whirlpool.
“Dong! Dong! Dong!”
With every rotational plunge, the Hero felt the ground shake, the sky collapse, and all the bl00d in his body trembling.
“This… this is the power of a Goddess…”
He mumbled, tears flowing uncontrollably, yet with a smile.
“She truly… crushed the Abyss with her Sacred Aegis…!”
CRACK—!
Fissures spread from the surface of the colossal eye, like shattering glass. In the next instant, the entire eye exploded with a “BOOM.”
“YEEEAAAHHHH—!!”
The piercing shriek echoed through the nine heavens. The cluster of tentacles twitched and disintegrated simultaneously, turning into shattered remnants that sank into the sea trench.
Light swallowed the entire ocean.
The Hero could see almost nothing. He could only kneel on the ground, clutching the Holy Sword, letting the tears stream down.
As the light slowly receded, the waves stilled. Heaven and Earth seemed to lose all sound, leaving only the Goddess’s figure standing upon the sea surface.
Her silver hair was wet and clung to her face, her armour pressed tightly against her curves, and the light on her Holy Core was still pulsing, like an unextinguished ember. Her Holy Wings were half-spread, like a mythological fresco.
The Hero held his breath, whispering:
“Goddess… you are… a true miracle.”
Silence finally descended upon Heaven and Earth.
The storm that had raged moments before seemed to be wiped away by an invisible hand. The wind no longer roared, and the torrential rain ceased in an instant. Only the faint sound of waves gently striking the reef remained, as if the world was taking a deep breath of relief.
A gap was torn in the clouds, and silvery-white moonlight spilled onto the sea. The ocean surface, which had looked like a boiling Abyss a moment ago, was now placid, almost like a mirror, reflecting the moon and stars one by one. It was an unbelievable serenity, as if the recent catastrophe had been an illusion.
In this silver light, a figure slowly emerged from the sea surface.
“…!”
The Hero held his breath, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.
Lumina walked toward him upon the water, each step kicking up small splashes. Her silver hair was wet, clinging to her neck and shoulders. Water droplets streamed down her armour, refracting the moonlight, as if stars were sprinkled over her. The armour clung to her curves, and the light on her chest still pulsed faintly, as if the world’s very breathing was synchronized with her.
“…This…”
The Hero’s mouth was open, but he couldn’t utter a single word. Tears still clung to his face, his throat choked. His former cries and fear were all erased by the sight before him.
It was not a sight a mortal should witness, but a mythological fresco passed down through the ages that had come to life.
The Goddess quietly stepped ashore, her footsteps silent. Her gaze was gentle, yet carried the tenacity of one who had just survived a world-ending battle.
“Hero,”
Her voice was lighter than the night wind, yet it echoed in his ears.
“The Abyss has retreated. Now… you may look up without fear.”
The Hero tremblingly raised his eyes, for the first time not looking down, but gazing straight into the Goddess’s eyes.
Her Holy Core still emitted a radiant afterglow, like a warmth that could embrace the entire world.
The moonlight lay upon the sea like a silver veil.
The Hero was still huddled, his knees resting on the cold, wet reef, the Holy Sword barely held steady in his hand. Even though the Abyss had retreated, his heart still pounded as if it would burst. Only when a warm shadow fell over him did he look up in a daze.
The Goddess.
She walked up to him. Her silver hair was still dripping, her soaked armour clinging to her body, but she showed no sign of fatigue; instead, she seemed more resolute. The light on her Holy Core pulsed slowly, no longer blinding like in battle, but soft, like a flickering candle flame.
“Hero,”
Her voice was gentle yet firm, as if the moonlight itself was speaking to the sea.
“You see, the Abyss is not terrifying. Because the Holy Core can encompass it.”
The Hero stared blankly at her, tears mixed with rainwater, unable to distinguish whether he was crying or laughing.
“But… I was useless. Just now, I didn’t even have the courage to step into the waves…”
The Goddess bent down and gently placed her hand on his trembling shoulder.
“The fact that you endured until now means you are no longer one who flees. You witnessed the Abyss, and you witnessed Hope. That very witnessing is the starting point of power.”
As she spoke, she raised her head slightly, looking up at the full moon in the night sky. Her soaked silver hair clinging to her face made her appear even more sacred. The light of her Holy Core shimmered with the moonlight, as if the universe was breathing within her.
“The terror of the Abyss,” she whispered, every word distinct, “is that it steals hope. But if you can enlarge your Sacred Aegis, you can carry something vaster than the Abyss—you can carry the world, you can carry life.”
The Hero held his breath.
For the first time, he felt the dull Holy Sword in his hand faintly respond to the Goddess’s words, a minuscule light emanating from its blade.
“…Can I… also…?”
The Hero asked tremulously, as if daring not to believe the answer.
The Goddess bent closer, gently pressing her forehead against his, her voice like a whisper yet carrying divine majesty:
“Yes, you can. Because with this Holy Core, I have safeguarded the first Abyss for you.”
The Hero was stunned, unable to recover from the shock for a long time. The moonlight shone upon the Goddess’s soaked figure. She stood there quietly, the afterglow of her Holy Core like a warm harbor, washing away all the violence and fear of moments ago.
“Goddess…”
His voice trembled, and he gripped the Holy Sword so tightly he felt the hilt might shatter.
“I understand… as long as I can stand by your side, I am willing to cross any Abyss, no matter how great!”
Lumina’s eyes were gentle, and a light smile curved her lips.
“Good, Hero. Your heart is awakening.”
The night wind lightly swept away the scent of bl00d and sea brine, leaving a fresh, salty aroma. The Hero felt the weight lift from his chest, and a long-lost spark ignited in his heart. It wasn’t dependence, but longing and resolve.
Just then, a deep rumbling came from the earth.
“Dong… dong… dong…”
It was as if some enormous, colossal entity was approaching, step by step, in the distance.
The Hero suddenly looked up and saw a dark red glow rising on the horizon. It wasn’t dawn; it was the flame of molten iron, intertwining with black mist to form a massive tide, slowly advancing toward the continent.
“This aura…”
The Goddess’s brows furrowed, and the Sacred Light on her chest also trembled.
“Balk, the Molten Iron Giant King… has awakened.”
The Hero felt his throat go dry. Having just defeated the Abyssal Demon God, they were now facing a new giant enemy? Yet, the cowardice in his heart didn’t return. Instead, a heavy, burning resolve took its place.
“Goddess,” he whispered, his eyes shining,
“Even if it’s a hell of fire and iron… I am willing to walk alongside you!”
Lumina turned back. The moonlight reflected in her soaked silver hair, her expression both solemn and bearing a touch of motherly tenderness.
“Then, prepare yourself—because the next battle will be hotter, and more cruel, than the Abyss.”
The sea wind picked up again, dispersing the quiet afterglow. In the distance, black mist and molten light intertwined to form a bl00d-red sky, portending that a new trial was drawing near.