Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Error! Error! Error!
The orbs of lights swirled around Nero’s floating body like a cosmic aurora, each hue pulsing with power that made the very void tremble with anticipation.
The Antagonist’s crimson eyes sparkled with obsessive joy as she watched the transformation unfold, her perfect hands clasped together like a girl witnessing her first miracle.
"I’ll give you even more–"
But her words died mid-sentence as thick and sturdy chains suddenly materialized around her wrists and ankles.
*CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!*
The restraints glowed faintly with an authority that made even her overwhelming dark malevolence recoil slightly.
What had been invisible bindings became horrifyingly real, their weight pressing down on her dark aura with crushing force.
"..."
The Antagonist’s beautiful face twisted with pure fury as her crimson gaze snapped toward a specific point in the darkness.
A location that seemed empty to any observer, but clearly held something that made her blood boil.
"If only I weren’t one of your £∆πו§•|√!!!"
The words came out as a snarl, though half the syllables dissolved into static that hurt to hear.
"I could’ve helped my darling more!"
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Her aura exploded outward with such raw malice that reality itself began to shudder and warp.
The chains rattled and creaked with intensity despite their thickness.
While the void around her started fracturing like glass, showing glimpses of other dimensions beyond.
But the moment she noticed Nero’s peaceful expression shifting into a slight grimace...
"!!!"
All that overwhelming power immediately retracted.
"I’m sorry, darling! I’m so sorry!"
She rushed to embrace his floating form, her voice filled with genuine panic and remorse.
"I didn’t mean to hurt you with my energy..."
Her pale hands cupped his face with tenderness, checking for any sign of discomfort.
The sight was absolutely surreal.
Her mood switch from immense anger to the most loving partner was astounding.
The embodiment of ultimate evil, apologizing and fussing over someone like the most devoted girlfriend... even the gods would be shocked once they found out that their fated killer is head over heels for a single human.
But even as she held him, her crimson eyes narrowed dangerously at that same empty spot.
"I’m sorry, darling... but it looks like that is all the help I can offer you right now."
Her voice carried bitter frustration mixed with genuine sorrow.
"The bastard %•∆§√∆£?! is limiting all of my interventions..."
More garbled words that seemed to glitch reality just by being spoken.
"But don’t worry, I’m sure you will find a way soon!"
She nuzzled against his cheek like an affectionate cat, her perfect skin warm against his cold flesh.
"You always do, my darling Nero..."
The tender moment stretched on, but then her gaze drifted down to his chest.
"..."
More specifically, to the spot where that massive wound had been before she healed it.
*Sniff... sniff...*
Her expression shifted as she caught a trace of energy that made her lip curl with pure revulsion.
That divine power.
Or more specifically, that pure signature multicolored starlight power of her fated nemesis.
Pure, radiant, absolutely nauseating divine power that is made to counter her.
The Protagonist.
"Right..."
The realization hit her like a sledgehammer.
"That chicken wing is with you as your first summon..."
Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as pieces clicked together.
"What is she doing for not being able to protect you from such measly small enemies?"
The Antagonist’s crimson eyes blazed with sudden coldness as she remembered exactly who had failed to keep Nero safe.
Aurelia.
The so-called "Protagonist" of this world.
The first summon who was supposed to be his guardian and protector.
Her gaze pierced through the layers of dimensional barriers like they were tissue paper, focusing on a distant battlefield where...
"Hmph."
A cold smile spread across her perfect lips as she observed the one-sided battle unfolding.
"It looks like you regained some of your powers, chicken wing."
***
*CRASH! BOOM! CRASH!*
Meanwhile, across the dimensional divide, Vex’ahlia’s body slammed into the ground for the seventh time within just a few minutes of their 2nd round of battle.
Blood leaked from dozens of wounds across her once-perfect form, her elegant robes now tattered rags that barely covered her injuries.
"Haaahhh... haaaah..."
Every breath was agony as she struggled to stand, her magical reserves nearly depleted from the brutal beatdown she’d been receiving.
"I-Impossible..."
She spat blood and divine energy, the purifying light eating away at her dark essence like acid.
"This is absolutely impossible!"
*WHOOSH!*
Aurelia descended from above like a falling star, her wings blazing with white divine fire.
The transformed Valkyrie moved with predatory grace, each step radiating authority that made the very air sing with power.
*SLASH!*
Her broadsword carved through the space where Vex’ahlia had been standing, the silver mixed with a faint multicolored blade left a trail of starlight that lingered in the air.
*CRACK!*
Vex’ahlia barely managed to block with her Nelfier Bone Staff, but the impact sent shockwaves through her arms.
"Dark Miasma Burst!"
*WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!*
Poisonous black clouds erupted around them, designed to blind and corrupt divine beings.
But Aurelia simply walked through the toxic fog like it was morning mist.
Her radiance burned away the corruption before it could even touch her skin.
*SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!*
Three precise strikes came faster than human perception, each one targeting vital points.
*CLANG! CRACK! SHATTER!*
Vex’ahlia’s hasty barriers crumbled like paper under the assault.
"Bone Prison Labyrinth!"
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Dozens of skeletal constructs erupted from the ground, creating a maze of calcium walls designed to trap and disorient.
But Aurelia didn’t even slow down.
*FLASH!*
Divine light exploded from her form, instantly reducing the entire construct to ash.
She walked through the dissipating remains without breaking stride, her golden eyes locked on her target with terrifying focus.
"This can’t be happening..."
Vex’ahlia’s mind raced as she retreated, her carefully cultivated composure finally cracking.
All those years of training, all those decades climbing the ranks of the Obsidian Covenant.
She’d started as a lowly apprentice, scraping and clawing her way up through betrayal and ruthless ambition.
Every rival eliminated, every mentor surpassed, every dark ritual completed to gain more power.
The goal had always been clear: become a Grand Elder, then ascend to one of the Prime Crowned... the highest position and one who rules with absolute power, rivaling the major gods when it comes to war and wits.
Ultimate authority within the Covenant.
Respect. Fear. The power to reshape reality itself.
And yet here she was, getting systematically dismantled by a supposedly dead angel.
It was humiliating beyond words.
"Shadow Binding Web!"
*WHOOSH!*
Hundreds of dark tendrils lashed out from every direction, seeking to entangle and drain.
*SLICE!*
Aurelia’s blade moved in a perfect circle, severing every tendril simultaneously.
The technique was so fluid it looked like choreographed dance rather than combat.
"Necrotic Storm!"
*BOOM! CRACK! SIZZLE!*
Death magic filled the air with crackling energy, designed to age and decay anything it touched.
Aurelia flew straight through it, her divine aura purifying the corruption as she advanced.
"Cursed Artillery!"
*WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!*
Dozens of dark projectiles materialized and fired in coordinated volleys.
Each one was designed to bypass magical defenses and target the soul directly.
*SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*
But Aurelia’s swordsmanship had evolved beyond anything Vex’ahlia had seen before.
Her blade didn’t just block the attacks - it carved through them, slicing apart the very concepts that held the spells together.
"W-WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!"
The desperate cry tore from Vex’ahlia’s throat as she realized the horrible truth.
Aurelia wasn’t just using more power than before.
Her technique had become something beyond mortal comprehension.
Every movement was perfect.
Every strike was inevitable.
She fought like someone who’d spent eons mastering combat against the most dangerous enemies imaginable.
"I need leverage..."
Vex’ahlia’s gaze frantically swept the battlefield until it landed on a specific spot.
Nero’s peaceful form, lying exactly where Aurelia had placed him for safety.
"If I could just grab that human... make her choose between attacking and protecting..."
But the moment the thought formed, Aurelia’s golden eyes snapped toward her with such killing intent that the air itself seemed to freeze.
"Do not dare think about it."
The words carried absolute authority, each syllable backed by divine power that made Vex’ahlia’s bones ache.
The message was crystal clear: any move toward Nero would result in immediate, painful death.
"..."
Desperation made Vex’ahlia reckless as she reached deep into her magical reserves.
"If I can’t win through strategy..."
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Dark energy began pouring from her body in massive quantities, burning away years of accumulated power.
"Calamity Summoning: Disasters of the Primordial Deep!"
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
The very air split open as she tore rifts in reality itself.
Hurricanes of poisonous wind erupted from one portal.
Floods of corrosive acid poured from another.
Earthquakes that cracked dimensional barriers themselves.
The weather around them immediately shifted, becoming something dark and oppressive that made the very atmosphere feel heavy with malice.
But Aurelia simply spread her blazing wings and took flight.
*SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*
Her blade carved through hurricanes like they were gentle breezes.
Divine light purified the acid floods before they could spread.
Stellar energy stabilized the dimensional fractures with casual ease.
"Mass Summon: Legion of the Damned!"
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Dozens of portals opened simultaneously as Vex’ahlia called forth her most powerful servants.
Skeletal remains of mythical creatures wreathed in necrotic fire.
Shadow titans that towered above the battlefield.
Corpse archdemons with centuries of combat experience.
All of them are powerful enough to level cities.
And then,
*KREEaaaaAAARR!!!*
[Sludged Ones (SR) - demented souls taking the form of the underworld’s filth. Presence itself can cause erosion and corruption to all physical beings.]
5 SR-tier Sludged monsters the size of hills, suddenly appeared from the dark magic circle.
Their filthy miasma was suffocating and damaging enough to change the atmosphere of their surroundings, and they were all targeting Aurelia...
But,
"..."
The angel barely glanced at them and the corrupted armies forming around her.
Because this time,
*FLASH!*
"Divine Slash."
She just unleashed a single active skill and it was enough to cause something extraordinary to happen.
The technique that had always been her signature attack completely changed...
*RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE...*
Power beyond comprehension started gathering above them, reality bending under the weight of divine authority.
A massive divine sword began manifesting in the sky.
50 meters long.
Forged from pure starlight and divine energy ready to deliver punishment.
Dream-like starlight divine energy swirled around its edges, each hue representing a different aspect of purification.
The blade was so magnificent it made the sun look dim by comparison.
"T-This is...!"
Vex’ahlia stared up at the construct with absolute horror.
The amount of energy behind such an attack made Vex’ahlia shiver in fright.
And the sight of that made her know...
*FLASH!*
That it was her utter defeat.
*SLASH!*
The giant sword blurred.
One perfect, inevitable strike that carved through reality itself.
*BOOM! CRACK! SHATTER!*
Every single one of Vex’ahlia’s summoned creatures was obliterated instantly.
The dimensional storms were cut apart.
The corrupted atmosphere was purified.
The 5 SR-tier monsters didn’t even raise a shriek before they died and were reduced from existence... not even atoms were spared.
Heck, even the ground itself was carved clean, leaving a perfectly smooth canyon that stretched beyond the horizon.
... And in the end, everything in front of Aurelia was ’purified" from existence.
"..."
When the dust settled and the divine light faded, Aurelia walked calmly through the devastation.
Her footsteps were the only sound in the suddenly peaceful battlefield.
But as she approached what should have been Vex’ahlia’s corpse...
"... Still alive?"
A note of genuine surprise colored her voice.
"..."
The sorceress lay in a crater, her body horrifically mangled but somehow still breathing.
Both arms were gone.
Both legs severed.
Divine energy was actively purifying her dark essence, burning away her very existence piece by piece.
She can’t even regenerate at this point due to the property of Aurelia’s starlight energy and the fact that she ran out of all the mana and buff potions to consume to defeat or escape the angel in front of her.
But Vex’ahlia was still conscious.
And she’s still as defiant as ever.
"Heh... heh heh... HAHAHAHA!"
Despite the agony wracking her broken form, Vex’ahlia managed to laugh.
Even at the doors death, she didn’t succumb to disparity and reluctance.
In fact, she was proud of the damage she had done to her killer.
"At least... At least I managed to kill him! Your precious one..."
Blood sprayed from her mouth as she spoke, but her voice carried savage satisfaction.
"Your precious little human Lord Nero... he’s dead because of your weakness! Dead and rotting while you played around with your light show!"
"..."
Aurelia’s expression didn’t change.
She simply raised her blade with sharp precision and then,
"Tell me! How does it feel to lose your–"
*SLASH!*
The strike was so fast it didn’t register until Vex’ahlia’s head hit the ground.
Her body collapsed, finally still after the brutal battle.
Aurelia would’ve liked to make her suffer more, but she knew better how letting your opponent live for a second during a clutch battle would be a dumb idea as you wouldn’t know how many tricks they are still hiding beneath their hands... and that’s especially so for someone as mysterious and cunning like Vex’ahlia.
And it turned out to be right, as when Vex’ahlia’s headless body collapsed, a suspicious looking orb item rolled out from the shallow pocket of her robe, and judging by how it was stopped its faint glowed just as it rolled out, Vex’ahlia was definitely trying something as a last ditch effort...
"..."
And just to make sure,
*HACK! HACK!*
Aurelia made sure to cut her corpse into bloody pieces, splattering blood everywhere...
It might’ve been an assurance to make sure that the woman is dead or it might’ve been a vengeance, to lash out her silent anger of some sort...
Regardless, her cold golden eyes pierced of what’s left of the woman’s body
The job was finally done.
She had avenged her Lord...
"..."
But just as Aurelia turned to leave...
*WHOOSH!*
Dark energy suddenly began erupting from the pieces of corpse of the sorceress.
Not the normal dispersal of magical power, but something actively flowing in a specific direction.
Toward Nero’s body.
"!!!"
And before Aurelia could react, the energy stream connected with him.
*FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!*
Red notifications began flooding the air around them.
[System Error!]
[System Error!]
[System Error!]
[Unknown energy absorption detected!]
[System Error!]
[Waifu Summoner ability experiencing irregular modifications!]
[System Error!]
[WARNING! External interference beyond acceptable parameters!]
[System Error!]
*RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE...*
The very world began to shake as something fundamental started changing.
The red text multiplied exponentially, filling the entire sky with warnings and alerts.
[System Error!]
[System Error!]
[System Error!]
And at the center of it all, Nero’s body began to glow with the same orbs of lights that had surrounded him in the void.
And then,
[Detected unauthorized interference and the presence of unregistered beings within Earth... Speeding up the planet’s evolution process...]
***
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