In the middle of the cracked, dry land, heavenly brilliance rained down on the head of a devil that clumsily imitated the appearance of a woman.
The name of the angel flying in the sky with flowing brown hair was Lionelta.
“The Emperor’s Nightmare” tilted her head as she looked at the Angel of Death, who had descended to capture her.
“It’s been a while since I last saw you, but why are you attacking me so deliberately. Have the celestial beings left their rules of etiquette up in the sky?”
“You sure are shameless. Can you deny that you brought the world to this state by seducing people for your own benefit?”
The angel’s gaze fell to the vast land below. The once-glorious territories of the emperor had turned into desolate wastelands where not a single blade of grass could grow. Life perished one by one, unable to withstand the famine.
Lionelta screamed as she gritted her teeth, glaring at the devil, who began to imitate her and spread its black wings.
“Humans were finally breaking away from war and taking steps toward peace. But you ruined everything!”
“… You are still as clueless as ever.”
The voice of the black devil, now fully imitating the appearance of an angel, grew cold. The face barely had a distinct shape, but its expression conveyed discontent.
The Angel of Death tried to swing her holy sword again, but before she could act, her entire arm was torn off by the black monster that appeared above her head.
“You, just how much life will you take!?”
“I just granted a wish.”
“…Nonsense!”
“There was a woman who lost her father to the emperor’s war. The child absolutely hated the man who walked the path of bl00d and gave her all to make a deal with me.”
The devil chattered with a sonorous voice, as if singing a song.
The angel, who was staring at the small mouth formed from the devil’s black, shapeless face, spoke with difficulty.
“… She wished for peace, but why did you do this?”
“Foolish people should not be manipulated by words. Even if you kill only the emperor, a second or third emperor will eventually appear. That’s why I showed them the true evil they should fear.”
The devil giggled, its laughter echoing ominously.
Lionelta lowered her head as she looked at the void that was not merely an imitation of humanity but a darkness that had swallowed the princess of a nation and created the current devastation.
“Even so, that doesn’t mean this is acceptable. There’s no justification for this devastation.”
Her blue eyes sparkled like jewels, reflecting the devil—a woman in black—who suddenly stopped mid-action.
With a single wave of her hand, the devil removed the black wings protruding from her back and spoke in a different tone.
“… I didn’t lie. It was indeed for my own benefit, but it’s also true that I worked hard for peace.”
A booming noise erupted behind.
Lionelta quickly turned her head.
What she saw was Tapnel, a blonde angel, fighting a snake the size of a mountain.
Lionelta, frowning as she watched the scene for a moment, continued her words without looking at the devil.
“… What do you mean by something you did for your benefit?”
“I caught a glimpse of an interesting future—a lifelong companion who would fill my emptiness.”
“… What does that mean?”
“But that future was a frail path, one that could not be reached by remaining still. That’s why I took extreme measures.”
The Nightmare approached the angel’s severed arm with light steps, as if dancing.
The holy sword in the angel’s severed hand emitted light, halting her approach.
“Why am I doing this? It’s simple really, because I also want to be happy.”
No answer came back, as the angel stood still, motionless.
The devil’s mouth twisted slightly as it stared at her back.
“In the beginning, pitiful beings were born in the void—creatures that consumed the void and felt only unending hunger. Among them, the firstborn devil longed to escape the unbearable emptiness, the void.”
“… Stop.”
“In front of it, an angel from heaven stretched out her hand.”
“… Shut your mouth.”
“Her name was Lionelta, the Angel of Death. The angel extended her hand to the pitiful devil, who could not even find solace in death.”
“But she too…was consumed.”
The devil paused, staring as black energy bloomed from Lionelta’s severed arm. Her arm, once melted into the earth, regenerated from her shoulders, while her pristine white wings slowly turned black.
The devil continued, unfazed.
“The first devil who plunged into evil and consumed an angel to fill their own void. The name of the first true devil, the one who escaped the void, was Lionelta. Isn’t it ironic? In fact, Tapnel is not the eldest of the angels. She became the firstborn because Rom concealed the death of Lionelta, the original angel.”
The devil giggled once more.
“And you the firstborn of the devils. Didn’t you, like me, plunge into evil to escape the void?”
Lionelta remained silent, her expression unreadable.
The corners of the devil’s mouth twisted further into a mocking grin.
“Oh, I’m not particularly criticizing you. I’m just purely curious.”
“Curious about what….”
“Now that you have escaped the void and become an angel… how happy are you?”
The corners of Lionelta’s mouth—the brown-haired angel, or rather, the first devil—curved upward as if about to tear apart.
There was no reply, but the Nightmare nodded at the sight.
At the devil’s gesture, the black-stained holy sword flew away on its own and gently landed in her hand. Soon, she swung the sword like a quill, and numerous black spheres appeared in the air.
The Nightmare, or rather the second devil, looked up as it felt the numerous devilish energies flying toward it.
“As expected, it seems like something worth doing this much.”
After those words, The Emperor’s Nightmare could no longer open its mouth.
It was something that had happened 500 years ago, unknown to anyone.
***
“Oh, sister! Please don’t throw it away!”
“How many times have I told you not to make these statues!”
“He’s not just a believer; he’s my husband!”
“When are you going to get that out of your skull!?”
The black-haired angel clutched the head of the gray-haired angel and punched her solar plexus.
The name of the angel who smiled as she watched Raynell—who had been hit by the unexpected blow—being dragged away again by Ziffnel’s hand, was Lionelta.
Briefly stroking her gorgeous brown hair that resembled Cecil’s, Julius’s wife, she stared blankly at the blue energy rising from the golden path that Raynell so desperately wanted.
The entrance that heavenly beings had to pass through to descend to earth.
Usually, except for Raynell, the remaining angels took turns guarding this place. But since Tapnel and Ziffnel had more work to do, Lionelta had been guarding it alone recently.
“… Nir… No, Cecil. Are you happy now?”
The Angel of Death, who always had a smile on her face, asked the question to Nightmare.
The future that her younger sister, who had envied her all those years ago, had seen was finally here. If things continued this way, Julius and Cecil would enjoy a happy dream forever, just as Nightmare had planned.
“But unfortunately, we can’t just sit back and watch.”
Said the angel, as she clutched a shining silver Scripture in her hand.
The first Scripture, known to have been lost from the earth, radiated power in Lionelta’s hands.
“Isn’t Erman in the future you envision?”
The future depicted in the gently unfolding Scripture was the image of Erman being stabbed in the heart by a holy sword.
The angel’s eyes turned red as she looked at the scene.
“You too will find out someday. A mother can do anything for her child.”
Lionelta smiled as always while stroking the picture of the fallen saint who had been like her own child.
She spoke as she felt her motherly love filling her heart.
***
“Ta-da! We finally arrived in Aran…is everything okay?”
When Emily opened the door of the antique black carriage, what caught her eye was the large partition between Julius and the devil.
When she touched it, it felt incredibly hard despite its silk-like appearance.
Why was something like this in the carriage?
Confusion filled her mind, and the silver-haired priestess, who had been dazed for a moment, turned her head toward the devil.
“What on earth is this?”
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Check out my other projects: Rehabilitating the Villainess, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses, I Picked Up an Amnesiac Witch, Transmigrated as the Butler of a Defeated Heroine, My Summons Are Special