Chapter 104
Elias grew worried when she saw Rev’s gaunt complexion. So she stepped closer to him. At that moment, Rev coughed—hack.
“Rev! Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah, it’s fine—really. Saintess.”
Rev waved his hand as if to reassure her and forced a smile. But Elias couldn’t just leave it at that. There was blood, faint but unmistakable, at the corner of his mouth. So Elias pulled Rev into a nearby alley.
Our last meeting at the imperial palace was a bit awkward, but…
Even so, given her nature, she couldn’t ignore someone who was sick. There were many things she wanted to ask Rev, but for now, she focused on getting him out of sight.
This is the entrance to the market—too many eyes watching. I don’t have a choice.
Elias led Rev into the alley. Rev—no, Sereb Gale—followed obediently, his hand held in hers, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
Walking ahead, Elias failed to notice that expression. She was simply planning to heal “Rev” quickly and then ask him several questions.
How was he at the imperial palace that day? And… this I can’t bring myself to ask, but—what is this unsettling feeling I’m sensing even now?
Having sorted out her thoughts, Elias reached the alley and immediately turned to face Rev. The bloodstain was still there at the corner of his mouth.
“Just what… condition are you in?”
Elias asked him. Rev answered only with a faint smile. Left with no choice, Elias decided to examine him herself.
I usually only heal the faithful…
Until now, whenever she used her divine power to heal others, it was almost always for the sake of the Lilith Church. But this time was different.
She didn’t know why, but she felt a powerful urge to treat Rev. Even without understanding the reason, she couldn’t ignore that intuition.
“I’ll take a look first.”
Elias took a light breath and reached out her hand to Rev. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly took her hand.
Seeing that, Elias immediately invoked her divine power. Lilith’s dark crimson energy flowed through Elias’s hand and into Rev.
And the moment that dark red aura touched Rev’s skin—
The corner of Rev’s mouth, which had looked so gaunt until now, curved sharply upward. Elias noticed this and felt something was off.
What is this feeling…?
She didn’t know why, but Elias instantly felt that she had to let go of his hand. She tried to pull away at once.
But at that moment, Rev’s grip became unbelievably strong.
“Let go—!”
Even as she struggled, pouring divine power into her resistance, Elias couldn’t break free of Rev’s grasp. And then—
Black energy poured out from Rev’s entire body. It surged upward in an instant, engulfing them both.
This power…!
Elias knew whose power it was. But a mere human could never withstand the power of a Great Demon.
In the end, Elias was swallowed by the power of the Great Demon Mammon.
In the next moment, nothing remained where Elias had been standing. Only Mammon—who had devoured Rev, no, Sereb Gale—stood there, smiling.
“I have waited for this moment alone…”
Mammon chuckled lowly and lifted his gaze toward the distant sky.
Deep within the Demon Realm, in the castle of the Great Demon Lilith.
Lilith had been relentlessly busy for the past several weeks. She already had an overwhelming amount of work by nature, and the incidents surrounding Elias had doubled her burden.
From the incident of Mammon’s labyrinth to tracking down Mammon’s traces without rest.
Lilith had even created clones of herself to work more efficiently, but since those clones drained her main body’s stamina as well, it hadn’t helped much.
So Lilith handled everything herself, from beginning to end. She had considered creating subordinate demons, but chose not to, in order to conserve even that expenditure of power.
Thus, weighed down by exhaustion, Lilith continued reading through documents. Then—
She felt something strange.
“…Eli?”
Lilith quickly turned her head toward her crystal orb. Elias’s image was always reflected there. But now, nothing appeared within it—only darkness.
Only then did Lilith realize that her connection to Elias had been severed.
What in the world…
Lilith’s eyes wavered with chaos. A severed connection with Elias usually meant only one thing: death.
Have I lost you again?
But Lilith refused to accept that. There were scarcely any beings left who could harm Elias.
…No, that can’t be. Eli isn’t dead.
This had to be Mammon’s scheme. Lilith gathered all her strength and focused, trying to sense Elias’s presence somewhere in the world.
…Just as I thought!
At last, she confirmed that Elias was still alive. Though their connection had been temporarily cut off by an external force, Elias’s life had not ended.
She then tried to pinpoint Elias’s location—but it was difficult, as if something were blocking her.
This is definitely Mammon’s doing.
Lilith bit her lip. It was undoubtedly Mammon, now empowered by having devoured Hasent’s power. If that was the case, she herself couldn’t act rashly.
She didn’t have many options. The choice with the highest chance of protecting Elias was “manifestation,” but moving without restraint would surely put an enormous strain on Elias’s body.
To block Mammon’s power, I’d have to transfer nearly all of my own…
That meant she needed another plan. Lilith’s mind raced.
There is a way, but…
That method would require some time. And in the meantime, Elias could be in even greater danger.
Damn it—there’s nothing better?
Then, a figure flashed through Lilith’s mind. Someone who cherished Elias just as much as she did, and who would willingly give his life for her.
Lilith immediately infused a bit of power into the crystal orb. The image of Theron, working at his duties, appeared within it.
Theron was handling his work as usual. As the Duke of Fiert, the amount of work he had to do was always considerable.
I should finish quickly and go see Eli.
Thinking of Elias’s smile, Theron pushed himself to work as fast as he could.
Then, suddenly, a mark began to appear on the back of his hand. Reading his documents, Theron noticed the symbol forming and his eyes widened.
This is…!
It was the very mark that appeared whenever something happened to Elias.
A wave of dread swept over him. Theron flung aside the papers he had been reading and sprang to his feet.
“M-My lord!”
The butler attending him was startled by his sudden movement. As Theron hurriedly put on his coat, he gave an order.
“Prepare a horse immediately! The fastest one!”
“Y-Yes? What?”
“Hurry!”
“Yes!”
At Theron’s command, the butler rushed out of the office in a panic. Theron immediately strapped on the sword he had set aside.
—Theron Fiert.
At that very moment, a heavy female voice echoed directly inside his mind.
“Ghk—!”
Hearing a god’s voice directly, without a medium, Theron groaned in pain.
—I’m sorry for hurting you. But given the circumstances, endure it.
“What do you mean—?!”
—You already know, don’t you? My child is in danger.
Theron immediately realized that the voice belonged to Lilith—and that the situation surrounding Elias was far more serious than he had thought.
“Then what must I do?”
Even through the pain, Theron asked clearly.
—The one who abducted my child is undoubtedly Mammon. I cannot manifest right now, so you must find Elias. My children at the temple will help you.
Listening to Lilith, Theron hurried out of his office. With his destination decided, there was only one thing he needed to do.
“Yes, Lady Lilith.”
He mounted the horse that had been prepared and galloped swiftly toward the temple of the Lilith Church.
Eli, just hold on a little longer
