?In the meantime, she had to help her subjects protect the Holy City!

Lady Farah, her heart heavy with the weight of impending doom, raised her hands to the heavens.

As an Avatar of a Celestial that was not in the Human Realm, her power was obviously greatly weakened. She could only wield a small portion of her strength.

Because of that, she would have to chant incantations to use Celestial Arts!

“By the grace of fortune, let resilience be our shield and valor our sword!” She intoned, her voice carrying the power of the divine.

Without being noticed by the defenders of the city, a golden light cascaded from her palms, washing over the city and its defenders.

The Holy Knights felt a surge of strength, their fatigue replaced by a renewed vigor. A new barrier was created, bolstered by her blessing! Furthermore, it held firm against the barrage of the Demons!

No one asked where the blessing came from. It could be from the Pontiff or from another Holy Arts Practitioner like the Young Saint or the First Elder of the Order of the Untainted Sentinels.

However, they knew very well that this was only possible with the help of their goddess!

Everyone was soon inspired as they held their weapons tightly! Their devotion to the goddess had reached its peak! They would do anything to protect the Holy City, even if it cost them their lives!

The battle raged on, the Holy Knights continued pushing back the Gargoyles with a ferocity born of desperation. Sir Gavriel, his sword a pillar of light, carved through the enemy ranks, his every strike a prayer made manifest.

Commander Aldric, standing shoulder to shoulder with his brethren, became a pillar against the tide.

“For every life, for every hope, we shall not yield!” He roared, his shield absorbing the impact of the Gargoyles’ assault.

Soon, as the last of the Gargoyles fell, the city drew a collective breath of relief.

The light barrier, though scarred, remained intact, a testament to the Holy Knights’ valor and Lady Farah’s divine intervention.

Thanks to this barrier, there were no curses, diseases, or foreign energy left behind by the Gargoyles. Not even remnant spirits that would normally cause negative energy to gather… These things may be found in other battlefields, but the barrier already took care of all residual energy of the Demons!

The Holy City had withstood the storm, its people saved by the courage of its protectors and the blessings of the Fortune Goddess.

And as the dust settled, Lady Farah whispered a silent vow to watch over this sacred place, to be its guardian against the darkness that sought to claim it.

***

At this time, Lady Farah stood upon the ramparts, her gaze piercing the horizon.

She could sense a presence, a disturbance in the fabric of fate—a dark thread woven into the city’s destiny.

Without a doubt, it was the Demon Lord, a being of immense power and inscrutable motives.

‘Haaa~’ Lady Farah, even if her original body was here, would have trouble dealing with the Demon Lord.

As the city returned to its peaceful rhythms, she descended from her vantage point.

She moved through the streets, her form cloaked in the guise of a mortal, her divine essence concealed from prying eyes.

The city’s inhabitants, unaware of the deity in their midst, continued their lives with a renewed appreciation for the tranquility they had almost lost.

In a quaint coffee shop nestled in the heart of the city, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the murmur of conversations—a haven of normalcy amidst the remnants of turmoil.

It was here that Lady Farah found the Avatar of the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord sat at a secluded table, his appearance that of a nobleman, and his demeanor was calm as he sipped his coffee. It was as if he wasn’t the man who orchestrated the previous seige in the city!

The patrons around him were oblivious to the true nature of the man who shared their space, his presence an enigma wrapped in the mundane.

Lady Farah approached, her steps silent, her expression a blend of curiosity and caution.

“It’s quite interesting to see you here drinking coffee after you sent an attack to my city…” She remarked, her voice tinged with a mix of reproach and intrigue.

The Demon Lord looked up, his eyes meeting hers, a spark of recognition igniting between them.

“Well, I’m just trying to greet you. I don’t want to kill too many people in this city since I want all the souls of the people here. You see… I want to summon something in this realm” He replied, his tone casual, as if discussing the weather rather than the fate of souls.

He didn’t even hide his real intention, which infuriated the Avatar of the Fortune Goddess even more!

“Are you crazy?! I thought you only wanted to avenge those Celestials who imprisoned you?” Lady Farah exclaimed, her voice barely above a whisper, yet carrying the weight of her divine authority.

Nonetheless, the other customers continued their own conversations. Well, there was a sphere of isolation around the deities, so no one could hear their conversation or notice their presence at all.

The Demon Lord leaned back, a sly smile playing on his lips.

“Crazy? No. Ambitious, perhaps. Lady Farah, I’ve long changed my mind… I care less about those three Paragons. I will not be satisfied by killing those trio. Instead, I want to obtain the power of the first Human Celestial. I seek to make a move that will change the game forever.”

Lady Farah was obviously unnerved by these words and wanted to kill the Demon Lord’s Avatar right now.

But even if she managed to succeed, another Avatar would just appear somewhere in the Human Realm.

In any case, her interest was suddenly piqued after hearing that the Demon Lord was interested with the power of the first Human Celestial. It was certainly something that anyone would want to possess. However, no one had ever know how to obtain this power.

After the first Human Celestial perished, many tried to research his body to obtain a clue about his power.

Unfortunately, no one was able to find it out, and it remained a mystery for an unknown number of years until it became a myth and many Celestials wouldn’t even believe the power of this first Human Celestial at all.

Nonetheless, the Fortune Goddess didn’t expect that the Demon Lord was also one of the Celestials who couldn’t forget about this at all!

After taking a deep breath, she took the seat opposite him, her eyes never leaving his.

“And what is this ‘move’ you speak of? What could possibly be worth the upheaval of this city’s peace?”

The Demon Lord’s smile widened. “A summoning, my dear Lady. A summoning that will bring forth a creature of such power that it will tilt the balance in my favor. And for that, I need the souls of this city—untouched, uncorrupted.”

Lady Farah’s gaze hardened. She couldn’t understand why it was related to obtaining the power of the first Human Celestial.

Anyway, the Demon Lord must have a reason.

“You would risk war with me for such a gambit? I think you will die first before getting the power of the First Human Celestial.”

“Hahaha! Is that so? But that’s a risk worth taking…” He replied, his eyes gleaming with an unholy light. “But fear not, I have no intention of a massacre. I prefer… subtler methods.”

“What? You’re planning to kill them while sleeping? Nightmare Call? Like the one you used in the Tree Elves Realm? Do you think I will allow you to do that?”

The conversation continued, the two beings locked in verbal arguments as intricate as the weave of fate itself.

Around them, the coffee shop buzzed with life, the patrons unaware of the cosmic negotiation taking place in their midst.

As the hours passed, the Demon Lord and Lady Farah did not reach an understanding. The Demon Lord tried convincing Lady Farah to give up the Holy City to allow him to summon a being that would aid him in finding the first Human Celestials’ ability.

“Fine… I will not use this city of yours… However, I want you to call your forces back… Those Holy Knights and Exorcists of yours are taking too many of my Demon Army. If you do that, I will not attack the places under your protection.” The Demon Lord offered.

“Do you think I will betray the Human Realm just like that?” Lady Farah asked.

“Of course not… It’s not like I’m planning to make this Human Realm a living hell. How about this? Once I have obtained the power of extraction, I will let you know how I got it. Perhaps you can also get this power. I won’t be saying it now since you might become a competitor,” The Demon Lord offered.

“Hmph… So you’re telling me that you seriously didn’t invade all those other Realms for rich resources or ancient powers or something that I’ve heard from the others? I’m doubtful…” Lady Farah remarked.

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