* * *
Kiaaaaaa!
The pure white goddess that appeared in the sky let out a horrific scream.
“Ugh!”
“Gasp!”
People, unable to even scream, covered their ears and rolled on the ground in agony.
The scream was so harrowing and painful that it felt like the sound of hell.
The only ones who seemed unaffected were the priests standing near the altar.
And similarly, Juliet, who had been leaning weakly on the steps of the round altar.
Although she felt nauseous and dizzy, she didn’t collapse upon hearing that sound.
Juliet took deep breaths and looked around.
Seeing that only the priests stood unaffected, it seemed those with divine power were alright.
‘Is it because of the Soulstone?’
Juliet glanced at the Soulstone clenched in her hand.
The purple Soulstone of Genovia.
As long as she had this, she now possessed divine power, making her resilient against the appearance of the goddess.
But is that…
Really a god…?
It seemed more like…
Some creature closer to a demon.
Juliet clutched the Soulstone and looked up.
Kiaaaaaa!
The massive figure casting a shadow over all of Lucerne was beautiful, but it was tightly bound in chains.
“Bring the Pope inside!”
Archbishop Solon exclaimed in panic.
Priests began to hurriedly drag the unconscious body of Sebastian.
“Wait a minute! Archbishop Solon!”
Archbishop Gilliam grabbed Archbishop Solon’s sleeve.
“Look at that!”
Archbishop Gilliam pointed exactly where Juliet had appeared with Sebastian, right in the middle of the altar.
“That person is….”
“Lady Hilde?”
“Her Holiness Hildegard?”
“It’s Her Holiness Hildegard!”
“That’s impossible!”
Two Popes in one place.
It was a series of chaotic situations.
“How could that be possible! Her Holiness Hildegard passed away 3 years ago!”
Archbishop Solon shouted as if he was lamenting.
“But that’s unmistakably Hildegard!”
Archbishop Gilliam made up his mind and jumped down into the middle of the altar.
“Your Holiness Hildegard!”
Archbishop Solon watched anxiously.
He murmured to himself.
“Hildegard was alive? Wasn’t she killed by Sebastian?”
‘She succeeded,’ Juliet thought blankly.
Juliet had prepared for the possibility of her own failure.
She had freed Hildegard, who had been imprisoned underground, and urged her to escape if Juliet failed.
According to Hildegard, once Juliet succeeded in escaping, the coordinates would be left behind, and Hildegard could follow and escape on her own.
Juliet, who had never used divine power, didn’t understand the exact principle, but Hildegard was a former Pope and possessed significant divine power.
* * *
“Archbishop!”
“What should we do?!”
Priests following Archbishop Solon shouted.
“Damn it…”
Solon, thrust into the role of the responsible party, looked around from the altar.
He saw Archbishop Gilliam and his priests rescuing the former Pope Hildegard and hastily leaving.
On the other hand, the citizens gathered to watch were rolling on the ground in pain.
‘To send back that goddess, we need the power of the Pope.’
But the current Pope, Sebastian, was unconscious.
Solon, who had climbed here just on intuition, quickly devised a plan.
Things were not looking good.
With Hildegard’s return, Sebastian’s misdeeds would surely be exposed once the situation was sorted.
If that happened, Solon might be executed as a scapegoat.
He needed a sacrificial lamb to divert the public’s attention and cover up Sebastian’s sins.
And right in front of Archbishop Solon stood the perfect witch for the role.
“The goddess is angry!”
What?
Juliet, who had fallen to the ground, barely lifted her head.
“She tried to kill the Pope!”
“It’s because of this woman that the goddess is angry!”
Archbishop Solon not only pointed at Juliet, but he also ran up the stairs and grabbed Juliet by the collar, dragging her away.
“Blasphemy! God is angry with the blasphemy!”
Ah, damn.
Juliet, who didn’t even have the energy to resist, was swayed back and forth by Archbishop Solon’s push.
Then.
“Blasphemy! This woman is trying to…”
Bang!
“What, what?”
Once more.
Bang! Bang!
Archbishop Solon staggered, letting go of Juliet due to the vibration that resonated throughout the terrarium.
The priests looked around, unsure of where the noise was coming from.
Then,
“Run away!”
“Get out of the way!”
Screech. Boom!
On the other side of the altar, a pillar that had been supporting the building collapsed onto the altar.
Like a bridge.
Through the thick dust and beyond the floating mist, the silhouette of a man arrogantly standing on the pillar was visible.
“Get your hands off her.”
It was Duke Carlyle.
* * *
“Wha… What…?!”
Such a monster! Knocking down a pillar.
Archbishop Solon paled.
Alternating his gaze between the fallen woman in front of him and the approaching Duke Carlyle, who was using the fallen pillar as a bridge, Solon had an intuition.
‘I am already a dead man.’
If he was going to die anyway, he might as well fight back.
Archbishop Solon quickly took Juliet hostage and retreated, ordering the priests,
“Form, form the defense!”
“Set up the defense!”
“Prepare for the impact!”
The priests of Lucerne quickly spread their defensive barriers from their positions.
The unique azure glows of the clerics sparkled here and there.
Then, Lennox Carlyle, who had been slowly walking down, paused for a moment.
“…?”
What are they doing? The priests looked at him with confusion when suddenly,
Boom!
“No, no way!”
“How, how did…?!”
“Cough!”
Suddenly, several high-ranking priests coughed up blood and collapsed.
Juliet knew without seeing. It was a familiar sight.
When the magic barrier was broken, the backlash returned to the priests who had cast the curse.
Even though everyone here was among the elite clergy renowned for their divine power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the loud explosions and the breaking of Lucerne’s ninety-eight barriers one after the other, the only injury he received was a sharp fragment grazing his cheek.
Blood oozed from the scratch, but with everything exploding around him, it seemed almost trivial.
He looked unscathed.
“Juliet.”
Contrary to the chaotic surroundings, his voice calling her name was more than calm; it was serene.
“Come here.”
Looking at his outstretched hand, Juliet hesitated for a moment.
Should she take this hand?
‘If I take his hand, then I, Lennox…’
But her hesitation was short-lived.
“…”
Juliet, who had grabbed his hand and stepped onto the bridge, staggered a bit to find her balance. However, his large and firm hand quickly and firmly gripped her waist.
“Duke!”
The trembling priests behind shouted out.
“How dare you… You won’t get away with this!”
Contrary to their shout, as Duke Carlyle’s indifferent gaze met theirs, they recoiled in fear.
Lennox, looking down at the scene with contempt, said:
“Step down.”
Juliet, trying to balance herself, slowly crossed the bridge.