I'm a Villain in My Own Game?

[Viera PoV]

Everything is so chaotic here...

Earlier, I had been stationed on the fortress wall alongside a separate archer unit, together with the other academy students under Captain Raul’s command.

After that enormous Minotaur tore a hole through the city wall, we archers were forced to retreat onto the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.

Looking down, I could see the streets packed with soldiers and monsters locked in fierce combat.

”Watch out! Several flying insect monsters are heading this way, from the two o’clock direction!” one of the archers on the rooftop shouted.

I immediately turned toward the direction he pointed.

Sure enough, six insect-like monsters were flying straight toward us.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Then, I began to aim at the six monsters, concentrating Mana into the hand gripping my bow.

”Triple Shoot!”

Three Magic Arrows shot through the air, striking three of the six monsters.

A moment later, the other archers fired as well, killing the remaining three.

”As expected from academy students. Your archery skills are far better than those of ordinary soldiers!” one of the archers said.

”Not only is your accuracy impressive, but being able to fire three arrows at once gives you a much higher rate of fire than someone who can only make accurate shots one at a time!” another soldier added, praising me as well.

To be honest, this field practicum training had helped me grow tremendously in terms of combat experience. It had allowed me to better understand the pressure that came with aiming at an enemy during a real battle like this.

But after killing those six insect monsters, we couldn’t simply relax.

There were still countless monsters that had entered the city.

The infantrymen below were currently fighting against a massive swarm of goblins. Among them were numerous Hobgoblins wearing armor they had stolen from Knights and soldiers who had fallen either during this battle or previous ones.

That made it much harder for us to bring them down with our arrows.

Even so, I continued doing my best to kill these goblins with a single shot.

I aimed at the goblins filling the streets below.

A group of soldiers appeared to be struggling against a single Hobgoblin wearing full plate armor and wielding an enormous sword.

I concentrated Mana into the hand holding my bow once again.

This time, I would use magic capable of piercing that armor.

”Piercing Shoot!”

A green Magic Arrow shot toward the monster’s chest.

The Hobgoblin seemed startled when it noticed a hole had appeared in the armor covering its chest. Blood began pouring from the wound.

A moment later, the monster collapsed onto the ground, dead. My arrow had pierced straight through its heart.

I didn’t stop there.

I continued shooting ordinary goblins. Despite being individually weak, their sheer numbers were enough to push back the defensive lines formed by the soldiers in this area.

”Thirty-five... thirty-six... thirty-seven... and thirty-eight!”

I counted the number of monsters I had killed after my arrows successfully struck their vital organs.

But even though I had killed so many monsters, their numbers didn’t seem to decrease at all.

If anything, they appeared to be increasing.

”Retreat! Retreat! That goblin is incredibly strong!”

”That’s not a Hobgoblin! It’s a Goblin King!”

On the other side of the street, an entire platoon of soldiers was retreating from a massive goblin standing approximately four meters tall.

This goblin was twice the size of an ordinary Hobgoblin.

The enormous monster had just kicked one of the soldiers into the air with such tremendous force that the man’s body went flying.

And it wasn’t alone.

Several Hobgoblins surrounded the Goblin King, guarding its rear.

I tried to aim at the Goblin King.

Its hands and feet were covered in the blood of the soldiers it had already killed.

This monster was extremely dangerous.

It had to be stopped immediately!

I drew my bow as far as I could, forming a Magic Arrow in my hand.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before releasing the arrow.

”Piercing Shoot!”

The Magic Arrow flew straight toward the Goblin King’s heart.

However—

It noticed my attack.

The Goblin King casually caught the Magic Arrow with its bare hand.

”Kikiki...!”

The monster laughed, as though mocking my attack after effortlessly stopping it.

Then, it ordered several Hobgoblins to enter the building where we were stationed.

This is bad.

I probably needed to use Arrow Explosion to attack the Goblin King.

But with several Hobgoblins coming toward us, I wouldn’t have enough time to gather the Mana necessary to cast it.

”Matano!”

”Kreyaaa!”

Several Hobgoblins had already reached the rooftop.

Some of the archers drew their knives to fight them, but close-quarters combat wasn’t their specialty.

The Hobgoblins overwhelmed them with ease.

”Matano!”

Two Hobgoblins rushed toward me.

I glanced around before immediately jumping backward onto the building behind me using Axio.

At the same time, while leaping backward, I fired two arrows.

Both struck the necks of the Hobgoblins pursuing me, killing them instantly.

”Call for reinforcements! We can’t stop that giant goblin!”

”Quickly! Call the Herald and inform the command center! Tell them to send reinforcements here!”

The soldiers fighting in the streets were becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the Goblin King.

Even if we called for reinforcements, they would inevitably need time to arrive.

Judging from the situation, everyone here would probably be slaughtered within ten minutes if things continued like this.

What should I do?

But just as I was desperately trying to think of a way to turn the situation around, my eyes suddenly caught a flash of brilliant light from the one o’clock direction.

I turned toward it.

A red-haired woman was standing there, extending her hand toward a group of Hobgoblins in the street.

Huh?

Isn’t that Scarlett?

She appeared to be muttering an incantation.

Then, a blazing flame emerged before her palm, gradually taking the shape of a massive fireball.

At the same time, I noticed a black-haired man leaping from one rooftop to another, rapidly approaching the Goblin King.

That’s...

Captain Raul.

”Fire Ball Ultima!”

Scarlett fired the enormous fireball toward the Hobgoblins gathered behind the Goblin King in the street.

—BOOOOMMB!

An enormous explosion erupted as the fireball struck the street.

Several Hobgoblins were caught in the blast, while others were sent flying by the shockwave.

Captain Raul then leapt forward and grabbed hold of a rope, swinging over the burning Hobgoblins that had been struck by Scarlett’s spell.

He released the rope and landed directly in front of the Goblin King.

Only three Hobgoblins remained behind the monster.

The Goblin King noticed someone approaching and turned around.

At the same time, the three Hobgoblins rushed toward Captain Raul, attempting to attack him.

The first Hobgoblin swung its weapon diagonally toward Captain Raul.

But the black-haired man suddenly dropped into a slide, passing through the gap between the monster’s legs.

Then—

His sword struck the Hobgoblin’s groin.

The unfortunate monster screamed in agony and collapsed, clutching its injured groin with both hands.

Captain Raul didn’t stop.

He now faced the remaining two Hobgoblins.

Without slowing his momentum, he rose back to his feet, his sword suddenly enveloped in a brilliant yellow light.

”Leaping Slash!”

Captain Raul lunged toward the two Hobgoblins.

With two swift swings, he severed both of their heads.

Their heads flew through the air before hitting the ground and rolling across the city street.

Now, nothing stood between Captain Raul and the Goblin King.

”Matanoooo!”

The Goblin King roared and charged toward Captain Raul.

The four-meter-tall goblin threw a powerful punch.

But Captain Raul avoided it by jumping onto the monster’s arm.

He moved closer to the Goblin King’s head before thrusting his sword directly into one of its eyes.

”Arrrghhhh!”

The Goblin King screamed in agony and immediately tried to grab Captain Raul.

But the black-haired man leapt into the air again.

The Goblin attempted to catch him with its massive hand, but Captain Raul twisted his body in midair, avoiding its grasp while delivering several slashes across the monster’s arm.

Captain Raul landed lightly on both feet.

The Goblin King was growing even more furious.

It swung its massive arm horizontally toward the black-haired man.

Reacting instantly, Captain Raul rolled forward in a somersault, then drove his sword into the Goblin King’s knee.

”Guuuahhhhh!”

The Goblin King screamed in pain and dropped onto one knee.

Its head had been lowered.

Captain Raul didn’t waste the opportunity.

He thrust his sword into the Goblin King’s neck, causing the monster to look as though it were choking.

”You’re dead...”

After saying those words, Captain Raul raised his sword and swung it downward.

The blade cleaved through the Goblin King’s head, splitting it in two.

The monster died instantly.

Its enormous body collapsed onto the ground, and fresh blood began flowing across the street.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

”Look! That bastard monster is dead!”

”The strongest fighter among the monsters has fallen! Let’s push these goblins back!”

Seeing the monster that had previously slaughtered them lying dead, the soldiers’ morale immediately surged.

They began launching a counterattack against the goblins.

”Viera! Are you all right?”

Hearing someone call my name from behind, I turned around.

A short man I recognized was jumping onto the rooftop, accompanied by several other members of the Disciplinary Committee.

”I’m fine, Piers,” I answered. ”You came at the perfect time.”

After killing the Goblin King, Captain Raul leapt onto the building where we were gathered.

By then, all the members of the Disciplinary Committee had assembled here.

—GROOOAARRR!

I heard loud roars coming from several different places.

In the distance, I could see numerous enormous monsters rampaging through the city, destroying everything in their path with terrifying strength.

Do we really have to defeat all of those monsters?

The soldiers were already struggling just to defeat one of them.

Then Captain Raul spoke.

”Everyone, listen to me.”

Everyone’s attention immediately focused on him.

”There are far too many monsters above Level Ten that have entered the city,” Captain Raul explained. ”I’m going alone to assist the soldiers fighting these monsters in other areas.”

He was right.

If dangerous monsters like these weren’t dealt with quickly, the destruction of the city would only become worse.

”Listen carefully. I’m only one person.”

Captain Raul looked at all of us with a serious expression.

”I can’t be everywhere at the same time. I trained and developed this Disciplinary Committee so that you could take my place as protectors of the Empire’s citizens whenever I can’t be there to help because I’m fighting somewhere else.”

What Captain Raul said made perfect sense.

Monster attacks would never appear in only one place.

Captain Raul couldn’t possibly handle every threat if they emerged simultaneously in different locations.

”I’m placing Eric in command. Do your best to assist the soldiers in fighting these monsters. Understood?” Captain Raul ordered us.

”Don’t worry, Captain! We’ll fight with everything we’ve got and we won’t disappoint you!” Eric replied loudly.

”Good. But there are three things you must remember and prioritize.”

Captain Raul raised three fingers.

”First, your priority is to survive. Don’t push yourselves too far if the situation gets worse. Second, don’t take unnecessary risks when attacking. You aren’t the only ones fighting here, so work together with the Mages and the soldiers.”

Everyone looked nervous.

This was the first time we would fight without Captain Raul directing us.

But if we wanted to grow stronger, we couldn’t remain under his guidance forever.

We had to learn how to stand on our own.

”And finally, if you see a Vampire with yellow eyes, run immediately without thinking twice. Understood?”

Huh?

A Vampire with yellow eyes?

If I remembered correctly, wasn’t that one of the characteristics of Noble Vampires?

After giving us his instructions, Captain Raul left the area.

For a moment, everyone remained silent, seemingly unsure of what we should do next.

”So... what’s our plan now?” I asked Eric, who had just been appointed as the leader of our group by Captain Raul.

The man remained silent, apparently deep in thought.

Ughhh...

Was Captain Raul really making the right decision by appointing him as our leader?

[Ariel PoV]

The battle inside the city was becoming increasingly brutal.

The number of soldiers and Mages killed or wounded while defending the city continued to rise.

At present, I was in a plaza not far from the fighting in the eastern part of the city.

Even from here, I could hear the roars of monsters and the screams of soldiers fighting on the front lines.

”Are you really unable to use magic right now?” a Priest asked me.

”I’m sorry. I used too much Mana last night while helping the villagers, and I ended up suffering from Mana Exhaustion,” I answered regretfully.

It was true.

I couldn’t use healing magic at the moment because I had exhausted too much of my Mana while holding back the monsters that had tried to pursue the villagers.

”All right. Continue helping here as much as you can,” the Priest said. ”We need additional medical personnel to treat the wounded soldiers and prevent the number of casualties from increasing.”

The Priest then left me to tend to the other wounded soldiers.

Several members of an Auxiliary unit had just brought in more injured soldiers from the battlefield.

”Aghhhh! Please! I can’t take this pain anymore!”

I saw a soldier lying on the ground in agony, clutching the left side of his abdomen, which had been wrapped in a bandage.

The other Priests were still busy healing the wounded soldiers, forcing the man to wait for his turn.

I approached him and sat beside him to examine his wound.

”Are you a Priest!? Please, heal this wound! I don’t want to die yet! Please!”

I examined the wound on his abdomen.

Blood continued pouring from it without stopping.

If this continued, he would die from blood loss.

”I can’t use healing magic right now. But I’ll make sure you survive until someone capable of using healing magic comes here and treats your wound,” I told him.

”Just do it! The important thing is that I don’t want to die yet...” the man said, his voice growing weaker.

I then took a wooden stick and wrapped it in a piece of cloth before coating it with oil.

After that, I ran to find a Mage who could set the stick on fire.

”Hey, what is a Priestess like you doing on the front lines!?” the Mage exclaimed.

”Could you burn this stick? I’ve run out of Mana, and I’m trying to help a wounded soldier survive,” I asked.

”All right.”

He nodded and extended his palm toward the stick in my hands.

”Ignite!”

After he uttered the spell, the stick I was holding suddenly burst into flames.

I thanked him before quickly returning to the wounded soldier.

But suddenly, I heard an extremely loud monster roar.

I turned around.

A massive Minotaur was rampaging through the battlefield, overwhelming the soldiers around it.

I ignored it and continued running toward the wounded soldier.

”Bear with the pain for a moment, all right?”

I handed the wounded soldier a piece of cloth.

”Use this to muffle your screams.”

The soldier took the cloth from me and bit down on it as hard as he could.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm myself before beginning the procedure.

”Are you ready?” I asked.

The soldier simply nodded.

I then pressed the burning wooden stick against his wound.

His expression immediately contorted in unbearable pain.

His hands clenched tightly while he bit down hard on the cloth.

”Hold on. This will stop the bleeding.”

After several moments of cauterizing the wounded area of his abdomen, I finally pulled the burning stick away from his body.

The area I had burned had turned black, but the bleeding was no longer as severe.

After finishing the procedure, I left the man to rest while he waited for a Priest who could heal his wound.

”Arrrghhhh! My arm is gone! I don’t want to be crippled for the rest of my life!”

”I can’t see anything! Please! Those damn monsters hurt my eyes!”

The screams of suffering soldiers filled my ears.

But what could I do?

Without magic, there was only so much I could help with.

Why did I have to suffer Mana Exhaustion at a time like this?

But if I hadn’t used all my magic back then, the monsters would have caught up with the villagers and killed them.

What should I do?

How could I help?

”Hey! Help us on the front lines! We need help carrying the wounded!”

I heard a soldier shouting from the front.

It seemed that even the Auxiliary units were overwhelmed by the number of casualties they needed to evacuate.

But I couldn’t simply stand by.

I ran back toward the front lines.

There, I saw several soldiers lying on the street, screaming in agony.

”Don’t worry! I’ll take you to the treatment area!”

I tried to lift one of them.

But I couldn’t.

I was far too weak to carry a soldier with a body this large.

There was no other choice.

I had to drag him.

”GROOOAARRRR!”

But just as I was about to drag the wounded soldier away, the Minotaur—roughly two hundred meters ahead—suddenly charged toward us.

No...

Why was it coming this way?

Why had it abandoned the soldiers it had been fighting?

”Retreat! Retreat! That monster can’t be stopped!” one of the soldiers shouted.

I began dragging the wounded soldier.

But with my limited strength, I could only pull him forward about one meter per second.

”ROOOAAARRRR!”

The enormous Minotaur drew closer, sending soldiers who tried to stop it flying through the air.

There was no way we could escape if this continued.

”Miss! Leave me here, or we’ll both die!” the soldier I was dragging said.

”No! I’m a Priestess! I can’t possibly abandon people who are wounded!” I replied.

”Arrrghhh! No! Don’t step on me!”

”Mooom! Please! I don’t want to die!”

The sight before me was horrifying.

The Minotaur stomped on wounded soldiers lying helplessly across the street, right before my eyes.

Then, the enormous Minotaur turned its gaze toward me.

A sinister smile slowly spread across its face.

I tried once again to drag the wounded soldier away, putting as much strength as I could into it.

I glanced behind me.

The Minotaur was now only ten meters away.

It raised its enormous foot directly above my head before bringing it down with terrifying speed.

”Ah!”

I screamed because the wounded soldier pushed me away.

A deep crack appeared in the street where the monster’s foot landed.

The Minotaur slowly lifted its massive foot.

Its sole was covered in blood and fragments of the wounded soldier’s brain.

I...

I couldn’t do anything to save him...

”Grrrrr...”

The enormous Minotaur turned its gaze back toward me.

Its foot began to rise again.

All I could do was stare blankly at the blood-covered sole above me.

The foot slowly descended.

I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself for the moment death would come and carry me away from this world.

—BAMMM!

A deafening impact echoed through the area.

Yet...

I could still feel my entire body.

It felt as though someone was holding me tightly in their arms.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Someone had just saved me from the enormous Minotaur.

He was carrying me in both arms, holding my body securely against him.

”You... You’re the masked man who always saves me...”

I stared at the white-haired man with those mysterious green eyes.

He lowered me from his arms and looked directly into my eyes with a serious expression.

”Ariel...” he called softly.

”Who are you, really? Why does a Heretic like you keep saving a Priestess like me? Aren’t I supposed to be your enemy? Why?”

The questions suddenly spilled from my mouth as I stared directly into his green eyes.

But he didn’t answer.

Instead, he gently caressed my cheek with his hand.

For some reason, I didn’t immediately push him away.

If an ordinary man had touched me like this, I would have instinctively pulled away. I didn’t like being touched by men.

But with him...

I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

”I’m sorry, Ariel, but this isn’t the time to talk about that,” the masked man said. ”Look. Everyone is fighting those monsters.”

I looked around.

The monsters had begun surrounding the soldiers and Mages in this area.

It seemed like it was only a matter of time before they slaughtered everyone here.

”Listen to me, Ariel...”

The masked man called my name again, his voice strangely gentle.

For some reason, his voice reminded me of that black-haired man.

”You must awaken your power if you want to save the people here.”

Awaken my power?

How?

I knew that everyone possessed a Codex that could be awakened, allowing them to become stronger.

Some people succeeded in awakening theirs.

But there were also countless others who lived their entire lives without ever managing to awaken their Codex.

”I’ll hold these monsters back until you awaken your power,” the masked man said.

I couldn’t tell what expression was hidden beneath his mask as he spoke those words.

”No matter how long it takes you, I’ll always protect you from these monsters. Because I believe that you are the one who will save humanity from the destruction brought by demons and monsters.”

His words deeply moved my heart.

In this world, there were only two people who had ever clearly expressed their belief in my abilities and potential.

Those two people were Raul...

And this man.

I reached up and touched the hand resting against my cheek.

”Why?” I asked him. ”Why do you believe in me so much? I don’t even know you, and you don’t truly know me either. How can you have so much faith in me?”

But the man merely smiled at my complaints.

”Ariel, don’t belittle yourself. You are an extraordinary woman. Without your actions holding those monsters back that day, all those villagers would have been slaughtered.”

He paused.

”And even when you couldn’t use magic, you still tried to help others, despite the risk of losing your own life.”

Tears began streaming down my cheeks.

I clenched my fists tightly.

This was the first time someone had truly recognized my hard work, my efforts, and all the pressure I had endured until now.

Everyone always told me that I was talented in healing magic.

That was why people praised me.

Not because of my hard work.

Not because of my determination.

”Thank you for saying that to me.”

I tried to smile at him.

”And thank you for always saving me... and for being there whenever I needed help.”

Finally, I had been able to thank him.

At this moment, I didn’t care if other people considered him a Heretic or even a criminal.

I would judge him for myself.

I would decide whether he was truly good or evil.

And right now...

Everything he had done for me felt sincere.

There was no hint of malicious intent behind his actions.

”All right. I have to go help the soldiers fight these monsters,” the masked man said, returning my smile.

”Remember, I’ll always be there for you, whenever and wherever you need me.”

After saying those words, he left me behind and went to fight the monsters surrounding this area.

I strengthened my resolve once again.

Because of his words, I had regained the courage to continue helping the people around me.

Of course, that didn’t change the fact that I still couldn’t use magic.

But just as he had told me, I would continue helping people no matter how difficult the obstacles ahead of me became.

”ROOOAAARRR!”

Another monstrous roar echoed through the battlefield.

This time, it wasn’t just one.

Three enormous Minotaurs appeared in the area.

The soldiers were becoming increasingly cornered from every direction.

Bodies were sent flying through the air as the Minotaurs’ overwhelming strength proved impossible for ordinary soldiers to withstand.

The masked man was fighting one of the enormous Minotaurs.

But the other two continued rampaging through the battlefield.

There was no one capable of stopping them.

”Medicsss! Come quickly and save my brother!”

I heard someone shouting toward the medical unit where I had been assigned.

A soldier was desperately holding another man who lay on the ground, covered in blood.

I ran toward the two soldiers and immediately sat beside them to examine the wounded man’s condition.

”Are you a Priestess? Please, save my little brother!” the older brother begged.

It seemed the two soldiers were brothers.

I examined the younger brother’s condition.

There was a massive hole in the center of his abdomen.

I could even see his internal organs—his intestines and kidneys.

No...

He couldn’t be saved.

Only a high-ranking Priest could heal a wound this severe using Lamentation.

I could only bite my lip as I stared at him.

”Brother...”

The younger soldier’s skin was beginning to feel cold.

”Did I... fight bravely?”

”Of course!”

His brother’s voice trembled.

”You fought those monsters without fear! I’m proud to have a little brother like you!”

Tears began filling the older brother’s eyes.

”Hey, please! Save my brother! You’re a Priestess, aren’t you!?”

No.

Even if I could use my magic, there was no way I could regenerate all the damaged internal organs and heal a wound this severe.

My abilities weren’t nearly advanced enough to use miraculous healing magic like that.

”Brother...”

The younger soldier’s voice grew weaker.

”Tell Father and Mother...”

He struggled to breathe.

”Tell them I fought bravely tonight...”

He paused, his voice barely audible.

”Ever since I was little... I wanted to become a brave Knight just like you, Brother...”

After saying those words, the younger soldier exhaled his final breath.

His hand fell limply to the ground.

The light disappeared from his eyes.

There was no life left within his body.

”No... No, no, no!”

His older brother screamed hysterically as he embraced his brother’s corpse.

”Alannnn!”

I clenched my fists tightly.

Never before had I felt so powerless.

Never before had I hated myself so much for being unable to do anything.

”ROAAARRR!”

The roar of a monster echoed nearby.

One of the enormous Minotaurs was heading toward us.

The older brother gently laid his brother’s body down before standing up.

He walked toward the approaching Minotaur.

”I’ll tear you apart and avenge my brother’s death!”

The man leapt directly at the enormous Minotaur.

But the monster easily caught him with its right hand.

The soldier desperately stabbed his sword into the Minotaur’s hand, trying to break free from its grip.

But the monster simply tightened its fingers.

His body was crushed instantly.

Isn’t there anything I can do?

Anything at all?

”Arrrghhh! Help! Please, don’t kill me!”

”Damn it! The monsters have breached our perimeter!”

Everyone was beginning to lose hope.

As far as I could see, an army of monsters had surrounded us from every direction.

The masked man was still fighting one of the enormous Minotaurs alone.

—Slash! Slash! Slash!

The sounds of blades cutting through flesh and the dying screams of soldiers echoed throughout the battlefield.

If only I had the strength...

I wanted to save everyone.

I wanted to prevent them from being slaughtered by these monsters.

”It’s over! They’ve surrounded us!” one of the soldiers cried out in terror.

Please...

Give me the strength to do something!

I didn’t want to hear the dying screams of these innocent people...

”Arrrghhh! Damn it! There’s nowhere left to run!”

Piles of human corpses were beginning to cover the streets around me.

It wouldn’t be long before these monsters made me their next target.

Oh, Great Goddess...

Do you truly intend to let the humans who worship you be slaughtered by these bloodthirsty monsters?

”Don’t give up!”

The masked man shouted, trying to reignite the soldiers’ fighting spirit.

”Keep fighting! Fight for your families who are here! If you fall, your families will be the next targets of these monsters!”

But even those words weren’t enough.

Too many soldiers were already wounded.

They wouldn’t be able to fight these monsters much longer.

”Great Goddess...”

I clasped my hands together.

”Please, give me the strength to save these people! Give us the strength to fight, just as you once gave us the strength to drive the Demons from this world long ago!”

Pray.

That was the only thing I could do right now.

It was humiliating.

It was frustrating beyond words.

I wanted to help them.

I wanted to help all of humanity stand against the cruelty of the Demon race and the monsters that hunted us.

I swore that I would continue fighting against this cruelty until it was eradicated at its very roots, so that humanity could live peacefully and safely throughout our brief lives.

”....”

Suddenly...

Something strange happened as I lamented my own weakness.

Everyone around me...

The soldiers.

The Mages.

The monsters.

They all stopped moving.

It was as though someone had frozen time itself.

A brilliant light from above suddenly entered my field of vision.

I looked toward the sky.

A radiant opening had appeared within the darkness of the clouds that covered the night sky.

Not long afterward, I heard a sacred melody.

It was a hymn I had heard countless times while praying inside the Main Temple of Goddess Diana.

Several winged human figures emerged from the radiant opening in the dark sky.

The winged beings then lined up in formation, as though creating a path for someone who was about to emerge from the light.

There was no mistaking it...

”Those are Angels!”

I stared at them in disbelief.

”They look exactly like the illustrations on the walls of the Main Temple in the Holy City of Notredame!”

A few moments later, the entire sky—which had previously been shrouded in darkness—became brilliantly illuminated as a winged woman emerged from the radiant opening.

The woman then descended toward us.

Her golden-blond hair was as beautiful as the purest gold.

Her pink eyes sparkled like the most precious jewels in the world.

Her gentle wings fluttered gracefully as she descended from the heavens, giving her an appearance that was both elegant and mesmerizing.

She smiled gently at me.

”I’m glad I can finally meet you in person, Ariel...”

Her voice was warm and serene.

”I am Diana...”

She paused.

”The Goddess who created this world and everything within it...”