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[The Owl filled my head with lies and arrogance! It was the Lighthouse Keeper who showed me the true flame of righteousness! When I was consumed by that fire, I saw the light of truth! Don’t insult me!]

As the Burning Maiden raged, Isaac felt an old memory flooding into his mind like a vivid hallucination.

Lichthaim, long ago. A plaza. A woman dressed in the robes of an inquisitor, standing before a man while all the other priests knelt in reverence. Only the inquisitor stood tall, staring at the man.

The inquisitor raised her hand, glowing brightly with the miracle of the Proof of Faith. She reached out to touch the man, but the moment her hand made contact, it was her own body that ignited. With a terrifying scream, she was engulfed in flames, reduced to ashes in an instant.

The man spoke: “I respect her for standing firm in her doubts, even when everyone else worshiped blindly.” He molded the charred remains into a form, breathing a heavenly fire into it. From the ashes, the Burning Maiden was reborn as an angel, eternally ablaze with the fires of Heaven.

[Yes, I once trusted the White Owl! If she was truly right, then it should have been that man who turned to ash! But it was me! Even then, the Lighthouse Keeper’s flame granted me revelation and showed me the way!]

The Burning Maiden’s fury culminated as she pointed aggressively at Isaac.

[You say I’m jealous of him? Arte, if you keep spouting nonsense and getting in my way—]

[Good. I’m glad to see you haven’t forgotten the teachings of the Lighthouse Keeper.]

The Sword of May cut her off nonchalantly, clearly unbothered by the Burning Maiden’s threats. The Burning Maiden’s expression twisted as if she had been caught off guard, then slowly hardened into a grim realization.

The Sword of May continued calmly.

[As I said before, Isaac is under my personal protection. You should reflect on what that means.]

The Burning Maiden paused for a long moment, then asked softly,

[Is sparing him part of the grand plan?]

[I cannot say. Nor can I reveal anything further. Don’t speculate or jump to conclusions. It would be unwise for us to show our disagreement in front of the faithful.]

The Burning Maiden glared at Isaac once more, as if trying to pierce through his soul. But this time, all she could see was the unwavering gaze of the Sword of May, burning bright like a shield around him.

She chuckled darkly and turned away. Her eyes landed on Soltnar.

[It seems the Inquisition is in dire need of purging.]

At that moment, Soltnar’s body suddenly erupted into flames. Fire bloomed from within, consuming him from the inside out. The oxygen in his lungs burned first, leaving him no chance to scream. In a matter of seconds, nothing remained but a charred husk.

The Burning Maiden’s gaze shifted toward the paladins, but the Sword of May quickly intervened.

[That’s enough.]

[It would be better for us if they didn’t know of our discord.]

[The Golden Lion Paladins guard the upper echelons of the Church. They are discreet. Like Dera Heman, they will remain silent about today’s events.]

At the mention of Dera Heman, the Burning Maiden reluctantly nodded in agreement. If she killed the paladins, there would be no one left to serve under Dera, her chosen protector. That was not a favorable outcome for her. Ꞧ

She picked up her shattered mask and slid it back over her face. With a single sweep of her radiant hand, the mask was restored to its original state.

Without a word or further ceremony, she vanished from sight.

As soon as the Burning Maiden disappeared, Dera Heman collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The paladins, who had been holding their breath, rushed forward but came to a halt when they saw Isaac still imbued with the presence of the Sword of May.

It wasn’t until the Sword of May gave them a silent nod that they hurried to help Dera.

Isaac had accomplished his mission and the Sword of May was ready to depart, but Isaac wasn’t about to let her leave so easily.

[Are you fully recovered?] Isaac asked.

[More or less.]

Though Isaac wasn’t keen on imagining a battle between them, he knew that, even if she hadn’t been fully healed, a combat angel like the Sword of May could have easily bested the scholar-angel Burning Maiden. Then again, situations where angels fought each other rarely occurred, except in extreme cases like the purge of the White Owl.

[How did you come to possess me?]

[You are Elil’s grand warrior and the White Owl’s offspring. No living human has been more steeped in the influence of the Codex of Light than you. It would be strange if I couldn’t possess you.]

Adding to that, Kalsen Miller, who had been a prime candidate to become an archangel, was also inside Isaac. Though Isaac hadn’t mentioned that detail, he was still surprised to learn that the Sword of May knew about his parentage. She hadn’t even bothered to hide it.

At this point, Isaac could begin to understand how the Burning Maiden felt—why was he still alive? Why were they sparing him?

The Sword of May seemed to sense his thoughts and spoke softly.

[Complete the mission, Isaac.]

It was a message he had heard countless times before. But this time, there was a crucial addition.

[You must reclaim the Holy Land before the fracture caused by Beshek’s failure shatters the world. It is the only way to preserve this world’s continuity.]