Chapter 871

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Zito blinked for a moment, alternating his gaze between Ayula and the dimensional portal.

[Puhaha... Kuhahaha! What if you close that? What then? Do you think I would be surprised and become submissive? Oh, Ayula, you foolish friend. How can you fall for such a simple trick! Was the reason you kept acting feeble all this time really because you were wasting your energy to block that?]

From the beginning, Zito had been aiming for that.

He was confident that Ayula had intended to obliterate him today.

[First of all, you must have planned to block my way back and then try to deal a significant blow to me through the humans under this barrier. If I hadn't regained this much strength, it would have been quite an effective method. Unfortunately... it seems not to be the case.]

As soon as he confirmed the dimensional portal was closed, Zito's appearance began to change. New thorns sprouted on his wings and various parts of his body, and his shimmering face became more distinct.

[If I kill you anyway and find my eyes, there's no point playing around like this. Then let's start over, foolish Goddess of Peace.]

With every swing of Zito's dual thorned axes, the sky distorted. Ayula's physical form upon impact was no different. Flesh, blood, and flesh contorted as a sound more terrifying than a scream echoed.

The praying believers shed tears, imagining the pain Ayula was enduring, while Jin and Murakan narrowed their eyes.

If the battle continued like this, it would ultimately end in Ayula's defeat.

"Goodness, isn't noblewoman Ayula really going to lose at this rate? Even if it's because she's in the human world and can't use all her power, she's being pushed back too much, right? Ah, the barrier. Could it be that expending too much power on the barrier is the reason she's lacking in strength?"

"...You're right, Murakan. Lady Ayula is going to lose today."

Murakan was surprised at Jin's words.

"What?"

"The outcome of this fight was predetermined from the start. Lady Ayula has never once said she would defeat Zito. She never mentioned killing him either. She merely spoke of inflicting him with wounds that couldn't be healed."

From the outset, Ayula's goal was not victory.

Ayula knew better than anyone that it was impossible. As Murakan said, the human world wasn't a land where she could exert her full power.

"In my view, Zito has fallen into a trap. I'm not sure of Lady Ayula's exact intent, but clearly, this battle was predetermined from the start to unfold this way. Whether Lady Ayula's power was applied to the barrier after the fight, I can't say for sure, but it's likely to hinder Zito in some way."

"I hope you are right."

Jin wasn't completely devoid of concern.

-Originally, this time, I intended to inflict wounds on him that couldn't be healed, even if I lost some of my authority. Since Zito won't fully recover his strength, I judged that he could become more threatening to the human world.]

What Ayula had said recently in the gray land.

Even if the fight went exactly according to Ayula's plan, she would lose a portion of her power today.

'Maybe... This might be the first and last time Lady Ayula directly intervenes and engages in combat within the human world. Hopefully, the fight will end as Lady Ayula wishes.'

If things go awry, there's even a possibility that Ayula might be killed.

On the other hand, Zito had no such concerns. Ayula herself had already driven the point that it was an impossible feat.

[I can clearly see your crying children below the barrier. My eyes must have been impatient to witness that sight too. After all this time, my eyes have been imprisoned without beholding anything beautiful.]

Thud-!

Zito's thorned axe struck Ayula's head.

Unlike Zito, Ayula couldn't recover as quickly. While controlling the spears with parts of her head torn, it seemed like her vision had been impaired.

Two more wings of Ayula were shredded. As the number of times the spears pierced Zito's body decreased, the frequency of Zito's thorned axe ravaging Ayula increased.

Now, it was no longer a battle between two beings with similar strength; it was a one-sided violence.

Thud...!

Gradually, Zito plunged the thorned axe into Ayula's chest and pushed her onto the barrier. The shock transmitted inside the barrier caused a momentary earthquake throughout the entire Holy Kingdom.

The earthquake quickly intensified.

Zito was standing atop Ayula, relentlessly striking her with his axes. Ayula's barrier still held strong, but at this rate, it felt like a crack could appear at any moment.

[Hahaha, I feel like a pathetic beast! After starving for so long, I finally found my prey. Ayula, you look like a mother protecting her eggs. The exhausted mother who sacrifices herself to protect her eggs from predators. But she can't. Why? Because that beast's true identity is Zito!]

Comparing the cracks in the barrier to eggs, Zito's voice grew crazed as he spoke.

[Ayula! It gives me immense pleasure that the first being I encountered in the human world is you. I've yearned for this moment for a very long time.]

[Still quite the talker. Even though you seem to have the upper hand, you still seem uneasy, Zito.]

[Then, uneasy I am! I'm scared and uneasy. That's exactly why I'm rambling like this. Just like how beasts howl at the slightest touch.]

[You have a keen sense for a so-called immortal. Well then, it's about time I give you a gift. I'll show you what the essence of your unknown fear was.]

Unexpectedly, Ayula spread her wings wide. Until now, Ayula had been using her wings as shields against Zito's axe strikes.

And then, Ayula, with the remaining wings, pulled Zito towards her.

Zito attempted to tear away from the wings, but the wings that had been easily torn and shed thus far did not budge.

Zito's thorns that pierced through the wings played a role in immobilizing both of them. The two immortals appeared almost like a massive sculpture bound together.

For the first time, a sly smile appeared on Ayula's face.

[You said it had been a long time since your eyes beheld something beautiful...]

[What are you trying to do?]

[To me, your remaining eye seems just the same. A world filled with suffering, how can that be considered beautiful? So let me show you. I'll show you something truly beautiful.]

Waaaah-!

From within the wings soaked in golden blood, an even brighter golden light radiated.

And Zito felt Ayula's energy spreading through the wings invading his mind. That energy forcibly created various images and voices within Zito's head.

Of course, the content consisted of images and voices that Zito detested the most.

Let's be together, in a peaceful and beautiful world...!

The first thing that resonated in Zito's mind was a verse from a hymn dedicated to Ayula.

The sight of millions of devout followers, all wearing radiant expressions and singing in unison, was included as well.

[Crazy, aaargh!]

Zito shivered uncontrollably as he showed signs of suffering for the first time.

While he was an immortal who could endure and revel in torture to an insane extent, he had little resistance to this kind of "uncomfortable pain."

[This isn't good, it's a type of pain I haven't conquered yet.]

Just witnessing such a scene was a tremendous psychological shock to Zito.

Because it was an illusion crafted within his mind, he couldn't kill the singing devotees or torture them. Neither could he easily detach Ayula from him.

[I am getting goosebumps!]

[There's still more to come. Next, you'll see a scene where those exhausted from life are saved by someone's help. And eventually, they'll lead happy lives...]

[Even after doing such horrendous things, you call yourself the Goddess of peace, you devil...! You'll fall to hell!]

The praying individuals were too absorbed in their prayers to overhear their conversation, but Jin and Murakan were momentarily speechless.

"Is this really what I think it is? Can you truly torment Zito in this way?"

"In many senses, it's shocking. Even for me."

The image of Zito, who had been overwhelming Ayula all along, had vanished. There was just the pitiful demon who loathed light and healing.

[Enough of this, damn it!]

However, invading Zito's inner realm was in itself a daunting task, requiring great determination for Ayula.

Just as Ayula was defiling Zito's inner realm, Zito was also eroding Ayula's inner realm.

While Ayula faced a vividly intense illusion where the world burned and suffered more than reality itself, she knew it was an illusion yet couldn't deny its authenticity even with her divine insight, just as Zito couldn't effectively counter Ayula's intrusion into his inner realm.

Which inner realm would crumble first?

In the end, that would decide the end of their battle. This was why Ayula was confident in her impending defeat.

In such times, whichever side had more to protect, more beloved things, was bound to lose. Though Ayula's eyes were turned inside out and she was vomiting blood, Zito's roaring gradually subsided.

Then, Ayula's wings finally snapped. All the wings that were pinned by thorns burst open, revealing Ayula's wounded body.

Ayula appeared frail and vulnerable, as if she could die any moment. As soon as the wings that held Zito in place disappeared, he staggered back, gasping for breath.

[Ugh, huff... I almost ended up with some strange tastes. This is, after all, another form of suffering I must conquer. Though it's a pain I need to overcome, it has taught me much, Ayula.]

Ayula couldn't respond and struggled to catch her breath.

At this moment, Zito could undoubtedly finish off Ayula. She wouldn't be able to counterattack any longer.

But Zito had a choice to make.

Should he use the remaining strength to kill Ayula now, or should he use that strength to tear through the shield that Ayula had placed on the dimensional gate and return? Ayula had been defeated, but the barrier on the dimensional gate remained intact.

Zito chose the latter option.

Using up all his strength to eliminate Ayula now would leave him unable to deal with the humans under the barrier.

[Haha... Yes, today I lost. I was fooled. The reason you clung to this barrier was for this very purpose. But I don't mind this sense of defeat. It's a sensation of defeat that's indescribably sticky and exhilarating. I am leaving, and the next time we meet, you will be weaker, Ayula. By then, I'll surely make the most of you and enjoy myself.]

With that, Zito finally tore apart Ayula's power that had invaded the dimensional gate.

And as Zito disappeared, Ayula plummeted beneath the barrier.

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