The Moves Aren't Cool Enough

Arifureta's taunting remarks almost made Dienleed lose his composure. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

"'You'? What about me? Let's not even talk about anything else—if you were truly intent on protecting me, then why didn't you visit the place where I was sealed even once in these three hundred years?" Arifureta continued to mock him, unwilling to let the matter rest. "Did you really think that casually trying to build a connection would make someone trust you? Surely not, right?"

"Arifureta, I had no choice in the matter," Dienleed said as he rubbed his temples, a look of helplessness appearing on his face. However, his tone suddenly changed, as if he had flipped a switch. The expression of helplessness instantly turned into one of extreme joy.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. I was actually planning to rescue you in a few days. What I didn't expect was that you would break free from the seal on your own. As expected of you, Arifureta. You have no idea how happy I was when I saw you in the sky yesterday," Dienleed said, extending his right hand toward Arifureta in an inviting gesture. "Come with me, Arifureta. Over the past three hundred years, I've gathered enough power. Together, we can defeat Ehit and avenge our people!"

However, his passionate declaration received no response. Standing beside Eriri, Arifureta looked at him with nothing but ridicule, as if she were watching a clown perform a one-man show.

"Arifureta, you…"

"Your acting is quite convincing, I must admit," Eriri said, interrupting Dienleed before he could finish.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Dienleed replied, lowering his hand and turning his gaze to Eriri, feigning confusion. But deep within his eyes, a flash of dread could be seen.

"You're not Dienleed, are you? The real Dienleed was devoured by you long ago, wasn't he?" Eriri crossed her arms, looking down at Dienleed with a haughty expression, her tone full of certainty.

In fact, from the moment she first laid eyes on Dienleed, Eriri had seen through him entirely. Under her discerning gaze, nothing could escape her notice.

Seeing that Dienleed still wore a confused expression, Eriri pointed to her eyes, "This body might be Dienleed's, but the soul inside definitely isn't. I'm not sure how you managed to fully merge with this body, but the fundamental difference between you two is clear as day to me."

"Well, there's no rush. We don't mind playing along with you for a bit. Why don't you go ahead and tell us your true objective? Otherwise, I won't hesitate to directly interrogate your soul," Eriri said, her expression one of casual amusement as she refrained from immediately resolving the situation.

"Hah, so you really aren't Dienleed! I'm lucky to be smart and clever; otherwise, I might have been fooled by you," Arifureta said, her expression suddenly one of realization.

Eriri turned to Arifureta and teasingly rubbed her cheek, "Come on, it's not that you were smart and clever. You just didn't care whether he was Dienleed or not, did you?"

Eriri's nonchalant attitude left "Dienleed" speechless. But he knew that he and his comrades were no match for Eriri, and his primary objective wasn't to confront her in the first place.

"Ha, so I've been completely exposed, huh? I thought I'd easily win your trust. How ridiculous," "Dienleed" said with a self-deprecating laugh, pressing a hand to his forehead as his expression turned maniacal.

"You're right about everything. I'm not that fool Dienleed. I am the great servant god of the Lord of Creation Ehit—Jarlb!" Dienleed—or rather, Jarlb—declared loudly, his tone filled with pride.

"Lord of Creation Ehit? Isn't that just a trash god…" Eriri remarked offhandedly, her tone dripping with disdain for Ehit.

"Hmph, though you may be powerful, you can't begin to fathom my lord's greatness," Jarlb said, his face contorting with anger. Yet, out of fear of Eriri's strength, he didn't recklessly attack her.

Jarlb glanced at Arifureta, muttering under his breath, "It's not the ideal time, but there's no choice."

He commanded the wyvern to retreat rapidly while shouting orders to the five hundred mysterious figures behind him.

"Begin the operation!"

The moment Jarlb's voice fell, the five hundred figures behind him suddenly emitted a strong white light. In the next instant, the light dissipated, revealing five hundred beautiful women in white armor with identical silver hair and silver wings hovering in midair.

Jarlb and the demon generals accompanying him positioned themselves in front of the five hundred mysterious women, shielding them.

The five hundred women simultaneously extended their left hands, chanting mysterious incantations. Soon, a silver-white energy began to coalesce in their palms, which they then released, combining into a single mass that shot directly toward Arifureta.

Eriri made no move to stop Jarlb's forces, her absolute confidence stemming from her overwhelming strength. Arifureta, Shea, and Reina, trusting in Eriri, also paid no mind to their actions.

As the silver-white energy sphere rapidly approached Arifureta, Jarlb burst into maniacal laughter.

"Hahahaha! The Lord of Creation Ehit is about to return to this world! You heretics will soon face divine judgment!"

But in the next moment, his laughter abruptly halted, and the fanatical expression froze on his face.

Eriri simply snapped her fingers, and with a 'snap,' the silver-white energy sphere, which had nearly reached them, vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

"That's it?"

"No way! Impossible! How could my lord's power vanish so easily?" Jarlb shouted in disbelief, his voice trembling with shock. The demon generals beside him were equally panic-stricken, while the five hundred silver-haired women stood motionless, their expressions unchanged like dolls.

In his mind, the power of the Lord of Creation was invincible in this world. This sudden setback shattered his confidence, and he lost all reason, frantically ordering the five hundred mysterious women.

"Apostles of God, kill these heretics and prepare for the return of our lord, Ehit!"

Without hesitation, the five hundred so-called Apostles of God, each wielding a white longsword, launched an attack on Eriri and her companions.

Unlike Jarlb's madness, Eriri and the others showed no signs of concern. Watching the Apostles approach, they even had the leisure to engage in casual conversation.

Reina: "Sis, why do all these people look the same?"

Shea: "Yeah, and they're really pretty, but their expressionless faces are kind of creepy."

Eriri: "I took a look—there's no soul in their bodies. They're likely mass-produced killing machines."

Arifureta: "No wonder they're all like puppets. But Eriri, how strong are they?"

Eriri: "So-so. But in this world, they count as top-tier combatants. That said, Ehit does have decent taste…"

Arifureta: "What? Don't tell me you're planning on keeping one of them?"

Eriri: "Heh, of course not. If I wanted, I could create my own. Why would I need to capture these?"

"…"

As the four of them continued their discussion, the Apostles of God finally closed the distance, hovering just a few meters away. They swung their swords, unleashing white sword beams that combined to form a massive net of energy that descended on Eriri and the others.

But as soon as the attacks neared them, they disappeared without a trace, leaving no ripple in their wake.

"Alright, let's deal with these Apostles of God first," Eriri said to Arifureta as she watched the Apostles prepare another attack. "Yue-chan, do you want to test your strength against them?"

"Nah, sparring with soulless puppets is boring. Just take care of them," Arifureta replied, waving her hand dismissively, rejecting Eriri's suggestion.

Eriri didn't press the matter. After all, she was just making a casual offer. She then channeled her energy, casually waving her hand in the Apostles' direction. It was as if a gentle breeze passed by, but wherever this "breeze" touched, space itself distorted. Under the influence of this breeze, the Apostles, along with their attacks, were swept away, vanishing into nothingness without leaving a trace.

"Wow, what kind of attack was that? The power was incredible, but it's a shame there wasn't any flashy visual effect," Arifureta exclaimed, impressed by the effortless way the Apostles were erased.

"Space itself distorted. Isn't that flashy enough?" Eriri responded with a smile.

Arifureta shook her head, feigning seriousness, "That was too understated. It's much cooler when an attack creates a huge spectacle."

"Fair enough."

On the other side, as the Apostles of God disappeared, Jarlb regained his composure. Sensing the lingering distortion in the space where the Apostles had vanished, his heart was filled with terror.

At that moment, a powerful force began to pull him forward. Jarlb frantically channeled his magic, trying to break free from the pull, but it was no use.

"Your Majesty!"

The demon generals, still reeling from the shock of the Apostles' sudden disappearance, rushed forward on their wyverns to assist Jarlb. However, as they moved just a few meters, they were swept away like the Apostles before them, vanishing without a trace.

In the blink of an eye, the force dragged Jarlb to where Eriri and the others were, then immobilized him. Despite his desperate struggles, he found himself unable to move. Terror gripped his heart as he realized the situation.

Seeing the twisted, fearful expression on Jarlb's face, Eriri gave a playful smile. "No wonder you tried to disguise yourself as Dienleed to get close to Yue-chan. I didn't expect Ehit's soul to be slumbering within her."

Arifureta, who had been looking forward to a good show, was suddenly taken aback. "What? Ehit is inside me? How come I didn't know?"

"Well, it's likely that Ehit has been dormant inside you since birth. If I hadn't specifically checked, I wouldn't have noticed it either," Eriri explained.

"Why would Ehit be inside me?" Arifureta asked, puzzled.

"I'd guess that Ehit plans to take over your body to return to the world. Your divine vocation as 'God's Apostle' might be due to Ehit's influence. And the silver energy released by the Apostles earlier was likely meant to awaken Ehit within you," Eriri continued, turning her gaze back to Jarlb. "Am I right?"

"Hmph, yes. Sooner or later, my lord will awaken and return to the world."

"If I'm not mistaken, Dienleed originally sealed Arifureta in the labyrinth to protect her. As for why you didn't try to find Arifureta earlier and awaken Ehit, it's not because you didn't want to, but because you couldn't, right?"

"That's correct. That arrogant, godless man erased the memory of the seal's location before he died, disrupting my lord's plan," Jarlb admitted, giving up his struggle as he realized escape was impossible.

"Huh? So, Dienleed really did seal me to protect me…" Arifureta mused, feeling a brief moment of sentimentality as she listened to Eriri and Jarlb's conversation. However, it was only a fleeting feeling. Though she had merged with the original soul and its memories, she was no longer the Arifureta of three hundred years ago.