Chapter 125

"Passive Domain?! Does something like that really exist?"

"It exists."

If she used terms from some games Sheffy had played in her past life, then this ability of her father was equivalent to his "passive skill."

【Stasis】 did not need to be actively triggered. This ability of the Demon King allowed him to remain completely impervious to any magical attack at any time.

And that was not the end of it.

The surging white lightning drifted away from in front of the Demon King, slowly floating toward the Queen.

A deep-blue magic circle formed before the Queen.

【Water Moon】

The already wide-reaching white lightning was actually reflected as if off a mirror, turning around and shooting straight back in the direction of the Pope!

"Mother’s magic is similar to a rebound."

"Even a Tenth-Tier spell can be reflected...?"

"Not only can it be reflected, but when it’s sent back, its power will double."

"......"

The Pope was no incompetent.

He used 【Spatial Leap】 to evade the greatly amplified white lightning, while at the same time raising his staff again, summoning violet lightning from all directions to strike at the Demon King and Queen.

The result was still the same.

No matter how dense the attacks were, the magic would stop in midair and then be reflected back.

Sometimes, when the Demon King grew impatient, he would simply strike out with his fists and body alone, shattering the lightning formed from magic into nothing.

The Demon King’s most direct attack method, 【Shatter】, was said to be able to destroy all magic in existence.

Compared to the Demon King and Queen’s casual and effortless fighting style, the Pope appeared to be fighting one against two, but in truth, he was utterly on the defensive. Even with the blessing of full equipment, he was barely managing to avoid his own magic being reflected back at him—let alone facing the fact that the Demon King had not even launched a real offensive yet.

In his heart, the Pope had already raised the threat level of the Demon Domain by several notches.

"So strong..." Xiarette sighed as she watched the battle. "From the past until now... for humans to fight the Demon Clan for this long without losing, Sheffy... it’s really thanks to you holding back."

"If I didn’t hold them off, my father and mother would have come over, and then what? Anyway, enough, Xiarette, are you still watching? Shouldn’t we get going? Besides Belith’s match... I’m also a little curious how the fight between the Fire Lizard and Sylatrella is going."

"Mm, let’s go. Belith is still waiting for you. Since your father and mother just said that, I have to make sure you show up."

"Ha?! Xiarette, don’t take on that big-sister tone with me!"

"I’m not putting on a tone, I am the older sister."

"Ugh...!"

She’d already said it—right now, she was the older one!

Sheffy took Xiarette with her and soared away.

She had no idea that at the moment she took off and flew away...

Even the Demon King and Queen making an appearance had not brought the slightest surprise to the goddess Aimeris. Yet now, Aimeris’ eyes widened in unparalleled shock.

During their earlier meeting, Sheffy had always faced her directly, never turning her back to release magic, so Aimeris had not gotten a clear look.

But when Sheffy channeled her magic to take flight—

Aimeris, whose eyes were veiled under golden light, distinctly saw it: above those six wings, there faintly emerged the outline of an eighth wing!

The golden light trembled for an instant. If not for the fact that she was sealed and unable to leave the spatial rift, she might have chased after her immediately.

"Ti... Tieer...? No, the aura is different... But... this shouldn’t be possible... how could it be..."

Anger and confusion welled up in Aimeris at the same time, but she had neither the time nor the energy to confirm these matters.

Because if she did not intervene soon...

The Pope of the Holy Theocracy might very well be beaten to death!

---

39. Victory or Defeat

On the way back to the arena, when Xiarette asked Sheffy why she was so certain that Aimeris was a deity, Sheffy answered this way:

—Because the Eyes of True Sight, which could pierce all falsehood, had actually failed this time!

This was truly something new—likely the first time 【Visual Magic】 had ever failed to work.

Well, not entirely accurate... The magic had in fact activated.

During the entire time Aimeris was telling her story, Sheffy had continuously judged the truth of every single word she spoke.

But unfortunately, the result was disappointing—she had not been able to get an answer in that simple and straightforward way.

Even so, Sheffy was certain—Aimeris was indeed an existence from ancient times.

After all, when the Eyes of True Sight, which had never once gone wrong, did go wrong... that alone said a lot, didn’t it?

As they neared the airspace above the contestants’ waiting hall of the arena, Sheffy once again transformed into Shaya’s appearance.

Holding Xiarette’s hand, she landed steadily with her at the entrance to the waiting hall.

Like two angels returning from the distant horizon~

"Phew... That was quite a smooth landing this time. Xiarette, how many points would you give me?"

"Po... points? Mm... then full—"

"!?"

Zero points.

Someone had tossed a fruit peel at the door. Just as Sheffy was about to bask in the praise of a perfect score, she stepped on it and, without warning, slipped and fell!

Perhaps the noise outside the tightly shut doors had been noticed in the waiting hall, for the massive stone doors carved with lion heads slowly creaked open.

Out rushed a young girl with long black hair, wearing a flowing green dress, her beauty and bearing like that of an immortal.

It was Livra.

Her expression had been tense at first, but when she saw the faces of Shaya and Xiarette, most of her anxiousness eased.

But even if half the anxiety was gone, it was still anxiety all the same!

"Miss Shaya! Lady Xiarette! Where on earth did you two go...!"

"It’s fine, Livra. I finished my doughnut before the Demon King arrived."

"Ah... that’s good... No, that’s not what I meant at all...! Miss Shaya, I mean your distant relative is in big trouble right now! We don’t even know if she’s safe!"

"Dis... distant relative?"

"It’s Syla."

Xiarette lightly tapped her shoulder to remind her, and Sheffy smacked her right fist into her left palm—only then did she remember she had a “distant relative”!

Uh, wait... wasn’t she that pervert? What happened to her?

Livra turned and led the way, jogging ahead while bringing Sheffy and Xiarette through the waiting hall area.

They passed through the corridor leading to the arena.

When the door connecting the waiting hall’s passage to the arena swung open, the enclosed space suddenly became wide open.

The first thing to hear was the wind, followed by the restless, fearful chatter of the audience filling the stands.

The warm wind lifted the black hair at Miss Shaya’s forehead.

Before them, the arena was already in ruins—

Wait, no.

The arena...?

Where was the huge arena...?

"Ho, looks like the Fire Lizard is still a demolition maniac. The arena’s gone."

"This is... Domain Magic?"

From Xiarette’s point of view, looking straight ahead, all she could see was an opaque, crimson, spherical barrier.

Extending the perspective—

From above, in the audience’s view, one could see the full state of the arena at this moment.

—A massive crimson oval sphere, large enough to completely envelop the arena spanning more than a hundred meters from north to south, burning with intense heat and stretching across the grounds.

The original sand-filled arena had completely vanished.

All that could be seen was this strange, flaming sphere.

Xiarette judged it to be a form of Domain Magic. She casually shifted her vision farther out and saw her father, Eclight.

He was gripping a giant sword, attempting to cut through the flaming barrier.

But the barrier was neither a wall nor a passable curtain of fire; the greatsword’s strike had no effect upon it. Trying to simply walk in was impossible as well—one would stop as if hitting a solid wall.

It was clear Eclight was racking his mind to find a way to break through this overwhelming Domain Magic.

After all, His Majesty the King and the members of the royal family had already stood up to observe, and no one could guarantee whether such unstable magic might explode and harm others.

Xiarette jogged over, and hearing the sound of her footsteps, Eclight stopped swinging his sword and quickly turned around.

"Xiarette...? Tch... Princess Livra! Please return outside the arena at once! This place is not safe!"

"I... I understand!"

Livra was startled by the stern shout.

Uuu... Lord Eclight was indeed formidable as the Sword of the Nation, but sometimes he really was scary!

Shaya reached out and poked Livra in the waist. Livra’s waist twitched, and when she turned her head, she saw Miss Shaya looking up with a smile that showed her little tiger teeth, as if to tell her not to mind it.

"Uu... Miss Shaya, are you saying this thing won’t explode, so it’s safe and I don’t have to run?"

"Nope~ I’m saying if it does explode, even if you run outside the arena, you’ll still be blown to ashes~ So it doesn’t matter where you stand—indeed, no need to run."

"That’s super dangerous!"

"But there’s also good news: it won’t explode."

"......"

Livra was so angry.

Livra wanted to cry.

Seeing that the domain couldn’t be broken, Eclight clicked his tongue and signaled the members of the knight order, gesturing for them to first escort the royal family to a safer location and then evacuate the spectators.

But just as the order was about to be fully given...

Xiarette finished her sensing with her eyes closed.

She stepped forward, raised her palm toward the knights, and interrupted the order Eclight was issuing.

"Xiarette?"

"It’s fine, Father. This domain magic poses no danger to the outside, and I estimate that before long... this match will have its result."

"You can tell...? You must know that the Fire Dragon Clan fighter has been using this reckless magic for dozens of minutes already, and the victor still hasn’t been decided. Domain magic is very unstable—never mind whether it might affect the outside—at the very least... after being trapped inside for so long, I suspect that girl called Syla may already be—"

"She won’t."

Xiarette could state that with certainty.

After all, the Hero and the Holy Sword shared a magic circuit similar to a contract. If Sylatrella were truly in danger, she would sense it immediately.

Besides... someone with the tenacity to cling to Sheffy all day wasn’t so fragile.

Sheffy wasn’t worried either—for pretty much the same reason.

Sylatrella had been reborn from her magic to begin with, and magic naturally resonated. If Sylatrella had died, Sheffy would know right away.

No worries—if you really died, I’d give you a grand funeral, then split off some magic and grant you a second chance at life!

Sylatrella: Thanks, Mom!

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