Divine Manifestation.

Those blessed by archangels could draw upon divinity under specific circumstances. For most, it surfaced only once—born from desperation, when death stood too close to ignore.

An instinctive awakening.

A miracle forced into existence.

But Emma was different.

She had already crossed that threshold once.

Which meant she no longer waited for divinity to save her.

She called it.

Her breath steadied. Her stance shifted.

Light burst from her back as two angelic wings unfurled—vast, radiant, and impossibly pure. Each feather shimmered like forged light, casting a brilliance that drowned the dungeon in white-gold radiance. The oppressive heat, the shadows, the fear—everything recoiled before her presence.

Emma rose slightly from the ground, boots barely touching the stone.

The barrier before her, moments away from shattering, responded instantly. Cracks sealed. Layers thickened. What had been defense became authority.

The wall of divine light didn't just endure the drake's flames—it pushed them back, forcing the fire to bend and scatter like something unworthy of touching her.

Emma stood behind the shield, wings spread, eyes calm and unwavering.

She wasn't desperate.

She didn't panic.

She looked… absolute.

Taking a slow step forward, she forced the monster to doubt its own flames for the first time.

Her steps didn't stop there, showing how little affected she was.

Every step she took made the drake lose more of its confidence.

As she drew closer, the flames died and the monster twirled its body, its whipping tail aimed at Emma—only for the angel incarnate to levitate into the air.

She didn't jump… she flew.

Dorothy and Mia could only stare at her in awe, just like everyone in the common hall, seeing Emma look down at the dragon as if it were just an insect buzzing in her ear.

Her lips didn't move this time, and yet aether coiled around her like moths around light.

A spear of light formed in her right hand, both ends sharp.

The radiance it exuded alerted the drake as it parted its mouth once more, an orb of flame rotating inside its maw.

That didn't make Emma waver or rethink her strategy.

The girl whipped the blade. It extended, growing several feet long as she muttered under her breath,

"Celestial Domain: Divine Judgement."

The light didn't rush forward.

It simply existed where the drake's neck met its body.

The orb of flame inside the creature's maw collapsed in on itself, scattering into sparks that never reached the air. For a brief, confused instant, the drake remained whole—muscle tense, jaws parted, tail still mid-swing.

Then reality adjusted.

A clean line appeared across its neck.

No impact followed. No sound.

The head slid free and fell, striking the dungeon floor a moment after the body had already begun to collapse.

Emma lowered her hand. The spear of light shortened, then dissolved into drifting motes that faded around her fingers.

She descended slowly, boots touching the stone as if gravity had only just remembered her. The angelic wings behind her dimmed, folding inward until their brilliance softened, before erupting into fragments of light.

The drake's body hit the ground heavily, heat bleeding away as silence reclaimed the dungeon.

Dorothy swallowed, finally able to breathe.

Mia didn't speak at all.

What they had witnessed just now was not a battle.

It was one-sided dominance.

For a few moments, the two girls were more fearful of Emma than of the dragon itself.

However, the moment Emma turned to look at them, they knew she was the same as ever.

Slowly, the two of them stepped forward, Mia supported by Dorothy as they approached Emma.

"You… did it. You conquered the fourth floor."

Emma nodded before tilting her head and saying, "But I paid a little price." She showed them her neck, which was charred from her chin down to her collarbone.

"That… must be hurting," Mia winced.

Emma sighed. "I used that spell against something so weak because of this."

The drake was about to burn her face as well; that was why she went straight for the kill rather than thinking of another strategy.

But some damage had already been done.

….

Not long after, the team of three could be seen walking toward the academy's gate.

Dorothy and Mia had been healed by Emma. The burn marks receded, but a thin trail—like a tiger's claw mark—still remained, running from her ear down to her neck.

She herself didn't care about her face or speaker… it was just that she didn't want William to look at her any differently.

What if he got reminded of this incident every time he saw her? She didn't want him to think of anything but her when he looked at her.

Several thoughts swirled in her head, even though she knew that William wasn't a shallow person who cared much about outer appearance.

(A/N:- They have been dating for about a few weeks. Naturally, there would be some insecurities.)

Regardless, as they neared the entrance, the three of them saw several people waiting for them.

Gizel, Natalie, Kevin, Laila, Lizel, and of course, William.

There were a few more of Dorothy's friends who instantly surrounded her as she approached. Mia just went straight into the academy, not talking to anyone.

As for Emma, she was surrounded too.

Her old team members and friends were crowding around her, some asking if she was okay and some congratulating her.

"You made us realise our mistake today, Emma," Kevin said, silencing everyone.

Laila sighed and said, "Right....today I realized that you are a better combatant than I am."

Emma just smiled in response and said, "Well, I hope you all find a healer this time who actually just wants to support the team."

Natalie chuckled in response before she patted Emma's shoulder and told her, "Go. He had been standing here ever since you left the Tower."

Emma's eyes drifted towards the blond boy standing in the distance before she nodded and walked past them.

Kevin turned to look at William once before he lowered his head and mumbled something under his breath.

Emma didn't care what he said. Nothing mattered to her at the moment other than this man before her.

She reached him, her hand extended.

William took it and before she could say anything, she heard him saying,

"I am disappointed."

"...."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.