Chapter 702 - 701: The Cruelty of Happiness

Chapter 702: Chapter 701: The Cruelty of Happiness

The angel had no idea what the Devil intended to do with the Seraphim, but whatever it was, she knew she couldn’t allow him to succeed.

Unfortunately, there was little she could do to stop him.

Unlike the other celestial beings that had been summoned, the Seraphim had no human summoner capable of sending it back. It would have to return to the heavens of its own accord, and with the Devil preventing her from reaching its consciousness, that was no longer an option.

However, that didn’t mean all hope was lost.

There was still one possibility.

One final chance to stop the Devil before whatever he was planning could come to fruition.

And with nothing else she could do, the angel placed all her hopes on that chance succeeding in time.

Because elsewhere on the battlefield, Malachi’s ritual was finally approaching its completion.

–

Bailey had kept her eyes closed throughout the entire ritual.

Despite the chaos surrounding her, she had done everything she could to maintain her concentration. Her thoughts remained focused on the task before her, and her determination hadn’t wavered.

She knew what was expected of her.

Just like the others, she would summon one of God’s warriors into the world.

But the warrior answering her call was different.

It was a celestial being that only she could summon. One of whose powers had the potential to overturn the battle, and perhaps even give Bailey the opportunity to finally fulfill the revenge she had been seeking.

She had waited too long for this moment to allow anything to go wrong.

Yet as the ritual approached its completion, Bailey began experiencing something strange.

A gentle warmth spread through her body, gradually reaching every part of her until she could no longer tell where the sensation had begun.

And strangely enough, she found herself welcoming it.

There was something comforting about the warmth. Something that made her feel as though all the suffering she had endured was finally coming to an end.

Was this happiness?

Bailey wasn’t certain.

She could hardly remember the last time she had experienced anything resembling it, and even now, she couldn’t say whether the feeling was truly her own.

But there was no denying the changes taking place within her.

The hatred that had driven her for so long was beginning to fade. The guilt she had carried, along with the doubts that had continued troubling her, was gradually disappearing as well.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Bailey found herself free of the emotions that had weighed so heavily upon her.

And for a brief moment, she almost wanted to surrender herself to that sensation.

Almost.

Because as those feelings continued disappearing, Bailey began to realize that something was wrong.

It wasn’t just her hatred or guilt that she was losing.

There was something else.

Something she couldn’t quite identify, yet somehow knew was far more important than anything she had already lost.

And the more she tried to understand what it was, the more frightened she became.

She wanted to open her eyes. To call out to Malachi and demand to know what was happening.

But before she could, a familiar voice called out her name.

"Bailey!"

She recognized it almost immediately.

’Paul? What was he doing here?’

Before she could make sense of it, she heard another voice calling out to her. Then another.

Bailey could hardly believe what she was hearing, and when Paul called her name again, she finally opened her eyes.

Sure enough, she could see him in the distance, accompanied by the others.

They were looking around the battlefield, seemingly overwhelmed by what they were witnessing. The devastation surrounding them was enough to leave several of them nearly dazed, but what troubled them even more was the presence of the monsters responsible for it.

It hadn’t even been a month since they had last encountered Noah, and barely a week had passed since their confrontation with Fenrir.

During that time, they had begun to believe that they were finally growing stronger. That the hardships they had endured were slowly bringing them closer to the point where they might at least be able to reach the shadows of monsters like those two.

Yet seeing the monsters gathered on this battlefield made them question just how much progress they had actually made.

The power radiating from those creatures was terrifying, and the longer they looked, the more difficult it became to imagine themselves standing against them.

And as they struggled to take in everything before them, none of them could find the words to describe what they were feeling.

Yet when they finally noticed Bailey, their expressions changed.

There was concern in their eyes, but also an unmistakable sense of relief. Judging by their reactions, Bailey could only imagine how worried they must’ve been before arriving.

However, that relief didn’t last long.

Their attention soon shifted toward the light surrounding her body, and Bailey could see their confusion growing as they tried to understand what was happening to her.

But then something caught their attention, and their expressions suddenly filled with fear.

"Get away from her!"

"Bailey! Watch out!"

Paul and the others immediately rushed toward her, their voices growing increasingly desperate as they tried to warn her of something.

However, they hadn’t gotten far before they encountered the remnants of Noah’s aura still lingering across the battlefield.

They could feel the darkness attempting to influence them, tempting them with something they couldn’t quite understand.

But whatever it was offering, they could sense that something was wrong.

None of them knew what would happen if they accepted its influence, and they weren’t willing to find out without first understanding what they were dealing with.

Paul, however, continued forward.

His body began transforming as he ran, his muscles swelling and fur spreading across his skin as he assumed his werebeast form.

He could feel the darkness attempting to influence him as well, but his attention remained fixed on Bailey. Whatever the energy wanted from him, he had no intention of allowing it to keep him from reaching her.

But Bailey couldn’t understand what had frightened them so much.

Why were they shouting at her? What was she supposed to be watching out for?

She wanted to call out to them, to ask what had happened and why they were looking at her that way.

And more importantly, she wanted to apologize.

After everything they had been through, there were things she regretted, things she wished she could’ve done differently. And now that they were finally here, she wanted them to know how sorry she was.

But before she could speak, a terrible pain erupted from her chest.

Bailey’s eyes widened as she looked down, discovering that the blade concealed within the cross had pierced straight through her.

"Bailey!"

The others were just as shocked. They had expected to find enemies on the battlefield, but the man standing beside Bailey was clearly a member of the Church. Between his attire and the holy light surrounding her, they had every reason to believe he was supposed to be helping her.

So why had he just stabbed her?

Bailey was wondering the same thing.

She knew summoning such a powerful celestial being would require something extraordinary, but Malachi had never mentioned this.

Bailey desperately wanted an explanation, but the pain spreading through her chest made it difficult to think.

And when she looked toward her friends again, she finally began to understand what had been troubling her.

She remembered the hardships they had endured together, the terrible experiences they had survived, and the countless moments that had brought them closer.

Yet something was wrong with those memories.

The fear they had shared when their lives were in danger. The grief they had experienced when they lost someone important. Even the guilt and anger that had driven them to protect one another.

Those feelings were disappearing.

Bailey could still remember what had happened, but the emotions those experiences had left behind were being stripped away, weakening the bonds she had formed with the people standing before her.

And that was what frightened her.

The warmth she had welcomed throughout the ritual was taking far more than the hatred, guilt, and doubts that had burdened her. It was taking away the feelings that had shaped her relationships, leaving her with a happiness that seemed to grow stronger with every part of herself she lost.

Bailey didn’t want that.

Even the most painful experiences she had shared with her friends were precious to her. She had suffered alongside them, overcome hardships with them, and come to care about them because of everything they had experienced together.

She desperately tried to hold on to those feelings, but nothing she did seemed to slow their disappearance.

And as she turned toward Malachi, hoping he might somehow put an end to what was happening, she found him smiling.

It was a triumphant smile, one that made it painfully clear that everything was proceeding exactly as he had intended.

Bailey stared at him in disbelief.

He had known.

From the very beginning, Malachi had known what the ritual would do to her, yet he had allowed her to believe that she would finally obtain the power needed to fulfill her revenge.

And now, with his blade buried in her chest, Bailey could do little more than watch as everything she had hoped to accomplish slipped beyond her reach.

She felt betrayed, although even that seemed insufficient to describe what she was experiencing.

But before she could confront him, Bailey felt her consciousness beginning to waver.

The pain in her chest was becoming increasingly distant, and although she could still hear Paul calling out to her, she was struggling to make out his words.

She wanted to answer him. There was still so much she needed to say, especially now that she understood what was happening to her.

Yet she could barely muster the strength to remain conscious.

And then, amidst the voices calling out to her, Bailey heard one she didn’t recognize.

"Everything is going to be alright."

She didn’t know who was speaking, but the voice carried the same comforting warmth she had been experiencing throughout the ritual.

"You don’t have to worry anymore."

For some reason, Bailey found herself believing those words.

The fear that had returned upon seeing her friends gradually faded, along with the anguish she had felt upon discovering Malachi’s betrayal.

She wanted to ask who was speaking to her, but even that question was becoming difficult to hold on to.

And as her eyes slowly closed, Bailey found herself welcoming the presence entering her consciousness, allowing it to take over without offering any further resistance.