Chapter 333: Fighting the Demon Lord I

It did not take long before the group arrived at the edge of a "garden."

"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~"

A soft, melodic humming drifted through the air as they drew closer, carrying an eerie tranquility that stood in stark contrast to the scene before them.

At the front of the group, Elysia’s brows slowly knitted together as the figure of a noblewoman with platinum-blonde hair calmly tended to her "garden."

However, calling it a garden would have been a grave understatement.

Before the noblewoman rose mountains of yellowed skulls, stacked one upon another like grotesque flowerbeds.

From the hollow eye sockets of each skull bloomed blood-red roses, their crimson petals swaying gently despite the absence of any wind.

Thick, thorny vines snaked through the piles of bones, weaving everything together into a horrifying tapestry of death and beauty.

It was a garden cultivated not from soil...

But from countless corpses.

Elysia’s fist clenched before she even realized it.

She recognized the skulls.

They did not belong to beasts or monsters.

They were elven skulls.

The noblewoman, Aziza, finally noticed her visitors.

"Ah! You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for all of you."

She blinked in pleasant surprise, delicately covering her slightly parted lips with the tips of her fingers.

Elysia’s eyes burned with fury as she ground her teeth.

"How dare you?"

"Oh my..." Aziza tilted her head, genuine concern seemingly filling her beautiful face. "You seem quite upset. May I ask why?"

Elysia felt frustration welling up within her, yet she did not dare act recklessly.

The moment they had stepped onto this Sacred Land, she had immediately begun analyzing her surroundings while attempting to reestablish a connection with the sub-Eternal Orb stationed here.

Unfortunately, all her efforts proved futile.

Behind her, Regis and the others had not broken formation.

Every member of the Sanguine Order remained tense and on high alert, despite the only figure before them being an elegant, beautiful, and seemingly harmless noblewoman.

Fortunately, Elysia had already briefed them earlier.

They knew they were confronting Thoughtless Temperance—the demonic cult infamous for its mastery of illusions, mental magic, and evil craft.

Therefore, they knew better than to judge their enemies by their appearance.

Even so, none of them knew the true identity of the woman standing before them.

Unwilling to waste another moment, Elysia made the first move.

"How dare you desecrate the resting place of the elves!?"

Wisteria-shaped tattoo-like markings rapidly spread across her body as she lunged toward the noblewoman.

At some point, the spirit Wisteria had vanished from her shoulder.

It was the hallmark of a technique unique to spirit contractors—one that only those who shared a deep bond with their spirit familiars could use.

Spirit Possession.

Half a second later, Regis and the others sprang into action, launching a coordinated assault against the lone woman before them.

"Ah!"

Aziza let out a helpless cry as she watched everyone suddenly charge toward her.

Yet just as they were about to reach her, an insurmountable barrier of demonic power erupted before her, bringing every attack to an abrupt halt.

Aziza gracefully returned to her "garden" before slowly spreading her arms wide, as though embracing the heavens.

Her eyes then squinted into beautiful crescents.

Her voice became reverent, every word carrying the devotion of a fanatic.

"O Primordial Devil..."

"The Ruler of Lightless Dawn and Boundless Darkness..."

"The Embodiment of Endless Temptation and Eternal Damnation..."

"The Profane Constellation of Sin that Leads All Creation to Depravity..."

"Hear the prayers of your humble servant."

"I offer unto You the children of the World Tree, their flesh, their blood, and the countless souls that slumber beneath this sacred land."

"I offer unto You this corrupted branch of the World Tree itself, consumed by decay and reborn beneath Your boundless grace."

"May this holy sanctuary become the altar upon which Your divine descent is realized."

"May these sacrifices become the bridge that welcomes Your glorious advent."

"Descend upon this world..."

"Shroud the sky in Your eternal darkness..."

"Lead all creation into Your loving embrace..."

"And bestow upon this ignorant world..."

"Salvation."

In an instant...

WOOOOONG—!!

The surrounding mana convulsed violently, roaring like a tempest unleashed.

A gigantic magic circle bloomed beneath the skies, encompassing the entire floating island of the Sanctuary of Life and Death.

At its center stood Aziza.

Beginning from where she stood, a crimson stain spread across the magic circle like blood seeping through pure white cloth.

One rune after another was swallowed by demonic power until the once-sacred formation was slowly dyed a sinister scarlet.

"!!!"

Elysia’s expression changed drastically.

"She’s trying to take control of the Sacred Land itself and offer it as a sacrifice for the Devil’s Descent—"

Swoosh—

Before she could finish, a surge of danger washed over her from above.

Acting purely on instinct, Elysia twisted her body aside.

She was a fraction of a second too late.

A jet-black beam of demonic power sliced cleanly through her left arm.

Slash!

Her severed arm spun through the air before disappearing into the sea of clouds below.

Yet Elysia’s expression did not waver.

The wisteria-shaped markings covering her body immediately began to writhe.

In the blink of an eye, flesh, muscles, bones, and skin rapidly reconstructed themselves until her left arm had completely regenerated, as though it had never been severed in the first place.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

In particular, Killian and the other members of the Sanguine Order who had resisted the poison at the banquet felt their pupils constrict.

They recognized the figure immediately.

It was none other than Merriam.

She hovered high above them, a sweet smile adorning her face as though they were old friends meeting by chance.

Winking at Killian, she giggled.

"Hey, handsome~ We meet again."

Her smile widened.

"Why don’t you join us? I promise you’ll enjoy it."

Looking at the woman before him, Zild’s fist trembled.

After all, the memory of being forced to turn his blade against his own comrades remained vivid in his mind.

Merriam slowly floated above the demonic barrier, a sweet smile still adorning her face.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to interrupt the lady’s tea time."

"Tea time my ass," Killian immediately retorted.

The others remained silent, their expressions growing tense as they stared at the woman before them.

Merriam’s lips curled into a hurt expression.

"Oh my, don’t bully me like that."

She raised a hand delicately.

"Here, let me give you a gift."

With a gentle wave of her hand, the surroundings distorted.

In the next moment, the group found themselves surrounded by an endless sea of demonized elves.