"Even if you destroy this shell, my magic will not cease."
Mary spoke coldly. She knew she ought not to say such things to Bazatous’ divine chosen, but she couldn’t resist the emotions stirring inside her—as if a lifelong hunt had finally come to a close. "Do you regret letting me go back then? It’s too late now."
"Mary, I have never regretted."
As the judgment fell, Bazatous’ divine chosen finally spoke, but it was in a tone she had never expected, "Although it may be difficult for you to understand, it was the only way to resolve the scarlet plague."
This was not what she had anticipated.
Resolving the scarlet plague?
This must be a trick by Bazatous followers!
Mary couldn’t help wanting to question further, but the falling silver brilliance engulfed everyone, and her vision was obscured by the blinding light, unable to see Ethan’s face anymore.
The brilliance persisted for several minutes, and what followed was a profound, deathly silence.
The sky was black, the sun still hung high but was merely a blurred outline.
Enveloped in darkness, Mary felt bewildered. She could still sense her existence, but never before had she seen the sight after the Sword of Judgment fell—a magic that could only be unleashed once in a lifetime, extinguishing life, light, and soul.
Then what about Bazatous’ divine chosen?
His soul should have been torn apart, but what would happen afterward?
Would he return to the abyss created by Bazatous, or perhaps disappear forever?
More and more questions filled Mary’s heart. She felt herself still existent here, her thoughts continuing.
"Sometimes, to achieve the ultimate goal, one must take incomprehensible measures."
In the dark, Mary again heard a familiar voice. She reflexively gathered magic power, but the silver brilliance no longer converged towards her.
She had exhausted all in the fall of the Sword of Judgment.
"It was the most effective means to make you understand the scarlet plague. Your fear will become your motivation."
Ethan said, "Your goddess can no longer save you all. Her life was exhausted in the first era and ended in the second. The only one who can cure that plague is you, Mary. Before that, you must break free from blind faith.
"But that is not enough. You must understand your opponent more deeply, even stand with them, to grasp the essence of the Evil God’s power."
In the contaminated area, everything Ethan did as Bazatous’ divine chosen was to indirectly resolve the plague, as set by Bazatous’ rules.
Mary was the only "illusion" that could touch the essence back then.
Just he hadn’t expected Bazatous to reach an agreement with some unknown entity, causing the events within the contaminated area to reflect into reality.
Ethan did not regret, and even felt some relief.
He had read the later history about Mary in books and had witnessed the Sword of Judgment she had brought down. This feeling... was like witnessing a student’s growth.
That young Priest startled by a bench and fell to the ground had now grown into the divine chosen of the Goddess of Life, surpassing the existence of a Saint.
Ethan suddenly wondered if Lindong had felt the same when he first saw the sun creation in the contamination zone?
"Mary, you’ve become strong."
Mary’s chest heaved intensely, instinctively wanting to say something, but thousands of words got stuck in her throat, even making breathing difficult. As the divine chosen of the Goddess of Life, she could easily see through truth and lies, thus she knew those words just now were sincere.
Especially when her growth was acknowledged by the other side, genuine joy surrounded her.
But, if what the other said is true... then what had she done?
This thought suddenly plunged Mary into deeper trepidation.
She had spent a lifetime and all her effort to avenge a teacher who taught her how to resolve the scarlet plague? Even, on a day in the future, she wielded the Sword of Judgment to destroy a city as a price to confront her teacher.
Mary couldn’t help but tremble, her vision deprived by the darkness, unable to see Ethan’s expression at this moment, but perhaps, this might somehow comfort her.
She could fully imagine Ethan’s sadness and disappointment at this moment.
And she would soon face the souls whose lives were claimed by the Sword of Judgment.
In an instant, that firm and unbreakable faith cracked, almost simultaneously, something slipped through the crack. It was whispers Mary couldn’t comprehend but gave her an unprecedented sense of safety in the night.
These whispers called to her, like a simple response could mend the crack, and all she had done could be forgiven.
Until the whispers were interrupted by Ethan’s voice, "Still haven’t let go, Old Ba?"
Mary heard the whispers suddenly turn sharp, though she couldn’t understand their meaning entirely, she could vaguely sense the cursing directed at Ethan.
But... who is Old Ba?
"I know, she should have been your follower."
When the whispers came, Ethan realized Old Ba was actually a rather persistent evil god. Despite history’s trajectory altering, despite Mary opposing him for a lifetime and even becoming the divine chosen of the Goddess of Life, Old Ba’s feelings for Mary remained unchanged.