I had found all three of them.

Monica, standing at the front, with a sword covered in blood, her hands trembling.

It was something I had never seen from her.

Behind her stood Trisha and another girl, whose face I didn't recognise, but instinctively knew who she was.

Ariana.

She has quite the scared face on her, definitely not something you will see, according to her character.

In front of them stood a few thralls growling, and drooling, as if they had encountered their preys.

I, immediately unsheathed my sword, and used ShadowStep, with the sword in front of me.

With the swift movement, I slightly deviated my sword during that quick movement, and almost all of the thralls were cut in half in an instant.

My face was bloodied again, but that wasn't the issue here.

"What happened to you?", I asked Monica, holding her by the shoulders, as she w almost collapsed.

"I think, my mana ran out, while fighting them off.", she replied, taking up my support.

It was true that she has been fighting for some time now.

And that beastification followed by electrification of such a large number of thralls must have taken a toll on her.

I moved her slowly, and helped her sit on a higher place.

"Wait, why are you here?", the third girl, most probably Ariana spoke up.

"I don't really understand what's happening. First Monica said me to meet someone near the barrier. As I refused, she said something about my brother being alive, then we got completely surrounded by these creatures, while the barrier broke suddenly. And, now, why is Dorian Valen, of all students here? Don't tell me you all brought me here to meet him? Like, seriously?", she said with a tone of agony.

I somewhat understood her agony, though, as I may not have been the person she was expecting.

"That doesn't really matter now, does it?", I replied, in a less serious tone.

I knew that she knew why she was brought here.

How long are you going to ignore this?

She is aware of her abilities as the Saintess candidate, yet she didn't even try to help Monica, here in the grave situation they were just in.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?", she snapped at my blunt reaction.

"Because, now the solution everyone is searching for, has been found out.", I said.

"I mean what could be the cure to such dark creatures like thralls, than the Saintess herself.", at my sarcastic remark, she flinched a little.

As she looked around to find Monica and the other girl, Trisha, were completely unfazed by the declaration, she understood that we knew what she is.

".....Can I talk to you for a bit, in private?", Ariana said to me, with a serious expression.

I was a little taken aback, as according to her character, she is not someone to be fazed by these provocations.

Then why is she trying to talk with me, that to in private?

I nodded, and signalled Monica and Trisha.

They understood the assignment, and went outside the Ruins of the Bell Tower.

It became really quiet.

I was still skeptical about her, as I had never met her before, but I have to listen to what she has to say.

***

On the other hand, Alicia was still fighting against the thralls, in a way, not to kill them completely, as she upheld her values more than anything.

The students if the academy and the City Guards followed her suit, and fought valiantly, with a greater energy than ever, knowing very well that the fate of this city was in their hands now.

Alicia stood at the frontlines, her sword shining under the setting sun.

Around her, the battle was still going strong. Thralls — those twisted, bloodthirsty monsters — kept coming in waves. Their growls filled the air, their claws tearing at the ground. But the students, city guards, and a few older mages stood their ground, refusing to give up.

They fought together — tired, hurt, but full of fire.

Even though Alicia was a noble and the daughter of an important family, she didn't stand back. She was at the front, slashing through the creatures with graceful and clean movements, trying to only hurt and disable, not kill. That was her way — her beliefs were important to her. She believed that if something could be saved, it should be.

But the tide was turning.

The thralls were growing in number and strength.

And worse, the one leading them was no longer human.

Valerys.

Her former homeroom teacher. The kind woman who once smiled at them and helped them in class was now floating in the air above the academy gate — no longer herself.

Her eyes glowed red like hot coals. Her hair flew in the wind, her cloak of shadows spreading like wings. Her voice had changed too — deeper, cold, filled with something ancient.

She was no longer just Valerys.

She was the Night King, reborn.

Alicia gritted her teeth. Even her powerful spells were starting to feel weak. They could only hold the line for so long.

The civilians had already been evacuated, taken to the northern part of the city. But that safe place would soon fall too if they didn't stop this now.

Alicia looked around.

Some students were wounded. A few had fallen. Guards were bleeding, struggling to stand. Even the healers were too tired to cast more spells.

They were losing.

And then, Alicia made her decision.

There was one final move left.

A forbidden technique she had only used once before — a power known as a Domain.

---

A Domain was different from a normal spell.

It was like creating your own world within the real one — a space where your laws, your power, ruled above all. Once someone was trapped inside, they had to follow the rules set by the one who made the domain.

Even if your enemy was strong — if they were inside your domain, your will could overpower theirs.

But it came with a price.

Using it meant draining all of your mana. Your body would suffer. You could lose your ability to fight or even pass out.

Still…

Alicia had no choice.

She closed her eyes, and focused on the core of her soul.

And then, she spoke the name of her Domain:

"Absolute Domination."

The wind around her stopped.

The world darkened.

Everyone near her — the soldiers, the students — stepped back as they felt the pressure grow heavy.

But inside this growing dark space, only one person was trapped:

Valerys.

The moment Alicia activated her Domain, the world inside shifted.

Valerys was now standing in a strange space. The ground was white and endless. The sky above was pitch black. There was no wind, no sound — just Alicia standing in front of her, her sword pointed forward.

In this space, Alicia was everything. Her thoughts became law. Her emotions controlled the flow of mana.

No matter how strong the opponent was, they would be brought to their knees here.

Or so she believed.

Valerys floated calmly, her eyes glowing.

For a moment, she looked surprised.

Then… she smiled.

No — she laughed.

A cold, mocking laugh that echoed through the domain.

"Hah! You really used it, didn't you?" she said, voice filled with amusement. "You tried to trap me — me — in this pathetic little world of yours."

Alicia's hands tightened around her sword.

Valerys spread her arms wide and looked around, unfazed by the space. "You think this will stop the Night King? This shallow illusion? Child, do you even know what you're facing?"

Alicia didn't reply. Her body was already trembling. She knew the domain wouldn't last long. It was already starting to break at the edges.

But she had bought time.

That was all she needed.

"I don't need to win," she said quietly. "I just need to keep you busy."

Valerys narrowed her eyes.

"Oh? For whom?"

Alicia smiled, tired but determined.

"For the ones who haven't given up yet."

Valerys paused.

Then her smile returned, darker now.

"Then be ready to die, Alicia Rowan."

She raised her hand, and the space inside the domain began to shatter.

Alicia took one final breath and raised her sword again, body already starting to fade from the energy drain.

This was her last stand.

And she would not run.

***

"So? What did you want to talk about in private?", I asked Ariana, who was just standing there fidgeting a little, like she was nervous.

I couldn't understand what she was implying, or why would she feels nervous at all.

"You are right. I am a Saintess candidate.", she started talking.

"I am pretty surprised by how you know about it, or how you knew about my brother. I would even say that you guys are the only ones to know about my identity except my brother."

She paused for a second as if a reminiscent of her brother, and continued.

"Anyway, as you have found out, there is no need to hide that the Saintess is a cure to all those creatures too. It is common knowledge that the tears of a Saintess has holy power equivalent to that of holy water. But, there is a slight difference in my case."

"What? What's different?", I asked, leading her to get to the point already.

"....Well....the thing is, my tears don't seem to work on them. I have used on them before, that's why I know.", and she dropped the bomb.

I didn't believe her words at all.

Maybe she was telling this to avoid the crisis itself.

"But I have an alternative solution to this, other than tears.", she said immediately.

"Eh?....There is an alternative? What is it?", I asked probing her further, as to what she was trying to say.

"....My.....C-cum."

"...."

"What did you just say?"

**************

Author's Note :

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