https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-781-Melojas-s-Lifelong-Regret-Part-1-/12585506/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-782-Hiberlian-s-Recap-after-Twelve-Years/12585508/
Chapter 781: Melojas's Lifelong Regret (Part 2)
Chapter 781: Melojas's Lifelong Regret (Part 2)
There was no way Melojas could hold out until daytime.
Sigrid was a bit surprised, as Kaliella's magic reminded her of an old acquaintance, but then she thought that it wasn't surprising since Kaliella knew a little of everything and possessed countless secret treasures.
"Kaliella, you're almost at your limit, aren't you?!"
Melojas shouted.
Her situation was dire.
Melojas knew that she had to severely injure either Sigrid or Kaliella, and then seize the opportunity to escape this Inferno City.
If they insisted on keeping her here, the two of them would also have to pay a price.
Correspondingly, Melojas felt that Kaliella's number of attacks was quite limited, and each one was weaker than the last, as if her magic power was running out.
"?"
Sigrid was also surprised that Kaliella's magic power was so scarce.
She wasn't that sensitive to magic power and had thought that Kaliella was only responsible for crucial moves, not that she was running out of magic power.
"Sorry!"
Talia apologized to Sigrid a little shamefully.
Although she could have abundant magic power by ending her fusion with the Great Poet, she would revert to her original demonic form and be unable to intervene in such a high-level battle.
"It's okay, I'll protect you."
Sigrid vowed as she stood in front of Talia.
"Hm!"
That valiant appearance made Talia feel like she had her own knight.
So, she was a princess after all!
Finally, as Talia was about to restrict Melojas' movements with her attack, Melojas seized a fleeting opportunity and silently surged forward, her body like a purple lightning bolt rushing toward Talia once again.
But at this critical moment, Sigrid also sensed her movement, and the fist wind she wielded wove into a cage, shattering Melojas' offense, while the spatial black lines set up by Talia began to expand until they burst apart.
The powerful impact sent Melojas flying, and she crashed into the distant ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
"That really hurt..."
Melojas struggled to get up, and the injuries and pressure from her opponents made her feel like her consciousness was slowing down.
The longer the fight dragged on, the clearer it became that holding out until dawn would not be easy.
"Melojas, your bravery is admirable, but you should also be aware of your chances of victory at this point."
Sigrid's voice rang out.
Back then, in Bandra City on the northern border of the Protoss Empire, she had been in Melojas' position.
Indeed, two against one was a stable advantage.
One against two was simply impossible to fight.
"Keep laughing, Melojas."
Talia hid behind Sigrid and placed her hand on Sigrid's shoulder as she mocked Melojas from a distance.
She had been furious during her one-on-one fight with Melojas.
Even now, with Sigrid's help, she had never fought so smoothly, and her mood improved.
"Kaliella, to be honest, I'm enjoying this..."
No matter how absurd Kaliella's words sounded to Melojas, she remained silent, and blood trickled down from her eyebrows as a cold, murderous intent filled her eyes.
The corners of her mouth gradually curved into a smile.
The lava in Inferno still boiled.
Under the darkened sky, as the three powerful demons clashed, the entire Inferno underwent destructive earthquakes.
The silver light emanating from Sigrid possessed the power to tear apart everything, and Melojas' boundless cold magic power created a clear divide between light and darkness with each collision.
Most of the time, Talia maintained a standby state, merely observing the battle without wasting any magic power on her own attacks.
It was unknown how long the fight had lasted.
Even with Talia and Sigrid working together against Melojas, they dared not let down their guard and carefully blocked each of Melojas' attacks.
Talia's vision was crystal clear.
The injured one was not only Melojas, but every time Talia was targeted by Melojas, even if Sigrid stood in front of Talia to block the attacks, Talia would still suffer significant damage.
Melojas seemed well aware that she needed to take out the weaker support first to gain the upper hand.
"Hehe."
But Melojas' true intention lay elsewhere.
After a brief exchange, Melojas had subtly shifted the battlefield several dozen meters towards the direction of the Inferno Corridor Academy without anyone noticing.
She still had another chance to win.
There were two hostages back at the Inferno Corridor Academy!
As long as she captured the Headmistress of the Demon Magic Tribe or the Princess, Melojas could regain the initiative.
Furthermore, if her guess was correct, killing that male member of the Demon Magic Tribe would also cause the disappearance of Kaliella, who was inhabiting his body!
Otherwise, there was no explanation for why Kaliella was so weak now, with her magical power being so scarce.
In the midst of the battle, amidst the swirling miasma of Inferno, a fierce gale blew by, and three swift figures briefly appeared.
The once proud Melojas' deep purple eyes no longer held their previous sharpness, and her expression seemed to indicate that she had consumed a large amount of energy during the brief fight.
Her body, which had once emanated a purple radiance, was now riddled with fatal wounds. Her long hair was dripping with blood, and her misty purple lips were stained with a hint of crimson. The aura she exuded grew weaker by the moment, and it seemed only a matter of time before she collapsed.
However, her face remained cold and mocking, the wounds unable to conceal the sinister smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
The Profaner, Melojas, flickered like a ghostly figure.
Her opponents had not noticed the subtle shift in the battlefield.
With the weak magical power of the Headmistress of the Demon Magic Tribe and the internal barrier of the Inferno Corridor Academy, they couldn't possibly protect the Princess!
Melojas, who had originally feigned an attack on Talia, suddenly changed direction.
And Sigrid, who had always been the first to stand in front of Talia, was caught off guard by Melojas' move.
Melojas rushed towards the direction of the Inferno Corridor Academy at top speed, her eyes fixed on her target.
"!"
Sigrid sensed the surge of powerful magical power and realized that Melojas' attack was not aimed at Talia.
She used one of her few teleportation spells, transforming into a silver lightning bolt and chasing after Melojas.
"Hahahaha."
Melojas laughed, mocking Sigrid and Kaliella for their lack of awareness in defending the Princess.
She had anticipated and prepared for this moment, and with a flick of her sleeve, a net of toxic magic obstructed Sigrid's path, slowing her down.
Sigrid's body trembled as she struggled to break free.
She felt an unprecedented slowdown, her movements restricted by the binding chains.
"Huff..."
Sigrid took a deep breath and, like unleashing her true ultimate technique, her body shone with silver radiance brighter than ever before. Regardless, the life force within her was ignited in an instant, transforming into scorching silver flames.
The silver flames burned fiercely, melting the toxic net.
A hint of surprise flashed in Melojas' eyes.
What kind of state was this? It was as if she couldn't control this opponent at all.
But, it didn't matter.
Melojas was now closer to the Princess, and she was certain she could take out the Headmistress of the Demon Magic Tribe first!
All she needed to do was kill that Demon Magic Tribe member.
Then, everything would fall apart for her opponents!
No matter how curious she had been about him before, no matter how much she had wanted to chat with him, none of that mattered anymore.
The more intriguing she had found him, the more she now hated him and wanted to destroy him.
Melojas had come to understand—
This man was the root cause of today's troubles!
As Melojas broke through the external barrier of the Inferno Corridor Academy and came within hundreds of meters of the window where Lanchi was located, the building debris swirling in the air was pulled by her deep purple magical power, forming a miniature vortex.
Within this vortex, purple crystal light beams were converging, about to pierce through everything in their path.
"Get out of the way!!!"
Sigrid sensed the surge of terrifying magical power and knew that even if Melojas held back, she was still determined to annihilate Lanchi.
"......"
Hyberrian hugged Lanchi tightly, afraid.
But Lanchi's expression remained calm.
His gaze seemed to be admiring the night sky, or perhaps, the moonlight.
Just as Melojas' scorpion tail was about to release its beam of light, mere inches away from Lanchi, an invisible storm enveloped Lanchi and Hyberrian.
Melojas' attack couldn't inflict any harm on them.
Even as the building was pierced through, the purple light reaching far into the night sky, Lanchi and Hyberrian remained unharmed.
"?"
Melojas didn't know what kind of heaven-defying magic this was.
But it was definitely an eighth-tier spell!
She had no time to think.
Sigrid's eyes shone with lightning-like radiance, and her body erupted with the strongest silver radiance she had ever displayed, the power within her body fully ignited.
She gathered all her strength and unleashed the most powerful strike of her life, her body becoming a comet that smashed towards the Profaner, Melojas, with a punch that seemed capable of shattering the heavens and the earth!
The entire process happened almost instantaneously, with a speed so fast that even Melojas struggled to capture her movements. The power was so overwhelming that even the clouds in the sky were torn apart, revealing a fleeting white light that illuminated the Inferno lands.
Melojas had focused her entire offense on Lanchi, leaving herself completely open to Sigrid's counterstrike.
She could only watch helplessly as Sigrid's fist connected with her body, sending her flying.
The impact knocked Melojas into the distant mountains, where she crashed and rolled several times before coming to a stop.
"Cough, cough!"
Melojas coughed up a mouthful of blood.
If she hadn't dodged at the last moment, redirecting the punch away from her vital organs or head, she might have lost her ability to act by now.
She didn't pause for a moment on the ground.
Because she knew that if she gave up now, her pursuers would finish her off.
Melojas gritted her teeth, enduring the dizziness and pain, and raised her scorpion tail towards the sky, gathering her magical power once more for a desperate attack.
The more she failed to kill them, the more she wanted to!
She had never felt such chaotic and intense killing intent before.
The purple light beam erupted once more.
At this moment, Sigrid had a choice to make.
She could either go to protect Lanchi or continue her assault on Melojas.
Sigrid knew that Lanchi possessed a wind magic that could withstand any damage below the ninth tier.
The defensive magic Lanchi had used earlier seemed a little different, so theoretically, he could still defend against this attack.
But Sigrid didn't dare gamble with Lanchi's life.
Just as she locked eyes with Lanchi from a distance, she instantly understood and made her decision, diving towards Melojas below.
Melojas' magic beam was once again blocked by Lanchi's immunity field.
This time, it was Melojas' turn to be stunned.
What kind of heaven-defying magic was this, capable of continuously activating absolute immunity?
Was this man truly invincible?
Lanchi stood tall, gazing down at the distant Melojas.
His aura transcended the mortal realm.
As if he were the true monarch.
And Melojas was but a mere subject.
Hyberrian tightened her grip on Lanchi's arm.
Only Hyberrian, standing by Lanchi's side, understood the meaning behind his gaze.
Melojas' eyes widened in realization as she finally understood more of the situation.
The strangely out-of-place feeling, yet overwhelmingly familiar mask.
And the fact that this being was together with Kaliella, Sigrid, and the Princess...
In an instant, Melojas' towering rage seemed to be doused by a bucket of ice-cold water.
"The Holy Plaga Lante Pope...?"
Now that she thought about it carefully, she had just offered her seat to a Ninth-Tier Pope.
She had even sat on the armrest and asked if he was scared.
How ridiculous she must have seemed.
If the Pope wanted to, he could have erased her from existence at any moment.
Or perhaps she had set her sights on someone she could never hope to kill from the very beginning.
"Was it fun to toy with me?!"
Melojas, the Profaner, struggled furiously, and Sigrid nearly failed to restrain her.
Even if it cost her life, as long as she could leave a scratch on the Pope, her life would be worth it.
Talia rushed over to help Sigrid pin down Melojas.
"Should we kill her?"
Sigrid immediately looked up at Lanchi.
She didn't know if killing Melojas would be considered the end of the Shadow World mission, or if killing her would have any adverse effects.
Melojas' vitality was too strong; it would cost them something to take her life.
But it was doable.
"Let her go."
Lanchi said calmly, as if it were a matter of course.
For the time being, the Demon Realm couldn't do without a regent like her.
And in six days, this Shadow World would no longer be their concern.
From the perspective of the Holy Plaga Lante Pope, a capable regent of the Demon Realm was necessary to maintain stability on the continent. There was currently no one who could replace Melojas, a Great Demon with the qualities of a king.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire canyon fell into a brief silence.
"......?"
Not only Sigrid, but Talia and Hyberrian were also stunned.
And Melojas, the Profaner, never expected such a statement. Her deep purple eyes were filled with shock and confusion.
"Don't you dare humiliate me like this! Holy Plaga Lante Pope! I don't want your pity!"
Melojas lunged at Lanchi again, her power erupting.
Sigrid was once again quicker, and Melojas was slammed to the ground, creating a deafening crash that shook the ground.
"Might as well kill her, huh? Do you think he can really let her go?"
Sigrid suggested.
She was certain that even if they let Melojas go today, the first thing she would do after recovering tomorrow would be to come after Lanchi.
Even if they defeated her a hundred times, as long as she could still crawl, she would still come after him to take a bite out of his flesh.
Melojas' obsession was perhaps even more terrifying than that of some of the current Cardinal Bishops.
Because she was no longer fighting solely for revenge; her killing intent was now driven by a sense of conviction.
"And I've heard scorpion tail soup is quite delicious."
Sigrid added, seeing that Lanchi remained unmoved.
"Ugh..."
Hyberrian gave Sigrid a disapproving look.
However, to her surprise, Kaliella actually swallowed her saliva at the mention of the soup.
Hearing this, Hyberrian widened her eyes in disbelief.
You really want to eat that? Hyberrian wondered how Sigrid had become so wild and Kaliella so gluttonous after not seeing them for twelve years!
"If you don't kill me, I will kill you!"
Melojas continued to threaten, unable to tolerate the man's decision.
She wasn't afraid to die, but she couldn't bear to live in humiliation.
In this lifetime, she would become this man's nightmare.
She would make sure he lived in constant fear, surrounded by killing intent!
Lanchi remained as composed as ever, his expression unchanged by Melojas' threats, as if he had anticipated her thoughts.
"Melojas, I sense your love for me."
He squatted down, as if he had found a lost child, and gently gazed at Melojas with eyes as green as jade.
"It's difficult to bear when you feel misunderstood, isn't it?"
His eyes held a willingness to embrace and understand her.
And it made her believe that he could comprehend her feelings.
"What are you talking about...?"
Melojas had expected the Holy Plaga Lante Pope to further humiliate her as the victor, telling her that she was never a true threat.
But his words were the opposite of what she anticipated.
Melojas felt her heart and mind in turmoil, struggling to make sense of his intentions.
"Alright, let her go."
Lanchi repeated his instruction to Sigrid and Talia.
Sigrid didn't hesitate and released Melojas as Lanchi had said.
Talia hesitated but eventually withdrew her hand.
Or perhaps she alone couldn't restrain Melojas.
Melojas stood up, and as expected, she lunged at Lanchi again.
"Even if... even if I want to make you... kill you, will you still acknowledge this love of mine?"
Just inches away from Lanchi, the Profaner, Melojas, suddenly stopped.
She held back her hand and scorpion tail.
She admitted that before she could understand what was in her heart, she couldn't find any pleasure in killing him or being killed by him. If he let her die now, she felt that her life would be filled with endless pain and questions.
"Of course."
Lanchi dusted off his clothes and stood up, facing Melojas without any fear or hesitation. His acknowledgment was more than just acceptance; it was affirmation.
"You're lying to me... there's not a hint of killing intent in you..."
Melojas covered her chest with her hands, her body leaning forward as she spoke,
"Your pure and immaculate self is so different from me. How can you acknowledge me?"
She seemed conflicted, her scorpion tail twitching and slamming into the ground.
"Perhaps I would kill if necessary, and I assure you, if it ever comes to that, I will be more terrifying than you."
Lanchi removed his mask and quietly gazed into its inner side, lost in thought.
Once he put it on, all he would see was endless darkness.
"......!"
Hyberrian stared at Lanchi's lowered eyes, sensing a change in him.
She didn't know what he had experienced during this time, but she felt that while he seemed the same, he was also somehow very different.
Hyberrian suddenly realized that letting Melojas go was consistent with Lanchi's usual obsession with finding the optimal solution for the greater good. However, in this Shadow World, it seemed that he had his own reasons for wanting to spare Melojas, this extremely radical Great Demon!
"You..."
Melojas stared at his figure and his soul, which seemed to embody both the purest light and the deepest darkness.
He stood at the boundary between a saint and a tyrant. If given the chance, he would likely be even more extreme.
Could it be that there really is someone in this world who loves as I do?
His love, though chaotic and twisted, embraced all things.
Even those rejected and deemed eradicatable by society, he sheltered and treated as equals.
He stood as a true monarch.
And Melojas was but a mere subject.
"So go back to Demon King City. It's your responsibility to take over after Kaliella's disappearance and govern the Demon Realm with order and development in the post-war recovery. I believe you will be an excellent Demon King, Melojas."
Lanchi returned the mask to his waist and gave Melojas a smile that conveyed a rare sense of kinship.
"Alright..."
Melojas tightly hugged herself, her ample chest heaving.
She knew she was neither likable nor pleasing to demons.
Yet, she never dared to dream that a day like this would come.
At this moment, she understood the warmth burning within her heart.
It was as if a smoldering fire had suddenly ignited into a blazing inferno.
All her life, she had longed to hear those words— "I acknowledge everything about you."
Melojas' eyes no longer held as much aggression and anger. Instead, they were fixed firmly on the night sky above Demon King City, her stance steady as she wiped away her tears and affirmed her resolve.
"Pope, you must live well and wait for me to kill you. One day, I will become strong enough to kill you! I will kill you three thousand times!"
In the end, she couldn't help but turn back and shout at the silver-masked figure.
Then she disappeared from view.
(End of Chapter)
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