"You guys… wait… what am I doing here?"
Albert's voice echoed through the space, loud and confused.
Instinctively, he clenched his fists.
He could feel his powers—once suppressed by the dungeon's seals—rushing back fast. That alone told him this wasn't some illusion.
"Albert, I'll get straight to the point,"
Emelia stepped forward, her face complex and serious.
"We've returned. And now… we need you. We need your help to purge the Church of its darkness and bring light back to Ente Isla."
Albert listened, taking in her brief but explosive statement.
His rock-solid features shifted—first surprise, then rage, and finally, burning fury.
"Olba… that bastard actually dared to pull something this low."
Imprisoning him was one thing—trying to kill the Hero was a whole different level.
"Fine."
His voice dropped into a growl, deep and furious—like a wounded lion ready to strike.
He dropped to one knee, his massive body hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
Then he looked up.
His golden eyes burned with fierce loyalty and the will to fight.
His voice rang out like a bell tower, shaking dust off the shelves.
"Albert Ende—ready to give my life for the cause!"
"Whether it's a mountain of blades or an army of zealots, I'll face it all. For justice. For the future of Ente Isla. Just give the word, and I'll give everything I've got—no regrets, no holding back!"
His vow was absolute. Unshakable.
Just as expected.
Emelia took a deep breath and looked at the team around her:
—The most powerful sorceress, Emeralda
—The cold and calculating auditor, Suzuno Kamazuki
—And the rock-solid shield, Albert Ende
Finally, her gaze landed on Rei Ao, the man who had stood beside her through everything.
His silver hair drifted even though there was no wind.
The energy of the Holy Sword flowed around her, and the Hero's presence reached its peak.
"Then let's begin,"
Emelia's voice was calm and sharp—like a blade drawn in silence.
It cut through the stillness of the library, marking the beginning of a storm that would soon sweep through the Holy Capital.
"Our mission: destroy the darkness—restore the light."
…
The night in the Holy Capital was no longer peaceful.
A storm of change, with Emelia at the center, tore through the city—the heart of religious power—at a pace no one had seen before.
Emeralda, newly freed, used every bit of influence and respect she had built in the Church—combined with rock-solid audit reports from Suzuno.
She became the scalpel, cutting with precision through the web of corruption spun by Olba and his allies.
Confidential documents—detailing embezzlement, abuse of power, forbidden research—were made public.
The upper clergy was thrown into chaos.
Emeralda's sharp words left the hesitant and the guilty alike speechless—some even jumped ship on the spot.
Suzuno Kamazuki became the coldest, most efficient executioner.
As the Chief Auditor, she rallied what honest staff remained in the bureau and launched rapid-fire inspections on temples, treasuries, and archives.
Every link in the evidence chain was solid.
Those who tried to destroy files or fight back had nowhere left to hide.
Her black uniform—the symbol of internal oversight—became a nightmare for anyone with something to fear.
Albert focused on keeping the peace and holding the front line.
Just his presence—towering, with spiritual power rolling off him—was enough to make most people think twice.
He protected key witnesses, kept Emeralda and Suzuno safe, and used his reputation across the northern continent and secret orders to spread the message:
Change is coming. The Hero has returned.
His powerful voice spoke truths others couldn't say—confirming Emelia's return and the plan to root out corruption.
He was the anchor in this storm.
And Emelia?
She was the storm's heart and its banner.
She didn't hide anymore.
Clad in brilliant silver armor and wielding the Holy Sword, she walked the streets of the capital and appeared at every key gathering.
She spoke from experience, exposing Olba's betrayal and calling out the Church's rot.
She rallied anyone who still believed in faith and justice to stand up and fight for real glory.
Her silver hair danced in the night wind.
The glow of the Holy Sword lit the darkness in people's hearts.
The Hero's return alone was enough to ignite a movement.
More and more priests and believers stood up to join her.
Voices of doubt swelled into waves of resistance.
…
But a movement this powerful was bound to catch the attention of… something greater.
At a secret gathering, as Emeralda passionately exposed a high-ranking priest's crimes—the skies above the Holy Capital suddenly changed.
The stars vanished—as if wiped away by an unseen hand.
And in their place came a massive, impossibly bright full moon, glowing cold and silver, dominating the sky.
Light spilled down like liquid silver, coating the entire city in a holy, otherworldly glow.
Then—
A pillar of divine light shot down from the moon's center—so pure, so overwhelming it defied description.
White feathers rained from the heavens.
A holy hymn echoed across the city—beautiful, haunting, and crushing all at once.
A tidal wave of pressure—power beyond mortal comprehension—descended from the sky.
Everyone with power, from elite warriors like Emeralda, Suzuno, and Albert, to ordinary priests—
They all felt it.
Their sacred energy slowed… turned heavy… as if shackled by invisible chains.
From deep within, an ancient fear rose—something primal and humbling, like standing before the divine.