After Shinju regained consciousness…
At that same moment, the palace courtyard was overflowing with people.
For the first time in the history of the Angelic Kingdom, the sky was turning dark.
The citizens knelt around the Altar of Mikail's Spear, praying in silence.
High Priest Rael, robed in gold-embroidered vestments, stepped before the altar.
He struck the ground with his staff—
and the torches surrounding the sanctuary flared to life all at once.
> "People of the Angelic Kingdom!"
"We stand before the presence of the Great Mikail!"
"We have gathered to offer our prayers, our devotion, and our repentance!"
Thousands of voices answered in unison:
> "May Aurora's light bless us once more!"
The king sat silently upon his throne.
His eyes were weary; his mind clouded with turmoil.
> "A demon… How could a single demon destroy a shield that stood for a thousand years?"
His hands trembled as he gripped the armrests.
> "This is only a nightmare… the light will return any moment now."
The ritual had been going on for quite some time, yet no response came.
The king rose to his feet, anger breaking through his patience.
> "Rael!" he roared.
"Why is nothing happening?
Didn't you say Mikail would hear us?"
Rael lowered his head, his voice shaking.
> "Your Majesty… perhaps to stand before Mikail's presence, all must kneel."
The king's brows furrowed.
> "What do you mean?"
> "Even you, Majesty…" Rael said softly.
"Before Mikail, all are equal.
Leave your throne—kneel before Him.
Only then will He hear us."
The crowd fell silent.
The king took a long breath; anger and exhaustion mixed on his face.
Slowly, he stepped down from his throne.
> "This ritual had better work, Rael…"
"Otherwise, you will answer for it before this entire nation."
With heavy steps he walked toward the altar.
He raised his eyes to the heavens—then knelt.
Folding his hands together, he began to pray.
Rael's voice rose toward the darkened sky:
> "O Great Mikail!
Grant us your blessing once more!
Forgive our sins, and return your light to us!"
The people cried out together:
> "Aurora! Aurora! Aurora!"
And then—
at the center of the altar, a golden light surged up from beneath the ground.
The crowd fell silent.
The light spiraled upward, forming a circle in midair—
a portal of radiant energy.
Rael gasped, his breath trembling.
> "Mikail has heard us! Bow your heads! All of you—place your foreheads to the ground!"
Everyone obeyed. Silence consumed the courtyard.
From within the light, a woman appeared—
the alchemist Swen.
As she stepped through the portal, the brilliance blinded her.
When the light faded, she found herself before thousands of kneeling people.
Every torch in the courtyard burned fiercely;
every head bowed in reverence.
Swen froze.
> "Impossible…" she murmured.
"Are there intelligent life forms in this world?"
She took slow, deliberate steps forward.
In the torchlight, she saw the High Priest Rael kneeling before the altar, praying fervently.
Rael's voice rose again:
> "Forgive us for our sins!"
"Bless us once more, O Great Mikail!"
Swen frowned and raised her voice.
> "Mikail…? You think he would come for something so trivial?"
"I am his emissary—Swen."
No one dared to lift their heads.
Rael's hands trembled mid-air.
> "His… emissary?" he whispered.
Swen tilted her head slightly, her tone now sharper.
> "Tell me, High Priest—what happened to Mikail's Spear?"
Rael drew a deep breath.
His voice echoed, casting a shadow over the silent crowd.
> "Everything… happened because of that treacherous king."
The atmosphere turned to ice.
Swen's eyes narrowed.
> "What do you mean?"
Rael slowly lowered his hands.
> "For a thousand years, Mikail's Spear and the Golden Shield brought us prosperity and safety."
"But for the first time in history, someone from the royal bloodline—Princess Koharu—committed blasphemy during the sacred ceremony."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
> "Koharu?"
"That cursed princess…"
Rael's voice grew louder, filled with fury.
> "The moment she touched Mikail's Spear, the curse began to spread."
"The Shield's light weakened—
and that was when the demon attacked."
He paused, then fixed his gaze on the kneeling king.
> "We begged him not to remove the Spear from the altar."
"But the king—he defied the sacred law!"
"Using his daughter as an excuse, he pulled the Spear out with his own hands!"
Rael's words dripped with venom.
> "He claims he fought the demon—
but I believe he handed the Spear over!"
"He made a pact with that monster!"
The courtyard erupted in noise.
Fear and rage spread like wildfire among the people.
> "The king betrayed Mikail!"
"He's a heretic!"
"The fall of the blessing began with him!"
The kneeling king clenched his teeth and slowly stood.
His glare cut straight into Rael.
> "What nonsense are you spouting, Rael?"
"Who betrayed whom?"
Rael took a step forward, his voice booming through the courtyard.
> "Your blood is impure!"
"The sacred flow of Aurora was tainted by your lineage!"
"Koharu was cursed because you were cursed first!"
The king's hands trembled; rage coursed through his veins.
He drew his sword.
> "Enough! Don't you dare seek salvation by accusing me!"
But Rael did not back down.
He pointed toward the altar.
> "Let Mikail's light bear witness!"
"This king led his people into darkness!"
"He broke the sacred law, defiled the Spear, and summoned the curse himself!"
Swen stepped between them.
Her calm voice echoed across the courtyard, commanding silence.
> "Enough," she said quietly—but her tone cut through the chaos.
"I want to hear the truth… from him."
Her piercing gaze met the king's.
> "Tell me. What happened to Mikail's Spear?"
The king took a step forward.
A brief silence fell—then he exhaled deeply.
> "I…"
"I never betrayed my people—or Mikail."
The crowd murmured. He went on:
> "That day… a demon descended from the sky.
It was so powerful, our spells failed.
Even the Shield began to crack.
My soldiers saw it all!
Had I not used Mikail's Spear,
that creature would've destroyed the barrier completely."
His voice shook, yet carried strength.
> "I wielded it—not in Mikail's name,
but to protect my people!
I struck the creature down.
Before dying, it shattered the Shield and vanished into the void."
Swen remained silent for a long time.
Then, she smiled—cold and mocking.
> "So… Mikail's Spear was wielded by your hand."
She stepped closer; her gaze pierced him.
> "That weapon is no mere relic.
It was forged by Mikail himself, from the element known as the Elysium Core.
It may be worth more than this entire world."
Her tone hardened.
> "To remove it from the altar… is blasphemy in its purest form."
Rael lowered his head.
> "Then… His Majesty has committed an unforgivable sin," he whispered.
Swen turned toward him.
Her voice was cold, final:
> "Do what must be done."
Rael hesitated for a moment, duty and fear warring in his eyes.
Then he walked toward the altar.
Soldiers surrounded the king.
Steel hissed; armor clattered.
The king lifted his chin, staring straight at Rael.
> "So this is how it ends."
"I swear in Mikail's name—
I only sought to protect my people."
Rael's voice was quiet but unyielding:
> "Then hear my decree in Mikail's light."
"The punishment for defiling the Holy Spear… is death."
The king did not drop his sword—
but the soldiers were already upon him.
In a single motion, they forced him to the ground.
The crowd shut their eyes.
Rael bowed his head.
Steel flashed—
and the king's body fell in silence.