"Don't think you can sway me with your lies."
Roland roared, his whole body trembling, yet he could not move his hands an inch.
"As a loyal servant of the Church, you should know about us demons. We are not like the reckless devils—you know we never lie.
So, truly, you only have these two choices."
"I…"
Roland fell silent. In that moment, years of accumulated guilt collided violently with his responsibilities as a knight.
How long he remained in this state, he could not say. Finally, as if reaching a decision, he let out a long sigh and spoke:
"I, Roland Nesser, 172nd ruler of the Nesser Empire, humbly call upon the spirits of my ancestors to bear witness.
Here, I bestow upon this girl the name Zephyra Nesser.
She shall be my thirteenth child, a courageous warrior of the Nesser lineage.
She shall also receive the protection of all my ancestors, immune to the assaults of evil."
"What a cunning choice… but can you pay the price?"
The eerie voice sounded again, still arrogant despite its surprise.
As it said, using powers not naturally one's own always comes at a cost.
Roland had once ignited all he had to summon his ancestors' aid—what more could he burn now?
"I shall use my memories and all my flesh and blood to ignite the dawn of a new era, and humbly request the witness of my ancestors."
As he spoke, scorching holy flames erupted from Roland's body, centered on the heart in his chest, made of countless corrupt blood.
The eerie voice finally faltered, a trace of panic creeping in.
"How dare you…! You'll die doing this, you madman!"
"Didn't you already anticipate my choice?"
Roland ignored the flames on his body, speaking calmly to the voice.
"Yes… anticipated, for only by doing this can you remain yourself, Saint Knight Roland.
Yet knowing I guided you toward this path, you still plunged headfirst down this dead end.
I wonder, are you foolish… or simply bound by your ridiculous knightly spirit?"
"Who knows?"
Roland replied nonchalantly.
The eerie voice regained calm:
"So that's it. Oh, I forgot to tell you—I was born from your body, the manifestation of your evil.
I am you, and you are me. Whatever schemes dwell in your heart, I know them.
You think divine power is mysterious and unfathomable?
That even if the Saintess is slain, my master has other plans?
You tried to cultivate a noble Saintess to challenge my master, imagining that my master's creation could resist him.
You truly made a clever plan… but who says the Saintess is merely human?"
As the voice fell, the girl within the flesh barrier slowly opened her eyes.
In an instant, the heavens and earth seemed to shift.
A wave of pure, corrupt energy erupted from the girl, spreading wildly across the continent—reminiscent of the figure once behind that sealed gate.
"Hehehe… the Saintess is a noble divine heir. Even if you temporarily block her link to my master with your ancestors' blessing, even if you train her to be the most noble knight, her fate is already sealed.
She is destined to be the vessel for my master's descent. No resistance of yours can change this."
The eerie voice grew weaker as it spoke.
Roland's flames consumed not only himself but also the demon that existed within his memories.
"As my master's proxy, any rebellion you mount is laughable in my master's eyes.
Your fate is sealed—you will fall, and my master will descend."
With that, the voice vanished completely.
The scattered flesh barrier turned into filthy, corrupt blood and merged into Roland's burned chest, forming a new heart.
At this moment, Roland's strength and memories had been mostly consumed.
What remained was only the knightly spirit engraved deep within his soul.
Then, a clear female voice called out, fully restoring his consciousness:
"Father."
…
As the malignant energy swept across the continent, the land underwent a tremendous transformation.
Unlike the overwhelming waves of power before, this was a presence equal in rank to the witches, yet nobler.
It did not make people's hearts quake, but it resonated with all hidden witches, awakened or not.
Countless dormant witches fully awakened that day.
Those already awakened felt their internal powers surge uncontrollably.
For most, this was merely a brief discomfort. Years of control over their energies allowed them to suppress the anomaly in an instant.
There was, however, one exception.
In the Dwarf ruins, Hel felt both her Death Divinity and Fish-Worm Divinity surge violently in response to the aberrant energy.
Pure death energy clashed with fragments of life force, erupting uncontrollably from her body.
Partly this was because her breakthrough had been too rapid, leaving her unable to fully control her power.
Partly it was due to the collision of two mutually opposing elements, amplified by the resonance.
The situation inside Hel's body was dire.
Without hesitation, she opened a gate to the Necropolis Realm and dove in, not even giving Niv a chance to speak.