A terrifying pale gold magical power began to gather between Membeli's dragon claws.
However, unlike before, the Dragon King did not hastily attack but rather intently observed the black-haired young girl.
Different from his two human companions,
As a dragon, Membeli possesses much greater perceptive abilities and a terrifying instinct for sensing danger. After the initial shock, he immediately steadied himself and began to carefully assess the state of the young girl with black hair.
Without a doubt,
Though the black-haired young girl contained a terrifying Shadow Force within her,
On the surface, the concentration of her Shadow Force and the energy fluctuations around her were not particularly strong, perhaps at the level of 6 or lower... which was negligible for them, three peak level 8. However, that invisible pressure emanating from her soul made Membeli very uneasy.
Furthermore,
According to ancient texts, beings with Shadow Force gradually lose their sanity, becoming bloodthirsty and mad. Without a certain level of power, it is impossible for the holder of the Shadow Force to retain their sanity.
Therefore, in Membeli's opinion,
The strength of the black-haired young girl must certainly exceed level 6.
If Membeli, the Sacred Dragon King, couldn't figure out the girl's strength, it only meant she was way stronger than him.
Coming to this realization, Membeli inhaled deeply. He clenched his claws, and his powerful magic began to surge within him, preparing him for battle like never before. All the while, he eyed the mysterious black-haired girl cautiously and thought about his next steps.
Can they avoid a fight with such a formidable being? Can they negotiate peace and simply stay in the Northern Territory instead of heading south? The black-haired girl didn't seem like the mindless demonic creatures of legend.
If a pace was possible, that would be the best outcome.
But if not,
Could the three of them defeat her with their current strength? And at what cost?
However,
While Membeli was deep in thought, Anze, the Heavenly Apostle, couldn't contain himself any longer.
After confirming through the golden orb's resonance that the black-haired girl was indeed a 'minion of Demon Lord,' Anze's eyes lit up with a fierce battle spirit. Driven by an unshakable sense of justice, his red holy magic erupted from him like a dam breaking, instantly dispersing the blizzard in the icy plains and turning the sky red.
The massive wave of holy magic caused the sky to tremble, the ground to crack, and even space itself showed signs of fracture. Even monsters miles away could feel Anze's overwhelming aura and fled in all directions.
Lifting his longsword, enveloped in dazzling red light and holy fire, Anze pointed it at the girl's face without any hesitation.
"Don't think you can deceive me by disguising yourself as a human!"
Anze declared this with righteous indignation, under the surprised gaze of his two companions, just as they had when they faced the Demon King before.
"I won't let you harm this World! Prepare to be destroyed!"
With that,
Anze, gripping his holy sword and entering his battle mode, rushed toward the black-haired girl without a second thought, signaling Membeli and Heretia for a coordinated attack.
"The Pope has said, we must strike first against this demon! Let's finish her before she powers up! Membeli, Heretia, attack with me now!"
Facing the fast-approaching holy fire that could purify all evil, the black-haired girl merely glanced at Anze and continued to sit quietly on the shattered ice cliff. Her crimson eyes remained emotionless, like a beautiful doll devoid of feelings.
Comparatively,
Heretia and Membeli, his companions, seemed somewhat bewildered when they saw Anze initiate the attack. Membeli couldn't help but roar in frustration,
"Wait! You hot-blooded fool!!!"
In that moment,
Membeli bit his lip, slightly angered.
Even though Anze had been a good friend and a trusted ally for many years, Membeli felt the impulse to tackle this so-called 'savior hero' right then and there.
Why?
Because Anze's attack had led them into a situation from which there was no turning back. They had lost any chance for a peaceful resolution, and they had angered a creature unlike anything they had ever faced before.
After seeing his partner impulsively launch the attack, Membeli tried to restrain the hot-headed hero. Unfortunately, before the Dragon King could unleash his power, the black-haired girl, sensing the hostility, tilted her head slightly.
Her crimson eyes narrowed, and for the first time, her demeanor changed.
As her gaze shifted, the atmosphere around them also transformed in an instant. An oppressive force, cold enough to take one's breath away, descended from the sky, enveloping Membeli.
A boundless surge of scarlet force emanated from the girl, radiating in all directions and instantly shattering the formidable aura of holy magic that Anze had conjured.
'What...what is this?'
"No, this is bad! Come back, Anze!" For the first time in hundreds years, Membeli lost his cool and yelled at his companion.
But it was too late.
In the next instant, under the stunned gaze of Membeli and Heretia, the icy plains erupted, and countless bloody-red butterflies burst forth from beneath the ice.
The swarm of butterflies engulfed Anze, devouring his holy fire and, with an irresistible force, consumed him entirely.
The Apostle, who had slain the Demon King and saved the world, possessing peak-level 8 strength, didn't even get a chance to scream before he was swallowed by the endless swarm of bloody butterflies.
After the flash of crimson light,
a magnificent set of platinum armor and a red divine sword fell from the sky.
However,
the armor no longer had the protection of holy magic, and the divine sword was devoid of the church's holy flames.
The man, hailed by many as a hero who saved the world, was utterly consumed by the swarm of bloody butterflies, leaving not a single piece of flesh or a bone behind.
"How... how is this possible?"
Membeli's eyes narrowed sharply, filled with disbelief and terror. His massive dragon body even began to tremble.
His old companion had been mercilessly killed by the swarm of butterflies, an outcome completely beyond his expectations.