The divine radiance surrounding Jessica illuminated the shattered realm like a second sun. White wings stretched majestically from her back, their feathers shimmering with celestial brilliance as her golden eyes remained fixed upon the Demon Lord before her. Every trace of fear had vanished from her expression, replaced by an unwavering conviction that seemed to transcend mortality itself.
The ruined village behind her stood as silent testimony to the innocent lives that had been stolen. She could still hear their cries within her heart, and it was that memory which steadied her hand as she slowly raised her sword.
She pointed the gleaming blade directly at Betelgeuse.
"Even you, a Demon Lord, aren't above the laws of the gods."
Betelgeuse's face twisted with rage.
"Shut up and die!"
Darkness gathered above him.
One after another, enormous black spheres condensed into existence until several floated overhead. Each one radiated destructive energy comparable to a miniature sun, distorting the air around them as demonic power surged through the realm.
Betelgeuse stretched out his hand.
"Demonic Spheres."
The black suns descended. They tore through the sky before crashing toward Jessica's position. The first exploded. Then the second. Then another.
A chain of colossal explosions erupted across the battlefield, each detonation swallowing the previous one as mountains collapsed beneath the overwhelming force. Smoke billowed endlessly into the heavens until Jessica's figure disappeared completely.
Betelgeuse watched the destruction with a cruel smile.
Then a streak of white light burst from the smoke. Jessica appeared directly before him.
Without hesitation, she raised her sword. Betelgeuse instinctively crossed both arms before his body. Demonic energy condensed around them into an impenetrable defense.
Jessica's golden eyes remained calm.
"Luck Manipulation."
The demonic energy surrounding Betelgeuse vanished instantly.
His pupils contracted.
"What—"
Jessica's sword descended. The divine blade struck his crossed arms before crashing into his body, sending him hurtling toward the earth.
Boom!
Betelgeuse landed on both feet inside a massive crater, the surrounding ground collapsing beneath the force of the impact.
He slowly stood. His hand covered the wound across his face.
"How dare you…"
His crimson eyes burned with fury.
"How dare you, mortal?"
Dark crimson energy erupted from every part of his body.
He spread both arms wide.
"Release—Ardra Nakshatra."
"The Energy of Transformation and Destruction."
Demonic energy engulfed him completely.
His body transformed.
The energy hardened into a monstrous layer of armor that wrapped around every inch of his physique, dramatically increasing his durability as violent power continued pouring from within him.
Betelgeuse screamed.
"You will pay!"
He vanished. The next instant, his fist was already flying toward Jessica.
She blocked it with her sword. The collision generated a tremendous shockwave that flattened everything for miles.
Neither yielded. Punches. Kicks. Sword strikes. Counterattacks.
Each exchange shook the battlefield harder than the last. Betelgeuse suddenly aimed a kick toward Jessica's head.
At the final instant…He changed trajectories toward her left leg. Jessica reacted instantly. She drove her sword into the ground beside her left foot. Then her right leg whipped forward.
Betelgeuse leaned away from the first strike but Jessica's planted leg became her pivot. Her left foot rose sharply beneath his chin.
Boom!
Betelgeuse was launched skyward. Jessica calmly pulled her sword free before landing gracefully upon the earth. High above, Betelgeuse regained control of his body. He looked downward.
Jessica was gone. His instincts screamed then he looked upward. Jessica's right foot descended.
Crash!
The kick connected squarely with his face. Betelgeuse became a meteor. He crashed straight through an enormous mountain.
The entire mountain collapsed around him. Dust swallowed the horizon. From within the rubble, Betelgeuse's voice echoed.
"Erasure."
A terrifying shockwave burst outward. Everything touched by it simply ceased to exist.
Trees. Mountains. Stone.
Even the dust itself disappeared into nothingness. Jessica hovered silently above the expanding wave. She raised her divine sword toward the heavens.
"Heaven's Judgment."
The blade shone brighter than ever before. Far below…Betelgeuse's instincts warned him of death. His eyes widened.
"Barrier of Destruction!"
His strongest defensive technique materialized around him as countless layers of demonic power condensed into a perfect shield.
Jessica swung downward.
For one brief moment…Nothing happened. Then…a thin white line slowly appeared. It stretched across half the realm. The Barrier of Destruction cracked.
Then shattered. Betelgeuse's eyes widened in horror. A white line crossed over his right shoulder before stopping directly in front of him.
Silence lingered for a while then the sound arrived.
An overwhelming wave of divine force erupted across half the realm, obliterating everything in its path. Betelgeuse's entire right arm exploded into fragments. The right side of his chest vanished beneath blinding white flames.
The divine fire slowly consumed him. Ash drifted into the wind. Betelgeuse coughed blood before collapsing onto one knee.
"No…"
His voice trembled.
"I can't accept this…I won't. To be killed by a mere vessel of the gods…I'll not have it!"
Jessica appeared before him. Her foot struck his face. Betelgeuse rolled violently across the broken earth before finally coming to a stop.
Jessica followed at a steady pace. Each step echoed with quiet certainty. She stopped before the fallen Demon Lord. Looking down at him, her voice remained calm.
"Look at you….Some would think you have pride but in my eyes…You're just prone to self-aggrandizement."
Betelgeuse forced himself upright. His remaining hand trembled.
"Erase."
Another wave of annihilation burst toward Jessica. She calmly raised her free hand.
"Divine Barrier."
The wave struck the barrier. Cracks spread across its surface but it held. Jessica lowered her hand.
"Did you think I would die by your erasure ? today the gods shall witness…Divine Retribution."
Betelgeuse roared With nothing left but desperation, he charged forward and threw a punch with his remaining left hand.
Jessica stepped aside. Her sword flashed. His left arm separated cleanly from his body.
The divine white flames immediately spread faster.
They engulfed his lower body. Then his torso. Only his neck and head remained untouched.
His strength rapidly faded. His legs gave out beneath him. He knelt.
Jessica stood directly before him. She looked into his fading crimson eyes.
"Justice is served."
Her sword descended and his head fell.
Betelgeuse The Demon Lord…Was dead.
The divine flames consumed the last traces of his existence.
Jessica slowly looked toward the heavens.
She closed her eyes.
Innocent villagers…You shall now pass on to reincarnation smoothly.
You are avenged. A gentle breeze swept through the ruined village.
Countless translucent spirits appeared throughout the battlefield. Men, Women and Children.
Every soul that had perished smiled peacefully toward Jessica.
One by one…They dissolved into countless particles of light before ascending into the heavens.
Silence returned to the realm. Then a voice echoed throughout existence.
"You have proven that you have what it takes to exact Retribution, Cosmic Balance, and Vengeance."
Far away, within the depths of his own subconsciousness, Kaelen continued walking along the transparent road that stretched endlessly across the universe.
Stars drifted beneath his feet like grains of sand scattered across eternity, while an immeasurable pressure descended upon his shoulders with every step he took.
His breathing had long since grown uneven. Sweat rolled down his forehead. Still…He continued forward. Kaelen looked ahead into the endless path.
"How long have I been walking?"
He paused briefly before letting out a tired sigh.
"I can't even remember."
The road continued into infinity and with every step he took…The crushing pressure pressing down upon his body only grew heavier.