A fragment.

Even as one who had reached Origin, Yuru had never imagined what it would be like when such a thing descended into Neville.

“!”

Which was why—

“Khuk?!”

When the radiance burst from him, she instinctively deployed defensive spells—yet none of them held.

Flaaash!

Thrown violently to the ground, she looked up—and saw Neville, his eyes and mouth blazing with light.

“W-What... is this...”

The pressure was beyond words.

This wasn’t an artificial manipulation of space—it was pure presence, overwhelming simply by existing. In that instant, Yuru understood: Elhaen had descended.

Rumble...

A fragment. Just a fragment of Elhaen.

Even so, Yuru’s body shuddered, every hair on end.

“...”

The light faded. Neville’s form hadn’t changed, but when he turned to her, his words carried weight like thunder.

『Impressive.』

It was Elhaen speaking through him.

『Even though I am not here in full, you withstand this much of My presence.』

“Elhaen...!”

『Origin, you called yourself? Indeed, you must have surpassed your own limits to reach such a state.』

It gaze on her was cold, indifferent.

『But that is your end.』

It did not recognize her as an opponent.

『Your power was never meant to reach the same height as Mine. Your path has nothing to do with My principles. You are nothing but an obstacle.』

His finger leveled at her.

『Until I return to this world, I will make sure you cause no further nuisance.』

Kwooooom!

The air warped violently. She realized it was twisting space itself.

Crack—!

Her body contorted, every joint screaming. She clenched her teeth.

She had never expected to face Elhaen itself. Perhaps this wasn’t the full god, but it was certainly a fragment—as Neville had said.

‘A fragment...’

Even as the overwhelming pressure crushed her, her eyes burned defiantly.

‘Not the full body. Just a fragment.’

Different in rank it may be—but she too had crossed the boundary of her own limits. She would not bow to a half-formed shadow.

Crackle!

She raised her fists, then slowly opened her palms.

The warped vision froze.

“Try to crush me,” she hissed, the halo above her head spinning.

“If you can.”

The heat-haze distortion receded, space snapping back to normal. Elhaen’s voice rumbled.

『So, you refuse to submit.』

Not anger, nor surprise—only inevitability.

『Then I will make you submit.』

It stepped forward. With every movement, light rippled outward, reshaping the void into a wasteland.

Crack!

Each footfall split the ground, hurling shards of debris. They flew at Yuru.

She slipped past them, body loose. But even in that instant, space twisted again.

‘So quickly...!’

Every lapse, every breath was exploited. Yuru spun her halo, restoring space. Then she thrust her hand to the heavens.

Sky.

Upon the fragment of a god who created earth, she arrogantly laid claim to the domain of the sky.

Thunderheads swelled overhead. A deafening crack tore the air—and lightning cascaded down in torrents.

Elhaen did not evade. Some strikes it deflected, others smashed into it, staggering it's form.

『Irritating.』

It's hand shot up, seizing a bolt of lightning itself, and hurled it back at her.

Yuru countered with her own storm. Then, with a sweep of her staff, she brought rain crashing down upon it.

Elhaen strode through it, unfazed, closing the distance.

“You don’t even care for the host body?” Yuru spat.

“So long as it isn’t your true self, being soaked, burned, or killed means nothing to you.”

『Empty provocation.』

His voice was calm.

『I cherish humanity above all else. And this vessel is no exception.』

“Cherish?”

Yuru’s face twisted.

“Then why did you do that to my brother?”

Clay had given everything—his life, his soul—to fight the Demon King in Elhaen’s name. If Elhaen loved humanity, Clay should have been the one it treasured most.

“You cast aside the one you should have protected above all!”

『The one you cast aside, you mean?』

Elhaen tilted his head.

『I never abandoned that child.』

“What?”

『It was you humans who did.』

He lifted his arms.

『That child was always destined to meet Me. He deserved his reward for what he had done.』

But Clay had become the Demon King, choosing another fate of his own will.

『That was not My doing.』

Elhaen’s gaze pierced her.

『You know who truly caused it.』

“Shut your mouth!” Yuru screamed.

“You orchestrated everything! You used Krata to drive him to death! You shackled our hands so we couldn’t stop it!”

『You claim I forged the evidence of his death as well?』

“Stop your filthy lies!”

Her eyes burned with rage.

“Don’t pretend! You know it was you!”

『All you can do is rage and thrash. Pathetic.』

Its eyelids lowered, it's voice thick with disdain.

『Insults gain you nothing. The boy has already left your side.』

Drip... drip...

Rain soaked the broken earth as Elhaen walked slowly toward her.

『You and your comrades failed in the most important faith. Everything that happened was because of that.』

By then, he was standing right before her.

Yuru tried to retreat—but couldn’t.

No, she moved, but the space between them refused to grow.

‘What—?!’

She forced her halo to spin, trying to stabilize the warped world—but Elhaen had already seized control.

He was moving faster than her perception itself.

『One question, something important.』

Elhaen’s voice resounded, directed at Yuru.

『Do you even exist within My arrangement?』

Arrangement. She did not understand the meaning.

『If you do not know... then disappear.』

In an instant, Elhaen’s hand closed around the halo above Yuru’s head.

♧

Boom! Crash!

Nael and Beatrice’s battle raged on.

And in that moment—

“Aaaaaaaahhh!”

It was Nael who had the upper hand.

Despite her wounds, she drove Beatrice back relentlessly, fists flying without pause.

Before Beatrice could muster magic, Nael’s strikes were already upon her.

It was reckless.

With no thought for defense, one mistake could mean her death.

Yet paradoxically, that recklessness gave Beatrice no chance to counter.

‘Impossible...!’

For once, Beatrice faltered. The sheer stubbornness of her opponent was forcing her back.

Nael allowed no time for spells. She dragged everything into close combat—as though she knew it was her only path to victory.

Caught in her pace, Beatrice found herself forced to fight the same way.

She had tried channeling Magia into strikes at Nael’s weak points, but it had been useless.

‘She’s using... something else.’

Beatrice narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t just brute force. There was something more.

And then she realized.

Aura.

The pure essence of power, refined by warriors who drove their bodies to the very brink.

Even Beatrice had rarely felt it this directly.

“You’ve turned yourself into a monster!” she spat.

Nael sneered.

“I’ve no reason to hear that from you.”

Her glare was sharp enough to cut.

“I just refused to wield power with deceit, as your kind do.”

Boom! Crash!

Step by step, her fists slammed into Beatrice with heavier force.

“I’ll shatter that arrogance of yours here and now!”

Her blows poured down in a storm. Even Beatrice, with the body of a near-perfect being, staggered under impacts she had never imagined.

“This is... absurd.”

Driven back by strikes she couldn’t evade, Beatrice muttered through clenched teeth.

“To think you believe you can win.”

Nael’s attacks were indeed terrifying. They surpassed the limits of race, forcing even Beatrice to retreat.

But it was still a dance on thin ice. One slip, and Nael’s life would be forfeit.

This was a battle Beatrice only had to endure. With patience, she would prevail.

“Don’t think of enduring.”

Nael’s eyes burned with savage light.

“I’ll spend every last drop of my strength to bring you down.”

“Then try.” Beatrice laughed coldly, “If you can do now what you could not before.”

For a moment, Nael faltered—just enough. Beatrice struck, her Magia-laced fist slamming into Nael’s ribs.

Nael went flying. Beatrice’s wings spread wide as she pursued.

Breath.

Flames gushed from her maw—only to meet Nael’s crossed arms.

She forced her way through, leaping up the torrent, and smashed her fist into Beatrice’s face.

The sheer weight of her aura sent Beatrice sprawling.

Nael landed atop her, raining down blow after blow.

Beatrice tried to rise, but Nael’s relentless strikes pinned her down, aura flooding every strike.

“Th-This...”

Dazed from the barrage, Beatrice’s defenses slipped.

It was but an instant. But it was enough for Nael to force her to the brink.

Whenever Beatrice tried to spread Magia, Nael’s fists struck harder, shattering her concentration.

“Beatrice!” Nael roared, “Clay cannot come back because of you!”

Her fury tore through her voice.

“If you disappear here—!”

“—Clay will not return.”

The voice cut through Nael’s rage.

Startled, she turned—just in time to see Tia’s blade swinging down.

“It’s far too late to blame anyone now.”

(End of Chapter)