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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 105
A direct attack?
Or a magic attack?
Either way, all that’s needed is to block them.
The moment that thought crossed his mind—
The artifact fell helplessly to the ground.
This time, it didn’t even activate.
Because he had been shifting his power allocation back and forth, the consumption was immense.
As he forcefully drew more power, control became even harder.
“Having trouble controlling it?”
At Leon’s question, he clenched his teeth.
How does he know?
There shouldn’t be anyone who knows about this Halo.
Even if someone did, the idea that a boy like Leon from another country would know was absurd.
Unsettled by Leon’s attitude, Dorn provoked him.
To draw out his impatience.
“You don’t have time for this. Aren’t you worried about the one trapped inside that space?”
Currently, Luna was trapped inside the sphere created by Dorn.
While it was true that being trapped in there essentially meant death, he hadn’t revealed that.
However, Leon merely shrugged.
“I already confirmed her safety. Besides, why worry when you’re right in front of me?”
No matter how powerful Dorn was, Leon showed no signs of carelessness.
“What nonsense. No one trapped inside that sphere could survive. Their very existence would shatter and scatter.”
“That’s probably true for a normal human.”
But if it wasn’t a normal human, the story would be different.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Leon’s composure remained unshaken.
Could he know something?
As Dorn contemplated—
Leon’s sword slid in smoothly, exploiting the gap in his defenses.
He had reinforced his defenses, hadn’t he?
It shouldn’t have been this easy to pierce—
Puuuuck...
“You’re good at provoking, I’ll give you that. But you do know, right? A failed provocation only makes your opponent more dangerous.”
“Guh?!”
Leon’s sword pierced Dorn’s abdomen and then—
Swiiish!
In one swift motion, it slashed across his side, tearing through him.
It wasn’t the sword’s performance.
The crimson cursed sword was just a tool, barely contributing to the attack.
Leon Cascadia, the monster that he was, treated even such a terrifying sword as just another weapon—relying entirely on his own skill.
There was no denying it now.
If he couldn’t escape here, he would die at Leon’s hands.
Despite having tremendous power, Leon had the overwhelming advantage in every other aspect.
Dorn realized that even if it cost him consciousness, he needed to escape.
But for some reason, even using the Halo’s power to teleport was blocked.
“What’s wrong? Can’t run away?”
“How... how are you doing this?!”
“I’ve seen something similar to that Halo before.”
If he had seen it and fought against it for a long time, he would know its penalties and weaknesses.
The Halo’s power should have been enough to break through any barrier.
And since necromantic magic was involved, the advantage of elemental compatibility was clear.
Yet he was being disrupted from the very stage of manifesting the Halo’s power.
“The one with tremendous power is the Halo—not you.”
Depending on who held the initiative, the difference between what was possible and what was impossible was stark.
Leon’s sword swung again, leaving a deep gash across Dorn’s chest.
Dorn uy Pascalia stumbled back, blood pouring from his wounds.
For the first time in ages, he felt a chilling vulnerability, as if everything had been laid bare.
He took one step, then another, backward.
* * *
In the darkness, Luna slowly lifted her head.
The strange sphere of power created by Prince Dorn.
Trapped inside it, she felt a familiar yet overwhelming force pressing down on her.
The sight before her was reminiscent of a massive, divine temple in the heavens.
“...”
Tap... tap...
Without saying a word, she wandered the temple.
It was a familiar space.
But there was something different about it.
How long had she been walking?
She arrived at a place where massive statues of angels clad in armor stood in a row on either side.
Ahead of her, clusters of light gathered.
“This is definitely different from the phenomenon Dorn triggered.”
It was clear that this space wasn’t something Dorn had induced.
The sphere Dorn had formed was only capable of condensing energy from this space to influence the target.
It wasn’t enough to forcibly push consciousness into this place.
Of course, the Halo did possess such tremendous power.
Without a word, Luna reached out to the Halo floating above her head.
The Halo—symbol of angelic existence and power—was resonating with another force.
Though it wasn’t the heavenly realm, some powerful force was clearly linking her to the heavens.
She had recognized it the moment she saw it.
The Halo Dorn possessed was an angel’s Halo—just like hers.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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And she had a good idea of whose Halo it was.
The Halo of Judgment.
The crown that lent its power to judgment angels, handed down through the traditions of the Archangel Raguel.
Honestly, there were too many things that didn’t make sense.
Why a human could form a contract with the Halo of Judgment.
Why it wasn’t in the heavenly realm, but in this middle world.
There were many questions, but those were Leon’s to handle.
What she needed to focus on now were the beings surrounding her.
The Judgment Guards.
“Bow your head, sinner.”
The angels that emerged from the clusters of light all pointed holy spears—modeled after sacred flames—at her.
Was this truly the heavenly realm?
Were these truly the Judgment Guards?
It seemed so, given there was no way to see the bodies hidden within the armor.
Either way, they were the elite among angels—a rare and upper-tier rank.
They were the so-called elite from birth, two pairs of "strong angels."
Wings were practically a symbol of angels.
Typically, angels of the celestial realm possessed one or two pairs of wings.
The power difference between one pair and two pairs was starkly evident from birth.
Though not at the level of a legion commander, they were beings who, among angels, used powerful force to contract with the "Crown of Punishment" and borrow the power of the Archangel of Punishment, Raguel.
Luna cast a curious gaze over the wings and crown she had rendered invisible.
"One-pair common angel, state your name."
As they spoke as if passing judgment, Luna fell into silence.
Then, slowly parting her lips, she responded while gazing at them.
"Luna Basilin Raphaelia."
"Has the sinner committed a sin forbidden by God?"
"Not acknowledged."
Whether it was a sin or not, Luna had no regrets about her path.
At her confident attitude, the punitive officers flew like flashes of light and bound her arms and legs with chains of light.
"Then open your eyes and prove your intent."
Eyes.
The idea of opening her eyes was not pleasant to Luna.
For an angel, eyes were almost a barometer of their nature.
The many theological passages that mention the eyes of angels were rooted in a similar concept.
Of course, if it had been merely symbolic, she would have opened them long ago.
In reality, it had little meaning under normal circumstances.
But for Luna, it was a bit different.
"For an angel, eyes represent the manifestation of power itself. I refuse."
"No angel is born without opening their power. Surely, you too manifested your power at birth."
"No. My power is sealed."
The punitive officers were visibly shocked and murmured among themselves.
Apparently, even they had not anticipated this response.
It seemed these punitive officers were still immature young angels rather than seasoned veterans.
The punitive strong angels, murmuring in confusion, soon captured her within their gaze, hidden behind their plated armor.
"That is a grave sin under God’s will. Therefore, we punitive officers command you to open your eyes at once."
Their tone was emotionless, but to Luna, they seemed no different from ordinary angels.
"I refuse. I do not like the origin or power that exists within me."
Originally, Luna had manifested her power just like any other angel.
But after a series of events, her power had sealed itself again, and she closed her eyes, vowing never to reveal it again.
Though it was a blessing bestowed by God from the beginning, she denied her very existence.
"Then we will enforce it."
Clink!
The chains of light binding her tightened more and more around her body.
"Ugh…"
Even though she possessed enormous strength, her current power and healing abilities were no match for the chains of judgment wielded by the highest punitive officers—angels with two pairs of wings—in this place of judgment.
"The sinner must open her eyes and define her existence."
The punitive officers merely repeated the same words.
Even as her limbs were bound in agony, Luna remained silent.
If she could endure here, Leon, who had subdued Dorn, would destroy the orb that had engulfed her.
The celestial and mortal realms could only be connected under special conditions.
In other words, once the orb was destroyed, she would be able to escape this place and return to her original realm.
No matter the circumstances, she did not abandon her belief that Leon would come to save her.
"I already said so. I refuse."
Luna’s stubbornness was unwavering.
Even Leon’s requests, which she usually would not decline, had been refused by her.
Bound by chains and slowly being squeezed, she let out a short groan of pain.
Once her eyes opened, there would be no point in closing them again.
The power she loathed after falling would define her existence the moment she opened her eyes.
Even in the throes of searing pain, she stoically endured without changing her expression.
"Impossible. How can an angel remain unaffected under the chains of judgment?"
She wasn’t unaffected.
She was merely enduring it.
Fortunately, her case was somewhat unique, allowing her to endure this judgment process for a long time.
More precisely, she was different from ordinary common angels with one pair of wings.
"I’ll make it clear. I will not open my eyes."
At this point, even the punitive officers—who had tried to hide their emotions—seemed to find her peculiar.
"What should we do?"
"Isn’t she just a common angel? This is unprecedented..."
"Wasn’t this judgment unplanned, taking place after a divine revelation? And we were forbidden from carrying out the punishment of annihilation... What kind of situation is this?"
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HELHEIM SCANS
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