"Wow, it's really huge..."

We looked up at the massive black giant that had made a dramatic entrance by demolishing the papal palace. It was even bigger than I had imagined. I guess seeing it in real life is completely different from seeing it in a game.

The overwhelming sense of pressure from its immense size was incredible.

"Orca, does the demon inside you look as ugly as that? If so, I might have to reconsider our friendship."

"I'm beautiful, okay?! And besides, that thing isn't even that ugly! It's actually kind of cool!"

"...Is that so?"

"The aesthetics of demons, I guess..."

...Why are these kids so relaxed? That thing is the final boss of the church route, you know.

I asked the students who were joking around and observing the demon.

"Aren't you scared?"

"You're asking the obvious."

Stella, with a confident expression, shouted at me as if I had asked a silly question.

"Of course I'm scared!"

"Huh?"

"With a head that big, if we accidentally get crushed under its foot, we'd end up like bugs squashed by a palm. Ugh, I just imagined it."

"Hey! Why'd you have to say that?! Now I imagined it too!"

Normally, people don’t talk like that when they’re so confident…?

I was a bit taken aback by Stella's uncharacteristically vulnerable remark, given how she always spoke with such confidence.

"But, well. We've got some pretty decent folks here, don’t we? We've got two successors of the Sword Saint, someone who knows more about demons than anyone else, and even this princess here!"

"...So you trust your friends."

"Well, something like that. If I were alone, I would’ve run away, but with these guys here, I believe we at least won’t die! ...And if worst comes to worst, I'll just abandon them and escape."

"You little... You've been saying some questionable things for a while now."

"Haha, just forgive me, will you? This way, you guys can relax a bit, right?"

"..."

Watching the students banter warmed my heart.

The scene unfolding before my eyes was exactly what I had wanted to see.

Even in the face of adversity, they didn’t give up and worked together to overcome challenges.

This was a moment that wouldn't have happened if I had just stood by and done nothing.

...It reassured me that my actions weren’t wrong.

"Alright then. How should we deal with that thing? Anya seems to be holding it off well, but…"

"I'm not sure. Aileen, do you think you can cut it down?"

"Well, I’m not sure. I don’t have the strength to slice through clouds like I used to..."

"You could do that before? How did you slack off with such talent?"

"I was just copying my dad. I only made a tiny scratch on the cloud."

"That’s still impressive..."

However, no matter how well the students cooperate, there are always things they can't handle on their own.

That's when the teacher needs to step up and lead everyone.

"Alright, Haize. Stop standing around and tell us how to deal with that giant. You know, don’t you?"

"K-kgh... I won't tell..."

Haize, who shared a body with Orca, recoiled from me as if having a seizure.

Come on, why are you being like this? It’ll be hard to relay this information without you.

Of course, I know how to defeat that giant, having done it countless times, but if I explain it myself, it’ll look suspicious.

I’m already under enough suspicion as it is. If they suspect me even more, things could get really dangerous.

"It would feel pretty good, wouldn’t it?"

"Ugh."

"Now, imagine it. Being praised as the hero who eradicated the demon that had infiltrated the church for centuries, admired by all those in the church and Anastasia herself."

"S-stop it. Please..."

Did she just imagine the scene I described?

Orca—no, Haize—who was trying to stop me with a flushed face, was easily shaken off.

There was no strength in her grip. She really doesn’t want to help, but just a little more coaxing, and I think she'll give in.

"You’ll be hailed as the one who eradicated the demon that infiltrated the church for centuries. It’s sure to feel amazing... So, why not save everyone?"

"Fine! I'll do it! Just stop, please…!"

"...Who’s the real demon here?"

"Who knows."

As Haize trembled on the ground, she finally revealed the demon's weakness.

"That thing, from what I heard before, doesn't get any tougher just because it gets bigger."

"...And?"

"It means its attack power goes up, but its defense stays the same. And with a larger body, it has more places to hit. Just don't get hit, and keep striking. Eventually, you'll bring it down."

"Thank you. I knew we could count on you, Haize."

"Ugh... Don’t praise me!"

"Good, good."

I ruffled Haize's hair as she blushed deeply.

The contract I made with Haize was that she would feel the happiness a demon experiences from doing evil when she performs good deeds instead.

Naturally, if she does evil, she’ll feel an indescribable discomfort, so it’s in her best interest to help us.

But why did she feel such reluctance to help us?

Because the enemy in front of us was one of her kind.

Demons are a species universally shunned, so they maintain a strong bond with each other.

I could understand her reluctance to harm her fellow demon, even if she was acting like she didn’t want to help us...

But as they say, the body is more honest than words.

Since she’s bound by our contract to feel happiness from doing good, Haize must be feeling an overwhelming sense of joy right now.

"Alright then. Anastasia looks like she’s struggling. Let’s go help her out."

The clergy inside Anastasia’s barrier were trying their hardest to attack, but their efforts were in vain.

As the final boss of the church route, a demon who had been stripped of its weakness to holy power, it wouldn’t take much damage from their attacks.

There was a widely held suspicion that the developers added this backstory to the boss so that the game wouldn’t be too easy, given that a demon weak to holy power would be too simple to defeat.

...Anyway, the correct way to deal with this boss is to take it down with the strongest single blow.

However, given how the story has been fast-tracked and condensed, it’s impossible for anyone here to have grown strong enough to pull that off...

So we’ll have to resort to another method.

"I have a plan. Will you help me?"

The believers were so enraptured that they forgot they were in the middle of a battle.

...It was as if they were witnessing a miracle straight out of ancient scriptures.

Before ascending to the highest place, the holy one took on the sins of the people and became unable to act on his own.

Then, among those who fervently followed the divine, some volunteered to become the hands and feet of the holy one.

Those who became the eyes of the divine.

Those who became the ears of the divine.

Those who became the hands of the divine.

Those who became the feet of the divine.

Those who became the voice of the divine.

The ones who still carried the mantle of the divine, though their numbers had dwindled over time, were the guardians. They had heard of their existence, but it was the first time they witnessed their majesty.

"So beautiful..."

"Hey! What are you doing?! Your hands have stopped!"

"Y-yes! I’m sorry!"

It was such a magnificent sight that they felt as if they were participating in a mythological battle.

Everyone shared this sentiment, though not everyone was overwhelmed by the scene.

"...Damn it. Our attacks aren't working."

The high priest, who was directing the priests, broke out in a cold sweat.

He wasn’t worried about the papal palace, which seemed on the verge of collapse. A building can always be rebuilt.

The high priest was concerned not with the building, but with the people.

The demon hadn’t moved an inch, but several priests had already collapsed from overusing their holy power.

At this rate, they were all going to die.

The guardian was holding the line, but there was no telling how long that would last.

A quick glance around showed that even more priests had fallen unconscious.

He desperately wanted to defeat the demon who had mocked the church, but if this continued, defeat was inevitable.

...They would have to retreat.

Just as the high priest was thinking this, the demon staggered for the first time, struck by something flying at high speed.

"Damn... So close."

"Ah, a demon-possessed one...?! Quickly, all available priests—"

"Stop, there’s no need for that. We’re here to help, so just stay out of the way."

"What do you mean…?"

"Well, something like this."

Suddenly appearing from behind, the demon-possessed girl picked up a stone of suitable size from the ground, tossed it in the air a few times as if testing its weight, and then threw it hard.

"Argh!"

"Tsk, doesn’t seem to hurt at all... Hey, isn’t your friend exaggerating a bit?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. No matter how demonic they are, a sharp stone flying at high speed and piercing their skin is bound to hurt."

"Really?"

"Demons feel pain too, and they hate what they hate."

Whizz, whizz.

As if playing around, the demon-possessed girl continued to throw stones while talking to herself, completely ignoring the believers.

As if she had come here solely to defeat the demon.

"Who are you, really…?"

"Me? ...What was I supposed to say in situations like this again?"

"Can't remember? You're such an idiot."

"Ah, wait a sec. I remember now."

The demon-possessed girl, who was struggling to recall someone's words, finally answered with a clear voice.

"Oh, right. Just call me 'the Hand,' and you'll understand."

"...!"

The high priest stared blankly at the girl.

The divine had taught that even demons could be redeemed, but no one had ever believed it to be true.

It was simply considered a passage teaching the mercy of the divine.

But look now. The divine always reveals miracles that seem impossible, proving His existence.

He teaches foolish humans that nothing is impossible.

"Oh, Lord..."

"What’s with this guy? Why’s he acting like that?"

"That’s just how religious folks are. Let’s finish what we started."

The high priest fell into a state of reverent ecstasy.