“What is she doing!?”

 

Lilya was stunned. In the short time she had prepared for battle, she had considered countless ways the enemy might attack, but this direct self-sacrifice was beyond her comprehension!

 

Even if the mission failed, there was no need to take such drastic measures…

 

“No, she didn’t die, she’s summoning something in a state of ‘death.’ This is bad.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Miss Flora, with her more extensive experience compared to the sheltered princess, quickly realized what Mevis was doing after a brief moment of confusion.

 

To be honest, when Flora was traveling the world on adventures in the past, she had seen some demons and evil spirits summoned using blood sacrifices and offerings. 

 

However, the “spirit” that the little fox was summoning was far more terrifying than any enemies she had encountered. If she had to draw a comparison, she could only think of that priestess with long black hair who always had a carefree demeanor.

 

Both were beings that transcended human boundaries, making it difficult for Flora to discern their true limits.

 

“Don’t let her complete the summoning, Lilya, move aside!”

 

The girl nocked an arrow, and a fiery crimson strike was unleashed, aimed directly at Mevis, who was teetering on the brink of death yet radiating a terrifying aura of silence and death. Because of her deeper understanding of the Scarlet Lotus Six Forms, the power of this crimson flame attack had been significantly enhanced.

 

Physical prowess didn’t represent a person’s entire strength, and Flora was confident that even in her current state of full dedication, she could contend with someone legendary or even beyond.

 

But the scene before her still caused her pupils to contract.

 

The opponent had done nothing, and the fiery crimson flame with powerful destructive power had inexplicably withered in front of the young fox girl.

 

No, it was the arrow made of special metal that, just before hitting the target, was granted with “death.”

 

Absolute death, this was… a law, a true law.

 

“Pseudo god…”

 

Miss Flora’s voice trembled.

 

Above the heavens, there were gods, and the power of gods was infinite.

 

However, gods rarely intervened in worldly matters, and the most powerful beings on Earth—the mythical creatures—could reach a limit that was considered second only to gods.

 

With mortal strength, they were nearly on par with the divine, touching the laws, they were known as pseudo gods.

 

Even Miss Flora had only heard about them before and had never seen a true pseudo god.

 

This level of power, apart from the mythical creatures that had disappeared from the world, usually required the sacrifice of entire cities to possibly bring it back.

 

Why could a young fox at the legendary level summon power that spanned two major tiers? Even if she did sacrifice her life, it shouldn’t be nearly enough!

 

Easily erasing Flora’s attack, the radiance of the spirit descended from the heavens and merged into the fox priestess’s body, covering everything with a black tide that swelled and expanded.

 

And then, the spirit called 【Death Omen Star】 had descended to the mortal realm.

 

It was a massive black sphere, mist-like, with no signs of dispersion. It seemed like a living entity, yet it drifted without any order, lacking hands and feet. It resembled a black sun with a closed eye in the center, towering over ten meters in height and width, floating more than ten meters above the ground.

 

Like the pupil of a god, gazing down upon the mortal world.

 

Mevis had disappeared, perhaps as a cost of the summoning, becoming a part of the Omen Star, or perhaps she was temporarily hidden within it. At least Lilya and Flora couldn’t be certain.

 

“This… is really troublesome now.”

 

Despite countless perplexities in her mind, the only thing Flora could do was nock another arrow and take aim at the divine entity in the sky.

 

Although it was her first time confronting a pseudo god-level being, the 【Scarlet Lotus Fourth Form: Flowing Light】 she had just comprehended had reached a divine level in its own right. It might cause some damage to the entity. After all, the Scarlet Lotus Archery was a skill created by real gods, surpassing the pseudo god level in terms of mastery.

 

Her palms were slightly sweaty, and merely staring at the core of the black eyeball made Flora feel a cold sweat, and her entire body stood on end. To be honest, she had no confidence in withstanding any attack from the entity.

 

“Flora, I’ll create an opportunity for you. Unless something unexpected happens, I should be able to block at least one attack from the entity.”

 

A slender figure suddenly stood in front of Miss Scarlet Flame, even though there was still blood flowing from many wounds. However, the blue-haired princess’s back remained straight.

 

“Tsk, don’t say foolish things. You can’t possibly block a single move, that’s a pseudo god… Listen, once I release this arrow, run immediately. No matter what happens, do not look back.”

 

“…”

 

Lilya didn’t move. She clenched a small box hanging from her chest with her left hand and, in an angle unseen by Flora, managed a faint smile.

 

“Trust me, it should be survivable just once.”

 

“You…”

 

Flora was about to speak, but the omen of death had already descended. The entity known as the 【Death Omen Star】 would not give them time to argue. At this moment, the formed black sphere opened its enormous eye in the center, and a pitch-black death light shot out.

 

“What the…?!”

 

Flora was about to release the bowstring to confront it with 【Flowing Light】, but at that very moment, her gaze involuntarily locked onto the eye formed purely from death in the sky. An infinite moment of fear overwhelmed her, and her body, driven by a force she couldn’t control, became rigid.

 

This was the ability of the fox earlier, right? How could it still work like this?!

 

This is… no divine power to counter it. With only her physical body to take this attack, two words remained in Flora’s mind.

 

Certain death.

 

“Flora!”

 

Noticing the unusual condition of her companion, Lilya exclaimed in shock and, with a backward motion, hugged the red-haired archer, shielding her with her own body.

 

Boom…

 

The beam representing death consumed the two young girls.

 

However, the small box tightly clutched by the princess did not emit the expected light.

 

After a while, Lilya staggered up from the ground, looking completely puzzled.

 

“Huh? What’s going on? This is different from what Violet said. It was supposed to be lethal… Wait, why am I not dead?!”

 

“…Are you saying that as if being alive is a problem? You silly apprentice.”

 

Amidst the dust, a familiar voice sounded in her ears.

 

Lilya’s mood went from confusion and fear to infinite relief in an instant.

 

“Sister Violet!”

 

“Hehe, I got a little delayed, it seems I came back just in time.”

 

The priestess with white wings gracefully twirled her priest staff, standing tall like a city wall. She waved her two-person-tall, wide, golden shield to dismiss the dust, then looked up and down at the seemingly battered princess, smiling without a hint of nervousness.

 

“Heh, how did you end up getting beaten so badly? Did you puff up? Did you pick a fight with a legendary?”

 

“Hehe…”

 

“Never mind, high-speed healing.”

 

She raised her hand and a beam of light spread over Lilya. The horrifying wounds on her body immediately began to rapidly shrink and heal, scars fading away, leaving fresh, unblemished skin.

 

Although the nearly blood-red armor couldn’t be immediately restored, the princess, who had previously fallen into a state of unconsciousness and severe injury like an ordinary person, was completely healed within a dozen seconds.

 

“Oh, wow! You’re amazing, Violet! Thank you!”

 

Lilya immediately gave a thumbs-up, just as she was about to say something to Violet and to Miss Flora, who had been knocked to the ground but had just risen.

 

In the sky, the pseudo god named 【Death Omen Star】 made its first sound.

 

“So, is this your method of avoiding ‘certain death’? Indeed, even like this, I can’t kill you. So, who are you?”

 

The voice of the black sphere sounded somewhat like Mevis, but it had become much deeper and more resonant, as if a person were speaking through a megaphone inside a large box.

 

Although it was just a closed-eye sphere, Violet could sense that it had turned its attention in their direction.

 

She was a bit annoyed.

 

“Tsk, why is it that every time I encounter something bizarre, I’m forced to introduce myself first? Can’t you at least show some manners?!”

 

She had been through similar scenes quite a few times recently, and even the good-natured priestess was getting fed up with it.

 

It seemed that her previous effortless blocking of the death beam had earned the entity’s approval, as it had actually opened its mouth.

 

“I am called Mevis, also known as the Spirit of Death, the Omen Star, the controller of ‘death.’ The 【Death Omen Star】 is just a spirit, with no concept of self. It has temporarily gained a concrete form and will through the summoning of this vessel. It is nothing significant.”

 

“I see… Lilya, Flora, you two should leave here first.”

 

Violet understood and waved to the two girls behind her.

 

“Sister Violet? You’re not…?”

 

The princess was suddenly shocked, showing hesitation.

 

“Haha… don’t misunderstand. I value my life, and I won’t do anything foolish like sacrificing myself to stop the enemy and let my companions escape. It’s just that this guy seems to have a few tricks up its sleeve. I might use some higher-level powers next, and you two are too weak to endure even as spectators. Do you understand?”

 

High-level magic carries a tremendous influx of information. Even those weaker, merely witnessing it, can suffer significant damage, just like the illusions brought by 【Blessing from the Skies】.

 

Lilya and her current level are far inferior to 9th and 10th-level magic, but that big eyeball isn’t bad at all.

 

“…Alright, I understand. So, I will go with Flora to organize the troops and lead them to retreat towards the near Lake area to evade the pursuit of the beastmen. If Sister Violet finishes your side, you can catch up with us. Please don’t push yourself too hard, prioritize your own safety….”

 

Violet didn’t continue speaking, just nodded with her back to the two girls. Lilya no longer hesitated and quickly left the place with Flower.

 

After confirming that unrelated parties had indeed moved far away,

 

For the first time, the priestess firmly gripped the base of her staff and assumed a posture ready to cast a spell, her face filled with excitement.

 

“Alright… let me test your skill, huh? Hey, don’t disappoint me too much!”