Strongest vs. Strongest
Lily’s palm trembled. She gently clasped the blue gemstone at her chest—the “sacred relic” that had sealed away her holy power for so long.
In that moment, a faint light overflowed from within the gem. Lily herself could feel it: the weakened power of the Saintess quietly, but unmistakably, returning. The light swelled in her hand, beginning to fill the space around her with a white radiance.
What Himari and the children behind her saw was no longer that fragile glow from before, but a pure white light that seemed capable of tearing open the heavens.
From above, dazzling light poured down like a waterfall, and power surged into her all at once.
"… This ends now."
Her voice was graceful and calm, yet carried a strength that echoed through the entire city.
The jester paused for a moment, faintly furrowing his brows. But he did not break composure, staring coolly at Lily.
"Interference with souls, salvation… to accomplish that in a human body… No, you are no longer human. A Demigod… Your power already lies in that realm, Saintess-sama. I am truly impressed."
Lily did not move an inch, simply standing as she was, wrapped in light. She could feel the souls released from the gemstone rising toward the heavens—tiny particles of light swirling through the air, blending with the streetlamps’ glow as they were drawn into the sky.
The jester lightly pressed down his hat and stepped forward with elegance.
"However… this does not mean you can bind my hands. Saintess-sama, have you become intoxicated by your own power?"
His tone remained calm, his movements refined, showing no sign of panic, but within his gaze a clear hint of urgency flickered.
Yet he had to speak. He could not afford to show weakness here.
"I will have you know, I am still the strongest of Soleil. I have no intention of losing."
"Soleil… the rumored cult of the evil god, is it"
Lily did not step back in the slightest and spread her arms wide. Light spread across the street, pushing shadows away from around the jester. Standing before the small children, Lily’s posture was firm and unwavering.
"… If you wish to stop me, then face me honorably."
Her words carried neither mercy nor compromise. To protect the children, she would not yield.
The jester lifted his hat slightly, placed one hand over his chest, and bowed.
"Very well, Saintess-sama. As your partner for this delightful stage dance, I shall face you honorably"
The next moment, the jester silently but decisively closed the distance. His footsteps were soft, smooth like the wind. Then, with perfect form, he unleashed an attack.
A slash through the air, leaving no presence or warning.
That single strike carried far more power than anything before.
Lily did not retreat even a single step. She pushed the light in her palm forward.
A thin veil-like barrier rippled outward, repelling the jester. It was a completely different kind of barrier compared to earlier.
Released from the gemstone, Lily’s entire body was filled with holy light.
And that light continued to swell.
The jester twisted his body to avoid the spreading radiance, retreating without breaking form, though a faint crease appeared between his brows.
Lily focused the light into one point. Of course, she could have simply expanded it and purged everything around her, but she did not. That would be too slow.
To fight honorably meant a one-on-one battle that would not drag others into it. Even if his allies were present, she had no idea what they would do once the jester was dealt with. She also considered the possibility of civilians being used as hostages.
She had promised to fight honorably, but Lily was not foolish enough to believe it blindly.
A beam of focused light shot forth, tearing up the ground as it raced toward the jester.
He narrowly avoided it with an instantaneous sideways shift. The air in the street tightened; no trace of passersby remained. The glass windows of the buildings reflected the light, trembling faintly.
The jester glanced back without losing posture, a thin smile beneath his hat. Showing his back was a bluff meant to appear confident, but for the first time, uncertainty leaked into his eyes—something he could not calculate.
"Everyone, close your eyes!!"
She called out behind her, and without missing the moment, Lily unleashed her power.
Like a massive explosion, the light shone like the sun.
Every trace of evil in the city vanished in an instant.
The jester saw it—and disappeared completely from within the city.
Lily gently held the gemstone at her chest again and let out a quiet breath. Behind her, Himari and the children opened their eyes, nodding in relief and showing faint smiles.
The afterglow of the light still lingered in the streets. The white brilliance slowly sank and melted into the darkness, but the children’s safety and the release of the Saintess’s soul had undoubtedly been achieved.
Lily smiled softly. But her task was not yet finished.
"… Alright, everyone, quickly, back to the orphanage!"
□
The moment he saw the light, the jester instinctively retreated, vanishing as if floating into the air before it touched him. He had instantly transferred his body away, escaping.
Shock rippled through his heart. Normally, he acted with perfect calculation and composure, but for the first time, agitation spread within him.
"… To think she possessed power of that magnitude…"
The shadow of his hat hid his expression, but his fingertips trembled slightly, and his usual elegant motions wavered.
Witnessing that explosive light, he had sensed death.
He had sworn loyalty to the true god, founded an organization called Soleil to worship that deity, received blessings, and gained the power to slay dragons alone.
But none of it mattered. Everything was beyond calculation. He had crafted strategies for this purpose countless times, yet her overwhelming holy power surpassed every expectation.
Sealing the Saintess with holy power had been a good plan, but that method would no longer work.
And now he understood: she was no longer someone to confront head-on—no, she was not someone to confront at all. She had long surpassed the realm of a Saintess. He had called her Demigod, but that was a lie.
She was, without question, a God of Light.
For someone like him, merely approaching her—merely seeing her—was poison.
His direct attack had been blocked by her barrier, but if he had touched that light, he would have died instantly.
If any of the other executives had touched that barrier, they would have been incapacitated on the spot. He realized this as he looked at his fingers, partially dissolved by the light.
If this much damage came from the barrier alone, how terrifying was she?
The sacred relic had been an expensive lesson. That was the only way to view it.
"… Tch… I failed to foresee this. To think the Saintess at the summit possessed such power…"
He muttered, with no room left for elegance.
As Lily’s lingering light remained in the city, the jester, watching from afar, vanished once more—returning to the shadows, forced to wait for the next opportunity.
By then, a brilliant sun had already begun to rise.
What do you think about this chapter?
