Family heirloom, then turned into a demon girl

Chapter 61 Mission: 09-2 Sacrifice (Seeking follow-up reading)

Using the Yama Blade to open a portal that could span space was not easy for Nero. Not only was it her first attempt, but also because Nero did not know how to locate space over long distances.

The latter was exactly why she had never tried it before.

Fortunately, with the help of the projected image, she managed to succeed.

Nero looked at the girl in his arms after landing and found that Beatrice had fainted. He didn't know if it was because of shock.

The moment Nero appeared, the townspeople recognized her as the "angel" with dazzling silver hair and eyes who had rained down countless flaming swords from the sky the day before. For a moment, they dared not move a muscle against her. However, they treated the "witches" who had fallen into the crowd with no such favor. They seized the broken noose and dragged them around, some already with blades drawn, as if ready to deliver their "justice."

"Stop it all!"

Nero once again tried to threaten them with his phantom sword, but this only intensified their ferocity. Seeing the demonic energy swirling around the townspeople and the red light flashing in their eyes, Nero knew that his gentle tactics were no longer effective against them.

If we continue to provoke these townspeople, they might even be transformed into real demons by the aroused evil spirit.

How to do?
Nero looked at the lord on the platform, but the lord was even more severely corroded by the demonic energy. If Georgos were to judge, she would say that this lord, who was high and mighty, without faith and trusting others, was precisely the person most suitable for being transformed by the demonic energy.

But no matter what, just to maintain his rule, he actually hanged his own daughter.

Nero's gaze met the lord's, and the deep chill in his eyes sent a chill down his spine. That wasn't the look one would give one's own flesh and blood, their savior. His gaze held hostility, contempt, and fear. It was as if Nero and Beatrice were his sworn enemies.

The lord wasn't good enough, and the priest was even more demonic. Nero finally understood that the townspeople's riot and their demand for the witch trial were aided and abetted by these two men. From the very beginning, these two had intended to drive away Ritsuka and his group, setting off this ugly revelry.

Do you want to take action? Kill them here?
This was the only way Nero could think of to save those innocent women. But they were innocent, and so were the townspeople who had been corrupted by the demonic energy? Was killing an innocent person to save another innocent person truly the right thing to do?

Nero only had two hands, so saving everyone and escaping Ratvinci was impossible. This would mean allowing the crime to happen in the present moment in order to save more. Could she accept such an outcome?
There is no time to hesitate. Time waits for no one.

Nero gritted his teeth and decided to take Beatrice with him first, prioritizing the safety of the youngest girl. The rest of them would just have to do their best to rescue her, depending on the situation.

At this moment, a loud shout came from the outskirts of the crowd.

"Stop your violence!"

Nero instantly recognized the voice. It was Giorgos, dragging her half-broken body to the scene of the execution.

This stern shout actually managed to temporarily intimidate the others, causing them to turn and look behind them. Nero, holding Beatrice, dodged to her side and said, "Giorgios..."

"No need to say more." She used her remaining hand to stop Nero. "I understand the situation. Let this broken body play its final role and completely resolve your worries."

This made Nero startled: "You——"

She understood what he meant. Georgos was ready to die here, ready to sacrifice the body he had received as a Servant.

Before the two could exchange three words, the crowd erupted in excitement. The shrill cries were drowned out by the frenzy, and blades were raised high, ready to splatter blood.

"Silence!" Georgos roared again, unable to believe her broken body could still emit such a high-pitched roar. She unsheathed her sword with her right hand and stood solemnly before the crowd, like an immovable mountain: "This is before the eyes of God!"

Then, she turned back to Nero and, taking advantage of the silence in the crowd, left a final message: "Tell the Master: Be careful of Mephisto—be careful of the 'Lightless One'! It is now night, and the 'Seventh Sun' has set! It has deceived us all!"

Before Nero could be shocked by the explosive news, he saw Georgos swinging the holy sword and cutting off his head without hesitation.

Her pale face kissed the ground, her lips stained brightly by the gushing blood. However, the headless body did not fall. The wound on her neck gushed out crimson water like a fountain of blood, staining the holy armor of Georgos and the ground beneath her feet red.

Before the stunned crowd, blood continued to spread along the ground, and four arms stretched out—

It was a bright red blood cross.

Nero finally understood the significance of "making this broken body serve its final purpose." Unleashing Georgos's Noble Phantasm required the earth to be stained red with blood beforehand, and here, without demons or enemies, the blood she could choose...

Only herself.

"This is the land of faith and righteousness. From now on, those who believe in righteousness will find their place, those who believe in the Lord will find life, and those who believe in goodness will be protected by God forever!"

Georgos's voice echoed from the void, completing the final release of his Noble Phantasm.

"Take the oath, in the presence of God."

Finally, Georgos's body, drained of blood, collapsed to the ground. The holy sword "Ascalon" in her hand fell to the ground and sank straight into the center of the pool of blood.

"Ascalon, I swear by the bloody cross."

The final voice of the heroic spirit drifted away in the midday sun.

Then, pure white holy light rose from the earth, suppressing the sun's radiance. The dark demonic energy retreated beneath this holy light, dissipating completely. The lord and the priest, the two most deeply affected, were also reduced to ash by this pure holy light.

The other townspeople were unharmed.

When Nero, having escaped the range of his Noble Phantasm, looked back, he saw an endless radiance enveloping half the town. Freed from the demonic influence, the townspeople slept in the center of the light barrier, surrounding the blood-soaked holy sword. Georgos was no longer visible beside the sword.

The town is safe.

Only then did Nero realize that he was still holding the unconscious Beatrice, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

She nodded slightly, saluted the holy sword, then turned and walked towards Ritsuka and the others.

　The final intel is in! After the reunion, it's time for the final battle! Please try to follow along! This is really important to me!

　　Thanks also to everyone for their comments and votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)