Chapter 65: Paradise Lost

“Saint…?!”

I thought the Demon King’s castle was strong enough to withstand the Goddess Kas’uan. So why…?

“Warding won’t work on me since I’m a part of the Goddess Kas’uan.”

Saint chuckled joyfully, brandishing a whip made of light.

“Ouch!”

The whip lashes out at me.

The Saint who has taken in another person known as the Goddess Kas’uan must have practically the same power as the Shrine Maiden. Otherwise, the Saint would be unable to harm me as a human being.

What became of Garen? Garen was meant to be my knight, keeping an eye on my room.

]

“Garen…”

“Oh, if you’re talking about the prince, I killed him.”

“It’s too troublesome if time rewinds again—too bad he’s handsome that if he’d married me, I’d have let him live…”

Saint’s expression was as innocent as ever, as if nothing had happened.

Garen’s dead?

“No…”

Garen swore to protect me this time. He would never leave me here to die.

The Saint approaches slowly.

I edged back with Sarah, but now I’ve hit the wall. There’s nowhere to escape.

“Mika-sama…!”

Sarah is bloodied, yet she rushes forward to defend me.

“Sarah, run away. I know you only want me. Then don’t do anything to Sarah.”

“…That’s all right—run away, woman there.”

The Saint raised her chin to the door.

“But Mika-sama!”

Sarah refuses to run away, so I hand sign her behind her back,

[Tell The Demon King that the Saint has appeared.]

I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to use the finger alphabet when Miss Sally taught it to me, but evidently I did. I’m relieved I did.

Sarah gives me a nod before exiting the room.

“It’s good to finally have you to myself—I’ve missed you, evil apostle… no, you’re no longer an apostle because you’ve lost your powers.”

The Saint approached me, beaming brightly. She grabs my hair and forces me to look at her.

“…This is your punishment for what you did to my Goddess—you will suffer and die.”

My hair was roughly released after she said what she wanted to say, and I was flung to the ground.

──?

Something moves at the rim of my vision. So the Saint doesn’t notice; I only move my eyes. Near the door, a familiar blue-haired figure crawls. ──Garen. He’s still alive.

Thank you, God. I exhaled a sigh of relief as my gaze met his golden eyes. Garen trembles and raises his torso, moving only his lips.

Mica, I’ll urn..time

Mika, I’ll go back in time…? No! If Garen turns back time a second time, I’m not sure what the price will be.

“No, Garen!”

“You can’t possibly still be alive──.”

Before Saint can turn around, everything turns white.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was in the forest.