The Princess of Darkness Declares Justice

Though it had long been suspected, concrete evidence remained scarce. In such a situation, had Leona simply denied it, she would, at most, have faced a whipping for assaulting a prison guard and a few years of exile. Yet, her confession at this very moment utterly astonished both Redfang Fortress and the Bishop.

“Leona, do you realize that by admitting to this shameless affair with that woman, you will face the same stoning as her?” the Bishop warned loudly.

“I know.”

“You could have escaped capital punishment. Why would you still confess?” the Bishop pressed.

“Because my sister and I truly love each other; there is nothing shameful about it! If I were to remain silent here, wouldn’t that mean admitting that our love is wrong?

“We seek no conflict with the world, only to love each other. We are not wrong! Even if my sister and I die today under this cruel and ignorant torture, it would only prove that the world itself is mistaken!” Leona’s frail body showed no trace of fear, her face radiating a sacred, resolute, yet serene expression as she spoke her truth.

“Nonsense! Leona Shalien, your words alone condemn you to death. However, considering you might have been swayed by that witch, I will give you one last chance. Are you willing to confess your sins and repent?

“If so, we might yet spare your life!” The Bishop pointed at Leona, issuing his final ultimatum.

“What meaning would life hold in a world without my sister?” Leona did not wait for the Bishop’s verdict. She turned and walked toward the sandy ground, likely chosen for the execution to facilitate cleaning the bloodstains.

Approaching Asta, Leona gazed with anguish at the blood seeping from beneath Asta’s mask.

“Sister, does it hurt?”

The Bishop watched the scene, pounding his chest and stamping his feet in disgust. He roared, “Stubborn fool! Leona, both your body and soul have succumbed to the witch’s influence! Begin the execution!”

A burly man stepped forward, placed a mask on Leona, and then retreated.

Though both wore black masks, they could still lean into each other and whisper softly.

“I’m sorry, Leona. It was my fault for bringing this upon you.”

“No, I was the one who first spoke to you, sister…

“Are you afraid?”

“…I am afraid.”

“Sister is afraid too… Ah!”

Finally, the first stone was thrown by a village ruffian. Asta let out a mournful cry.

“Sister! Mmph—” Leona also cried out, but the sound was muffled into a sob by her mask.

*Smack!* Two stones struck Leona in quick succession.

“Sister, I hurt so much. Sister, I don’t want to die…”

“Leona, Sister is so scared too. Sister doesn’t want to die either… but there’s nothing we can do. We have been abandoned by the gods.”

“Even the humans I protected, whom Sister healed, are now joining the ranks of our cruel executioners…”

“Don’t say it, Leona! We have been abandoned by this world!”

“We are not the ones who are wrong, it is this world—Ah! It hurts! Wuwuwu…”

Two, three, four… The villagers, like mindless automatons, hurled stones at the two wounded girls who clung to each other. The hard stones rained down upon them.

Just then, Leona suddenly shook her head frantically, revealing her bleeding lips from beneath the mask. She gasped for air and cried out to the heavens, “Coolie Lombane Aryan XVI, great Dungeon Overlord, I offer my soul to you. Please—save us—!”

*Buzz—*

A strange tremor reverberated, and the entire sky darkened.

Above, thick black clouds churned and rolled, obscuring the blue sky and blocking the sunlight. It was as if darkness itself had descended!

Two golden protective shields materialized around Asta and Leona, effortlessly deflecting all the stones.

A Level Five Paladin’s shield could not possibly be shaken by the crude stones of a mere mob. The stones rained down, yet they could not even stir a ripple on the protective barrier.

Hidden behind their masks, Asta and Leona could not see the outside world, but they felt the strange sensation around their bodies. They huddled together, bewildered.

“What is happening!?” Viscount Lombego immediately rose, both he and the Bishop staring in utter shock at the sky-darkening black clouds, then turning their incredulous gaze to the golden shields surrounding the two girls.

“Who? Who is it? Who is protecting them?” the Bishop cried out, looking frantically from side to side.

“Could it be… a god?” Viscount Lombego’s legs trembled as he stared at the apocalyptic sky.

“Ah hahahahahahaha.” From within the crowd, an arrogant girlish laugh rang out.

The villagers, startled by the sudden change in the sky, began to regain their senses and composure. Trembling, guilty, and flustered, they instinctively followed the sound of the laughter, then involuntarily parted to create a path, as if compelled by a primal fear.

I, clad in my usual novice witch attire, slowly emerged from the crowd, followed by a tall, black-clad swordswoman.

I gazed up at the sky and couldn’t help but smile. This was merely a common spell from my memories, yet I had never imagined its effect would be so dramatic upon release.

“You, who are you people?” the Bishop demanded angrily, though he certainly didn’t connect such a small girl with the sudden, world-altering dark thunderclouds.

However, I completely ignored the Bishop and the nobles, walking directly toward the two girls. With a wave of my hand, a black whirlwind conjured out of thin air on the open ground. This whirlwind disregarded the golden shields, blowing directly onto the two sisters, tearing their masks to shreds and carrying them away, yet causing no harm to their bodies.

The two girls regained their sight, looking up at the sky with a hint of bewilderment, then at the golden shields around their bodies. Finally, their gaze fell upon me and Faein, the two newly appeared women.

I stepped forward, my hands clasped behind my cloak, scanning Leona and Asta as if inspecting my own servants: “Mortal women, though demons are known for their untrustworthiness, I never deceive girls abandoned by the gods. Before I decide whether to save you, I must ask you a question: Do you believe in—the justice of darkness?”

Though Asta and Leona were unaware of the full situation, they sensed that the peculiar occurrences around them were connected to me. Asta gently kissed Leona’s forehead, then looked up and declared, “I am already a witch, a practitioner of dark magic that spreads chaos and tempts hearts. If the light is too intense and blinds the eye of justice, then I would rather grope in the darkness, even if I stumble and bleed. At least there, there is a certain truth! May my heart be steeped in darkness!”

“May my heart be steeped in darkness,” Leona echoed.

These words were the oath of human submission and worship to the dark world of the Dungeon.

“Mm.” I offered a cold smile, extending a slender, pale hand. “Then, representing the judgment of darkness, I declare you—innocent.”

“Hmph hmph hmph, mm hmph hmph hmph, ah hahahahahahaha!” I burst into laughter, hands on my hips, after delivering the solemn pronouncement.

“You scoundrel! Where did this unruly mad girl come from!” the Bishop roared, pointing at me. “How dare you cause such a clamor and mischief here! Which family do you belong to? Who is your father?”

Only then did I notice the Bishop. Gently smoothing the black hair from my forehead, my eyes glowed with a golden, ethereal light: “My father is the King of the Abyssal Demonic Realm, a being who has existed for billions of years, with a history far older than this continent! And I am Coolie Lombane Aryan XVI, Princess of the Dungeon!”