A thunderous roar—
Before they even clashed, a thunderous roar echoed from beyond the city walls, reverberating throughout the streets.
A scarlet aura spread across the sky, painting the heavens in a sinister hue.
Below, numerous demonic beasts cowered on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Witnessing this, Black Sun spread her arms wide.
A sickly smile twisted her lips, making her appear no different from a madwoman.
“Can you feel it? The demon has already engaged those heroes in battle.”
“Soon enough, I expect it will pulverize them into a bloody pulp, won’t it?”
“I hear the juniors you mentored are also on the front lines? What a pity.”
“Had you not appeared before me, perhaps you could have saved them. But now, your chance is gone.”
She sought to rattle Dorothy’s composure with these words, hoping to provoke a desperate mistake.
Yet, her words held a kernel of truth.
Her next move would be to ensnare the Silverbloom Sword Princess, allowing the demon to slaughter freely outside the city.
Every junior the Silverbloom Sword Princess cherished would perish by the demon’s hand!
Once she defeated the former strongest hero, she would drag her by her hair to the outskirts of Vidona.
There, she would personally identify each corpse of Dorothy’s juniors before her very eyes.
At that moment, the expression on Senior Silverbloom’s face would surely be a sight to behold, wouldn’t it?
The mere thought of it made her eager to witness that exquisite expression.
“No, there’s still a chance.”
Dorothy neither knew nor cared what Black Sun was thinking.
In her eyes, the girl before her was already a cold corpse.
“After all, dealing with a demon like you only requires a single move.”
Silver-white magic coalesced around her, transforming into delicate petals.
She clasped her hands before her chest and closed her eyes.
A breeze, seemingly from nowhere, stirred the petals around her, scattering them like seeds.
In an instant, the entire street was engulfed, transforming into an ocean of flowers.
Flames and thick smoke inexplicably vanished.
Everywhere the eye could see, silver-white blossoms unfurled.
The gloomy sky was pierced by sunlight, and blue skies with white clouds reappeared in the world.
Black Sun paid no mind to these changes.
Instead, she bristled with intense fury at the disdain in Dorothy’s words.
“Do you truly believe you are still the strongest hero of the past?”
“We are both Rank Seven, and I am certainly not weaker than you!”
A flicker of crimson light passed through her dark pupils.
Above her head, her demonic horns crackled with terrifying electricity, sparking ominously.
“The power of a demon will only lead you astray.”
“You court death!”
Dorothy’s calm words completely sent Black Sun into a frenzy.
The lightning from her demonic horns surged into her mouth.
With a slight parting of her lips, she unleashed that bolt of lightning directly at Dorothy!
Though the onlookers couldn’t precisely gauge the lightning’s power, their instinctive dread spoke volumes.
This was a Rank Seven spell Black Sun had gained after becoming a demon, its terrifying might, hailing from Satan’s hell, capable of effortlessly flattening Vidona!
Yet, just as she anticipated seeing the lightning pierce the Silverbloom’s abdomen, the ocean of flowers she had ignored suddenly began to sway, as if stirred by a gentle breeze.
Immediately after, she watched as the thick red lightning bolt grew increasingly slender, until it completely dissipated just before reaching the Silverbloom.
“…What is this?”
In bewilderment, she touched the flower sea beside her.
She discovered that her internal magic was inexplicably draining away at an accelerated pace.
Concurrently, the blossoms grew even more vibrant and alluring.
‘They’re devouring my magic?!’
The moment this thought flashed through her mind, she heard Dorothy softly utter from ahead: “Forbidden Spell: Floral Entombment.”
Dorothy opened her eyes, her hands spread flat before her chest.
Above her palms, a crystalline white flower hovered.
For some reason, Black Sun felt as though her very life was intrinsically linked to that white flower.
Before she could ponder it further, Dorothy smiled at her and softly said: “Perish with the flower.”
As the words fell, the delicate white flower visibly began to wither, its petals turning a sickly yellow.
Simultaneously, Black Sun’s legs gave out, and her vision started to dim.
Understanding dawned upon her, and she instantly accelerated, lunging towards Dorothy.
She desperately tried to snatch the white flower from her grasp.
However, the surrounding blossoms swarmed, engulfing her within the flower sea.
Her magic was absorbed completely in the blink of an eye, leaving the flower petals vibrant and glistening.
Black Sun collapsed helplessly amidst the blossoms, her previous arrogance replaced by desperation.
She pleaded with all her remaining strength:
“No! Please, no! I was wrong! I was wrong! Senior Silverbloom, don’t kill me!”
“I—I was forced! The demon made me do it!”
“I’m your junior! Don’t seniors cherish their juniors? How—how can you bear to watch me die?!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and combined with her frail voice, she appeared utterly pathetic.
Although the white flower continued to wither, as if fearing Dorothy might relent, the people hiding in the shelters emerged.
“We all heard it,” one called out. “Are you Lady Silverbloom Sword Princess? The strongest hero from over twenty years ago?”
Facing the inquiry about her identity, Dorothy cradled the flower.
After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.
Upon receiving her affirmative answer, the crowd suddenly erupted.
They exchanged glances, each seeing profound excitement reflected in the other’s eyes.
Beyond the younger generation, everyone had heard her legends.
Many had even grown up listening to tales of her exploits.
When they first learned she had been captured in the Demon King’s city while protecting her comrades, they had been filled with endless regret.
They had never imagined they would one day meet her again.
Now, however, they found her in her own hometown.
The fear of the beast tide in their hearts vanished with her appearance.
With her here, what significance did these beast tides hold?
However, rumors spoke of the Silverbloom Sword Princess’s gentle nature and soft heart.
They worried she might spare the demon due to its pathetic display, so they spoke up to warn her:
“Lady, you cannot let her go! She is a demon; this is merely a facade!”
“Yes, I know,” Dorothy replied. “Those who consort with demons deserve no pity.”
Hearing this, Dorothy nodded again.
Having been a hero for so many years, how could she not know that a demon’s words were untrustworthy?
Her gentleness and soft heart were never extended to her enemies.
The white flower completely withered in her palm, its yellowed petals carried away by the wind.
Within the sea of flowers, Black Sun closed her eyes, her life force on the verge of fading entirely.
In her final moments, she dropped all pretense.
“You… will soon… come to join me…”
She cursed with venom, her pure black eyes devoid of any remorse.
The white flower sea silently dispersed the moment she died.
Flames, thick smoke, and thunderous roars once again filled the city, which had moments ago been serene and beautiful.
Everywhere, scattered limbs and blood spoke of hellish terror.
The demonic beasts in the sky still lingered, yet the onlookers no longer felt fear.
Their gazes burned with admiration as they focused on the hero at the center of the crowd.
Her distinctive silver-white hair cascaded to her chest, and a warm smile graced her gentle face.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, softly bathing her form.
Her fair skin glowed with a gentle luster, making her appear as pure and beautiful as a flower.
Twenty years had passed, yet she seemed not to have changed a single bit.