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Chapter 161: Heavens’ Judgement
🕑 Added 2023-09-30 22:00:02 +0000 UTCThere was an appreciable professionalism to the way Coppelia swung her scythe against the sister’s neck.
Though she could twirl like a ballerina and dance like an acrobat, few things were more elegant than a loyal handmaiden displaying the art of simple competence. That applied when they poured tea, attended to my hair or pretended not to notice my loose socks strewn across my floor.
And it also applied when ruthlessly dispatching enemies too.
Without allowing the sister to react, nor dwell upon the fact that her holy barrier had been stripped by the very moonlight, Coppelia’s scythe met the sister’s neck with enough force to cleanly achieve the business of ending Stermondt’s woes.
A curious thing, then.
Because as the blade bit deeply into the sister’s neck, it failed to cut through. And certainly not through lack of effort.
As I looked on at the sight of a scythe embedded in a sister’s neck, I saw also Coppelia’s hand slightly quivering as she fought to press her weapon through.
Yet more than the lack of a head rolling on the floor, I noted also the lack of blood.
Within the gash made by the scythe, there was no sign of leaking scarlet.
Instead, there was simply … nothing.
Nothing except the faintest dribble of golden liquid, as indiscernible as the sap from the golden trees of the Wovencoille. And likely possessing as much magic.
Coppelia blinked, her smile turning curious as she leaned around to gaze at the side of the sister’s neck where her blade was embedded.
“Hmmmm. This is new.”
The sister returned the smile.
She didn’t even appear mildly inconvenienced as she glanced down at the shadowy weapon making an indentation in her skin.
“A malevolent weapon,” she said lightly, eyeing the blade digging into her. “And utterly ridiculous in design. There’s a reason why soldiers don’t use scythes.”
“Mmh~ because they’re not cool like I am.”
The sister paused.
“Yet as ridiculous as it is, no shadows can harm me,” she said, ignoring Coppelia’s statement, if not her weapon. “Because I am light itself.”
Suddenly, the sister reached out and grabbed the head of the scythe.
Wrapping her hands around the blade as though it were a bolt of wool, she wrenched it from her neck. A thin line of amber liquid was left in its place. It disappeared a heartbeat later, the wound sealing as though drenched in the finest of healing draughts
“Oh.” Coppelia nodded. “That’s also new.”
Golden light gathered in the sister’s hands, clasped against Coppelia’s weapon.
“[Radiant Nova].”
“That’s not, though. Seriously, that’s never going to–”
Bwooomph.
A blast of holy magic struck Coppelia.
Or at least, where she had been.
Instead, her figure even had time to do a little twist in the air as she leapt to the ceiling beams, her scythe safely in her hands and a smile upon her face.
The casualness … the blitheness of the attack.
I was utterly appalled.
“You!” I said, pointing squarely at the errant sister. “You’ve just shown you can accept a scythe to the neck! You cannot follow something so outrageous with a mundane spell you’ve already used to no effect several times! Such lack of creativity is an utter waste of a showpiece ability!”
To my utter gall, the sister only laughed.
She raised her hands as she turned to me, before clasping them together in prayer. Uselessly, of course. Because no matter how much she prayed, I wouldn’t save her here.
“My armour of faith is not my showpiece ability. And you can no longer use the shadows to hide within.”
Suddenly, it was as though a swarm of fireflies had been awoken from their nest.
Specks of light gathered from each corner of the broken chapel. The flames that had consumed the furnishings were snuffed out, their embers absorbed by the sister’s clasped hands as she offered a prayer to whichever deity would answer.
A moment later, her entire figure was encased in a vibrant, golden hue.
The gathered aura was tangible. It bristled and twisted. A light to match the sun itself as every pore of her skin became a vessel of radiance.
I was horrified.
Why, I worked hard to ensure the mesmerising shine of my skin was maintained! A lifetime of having everything I desired meant I had to live a life of strict hardship!
All too often did I hear of princesses from foreign lands who lost themselves to their pampering, appearing more like toads than idolised beauties of the realm. Few knew of my struggles as a wealthy member of royalty fighting the tides of excess!
And here was a mere sister, abusing whatever radiance her professional begging gifted even as I so cruelly worked for mine!
I instantly peered closer, wincing as I did so.
Ugh. Her skin truly was practically glowing. Never in my life did I think I would ever compliment a commoner on her complexion. A dark day, even as everything was made brighter.
Still, there were obvious demerits.
Despite being unable to spy a single blemish, the off-balance in skin tone clearly spoke of a highly uneven diet. Eating a thousand golden specks of light was likely to show itself at some point. Skin routine couldn’t be cheated. And even royalty could not escape the consequences to follow.
“Hup.”
Hopping down beside me, Coppelia gave an unnecessary twirl of her scythe before resting it upon her shoulder. She let out a whistle as she examined the ever luminous sister.
“Half the visitors to the library would murder to see this. I’m pretty sure she’s been infused with light. And that’s before this praying thing. That’s just extra varnish.”
“I see. And what does being infused with light entail?”
“Real forbidden magic. The extra special kind. That library book is in a section all to itself. You don’t need a pinch of necromancy and a dash of fire to create something truly calamitous. This is amazing!”
“Well, whatever it is, this is highly unwanted. I do not appreciate being upstaged in radiance to a commoner. How do we stop this?”
“The light? You can’t. That’s why it’s forbidden magic.”
“Aptly so, then. Using sisters as human candles is deplorable. This would ruin every dinner ambience imaginable. The light doesn’t even appear adjustable.”
Coppelia giggled. I was envious that she could. I only reacted to the thought with horror.
“Sure, but it’s still amazing. It has to be if you can’t chop off their heads anymore. Most forbidden spells are an amalgamation of the worst of different schools combined, but this one goes in the opposite direction! It’s pure, undiluted holy magic in its rawest form. And it’s been totally stuffed inside her!”
“I take it there are consequences of using this forbidden magic?”
“Eventually. But not now, I think. Nothing we can use, at least. Isn’t that great?”
Her cheerful query was answered by a groan by the window.
A vampire whose face was a mixture of tiredness and regret shielded her arms against her eyes as she peeked at the sister’s radiant form. Then, she sent an ushering glance towards us.
“You must flee at once,” said Countess Miriam. “As I have said, her light is too strong. You cannot defeat her through conventional means.”
I noted the sincerity in her voice.
And yet even so, I could not turn.
A noblewoman could. Even a vampire. But a princess could only ever stride forwards, no matter how dark the chasm or searing bright the horizon.
Hence why I stood firm, not only against the sister’s smile as it curled even amidst the burning light. But also at the customary gloat which even newly risen barons would doubtless shudder at.
“I must thank you,” said the sister, her voice different, richer, darker. “Were it not for your arrival, this chapel wouldn’t have fallen into such complete disrepair that it is beyond salvage, and therefore also my continued presence. Sadly, my initial suspicions are confirmed. Only a complete rebuild can allow the Holy Church to prosper here again. I’ll be sure to give a thorough report when I return.”
The sister released her hands.
And then–
“[Illuminating Dawn].”
All the shadows departed.
It was pure radiance, sweeping across the chapel. Not as a gentle wave. But an undiscriminating, brutal, endless wall, filling up each crevasse like sand in a river.
A burning luminosity. It was a force of pure light made manifest, so severe that all the darkness fled before its coming.
There was no warmth to it, just as there was none in this sister.
Yet even so, I knew that should it reach me, the effects would be no less than were the sun itself to bear down upon me.
A problem.
… But not for me!
Ohhohohohohohohohoohoohohohohohohoho!
There were many similarities I shared with the flowers of my orchard. Beauty. Delicateness. Innocence. And also a simple fondness for natural daylight.
And yet there was such a thing as too much.
Indeed, even now, I saw in my nightmares the wilted pink leaves of my fragile wax begonias, burning beneath the harsh glare of my kingdom’s unrelenting summers and the temperament of our spring highs.
How often had I peered from the vast height of my bedroom window in my sleep, only to see memories of my precious work withering to the root?
No. I could not allow my orchard to suffer.
And neither could I allow myself.
That’s why–
I stepped forward, towards the holy radiance, Starlight Grace in hand.
“May you find solace in the light, so that you may use it in the soap mines. Shadows come amidst yesterday’s dew, trailing the dancing dawn … Gardening Form, 4th Stance. [Summer Sun Parasol]!”
And then I twirled my sword.
The light struck it at once … and it was utterly repulsed.
Ohhohohohohohohohoho!
Here it was!
By spinning my sword like a baton at just the right speed, I could draw the shape of a classical parasol! Where there was emptiness, there was now an emergency sunscreen fit to defend even an entire row of wilting lilacs until the first dashing servants could arrive!
And were this my orchard, this would be all that’s required.
A temporary solution as I waited for the tarps to be erected.
But I had no intention of waiting out this sister’s spell.
Because this was Starlight Grace. A blade clear enough for even a banshee to admire its new appearance in. And I didn’t just block the light.
Why … I reflected it.
“Ohhohohohohohohohohohohoho!”
At once, the light rebounded upon my [Summer Sun Parasol].
As the rest of the wall of burning luminosity swept past me and the clockwork doll now hiding behind the princess she should really be protecting, I felt the impact of the sister’s spell like the rebounding of a fruit slime as it returned to its source.
And unlike me, she did not have a parasol.
“W-What?!”
An unbridled cry of alarm sounded as the spell collided with its caster.
A crack filled the air. The spell shattered at once, light erasing itself as darkness and moonlight flooded back into the chapel.
All except for one luminous sister, now urgently regarding herself with shuddering hands as she touched at the effects of her own [Illuminating Dawn]. Light pulsed inside her, filling her veins and her irises.
For a long moment, the sister’s expression was only of the deepest concern as she wondered at the consequences of receiving a spell she herself had cast.
After a second, the light faded.
She relaxed, her smile one of innocent relief.
“Heh … that was … quite impressive … however, my [Illuminating Dawn] only erases the impure … and my blood is faith itself.”
The sister’s smile curled into a smirk.
And then–
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
She shrieked.
Falling to her knees, the sister clutched at her stomach as her entire body began to smoke. The light filled her yet again like iron melting in a furnace, no longer golden or white, but crimson with rage.
She dropped to her side, her hands clawing at the floor as she rolled desperately, seeking to placate a burning fire which did not exist. As she shrieked, tears rolled down her cheeks, dampening her torn attire as it frayed against the broken floor.
When the fire faded, she was left shivering and cold, her entire body wracked with pain as the smoke failed to fully subside. Only after the last tears cease did she awkwardly rise to her knees, her hands running across every part of herself in search of the burns which did not appear.
She looked up, hate streaking across her reddened face.
“Y-You … How did you … What was …”
Then, ignoring the raised sword still pointed towards her, she lifted her drenched palms towards me.
“[Searing Radiance].”
And then she blinked.
No golden flames answered her call. Only silence.
“[Holy Arrows] … Huh?”
Nothing.
The sister blinked, her vengeance halted as holy magic failed to form in her hands.
“[Holy Arrows]! [Radiant Nova]! … W-What … ? Why is … ?”
Suddenly, an altogether different expression flickered across the woman’s face.
“No … wait … [Guiding Light] … [Guiding Light] … no, no, no, no, no …”
Terror.
There was no bright fizzing of magic in her hands as exhaustion, fatigue, injury or spell sickness took her. No telltale spark to reveal a mage at the end of their limits.
There was nothing.
There was not a single trace of holy magic in her hands. The light which she had held no longer existed.
Perhaps it never did in the first place.
I lowered my sword, looking down upon this outcast of the heavens.
“It appears you’ve been judged, sister. And you have been found wanting.”
She returned her gaze to me, her eyes widened, desperate, confused.
“Wait … I don’t under–”
“Boink.”
Whatever she had to say, it had to wait.
She received a tap on the head by the bottom of Coppelia’s scythe. And then she promptly collapsed, as fragile as any other woman, expended of all she had prayed or stolen to achieve.
I brushed down my skirt, then raised an eyebrow.
“... Well, Coppelia? How did that feel?”
“Beating up a sister?” She twirled her scythe in the air before resting it upon her shoulder. The smile she wore shone brighter than the moonlight seeping through the shattered windows. “Eh, it was okay. But who knows? I might need to try bonking a few more.”
“Please no. If the heavens possess even a shred of dignity, then this is the only sister who’ll futilely attempt to purify my soul tonight.”
Coppelia leaned to the side, peering past me.
“I dunno, because it looks like there’s a queue.”
I pursed my lips.
And then I turned around.
There, standing in various states of utter shock, were a gaggle of sisters. Only a few of them still wore their habits. The rest were in their night clothes, white knuckles deathly still as they clutched their holy amulets around their necks.
I narrowed my eyes at them, judging whether or not I’d need to offer my parasol to an entire cloister of sisters.
I raised my sword.
And then they all promptly fainted.
Comments
I can hardly blame those sisters, why I might also faint from shear excitement if I saw Juliette myself.
Thank you for spotting that for me!!!!!! Yes, her name was originally Aria. That name is now reserved for another.
I do like that Coppelia has gotten plenty of moments to shine so far. Too many stories with OP main characters make everyone else feel like useless decoration. Also, out of curiosity, I'm guessing you were initially going to name Rieze as Aria? In chapter 142 just before her introduction, the word librarian got caught in the crossfire when you replaced all the Arias with Rieze.
