"Hnn… Where am I…?"


    Elena wondered, her consciousness gradually returning as she surveyed her surroundings.


    Just moments ago, she had been on the battlefield with the Orc Lord alongside her party, and now she found herself in an entirely different ce.


    It seemed like she had fallen into a deep, dark pit only tond in a field of flowers.


    ''Flowers?''


    Elena''s eyes widened as she took in the beautiful and mesmerizing sight of the floralndscape. However, the enchanting scene contrasted starkly with the deep, darkish red sky above.


    Her pure white robes, once pristine, were now dampened by the bloody rain that poured down from the ominous heavens.


    The flowery field, while visually appealing, was marred by rubble and the grotesque smell of blood, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. Elena''s surroundings, bathed in the surreal red glow from the sky, created a surreal and otherworldly ambiance.


    "It stings…"


    Elena grimaced as she felt the difort intensify.


    Her body instinctively reacted by casting a divine barrier around her, protecting her from the poisonous effects of the blood rain that continued to fall relentlessly from the dark skies.


    The divine shield shimmered as it deflected the harmful elements, allowing Elena a moment to gather her thoughts in this strange and unsettling ce.


    Scanning her surroundings even further, Elena''s realization sent a shiver down her spine. The familiarity of the ce became hauntingly clear.


    Following the traces ofrge rubble, her eyesnded on what was once Lucian Hall, the very dormitory that had been her home throughout her three years at Estelle Academy.


    The once towering figure and intricate design of Lucian Hall were reduced to nothing more than a pile of debris and rubble in her disbelieving eyes.


    "What happened here?"


    Elena whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the eerie silence that lingered over the destroyed dormitory.


    The familiar hall, where camaraderie andughter once echoed through its halls, was now reduced to a deste and somber ruin.


    However, dwelling on the devastation was a luxury Elena couldn''t afford at the moment. As she continued to survey the area, a more pressing concern gnawed at her senses. Multiple presences exuding an energy she reluctantly recognized as demonic surrounded her.


    ''Demons.''


    The demonic energy permeated the academy, a confirmation of what Elena had suspected back when facing the Orc Lord.


    As the saintess, Elena possessed the ability to detect energies not of this world, particrly those of demonic or divine origin.


    The situation at hand was a testament to the ancient history she had studied, where the arrival of demons heralded a singr and ominous truth.


    "The Demon King ising"


    Elena muttered with a mix of dread and fear.


    The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her shoulders as sheprehended the impending threat that now loomed over Estelle Academy and the world beyond its borders.


    Why….?


    Elena questioned, her mind filled with a tumult of confusion and concern. Everything was unfolding much earlier than the prophecy had foretold, and there wasn''t even a hero in sight.


    ording to the prophecy, the hero was meant to be born through the nurturing of herself and a certain man she would meet in the future. The current events deviated drastically from her expectations.


    "The hero was supposed to be born through me…."


    Elena pondered with a heavy heart, her thoughts weaving through the intricate tapestry of fate.


    Doubt and guilt crept into her mind as she considered the possibility that the prophecy had broken because of her unwillingness to let go of Adrian.


    "Is this all my fault…?" she wondered, her heart sinking at the weight of responsibility she felt for the chaos unfolding around her.


    In the distance, the echoes of destruction reached her senses—spells exploding, swords shing, and the anguished cries of people enveloped in the storm of chaos.


    Beneath the canopy of the bloody rain, the world had descended into pure and utter disorder.


    As the realization set in, Elena''s breath hardened, and a profound sense of remorse washed over her.


    If only she had followed the prophecy and let go of Adrian, perhaps none of this would have happened. The consequences of her choices weighed heavily on her conscience,


    "That''s right, Louise!"


    Elena''s voice echoed with a sudden realization. Louise, one of her few friends, was staying inside Lucian Hall.


    The weight of concern pressed heavily on Elena''s heart as she feared the worst for her friend.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Elena rose to her feet and hurriedly made her way toward the destroyed castle-like hall.


    Rubble obstructed her path, but she maneuvered around the debris, desperation driving her forward.


    As she reached the perimeter of the hall, she ran, each step fueled by a mixture of dread and urgency to assess the situation within the dorm rooms.


    Her eyes scanned the devastation, and the moment theynded on the ttened room where Adrian and Louise had resided, a wave of sorrow crashed over her.


    The sight pierced her heart, and her legs quivered beneath her. Copsing onto the bloody ground, tears welled up as guilt and pain consumed her.


    The ache in her heart intensified, and Elena found herself overwhelmed with a deep sense of remorse.


    The emotions wed at her, urging her to scream, but for some inexplicable reason, the words remained trapped. Instead, she lowered her head, gripping her chest as the weight of guilt pressed upon her.


    The destruction around her mirrored the turmoil within, and Elena grappled with the consequences of the choices she had made, haunted by the devastation that now surrounded her.


    "I-I must—"


    Elena''s voice quivered as she slowly rose to her feet, the light in her eyes dimming with the weight of grief.


    Gripping her hands to her chest, she felt the tightening embrace of anguish.


    With a determined resolve reflected in her wet eyes, she attempted to move forward, making her way toward the district most severely affected by the attacks.


    Even as the realization struck that it might be toote, Elena, bound by her role as the saintess, understood the duty she had to fulfill, the role she must y, and the mission she needed to aplish.


    "Forgive me…," she mumbled apologies under her breath, attempting to soothe the guilt that weighed on her.


    Trying to run towards the engulfing chaos, she nced into the distance, witnessing districts being devoured by bloody explosions and fires.


    In her mind, helping there would alleviate the burden of guilt that threatened to consume her.


    "That''s right, I''m the saintess… I must help… I need to get rid of this evil…"


    Elena whispered, her words losing vitality with each passing moment. The deep shock and trauma inflicted upon her soul were seeping into the very core of her being.


    Unbeknownst to her, the golden divine power that usually emanated from her was slowly transforming, seeping out ck sparks.


    Suddenly, amidst the crackling noises within the building, Elena''s keen ears detected the distinct sound of rubbles being moved.


    Despite the heavy downpour of bloody rain and the cacophony it created, the sharp noise resonated clearly with her senses.


    "HSSSS…!!!"


    A ground-shaking explosion followed, and from the rubble emerged a colossal, fiery serpent. Its eyes burned with an intense red hue, and its massive, serpentine body seemed to boil the very rain that fell upon it.


    ''My barrier is melting….!''


    Even the protective barrier Elena had cast earlier began to sumb to the relentless heat.


    As Elena locked eyes with the fiery serpent, instead of fear, a glimmer of hope sparked within her. There was only one person in the entire academy who possessed the power to summon such a colossal snake.


    "Louise?"


    Elena whispered, the realization dawning on her.


    Though she hadn''t met or interacted with Louise''s spirits before, she was familiar with the descriptions of her most famous one—Cecilia, a high-ranking spirit in the form of a fiery serpent so immense that it could wrap itself around a castle if it so desired.


    As Cecilia heard Elena''s mumbling, a subtle smile graced its fiery serpent features. With a resounding thud, the ground shook beside Elena, signaling the arrival of a massive, rock-formed gori.


    Gently grabbing Elena, the gori jumped into the building where Cecilia had created an opening.


    "W-wait...!"


    Elena didn''t even have time toin.


    Once inside, Elena tiptoed out of the gori''s hands, her watery eyes fixated on the person she thought was lost.


    "Louise…!!"


    Shock overtook Elena as she hurriedly approached Louise.


    Given the blood on Louise, she initially feared the worst.


    Thankfully, upon closer inspection, Elena realized that the blood was mostly from the crimson rain that showered the academy.


    ''She doesn''t seem injured''


    Relief flooded Elena as she touched Louise, channeling her divine power to assess her condition. To her relief, Louise seemed uninjured and unaffected by the blood rain''s poison.


    However, a different issue emerged – extreme exhaustion. Louise''s mana, usually vast and capable of handling high-ranking spirit summoning, was now at an all-time low.


    Observing the massive signs of battle surrounding them, Elena couldn''t help but wonder what had transpired.


    Despite her limited spiritual sensitivity, Elena was impressed to see the high-ranking spirits fully manifested beside Louise, even with their master unconscious.


    The serpent and the gori''s forms slowly faded, a sign that they could no longer manifest due to Louise''s depleted mana.


    With a final hiss, Ceciliamunicated something to Elena. Although Elena couldn''tprehend the serpent''s words, there was an unspoken understanding between them, and Elena nodded in response.


    The spirits vanished, returning to the spirit realm.


    Assuring the departed spirits, Elena turned her attention back to the unconscious Louise. With a sense of determination, she spoke softly…


    "Don''t worry… I''ll take care of her."


    As the spirits faded away, Elena embraced Louise tightly, tears streaming down her face and purifying the red blood that continued to rain upon them.


    In the midst of this emotional moment, a crow with multiple eyes observed the scene with a solemn gaze.


    Before flying into the bloody skies.


    …..


    "It''s nice right~?"


    "Well, you did pick the right ce I''ll give you that"


    As niel led Siena towards the tea shop for their conversation, the atmosphere was light-hearted.


    Except for the hidden tension in their very words.


    "Hehe… my subordinates told me they make good tea and coffee here" said niel with excitement.


    The grip on she had on the two children dangling in her tentacles loosened for a bit.


    "Now sit—"


    As they settled into their seats, a sudden sense of unease crept over niel.


    The grip on the two children she held in her tentacles tightened involuntarily, and to Siena''s horror, one of the kids exploded, filling the room with blood and gore.


    "W-what are you doing…!?"


    Siena, rmed and angered, drew her sword, the de glowing with a white light.


    The remaining child, still in niel''s grasp, cried for help as they witnessed the gruesome event.


    "Ah… I''m sorry~~"


    niel, seemingly unfazed, apologized casually, her attention drawn to the source of the disturbance.


    She looked up to find a crow perched on a chandelier in the tea shop.


    The mischievous glint in her eyes revealed that she knew her prank had been discovered.


    ''Looks like my prank got found out….''


    niel thought, preparing herself for the consequences that might follow her morbid sense of humor.


    ''Oh well, father will surely punish me right~?''


    She thought with a smile....


    The tense atmosphere hung in the air as Siena red at niel, demanding an exnation for the horrifying event that had just unfolded.