Chapter 115 : The Judgment

The scratch on the mirror split Lillian’s reflection in two. Her left eye was still a clear violet, but her right was slowly being consumed by crimson, until the entire iris was the color of blood.

“Now, Lillian, give me your body.”

Lillian’s body froze for a moment. The reflection in the mirror, as if with a mind of its own, began to move independently.

“I don’t think I need to say it a second time.”

Stacy’s voice came from the mirror, filled with an undeniable pressure.

Lillian, regaining control, stared at the mismatched eyes in the reflection. She knew that Stacy’s control over her body was growing stronger. The moment both eyes turned crimson, Stacy would have complete control.

“Stacy, you’re not dead.”

“What, are you disappointed that I’m still alive? My dear Saintess~”

Lillian slammed her hands on the vanity. She looked at her reflection, a mocking smile on her lips.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our Fell God. Haven’t seen you in a while. You don’t even have a complete body, just a parasite clinging to me.”

“What, no response? Our dear parasite?”

“You’ve finally fallen so low, needing to borrow someone else’s body to survive.”

This was the perfect time to taunt her.

Lillian knew that if Stacy wanted to take her body, it was just a matter of time. This conversation was just a formality.

But it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

“Weren’t you having fun with my body before? Not enough now?”

“Oh, I know. Our Fell God, who cares for no one, now has someone she cares about. The demon girl, Milly, is about to be sent to the judgment stand.”

“So, our dear Fell God is going to crash the party?”

“Shut up.”

She was getting to her.

The more Stacy reacted, the more it proved she was right. But amidst the satisfaction, a strange emotion welled up in Lillian’s heart.

She and Stacy were two halves of the same whole. Why was this Milly, who had appeared out of nowhere, so important to her?

All she wanted to know was what Stacy had seen that had changed her so much. But Stacy had never told her.

Fine. If Stacy wanted to use her body to save Milly, she would have to trade it for what she wanted.

Her goal had never changed.

“Stacy, if you want to use my body to save Milly, I can give it to you. But first, you have to tell me what you saw that day.”

The reflection’s expression grew grim. Threatening someone was not what a Saintess should do, but since it was the Fell God, Lillian felt no guilt.

“Heh…” Stacy sneered. The crimson in her left eye began to spread, consuming the last of the violet.

“Dear Saintess~ have you forgotten whose body this was in the first place?”

Crimson began to seep from the reflection’s right eye, as if the mirror were bleeding.

The crimson twisted and formed into writhing tentacles, staring at Lillian like a viper.

“Tch…”

Even after all these years, Stacy hadn’t forgotten. As she had said, if she wanted to take her body, it was just a matter of a flick of her finger.

The reason she hadn’t taken it completely before was probably because she hadn’t fully recovered.

Now, although she wasn’t fully recovered, it was enough.

She couldn’t stop her.

“You’ve been a Saintess for so long. Now, it’s time to give it all back.”

As the last of the violet was consumed, the mirror was almost completely covered in blood.

Finally, the blood twisted and formed into a massive mouth, lunging at Lillian, enveloping her, and slowly merging with her skin.

When the last of the blood had merged with her, her violet eyes were completely crimson. The tips of her golden hair were turning silver. Soon, all of it would be silver.

“Not much, but it should be enough for now.”

…

At noon, the sky was dark.

Boom!

A muffled thunder. The heavy clouds hung low, as if about to fall, making the already dark sky even darker.

Another thunderclap. The rain poured down, blurring the city’s silhouette. But the central square was still crowded.

Even when the square was full, people brought chairs to stand on, just to get a glimpse of the judgment stand.

Usually, only heretics were judged here. In the past, all demons captured in Starlight City were secretly executed by the Church.

This was the first time a demon was being judged in public.

People held umbrellas, wore raincoats, or simply stood in the rain, just to witness the judgment.

“Burn her! All demons must die!”

“How dare she sneak into Starlight City! She must have brought an army with her!”

“I heard she disguised herself as a human and deceived many people!”

Even before Milly appeared, the angry curses were already echoing. Tifna stood not far from the cathedral, her knuckles white as she gripped the hilt of her sword.

Just then, the crowd roared. The demon girl they had been waiting for had finally appeared.

Heavy shackles bound her limbs, the cold metal digging into her flesh, leaving red marks. With every step, the chains clanked against the ground.

The shackles restricted her movement. She could only take small steps. Two Platinum Knights flanked her, as if afraid she would run.

She knew she couldn’t escape. She had no intention of resisting. At least, not now.

The walk to the judgment stand was not long. On a normal day, she could have walked it in half a minute.

But now, time seemed to have slowed down. She looked at the people standing in the rain, their eyes filled with a fanatical hatred.

“Look! That’s the demon.”

“She looks so human. A monster in disguise!”

“Pah, filthy creature!”

As she passed the nearest people, she saw someone spit at her, another throw a clod of mud. She couldn’t dodge, and she didn’t need to.

Smack!

The mud, washed by the rain, trickled down her face, staining her white prison clothes.

Her expression was calm. She looked at the angry crowd, heard their curses, her face a mask of indifference.

How ironic.

These people knew nothing about her. All they knew was what the Church had told them. How much had been fabricated? How much was true?

But it didn’t matter. They didn’t need the truth. They just needed a symbol to vent their hatred, a living target defined as a “demon.”