Chapter 85: We Are Enemies

The Gluttony Church, a newly risen faction in recent years, took less than three months from its founding to openly declaring war on all human nations.

At the time, every human country dismissed it with contempt.

A mere church daring to stand against all humanity? It was laughable.

But very soon—

No one was laughing anymore.

Within a single year, this underestimated church crushed the combined forces of the Empire and the Papal State. The knight orders suffered devastating casualties.

Only then did they realize the terrifying strength of this organization.

But it was already too late.

The Gluttony Church had expanded to an unprecedented scale—so powerful that humanity had no choice but to take it seriously, even abandoning their interests regarding the beastfolk.

And still—

It wasn’t enough.

Every year, news of their advance spread. Faster. More aggressive.

Their growth and power far exceeded all expectations.

Before long, the territory they occupied rivaled that of a small nation—

And they were still pushing forward.

Just as they had declared at the start:

They would unify all human nations.

Many knights who survived the battlefield reported:

The Gluttony Church used some kind of evil curse to transform its followers into inhuman demons.

They feared no death.

Their numbers were endless.

No matter how many were killed, they never seemed to run out.

It was terrifying.

No one could understand what kind of force sustained them.

Their equipment was poor—no sturdy armor like the knights, no sharp lances.

Just black cloth not even as durable as leather, and rusted iron weapons.

By all logic, the knights should have had absolute superiority.

And yet—

They were the ones routed, their armor discarded as they fled.

The cultists struck like phantoms, emerging from impossible angles, toppling heavily armored knights to the ground—

Or worse—

Comrades suddenly turning their blades on each other.

Such an army should not have possessed such overwhelming strength or scale.

So there could only be one explanation—

Evil magic.

Gradually, these rumors became accepted as undeniable truth.

Even Perletti once believed them.

Until now.

After everything that happened in Falisa, she finally understood—

There were no demons from hell.

Only ordinary people trying to survive.

Perletti bent down and picked up the emerald-green spear from the ground. A soft green current flowed along its cool shaft.

A spellbound weapon…

The thought crossed her mind—this was the same kind of technique Irene had used before.

The difference was—

The one Xiao Lü gave her was more stable, and lasted longer.

She gripped the spear and gave it a light swing.

A transparent wall of wind instantly formed in front of her, blocking everything—even the distant roars of the cultists.

All she could hear now was the gentle flow of wind elements.

Her tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Turning back to check on Ailberna, she met the sight of her struggling to sit up—

Those eyes, once full of pride and disdain, were now filled with shock and disbelief.

“Why…?”

She remembered—

After returning from the Pope, her mansion had suddenly been engulfed in flames.

With her high affinity for fire, Ailberna hadn’t feared it at all. She had even mocked the cultists’ stupidity.

But the next moment—

A suffocating sensation struck.

She couldn’t breathe.

And then—

Darkness.

She had thought she would die like that, without knowing why.

Until now—

When she slowly woke up and saw the person she had argued with, the one they had parted on bad terms—

Standing before her.

Saving her.

“Why… did you save me?” Ailberna’s voice trembled with uncontrollable emotion. “I’m a noble too!”

Perletti fell silent for a moment.

Her throat tightened.

Then softly, she said three words:

“I’m sorry.”

“…What?” Ailberna couldn’t believe what she heard.

“Ailberna… actually, I never hated you. I never thought you were the same as those nobles. What I said this morning… I said it on purpose. I’m sorry. My arrogance nearly got you killed—so I came.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?!” Ailberna completely broke down, clutching her head as she screamed, staring at Perletti.

Perletti was smiling—

But that smile looked more painful than crying.

Like she was carrying an unbearable weight.

Their relationship had clearly shattered that morning.

So why—

Why was she still smiling at her?

Ailberna was the heir of the Isaacson family.

A noble sworn to eradicate witches.

Perletti’s future enemy.

Then why—

Why would she save her enemy?

Only then did Ailberna notice the burns covering Perletti’s body.

That kind of injury—

She knew it too well.

Burns.

“Ailberna… even if you’ve never thought witches could be good people… I’ve long considered you an important friend.”

“But we’re enemies, aren’t we?!” Ailberna shouted, her worldview crumbling.

She clung desperately to those words—

Trying to draw a line between them.

To stabilize everything she had always believed.

Witches are humanity’s enemies…
Witches have no humanity…
Witches are embodiments of destruction…

But the Perletti before her—

Was injured saving her.

Smiled through pain.

Spoke gently despite her wounds.

She was nothing like the “witch” Ailberna believed in.

Her entire worldview shattered in that moment.

She could no longer tell—

Whether what she felt toward Perletti was hatred…

Or something else.

Perletti nodded, as if making up her mind.

“We are enemies. So… run. Run as fast as you can. Run somewhere I can’t find you.”

Her voice was soft.

Gentle.

“If you don’t… once I deal with these cultists, I’ll kill you.”

She turned away, enduring the sharp pain coursing through her body, facing the wind barrier ahead.

With the help of light elements, most of her injuries had healed—

But the pain only felt sharper.

Behind her, she heard the rustling of grass.

Ailberna had left.

Perletti couldn’t help but glance back.

She was running fast—

Head down, not even watching where she was going.

Almost foolish.

Like a frightened child.

People have to kill their past selves… to understand what they truly want.

Perletti lightly waved her finger.

A gentle cluster of light drifted out and settled onto Ailberna, forming a faint golden film to protect her from danger along the way.

“Run!”

“Run as fast as you can!!”

At that moment—

She finally understood her mother.

Perhaps back then…

Her mother had felt the same way.

Clap.
Clap.
Clap.

Applause suddenly echoed nearby.

Knowing she couldn’t avoid it, Perletti took a deep breath, raised her spear, and faced the approaching figure—

Vinika.

“Hehe… so you noticed~”