When the plot-skips players into the game world

Unexpectedly... that light was not instantly dissolved by the void.

Or perhaps, it was entirely different from the moonlight that fell — the moonlight congealed by love fell like raindrops, too slow to block the sharp void.

But Don Quixote's wings seemed like true light, continuously, instantly arriving, unable to be erased by the power of nihility.

The Light of Hope was continuously extinguished by the void.

The Light Shield became dim and damaged the instant it was struck by the power of nihility, yet it never completely collapsed and was constantly repairing and regenerating.

Even in All Nothing, hope cannot be completely extinguished. No matter how the rain of despair floods the land, a barely visible spark will always remain.

Or perhaps...

Precisely because of [All Nothing], one is left only with hope. Because apart from hope, there is nothing else to hold onto.

Just like Don Quixote... or like the past Heracles.

Power, strength, wealth, life... everything will turn to nothing under the wash of time, even the Helasal Empire will eventually shatter, split into pieces.

Yet now the Helasal Empire has already risen again —

It shall be born, it shall be destroyed. It will again be resurrected, like fire extinguished yet reignited.

Just like drawing a sword to sever water, only for the water to flow evermore.

The void swallowed a sliver of light, but was then urgently filled with more light. Like a chainsaw slicing through steel bars, scattered with countless shattered darkness and broken light.

Behind the Light Shield, Sherlock was silent, clenching his teeth — he was venturing into this caliber of battle for the first time, realizing he could do nothing. Having touched "Truth", he had never more than now desired the power to change everything.

Isabel was incredibly calm, with no fluctuation in her pupils. She still maintained Aiwass's posture, ready to complete any sacrifice for Aiwass, prepared for the decision to live and die together.

Only Arsene... he leaned closer to confusion than fear.

He didn't know what he could do, nor why he was here.

Originally, he had prepared for the battle against the Blood Celestial Marshal, ready to sacrifice. Yet now, even the Blood Celestial Marshal could be considered half an ally... and in front of the real enemy, he was not even worthy to stand.

But soon, he had no spare mind for wild thoughts.

Because Don Quixote's defense was not absolute.

No force with "absolute" nature can exist in this world... or perhaps, the only absolute nature is the Balance Curtain that prevents all other absolutes from existing.

In the Material Realm, even fragments of void cannot become mechanisms with absolute nature, always leaving the possibility of being defeated by numbers.

Like an inevitable "plot kill" —

In the Material Realm, there's no way to force a game conclusion when health is reduced to zero on cheat codes, whereas in the Dream Realm it is possible. In the Material Realm, it's only a matter of elevating numbers and abilities high enough... so high that they can't possibly be defeated at the current stage.

Yet as long as one introduces a "variable" that can alter reality, there's still a chance to defeat the opponent. For instance, interference by Celestial Marshals or Pillar Gods, by void, by all "unconventional" existences.

After the Reincarnation Celestial Marshal, the Path of Balance has no Celestial Marshal.

Because the state of the Hourglass is good enough, not needing to prepare a replacement.

As the most stable Pillar God unlikely to fall into void, the Hourglass bears the heaviest duty — to establish and guard the Balance Curtain.

— As long as under these stars, even the apocalyptic Dusk Species still harbors the possibility of defeat!

No matter how powerful the enemy is, as long as entering the Material Realm, health bars will appear!

Its greatest achievement is creating possibility —

Even a sliver, even infinitely close to zero... But as long as this possibility exists, there's still an unextinguished hope!

Therefore, this Light Shield, which can withstand even direct hits from the power of nihility, is built on the basis of "this defense is not absolutely invincible." The single flaw in defense is the very center of the Light Shield... Don Quixote himself.

The Light Shield expands centered around Don Quixote, hence it cannot protect him from any harm coming from ahead.

The Light Shield capable of withstanding all harm stands behind him.

While he himself is outside the protective range —

[Upright Summon·Nothing]

[Required: Light 5]

[Instantly, ahead, immediately effective]

[Effect: Summons Paladin Don Quixote's Spiritual Body, self-sacrifices to become a giant Light Shield, protecting all allies behind from all attacks in front]

Don Quixote's still standing headless body is the sole flaw of this Light Shield. Like the viewing window of a large shield.

— But then again, Don Quixote didn't really need protection.

Because using this move essentially required self-destruction. The still upright figure was merely a corpse.

Whether the Light Shield or the Light Wings, both withstood the Nihility Beam. On the contrary, the remnant carcass of Don Quixote at the focal point was completely shredded and turned into void at the moment the ten beams of dark light converged and made contact, not even lasting a moment. Not even a splash of blood was spilt.

——However, this moment was already enough.

Bathed in endless moonlight, the young black-haired girl revealed her true form.

The root-like wings composed of blood vessels behind her transformed into a pure white under the purification of the moonlight.

The white mesh glowed, and the sanctified blood vessels formed two enormous white wings.

Above her head, a pure white Thorn Crown also appeared.

Like Sun Wukong's golden circlet, it tightened around the girl's forehead the instant it appeared, sinking deep and causing blood to seep out.

This is the enduring pain held in time like hatred, the embodiment of "malicious consequences" that persist into the future due to her sin, and the most advantageous posture against the void.

"This posture..."

Aiwass looked up, his pupils slightly trembling.

——He had seen this posture before. It left a deep impression on him.

It was the Perfect Illusion he had witnessed in the Holy Nation.

But the transformation of the Blood Celestial Marshal still fell short of the final step...

It's not because of the Fallen Celestial Marshal's fall — even with the Fallen Celestial Marshal gone, she could still obtain the Pride Mark and evolve into the ultimate form of a Perfect Human.

The Blood Celestial Marshal herself rejected that possibility.

She no longer wanted to become a Perfect Human.

Because once she became a Perfect Human, the possibility of falling into the void arose.

As long as she didn't take the final step — she still had resistance to the void.

Thus ——

The Blood Celestial Marshal abandoned her long-cherished wish.

The moonlight that shone like rain under the ground was thus gathered into the hands of the Blood Celestial Marshal.

While turning everything around into night, it was bound into a pure silver and white spear. The end of it linked with the wings of blood vessels behind her, like a Silver Tree held in hand, with numerous roots.

It was not a spear of blood ——

But a Moonlight Spear.

This technique...

Aiwass had seen it before as well.

As the Blood Celestial Marshal threw the silver spear, it instantly pierced through the chest of the dress tainted by the void!

This interrupted and terminated the "dress" attack in an instant.

Its power continued to disintegrate, and the blood vessels collapsed one by one, neutralizing the existence of the void fiercely. Radiant silver light burst along with the abyss-like black powder...

And the existence of the Blood Celestial Marshal herself began to become unstable... Parts of her body turned mottled and void, with those semi-transparent areas constantly changing positions, swaying like tree shadows in the midday sun... Yet overall, the area of voidification continued to expand.

This strike effectively controlled the "void".

But it still couldn't deal fatal-level damage to It.

Evidently... the dissolution speed of the Silver Spear was much faster than that of the "dress".

So, without hesitation, Aiwass drew that card.

——[Spell Card: Light of Paradise (King)]

As Aiwass crushed the card, two white wings suddenly burst from behind him ——

These were not the fictional light wings from before, but the white wings inherited from Lucifer!

The Light of Paradise required sufficient light sources as a medium to use, similar to how the Blood Celestial Marshal summoned enough moonlight.

But it was already too late to summon again. There was no sunlight or moonlight underground to constitute the Light of Paradise.

However, right in front of Aiwass, there was another source of light.

——It was the light that burst from the skull after Don Quixote used "Nothing"!

Even though Don Quixote's remains were shattered by the Power of Nihility, the shattered Light Shield and Light Saber did not dissipate instantly ——

The fragments, dull like grey crystal shards, turned into small strands of light like little insects, swimming and gathering in Aiwass's hand, condensing into a brilliant golden long spear!

This time... as a priest, Aiwass needed no divine invocation.

Because what he summoned was his own light.