The Green Angel had become a mortal.
Staring at his now-human hands, disbelief filled his eyes, followed by a fury so intense that it quickly drowned out everything else.
Though saying he had become completely mortal wasn't entirely accurate.
He was no longer an Angel, but he still retained the Beyonder characteristic of Sequence Eight from the Pathway of Life.
That portion had never been granted by the Formless Court.
He had earned it himself before joining.
But even a Sequence Eight was little more than a mortal compared to the mighty Green Angel he had once been.
Setting everything else aside, his former lifespan alone had surpassed human understanding. A mere Sequence Eight couldn't even begin to compare.
He simply could not accept reality.
And when reality became unacceptable, there was only one person left to blame.
Mozo.
He wanted Mozo dead.
He could still do it.
He absolutely could.
He was no longer the great Green Angel, but neither could Mozo use the Contract of Ten to restrain him anymore.
As hatred consumed his thoughts, he roared and lunged to his feet.
Only to find the barrel of the Gold-Devouring Gun pressed against his forehead.
In an instant, all his rage vanished.
The only thing left was an overwhelming terror of death.
"Ple"
Before he could even finish begging for mercy, Mozo pulled the trigger.
The Contract of Ten had no authority to take his life.
But as a human being, Mozo certainly had the right to end his evil existence.
A blazing muzzle flash erupted alongside a thunderous explosion.
The weapon's terrifying power didn't merely obliterate the former Green Angel's body.
It blasted apart the stonework behind him as well.
Looking at the enormous crater left behind, Mozo lifted his head, tears streaming down his face.
Then he sighed.
"One hundred gold pounds. So expensive. So powerful."
Nearby, Audrey struggled to stand.
She stared at the massive crater with complete disbelief.
I... I actually survived?
I really escaped death?
Meanwhile, the knight lady walked over to Mozo with a worried expression.
Countless thoughts passed through her mind.
Most of them were scenes from the tragic operas she often watched with her young mistress.
They had once been comrades in the Formless Court.
And now they had crossed blades.
In the end, Mozo had been forced to kill his former companion with his own hands.
Mr. Mozo must be heartbroken right now...
He's even crying...
Carefully, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Mozo..."
"You don't need to be so sad."
"After all, he killed so many innocent people, and I..."
The more she spoke, the more she realized this wasn't comforting at all.
Eventually, she gave up awkwardly.
Mozo, however, turned around with a puzzled look.
"You think I'm grieving for him?"
"No. How could that be?"
"A scumbag like that deserved to die."
"In fact, I think he died quite well."
The knight lady blinked.
"Then... then why are you crying?"
Only then did Mozo wipe away his tears.
He looked mournfully at the Gold-Devouring Gun.
"I'm just upset that one hundred gold pounds wasn't worth it."
Then he looked at her strangely.
"But why would you think I'd sympathize with a traitor like him?"
The knight lady immediately turned her head away in embarrassment.
After all...
She was rather fond of the sort of melodramatic operas usually enjoyed by young girls.
It was probably best not to let outsiders know that.
To change the subject and also to express her gratitude, she suddenly took the Gold-Devouring Gun from Mozo's hands.
Then, without asking permission, she loaded six gold coins worth one hundred pounds each into it.
Afterward, she handed the remainder of her money pouch to him.
Several dozen additional coins of varying denominations.
"Sorry."
"This is all I have on me right now."
"I'll find another way to thank you later."
Mozo and Audrey stared at her as though they were looking at a goddess.
This...
This was what a true wealthy noblewoman looked like.
A genuine rich lady beyond mortal comprehension.
With the Green Angel's complete death, a dazzling beam of white light suddenly pierced the artificial sky of the Mirror World created by the Boundary Candle.
The next moment, dawn arrived.
A miracle called Dawn.
Then a beautiful young woman wearing luxurious imperial robes stepped out from the radiance, a slight frown on her face.
One of the Three Empresses had arrived.
Dawn herself.
Below, amidst the ruins, Count Hearn had only just been dug out of the rubble by the Captain and the man in the trench coat.
The moment he saw her, he immediately dropped to one knee.
The entire Investigation Bureau followed suit.
A sea of kneeling figures spread across the ruins.
"Your servant greets Your Majesty!"
"We greet Your Majesty!"
The Count had expected the Empire to send high-ranking reinforcements.
What he had not expected was the Empress herself.
Then confusion struck him.
If Dawn had personally arrived, why had it taken so long?
They had fought for such a long time before she appeared.
Before he could think further, the Dawn Empress descended before the gathered officials.
As she approached, everyone present discovered that their wounds were rapidly healing.
Not only that.
A mysterious and sacred power suddenly filled their bodies.
This was the ability of the Eternal Monarch.
Subjects standing beneath their ruler's banner received the Blessing of Glory.
An aura-type ability.
Incredibly useful.
Incredibly powerful.
Had Count Hearn possessed such a blessing earlier, he could have endured several more devastating blows before collapsing.
And after falling, the blessing would have helped him rise again.
Only to endure even harsher blows.
Again and again.
Until he finally reached his mental limit.
The Dawn Empress glanced around in confusion before asking,
"My divination indicated that a Sequence Two Green Angel was causing chaos within the Special District."
"Where is he?"
"Did he escape using some Sealed Artifact?"
The Count answered awkwardly.
"Your Majesty... I'm not entirely sure myself."
"But... the Green Angel should be dead."
The Empress froze.
"Dead?!"
"How could you possibly kill a Green Angel?!"
The words escaped before she could stop herself.
Realizing her mistake, she quickly coughed.
Then she regained her composure.
"Please explain in detail, Count Hearn."
The Count lowered his head somewhat helplessly and pointed toward the Old District.
"Your Majesty, I truly don't know the specifics."
"But it seems the Elven Ruins played a role."
The Elven Ruins?
The Dawn Empress frowned slightly.
Then she immediately rose into the air.
With a casual wave of her hand, the entire layer of earth above the underground hall was torn away.
The soil vanished.
The chamber beneath was instantly exposed.
Mozo.
Audrey.
The knight lady.
And the Golden Legion, which was gradually returning to its resting positions.
All of them were revealed.
Audrey stared upward in utter disbelief.
The ceiling had suddenly disappeared.
She rubbed her eyes repeatedly, wondering if she was hallucinating.
The knight lady recovered from her initial shock and immediately dropped to one knee to greet the Empress.
As for Mozo...
Mozo simply stared.
And the Dawn Empress stared back.
Dawn represented the Empress during her youth.
The very appearance she had possessed when Mozo first met her long ago.
For a brief moment, Mozo lost himself.
It felt as though a dream from the distant past had suddenly returned.
Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure.
Pulling Audrey with him, he dropped to one knee and paid his respects.
Meanwhile, high above, the Empress found herself strangely startled.
The moment her eyes landed on the unfamiliar young man, her heart inexplicably trembled.