Chapter 50.1

Ice arrows shot by the goddess rained down with overwhelming mass and speed.

The huge, rugged cage, which looked like it was made of iron wire, created by Gilbert-sama, bounced off the countless ice arrows.

The power of the goddess was tremendous, and several arrows that penetrated the cage and pierced the floor floated back up and flew toward me.

A wall of water created by Astaroth and a cage of plants created by Ria formed a double wall to protect me.

Still, the ice arrows that were still thrusting forward pierced through the protective wall of Chuzel’s jewels.

Mercris hugged me protectively.

I was worried if Rafael-sama was okay and looked at him, but the protective wall created by Orchis repelled the arrows as it veered off course, and the one that pierced it seemed to be dissipating in front of Rafael-sama.

Though it is said that magic power could not affect Evandia’s legitimate Royal son, it seemed that the goddess’s power did not extend to Rafael-sama’s surroundings at the moment, as if there was an invisible force at work.

“It’s boring… really, it’s boring!”

The goddess gracefully thrusted one hand into the air.

A tremendous amount of light began to gather around her palm. The arrows of light, more numerous than before and even sharper in shape than the arrows of ice, filled the ceiling in larger quantities.

“Astaroth, you’re wobbling. You must be old.”

“Hmm, maybe so. As expected of a goddess, the amount of magical power is strange”

The wall that Ria and Astaroth had built grew even larger.

The iron cage built by Gilbert-sama also assembled more rugged and distorted. As the goddess swung her hand down, arrows of light rained down, making the solid wall creak.

Gradually, I felt myself being pushed by its mass.

Mercuris, who was embracing me, was trembling.

Unlike Gilbert-sama and the others, she is a lady-in-waiting of the Butterfly Tribe, who is not good at fighting. She was scared, I suppose.

In the light, I saw the goddess lift the edge of her lips.

Just above her floated a huge spear of light, longer and thicker than the pillars of the castle.

“I will retrieve the magical power I allocated to the Barriers”

“Good, young Prince. Lydith is more important than the Barriers of the country!”

“Yes, Master Gilbert. We are no match for the goddess”

When Astaroth and the others nodded, Gilbert-sama’s appearance changed.

His red hair, almost black, turned a flaming red. On his back, something black and smooth, like the feathers of a beautiful bird, fluttered out. In one hand, he held a black sword that looked as if it had been solidified by darkness.

Rafael-sama also had his hand on the hilt of his sword and I heard him mutter, “Cynthia…”

“Cynthia-san”

I called that name too.

I wondered where Cynthia-san’s consciousness in the goddess had gone.

Cynthia shouldn’t have been Elvisa-sama from the time she was born..

Like Gilbert-sama, whose consciousness was stolen by Lucis earlier, her consciousness must have been taken over by Elvisa.

Was that really what Cynthia wanted?

Elvisa said that Cynthia was in love with Rafael-sama.

Like Cronaea, who was once confused by love, did Cynthia give up her body to the goddess, longing for something she could not have?

I used to be unable to understand those who were so swept away by their emotions that they started damaging themselves, but now I think I can understand how they feel.

It was the same for me.

I was worried that the goddess might take Gilbert away from me. Witnessing what had just happened, the thought that Gilbert-sama might never return to the original Gilbert-sama was painful and agonizing, as if my chest was filled with ice cubes.

When the attack of the arrows of light subsided, the protective barrier that had managed to endure disappeared.

Astaroth and Ria kneeled on the floor, breathing deeply. The jeweled walls of Chuzel were also scraped to shreds.

Gilbert-sama’s sword caught the incoming light spear. Black light and white light clashed and was blinding.

I squinted in the dazzling light. It was as if I was watching a scene from a myth. Light filled the entire hall, and I felt as if the entire castle was shaking.

“You’re the one that’s stupid. Old goddess.”

The black main current overflowing from the sword made of Gilbert-sama’s magic pushed back the goddess’s spear, swallowed it, and obliterated it.

The tip of the spear was directed toward the goddess.

The goddess, who had been staring at it with awakened eyes, changed her expression. The frightened look on her face was not of the goddess, but of the Cynthia I knew.

“Gilbert-sama, no…!”

Even if Elvisa-sama was controlling her, the body belongs to Cynthia-san.

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