And then there was the man standing a step behind themdark hair, blue eyes, ridiculously good-looking, dressed oddly.
But it wasn't his looks that made Emerada uneasy.
There was something off about him. Deeply off.
He was just standing there casually, but she, a former top-tier mage, felt a chill run down to her soul.
He was like a living black hole.
The sacred energy and magic that filled Ente Isla seemed to go still around himgentle, almost reverentthen just vanished. Swallowed up without a trace. Transformed.
She'd never felt a presence this terrifying.
Emerada blinked once, then again, harder.
She pinched the inside of her arm.
"Ow!"
Yep. That hurt.
This wasn't a dream.
Or a hallucination.
"E-Emilia? Is it really you?"
Emerada jumped to her feet, her chair screeching loudly against the floor.
Her green eyes widened in disbelief and wild joylike a bunny caught between shock and glee.
She ran straight to Emilia, grabbing her by the arms, voice cracking with emotion:
"You're back! How? How did you even get back?! Olbawhat about Olba?!"
"Emerada!"
Emilia gripped her arms back, her eyes instantly welling up.
"I'm back. I'm okaydon't worry."
"I know everything now. About Olba's plot."
She nodded firmly, her voice burning with anger.
"He and Lucifer were working together. They tried to trap me and the Demon King in that world, but"
She stepped to the side, her eyes locking on the man behind her with total trust.
"Rei Ao caught them. I came back with him to take care of the rot in the Churchonce and for all."
"Rei Ao?"
Emerada's eyes snapped to the man, now full of caution and disbelief.
This guy.
She remembered the name. The man who'd been with Emilia the last time she made contact.
She studied him closely
and the more she looked, the more her instincts screamed.
To her magical senses, Rei Ao felt like a cosmic singularity.
He stood right there, but everything about him clashed with reality.
There were no energy waves coming off him, but somehow, she could feel the flow of holy magic and power being gently drawn into him like a tide.
Calm. Unstoppable.
He wasn't a personhe was an entire universe.
The sheer depth of power was unlike anything she'd ever witnessedancient dragons, godsnone of them even came close.
"Nice to meet you, Emerada Edward-san."
Rei Ao, clearly aware of her stare, smiled warmly and spoke politely.
"I'm Rei AoEmilia's husband."
He dropped the bomb with absolute calm.
"H-HUSBAND?!"
Emerada and Suzuno blurted out at the exact same time!
They both stared, eyes wide, looking back and forth between Rei Ao and Emilia, expressions completely blown away.
This was the first time Emerada had even heard of this.
As far as she knew, Emilia had always been laser-focused on defeating the Demon King. She didn't have time for romance, let alone
She'd only been in the other world for how long?!
And now she was married?
To a guy this powerful and mysterious?
Suzuno had suspected something was up between thembut this?
And Emilia confirmed it herself?
It hit as hard as when Suzuno discovered the corruption festering inside the Church.
"U-Uhh"
Emilia's cheeks flushed bright red.
Under their shocked stares, she shyly lowered her head and murmured in a tiny voice:
"Y-Yeah it's true. Rei Ao helped me a lot back in that world."
Her voice trailed off, soft and bashful like a girl with a secret crush.
Seeing her like that
Emerada and Crestia both froze in shock for different reasons.
Emerada's expression screamed "My sweet girl just got stolen."
Crestia's was more like "What the hell is this guy?!"
"Ahem!"
Emilia cleared her throat loudly, trying to shake off the awkwardness.
"Okay, okay, we can catch up laterright now, the Church comes first!"
Her face was still red, but her tone had shifted.
"Olba might be in custody, but the Church is still full of corruption. We have to tear it out from the roots."
Emerada quickly snapped back into mission mode, her eyes narrowing.
"Exactly."
"Olba was just the start. There are still plenty of his alliesand other parasites just like himinside the Church. We're burning them out. Every last one."
Chapter 829: Easily Rescuing Albert Ende
Rei Ao stood there with his arms crossed, watching them calmly, like he had all the time in the world.
Then, just as the silence stretched, he spoke:
"If you think this is getting too complicatedor you just want a clean, fast solutionI can step in."
"Making the darkness around you disappear quietly, or getting people to suddenly 'see the light'... it's easy."
For him, it was just a thought. Honestly, it took less effort than squashing a bug.
Emilia's eyes lit up for a moment.
With Rei Ao's power, she knew cleaning out the Church's corrupt inner circle would be as easy as snapping his fingers.
It was, without a doubt, the quickest and least painful option.
But that temptation passed in a heartbeat.
She looked up.
Her eyes swept across the ancient library filled with forbidden knowledge, then turned toward the Holy Capital outside, still glowing in the night with its sacred silhouette.
She thought of the people of Ente Islaof the ordinary believers still devoted to the Great Law God, of the frontline clergy who might be deceived, or just struggling to survive in the darkness.
And then, she shook her head slowly.
"No, Rei Ao."
Her voice was clear, firmfull of resolve. The voice of a true Hero.
"Thank you. I believe in your strengthyou really could end all this with ease. But..."
She drew in a breath, her eyes shining with a mix of ideals and maturity sharpened by experience.
"Ente Isla belongs to the people who live here."
"Its light and shadow, its order and chaos, its future... should be shaped, chosen, and carried by its own people."
Emilia had grown. She understood now: outside force could clear a pathbut it couldn't build faith.
Real, lasting change would only come when people saw the Church for what it had become, when they understood where the darkness came from, and truly wanted something better.
Otherwise, take down one Olba today, and tomorrow, someone just like him would rise again in the same rotten system.
She looked at Emeralda and Crestia.
"We need to uncover the truth. We need to wake people up. What we need is a transformation that starts from within."
"It might be harder. It might take longer. But only that kind of change can truly bring Ente Isla back from the ashesand let the light of humanity shine pure again."
Emeralda and Crestia were quiet for a moment. Then, their surprise gave way to deep respect.
They both knewthis Hero had been through betrayal and suffering. But instead of breaking, she'd grown stronger, more determined.
Her vision had gone beyond vengeance or purging the bad. She was looking at the bigger picture.
"I completely agree, Hero-sama," said Crestia, hand to her chest in salute.
"The Audit Bureau exists to deliver justiceand that applies to the Church, too."
She was ready to bring down anyone who had twisted it from within.
"Count me in!" Emeralda nodded firmly, her emerald eyes burning with resolve.
"Don't underestimate the influence of the strongest mage. I've still got old friends inside the Church."
"I trust at least some of them still have a conscience. Even if it's a tough spot for them now, I believe they have the courage to speak up."
"Alsowe'll need someone with real weight to take the lead."
Rei Ao looked at the three women, all with unshakable determination in their eyes. He smiled approvingly and gave a slight nod.
"Good. Since you've chosen this path, I'll respect it."
"When the time comes, I'll back you up however I canjust to make sure this revolution actually happens."
He was also their ace in the hole, their safety net.
"Backup?" Emeralda raised a brow.
"For example..."
Rei Ao's gaze shifted to Kamazuki Suzuno, his tone low and cryptic:
"Making sure key evidence doesn't... mysteriously vanish."
"Or..." he added, looking deeper into the library where invisible sealing formations hummed faintly
"Helping certain rats keep their mouths shut."
Emeralda immediately understoodthis was the kind of backup you didn't see, but could always count on. It made her feel a whole lot more confident.
"Alright then. First step."
Emeralda was already moving, voice crisp and focused.
"We need to find Albert. He's a spirit arts sage and has huge influence in the northamong the common folk and the reclusive clergy. His testimony could make or break this."
"Andhe was one of Olba's direct victims."
At the mention of his name, worry flickered in Emilia's eyes.
Albertthe dark-skinned giant with golden eyes and white hairhad once fought beside her.
"He's imprisoned in the deepest part of the Inquisition," said Emeralda. "The Reflection Dungeon."
"The Reflection Dungeon?" Crestia frowned.
She was about to explain its brutal defenses and magical barriers
But Rei Ao simply raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The sound echoed through the quiet library like a spark.
Right in front of them, the air shimmered like disturbed water.
Light twistedand then, solid and real, a massive figure appeared out of thin air.
Albert Ende.
He looked exhausted.
The once steel-like frame was visibly leaner. His signature rough travel gearmade for mountain forestswas torn and battered.
But those piercing golden eyes were still razor-sharp. His calm, grounded presence hadn't changed at all.
He must've been deep in thoughtor on high alertjust moments before.
Now, suddenly standing in this book-filled room, he instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, body tensed, eyes scanning his surroundings.
"Where... is this? Emilia? Emeralda?"
When his eyes found them, the tension on his face vanishedreplaced by shock and disbelief.
His rugged face said it all:
He had no idea how he'd gone from a dark, damp cell to this place full of old books and quiet lightin the blink of an eye.
~~~
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Chapter 830: Cleaning the Church when suddenly....
"You guys wait what am I doing here?"
Albert's voice echoed through the space, loud and confused.
Instinctively, he clenched his fists.
He could feel his powersonce suppressed by the dungeon's sealsrushing back fast. That alone told him this wasn't some illusion.
"Albert, I'll get straight to the point,"
Emelia stepped forward, her face complex and serious.
"We've returned. And now we need you. We need your help to purge the Church of its darkness and bring light back to Ente Isla."
Albert listened, taking in her brief but explosive statement.
His rock-solid features shiftedfirst surprise, then rage, and finally, burning fury.
"Olba that bastard actually dared to pull something this low."
Imprisoning him was one thingtrying to kill the Hero was a whole different level.
"Fine."
His voice dropped into a growl, deep and furiouslike a wounded lion ready to strike.
He dropped to one knee, his massive body hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
Then he looked up.
His golden eyes burned with fierce loyalty and the will to fight.
His voice rang out like a bell tower, shaking dust off the shelves.
"Albert Endeready to give my life for the cause!"
"Whether it's a mountain of blades or an army of zealots, I'll face it all. For justice. For the future of Ente Isla. Just give the word, and I'll give everything I've gotno regrets, no holding back!"
His vow was absolute. Unshakable.
Just as expected.
Emelia took a deep breath and looked at the team around her:
The most powerful sorceress, Emeralda
The cold and calculating auditor, Suzuno Kamazuki
And the rock-solid shield, Albert Ende
Finally, her gaze landed on Rei Ao, the man who had stood beside her through everything.
His silver hair drifted even though there was no wind.
The energy of the Holy Sword flowed around her, and the Hero's presence reached its peak.
"Then let's begin,"
Emelia's voice was calm and sharplike a blade drawn in silence.
It cut through the stillness of the library, marking the beginning of a storm that would soon sweep through the Holy Capital.
"Our mission: destroy the darknessrestore the light."
The night in the Holy Capital was no longer peaceful.
A storm of change, with Emelia at the center, tore through the citythe heart of religious powerat a pace no one had seen before.
Emeralda, newly freed, used every bit of influence and respect she had built in the Churchcombined with rock-solid audit reports from Suzuno.
She became the scalpel, cutting with precision through the web of corruption spun by Olba and his allies.
Confidential documentsdetailing embezzlement, abuse of power, forbidden researchwere made public.
The upper clergy was thrown into chaos.
Emeralda's sharp words left the hesitant and the guilty alike speechlesssome even jumped ship on the spot.
Suzuno Kamazuki became the coldest, most efficient executioner.
As the Chief Auditor, she rallied what honest staff remained in the bureau and launched rapid-fire inspections on temples, treasuries, and archives.
Every link in the evidence chain was solid.
Those who tried to destroy files or fight back had nowhere left to hide.
Her black uniformthe symbol of internal oversightbecame a nightmare for anyone with something to fear.
Albert focused on keeping the peace and holding the front line.
Just his presencetowering, with spiritual power rolling off himwas enough to make most people think twice.
He protected key witnesses, kept Emeralda and Suzuno safe, and used his reputation across the northern continent and secret orders to spread the message:
Change is coming. The Hero has returned.
His powerful voice spoke truths others couldn't sayconfirming Emelia's return and the plan to root out corruption.
He was the anchor in this storm.
And Emelia?
She was the storm's heart and its banner.
She didn't hide anymore.
Clad in brilliant silver armor and wielding the Holy Sword, she walked the streets of the capital and appeared at every key gathering.
She spoke from experience, exposing Olba's betrayal and calling out the Church's rot.
She rallied anyone who still believed in faith and justice to stand up and fight for real glory.
