A cold sweat instantly broke out across Boka's back.
Now it is? What did that mean?
Did the True God behind her just claim this region? Or was it...
Boka instantly linked this to the mission His Excellency had assigned it, and how it had been gathering Divine Spark Fragments on His Excellency's behalf ever since becoming a God-Favored.
Could it be...?
Was the True God behind her also collecting Divine Spark Fragments?!
No, that wasn't right!
Boka recalled the unfamiliar divine power emanating from her—it matched none of the Excellencies on the Aenoria continent.
An absurd thought suddenly crossed its mind: Could she have successfully gathered most of the Divine Spark Fragments and attained godhood?
A newly risen True God?!
Or perhaps a subordinate god secretly nurtured by an Excellency of Greater Divine Power?
And creating a group of humans capable of resurrection within her domain?
What was she doing? Was she testing the abilities of her Divine Authority?
Yes, it was highly likely a newly risen True God!
The more it thought about this guess, the more plausible it seemed.
Furthermore, that unfamiliar divine power aura genuinely matched none of the known True Gods on the Aenoria continent—if she truly were a new god, everything would make sense.
Countless possibilities flashed through Boka's mind as its expression flickered unpredictably between dark and uncertain.
But before it could dwell any deeper on these thoughts, the black-robed girl slowly raised her hand.
“You know far too much of what you shouldn't—”
“Now, it's time to send you on your way.”
Boka's pupils shrank violently, its blood freezing solid in that instant.
It was indeed a God-Favored, but combat had never been its strong suit.
The black-robed girl before it had already demonstrated overwhelming strength with that casual sword strike earlier—if she truly wanted to kill it, it wouldn't last a single round.
“Wait!!”
Boka practically screamed, “I understand now! The True God behind you must be collecting Divine Spark Fragments too! They only attained godhood recently! Those humans who can resurrect must have been created by you!”
Without pausing for breath, it rushed on:
“Why not let me go back? After I report to His Excellency, perhaps we can form an alliance!”
Boka blurted out its deductions in a desperate attempt to talk her down.
Although a God-Favored could enter their True God's Divine Kingdom upon death to live eternally, who would willingly choose death if they could live?
“Furthermore, a God-Favored speaks for their True God. I am confident His Excellency would be more than delighted to converse with the Excellency behind you!”
The black-robed girl paused.
Boka's heart leapt into its throat. Staring at her face, which was largely concealed beneath her hood, it desperately tried to read her expression.
Then, the black-robed girl moved.
She tilted her head slightly, a subtle, complex glimmer appearing within her golden eyes.
It looked like surprise, mixed with the satisfaction of someone thinking, Thanks for filling in the rest of my script.
Seeing this, Boka held onto a final sliver of hope and hastily pressed on:
“What do you say? Why don't we both return and report to our respective—”
Before it could finish, it saw the black-robed girl gently raise a hand.
“I'm afraid not.”
Boka: “...?”
“What you said makes a lot of sense,” the black-robed girl murmured, the corners of her lips curving upward into a soft smile. Her tone carried a touch of regret that practically screamed, I appreciate your effort, but you still have to die. “Though as for your guesses... well, I can't say you're completely right, but your general direction is quite interesting.”
“However—”
She paused, the light in her golden eyes suddenly flaring bright.
“Precisely because you guessed along this line—”
“—I can let you leave even less.”
Boka's face turned completely ash-gray.
It opened its mouth to say something, but a beam of golden light shot forth from the black-robed girl's fingertip, piercing through its chest with absolute precision.
Boka looked down at the hole in its chest, which was still smoldering with golden residual flames. Its expression froze somewhere between shock and unwilling resentment.
Its body slowly began dissolving into specks of light starting from the edges. Glowing with a faint golden sheen, the specks seemed to be extracted bit by bit from within its body.
The last words it heard before dispersing completely were:
“Go back and tell your Excellency—”
“—this forest is already taken.”
“In the future, remember to send word before dispatching any scouts.”
The specks of light vanished completely.
Nothing was left on the ground except two shallow footprints where Boka had last stood.
Standing in place, the black-robed girl quietly watched those golden particles drift into the distance and merge into the invisible void.
Then, she slowly lowered her hand. As a gentle breeze swept past, a lock of snow-white hair glinted faintly beneath her black robe.
Indeed, the black-robed girl was Iluvia.
“Divine Spark Fragments... is it?”
She murmured softly, her expression thoughtful.
“So that fellow Mosator has been collecting those.”
She then recalled his injuries sustained during the divine war.
“Could it be the Life Divine Spark...?”
Iluvia shook her head lightly. “Forget it. Whatever it is doesn't matter. He won't succeed anyway.”
She reined in her thoughts.
Regarding this matter with the God-Favored...
Iluvia knew that even though she killed the God-Favored Mosator had sent this time, he would only send more God-Favored or launch other investigations in the future.
Since that was the case, it was better to assume a different identity and give him a headache instead. Thus, she had deliberately disguised herself as the God-Favored of an unfamiliar deity, avoiding the previous Goddess of Light's signature divine power of light and life. As for angels, she naturally hadn't summoned any... Doing so would have practically blared her identity to the world.
As for the power of which Divine Authority she had used...
“The Divine Authority of Order...”
Iluvia whispered under her breath.
She had verified it many times—the legacy of the previous Goddess of Light contained no such authority at all!
Or rather—the previous Goddess of Light had never possessed the Divine Authority of Order!
This Divine Authority—she had only acquired it after transmigrating and inheriting the legacy!
It was something uniquely hers, belonging solely to Iluvia!
This was also why followers like Lilith had never mentioned Order.
Thinking up to this point, Iluvia narrowed her eyes slightly. She didn't believe this was her golden finger, nor was it possible that she had comprehended it herself—after all, she had been an ordinary human in her past life.
So where had the Divine Authority of Order come from?
Iluvia felt as if a dense fog enveloped her vision.
What was the true reason behind the divine war a thousand years ago?
Had Devilitafil, the previous Goddess of Light... truly fallen?
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