Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 305

[Vol. 5] Chapter 305: Demon Lord of Corruption, Eloun

The flying horse slowly folded its wings and, under the protection of the three angels, landed at the edge of a primal forest.

From a distance, they could already see the massive tree in the center of the forest, towering above all the other trees. Its canopy spread so wide that it almost covered a third of the entire forest, casting a vast shadow. Even Yuna, who had previously witnessed this scene from the back of the horse, still carried a look of astonishment that had not yet faded.

“What is this tree…? It’s so massive! Is there really such a wonder in the Sarnos Province?”

Yuna couldn’t offer any constructive answers to Lady Philomena’s confusion. Instead, it was the angel lady who, staring at the towering crown of the tree that seemed to pierce the sky, murmured thoughtfully.

“Life… a divine tree? How is that possible? Lady Seth should have… long ago…”

“…?”

Leila and Rene exchanged glances. Although they had clearly realized something, they silently kept quiet, knowing full well that they were not the only ones present.

Outside the forest, in a clearing, a figure stood silently, waiting for Yuna and the others to descend.

It was a pink-haired woman, dressed in an exquisite noble gown with off-the-shoulder design. Her entire body, including her fair arms and a portion of her jade-like legs, was exposed, revealing more than a third of her skin. She radiated an aura of both elegance and an unsettling, tempting allure.

Behind her, faintly glowing demonic wings stretched out from her back. The long tail, with a heart-shaped protrusion at the tip, swayed like a serpent, and two long black horns curved from her head, all signaling her identity.

An enemy of the Holy Empire and the Goddess Church. The high-ranking demon, Succubus.

“Huuh…”

The divinely pure unicorn snorted, letting out a warning growl, and Philomena and the others immediately displayed hostile intent, gripping their weapons tightly.

After all, the appearance of the Succubus, coupled with the almost unmistakable scent of demons that pervaded the forest, proved that they had already entered the area ahead of them, an area that had been identified in the intelligence as the possible location of the Saintess. It was even likely that a fierce battle had already broken out here.

Succubi were the most direct race related to [Corruption], notorious and difficult to deal with. Despite the presence of two Saintesses and three angels, the individual before them was clearly a high-ranking entity, distinct from ordinary succubi.

This could be deduced from the particularly intricate shape of her wings and the markings on her forehead, which symbolized her lineage.

After sending the white horse away, Yuna raised a hand to signal the others to remain calm and not to act rashly. She nodded toward the angels’ wings and then stepped forward alone to approach the succubus.

“Lady Yuna?”

“Don’t act impulsively… leave it to me.”

Walking slowly, the Saintess stopped just a few meters away from the succubus, standing calmly. She didn’t lower her voice to avoid the other girls behind her. Instead, she spoke to the succubus in a tone as casual as a normal conversation.

“It seems you’ve been waiting for a long time.”

The succubus, Cressia Eloun, kept a neutral expression as she sized up the figures behind Yuna, smiling faintly.

“Not too long, but I must say, you’ve managed to summon even beings like angels to assist you. You truly have quite the ability. I haven’t seen them in a long time, I thought they had long since perished with the gods.”

“This doesn’t concern our agreement, does it?”

“True, I suppose~ So, are you ready?”

“Let’s begin.”

“As you wish~”

Cressia gave a slight nod, and then, seemingly unguarded, closed her deep purple eyes. The subtle, almost imperceptible eye-shaped marking on her forehead began to glow with a profound light.

A faint divine aura emanated from her, yet it was absurd, bizarre, and enigmatic, as if it were a sweet poppy blooming across the fields. It made those who saw or smelled it feel their minds go blank, irresistibly drawn to get closer, to touch, and to indulge.

However, those present were no ordinary individuals. Whether as Saintesses or angels, they possessed considerable resistance to such mind-altering and strange temptations. The divine aura alone, though it overflowed from her manifestation, was not enough to make them lose themselves or become puppets.

Instead, it heightened their vigilance.

“…The Lord of [Corruption]!”

The holy ring on Philomena’s wrist burst with light, warding off the divine and law-encroaching influence, as well as the instinctual urge to act in response to the opposing forces. But [Wing] once again held her back, signaling with a glance to observe the situation.

As for Leila and Rene, their reactions seemed much more indifferent. Perhaps because the angel sisters did not understand the Four Great Demon Lords as deeply as the Saintess of the Holy Empire, or perhaps because the towering ancient tree in the forest gave them confidence.

At least when [Corruption] revealed itself, neither of them showed any particular reaction.

Soon, a faint yet unmistakable phantom appeared behind the succubus Cressia, representing the immense will from a distant world.

It had four arms, each holding a pink gem engraved with an eye-shaped design. It had wings similar to those of the succubus, but with a ram’s head and human body. The being was draped in a large robe that simply covered its form, appearing unrestrained and casual. The only peculiar thing was that its head, resembling a ram’s, had no eyes.

But it was not blind.

Those four eye-shaped orbs, held aloft by arms and exuding an indescribable, sinister aura, are none other than the Demon Lord of Corruption, Eloun.

However, at this moment, there were only three.

Everyone present could clearly see that the left upper arm of the Demon Lord of Corruption, which should have been holding another gem, was now empty. Only the other three orbs, pulsing slightly like living things, focused their gaze on the Saintess in front of them.

Through the guidance of the offspring, [He] conveyed His will.

[It has been a long time, Artifact Spirit. It seems you have regained your physical form.]

Despite the overwhelming power of the divine will that filled the air, Yuna, who was directly affected, seemed unperturbed and calmly replied:

“Yes, the last time we communicated face-to-face like this was more than three hundred years ago. I had planned to communicate with one of your offspring in advance, but it doesn’t matter now… Eloun, you don’t look so well.”

Completely ignoring the other Saintess and three angels behind her, [Corruption] directed His gaze and attention solely toward the girl revered as Bright Light Saintess, not even bothering to respond to her mild sarcasm.

[Undeniably, one of the primal orbs is lost. While this does not diminish my divine power, the influence is still quite noticeable. Moreover, with the recent deterioration of the situation, [Chaos] has become increasingly unstable. The balance has shifted, and I’m afraid I’m somewhat lacking in strength.]

[That battle, which ended in mutual destruction, has affected both of us. It was my miscalculation.]

Yuna raised an eyebrow.

“It’s surprising to hear such words from a Demon Lord whose power is comparable to a god… I’ve wanted to ask this for three hundred years now, was the Demon Lord of Chaos truly that formidable, that even the combined strength of you three Demon Lords couldn’t contend with him?”

[Corruption] did not show any airs of superiority. At least in front of the Bright Light Saintess, [He] spoke with a tone of equality, neither humble nor arrogant.

[Gods are not omnipotent. The rank of [Chaos] is indeed above ours, but to say we couldn’t contend… Artifact Spirit, you’re underestimating me.]

[Some things are not impossible to do. They simply are not worth doing. You understand this principle.]