"Finally, it's over," William muttered as he gazed at the projection on the wall.
Cherry was now submerged in the Spring of Life, and her arm had been reattached by Princess Aila as well.
The little girl was currently lying on top of Acedia's body, with Erinys, and Medusa, hugging her from the side.
In just a short period of time, the three girls had become good friends. Because of this, Erinys and Medusa decided to accompany Cherry to get her treatment, which allowed the Virtuous Lady of Charity to calm down.
Several hours after Celine's arm was fully healed, William had sent his lover's twin inside his Thousand Beast Domain in order to show Cherry her recovery.
This of course made the little girl want to have her arm reattached as well, but her fear of William prevented her from doing so.
In the end, the black-haired teenager just hid inside his mother's residence in the Sacred Grove and allowed Erinys and Medusa to accompany the frightened Cherry to the Spring of Life.
Celeste and Audrey were also there to give their support to their little sister, who was feeling calmer after not seeing William's presence.
Unfortunately, Acedia, who was a lover of all cute things, decided to make the three latest trespassers in her home her hug pillows.
The black-haired teenager smiled faintly when he saw Acedia's satisfied expression while hugging Cherry in her arms. Erinys and Medusa were on her left and right sides, making her feel incredibly happy, and forgave them for trespassing into her personal space.
"Cherry will be fully healed when morning comes," Audrey said. "Thank you for helping her regain her lost arm."
"You're welcome," William replied before waving his hand to close the projection. "I'm sorry, but after Cherry's arm is fully healed, the two of you will be temporarily staying in the Thousand Beast Domain. Is this arrangement fine with you?"
"Being with you is much better than being around Nisha," Audrey replied. "Also, the Thousand Beast Domain is a good place. I thank you in advance for your hospitality."
William nodded before shifting his gaze to the beautiful Elf with light-green hair and eyes, who was listening to his conversation with Audrey. "Celeste, you will also be staying with them in the Thousand Beast Domain."
"Okay," Celeste replied.
After her arm was healed, the beautiful Elf spent most of her time thinking about what she wanted to do in the future. First and foremost, she wanted to have a long talk with her sister, Celine, after she returned to Hestia.
Her safety was her priority, and she couldn't focus on anything else until she saw Celine with her own two eyes.
A moment later, Arwen appeared carrying a tray filled with cookies. She then placed it on top of the table, and gestured for everyone to taste her freshly baked experiment.
William glanced at the "okay-ish" looking cookies before picking one of them to take a bite. He knew that his mother wasn't really that good at baking, but he was willing to humor her by eating the cookies that seemed harmless in his eyes.
"Well, how is it?: Arwen asked. She was looking at her son with a gaze of expectation.
"It's surprisingly good," William replied. "Good job, Mother. You didn't mistake the sugar for salt, like what you did last time."
"You still hold a grudge over that small mishap. Will, you're so petty."
"Yes. I am petty."
This playful banter between mother and son made the atmosphere inside the living room quite lively. Celeste and Audrey couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of them.
The Prince of Darkness, whom everyone believed to be a menace to the world, was busy munching on cookies while showering his mother with praises.
After interacting with William in the past, Audrey now understood that he wasn't someone who went out of his way to antagonize people. It was always them who came to him to cause trouble each and every time, and the Half-Elf only attacked them out of self defense.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she had long realized that it was the Pope who was the villain behind everything.
Even so, as one of the Heavenly Virtues, she still felt complicated about the upcoming war between William and the Holy Order of Light.
It was as if there was an unwritten rule that they would not discuss these matters in front of each other, in order to not strain the current relationships they had.
Audrey didn't know that, aside from her and Cherry, the rest of her sisters had already jumped ship and joined William's boat. If she knew, then she would have also switched sides and stood against the Pope who was making things difficult for everyone.
—----
Meanwhile, in the Palace of Light…
"Have any of you seen Belle?" the Pope asked after she gathered the Pseudo-Gods who were serving their side.
"She said that she wanted to take a breather, and left with Aethon to go somewhere," one of the Pseudo-Gods replied. "She said she will return as soon as she can."
The Pope nodded. "Very well. Let's all start the meeting."
They were currently in a special domain that prevented anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation. The Pseudo-Gods had already used their powers to create multiple-layers of protection to prevent anyone from hearing any part of the important discussion that they would be having today.
"I've received word that the Prince of Darkness has finally made his appearance," the Pope stated. "It is only a matter of time before he attacks us directly…"
The Pope's expression was solemn because she understood that she and William could not coexist under the same sky. One of them must disappear from the picture, and the Pope had every intention to be the last one standing.
"This will be the final battle between us and the Prince of Darkness," the Pope said after a few minutes of silence. "All the preparations have been made, and our plan can start as soon as he arrives. We only have one shot at this, so I hope that all of you can give it your all in order to end his menace once and for all."
One of the Pseudo-Gods sighed. "Is there really no room for discussion?"
"No," the Pope replied. "I have offended him several times already. This will not end until I'm dead. I can already tell that, this time, he will come to kill me. But, even if I die, I'm going to bring him down with me."
"What are our chances of winning?" one of the Pseudo-Gods asked. "Now that he has the Bull Demon King under his command as well, our chances have become slimmer."
"Don't worry." the Pope smiled. "We will not lose. Although many sacrifices will be made, this is for the greater good."
The Pseudo-Gods didn't reply and simply listened to the plan the Pope had prepared for the upcoming battle.
After hearing everything, they felt that the Pope had gone crazy. Even so, they still decided to go ahead with the plan. They knew that this fight was inevitable, and since they couldn't escape it, they would just use everything to their advantage to win.
Even if the price they would have to pay would push the very foundations of the Holy Order of Light to the brink of collapse.
—---
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