System's POV

Princess Xynalia had never felt this angry in her entire life.

If she could, she would have already strangled the Queen over a hundred times until the b*tch cried and begged for mercy.

She had seen many gruesome things in her home world, Gomorra, and yet, she still underestimated the vileness of humans.

But as a mere spectator in that dream world, she could only close her eyes and cover her ears to prevent herself from witnessing Thirteen's suffering and Kate's heartbroken wail as she begged for the Queen to stop hurting the person she loved.

The succubus princess didn't know if time sped up, but the next time she opened her eyes, the sun was already rising from the east.

Thirteen was carried away by the slaves and brought to a different room, leaving Kate alone inside the tower.

Tear stains left a subtle mark on the side of her face, but Princess Xynalia's attention was on the blood on her lips.

Kate had bitten her lip too hard—so hard it bled—as she helplessly watched Thirteen being stabbed right in front of her.

The sight made the Succubus Princess's eyes well up, and a sharp pain bloomed in her chest.

She then reached out to hug Kate, and for some reason, it was suddenly possible.

Holding the unconscious young lady in her arms, the princess burned with the urge to destroy everything around her.

Once more, she attempted to help. But when she tried to break the chains that bound Kate, her hands once again passed through the object as if she were a ghost.

In the end, the only thing she could do was return to hugging the young lady, who was about to be executed in a few hours.

Within the Temple of Valoria… the Saintess, who had prayed all night, finally opened her eyes.

She had asked her Goddess if they were really doing the right thing, but no answer came to her.

It was as if the Goddess was sparing her from the truth—the harsh reality that this was meant to happen so that the story could reach its conclusion.

Tired and weary from her night vigil, Medea slowly stood up and headed to the dining room.

The sisters of the temple were already eating bread and soup, something they ate on a daily basis.

When she arrived, many of the sisters looked at her with various expressions on their faces.

Admiration, jealousy, envy, inferiority, and other myriad of emotions that they hid deep inside their hearts.

Medea was already used to these kinds of gazes, so she simply sat on the table and thanked the Goddess for the food she was about to eat.

The simple meal didn't last long, and Medea dragged her weary body back to her room to nap for an hour or two.

Her sleep felt like it lasted for only a few seconds, and yet, she knew that two hours had already passed.

Propping her body off the bed, she headed toward the bathroom in order to cleanse herself, as if this was a ritual that she needed to do.

Half an hour later, she donned a set of ceremonial clothes, which she believed were appropriate for the event about to take place.

Frankly, Medea didn't want to see Kate die.

But even if she voiced her opposition, the Queen would definitely ignore her words.

So she decided to do the only thing she could do.

'I will pray for her soul and make sure she gets a proper burial,' Medea thought as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She was truly a beautiful lady, which was why Neil and Theron were head over heels for her.

Medea wasn't dense, so she understood what the two felt for her. She simply decided not to respond to their feelings, prioritizing their mission to defeat the Demon Lord.

Only after that would she entertain the idea of falling in love, and perhaps starting a family as well.

Medea approached the window of her room, overlooking the plaza in the distance.

The people had already been informed that the Heretic would be executed at noon, and some were already gathering as if they wished to be at the very front when it happened.

Medea stood still and waited for a few hours until she heard a knock on her door.

"Saintess, the Hero is waiting for you in front of the church," a Sister reported. "He said it's time to go."

"Thank you," Medea replied. "I'll be there shortly."

Medea glanced at the plaza one more time before walking toward the door.

The moment had finally come, and she had no choice but to see through its conclusion.

Soon, a procession started from the palace.

Kate, who was being escorted by several guards, walked with chains binding her hands.

Leading the procession was the carriage of the Queen. She waved at the people who had come to see the Heretic and were walking behind the royal carriage, satisfied with their responses.

Jeers, laughter, ridicule, contempt, and curses were thrown in Kate's direction.

But she didn't care about whatever they were saying to her.

She was more worried about how Thirteen would react after learning of her death, the mere thought of which pained her much more than her inevitable execution.

The Queen had promised her that if she cooperated, she would spare the young man and allow him to live.

Although she thought the Queen was lying to her, she didn't hesitate to agree, clinging to that slim chance for Thirteen's survival.

When she finally arrived at the Plaza, the Queen talked to her one last time before one of the guards dragged her to the platform.

Princess Xynalia gritted her teeth and flew back toward the castle, intending to wake Thirteen before it was too late.

When she arrived at the room where the young man was held captive, she found him lying on the bed with his hands and feet shackled at the corners of the bed.

He was wearing white clothes meant for nobles, highlighting his features.

But the princess had no time to admire his features right now.

"Wake up, Thirteen!" Princess Xynalia shouted in the young man's ear. "Please wake up! Kate… they're going to kill Kate! Please… I beg you, please wake up!"

As she did everything she could to wake up Thirteen, Kate walked toward the elevated stage that had been prepared for her execution.

The executioner had covered her head with a sack of cloth then forced her to kneel on the guillotine that would take her life.

"Kill her!"

"Kill the Heretic!"

"Kill the Devil!"

"Kill!"

The Queen smiled as the crowd shouted for Kate's death.

The Hero Party stood nearby, ready to act if someone dared to stop the execution.

Queen Amara wasn't too bothered, confident with her meticulousness. Since she wanted Kate dead, she made sure that she would die no matter what anyone did.

The Priest, who was assigned to say a word of prayer to Kate, finished his litany and nodded at the executioner, who was manning the guillotine.

"It's time," the executioner said. "Any last words?"

Kate didn't stir, remaining in her place.

The Executioner then glanced at Queen Amara, who gave him a nod of approval.

Holding the rope of the guillotine, the executioner finally released it from his hand, and the sharp blade began its descent upon Kate's neck.

However, just before the blade could reach her, the guillotine stopped in place, making the executioner's eyes widen in shock.

Standing beside the guillotine was a black-haired young man, holding the blade of the guillotine with his bare hand.

He then yanked the blade from its apparatus and sliced ‌the executioner's body in half before picking up Kate to fly away.

His wings, made from steel, glinted under the sun as he rose toward the sky, flying to the outskirts of the capital city of Valoria.

"Follow him!" the Captain of the Guards shouted, ordering the Gryphon Riders to pursue the criminal who had taken the Heretic away.

Queen Amara sneered at the young man who had saved Kate from the guillotine. There were no signs of worry or frustration on her face.

She even looked as if she was mocking Thirteen for coming to the Heretic's rescue, which had triggered the Army stationed in the city to mobilize and capture them at all costs.