System's POV

Princess Xynalia looked relieved when she finally saw Thirteen hugging Kate on a hill overlooking the city.

She felt delighted that the young man had saved Kate on time, but the smile on her face soon faded as she approached the young man.

Thirteen's body was trembling, and she heard his pained sobs, making her eyes widen in shock.

"No, it can't be…" Princess Xynalia covered her lips with her hand before walking towards the young lady in Thirteen's arms.

When she finally understood what had happened, Princess Xynalia felt her world spin around her as she lost the strength in her legs.

Kate, whom she thought had been saved, was dead.

She didn't want to believe it.

No. She refused to believe it.

"No, this can't be happening…" Princess Xynalia muttered. "This is impossible."

Suddenly, she felt a ripple from behind Kate's body, which made her raise her head in that direction.

A blue orb of light emerged from Kate's back and materialized into her form.

"Thirteen, I'm glad you're safe," Kate said softly as she looked at the young man, whose tears were falling from his eyes like rain.

"I'm sorry, Kate," Thirteen replied, hugging her dead body tighter. "I wasn't able to protect you! I was late to protect you!"

Kate reached out to hug Thirteen from behind, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Queen Amara made a deal with me," Kate said. "She said that as long as I cooperate and drink the vial of poison that she presented to me, she will let you live. She really wanted me dead, so she made sure I could not be saved no matter what."

"When they forced me to kneel at the guillotine, that was also the time when I drew my last breath. But I have no regrets. At least, I was able to protect you."

Princess Xynalia, who heard Kate's words, felt so heartbroken that the only thing she could do was cry on the side.

Only her and Thirteen's pained sobs could be heard on top of the hill as both of them grieved for Kate's death.

A moment later, the sound of horns reverberated in the surroundings as the Gryphon Cavalry finally arrived at the scene, ready to apprehend Thirteen.

"That's him!" the Captain of the Gryphon Cavalry shouted. "Kill him and the Heretic!"

Thirteen didn't even bother to look at their pursuers and simply uttered a few words.

"Open… Vaults of Heaven," Thirteen said coldly, his voice reeking with killing intent.

High above the sky, in a place where the Gryphon Riders couldn't see, countless weapons made their appearance.

The mages, who were unaware of what was happening, continued to chant their spells.

But before they could finish casting, a scream made them and their Captain look in the direction from where it came.

There, they saw something that made their eyes widen in shock.

The Vice Captain had a spear stuck on his chest, which also impaled the back of the Gryphon that he was riding on.

They all watched in horror as the Gryphon and the Vice Captain crashed down on the ground, not knowing whether they lived or died.

But it didn't end there.

The mages who had finished chanting found themselves being attacked by various weapons, killing them and the Gryphons they were mounted on.

Blood rained from the sky as the members of the Gryphon Cavalry died one by one.

Their Captain looked up at the Heavens and saw countless weapons emerging from portals, shooting down at them, not missing their mark.

"Retreat!" the Captain shouted. "Everyone retre—arghhh!"

As the Axe sliced off the head of the Gryphon that the Captain was riding on, he quickly fell toward the ground.

He did his best to ensure that he would survive, but all his preparations were shattered by a giant maul that slammed onto his chest, turning half of his body into meat paste.

The brutal scene in the sky made Princess Xynalia laugh hysterically, for her wish to massacre everyone had come true.

Thirteen didn't even bother to look at the death and destruction happening around him.

There was only one thing he wished to do, and that was to kill! Everyone!

"Wait for me, Kate," Thirteen said as she kissed the dead body of her host. "I will avenge you."

Kate's spirit hugged him tighter as she transformed into a blue orb of light that merged with Thirteen's body.

He had planned to personally send her soul to the Cycle of Reincarnation, but before doing so, he planned to settle the score with Queen Amara and the Kingdom, which branded his host as a Heretic.

Thirteen gently laid her body on the ground, treating her as a priceless treasure.

From behind his back, four pairs of steel wings unfolded, each edge gleaming like a razor and sharp enough to carve through armor like a hot knife cutting through butter.

He then stood up and flew to the city.

Just before the city gates, he paused and looked down on the magical barrier that protected the city from any outside threats.

"All of you thought that the Demon Lord was your greatest enemy," Thirteen muttered as tears continued to fall from his eyes. "But you know what? You don't have to worry about the Demon Lord anymore. I will personally send all of you to hell."

Raising his hand, the grieving young man activated a magic circle high above his head.

"By my name and authority, I hereby open the Thirteenth Vault of Heaven," Thirteen's voice reverberated across the sky, as if heralding the end of the world.

The sound of angels singing spread in the surroundings as thirteen War Maidens answered his call.

They then circled the young man before kneeling, awaiting his orders.

"Capture the Queen and the members of the Hero Party," Thirteen ordered. "Kill anyone who will get in the way and raze that city to the ground!"

""Yes, Master!""

The thirteen Valkyries spread their wings in unison, their silver armor glinting as they headed for battle.

Each of them carried a weapon forged from the Vaults of Heaven itself—spears, blades, and halberds that shone with holy light yet trembled with a darker resonance, reflecting their master's sorrow.

The people of the city froze when they saw the divine figures descend, their chants echoing like the tolling of a thousand bells.

Some knelt in fear, believing angels had descended to pass judgment. Others screamed and fled, knowing instinctively that this was no salvation—this was retribution.

Thirteen's eyes turned golden as he looked down on the city that had claimed Kate's life. His heart was filled with wrath, and soon, it would devour everything in its path.

The magical barrier protecting the city seemed to shudder as the young man pointed in its direction. The runes across the sky strained, the enchantments groaning like a dying beast.

"Break."

The sound was not a shout, not even a command.

It was a decree.

The barrier cracked as if it were glass, shards of golden light falling like meteors into the streets below.

Within the city walls, panic erupted. The royal guards scrambled, mages attempted to reinforce the wards, and the bells of alarm rang from every tower.

The Thirteen Valkyries flew in different directions, with six of them headed straight to the plaza.

They would capture the Queen, as well as the Hero Party, the very perpetrators who had brought grief to their Master.

As for the other Valkyries, they resonated with their Master's anger and started to rampage across the city, intending to raze all of it to the ground.

"N-No…" Medea's eyes widened in shock as the dying screams reached her ears.

Her gaze locked on the young man looking down on them from the heavens like a cruel angel who had come to destroy everything in creation.

The Saintess had realized what was happening.

"T-The Prophecy," Medea muttered as her face became pale. "The Cruel Angel will cover the world in death and destruction, with thirteen maidens wielding the weapons of heaven.

"When his wings of steel blot out the sun, the ground will be dyed in the blood of villains and innocents alike."

"Neither Kings nor Queens, neither Heroes nor Saints, shall halt his wrath, for his grief shall break their wills, and his vengeance shall devour the land in its entirety."

"The Angel shall weep, and with his tears, nations will burn. And when the Thirteenth Vault opens, the cycle of judgment shall begin anew."

Medea's staff clattered from her trembling hands, the holy light around her flickering like a dying flame.

"N-No… it cannot be… It was not the Demon Lord… it was him all along…"

Neil gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead as he steadied his sword.

Even he, the so-called Hero chosen by the Goddess, felt his courage falter as the young man in the sky radiated a power that no mortal should possess.

"The Cruel Angel…" he muttered, staring at Thirteen's figure that bode death and destruction upon the world. "So the prophecy was real."

Within the royal palace, Queen Amara heard the bells of alarm and the cries of her people.

She stood before the great stained-glass window of the throne room, gazing up at the heavens where the steel-winged figure hovered like a judgment long foretold.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but her heart raced with dread.

She thought killing Kate would finally bring her peace of mind, but her current feelings were far from being at peace.

Fear gripped her entire being, for the young man's gaze had shifted in her direction.

Even from a great distance, she knew Thirteen was looking straight at her.

He didn't make any moves to approach or apprehend her.

It was as if he wanted to see her cower.

As if he wanted to see her desperation.

As if he wanted to see her regret everything that she had done to Kate!

For the first time in decades, the Queen felt fear claw at her chest.

The prophecy she had dismissed as superstition now spread across the city like wildfire, every word spoken as gospel by terrified lips.

The Queen had courted damnation, and the Gods of their world would pay‌ the price of her insolence.