The Best Cure for Those Returnees is a Beating

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The plan that Park Yoo-jin laid out was as follows.

The ability wielded by the Celestial Lady, known as the “Divine Power,” requires an energy called “Holy Energy” to use.

And this Holy Energy comes from the Celestial Lady’s halo. To be precise, it is received from the deity Dion beyond dimensions, transmitted through her halo, which she then manipulates as her own power.

The same goes for the knights of the order who serve as the subordinates of the Celestial Lady and wield divine energy. Their strength too originates from the Celestial Lady’s halo.

In other words, if the Celestial Lady’s halo can be destroyed, the enemy’s military might can be eradicated in an instant.

However, the halo was not a physical object. The only means to interfere with it was through the divine powers wielded by gods who also handle similar Holy Energy.

Therefore, the only one who could shatter the Celestial Lady’s halo was Park Yoo-jin, who stood right before Lee Ha-yeon.

“Soon, Rozelia will fall asleep. That will be our chance. While she is asleep, we can sneak into her chamber and destroy the halo. You don’t need to worry; I know the way like the back of my hand.”

Watching Park Yoo-jin explain step by step, Lee Ha-yeon was curious about the exact relationship between her and the Celestial Lady.

A person who resembled the Celestial Lady infinitely, a returner who had traversed dimensions like her.

Changes in appearance among returners were common. Some change to fit the new world during the summoning process, and others might undergo a transformation due to post-transformation.

However, it was never common for two different returners to have almost identical appearances.

The reason could be guessed. The Celestial Lady gained her powers by serving the god Dion in that world. It meant that Park Yoo-jin, who bore a similar appearance and abilities, must have gone through a similar process.

But then why?

Why were the two, who went through a similar process, now hostile towards each other?

Park Yoo-jin claimed that she was a close friend of the Celestial Lady. Moreover, the two, who were summoned to the same dimension on the same day, must have relied on and trusted each other to survive.

Yet, by this point, the Celestial Lady had imprisoned Park Yoo-jin, and Park Yoo-jin was claiming she would stop the Celestial Lady.

…There must be circumstances Lee Ha-yeon was unaware of.

However, she couldn’t afford to listen to such details right now. After hearing Park Yoo-jin’s plan, Lee Ha-yeon carefully said to her.

“I understand the plan. If what you say is true, I believe we can definitely defeat the Celestial Lady.”

However, attacking the Celestial Lady with just the two of them was too great a risk.

“How about we first escape the order and gather our strength before returning?”

“I wish we could do that, but… an ambush wouldn’t be possible if it’s not tonight. I can only move at my own will during the night.”

“What do you mean by that?”

At Lee Ha-yeon’s question, Park Yoo-jin carefully opened her mouth.

“As you can see, I resemble Rozelia like a twin, right? So, Rozelia made me a puppet for external activities. Once the sun rises, I lose my will and am controlled entirely by Rozelia. Moreover, if she wishes, she can even peek into my memories.”

Thus, planning for the future was impossible. Even if they managed to escape from here, the moment dawn broke, the two’s plan would be exposed all at once.

In other words, tonight was their last opportunity.

“…I understand. If tonight is our only chance, we have no choice. But since it’s risky for just the two of us, I’ll request support.”

“Support? The police…?”

When Park Yoo-jin asked with a nervous expression, Lee Ha-yeon shook her head.

“No, it’s the executioner. I’m affiliated with the executioner’s office.”

“So, you’re an executioner?”

“Yes, sorry for the late introduction. I’m Lee Ha-yeon, a trainee executioner. Right now, I’m undergoing training at Kwon Tae-ho’s execution office.”

At the mention of an executioner, the anxiety that had spread across Park Yoo-jin’s face seemed to dissipate slightly.

Perhaps she thought that while the police might not be trustworthy, an executioner would be a help? Lee Ha-yeon offered a reassuring smile to Park Yoo-jin as she spoke.

“I’ll go upstairs and request support from Kwon Tae-ho. Is there a place above where I can use the phone?”

“There should be several landlines in the legal office.”

“Then let’s head to the legal office first. After that, we can plan with the executioner.”

It seemed much safer than moving recklessly.

Besides, even if the ambush failed, Kwon Tae-ho could confront the Celestial Lady head-on.

Lee Ha-yeon personally felt that the Celestial Lady’s power was overwhelming, but she didn’t believe Kwon Tae-ho would be at a disadvantage.

“Shall we set out then?”

The two stepped out of the prison, following Park Yoo-jin’s lead to the ground floor.

As Park Yoo-jin had confidently stated, she was well-versed in the layout of the headquarters. Not only did she know the layout, but she also knew where people would be staying at this hour.

The order’s headquarters had night guards, but these were limited to the entrance areas where outsiders might enter and the central building where the Celestial Lady and the knights were located.

In other words, the interior of the headquarters directly connected to the underground prison was relatively lightly monitored. While there were guards who patrolled periodically, as long as they were cautious, that felt like enough.

“This way.”

Park Yoo-jin whispered to Lee Ha-yeon as they cautiously moved down the hallway.

Park Yoo-jin was navigating the path while Lee Ha-yeon kept her senses sharp, prepared for any possible encounters with enemies.

After proceeding cautiously, the two soon arrived at the corridor with the legal office that housed the landlines.

At that moment.

“Wait a moment.”

A small sound brushed past Lee Ha-yeon’s ear.

– Tap. Tap. Tap.

As the footsteps drew closer, the two quickly hid around the corner.

– Tap. Tap. Tap.

A moment later, from around the corner, appeared the owner of the footsteps—the female knight Kim Hye-sol, who had shown particular friendliness towards Lee Ha-yeon.

“Please just walk straight. Please just keep straight…”

At that moment, the two and Hye-sol stood at the intersection of an ‘H’ shaped hallway. Lee Ha-yeon, hiding behind the corner on the right, hoped Hye-sol would walk straight away.

But alas, Hye-sol turned the corner. She began to cross the linear corridor where the legal office was located, approaching the corner where the two were hiding.

“What do we do?”

Lee Ha-yeon silently asked Park Yoo-jin with her eyes.

Though retreating could be a response, the footsteps might reveal them. While quietly hiding might be manageable, crossing the long corridor without making a sound would be impossible before Hye-sol arrived.

Park Yoo-jin seemed to think the same way. If so, there was only one answer.

– Tap. Tap. Tap.

Clenching her fist tightly, Lee Ha-yeon waited for the approaching footsteps, her heart racing faster as the sound drew closer.

– Tap. Tap.

And then Hye-sol was upon them, finally turning the corner.

– Bam!!

Lee Ha-yeon swiftly reached out. Hye-sol, caught off-guard by Lee Ha-yeon’s sudden appearance, didn’t have time to react.

– Ugh!

A clean hit landed squarely on Hye-sol’s chin. As she began to lose her balance, Lee Ha-yeon, who had anticipated this, tightened her grip around Hye-sol’s neck.

“Kuh, cough…!”

– Ugh!

Hye-sol instinctively lifted her elbow, striking Lee Ha-yeon’s side. The pain shot through her, causing her grip to loosen just enough for Hye-sol to push Lee Ha-yeon away and regroup.

– Rattle!!

However, in that instance, golden chains burst forth from Park Yoo-jin’s hand, restraining Hye-sol.

“What?!”

Taken aback by the second ambush, Hye-sol soon looked at Park Yoo-jin, her brows furrowed. As she glanced back and forth between the two, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.

“Haha, what’s going on right now…? Why are two people who should be in prison roaming about freely in my home?”

With that, Hye-sol attempted to exert herself to break free from the restraints, but it was futile against the light chains created by divine power. Giving up, she turned to Park Yoo-jin, expressing her concern.

“…Rosemary, are you planning to defy the Celestial Lady again? You should release the restraints already. I’ll make sure to speak kindly to the Celestial Lady on your behalf.”

“My name is Park Yoo-jin, not some name like Rosemary…!”

“That’s the name given to you by Father Dion; you should cherish it.”

As Hye-sol smirked, her gaze shifted to Lee Ha-yeon. Unlike before when there had been a mix of worry in her eyes, her look now was filled with irritation and anger.

“I thought Ha-yeon would be able to become friends with you. At this rate, it feels like I’ve completely turned into an enemy. What a pity.”

“Friends? I never planned to be friends with a criminal from the beginning! I’ll be sure to arrest you soon, so you should be prepared for that!”

“Well, I don’t think it’ll go that way.”

With that, Hye-sol shook her head while smirking. Just as Lee Ha-yeon was about to ask something, Hye-sol spoke first.

“…If you want to escape, you should hurry. After you so openly used divine power at the headquarters, do you really think the Celestial Lady wouldn’t notice?”

Oh no.

The moment panic crossed Park Yoo-jin’s face.

– Boom!!

A bright light erupted from the far end of the corridor.

“Ha-yeon!”

Just after Park Yoo-jin shouted, a massive spear of light surged toward Lee Ha-yeon. But just before it could strike, the shield of light created by Park Yoo-jin intervened, colliding with the spear.

– Bang!!

With the explosion, the entire corridor trembled as if it would collapse. Through the rising cloud of dust, Lee Ha-yeon glared beyond the corridor.

“Oh no, we’re done for.”

There stood the Celestial Lady, Rozelia, with a visage almost identical to Park Yoo-jin. Even from a distance, the anger emanating from her weighed heavily in the air.

“…Rosemary, why are you out here?”

With that, the Celestial Lady’s gaze shifted to Lee Ha-yeon.

“Is this your sister’s doing?”

– Shudder.

In that instant, Lee Ha-yeon instinctively covered her mouth. The nausea rising from deep within her throat stemmed from a primal fear felt instinctively.

This was different.

Though she had already experienced battle with the Celestial Lady once, to Lee Ha-yeon’s eyes, the Celestial Lady before her felt like a completely different entity from the one she had encountered.

With such a monster before them, escaping would be impossible for the two.

“Yoo-jin.”

Having made that judgment, Lee Ha-yeon lowered her posture and spoke to Park Yoo-jin.

“I’ll buy you some time. Please go seek help from the Kwon Tae-ho execution office.”

– Kiih!!

Immediately, a blue magical energy sparked from Lee Ha-yeon.

– Taang!!

With a kick to the ground, Lee Ha-yeon accelerated toward the Celestial Lady at an unbelievable speed.

This was “Ultra-Acceleration,” a technique combined from the acceleration magic with her own abilities—a mimicry of the skill Kwon Tae-ho had used while fighting Ghost Blade before. Though it was far slower compared to Kwon Tae-ho, it was sufficient to catch the Celestial Lady off-guard.

“What-”

In an instant, as Lee Ha-yeon drew near, the Celestial Lady activated her divine power.

Blood Subjugation, a power that allowed her to manipulate the body of a being who drank her blood or any of her bodily fluids.

However, even if she tried to control Lee Ha-yeon to stop her now, the punch propelled by Lee Ha-yeon’s already-accelerated momentum landed squarely on the Celestial Lady’s jaw.

– Bang!!

With a sound echoing more like an explosion than a mere collision.

– Crunch!

Immediately Afterward, Lee Ha-yeon’s wrist burst from the inside out. Just as a sparrow trying to chase after a stork would tear its legs, she hadn’t been able to withstand the strain of imitating Kwon Tae-ho’s technique.

– Bam!!

Yet, the Celestial Lady struck by such a punch could not remain unscathed either. Her body slammed against the wall, and a flustered Hye-sol shouted urgently.

“Celestial Lady!!”

“Yoo-jin! Run away now!”

Though the ambush had succeeded, Lee Ha-yeon understood well that it would not be enough to defeat the Celestial Lady.

– Crack. Crack.

As if to prove this, the dust cloud parted and revealed the Celestial Lady stepping out calmly. Though her neck had twisted horrifically from the blow that had seemingly broken her cervical vertebrae, the Celestial Lady adjusted her bones back into place with her own hands.

“Spit.”

Instantly recovering, the Celestial Lady, Rozelia, spat blood from her mouth.

Her appearance was closer to that of a grotesque warrior than a Celestial Lady. A sinister smile then emerged on her face.

“You’re stronger than I expected. I like it. However, you’re being rude, so I think a little education will be necessary.”

– Spot!!

The moment she finished those words, the Celestial Lady vanished from Lee Ha-yeon’s sight.

– Ugh!!

“Gyaah?!”

Immediately from behind Lee Ha-yeon, the Celestial Lady swung a flail made of light. The strike, which was too swift to react against, slammed into her side, sending her flying awkwardly toward the wall where the Celestial Lady had just been.

“Cough! Cough, urgh!”

Just one blow was enough to crack several ribs and damage her insides. Seeing blood mixed with pink flesh flow from her mouth, Lee Ha-yeon couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief at the surrealism of the situation.

“I won’t kill you. However, you’ll feel as though you could die.”

– Thud!!

From the light flail that the Celestial Lady was wielding, thorns thick as Lee Ha-yeon’s arms erupted viciously.

“You won’t kill me, huh? That statement feels more dubious than sincere given that terrifying visual,” Lee Ha-yeon thought as she staggered to her feet.

– Rattle!!

But at that moment, light chains flew in from behind the Celestial Lady, tightening around her form.

“……Rosemary. Don’t interfere. I will be getting angry now.”

With a deep sigh, the Celestial Lady turned to look at them as if to indicate it was all a pointless resistance, and there was no sense of urgency in her tone.

However.

– Tada!!

Before the Celestial Lady, there was Lee Ha-yeon struggling to reach her, hands outstretched in a desperate plea.

More specifically, it was her halo, glowing brilliantly above her head.

“Uh?”

The moment a look of surprise crossed the Celestial Lady’s face, Park Yoo-jin’s hand clutched her halo tightly.

Immediately afterward.

– Crackle!!!

With a sharp sound, yellow lightning erupted chaotically from the Celestial Lady’s halo.

“Waaaaaah!!”

With a scream of determination, Park Yoo-jin poured all her Holy Energy into the hand gripping the halo.

Now that the ambush had failed, this was the last chance they had. The halo floating above Park Yoo-jin’s head trembled and glowed fiercely.

However.

“……”

The attacked Celestial Lady merely scowled as though slightly bothered.

Panic and fear began to spread across Park Yoo-jin’s face, and the Celestial Lady sighed before gently seizing her wrist.

– Crack! Crack!

With an uncomfortable noise, Park Yoo-jin’s wrist shattered. Startled, she tried to resist with all her might, but it was as if she had been nailed in that spot, unable to escape at all.

“……Rosemary.”

A voice significantly deeper than before.

Park Yoo-jin swallowed hard as she looked at the Celestial Lady.

“Are you trying to kill me now?”

No, she wasn’t trying to kill her. Though the halo might collapse and leave her dazed for a moment, her life wouldn’t be in danger.

However, the Celestial Lady didn’t care about such details.

While an escape attempt might be excusable, the sight of her precious friend revealing a blade against her left the Celestial Lady coldly staring into her eyes.

“How can you do this to me?”

– Crack!!

Immediately, a spear of light materialized in mid-air and pierced Park Yoo-jin through the waist, pinning her to the ground.

“Waaaaah! Ah, cough…!”

Like a bug displayed in a gallery, Park Yoo-jin flailed her arms and legs in agony. The Celestial Lady looked down at her with a frosty gaze.

“I’m asking you how you can do this to me.”

“Cough…! I…! you…!”

“Why don’t you understand my feelings?”

– Crack! Crack!!

A second spear pierced Park Yoo-jin’s shoulders. With a scream, her body went limp. Though she barely clung to consciousness, any further resistance was impossible now.

To an average person, it would have been a fatal wound.

However, for Park Yoo-jin, she would likely survive. Like the Celestial Lady, she too was a being blessed by the god. No mere injury like this would be enough to kill her.

And then.

“Sister.”

The Celestial Lady, who had just knocked down her friend, turned her attention toward Lee Ha-yeon.

“I wanted to enjoy the process of making you repent a bit longer. It had been quite a while since I saw someone with willpower as strong as yours.”

The Celestial Lady candidly confessed her desire.

However, paradoxically, there was no longer a trace of such desire in her voice.

“…But now, it won’t do. To think you dared to attempt to steal my precious friend from me. There’s a limit to crossing a line.”

– Swipe.

The Celestial Lady drew a knife and cut her wrist. Red blood began to drip.

“…So, let’s finish this now.”

– Snap!

The Celestial Lady seized Lee Ha-yeon’s neck. The sensation of being unable to breathe made Lee Ha-yeon groan in pain.

“I d-don’t want to…!”

“Drink.”

“…Ah, ugh…!”

As the hand tightened around her neck, Lee Ha-yeon instinctively opened her mouth. The Celestial Lady poured her blood generously into the now-open throat.

“Cough, ugh!”

– Gulp. Gulp.

“Drink.”

The Celestial Lady continued, in a cold tone.

“Drink my blood and submit to me.”

Without any sense of forgiveness, she poured enough blood to crush Lee Ha-yeon’s will into her throat.

“Bow down before me and submit your head.”

Lee Ha-yeon had already lost her resolve to resist and slumped, yet she continued on.

“Only think of me, and become a slave who solely obeys me.”

Eventually, when the blood she couldn’t swallow began to trickle down her chin, the Celestial Lady let go of Lee Ha-yeon.

– Thud.

Lee Ha-yeon knelt down, but she didn’t collapse.

“Sister.”

In a state of foggy consciousness, she raised her head at the Celestial Lady’s call.

“Do you swear to dedicate everything to me?”

“…Swear?”

Momentarily tilting her head in confusion at the Celestial Lady’s question.

“…Yes, I swear, I swear I will…”

A rapturous smile spread across her face as she spoke. The Celestial Lady also beamed at the sight.

“You spoke well. Now, for your reward.”

– Drip.

The Celestial Lady opened the wound on her wrist and poured blood onto the ground. Lee Ha-yeon stared blankly at the spreading crimson pool on the floor.

“Ah, thank you….”

In an ecstatic voice, she began to thank her while lowering her head to lick the blood from the floor. Watching that, the Celestial Lady started to tremble with delight.

“Hehe, uhu, uhh…! Ahhahahaha!”

Soon, the sound of the Celestial Lady’s laughter echoed throughout the corridor.

“Exactly! This is it! In the face of divine power, even an executioner or whatever is nothing but a bug crawling on the ground! No, a bug is a far more dignified existence!”

– Crack!

The Celestial Lady stomped down on the back of Lee Ha-yeon’s head. Regardless, she continued to lick the blood on the floor with a blissful expression.

“…But God loves you all equally. If you know your place and bow your head, you’ll receive grace and blessings. So do your best to crawl around.”

“Rozel…ia….”

Amidst that sight, Park Yoo-jin said with a distorted face from the pain.

“Just… stop now…. Nothing is going to change by doing this……”

“…Why must I? We’re only just getting started.”

In response to her friend’s earnest words, the Celestial Lady replied with a mad grin.

With that, the Celestial Lady took out her smartphone and made a phone call.

– Ring ring ring. Click.

After a brief moment of ringing, once the other party answered, the Celestial Lady spoke in an ecstatic voice.

“Hello? Is this Brother Kwon Tae-ho?”

Her voice, as she spoke, had twisted into a grotesque blend of ecstasy and desire.