Noctua lay helplessly on the ground from the overwhelming force and looked up at the silver-haired goddess fearfully.
“Argh... H-How can you use this much power under the restrictions...?”
Despite being a Celestial himself, he couldn’t even twitch his wings against her might. Like an ant pinned under a finger, he was pressed flat against the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Even calling the vast disparity "overwhelming" would be an understatement.
“So this... is the Celestial of the Weaver...” Noctua groaned. Of all the stars that illuminated the night sky, the three that made up the North Star always shone the brightest.
Vega coldly looked at Noctua. “I believe I warned you not to run your mouth so carelessly.”
Her bare foot peeked out from beneath her flowing dress and tapped lightly against the ground. A massive arm made of blue lightning shot up from the ground and grabbed Noctua with a crushing grip.
“Begone,” Vega declared like a criminal's court sentencing. Neither burning rage nor bloodlust could be felt in her emotionless tone.
The giant lightning hand gripped Noctua’s wings and immediately ripped them off.
“Aaargh! Kugh!" He clucked his beak miserably and turned to his apostles. "W-What are you fools just standing there for?! H-Help me at once!”
However, the giant hand grabbed his beak and twisted it off, silencing his cries. Then, the hand grabbed Noctua’s head and tore it right off. His presence immediately vanished, taking his blessing with it.
“Haaa.” Vega wiped away the cold sweat beading on her forehead. She couldn't fully erase his existence since he hadn't manifested in his true form. However, his consciousness had been torn apart beyond recognition. His true form would also have suffered severe damage.
He won’t be able to grant his apostles any more blessings.
However, banishing Noctua did not mean everything was resolved. The power granted to the apostles through their Stigma still remained.
She also had to defeat the King of Owls, Cheon Do-Yoon, to protect Kwon Oh-Jin. She bit her lip anxiously. I don’t have much time left.
The Sacred Ground shrank with each passing second as the Celestial restrictions grew stronger. If they were to fully take effect and the Sacred Ground disappeared completely, she didn't know what price she would end up having to pay.
Perhaps... it will be like the owl warned.
In the worst-case scenario, she could perish.
She gazed sorrowfully at Kwon Oh-Jin down below on the ground. Then, she slowly shook her head.
Even if I am to perish, I will finish what I must before I disappear.
Her gaze turned cold and locked onto Cheon Do-Yoon.
“A-Ah...” Cheon Do-Yoon’s jaw dropped, unable to believe what he was witnessing. He could no longer feel Noctua’s blessing. “W-What the hell...?”
The immense power of the North Star Celestial left him paralyzed. He couldn't move a single finger properly as he trembled under the crushing pressure.
“You wicked being,” Vega uttered. Her pale feet descended to the ground with light taps. She slowly raised her hand as she walked toward him. “Receive your—”
Just as she was about to bring down her raised hand, blue sparks burst out of her.
“Argh!” Her face twisted in pain as the restrictions pressing against her Sacred Ground intensified. “Th-There should still be time left...!”
Though the exact cause remained unclear, the pressure of the restrictions was escalating rapidly.
Blue sparks flared violently, one after another. Vega writhed, grimacing in agony.
Kwon Oh-Jin, drenched in blood from head to toe, reached out toward her. “Ve... ga...”
Before he could reach her, she began to turn blurry.
She looked down to see her form gradually fade away.
“N-No...! I-I still have things I must do...! Ugh! S-Stop! I said stop!”
She desperately summoned all her strength to resist the restrictions. As if mocking her pleas, the restrictions only grew stronger and attempted to drive her back to the Sanctum.
“Agh! My... child...” She staggered.
Even with more than half her form already gone, she aimed her arm at Cheon Do-Yoon. However, her voice began fading away.
With those final words, Vega vanished entirely.
Cheon Do-Yoon, who had been crushed to the ground under her power, gasped for air as he pushed himself back up.
After confirming that the goddess’s presence had disappeared entirely, he clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
“H-Hahaha! I knew it. Even the Celestial of the North Star cannot defy the laws of the universe!” His wrinkled lips twisted into a grin. “Your Celestial, who was protecting you, is now gone!”
He walked toward Kwon Oh-Jin and kicked him strongly.
Kwon Oh-Jin was sent rolling across the ground, leaving a long trail of blood.
“Phew. Now, let’s end this once and for all.” Cheon Do-Yoon wiped cold sweat off his forehead with a slightly impatient expression.
Even though Noctua’s blessing had disappeared, he still possessed the power of his Stigma and the mana within the dragon’s heart. With Kwon Oh-Jin lying battered on the ground, the outcome of this battle had already been decided.
Kwon Oh-Jin trembled as he gritted his teeth and pressed his hands against the ground.
He tried to push himself up, but his arms gave out. His face slammed straight onto the ground.
“Haa... haa... haa...!”
His breaths were heavy with the scent of blood as he squirmed along the ground like an insect.
Cheon Do-Yoon sneered as he looked down at him mockingly. “Hahaha! What a pitiful sight! You should have known your place.”
He slowly stepped forward with a bright smile, black feathers forming into a sharp spear in his hand.
“Now... pay the price for your arrogance.”
Just as he was about to thrust his spear downward, a series of sharp metallic clicks rang out.
“Hmm?” Cheon Do-Yoon turned around.
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Oh-Jin, you motherfucker!” Song Ha-Eun shouted, thrashing violently. A small flame crystal suddenly formed in the air and shot toward Cheon Do-Yoon.
It was barely the size of a coin, but Cheon Do-Yoon's eyes widened as he felt the immense power condensed within it. He frantically moved to dodge it.
The spot where he had just stood vanished without a trace, leaving behind not even dust. He stared at the obliterated ground, his mouth agape.
“H-How can you create the Dragon Pearl with just the eyes and no heart...?”
The Draconic Eye was merely a control device to harness the immense mana stored in the dragon’s heart. There was no way someone could use the Dragon Pearl attack with the Draconic Eye alone.
Song Ha-Eun panted heavily as she got up. The tough iron chains binding her clanged noisily.
As soon as a Dragon Pearl touched the chains, they shattered immediately.
Cheon Do-Yoon’s face twisted in shock. “H-How...!”
Ignoring his bewildered gaze, she walked toward Kwon Oh-Jin, who lay motionless on the ground, drenched in blood.
He was her precious treasure, more valuable than anything else in the world. All this time, she had only ever been protected by him. She would always cower behind his back, hoping he would shield her from whatever storm she faced.
But this time... I’ll protect you.
Clenching her fists tightly, she stood firmly in front of him.
“Ha-Eun... r-run... quickly...”
“Shut up, you jerk. Didn’t you ignore me when I told you to run earlier?” She bent down slightly and ruffled his hair.
Cheon Do-Yoon burst into heavy, grotesque laughter. “What a touching sight!”
The Dragon Pearl had caught him off guard for a moment, but it didn’t change anything. The gap between him and her was far too vast for a single new technique to bridge.
“It’s no use,” he declared coldly and raised his arm.
Thousands of black feathers materialized behind him like a grand veil.
Song Ha-Eun smirked at him. “It’s no use, huh?”
She raised her right arm and created a Dragon Pearl. Then, she brought it to the corner of her left eye. “What about now? Still think it’s no use?”
“W-What do you think you’re doing?!” Cheon Do-Yoon's face twisted in horror. The Dragon Pearl possessed the power to annihilate anything it touched. If it made contact with her eye, her Draconic Eye would be obliterated without a trace.
“Tsk, look at you panicking. What’s wrong? Getting nervous now?”
“Not so fast, bitch.” She shrugged and brought the crystal even closer to her eye. “You said earlier that if I plucked my eye out, you’d back off, right?”
Both Cheon Do-Yoon and Kwon Oh-Jin stared at her in confusion.
She smirked again and nodded. “Fine. If you want it that bad, I’ll give it to you.”
“Hahaha! You're really going to give me the Draconic Eye?”
“Yeah.” She then glanced down at Kwon Oh-Jin. “But only if you let Oh-Jin escape safely.”
“No fucking way!” Kwon Oh-Jin shouted.
Cheon Do-Yoon narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. “Hmm.”
Choosing between the Draconic Eye and Vega’s wolf wasn't difficult.
“Very well," he said. "I accept your offer.”
“Accept, my ass! You son of a bitch...!” Kwon Oh-Jin clenched his teeth and tried to get up, only to collapse back onto the ground.
Song Ha-Eun looked down at him, and a faint smile crossed her lips. “Oh-Jin.”
“Don’t say such bullshit...!”
“Hey, you can't be like that to someone older than you.” She leaned down and gently ruffled his hair.
Losing my eyes again will mean being trapped in that endless darkness again. It also means I might never see his face again, but—
“It’s okay,” she said softly. The world wouldn't disappear just because she lost her sight.
Even if I can't see... as long as I can stay by his side—
“It’s not okay, damn it...!” he grumbled.
She gently pressed her lips against his forehead and finally whispered the words buried deep in her heart for so long, the words she'd never dared to say aloud.
“I like you. Not as a little brother, but as a man.”
Kwon Oh-Jin stared up at her, completely dumbfounded. “What?”
“So, even if I go blind again, you better take care of me. Got it?”
She smiled before turning to face Cheon Do-Yoon.