Banished Villainess

106 : Octagram

Momo did not just lay in the wait as the group encouraged Chloe. She opted to increase her magical powers in order to perfect the “Fallen Lady’s Count” that was held at an impasse for the lack of it.

Magical power and sacred power at two sides of the same coin. While sacred powers are obtained from the love of God, magical power’s object of reverence is one’s own self. I am the God, and anyone who opposes me is God’s enemy— this belief is precisely the true nature of the Momo’s power, now that she had lost the Saintess’ love.

Momo’s red lips spew curses one after another.

— One – The redness of blood

— Two – Like head split opened

The witch dances with the devils

And the golden power overflows

—Four – the revelry at dusk

—Five – the sacrifice I saw sometime

The moon within the eyes of the witch

Shall come from you from deepest pit.

Overcome them oh, purple horizon

The saintess writhes in the darkness within

Her words are so repulsive that all of them who surrounded Momo in all directions fell to their knees unable to move.

Leddorio strugglingly raised his head but the spectacle that welcomed him was so unbelievable that it made him scream. The space itself is warping—No, upon closer look, they were several mouths of space distortions that bore their teeth naked as they laughed. Those very mouths laughed jarringly as they slowly ate the space around them, even the light itself, making them hardly visible.

‘What, one earth…’

‘Unbelievable, is she really able to destroy the world and turn back time?’

‘Lady…’

‘Don’t worry. Everyone stay where you are and don’t move!’

Calming everyone around, Chloe stood up and raised her hands in the air.

‘Sacred Magic, “Barrier”‘

Having invoked that, an octagram magic circle appeared at Momo’s foothold. At the barrier’s establishment, the ominous mouths writhed in pain, vomiting out the space that they had previously eaten before dissipating away. They eventually left behind a pink-haired small girl who had a puzzled look on her face.

‘Wh-What!? How!? I, the “True Saintess”, have become a witch so there’s no way Chloe could possibly win against me. Chloe should always be on the level of “Interim-Saintess” regardless of her efforts, she’s the villainess!”

‘That’s true. I wouldn’t have been able to defeat alone no matter how much I tried. But look at your feet.’

As Momo gave her a closer look, each head of the octagram points towards a sacred stone. They were the spares that Chloe got from the Sacred Church after attending the Advent Festival in the capital. Chloe’s plan was to put a sacred stone at each of the designated places at the same time in order to entrap Momo inside the magic circle.

‘The game did not use sacred stones in the last boss battle, but I’ll have to use them to compensate for my lack of sacred powers. Although, I was slightly worried that you already got wind of the plan…’

‘Damn it, stop screwing with me!! Let me out. Let me out of here!!’

With her eyes dyed blood-red by her evil aura, Momo spat abusive words as she kept striking the barrier that sealed her inside. Momo has knowledge of this world from playing the game. As Chloe said before, even if she had a plan to outsmart the game’s plot, there was still a good chance that Momo will see through it. Leddorio thought that perhaps, that’s exactly the reason why Keith went to so much to provoke her. Just so that Momo would be blindsided by her own anger.

(Still, that’s a bet that almost led to casualties, you know. Keith, you cur, are you saying that you’re fine with no matter how many casualties it will take?)

Leddorio could only think bitterly of his younger brother who was on standby outside of the cave. However, his provocation of Momo certainly had an immediate effect. After all, not just the sacred stones, she also failed to notice having used up all the magic crystals surrounding her. These magic crystals themselves serve to amplify the depravity of the fallen maiden while consequently weakening the saint’s sacred powers.

‘Momo Palette. The witch that resides within you shall be sealed by myself.’

‘Wha-!? That’s Momo’s line in the game! How is that cheap heroine act of a villainess gonna be of help to you? You’re not gonna tell me you’ll defeat me with the powers of love, aren’t you?’

Her hair may have returned to its pink color but her impudence remains the same. As Leddorio previously concluded, the personality of Momo that he and the others got to know of was nothing but a mere pretense to follow the game’s plot.

Momo was still relentless in her violent tantrums inside the barrier but Chloe only gave her a narrowing gaze. She approached the barrier with her fingers outstretched. Suddenly, Momo began to shriek in pain.

‘No. Love alone cannot save anyone.’