"."
In the beautiful courtyard, Shien sat in the gazebo, somehow falling silent as he gazed into the distant horizon for a long time without speaking.
Recalling that sensation from earlier, as well as the faintly perceived gaze, Shien murmured softly.
"Was it her?"
He had already somewhat guessed whose gaze it had been.
That feeling, both unfamiliar and familiar, could probably belong to no one else but that person.
"Has she finally been resurrected?"
Shien shifted his gaze and looked up at the sky.
There, pitch-black clouds covered the heavens and earth, the oppressive feeling they gave off growing stronger by the moment.
Almost unconsciously, Shien reached out and pressed a hand against his chest.
The next second, a crimson radiance shone from Shien's chest.
Shien immediately snapped back to his senses and looked toward that crimson glow.
Within the radiance, a red jewel emerged through his body, drilling out from inside him.
It trembled lightly as it revolved around Shien.
Shien's gaze followed its trajectory, and he somehow understood what was happening.
"Are you going back to your true master?"
This was farewell.
Just as the Holy Sword would automatically return to the Hero if it had been lost for a certain period, even without being deliberately summoned, now that the Demon King had been resurrected, her jewel would also return on its own to that person.
This also meant that, even if she did not wish it, she would return to her peak condition.
In that case, by this time tomorrow, Shien would likely have to face a Demon King in complete condition.
The true strongest being, whom even the Supreme God could not defeat and whom no one in the world could match.
Such an existence was about to return.
There was no use trying to