The Castle's barrier opened.
Aivier landed in the vast square inside the walls. Her enormous draconic body occupied almost the entire Castle grounds, then rapidly transformed. Amid a blaze of azure light, her blue hair streamed out as she regained her human form.
Back in this familiar place, the Self-Binding Angel's expression remained unchanged, but profound, tangled emotions showed in the depths of her eyes.
Like Lynn, she was puzzled by the strangeness of this place.
But what concerned her more were her former sisters who stood here now. Many of the angels were unfamiliar faces, and they did not seem to recognize her.
Of course.
She had been away from this place for tens of thousands of years. Perhaps everything about her had already become dust in the torrent of history.
The surrounding angels dropped to their knees in unison.
"Your Highness!"
Their expressions were numb.
Yet some angels had scarlet eyes and faces filled with bewilderment, as if they were too delirious to respond.
Footsteps sounded in the distance.
Under Lynn's gaze, a black Archangel with twelve wings on her back, just like his Matriarch, approached at the head of her followers. She was drenched in blood, as were the angels behind her. They seemed to have learned of Aivier's arrival and hurried over to welcome her.
But the instant the leading Archangel saw the Self-Binding Angel beside Lynn, her expression changed violently. And she was not the only one. Every angel around her also showed signs of something wrong in that instant.
Their eyes abruptly turned scarlet. At that moment, boundless killing intent seemed to sweep over them, plunging their minds into madness and confusion.
At that moment.
When they saw the Self-Binding Angel, it was as though they had encountered their lifelong enemy.
**"It's her! Engage