Why kill him?

Isn’t he already dead?

Confronted with Lea’s counterquestion, Moen instinctively froze.

At first hearing, what Lea said sounded like pure nonsense.

But out of trust in the girl, Moen followed that line of thought at once, and quickly caught on.

Right—why even think about killing the prisoner before them?

Life into death, death into life.

Under the Goddess’s authority, the lifeless statue had turned into a living demon hound.

But the prisoner before their eyes was the exact opposite: from a living being into a lifeless alchemical item!

He was already dead to begin with, so there was no need to kill him again!

“So that means we can purify him directly?”

Moen suddenly turned back, fixed his gaze on Lea, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

“Mm, in theory yes. After all, his soul is being forcibly imprisoned inside this alchemical item; a soul that does not belong there can be purified directly.”

Lea nodded vigorously, then said a bit hesitantly:

“But...”

“But?”

“But... during the purification, at least someone has to be able to suppress him.”

Freya, standing by, took up the thread with a smile, as if Lea’s words had just made the key point click for her as well.

“Right?”

Moen ignored Freya and simply looked quietly at Lea.

“She’s right.”

Lea sneaked a glance at Moen with her bright, limpid eyes and said, a little embarrassed:

“After all, purification is a delicate spell; even if he’s a dead thing, if he resists, it can’t be carried out.”

“...”

The corner of Moen’s mouth twitched; it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his heart, and most of his joy evaporated on the spot.

So it wasn’t going to be that simple after all.

He silently turned his gaze toward the prisoner.

Under the penetrating insight of the replica of the Eye of Omniscience, the prisoner’s essence was laid bare before everyone; but this act seemed to enrage him as well. As blood-tears of grief streamed down, the prisoner, who had been briefly suppressed moments ago, was already slowly rising to his feet again.

The lantern swayed, miasmic wind swept in, and with his hoarse sobbing, the tattered clothes wrapped around the prisoner were like a soul-summoning banner.

A terrifying aura spread from him, silently proclaiming to all that he was not merely an emotionless on-off switch for the demon hounds.

“Judging by his aura, before he was turned into an alchemical item, he was at least a fifth-tier warrior.”

Fifth-tier, plus the properties of an alchemical item—trying to suppress him, and suppress him so completely he can’t move at all—how could that be easy?

About as difficult as pinning a dragon beneath you and having your way with it... with a far greater chance that you’ll be the one pinned beneath and done with as it pleases.

“Sorry.”

Lea twisted the hem of her skirt, a bit self-reproachful.

If only her purification were a bit stronger, if it wouldn’t be disrupted, then it wouldn’t...

“It’s not on you.”

Moen still couldn’t help ruffling her cute little head:

“You’re already amazing—far better than those who've been slacking off so far.”

“Who are you calling slackers!”

Anne folded her arms over her flat chest, her slender brows shooting up.

This guy—his words are as obnoxious as ever!

The other saintess candidates and knights, though they said nothing, all cast him meaningful looks.

Moen, as if he hadn’t seen any of it, merely tightened his grip on Elizabeth again and chuckled:

“Ladies and gentlemen, you all heard what Lea said. This isn’t the time to hold back—hurry up and bring out your trump cards.”

For saintess candidates selected by the Church to be standing here, and the geniuses carefully chosen for that position, Moen didn’t believe that what they’d shown just now was all they had.

Or rather, this very desperate situation might itself be a part of the Church’s trial.

And as long as it was a trial, it was unlikely to truly drive people to utter despair.

“Mr. Moen makes sense. Since we already know the solution, we should of course give it our all.”

Freya stepped forward first, the smile on her face still holy and gentle, calming many who had panicked under the demon hounds’ siege, as if they had found their backbone.

“I was a bit slow to react just now and seem to have upset Mr. Moen. This time, allow me to take the lead.”

An unreadable look flickered in Freya’s eyes; she suddenly extended her slender jade hand and pointed at the prisoner.

In an instant, the Eye of Omniscience that reflected the prisoner’s true nature moved above his head and began to spin rapidly.

Fine patterns rapidly surfaced on the eyeball-like object, blinding gold seeping from the lines, and then boundless light and heat burst forth from within the Eye of Omniscience!

Under that searing suppression, the prisoner who had just stood showed signs of his knees buckling again.

Self-destruction!

Freya actually chose to detonate this precious ancient relic without hesitation!

“It’s only a replica.”

The corner of Freya’s mouth curved slightly, and she called softly:

“Bryan.”

“Yes.”

A fervent response came from the shadows.

A pale-faced man surfaced from the darkness, pressed both hands hard toward the ground, and the shadow beneath his feet spread at once, turning into a mire that swallowed the prisoner’s feet.

The prisoner’s body swayed, as if yielding to the black bog’s devouring, and the lantern swung more violently than ever.

“Ah... Goddess...”

In that moment, his wails grew even more sorrowful; yet in those hollow eyes, flickering flames seemed to rise.

They were flames of fury!

Bryan’s body shuddered; he felt a overwhelming backlash that nearly knocked him off his feet.

But he clenched his jaw and kept dragging the enraged prisoner down and down.

“Shadow magic?”

Faye looked intrigued. Not bad.

“This is no time for snark.”

The veins on Bryan’s forehead bulged.

“I can’t hold much longer!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Men who get so antsy aren’t very charming.”

Faye stretched lazily; even her voluminous mage’s robe couldn’t hide the stunning figure that made Anne’s expression turn sour.

She drew a great staff taller than a person; without any incantation, she suddenly jabbed it toward the prisoner.

Vast mana surged; in an instant, countless fine sounds of grinding bone came from the prisoner’s body, and his whole form sagged by nearly half in a heartbeat.

Gravity magic!

Everyone was taken aback. Faye had just summoned a giant serpent, so they had taken her for a summoner, yet she could casually wield such a powerful spell.

“A hundredfold gravity spell should keep him from thrashing about for a bit. Little Lei-Lei, he’s all yours next.”

“Don’t call me Little Lei-Lei!”

The adventurer known as Thunder Spear bristled, and her body lunged like a tiger. Her black long spear thrust like lightning, carrying an unstoppable momentum as it slammed into the prisoner’s shoulder.

“Ah...”

The prisoner’s body jolted; the tadpole-like golden sigils on him flared, and an immense power surged from that withered frame against all reason, nearly tearing apart the darkness at his feet.

The Thunder Spear lodged in his shoulder, and the sheen of magic around him, seemed on the verge of collapsing under that force.

“Reta!”

“Paul!”

But just as he was about to break free of these powerful restraints, two more figures—one tall, one small—closed in without giving him a breath.

“Roar!”

“Divine Will Style: Severing Snow!”

An attack that seemed to tear open space arrived as promised; the terrible force within the prisoner had no time to erupt before it was brutally forced back.

The prisoner staggered; under their combined assault, his body was pressed ever lower until he was once again on his knees.

“Not even ten seconds.”

Moen took out his pocket watch, glanced at it casually, and sighed:

“Truly worthy of being the cream of humanity. Impressive.”