Chapter 1266 May We Please Know Your Exalted Name? A week after William's appearance in the Demon Continent… "That damned brat, just who does he think he is?!" the Pope cursed out loud as she paced around her room. After William's intervention, the alliance had no choice but to pull their forces away from the borders of the Demon Continent and return to the Central Continent. William's ultimatum was that if he saw even a single soldier within the boundaries of the teleportation gates that led to the Demon Realm, he would attack that kingdom, or Empire, and murder the royal family, just as Felix had done to the territories that he had conquered in the past. The Kings and Emperors of the various nations treated this ultimatum seriously, and had therefore decided to immediately pull their forces back from the front lines. There were even talks of ending the crusade then and there and returning to their territories since the threat of the Heir of Darkness and the God that backed him up was over. Although there was no evidence about what happened to Ahriman after the war, many believed that since the Dark Prince had dared to change the name of the Elun Empire to the Ainsworth Empire, the God whom they feared might have been subjugated, or weakened to the point that he no longer posed a threat to anyone. Also, Emperor Leonidas, the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire, and Empress Andraste, the Empress of the Amazons, both declared that they were William's allies, and assured everyone that the Half-Elf had no intention of conquering their Domains. Because of this, most of the smaller kingdoms, whose manpower was low to begin with, pulled out of the Alliance and returned to their homes, declaring that the war against the Primordial God of Darkness and Chaos was over. "Damn you, Leonidas. You too, Andraste!" the Pope gritted her teeth in anger as she thought of the two Sovereigns who had made the alliance's will waver. Empress Andraste even chidded those who still believed in the Holy Order, telling them that they were just being used by the Organization to help them capture more territories to be taken under their wing. Emperor Leonidas seconded Empress Andraste's declaration, citing that the Zoterra Empire, Slovell Kingdom, and the Zabia Kingdom, were solely under the Holy Order's jurisdiction. He added that if the Holy Order really had everyone's benefit in mind, they should surrender the control of these territories and let the Alliance divide it among themselves. As if a spark was ignited, all the King's and Emperor's agreed to this statement, pressuring the Holy Order of Light to make a decision. In the end, the Pope had no choice but to sacrifice her control over the Zabia Kingdom and Slovell Kingdom and allow the Alliance to divide the lands among themselves as compensation for the manpower they provided during the war. She was able to keep the Zoterra Empire under the Holy Order's command, saying that without them, Felix's and Ahriman's advance wouldn't have been stopped, and his reign of terror would have continued if remained unchecked. The Sovereigns of the various nations all agreed to this point, so they no longer troubled the Holy Order and entered a negotiation with each other about how to divide their spoils of war. After pacing back and forth for nearly half an hour, the Pope sighed before walking towards the window of her room. Right now, she was in the Palace of the Zoterra Empire and staring at the new Domain that their Organization had acquired. Although it was indeed a vast kingdom, it was not enough to sate the Pope's ambition to make everyone submit to their Order's will. "It's a bit early, but I guess this is the only option I have now." The Pope's expression became solemn as she stared towards the North where the Demon Realm was located. "You fancy yourself being the Demon Lord, right? Fine. Have it your way. There is always a way to chop off a Demon Lord's head." With a look of contempt on her face, the Pope opened a portal that would lead her directly to the Palace of Light, where the ladies who held the powers of the Heavenly Virtues resided. After the incident a week ago, the Pope had taken the Celestial Raiment back from Melody and handed it over to Audrey for safekeeping. She didn't like the Virtuous Lady of Faith's attitude during the critical moment when William was trampling all over their dignity. The Pope had started to suspect that after being captured by William, she had already joined his side, making her disobedient to her orders. The artifacts that had been left in the Thousand Beast Domain were still active, allowing her to gain some vital information from the Demons who would discuss the events that were currently happening inside it. What she didn't know was that this was all William's ploy, and the discussions that she had heard were all staged. He was intentionally feeding the Pope half-truths and lies in order to make her believe that she had managed to one-up the Dark Prince when it came to information gathering. After reaching the altar, located at the very top of the Palace of Light, the Pope glanced at the Seven Virtues that represented various Divinities. Prudence, Justice, Temperance, Fortitude, Faith, Charity, and Chastity. The Seven Heavenly Virtues that represented the power of her organization. Now, she planned to further strengthen her power, and allow her to contend with the Dark Prince, whom she currently despised with every fiber of her being. "I have gathered all of you here today to perform a ritual that will rid the world of the threat that the Prince of Darkness poses," the Pope said in a steady voice. "Given that the Alliance has already disbanded, it is now up to us to right what is wrong, and punish the evil that threatens the peace of the land." Lira, Ephemera, and Melody, all cursed the old hag in their hearts. These girls were now William's women, and anyone who slandered their Beloved was something they couldn't tolerate. However, the Half-Elf had ordered them to act normally, and not do anything to make the Pope suspicious of them. "That's right!" Cherry shouted as she raised her delicate hand. "Kill the Dark Prince!" The Pope looked fondly at the little girl, and nodded her head. "In these dark times, I ask that you lend me your power and support," the Pope stated. "Please, go to your respective positions, so that we can activate the power of the Palace of Light." The Seven Virtuous Ladies were quite curious about why the Pope had asked them to gather at the Altar of Light. During the past months, the Pope and the Archbishops were preparing for something big, adorning the altar with offerings, and refining the runes of the Magic Circle that was capable of casting an Eleventh Circle Spell. A Spell that had the power to break the rules of the world, just like Deus had done in the Southern Continent when they had turned the adults into crystals, and forcefully barred anyone from entering the Southern Lands. Although they were reluctant to do so, the ladies stood in their respective places to allow the altar to draw on the powers of their Divinities, allowing the spell to activate. "Start the ritual!" the Pope ordered. Immediately, the Archbishops present in the scene began to chant, activating the power of the Altar of Light. A moment later, the bodies of the Virtuous Ladies glowed faintly as the powers of their Divinities were being siphoned by the runes of the magic circle, making its power grow with each passing second. "I beseech the powers above to grant your humble servant an audience," the Pope said firmly. "For the sake of all that is good, I humbly ask that you grant us the power to ward off the Darkness that threatens these lands." The runes of the altars shone in a radiant light as the Eleventh Circle Spell that the Archbishops were chanting was slowly being realized. "Heroic deeds in every age Command the world's esteem; Each finds a place in history's page, 'Midst gloom a glory beam. And we full oft revert to this, To show man's true descent From Him who is the source of bliss, Tho' now by passions rent. But we need not consult the past; The present bears this fruit: The hero race will ever last; The tree is sound at root. And never has the world excelled The present in this line; Our loving Lord has not withheld From us this trait Divine. And we should not from them withhold The praise we feel is due For deeds of love, and actions bold, For spirit kind and true. Their worth we now should recognize, Not chant it o'er their graves; The hero of the past we prize, No less the man who braves The dangers of the present hour, The sneers which now are rife, Not for the sake of earthly power, Nor yet to save his life. But for the good of fellow man, And for his Master's sake, He shuns no cross, and fears no ban; 'Tis these a hero make." (A/N: I was looking for some epic poems about heroes, and this one stood out. It is a poem made by Joseph Horatio Chant. All rights go to their respective owners, and I'd like to use this opportunity to share this wonderful poem to the world.) Suddenly, a beam of light shot towards the Heavens from the center of the Altar of Light. The dark clouds that hovered above the Palace, that had stood for thousands of years, were banished and a clear blue sky replaced it. The Virtuous Ladies who stood in their respective places felt their Divinity being exhausted at a rapid rate. Cherry, who was the youngest of them all, had already crouched down and was gasping for breath, as the power of her Divinity was being forcefully absorbed by the altar that used it to activate a spell that would break the laws of the world. A minute after the light ascended to the Heavens, the sky changes its color from blue to gold. At the center of this Divine radiance, was an Orb of Light that was slowly descending from the Heavens. Although it was still far away, the Pope, the Virtues, as well as the Archbishop, could feel its Divine Power. It was very different from the presence of the Pseudo-Gods that they had summoned in the past. The light emanating from the orb of light had a gentle, and even warm nature. Even so, the power it exuded surpassed any beings under the banner of the Holy Order of Light, making the Pope's wrinkled hands tremble. "Peak Pseudo-God," the Pope muttered. "The heavens have answered our prayers." Peak Pseudo-God, an existence who was only a step away from attaining Godhood. Among the beings in the World of Hestia, only two fit this description. The true Overlord of the Sea, Leviathan, and the Overlord of the Land, Tarasque. These two powerhouses were at the peak of the world, and no one, with the exception of William, could fight against them and win. When the Orb of Light landed on the center of the Altar, everyone managed to see a silhouette within its very core. Slowly, but surely, the light dispersed, turning into particles of light that swirled around the person who stood at the center of the altar. A person wearing a red and white robe with a hood appeared in front of everyone. There was a small bird on the person's shoulder, who chirped faintly. The person's face was hidden because of the hood, but with a single glance, everyone could tell that the power emanating from their body was real. "Hero from across the stars, may we please know your exalted name?" the Pope asked as she went down on one knee as a sign of respect from the being that stood before them. The Archbishops followed their Pope's action and kneeled, while looking with great anticipation on the person whose robes fluttered in the wind. The Heavenly Virtues didn't kneel, but they panted for breath as they gazed at the person that they had summoned from who knows where. Just like everyone around the Altar of Light, they were curious about who the person standing in front of them was. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, throwing off the hood that was covering her face. Silky, long black hair, fluttered in the breeze, as the young lady, who was as beautiful as a painting, gazed at the Pope to answer her inquiry. "Belle." The young lady with long black hair, and golden eyes said softly. "My name is Belle." —-- End of Volume Volume 7 "The Prince of Darkness"