Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 123: The Goddess’s Taunt- Part 3

Auriel’s plan was working. She could feel it.

Minerva’s form wavered, flickering like a candle on the verge of being snuffed out. The severing of her connection to the human world had weakened her considerably.

The divine energy still lingering in Lila’s body had ruptured the bridge that kept Minerva anchored here.

This was it.

Auriel had fought with all she had, and now, finally, victory was within her grasp.

She watched as Minerva’s body trembled, the shadows around her flickering and unraveling like threads of darkness unable to hold themselves together.

The goddess staggered, barely holding herself upright, her once-glowing eyes now dimming.

"This is the end for you, Minerva. Return to where you belong. This world can no longer sustain you."

Auriel said firmly, gripping her staff as she prepared to deliver the final push.

Minerva remained silent for a long moment, her lips parting slightly as if to say something—but then, instead of fading away, a grin curled on her lips.

Auriel tensed.

Something was wrong.

Minerva wasn’t fighting back.

She wasn’t trying to regain her strength. Instead, she was—holding on.

Quite literally.

Minerva’s fingers clawed into the very fabric of reality, anchoring herself in place with sheer willpower.

The shadows around her, which had been unraveling, suddenly thickened and wrapped around her body in a desperate embrace.

"No, I won’t go back."

Minerva murmured, her voice growing colder, deeper.

Auriel’s heart lurched.

Minerva was forcing herself to stay, even at the cost of everything she had left.

"You fool! You’re burning through your divine magic! You’ll destroy yourself!"

Auriel shouted, realizing the implications of what Minerva was doing.

But Minerva only laughed—a hollow, chilling sound that sent a shiver down Auriel’s spine.

"You think I care? If I cannot exist as a goddess, then I will exist as something else."

Minerva’s voice dripped with something darker than madness.

The ground beneath them trembled.

The air grew heavy, thick with an overwhelming darkness that twisted and warped, seeping into Minerva’s very being. Her divine glow was extinguished, replaced with something sinister.

Auriel could only watch in horror as Minerva’s body contorted, her wings—once radiant—blackened and tattered like those of a fallen angel.

Her presence, once divine, turned into something far more terrifying.

Minerva had become a devil.

A being of unparalleled power, forged from desperation and a refusal to fade away.

Auriel clenched her teeth.

"Damn it! I was so close!"

She cursed, stepping back as a wave of dark energy erupted from Minerva’s form.

She didn’t even hesitate to throw her head back and shout toward the heavens.

"I swear, I’m going to have a talk with the goddess of luck when this is over!"

But there was no time for complaints.

Auriel barely had a moment to react before Minerva’s newly transformed form lunged at her, faster and stronger than before.

She barely managed to raise her staff in defense before Minerva’s clawed hand came crashing down. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, splitting the earth beneath them.

Auriel stumbled back, her arms trembling from the sheer force of Minerva’s attack.

There was no denying it now—this wasn’t a battle she could win alone.

She needed reinforcements.

______

Meanwhile, in the gods’ realm...

The Chief God stood before Minerva’s chambers, her expression grave as she focused on the immense darkness radiating from within.

The other gods had already been sent back at her command—she had no intention of letting them waste their power here.

Because she knew.

She knew that purifying this darkness would require everything she had.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and raised her hands. A radiant golden light enveloped her body as she began the sacred ritual of purification.

The divine energy surged, clashing violently with the overwhelming darkness that clung to Minerva’s chambers like a parasite.

The shadows resisted, writhing and twisting, trying to fight back—but the Chief God did not waver.

The ground beneath her cracked, and sweat dripped from her brow as the strain of the ritual began to take its toll. But she endured.

She had to.

With one final push, she forced the darkness back, sealing it deep underground where it could no longer spread.

A heavy silence fell over the realm.

The Chief God wobbled, her strength nearly depleted. She dropped to her knees, her vision swimming as exhaustion overtook her.

But she had succeeded.

The darkness had been sealed.

Now, all that was left was Auriel’s battle.

Closing her eyes, the Chief God whispered a silent prayer and summoned the last remnants of her divine authority.

A single, glowing butterfly emerged from her fingertips, shimmering with golden light.

With the last of her strength, she sent it down to the human realm. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"To you, Auriel. I will leave it all to you. May this light guide you in your fight."

She murmured.

And with that, she collapsed.

______

Auriel barely had time to dodge before Minerva unleashed another devastating blow.

The battlefield was in ruins, the once peaceful village now nothing more than a wasteland of cracked earth and swirling darkness.

Auriel was panting, her divine energy running dangerously low.

She couldn’t keep this up.

Minerva was too powerful now.

Just when she thought she would have to retreat, a sudden warmth spread through her body.

Auriel gasped as a golden light descended from the heavens, wrapping around her like a gentle embrace. She looked up just in time to see a glowing butterfly land on her shoulder.

And then, power flooded her veins.

A new surge of divine authority filled her, a blessing from the Chief God herself.

Auriel’s eyes widened in realization.

’She sealed the darkness. That means—’

Hope reignited within her.

Minerva had transformed into a devil, but her power had been tied to the dark magic that had now been sealed away.

Which meant she was running on borrowed time.

Auriel tightened her grip on her staff.

This battle wasn’t over yet.

Turning to face Minerva, she straightened her stance, her golden aura flaring back to life.

"This ends here. You may have fallen, Minerva, but I will not allow you to take the world down with you."

She declared, her voice firm and unwavering.

Minerva simply chuckled, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Oh, Auriel! you’re adorable when you think you can stop me"

She purred.

But Auriel wasn’t backing down.

With renewed strength and the divine blessing coursing through her, she prepared for the battle of her life.

The final confrontation had begun.

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