Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 125: Why did this happen - Part 2

Auriel let out a heavy sigh, her muscles aching from the strain of battle. The weight of her own exhaustion threatened to pull her to the ground, but she forced herself to stay upright.

There was still work to be done.

Her divine senses scanned the battlefield, taking in the destruction left behind.

The once-peaceful village now lay in ruins—homes collapsed, the land tainted with lingering dark energy, and many of its inhabitants either unconscious or in a trance-like state. A

uriel clenched her fists.

"This much corruption... It’ll take time to cleanse all of it."

She stepped forward, raising her staff as golden light spread from its tip. The divine energy pulsed outward, dispersing the remaining miasma and restoring a bit of balance to the area.

It wasn’t enough to fully heal the land, but it was a start.

As she turned to assess the damage, a subtle movement caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lila slowly backing away, her steps unsteady.

Auriel frowned.

"And where do you think you’re going?"

Before Lila could take another step, Auriel reached out and grabbed her wrist. The dark priestess didn’t even try to resist.

Lila’s expression was vacant, her once-defiant eyes now dull and lifeless. She did not meet Auriel’s gaze, nor did she make an effort to pull away.

Auriel sighed, tightening her grip slightly.

"You’re not even going to answer me? Fine."

With a flick of her wrist, glowing golden chains materialized around Lila’s form, binding her magic and preventing any further escape attempts.

As soon as the chains took hold, Lila’s already weakened body slumped slightly, as though all remaining strength had left her.

Auriel narrowed her eyes. "

Sealing your dark magic shouldn’t make you this weak. Unless...Lila, do you want to die?"

She studied Lila carefully, noting the unnatural stillness in her posture.

There was no answer at first. Then, in a quiet, hollow voice, Lila murmured.

"Does it matter?"

Auriel felt a pang of frustration—no, pity—at the broken state of the woman before her. After everything Lila had done, after all the destruction she had caused, this was what remained?

"You allowed yourself to be corrupted. You knew what you were doing, and you still—"

Auriel stated, her voice calm but firm.

"I didn’t know,"

Lila interrupted, finally looking up at Auriel. Her gaze was empty, yet there was a trace of something—pain, regret, or maybe just exhaustion.

"I had no idea I was using dark magic."

Auriel frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

Lila let out a weak, bitter chuckle.

"My... helper told me this was the only way things would work out."

"Helper? Who helped you?"

Auriel’s grip tightened on her staff.

Lila hesitated, her lips parting slightly as if she was about to speak. But the moment she tried to say the name, a sharp spark of magic surged through the air. A binding spell activated, silencing her instantly.

Her body convulsed as the spell took effect, and within seconds, she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Auriel cursed under her breath.

"Damn it!"

Someone had placed a restriction on Lila—likely the same person who had manipulated her into using dark magic.

Whoever this mysterious "helper" was, they had made sure Lila wouldn’t reveal their identity so easily.

Kneeling beside Lila’s unconscious form, Auriel examined her more closely.

The woman’s breathing was faint but steady. She wasn’t in immediate danger, but the seal on her magic had drained her significantly.

Auriel sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don’t have time for this."

She stood up and surveyed the ruined village once more. The people were still unconscious, some slowly stirring, while others remained motionless. The taint of dark magic clung to everything.

Restoring this place would take time—time she wasn’t sure she had.

But she couldn’t leave it like this.

"Alright. First things first."

She muttered to herself, rolling her shoulders.

Raising her staff once more, Auriel channeled her divine energy, letting it spread through the land. It wouldn’t fix everything, but it would stabilize the village enough to prevent further corruption.

As the golden light enveloped the area, she closed her eyes, silently praying that the Chief God’s purification had truly sealed away Minerva for good.

Because if Minerva did return, Auriel wasn’t sure she could fight her alone.

And now, there was another enemy lurking in the shadows—someone who had guided Lila down this path.

Someone who was still out there.

Auriel let out a slow breath.

"One thing at a time."

She glanced down at Lila, bound and unconscious at her feet. Whoever had manipulated her was still pulling the strings. And if they had the power to turn a devoted priestess into a pawn of darkness, they wouldn’t stop here.

She had a feeling this was only the beginning.

And she needed answers.

With a wave of her hand, the golden chains shifted, lifting Lila’s unconscious form slightly so that she would be easier to carry.

Auriel took one last look at the ruined village before turning away.

It was time to go.

And time to find out who was truly behind all of this.

The village was quiet now, eerily so. The battle was over, and though much had been lost, there was a sense of relief in the air.

The dark magic that had plagued the land had mostly dissipated, and the people who had survived were beginning to stir, regaining consciousness.

Auriel walked through the village, observing the aftermath of the chaos. Most of the villagers had survived, though some were weak and disoriented.

Those who had been too close to Minerva’s influence suffered the most, their bodies struggling to recover from the exposure to such overwhelming dark energy.

And then, there were those who had not made it.

A funeral service was arranged for them, with the surviving villagers coming together to honor the fallen. Small white flowers were placed on their graves, symbolizing the light that once existed within them.

Auriel stood in the back, her expression unreadable as she watched the ceremony unfold.

She felt responsible. Even though she had done everything she could, the losses weighed heavily on her.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺