"S-Sir Lebatan?! No, you've got it all wrong! S-sir, please calm down and—"
"Did you just tell me to calm down?"
Lionel Lebatan moved his free hand to his cane, preparing to extract the blade concealed within. His demeanor remained terrifyingly composed throughout.
"Think about it carefully. Consider whether you truly meant what you said."
Both elderly priests trembled with fear, their gazes darting nervously behind Lionel Lebatan's back.
"I was informed that my precious granddaughter—whom I have not seen for many years—disappeared after coming here to visit for your festival."
Meanwhile, the people accompanying Lionel Lebatan began slowly closing the doors.
"So how, exactly, can I do what you ask?"
It was difficult to determine which of the two old priests was more terrified—watching Lionel draw something from his cane, or observing the doors sealing shut behind him.
"I think I should show you how I *calm down* in your hometown," Lionel continued in an indifferent tone.
It happened then.
***Flash!***
"!"
Suddenly, such blindingly bright light poured through the temple's enormous windows that everyone present had to squeeze their eyes shut to avoid being seared.
---
## — Breaking Through —
*Please, please...*
Juliet had no intention of dismantling every protective barrier the bishop had erected.
But what she was about to attempt was truly madness.
Ethelid—who had grown bored during the seven-day festival—had conducted several experiments and informed Juliet that the barrier surrounding the temple wasn't a uniform, solid shield. Rather, it consisted of interlocking plates, layered like sheets of paper.
So Juliet had theorized that she only needed to destroy the specific barriers Sebastian had connected to the dollhouse entrance in order to free herself.
It was purely intuitive guesswork, but she'd made her choice without hesitation.
The plan she'd devised—in case she couldn't convince Sebastian to release her voluntarily—was quite simple.
First: steal the soul stone from him.
Second: use the obtained soul stone to break the divine barrier and summon her butterflies.
Third: escape the dollhouse by mentally manipulating the mad bishop's mind.
However, Juliet had miscalculated the final step.
Could she have possibly imagined that the coordinates for the dollhouse entrance—set by Sebastian—were located at the center of the altar, where preparations for the ritual were in full swing?
Obviously, he'd established these coordinates knowing that no one would find his frequent visits suspicious during the festival's preparation period.
"What is this...?"
The brilliant column of light descending from the sky was noticed not only by the priests and the Red King with his retinue, but also by Lennox and Roy—who continued searching for Juliet—as well as Theo and Ethelid, confined in prison.
***Flash!***
A blinding stream of radiance suddenly cleaved through the blue sky above the city and descended directly into the center of the altar, amid the festive preparations...
---
## — The Pillar of Light —
With the appearance of the enormous pillar of light in Lucerne's center, life throughout the city froze.
The priests frantically searching for the bishop, those preparing for the final ceremony, townspeople hurrying toward the temple, invited guests, even those busy searching for Juliet—all stopped. Holding their breath, they stared at the cascading stream of light.
The blinding column seemed to fall only upon the prepared altar.
"W-what is this...?!"
Even the priests who served in the temple of the Goddess were astonished by this grandiose phenomenon—something they had never witnessed in their lives.
"Ah! This is simply *amazing*!!!"
The first to comprehend what was happening was Ethelid, who had been attempting to secure Theo's release from prison.
"The barrier is broken!"
One of the many barriers protecting the Temple of Lucerne had been shattered.
But this was not the end.
Immediately afterward, an incredible spectacle unfolded—leaving countless onlookers speechless.
*Shurkh-shurkh-shurkh!*
Suddenly, a shimmering swarm of hundreds—perhaps thousands—of beautiful blue butterflies soared upward in unison from the altar platform. It was as though the pillar of light in the sky had granted them salvation.
"Oh my God!"
"This is incredible!"
"How wonderful..."
Such a sight had never been witnessed before. Many people watching could not help but exclaim with delight.
Hundreds of translucent blue butterflies hovered in the air, seemingly connecting heaven and earth.
From a distance, the column of light now resembled an enormous azure beam.
And a moment after all the butterflies vanished—as if they had been nothing but a mirage—a beautiful girl appeared in the middle of the altar.
Her breathing was ragged. She could barely stand.
Beside her lay a motionless man who appeared to be dead.
*Did I... succeed?*
Juliet looked around slowly, breathing heavily.
She was dizzy, her vision blurred—she couldn't see clearly. But she seemed to be standing at the center of the altar, where preparations for the final ritual had been underway.
"Hey—this is...!"
"His Holiness!"
"There—Bishop Sebastian!"
The priests, having identified the man lying beside her, rushed toward the altar.
"Oh my God! What's wrong with him?!"
"His Holiness has passed away!"
"No—this can't be! We must save him!"
"Call a priest-healer! Hurry!"
"No—why wait?! Let's carry him ourselves! That way we can definitely save him!"
Following these cries, chaos erupted.
The priests who had surrounded Sebastian's motionless form lifted him carefully and began descending the stairs.
Juliet, standing nearby, was also seized and dragged down the wide staircase.
"What happened to His Holiness? Did he die because of her?"
"No... I didn't hurt him..."
After using the soul stone and summoning so many butterflies, Juliet lacked even the strength to respond properly.
"W-what?! So His Holiness died because of *her*?!"
"Then we must hand her over to justice!"
*Oh, he's not dead! Come to your senses already...*
Though, frankly speaking, it *was* her fault that the priests mistook Sebastian—sprawled on the floor near the altar—for a corpse.
Such a full-scale summoning of butterflies couldn't proceed without consequences. The mental manipulation of his mind had eventually convinced them he was actually dead.
"Your Holiness! Don't die!!"
"Hurry—take him to the healer quickly!"
"Bishop Sebastian, please wake up!"
But of course, he did not regain consciousness.
"What's going on here?"
Several priests—including Father Solon, the bishop's assistant, and Father Gilliam—rushed into the ritual chamber.
"Father Solon! Just look—His Holiness...!"
"What is this...?"
*Splash.*
Suddenly, the ceremonial bowl filled with water began emitting a mysterious glow.
"Oh no—why...?"
Father Solon stared at it in horror, comprehending nothing.
If Bishop Sebastian was dead—and he had been discovered in another wing of the temple—then *who* had performed the sacred ritual?
It happened then.
Something too dazzling and immense to be called a cloud appeared in the sky above Lucerne.
"Oh God..."
"What the hell is that?"
"Oh my God—it's coming!!"
Excited cries from priests echoed from every direction.
Father Gilliam was the first to recover. He quickly issued commands:
"The barrier has been breached! Take positions immediately! Prepare for defense!"
The priests—snapping out of their stupor, mouths still agape at what approached—quickly assumed defensive stances and began reciting prayers.
Soon, through their coordinated efforts, a faintly shimmering golden barrier materialized above the temple.
But it did not last long.
"Oh... oh!"
"H-Holy Father, look...!"
A majestic tremor shook the entire Terrarium. The stunned priests ceased their prayers—and with that, the barrier vanished.
Looking skyward, everyone saw the heavens had cleared completely. Not a single cloud remained.
Then a blinding beam of light appeared in the air, and something enormous and white began emerging from within it.
It was something... something resembling a white marble statue of a woman with closed eyes.
Apart from the chains binding her, the face of this woman—with impossibly long, flowing hair that seemed to cover the entire sky—was breathtakingly beautiful.
*Chains...?*
At the sight of her, Juliet instinctively felt fear stir within her.
However, unlike Juliet—who sensed danger on an instinctive level—the priests and gathered populace began shouting with joy.
"The Goddess has descended to us!"
"The Goddess has come to meet us in person!"
The crowd gathered at the temple gates, together with the priests, erupted in jubilant cries.
"We greet you, Goddess Efreet!"
"Goddess Efreet, grant us your protection!"
"Our great bishop has summoned a true Goddess to us!"
"The Goddess personally visited Lucerne!"
Loud, joyful shouts echoed from every direction—but the people's celebration did not last long.
"......?"
Suddenly, the Goddess's closed eyelids began to slowly rise.
And the moment they opened fully, a terrifying scream tore from her throat.
**[WAAAAAAAA!!!]**
Meanwhile, Juliet—finding herself at the epicenter of this insanity—had already realized that this scream boded nothing good for any of them.
*Oh. Looks like I'm in trouble again.*