As the tender voice rang in her mind, Herrifer tensed up. Her hands gripped the rosy carpet. Her mouth opened and closed, breathing in, breathing out. If not for her sitting before the divine statue of the Lord, she would have sprung up from her knees and looked for the owner of the voice long unheard.

Her magical perception told her that her sister was not here, but her heart told her that her sister was still here.

Despite the separation of time and death, she had not once forgotten Elizabeth, the irresponsible Elizabeth who pushed the responsibility to her, the cold Elizabeth who rarely showed her emotions and distress, the kind Elizabeth who silently watched over her younger sister.

"Lord . . . did you pity me?" Herrifer raised her head. The life-like statue remained unmoving. Such silence implied many things, but Herrifer didn't dare speculate the Lord's intention.

As she lowered her head, a gush of wind blew past her. Her white, gold-trimmed robe flustered like the current of the river. Her body and heart became filled with a ticklish sensation, one gentle and caring but not all-encompassing nor solemn.

Unlike the grace of the Lord, this blessing lacked aloofness, yet it was also much more comforting, much, much closer. While the Lord's embrace covered the world, this tiny embrace only enveloped Herrifer; it brought her security, one which she’d almost forgotten.

"Herrifer," the voice, Iris's voice, echoed. "I am . . . still here."

"Sis, where are you?" Herrifer raised her head. "Where have you been? Why are you so far away? Why do you not stay in the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom?"

In front of Herrifer, a hazy silhouette manifested. There was a distorted form of a lady surrounded by mists. Despite bubbles and light concealing her features, Herrifer still recognised Iris's profile. She reached out; her hands passed through the projection.

Though she seemed close by, Iris had always been out of reach.

"I know you . . . many questions." Iris's projection twisted. Her voice muffled then intensified to the same dull tone. "I'm . . . far away. I'm . . . well. There is . . . to find me."

Herrifer stared at Iris's muddled eyes behind the hazy fog. After a few moments, she averted her gaze, unable to speak nor listen. The projection wasn't Iris; it was a prerecorded message. Iris could not see her, nor could Iris know if she would receive it.

Likewise, Herrifer didn't know the condition of the current Iris or how long it had been since she sent the message.

"Why?" Herrifer said, knowing full well Iris couldn't hear her. "If you don't want me to see you again, why did you show me that dream? Why did you . . . give me hope?"

Iris's projection slightly smiled as if she heard Herrifer's words. "Hope . . . will lead to disappointment. Miracle . . . not without a price. I am not who I used to be."

Iris’s projection gradually decayed. The distance between them proved too much. There was no guarantee whether Herrifer would receive the message, let alone a complete one.

Holding her breath, Herrifer intensely listened. Her mind filtered away distortions and screeching, imprinting onto her heart every word, every movement, and every tone. She would return to this memory, to rekindle her heart, to remember her original goal. This message might be the last; she had to treasure it.

While remaining attentive, she clenched her hands and willed. Her blazing power poured out of her palms. Like countless strings, they flowed around her robe, weaving a complex series of symbols, which circled Iris's dispersing projection.

"You don't want me to find you?" Herrifer frowned. "You left without saying anything, even pushing this responsibility to me. Have you no shame?"

Taking a deep breath, Herrifer stood up. She disregarded the presence of the Lord's statue and clasped her hands. Her golden power permeated the ceremony hall, which faintly trembled under her might. Like a rebellious child, she reached forward, grabbed Iris's projection, and yanked it close to her.

"No matter what you say, I'll find you!" Herrifer shivered. "You can't just silently leave and hurt those around you. I'll drag you back here, and I won't ever let go again!"

The strings of power, connected with the projection, violently shook as they merged with the world, tracing the link between the projection and Iris. They pierced through the clouds and arrived at outer space, yet they couldn't find any trace of Iris. It was as if she never existed.

Nevertheless, Herrifer concentrated her power. The golden strings merged into a beam and struck at the vacuum. The fabric of reality shattered into countless specks, revealing the unknowable nothingness.

The moment Herrifer gazed upon the vastitude which dwarfed her universe, her power and senses left her. Her golden beam, powerful enough to annihilate a mountain range, disintegrated like summer breezes. Still, in its last moment, it flickered.

Out there, somewhere, Iris lived.

"So, you really . . . are out there," Herrifer said as she collapsed on the ground, panting. "I'll . . . I'll get you back. You have to . . . take responsibility."

While Herrifer's vision was falling, blinding light enveloped her. The divine statue of the Lord trembled, its eyes glimmering. A majestic, all-enveloping aura permeated the atmosphere and suppressed the nothingness. The cracks in the fabric of reality gradually mended, sealing the physical world away from the outer void.

Despite its infinite potency, the blinding light did not harm Herrifer, only dispelling her magic. It granted her vitality and cured her weariness. Her vision rapidly regained its clarity. She did not need to think before she bowed. Her forehead touched the rosy carpet, her hands placed in front of her.

"Lord, I seek your forgiveness," Herrifer said. "I've disregarded your presence. Please grant me your divine punishment.”

The divine light faded away, but the holy aura still covered the ceremony hall. Knowing that the Lord had descended upon the statue, Herrifer kept her eyes on the floor, maintaining her posture despite how unnatural it felt.

"I am aware," a calm voice, one with infinite variations, echoed. "More importantly, I'm relieved. Though you are careless, your intention is pure. I've permitted your actions and guided you to the truth."

"Lord, your unbound magnanimity covers the universe."

"Your effort has demonstrated your conviction. I shall tell you the truth." The Lord's voice turned solemn. "It is I who sent your sister to the outer void. She, now Iris, existed somewhere far away, too far for the current you to reach."

Herrifer raised her head then forced herself to bend down, shivering. "Lord, I'm willing to serve you faithfully. May my contribution—"

"Relax, My Child. Your sister did not commit any unsightly crime. She was simply unfortunate." Though invisible, the Lord's voice implied her smile. "Because she had broken the shackle of Fate, she no longer had any place in this world. Moreover, she did not desire a second chance or a place in my Heavenly Kingdom."

"Please forgive her imprudence, Lord." Herrifer clenched her fists. "I'll personally bring her back and reprimand her."

"She is indeed impudent. If she had not rebelled against her Destiny, she would have become my Chosen One. Instead, she passed it to you."

Herrifer remained silent. She felt bitter but also warm. A part of her hated her sister for being irresponsible, but another felt touched by it. Even after so many years, she could not pinpoint her relationship with her sister.

And since that dream, her feeling had grown even more muddled.

"There is still a chance," the Lord said. "When you transcend your mortal shell, you will be able to wander out of this world. And when she wishes for us, we will open a path to her. At that moment, your wish will come true."

"I thank you for your blessing, Lord."

"I will be waiting for that day, My Child." The Lord's voice gradually dissipated as her aura vanished. The glows in the statue's eyes also faded.

After a few moments of silence, Herrifer rose from her knees, bowed at the divine statue, and left the hall. Her subtle air, boiling beneath her pure, delicate appearance, wavered before regaining its calmness.

She pushed open the gigantic metal gates. The two ladies guarding the outside raised their hands to their chests and bent down their heads. They offered their greatest respect to Herrifer, who, resuming her indifferent expression, lightly nodded.

"Your Grace, we welcome you!"

Outside of that room, Herrifer was no longer Iris's little sister. She was the Lord's Chosen One, Cardinal of Winter Heart, candidate for the seat of the Saintess. She was a being who reigned over countless churches, her power comparable to Solidification Phase Monster Girl.

"Iris, huh?" Herrifer mumbled. "Even if you change your name, you're still Elizabeth, my one and only Elizabeth."

...

As the Faith inside her dimmed, Iris gradually opened her eyes. The divine, glowing wings on her back dispersed into a sea of radiance. The halos above her head faded from existence. She no longer carried the holy, majestic disposition; instead, she was a fallen angel, an extraordinary beauty without stateliness.

The ethereal robe around her morphed back to her prior clothes, and her eyes ceased glittering. She looked around; the Cathedral of Deliverance was lonelier than before. Most priests and believers had left, leaving only a few late visitors.

Iris had spent a long time sitting and praying.

Exhaling, she separated her hands. A few azure strands of her Corruption Power manifested and intertwined. They twisted, expanded, and coated her body, inspecting her condition. Though she looked identical to before, her aura gained a hint of grandeur. Despite the fatigue, she remained alluring, mysterious.

It must be the side effect of using Faith. Though I am not a Deity who completes their Ascension, my unique body, blessed by the Lord, can somehow absorb the power of Faith. The more I use it, the more I'll assimilate it.

I have a feeling that, at some points, I'll be able to manipulate Faith like my Corruption Power. If that is the case, this issue will go away after I expend Faith to nourish my body a few more times.

While recalling her experience, Iris gazed behind her. Outside the monumental gates of the cathedral, there was no sign of massive destruction or misery. The Saintess and the evil gaze, each of which possessed power enough to wipe Donhalgen off the earth, revealed no trace of their battle.

Did the evil gaze retreat after sensing the Saintess? Is it weaker than the Saintess? No. I doubt it would leave without making trouble. Then, did it leave because of the significance of the cathedral?

Iris wanted to look at the divine statue, but she forced down her head. She had already provoked the sacred statue by praying to a different deity and taking advantage of the Saintess.

I should not test my luck further. I've been too reckless today. If the outside is quiet, it must mean that the crisis is over. I should head home, or Ludmint will die from anxiety. Iris bowed at the divine statue one last time and got up.

As she walked out of the cathedral, she maintained her solemn expression like a devout believer. Though the Saintess could see through her disguise, she still needed to keep her identity. Now that she had visited the cathedral, she had to come by from time to time. Doing otherwise would make today suspicious.

Once Iris left the area around the Cathedral of Deliverance, she tensed up, her eyes darting everywhere. However, after she detected no evil gaze nor abnormalities, she relaxed and called for a carriage.

After a long day, she finally reached home.