The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 553: “A Truly Clichéd Plot.”

Sophie and Machi’s past was naturally unknown to Shien. If it were before, he might have been curious about their conversation and investigated. But now, Shien only cared about one thing.

“You can leave now,” Shien said to Sophie.

Sophie turned to Shien, wanting to say something, but stopped. Shien’s expression was still indifferent, telling her he wasn’t planning to let this go. Sophie stepped aside.

Shien walked towards Machi. Seeing him approach, the disdainful smile on Machi’s face gradually disappeared. After all, this was the only person in thousands of years who had made her suffer a loss. She still couldn’t quite accept that she had been defeated by this human, whom she had only just met and barely had time to toy with.

But Machi also knew that it was over. “Are you finally going to kill me, Earl Buztout?” she taunted, “Or do you want to play with my body first before killing me? I can’t resist now, you know? Why not give it a try?”

Her vulgar words made the elves present scoff. Lucy and Airi’s expressions also turned cold, and even Lilith glared at Machi, sending a blast of dark evil aura towards her.

“Aaaaaaaaaah…!” Machi screamed as the evil aura enveloped her, eroding her soul and very being. A violent instinct surged from within, consuming her will. This wasn’t the evil aura that had engulfed the Tegor Forest, but Lilith’s power, directly targeting Machi. Under the strongest evil god’s power, Machi couldn’t resist and was about to be turned into a monster.

The thought of losing her mind and becoming a mindless beast made Machi struggle desperately.

“Kill me! Kill me!” Machi screamed, gritting her teeth. She wasn’t afraid of death, but of being toyed with. She was the one who played with others, not the other way around. If Shien had taken her up on her offer, she would have killed him at the moment of his greatest pleasure. This was the nature of a Dark Elf.

Unfortunately, this didn’t work on Shien.

“[Celestial Breathe].”

Instead of killing Machi, Shien used the highest-level Celestial Magic, showering her with healing starlight. The starlight mended Machi’s wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye. Her shoulder, which had been blasted by Millu, quickly healed, and even her severed limbs began to regenerate, restoring her to her original state. Even her corrupted soul and being were healed by the starlight, her mind clearing.

“…!?” Everyone, including Sophie, was shocked. “He can even do this?” Even Lucy was stunned. Shien’s healing magic was astonishing. If it were the past Shien, he wouldn’t have been able to perform such a miracle. But now, his magic had also been greatly enhanced. As long as the person wasn’t dead, he could pull them back from the brink.

This shocked Machi, then she reacted.

“Boom!” An astonishing magic power erupted from her.

“Not good!” “Careful!” Sophie, Leia, and Nia’s expressions changed, and the surrounding elves cried out in alarm, entering a state of alert.

Only Airi, Lid, and Millu remained unmoved.

“Whoosh—!” Airi unleashed a scorching dragon’s breath, instantly incinerating the magic power around Machi.

“Bang!” Lid, with a swipe of her claw, sent Machi flying, crashing into a stone pillar and shattering it.

“Hiya!” Millu dashed over, and a bloody, ghostly hand emerged from the ground, grabbing Machi and the rubble.

Finally, Lilith unleashed her evil aura again, enveloping Machi.

“Ugh… Aaaaaah…!” Machi screamed in pain as the evil aura eroded her will. Her agonizing cries made even the elves, who were naturally kind, look away uncomfortably. Even Sophie, who had been harmed by Machi, frowned and sighed, “Please end her suffering, Earl Buztout.”

Shien, however, didn’t move. He didn’t enjoy torturing others, but he wasn’t a good person either. He wouldn’t let those who tried to harm him or those close to him off easily. He wouldn’t show mercy just because his opponent was beautiful, like those cliché protagonists.

“Lilith.” Shien said calmly.

Lilith looked at Shien, understood, and withdrew her hand, the evil aura around Machi dissipating.

“Millu.” Airi also seemed to understand what Shien was planning and called out to Millu.

“Huh?” Millu seemed confused, then after a moment, she waved her hand, and the ghostly hand holding Machi loosened its grip, retracting into the ground.

Machi fell to the ground. But just as she was about to land, she suddenly looked up.

“Swish!” Without warning, Machi transformed into a shadow and dashed towards Shien at an incredible speed.

“—!” Everyone reacted.

But Machi had already reached Shien.

A crazed smile was on her face. Her eyes flashed with desperation.

She knew she couldn’t escape.

“At least you’ll come with me!”

Machi suddenly hugged Shien.

“[Celestial Collapse]!” Machi burned all her magic power, even her life force, and unleashed her strongest, final spell.

“Boom!” A terrifying gravitational force descended, instantly losing control, shattering the space around Shien and Machi, the atmosphere screaming.

A giant black hole appeared.

“Rumble…!” The uncontrolled gravity churned, shattering the surrounding stone pillars, the plaza, and the earth, sucking everything in.

“Machi!” Sophie cried out.

“Your Majesty!” “Your Majesty!” Leia and Nia protected Sophie and took her away.

“Retreat!” Carol shouted, directing the terrified elves to flee the collapsing gravity field.

Lucy, Lilith, Airi, Lid, and Millu, however, were surprisingly calm, simply retreating and leaving the area.

The plaza before the Temple of the Goddess of Nature transformed into a collapsing space, the black hole wreaking havoc, devouring everything.

Machi, still hugging Shien tightly, laughed maniacally.

“Come! Come with me!”

“If you die, so many people will suffer!”

“The suffering of others is my joy!”

“In the end, let’s enjoy the pain and despair of your loved ones together! Let’s go to hell together!”

Machi was completely insane.

And Shien?

His expression remained unchanged.

After a while, his voice reached Machi’s ears.

“I knew a twisted psychopath like you would do this in the end.”

Shien’s voice was filled with sarcasm.

“A truly clichéd plot.”

Saying so, a terrifying power surged from Shien.

The world instantly trembled.