Euni's eyes lit up. His hands trembled, but were quickly wrapped in gleaming chains that formed into a mirror.His Gift was Core Spiral of Judgment, and his mana manifested as a Mirror of Verdict belonging to the core laws.
Regarding his Gift: he could use the binding chains to forcibly peer into the abyss of the mind. The deeper the abyss, the more chains sprung forth to seize the target's core psyche and restrain it—though even so, rules still accompanied the act.
"Raise the radiance of higher illumination!"
The mirror forming on Euni's arm shone brightly, reflecting the light of pure brilliance.
"Extreme Spiral!"
At the center of the Earth Demon bound by ten thousand chains, everything twisted—no, more precisely, the light itself twisted into a single point.
Snap.
A finger flick echoed, and all light was drained from the surroundings, leaving room for only one thing: darkness.
The decree was imposed upon all things there—only living beings bearing mana were permitted to emit light.
"Proposal for Judgment: Execution! Requesting unanimous approval!"
Countless chains shot from Euni toward all the people rushing in to surround the demon.
Absolute law was reflected within the community of executors; power could not exceed the collective within the frame of their shared jurisdiction.
One by one, the chains glowed—signifying the approval of everyone present, except the demon.
At this moment, all beings with mana became arbiters, regardless of their personal will, so long as they acted within the predetermined scope.
Gradually, the many chains binding the Earth Demon detached, and its body exploded into a disgusting mass, flesh and blood scattering everywhere.
Pieces of its flesh clung to the surroundings, and its tissues quickly reattached to the head still floatin
The green moss atop its head lengthened, twining itself around the levitating head.
The golden chains returned to Euni, who steadied himself, feeling again the "depth" within his soul before unleashing his full power toward the demon.
He knew that once the consensual judgment was invoked, he would be nearly useless afterward—but that didn't mean he had no other role to play.
Attacks from the other members rained down like a waterfall, hundreds of blows tearing apart the demon's "limbs."
But the demon twisted its head upward, forming hundreds of tendrils that pierced into the ground beneath its neck, creating a mushroom-like structure extending across the whole area.
The attacks continued, striking at the hardened flesh and tendons spreading everywhere—anything to bring about destruction.
Suddenly, raindrops fell from somewhere, turning into sharp streams that struck indiscriminately, injuring those present. Hands of earth rose from the ground, grabbing at the fighters.
"Suppress!"
Euni shouted. Everyone simultaneously grabbed the chains linked to them, wrapped their hands around the gold-lit iron, and pulled hard.
The rain stopped. The stone hands released their grip—then all of them exploded into blood, splattering filth across everyone.
The demon opened its ulcerated maw wide, hundreds of eyes spilling out. But then its face began to imprint with the marks of invisible chains, and the hardened moss wrapped around its neck while its tendons dissolved.
Law was enacted by the majority—of course. The majority, not individual power, decided life and death.
And the demon, bound by the unseen chains of the collective, awaited its death—yet still thrashed desperately.
From the areas where its flesh had clung, the ground quaked; soil turned to mud, enveloping the demon's flesh.
They formed into creatures: bodies of clay, hearts of demon flesh.
Long limbs, pale-pink skin, faces without features—only rings of beastly teeth forming a flower.
Those who witnessed it were stunned—both by the monsters they had never seen before, and by the ground beneath them softening like dough or jelly.
Suddenly, tendrils shot upward toward those pulling the chains—another method through which the demon turned the dead into thralls.
Seeing this, Euni grasped a small, twisted sphere of light and hurled it toward the screaming demon head.
"Commence purification of the area!"
Killing a demon polluted the entire region; moreover, demons could actively summon partial contamination in spreading waves to amplify their strength.
Euni had coaxed the demon into using invasive contamination, weakening it while allowing them to kill it during its vulnerable state.Of course, the risk was enormous.
The sphere shone, irradiating the entire area. When it faded, only a single feather remained—the reborn feather of a phoenix.
Euni picked up another object—a white wooden mask shaped like an eagle.
He threw it into the air, and a shadowy mass unfurled from the mask, contrasting with the light encompassing the field.
Though talented, Euni was no purification expert. The task should have fallen to the Church, who themselves struggled here—so why did he volunteer to lead?
He possessed great power and high-level mana compatibility, but he was neither a combat specialist nor adept in ritual work. Yet he wasn't afraid.
Simply put—when a task is hard, rely on someone stronger.
By essence, mana could branch into many forms. A core aligned with lightning mana at high level could still use mid-tier wind mana.
The black shadow rapidly condensed into a shape, then donned a white skull upon itself.
Skeletal hands reached out from the abyssal shroud, forming a cage.
The Undying Wraith—Wraith Guardian—held countless death-born magics.
For a being that had lived thousands of years, was it impossible to cleanse the pain of those clinging to life through their "last wills"?
"AHDFFS!"
Incomprehensible chants echoed from the floating skull. The wraith took upon itself the contamination created by the Earth Demon and dispelled it with its magic.
The corruption spreading from the "root" of the mushroom structure turned into jet-black glyphs. Instead of tainting the land, they were drawn toward the wraith and transformed into absolute death.
Hundreds of grotesque humanoid monsters lunged at everyone—but it was futile.
They charged, trying to slay the fighters, but failed. Some fled, becoming vessels for the demon's future revival.
They roared, leaping toward what they thought were escape routes—yet perished quickly as black glyphs pierced them.
The curse of death, refined from corruption, granted the wraith the authority to send off the dying and deliver last rites—dragging all living things to death upon contact.
Seizing the moment, Euni activated the purification using the phoenix feather. Light erupted, swallowing all.
When it faded, the Earth Demon remained—feather gone—and Euni stared in shock at its disappearance.
The demon's head suddenly burst, though no one had formally cast the Execution Judgment.The wraith hovered there, whispering softly:
"Do not fret. The demon is dead. Worry for the living."
Rack, who had been watching from afar, stared at Euni—his face growing increasingly tense.