What Giaya felt in that moment was a suffocating mixture of 'Despair' and bone deep regret. There was no flicker of hope in her eyes, only the hollow exhaustion of someone who had traded her soul for a lie.
If I wanted to fulfill her 'Copy Condition', I couldn't just cut her down and call it a mercy. I had to prove to her that there was another path to survival besides the one paved with 'Demonic Energy' and broken promises. I had to show her that regretting her sins and begging for death wasn't the only way to atone.
But as a human, a mere walker from the land, it wasn't really my place to give her that choice. There was someone far more fitting for that role standing right behind me.
"[Activating the 5-Star Barrier, 'Eclipse Mandala of Reversed Dominion'!]"
"[Notice: Your knowledge and proficiency in 'Barrier' and 'Runic Languages' are being reviewed as they are exceptionally high!]"
"[Notice: The Evolution of your Class 'Rune Interpreter' is imminent!]"
A 'Class Advancement' was finally on the horizon. I suppose that was to be expected. I had spent countless lifetimes in the VR days mastering the ancient 'Runic Languages' and perfecting the construction of complex 'Barriers'. The Tower was catching up to the reality of my expertise.
As the mandala activated, the 'Chaos' energy within the 'Barrier' began to act like a powerful magnet. It dragged every scrap of 'Demonic Energy' from the surrounding water into a single, dense point right at Giaya's chest. That was the core of her corruption, the dark anchor where her title as a disciple was stored.
I pulled 'Erravoth' from my [Inventory]. The sword began to exude a wild, hungry energy as if it could sense the feast of 'Demonic Energy' waiting for it. The 'Demonic Energy' within Giaya seemed to feel the threat of this unknown power as well. It shrieked out instinctively, sending dark 'Runic Symbols' sweeping out like aggressive tentacles to protect the body and the title.
Without a second thought, I thrust 'Erravoth' straight into her chest. The 'Chaos' energy from the blade hummed with power, cancelling out the 'Demonic Energy' that tried to stop the strike. I could feel the heavy gaze of my companions and caught a momentary flash of their thoughts. They were terrified of my apparent coldness, thinking I was executing her in cold blood. But they should have known me better. I never actually intended to kill her.
Even as 'Erravoth' pierced through her, not a single drop of blood escaped. She remained alive and well. This was one of the unique features of the 'Named Swords'. The user can select exactly what to cut and what to spare, even when driving the blade through a living target. These weapons always follow the absolute 'Will' of a master they deem worthy.
My aim today was to sever the source of her power, that cursed title of 'Dark Disciple'. Normally, completely removing a title like this isn't something even a 'Named Sword' could manage, but my 'Chaos' energy and my 'Chaos Sword Erravoth' were capable of doing just that. Each 'Named Sword' has a unique ability, and this was one of the specialty of mine.
"[Notice: The Title of a 'Dark Disciple' has been forcibly removed from the individual 'Giaya Nymera'!]"
As I pulled the sword back, the dark, evil presence that had clouded Giaya's aura was gone. But she didn't look happy. She couldn't be happy when she thought about the horrors the {Demon Kings} had forced upon her people and how she had been an unwilling accomplice through it all. To her, it had been a choice between total annihilation or the torture of serving the abyss.
"Giaya Nymera, Brave Warrior of the Sea, can you truly consider that being a 'Dark Disciple' for the {Demon King} was the only option when a capable ally was just one kingdom away?" I asked as I vanished my sword back into the [Inventory].
Grienfield Dokryong, Thorvek Dokryong, and the rest of the 'Dokryong Warriors' stood in a silent circle around us. They watched her closely while she remained bound by my ethereal chains. As I slowly undid the restraints, it was Thorvek who stepped forward first and extended his hand toward her.
From a human perspective, this situation was incredibly awkward and complicated. The 'Nymera Clan' had attacked the palace, killed many warriors, and even helped place a 'Curse' on the 'King'. And I was the one who had just burst all the remaining 'Nymera Warriors' into pieces.
But the 'Naga Species' were fundamentally different in that regard. They believed as a whole that the souls of the departed would eventually find peace by the side of their god, the 'Sea Dragon'. Because of this belief, human feelings like grudges or long standing hatred were almost non-existent to them. They were able to lend a hand to one another even after a bloody war, especially when they realized the conflict was caused by an outsider like the {Demons}.
The 'Naga Clans' might have different traditions and tribes, but their sense of 'Unity' was unbreakable. It was only the absolute fear of the {Demon King} that had forced Giaya to choose such a dark path. But now that I had shown a power that could rival the demons, and the 'Dokryong' had shown their acceptance, the hope she once thought was lost forever had finally returned.
"[Congratulations! You have successfully fulfilled the Copy Condition, 'Prove to her that there are better ways to deal with their problems without being a 'Dark Disciple'!]"
"[Notice: You have successfully Copied the Exclusive Skill, 'Eclipse Sanctuary'!]"
"[Notice: The Copied Skill has been successfully added to the 'Memories of the World'!]"