"Everyone, hold the line! The enemy remnants are at the end of their rope. This is their final resistance! As long as we endure, the final victory will be ours!"
Finn, the captain of Loki Familia, was leading his members in a full-scale suppression of Evilus.
Members of Freya Familia could also be seen nearby. Their fighting style could only be described as every man for himself, and at times they even injured their own allies.
With Loki Familia united as one and the powerful Freya Familia assisting them, even those who were wounded suffered only minor injuries.
In contrast, on Evilus' side, the number of casualties was steadily increasing. It would not be long before they were completely wiped out.
Yet Finn was feeling anxious.
He had realized that although there were many enemies here, they were not Evilus' main force.
Which meant their true main force was on Elise's side.
If they did not accelerate their advance, Elise would certainly be captured by Evilus. Even if they rushed over afterward, they would arrive too late.
What should he do?
"There's no need to worry."
A steady voice came from beside him. Finn looked up to see Ottar standing at his side.
"Ottar?"
Finn was puzzled. He did not immediately grasp Ottar's meaning.
"There's no need to worry about Elise," Ottar said again, seemingly sensing Finn's anxiety and confusion. "I've fought her many times. I've never won. Leaving it to her will be absolutely fine."
Ah...?
For a brief moment, even Finn's mouth fell open.
Finn had known Ottar for many years. They were not only rivals but also partners in cooperation. He knew Ottar's character well—he was honest and rarely, if ever, lied.
But what had Ottar just said?
He had fought Elise—and never won?
The statement was like a thread that connected every doubt in Finn's heart.
No wonder Loki told me to pay attention to Elise.
No wonder her attitude was so strange during our previous exchange, and why she agreed so quickly.
So... her strength is actually above Ottar's?
Who was Ottar?
With Mia, the current captain of Freya Familia, showing signs of stepping down, Ottar's reputation within Orario had risen higher and higher. He was the undeniable candidate for the next captain of Freya Familia.
Even now, Ottar was already being hailed as "the strongest in the city."
And yet he had just told Finn that he had never once defeated Elise?
Then by that logic, wasn't Elise the strongest in Orario?
Finn's spear did not slow in the slightest as he cut down his enemies, but he had already made up his mind. After this war against Evilus ended, he would pay very close attention to Astraea Familia, where Elise belonged.
As for now...
"Everyone, follow me forward! Dawn is within reach! Once we completely eliminate the remnants of Evilus, our names will be remembered in history!"
At the same time, still within the barrier.
"If that's the case, then everything should be over now, right?"
Elise looked at the "corpses" scattered across the ground and revealed a satisfied expression.
These so-called corpses were not completely dead. They simply lay there motionless, their eyes vacant. Among them, Evilus cadre Valletta was in the worst condition.
"Hm? Is it coming?"
With their defeat, the barrier Evilus had set up around Elise was reaching its limit.
Crack crack!
Fractures gradually spread across the surrounding space—clear signs that the barrier was on the verge of collapse.
"Then I should get ready too!" Elise patted her cheeks, adjusting herself to her best condition.
"Next is the time for Lady Saintess to shine!"
...
"Stay alert. What we face next will be Evilus' main force..."
After leading countless adventurers in striking at Evilus, Finn had finally reached the final position.
Though nothing could be seen with the naked eye, many could sense something unusual—something stood in their way.
Soon, as cracks appeared, the adventurers understood the situation. Though they had encountered many Evilus members along the way, what awaited them now was the true main force.
Boom!
Without its caster to sustain it, the barrier quickly reached its limit and shattered into fragments, dissipating into the air.
But in that very moment, everyone froze.
What they saw was not an army of Evilus dressed in black—but a girl in white.
Her golden hair shone brilliantly under the sunlight. From behind, that white figure unexpectedly radiated a sacred aura.
Many were stunned by the sudden beauty of the scene. It was far too different from the battlefield they had imagined.
Even Alise, Gojouno Kaguya, and Lyra of Astraea Familia stared in dumbfounded silence.
"Now I finally understand why the captain is called a saintess... If anyone still says she isn't after seeing this, I'll beat them myself," Lyra said in disbelief.
That sentiment was shared by Alise and Kaguya.
Within the Familia, they had always been on the receiving end of Elise's fists. Their impression of her had long been that of a reckless captain. They had never seen this side of her before.
Now that they had, they were completely stunned. The contrast was overwhelming.
The saintess, her back to the crowd, seemed to sense something. Slowly, she turned and tilted her head slightly as she looked at them.
"You're here. The Evilus members here have already been defeated by me."
Hearing Elise's words, Finn glanced at the ground. Sure enough, he saw two Evilus cadres—Olivas and his longtime enemy Valletta.
Though something about them seemed off, this was clearly not the time to dwell on it.
Finn raised his spear high and shouted, "We... have won!"
Ever since Zeus Familia and Hera Familia had left, Evilus had ravaged Orario for three full years.
And today, that cancer within Orario had finally been purged. There might still be a few insignificant remnants left, but they would likely never stir up much trouble again.
The news spread across the world through the Guild.
Loki Familia and Freya Familia, who had led the assault on Evilus' strongholds.
Astraea Familia and Ganesha Familia, who had assisted in maintaining order within the city.
The reputations of the major Familias rose significantly—and Elise was naturally among them.
Stories of her acting as bait, of self-sacrifice and heroism, were all attributed to her.
At this moment, Astraea Familia truly stepped onto the stage of the world.
And it also meant...
The Dark Age had ended.