The original plan was for Bae Seung-Woo to subdue Park Ji-Hoon, settle his grudge against him, and then hand him over to the police.

The others had mentioned that killing was an option, but Bae Seung-Woo insisted that he didn’t want to stain his future by taking a life.

Wee-woo, wee-woo!!

As if they had been waiting, numerous police cars pulled up from a distance, sirens blaring.

However, their important target Park Ji-Hoon was nowhere to be found. Instead, they saw a grotesque being with massive rings floating in the air. He was pretty much a part of it now, absorbed into its core.

Whether he was unconscious, dead, or fused with it, no one knew.

Willow bit her fingernails. If she had been a little more experienced, she would’ve noticed the warning signs, but the situation had already escalated.

“That’s... an angel? A celestial being like Reina?”

“It's too gross to be an angel...”

“Did Lady Willow just call it a mad angel?”

Just then, it locked its gaze on Willow and its rings spun like crazy. Immense light started pouring out from its many eyes, and it began firing an enormous number of light beams toward her.

The scattered light beams bent as if reflecting off a mirror. The power contained within was truly terrifying.

“Willow!”

Hearing that startled cry, she hurriedly raised her hand and unleashed her divine power. Even so, her body staggered violently.

“Ughhh?!” She suddenly retched, and her body swayed.

At the same time, the power she had extended for defense was scattered, and Evangeline instinctively spread her enormous wings to shield her.

“Aaaah!! It's hot!!”

The high-density light beams sizzled across the surface of her wings, even though they had incredible resistance.

It wasn't long before holes started to appear in her wings. She quickly tried to recover, but she could only heal so much in such a short time.

“Are you okay?!” Evangeline rushed to Willow, who quietly covered her mouth with one hand and nodded.

“I'm fine... Just a little... uuuegh...” After vomiting once more, she raised her head. “I'm sorry... but I don't think I can handle that thing right now.”

The creature was targeting her, and for some reason, she couldn’t properly use her power.

Evangeline let out a quiet sigh of frustration. “Alright, I'll take care of it. Hey, Rinne.”

“Awaiting command.”

“Prepare to intercept.”

She extended her hand into the air, and the space tore open, allowing a small sack to pop out. She immediately grabbed and pulled it out, revealing the dark red divine dragon sword Twilight within.

“I'll join in. I don't know how much help I'll be, but it’s obvious that thing’s dangerous.” Marky joined the fight, scattering butterflies made of illusion power.

Yuria, who was significantly weaker than the others in terms of combat power, summoned a spirit to create a defensive wall, then quickly retreated while supporting Willow.

“Super Ribbon, you should also fall back,” she suggested.

“No, I'll help.”

She quickly transformed into a blue-red sword, so Evangeline sighed and took her in her hand. Super Ribbon in her left hand, and Twilight in her right.

It had been the case before, but Davey was the one who originally used Super Ribbon as a sword.

However, since Davey was busy with matters in the Heins Territory and the kingdom, unable to be summoned, she had to handle it herself.

The only ones capable of fighting at that moment were her, Rinne, and Marky.

The opponent was merely a being that had emerged from Park Ji-Hoon, but her instincts screamed that it was far more dangerous than it seemed.

“I'm sorry,” Willow apologized. “Every time I try to use my power, I feel a strange sense of rejection...”

“That thing... you called it an angel, right? How strong is it?” Evangeline asked carefully, holding the swords in both hands.

Willow shook her head. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I just knew what it was as soon as I saw it. But what exactly it is? No idea.”

She was still too young, both in terms of herself and as a goddess.

“I'm sorry, but I won't be much help for now. If it's a being with such strong distortion of the natural order, I can move it. Just buy me some time until then.”

The fact that she wasn’t even considering killing it suggested that the feeling of immediate danger she felt was not a mistake.

It was at that moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Following continuous explosions, multiple Awakened individuals appeared.

“Who are those people?”

“They must be high-ranking Awakened individuals dispatched by the association to apprehend Park Ji-Hoon.”

After all, simple police officers would have their limits when it came to apprehending an Awakened individual.

“The mad angel is still focusing on me, but if it shifts its attention, there will be complete chaos.”

Evangeline decided she couldn’t leave things as they were and quickly tried to take advantage of the opportunity, acting while the mad angel was focused on Willow.

She immediately drew her sword, took a stance, and briefly held her breath. Then, without hesitation, she rushed towards the mad angel. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if that thing could even be called an angel.

Apart from the pair of pure white wings attached to the outermost layer of the massive set of rings, its form was close to a monster.

“Ugh, how gross!”

Since it was only focused on Willow, Evangeline knew her first strike would land for sure. She quickly rushed in, analyzing its weak points.

Its form was closer to a structure than a living being. Yet, it clearly possessed a will.

The creature fired another beam of light at Willow, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. She fiercely clapped her hands together, distorting the space, and the light beam scattered and vanished into the air.

It had exposed a momentary opening after the attack! Evangeline pushed in without hesitation and swung her sword.

Slash!!!

Blood burst out all at once from the countless eyes attached to the rings.

“KIIIIII!!!” A horrifying scream spread out like an aggressive howling spell, shaking the surroundings.

“Ugh!”

Its unharmed eyes flashed and locked onto Evangeline.

“You’re finally giving me attention? I was about to get jealous, you know.” Evangeline twirled Twilight, giving a cold smile.

Crack!! Crack!!

The void behind her tore open, and giant dragon forelegs jutted out.

“Both of you, this way!” Willow, who was staring intently at Evangeline as she drew the mad angel’s attention, hurriedly called for Rinne and Marky.

Rinne, who was preparing for interception, approached her and awaited orders.

Willow quickly commanded her, “Take care of the unconscious Awakened individuals. If they get caught up in the fight, it’ll be hard for them to make it alive, so move them to a safe place. I’ll assist Eva.”

“Command accepted.”

“Got it.”

Rinne flapped her wings and quickly soared into the air. She moved the unconscious individuals one by one with massive power that didn’t match her small stature. Marky joined right after.

Thanks to both of them moving quickly, even though there were quite a few of them, they were moved to safety fast.

Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!

Even with Evangeline wielding Super Ribbon, she couldn’t easily subdue the mad angel. She had clearly slashed a significant number of its eyes, but the eyes were once again emitting light beams as if they had never been harmed at all.

With Super Ribbon's power, she should’ve been able to sever even immortality and stop its recovery. Yet, for some reason, the creature continued to restore itself.

The light beams distorting space threatened Evangeline without end.

“That thing... is it already dead?”

“It's dead. Its soul has already left.”

“Then that’s...”

“The substance of power...”

After moving all the unconscious Awakened individuals to a safe place, Rinne, who had spread her six wings and gone through sephirothization, joined the fray.

The spear she hurled pierced through multiple rings, binding the creature in place.

Evangeline exploited the opening, relentlessly slashing its eyes.

“The substance of power... Are you saying all the Awakened individuals on Earth are being possessed by monsters like that?”

“I’m not one hundred percent sure yet, but I know that guy is for sure.”

Marky frowned. She then slowly reached out her hand toward the two who were fiercely fighting.

“Hm. Alright, I’ll join the fight for now. Bottom line is, I don’t need to worry about anything and just have to erase that thing, right?”

“I mean, it won’t be that easy.”

Facing her mocking smile, Marky clapped her hands. Light-infused butterflies were scattered everywhere, and the surrounding space began to warp and distort.

Petals that flowed out from the warped space slowly scattered, reaching the monster that was firing light beams at Evangeline.

With the sound of something tearing, a massive explosion reverberated, and smoke rose. The dark red smoke slowly dispersed, and the mad angel only seemed to be covered in multiple lacerations.

“Wow. That thing’s really persistent!”

“Query. Rinne states it should be in an unrecoverable state. However, Rinne reports it is continuously restoring itself.”

As she said, even though they were blocking and cutting off all means of its recovery, the creature nonetheless kept somehow mending its body.

Not only that, but it even relentlessly fired dangerous light beams while howling.

“Can that thing... even die?”

Since its attacks were by no means weak, it was inevitable that they’d gradually become exhausted and fall if nothing changed.

“Kyaak!”

It was then.

Whether by mistake or not, a light beam struck Evangeline on her arm, leaving a large wound. She tumbled onto the ground and wailed in pain.

“Evangeline!” Seeing this, Willow’s eyes flew open, and she abruptly stood up.

An intense sense of rejection encroached her every time she tried to attack the mad angel, but the moment she saw Evangeline roll in pain, she felt a throbbing headache.

“I-I'm fine. It was just a graze.”

‘Just a graze? If Dad saw this, he’d lose it and try to tear every culprit apart. Not only this thing, but Neltarid too.’

Evangeline eventually sat up, clutching her injured arm.

Super Ribbon, who had been stuck in the ground, materialized as a girl once more and ran toward her.

“Are you okay?! Show me your arm!!”

“It's fine, Sis. Let's go again!”

“Don't talk nonsense! Do you think that was some normal attack?! It's corroding your arm!”

Just as Super Ribbon said, her arm was turning purple.

Boom!!

Taking advantage of the moment, Rinne and Marky simultaneously plunged in and launched a fierce offensive against the mad angel.

Then, the Killer Rabbit avatars that had been on standby to protect Evangeline and Willow rushed in, forcibly twisting and tearing the rings.

However, despite all their efforts, it kept resurrecting.

“What kind of resurrection mechanism does that thing have...” Marky complained in annoyance, breathing heavily.

If they stayed on their toes, it wasn’t overly threatening. Sure, Evangline’s arm was being corroded, but it was something that could be quickly healed once the battle was over.

Furthermore, its defensive ability was actually mediocre.

However.

Its insane recovery ability was beyond even Super Ribbon’s control.

“What kind of monster did Goddess Freyja even create?”

It was infuriating that she created another such thing, having already created beings like the zenoen in the first place.

Watching the creature slowly float and let out a bizarre cry, Willow slowly began to move.

“Sis?” Evangeline slowly reached out her arm toward her as she saw her walk silently toward the creature.

“I see... I only felt rejection because I harbored hostility toward you.” She murmured to herself and raised her hand toward the creature.

Seeing her action, it screamed and frantically shot light beams at her, but they scattered and crumbled before they could even reach her.

“You were in pain,” she murmured in a sad, gloomy voice. She then switched up her tone as though to comfort it. “Now... rest in peace.”

[Saint Miracle]

[Sleeping Lamb]

As she unleashed the power of suppression, the wildly rampaging power of the mad angel began to diminish.

A massive emblem of Goddess Freyja rose in the sky, becoming bright as day. It began to pour out a rain of light, and streams of light brightened the surroundings.

Under that shower of light, Willow approached even closer to the mad angel.

“No! It's dangerous!”

It didn’t matter that she was a goddess. That thing was a failed creation of Goddess Freyja.

The eyes of Evangeline, who was about to shout once more that it was dangerous, widened in surprise at what she saw next.

The mad angel’s horrifying scream gradually turned into a mournful cry, and then into the sound of someone sobbing. At the same time, its form slowly became enveloped in light and began to change. It wasn't long before it had turned entirely into a small cluster of light.

Willow silently mobilized her power, and the mad angel that slowly became particles of light was ultimately scattered.

Just like that, the mad angel, which had been regenerating endlessly, completely turned to dust.

“It disappeared...” Evangeline muttered, her voice filled with unease rather than astonishment.

The injury on her arm was gone as if it had never been there.

“It was crying for help. It only became violent because it was mad...” Willow instinctively knew that the emotionless gods could never save beings like that. In other words, the only one who could save that mad angel—

“Was me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The mad angel. To the current gods and world’s law, where efficiency is prioritized to the extreme, this mad angel is merely an impurity to be eradicated.”

However, Willow, whose emotions were intact, saw it differently. She was the only one who could hear their cries, grieve with them, and purify them.

The massive divine emblem floating in the sky scattered. The light shower also slowly ceased, and the sky turned back into the dark night as if nothing had happened.

Although it had seemed a dangerous enemy, the reality was different.

In the spot where the mad angel had vanished, Park Ji-Hoon lay quietly, appearing to be dead. No trace of any Awakened power remained inside his body.

“What a mess...”

In trying to help with a simple act of revenge, they’d almost caused a massive catastrophe on Earth.

However, Willow wasn’t someone to feel guilt over such a thing. “Neltarid, you bastard! How dare you plant something like this inside a person's body?!”

She truly couldn’t understand why Neltarid planted these mad angels inside Awakened individuals.

Just then, Marky, who had been watching in silence, asked, “Hey. I don't know if I'm mistaken, but if the source of Awakened individuals and their power is that mad... angel, does that mean there are more than tens of thousands of those monsters in the world right now?”

Willow remained silent at her question.

If Marky was correct, then world-ending catastrophes were scattered everywhere on Earth.

“That can’t be,” Evangeline mumbled, thinking that it would be absurd, but at the same time, she seemed unsure.

“Right?”

When she carefully sought her agreement, Willow quietly shook her head. “I don't know for sure. The current me can’t distinguish them until they reveal themselves. However, I don't think all lower-ranked Awakened individuals have mad angels dwelling within them. They’re too weak.”

Even if a real mad angel was dwelling within them, what emerged from lower-ranked Awakened individuals wouldn't be that dangerous.

Yet, things would be different for high-ranking Awakened individuals.

“Neltarid’s missing, and the Goddess remains silent, not meeting anyone.”

In the end, Willow was the only one left to coordinate and manage the world. That was why she had to fully accept a heavy responsibility.

It was indeed a headache.

Eventually, the Awakened individuals and police, who had been unconscious from the howling earlier, awoke and took the seemingly dead Park Ji-Hoon into custody and departed.

They also requested a debriefing about the monster.