The ship, lent by the purple slaves, cut through the waves. In the distance, a thick wall of hurricane clouds loomed ominously.

  "So that's the demon continent," Ludwin muttered. "Are we going in now?"

  "We should pick a path that's least visible. The dock is on the southwest side. If we veer a bit to the east, we might avoid the patrols."

  "Patrols? On the ocean?" Ludwin was confused. Althemer was landlocked, and he couldn't imagine people guarding the sea. There were lighthouses, and the sea had clear visibility until the horizon. Why would people put patrols there?

  "Yes. The perimeter around the harbor is heavily guarded by patrols."

  "I see. Claire?" Ludwin didn't trust them, but he chose to trust Claire.

  "We'll follow your suggestion. We trust you. Please, do not betray us," Claire said, bowing to the pink horrors. Claire was composed. After all, she had the power to turn back time.

  "We will help you and Elidranthia. We will do our best. We will not betray you." The pink slaves said as they bowed.

  *Crackle.

  "Hm? What's that?" The massive island ship rocked unexpectedly. It was built to withstand any wave, yet Claire and Ludwin clearly felt it tilting. Wails and screams echoed as the wall of wind surrounding the demon continent suddenly dissipated as if smoke was blown away by the wind. Far in the distance, the air itself seemed to tremble.

  "What's happening?" The slaves scrambled in panic. Some knelt, whispering prayers, while others hid below deck.

  "What immense mana…" Alicia whispered. All eyes, save for Heracles', were fixed on a single point: the towering spire in the heart of the demon continent. The world seemed to warp around it, and a monstrous eye materialized in the sky, gazing malevolently at the tower.

  "What is that…? What's in there?"

  "Goddess, please help us!" Claire prayed fervently as the sky darkened under the malevolent gaze.

  "Elidranthia must be there! At the tower!" Ludwin exclaimed. "Let's go! The docks are empty! This is our chance!"

  "No! That thing is not of this world. We must not engage it!" Heracles barked, halting Ludwin in his tracks.

  The wind trembled violently as chains began to bind the tears in the sky. The malevolent entity resisted furiously, but it was ultimately subdued. The sky seemed to stitch itself back together as the chains wove through the cracks, sealing the rift. Relief swept through the group.

  But just as they were about to let their guard down, a blinding white light erupted from above the tower, engulfing it entirely.

  "Watch out!" Heracles tackled Claire to the ground, shielding her as they lay prone, while Alicia did the same for Ludwin. A massive shockwave ripped through the air, nearly capsizing their island ship. When the shockwave subsided, the group rose to their feet, their jaws agape as they beheld the demon continent—flattened to the ground.

  [Go, and meet your friend.]

  A glowing golden status box appeared before them. Claire fell to her knees, clasping her hands in prayer.

  "Thank you, Goddess of Light. Thank you for saving our friend, Elidranthia. We have prevailed."

  "Ugh. The airship is damaged!" Ludwin cursed. It took a whole day to perform emergency repairs, during which the group surveyed the aftermath. The massive city was reduced to rubble, its towering structures erased from existence. Rivers of blood bathed the roads in red.

  "Prince Ludwin, we've completed emergency repairs on the airship. It can fly, but only at reduced speed!" an engineer reported.

  The airship limped through the sky, making its way toward the spot where the towering spire once stood. Amid the destruction, they found a familiar figure—Elidranthia, enveloped in a translucent blue dome, unconscious.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------

  I sighed. Picking a fight with a god had been incredibly foolish. Darkness consumed my vision. Was this death? Strangely, I remained conscious. Would I meet the god who ruled this world? Would they curse me? As that thought lingered, a faint light appeared in the distance. Like a firefly, it floated closer, hovering just above me.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  [You have harmed a god and, as such, have lost his blessing.]

  "I see. Will I die?" I asked, my voice devoid of fear.

  [No. You will be reverted to the state you were in before you received the blessing.]

  "Will Elidranthia return?" A glimmer of hope flickered within me, only to be extinguished cruelly.

  [No. Elidranthia has passed. She has joined the circle of mana and nourished the world. Perhaps, someday, she will be reborn—with a better disposition.]

  The blue box almost seemed to sigh. I couldn't help but agree. Elidranthia was, admittedly, a knife-loving psychopath with a penchant for stabbing anything that moved. And I might have inherited some of her nature. And yet, she was still my friend.

  "I see. But… why can't I see anything? Am I an invalid?"

  [The drawback of pulling your blessing has caused unexpected damage to your soul. We have remedied it, but your body needs to rest.]

  "I see. Will I become human again? Will I be healthy?" I asked.

  [Yes. You will return to Elidranthia's body, just as it was before you received the blessing of the Reaper. Now, wake up—your friends have been waiting.]

  The light expanded, enveloping me in its warm glow. Then, the world turned dark again. This time, however, I could feel something solid beneath me—I was lying on a bed. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Alicia.

  "Lady Eli!" Alicia cried, pulling me into her arms, my face meeting the familiar softness of her bosom.

  "Ah… Hello, Alicia," I said awkwardly.

  "You've been asleep for a month! I was so worried you wouldn't wake up." Alicia's voice trembled, and I gave her a melancholy smile. Alicia then ran outside and asked the guard, "Hold on a moment—I'll call everyone here."

  "Hm." I nodded slowly, but then my stomach growled—a sensation I hadn't felt in so long. Not since I had become a vampire. "I… I'm hungry."

  "Oh! Of course! How insensitive of me. I apologize, Lady Eli. I'll bring you food immediately!" Alicia bowed and hurried out. She returned moments later with a bowl of porridge. I hesitated before scooping up a spoonful and tasting it. The flavors hit me like a revelation—the saltiness, the sweet plum—it all caressed my tongue. Taste had returned to me.

  "Eli!" Ludwin's voice called out as he burst through the door.

  "Prince Ludwin, how are you?" I waved at him, noting how out of breath he looked.

  "Hahaha, there's no need to run, Ludwin. She's not going anywhere," Heracles said, walking in with Claire by his side. "The goddess herself guaranteed her recovery. Though I must admit, if Claire were in Eli's position, I'd abandon all my work and rush to her bedside, too."

  Heracles leaned in and kissed Claire on the cheek. I was stupefied. This gigolo had no shame in showing his affection so openly. No wonder many women who read the light novels were head over heels. They hadn't flirted much in front of me during the war, but now that things had settled, I suppose they felt more relaxed.

  "Shut it, Heracles," Ludwin muttered, clearly embarrassed. If he was so embarrassed, why even do it in the first place? Weren't you supposed to be the smart, calculating genius from the stories, Ludwin?

  "The demons are gone, right? But what about the Western nations, Althemer, and the Theocracy?" I asked, looking at Ludwin. It was Heracles and Claire who answered instead.

  "Well, we're about to get married," Claire said with a grin. "The Western nations won't pose much trouble. In fact, they're eager to support us now that they've seen your power, Eli."

  "Hahaha, you scared them shitless!" Heracles laughed. "Claire's been working on Western nations' politics for years, and when we met with them, they practically begged us to put in a good word for you. Your ability to turn anyone into undead and interrogate them really put them on edge!"

  "I can't do that anymore," I admitted. "Except for some basic dark magic, I think I'm powerless now. I can't turn people into zombies anymore."

  "Well, the goddess removed the Dark God's blessing from you. I guess you're just a normal girl now," Claire said before pulling me into a hug. She then caressed my hair, "And by the way, the goddess took back my blessing to turn back time, too! So, I'm just a normal girl as well! Oh my gosh, Eli, you're so small and cute. Now I understand why Alicia adores you so much! And without that intimidating glare of yours, you're even better!"

  "Stop it!" I protested, pulling myself free from Claire's grasp and stepping down from the bed.

  Then I froze. Something felt... off. Everyone seemed taller than me. Sure, most people had always been taller than me, but now I barely reached Alicia's chest. I used to reach her shoulders. What's happening? Why do I feel so small?

  "Huh? What happened? Why are you all so tall?" I finally muttered, my confusion plain.

  "Well, it's certainly a blessing many women would be jealous of," Heracles said, scratching his head. "The goddess mentioned reversing your body to before you received the blessing of the Evil God. Do you know when that was?"

  "Hm? I received it around the same time I became a vampire! It wasn't that long ago!" I countered. But when I turned to look in the mirror, a chill ran down my spine, and horror crept into my heart. The reflection staring back at me was the face I had when I first arrived in this world.

  "No way… Impossible…” My thoughts raced. Was the blessing of the Evil God the goddess mentioned the one I received over seven years ago? Back when I was just ten years old? When the Reaper comet appeared.

  "Ugh… I'm so jealous," Claire groaned dramatically. "Now I'll be an old auntie before you, Elidranthia. I thought you'd become my younger sister! I'm in my twenties now… The goddess was so unfair. I'm the one who prayed to her every day, and yet you're the one who got the blessings…" She stood up and placed a hand over my head before pulling me into a hug. She had to kneel for it. "How can I declare this cute kid to be my sister?"

  "You've got to be kidding me! Give me back my seven years! I want my body back!!" I screamed to the heavens. It was not much, but I had breasts before. Do I have to wait seven years before I finally have some semblance of womanhood? "I hate Goddess!"

  Of course, no higher power answered. The system and blue box that once guided me were gone, silent forever. The world was at peace, and I had my friends. All in all, I lived a fulfilling life after that—except for the fact that I was forever shorter than everyone else.