After hearing all the details, Sandra couldn’t help but smirk, as if her daughter was truly getting better at choosing her words wisely, making Sandra feel both proud and entertained at the same time.
Still, though—despite her amusement, there was something else on her mind.
“Is it really possible?” Sandra asked, turning her gaze toward Dora, her voice laced with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.
Since Dora was powerful and knowledgeable in ways others were not, perhaps she would have an answer that defied logic.
Dora shook her head with a thoughtful expression before responding, “I’ve never heard of anyone being able to do that… so, honestly, I can’t say for sure.” Her gaze shifted toward the Archpriestess, who was far closer to the Mother Goddess than any of them.
If anyone had the knowledge to confirm or deny such a possibility, it would be her.
“What about you? Do you have any idea if this has ever been done before?”
The Archpriestess frowned, her brows drawing together as she tried to search her memories for anything that could be remotely relevant. A long silence passed before she finally sighed and shook her head. “No… there has never been anything recorded about regaining lost powers.”
Sandra’s frown deepened as she immediately countered, “Then how the hell was that old man able to do it?” There was a clear frustration in her voice, a growing irritation at the contradiction they were facing.
If it was truly impossible, then how had it already happened?
“Who knows… maybe he possesses knowledge that we don’t,” the Archpriestess muttered, her voice calm but carrying an underlying sense of unease. She paused briefly before adding, “But I strongly believe that nothing happens without reason. Even if he lost his powers, Aether is still powerful, isn’t he? That fact alone should tell us something.”
Dora and Sandra exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. Even with the power granted to the Chosen Ones, they both knew deep down that others still wouldn’t stand a chance against Aether.
His growth was unnatural, his strength defying the very laws of existence. No matter how much power one gathered, it always felt like he was steps ahead.
The Archpriestess’s expression suddenly darkened as she shifted her gaze toward Dora, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re a Fox Kin? I thought your kind was wiped out long ago.”
Dora let out a soft chuckle, an amused smirk tugging at her lips. She waved her hand, and in the next instant, her previous body appeared, her fox ears and tail vanishing as if they had never existed. “Well, what can I say? Miracles do happen sometimes,” she said, her tone lighthearted, but there was something guarded in the way she spoke.
It was clear she wasn’t eager to discuss the subject any further.
Sensing her reluctance, Sandra decided to change the focus.
“We have only two remaining Ebon Stones,” she muttered, her voice laced with unease. Just speaking the words aloud sent a heavy feeling through her chest.
Dora nodded, her expression turning serious as she shifted her attention back to the Archpriestess, “We need to understand the process completely before we make any moves. Otherwise, who knows what could happen? One wrong step, and we might be the ones paying the price.”
However, the Archpriestess shook her head once more and firmly stated, “No. Mother has given strict orders. I am not allowed to grant access to anyone.”
Dora’s lips twitched, and in an instant, “Bitch! Are you serious right now? This isn’t some minor issue we can ignore! It wasn’t Mother who saved our asses when we were on the verge of death! She’s just sitting back and watching like we’re nothing but pawns to be moved at her convenience!”
The Archpriestess clenched her jaw, biting down on her lip before inhaling deeply, “You don’t understand anything at all. No matter how desperate you are, I cannot go against the will of the Mother Goddess. Unless she specifically commands it, I have no right to allow you through.”
Dora gritted her teeth, her frustration clear in the sharpness of her gaze and they had few verbal talks that didn’t end well… so,
Sandra, who had been silently listening to the heated exchange, suddenly spoke up with a thoughtful expression, “I thought Mary was supposed to be powerful.” Her words were slow and deliberate as if she was trying to make sense of something that didn’t quite add up.
Dora turned her head toward her. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I mean… wasn’t she supposed to be on an entirely different level? But when we saw her… she was nothing like the image we had in mind. If anything, she seemed weak.
She even hid behind Aether instead of standing her ground.” Sandra’s voice carried a note of scepticism, her frown deepening as she recalled the way Mary had behaved.
No matter how fearsome her ‘Bloody’ title was supposed to be, it simply didn’t match what they had witnessed.
Could it be that the title was nothing more than a fabrication?
The Archpriestess seemed to consider it as well before nodding. “Yes… she was not impressive at all. I expected much more from someone with such a reputation.”
However—
Dora suddenly let out a low chuckle, which gradually grew louder until it turned into a full, amused laugh.
“Hahah…!”
Sandra and the Archpriestess both frowned in confusion, watching her closely.
“What’s so funny?”
“Don’t be fooled by her acting…” Dora said, her voice carrying a mix of amusement and irritation as if she couldn’t believe she had to explain something so obvious,
“She wasn’t even taking this seriously. That entire fight, to her, was nothing more than a game.”
“Huh? What?”
“Not serious? Are you joking?”
Both Sandra and the Archpriestess were momentarily stunned, their minds struggling to process what they had just heard. The idea that Mary—of all people—wasn’t fighting seriously was almost impossible to believe.
Their fucking lives had been on the line.
The fate of the entire Empire had hung in the balance.
And yet, according to Dora, Mary hadn’t even been trying?
Was she lying? Or was this truly the reality of the situation?
Dora smiled, but it wasn’t the usual playful smirk she often wore. It was something colder, something that held a deep sense of knowing,
“I’m telling you… that woman was just toying with everyone. She never fought with the intent to win. If she had…. then either Master or she would have been dead by now, no exceptions.”
Both Sandra and the Archpriestess exchanged looks.
Sandra’s brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of it, “You can’t be serious… I mean, her life was at stake, wasn’t it? Her empire, her people, and everything she built were in danger. And yet, you’re telling me she was just playing around like some kind of twisted joke?”
“How can you be so sure?” the Archpriestess asked, her voice quieter but no less demanding.
Dora’s expression darkened, “Because I know her better than anyone else. That woman… she isn’t normal. Her mind doesn’t work the way ours does.
She sees people—no matter who they are—as nothing more than entertainment. They’re playthings to her. And how do I know for certain?”
Dora took a slow breath before answering.
“Because I saw it. I saw the one time she was actually serious.”
“The previous fight with Master?” the Archpriestess guessed, her tone uncertain but laced with curiosity.
Dora gave a small nod, her eyes narrowing slightly as she recalled that moment. “You don’t understand… she nearly killed him last time”
Sandra’s eyes widened slightly, “What?”
“The only reason she failed was because his holy power was overwhelming for her at that time. If not for that, she wouldn’t have hesitated to end his life right then and there.” Dora’s voice was cold, filled with certainty. “But now… things have changed.”
She clenched her jaw slightly as the memory played in her mind. Unlike before, when Mary had been nearly burned to nothing by those holy flames, this time… she had endured them. She had withstood what should have been impossible.
She had still been injured, yes—but nothing like before. Last time, she had been on the verge of total destruction… If not for Dora’s intervention, protecting her, Master would have killed Mary.
Dora exhaled, a deep frown settling on her lips.
‘She’s getting stronger…’
That thought sent an unsettling chill down her spine.
“Still, I don’t understand what you mean by ‘messed up.'” The Archpriestess leaned forward slightly, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
Dora hesitated for a brief second as if deciding how much she should say. Then, her voice lowered, and the words that followed were coated in something dark, something bitter.
“She didn’t fight…. Not until Master had already slaughtered nearly a million people.”
Sandra and the Archpriestess both froze at those words.
“What…?”
“You heard me,” Dora said, her voice sharper now, “She stood there and watched. She let them die. She watched as Master tore them apart, as he massacred them like insects. Even though they were her own people—her own empire—she just stood there, unmoving. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t react. She just… watched them suffer.”
Dora’s hands curled into fists at the memory, her nails pressing into her palms.
That was what made Mary terrifying.
It wasn’t just her strength, her abilities, or her reputation.
It was that complete and utter detachment to others!
She didn’t fucking care.
Meanwhile…
Deep within the Void Empire, nestled in the heart of an obsidian castle, darkness stretched across a vast throne room.
A lone figure sat upon the grand throne, her form mostly concealed by the shifting shadow blur, except for one thing—two piercing crimson eyes that gleamed like twin stars in the abyss.
In her delicate fingers, a glass vial swirled gently, containing thick, fresh blood that shimmered unnaturally in the dim light.
“The Blood of Big Brother Snape…” Mary murmured, her voice smooth yet carrying an undercurrent of intrigue. Her fingers continued to twirl the vial slowly, her gaze locked onto it as if unravelling its mysteries, “What exactly did Dora give to him?”
No one had seen when she had taken it. Not even Master himself. Amidst the chaos of battle, she had moved with precision, carefully extracting the blood without anyone noticing.
Her expression remained unreadable as she leaned back against the throne, her mind piecing together fragments of information.
“And what did ‘she’ mean… I should let that boy go?” Mary muttered to herself, irritation flickering in her tone. It had genuinely caught her off guard when she heard those words from her ‘Grace.’ That she—of all people—had let Aether escape?
That didn’t make any sense.
It was she who wanted Aether to die and yet….
Something wasn’t adding up.
Mary let out a slow, amused breath, her fingers still idly swirling the vial, as her crimson eyes flickered toward the two figures kneeling before her. Their heads remained bowed in absolute submission, their bodies motionless as they awaited her command.
With a lazy yet deliberate motion, she tilted her head slightly.
“Summon Seraphine,” she finally said, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “I believe I have something… rather interesting for her.”
The eerie glow of the blood reflected in her gaze as she spoke, her mind already dancing with the possibilities of what secrets it might hold.