Chapter Seventy-Four: Forbidden Power and Its Price

Facing me, with hair and eyes as black as night, the First Inquisitor’s gaze grew incomparably grave. “Such evil power—so this is your trump card, Princess Liliana?” he murmured to himself.

At last, I had unleashed this forbidden force. As its wicked strength surged within me, my mind became preternaturally clear. All emotion faded, leaving only coldness, bloodlust, and cruelty to consume my thoughts.

“The First Inquisitor, is it?” I addressed him, but even my own voice made me shudder. It was cold and merciless, devoid of any trace of life. It was as if, before me, there stood not the First Inquisitor, but a mere insect—a lifeless corpse. Yet I felt no discord within; as if I had always been meant to be this way. “Are you ready? Since you dared provoke me, then—prepare to die!” With these words, I lunged at him, not using teleportation, but relying on my own speed—yet now, my speed was indistinguishable from instantaneous movement.

“You’re the first to ever tell me to die!” the First Inquisitor roared with laughter, raising his greatsword to block my descending scythe. “This power is indeed formidable—unspeakably evil—but can you truly control it? When the weak wield the mighty, it is they who are destroyed in the end.” He smiled at me, brimming with absolute confidence in his own strength.

“That’s none of your concern. You’d do better to worry about how you’ll survive my hand.” I dismissed his warning with an icy tone. Harm myself? What a joke. I’d never heard of a part of oneself inflicting harm upon its own body. This forbidden power was innate to me—present from the moment I was born, sealed away, yet its lingering presence still left an indelible mark. It smothered my emotions, rendered me merciless, until I sealed my own bloodline and began to experience feelings for the first time.

“Survive? Princess Liliana, you overestimate yourself. This power, though troublesome, is not beyond my ability to handle. Do not underestimate the title of First Inquisitor!” The Sword Duke smiled, his eyes radiating utter self-assurance.

“Then let’s see who falls last.” My pride in my own strength was absolute. “One blow. If you can withstand a single blow from me, I’ll concede defeat. Killing you will not require a second strike.”

“Then I must see what gives you such confidence.” My words seemed to anger him. He gripped his greatsword with both hands, and we each retreated a step.

“You’ll see.” I replied coolly, then began to recite an incantation—strange, yet familiar: “From the land darker than night, from the time older than eternity, I offer my sacrifice, only to shatter the enemy before me. Fallen Paradise, land of eternal memory, land of eternal loss, land of eternal damnation, open your arms to me, reveal your true face.”

As the last word fell from my lips, the countless orbs of light that floated within my domain shattered, dissolving into motes of light that vanished, replaced by a torrent of evil, overwhelming power surging from within me. In that instant, the First Inquisitor’s face changed; terror appeared in his eyes for the first time.

“How is this possible? This power…” His voice trembled with fear.

“I told you—if you can withstand a single blow, I’ll admit defeat. I won’t go back on my word. For now, you’d best consider how to keep yourself alive.” My tone was so cold it made one shiver, as if it had come from the depths of the underworld. “Scythe Technique—Original Sin.” My voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, terrifyingly flat.

At my words, endless black magic condensed into a gigantic scythe, suspended above my head. This scythe was the source of all evil, the origin of all sin. The Scythe of Original Sin, formed from the most wicked, most sinful power in this world.

“This is the power of Original Sin—impossible! Power enough to challenge the gods, how could it appear in this world?” The First Inquisitor trembled uncontrollably as he sensed its evil.

“Nothing is impossible. My birth was Original Sin itself—evil, unrecognized by this world. Yet I survived, carrying endless sin. Do you understand now? This is the forbidden power—I would rather die than touch it, yet you forced me to resolve to use it, no matter the cost. So, taste death—or rather, an agony worse than death.” My voice was icy. “Devour all, Original Sin!”

At my command, the scythe forged from the world’s original sin descended upon the First Inquisitor. He stared in terror at the blade descending toward him, so stricken with fear and despair that he lacked even the courage to flee.

When the Scythe of Original Sin fell, everything ended. There was no earth-shattering explosion, no raging magic—only a swath of land vanished into nothingness, and a bottomless black abyss silently bore witness to the horror of that strike.

My domain was torn apart by the blow, revealing its aftermath. Though only struck by the periphery, the three other Inquisitors were gravely wounded, utterly incapable of further combat, their faint breathing the only sign they still lived. The First Inquisitor’s body was covered in wounds, his chest pierced through, one arm severed, the left side of his body a ruin.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood and said weakly, “I never thought I would lose—lose so utterly. The power of Original Sin… As expected of Princess Liliana, the most beloved daughter of the Prince. I am not wronged by this defeat.” Before he could finish, his body began to crumble to dust, vanishing into the night. With his heart destroyed, even one as strong as he could not survive.

“Liliana? What happened here?” Not far away, Xuelan and Ang appeared, the two Inquisitors who had been fighting the illusionist now subdued and discarded. Xuelan and the others stared in disbelief at the scene before them, unable to trust their own eyes.

“Xuelan, Ang, Lilyel, you’re here.” The strike of Original Sin had drained all my magic; my black hair and eyes faded as my domain shattered, returning me to my usual self. “As you can see, I won.”

“Young Miss, what is going on? What happened here?” Ang asked in utter disbelief.

“There’s no need to ask.” I shook my head gently. “My time is almost up. I thought I’d never see you again, but to see you all at the end—it’s wonderful.” I smiled.

“Young Miss, what do you mean?” Ang’s voice trembled with fear.

“Yes, you won, didn’t you? Why would you say such things? Sister Lilith, what’s really happened?” Lilyel’s voice was thoroughly panicked.

“I touched the forbidden power—and now I must pay the price.” My voice was calm. “But don’t worry, I won’t die—at least, I don’t think so.” I could already sense the price for using the forbidden power taking hold.

“What do you mean? What price? ‘Don’t think so’—what are you saying?” Xuelan asked, terrified.

The price? The price is my memory. In my domain, I am indeed immortal, for each time I die, I am revived by my memories—the price is that I forever lose the memory of that death. But with the use of forbidden power, the price is all my memories. I do not know if, having lost every memory, I am still myself. I could feel my memories already blurring; I could no longer recall who the people before me were, why I was here, or even who I was.

My eyes gradually lost their light, becoming utterly lifeless, like a mechanical puppet.

“Young Miss, what’s wrong?” Ang called out in panic as he looked into my eyes.

“Who…who are you? Who am I? Who are any of you?” I replied in a daze to Ang’s question.

“Liliana, what’s wrong? What happened? This isn’t real, is it? You’re just teasing us, aren’t you?” Xuelan’s voice was filled with terror.

“Who are you? Who is Liliana? Who am I?” My words were dull and wooden.

“How could this be?” Xuelan stumbled back several steps, barely managing to steady herself, her eyes full of disbelief.

“Sister Lilith, I’m Lilyel—don’t you remember me?” Lilyel asked anxiously.

“Lilyel?” I repeated the name blankly.

“Yes, that’s right! Sister Lilith, I’m Lilyel. You remember me!” Lilyel exclaimed in delight.

But my answer crushed her hope, “Who is Lilyel?”

“Ang, what’s going on? You’ve been at Sister Lilith’s side the longest—you must know, don’t you?” Lilyel pleaded, her voice breaking with tears.

“I don’t know what’s happened. I fear the Young Miss has lost all her memories. Something must have happened just now that we do not understand.” Ang gritted his teeth. “I just don’t know if her amnesia is temporary—maybe she’ll recover in time. Or maybe…” He left the rest unsaid, but everyone understood—perhaps the memories were lost forever, never to return.

“No, I don’t believe Sister Lilith would forget us. I don’t believe it!” Lilyel was already sobbing.

“His Highness the Prince may have a way.” The Duke of Winds, silent until now, finally spoke. At his words, hope lit up their faces—yes, His Highness the Prince would surely know how to restore Lilith’s memories.

“Who?” I called out in a direction, for though my memories were gone, my senses remained—and after bathing in forbidden power, they were even keener. It was easy to detect someone was spying on us.

“So I’ve been discovered?” a startled exclamation sounded from not far away.