A slightly chilly morning.

Kierra was sitting on top of the Crimson Tower, watching the sun creeping up while enjoying her giant cup of caramel pudding. This one was made by her number one disciple, Angelica, so the taste was guaranteed.

Maybe a good time to return would be when she ran out of desserts to consume.

''Hah...''

Kierra let out a relaxed sigh, feeling the wind embracing her body. Her hat fluttered in the flow, swaying gently.

It had been quite peaceful recently.

Peaceful...

''...''

Now that Kierra thought about it... wasn't this the same as when she was in her old world? She still played all day and did whatever she wanted, yet her heart was relatively calm, not yearning for entertainment.

What exactly was the cause?

Perhaps her training sessions. Perhaps the prospect of teasing women. Kierra wouldn't know, and she wouldn't care all that much.

So Kierra decisively scooped the last piece of the pudding and put it into her mouth. As the dessert melted, flavor flooded it, making her let out a satisfied moan.

''Kierra...!!''

''?!''

Suddenly being spooked from behind, Kierra almost choked on her pudding. When she turned around, a panicked Tian Yun was there.

''Mhm?'' Kierra tilted her head, spoon inside her mouth.

''Ah.''

From this angle, Kierra seemed much different from her usual appearance. Her side profile was unquestionably exquisite; then came her relaxed eyebrows and the final boss—the spoon.

A super innocent-looking Kierra was a top-tier Kierra!

(・∀・)

At this point, the archwizard finally took the spoon out and raised her eyebrow.

''What?''

Snapping out of her trance, Tian Yun turned back to her panicked mode. ''Ah, there's an emergency!''

''That being?''

''A demon horde has appeared!''

Demons again? It seemed Ovi would have some snacks soon.

''Are they close?''

''No.'' Tian Yun shook her head. ''The call for help actually came from Shaolin.''

''Hoh? Shaolin, you say?''

If Shaolin judged they couldn't handle it, then the enemies would be quite formidable. Right when Kierra complained about her life being too peaceful, this happened. Was god listening to her all along?

'Well, I'm an atheist anyway.'

''What do you want to do, Kierra?''

''Of course, we help them.''

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

After grabbing Yu Chen and Mie Xieren, the four jumped on top of Kamikaze and headed to Shaolin right away. The direction was provided by none other than Emei's abbess, and due to the long distance, Kamikaze had the opportunity to soar as he liked.

''Tian Yun, are there any clues on our opponents this time?'' Mie Xieren cautiously inquired.

''The messenger said there was an army. With his attitude, I could almost sense danger.''

''To the extent that Shaolin is calling for help...''

While the two were exchanging words regarding the enemies, Yu Chen approached Kierra, hugging a sword in her arms.

''You seem quite calm.'' She commented.

''It is nothing new,'' Kierra replied. ''Do demons appear frequently here?''

''Certainly not as frequent as now.''

''So there is something else to the equation.''

''Clearly. I don't think the unorthodox people have a way to increase the appearance rate, but just in case...''

This reminded Kierra of the Land of Death. She had learned that those people lived there. Coincidentally, she could also feel, albeit very faintly, the presence of her old fate there as well.

'...No.'

It couldn't be. August didn't know how to summon demons.

Wiping those silly thoughts clean, Kierra focused on the looming fight. With Kamikaze's incredible speed, it only took the four around half an hour to enter Shaolin's territory.

Immediately, Kierra could see a large area occupied by an almost absurd number of temples. Big or small, they were all there. The scene was somewhat beautiful, but she couldn't spot many people moving on the streets.

''It seems they have mobilized most of the monks.'' Mie Xieren walked up with a serious expression. ''We need to hurry.''

By this point, everyone present was able to sense the large-scale battle ahead, not only from circumstantial evidence but also from the intense energy waves coming at them.

When they arrived at the scene, it was truly as though they were looking at a hellscape.

On one side, around a thousand monks were pushing back the tidal wave—a tsunami of grotesque creatures invading the territory. They fought bravely, bringing forward their qi-clad fists, painting a golden color across the battlefield.

On the other, several commander figures, who seemed much more powerful than regular demons, stood calmly. They directed the army resolutely, their voices empowered by pure hatred and disdain toward humanity.

The demons' attacks all had an ominous black hue to them, making the distinction between the two sides quite easy to make. More than anything, the battle between the abbot of Shaolin and a fierce demon took all the spotlight. Each exchange shook the earth and heavens, and they were only getting more aggressive.

Kierra narrowed her eyes slightly.

Now that she had arrived, she didn't feel intimidated a bit!

Instead, the archwizard was thinking about what spell to use. A flashy spell would be nice, just to impress the Shaolin people. What would it be?

Meteor Rain? Inferno? Earth Rupture? Frost Abyss?

Suddenly, a sphere, one akin to a miniature star, manifested beside the archwizard.

''Cosmos?''

[Friend, may I experiment with an exercise?]

At this, a grin crept up Kierra's face. Cosmos probably wanted to test its strength in this realm. Why not?

''Of course, comrade,'' Kierra replied. ''It's all yours.''

[Much appreciated]

When the others were about to jump down and assist Shaolin, Kierra stopped them.

''A minute.'' She said firmly. ''They will be taken care of in a minute. Do not interfere.''

The archwizard's voice, although infinitely softer than the intense battle cries below, seemed to hold an immeasurable pressure, forcing the three to shut any intention of opposing her.

gulp—!

A stark difference from her usual playful demeanor. So this was her true charisma...

Terrifying!

Right when the small sphere floated to the sky, Kierra used advanced telekinesis to pull away the fighters on both sides, separating them with a sturdy mana barrier.

Humans and demons stared at each other, question marks popping on their faces. The abbot of Shaolin was particularly confused. He carefully inspected the transparent wall that had just appeared and realized he couldn't make out its essence.

''Hey, what happened??''

''What is this wall?!''

''Let me through! I shall demolish all evils!''

When the voices began to emerge, a strange phenomenon descended.

'''' ?!? ''''

Suddenly, the sky turned dark. The abrupt darkness squarely devoured the sun. It was as though a deep veil had covered the whole Central Divine Realm!

Then, one by one, sparkling dots began to surface in the sky, quickly filling up the canvas to form a brilliant, vibrant, and eerily alive galaxy.

————————————!!

A prolonged, indescribably unsettling sound filled the battlefield, drowning out even the most passionate scream. A brief silence ensued before a violent rip yelled.

In an instant, the fabric of the cosmic was torn to shreds.

From beyond the abyss, a terrifying beast of unimaginable size crept out of its lair, grabbing the very corners of space with its elongated, sharp, and slightly crooked claws. Dozens of pairs of blue eyes shone in the dark, illuminating its colossal maw filled with rows of sharp teeth.

With a deep grumble that paralyzed every single soul in the vicinity, the cosmic beast of horror descended.