My Goddess is Good at Pretending

Chapter 580: Win but Lose

With a surge of frustration, after all his attacks couldn’t even leave a hit on his opponent, Richard gathered all his strength and unleashed his most powerful technique. His blade ignited in a torrent of scarlet flames, and he leaped into the air, aiming to bring down the full force. The arena blazed with heat as his final strike descended.

But at that moment, Rafaela closed her eyes. With a serene expression, she raised her staff high, and from its crystal burst a radiant beam of holy light. The light met the Swordsmaster’s flames in midair, not with the force of opposition, but with the gentle embrace of balance. The fire was consumed by the light, not extinguished, but transformed, turning into harmless tiny embers that floated softly to the ground.

The crowd fell silent, mesmerized by the spectacle.

Richard landed heavily on the scorched ground. He panted for breath, and his body trembled from exertion. His flames had been neutralized, and his final attack rendered meaningless.

He stared at the Holy Priestess before him. Her light barrier was still intact with only some minor cracks and scratches. Still, her calm expression never faltered, proving she had yet to fight seriously.

At that moment, he understood. She could have ended the battle at any time. She had the power, the wisdom, and the skill to defeat him. Yet, she had chosen not to.

"Wow, everyone! What a surprising turn of events we have here." The emcee was so impressed by the match between the holy light and the scorching hot flames.

"I withdraw from this match." Rafaela raised her hand and floated away, leaving the arena.

"Uh-huh?" The emcee was flabbergasted, and so was the audience. She immediately flew down to meet the perfectly fine Holy Priestess to inquire the reason. "Holy Priestess, you’ve shown tremendous skill and grace in this match. Are you sure about this decision? The crowd has seen your strength, and many believe you could still fight on!"

"I appreciate the support. My role in this competition has been fulfilled. The Scarlet Swordsmaster is a worthy opponent, and if this battle were to continue, I know the outcome would not be in my favor." Rafaela shook her head and flew up, returning to her master’s side.

Even though she chose to surrender, she had already showcased her progress and gauged the Scarlet Swordsmaster’s true potential without using her true power and divine blessing. Therefore, her master bestowed her with well-deserved praise and appreciation, and that was just what she needed.

"Thank you, Holy Priestess, for your wisdom and the honor you’ve brought to this arena. And with that, the victory of this match goes to the formidable Scarlet Swordmaster!" The emcee announced the winner.

Some of the audience felt a bit dissatisfied, but others cheered for the hero. Some of them even acted a bit excessively because quite a few of the audience had bet on the hero’s victory.

"I see..." Richard sighed after he realized something. The Holy Priestess never aimed for victory as it would put the heroes and everyone’s morale down. He knew it, but he just didn’t want to admit it. If the Elysion Chuch’s representative truly aimed to gain victory, not even the Hero Party could defeat them.

Her true aim was something else. This fight was never about strength and victory, but about teaching, conveying a deeper truth. His scarlet flames, though mighty, were fueled by his need for power and victory. The Holy Priestess had shown him that true strength lay not in domination, but in mastery over oneself.

The match was concluded, and Richard Rees, the Scarlet Swordmaster, was declared the victor. But as the crowd erupted into half-assed cheers, he stood in a frozen state, lowering his sword at his side. There was no sense of triumph in his heart... only a deep, aching realization. He had won the match, yes, but he had lost the contest of strength. The Holy Priestess didn’t even need to defeat him in battle because she had already won in spirit.

As the cheers of the crowd continued, Richard turned to look at the Holy Priestess once more. She met his gaze with a gentle expression. Her eyes were filled with kindness.

In that moment, he felt something stir within him... not admiration for her power, but awe for her grace, her beauty, and her wisdom. She had shown him a path beyond mere victory, a path of balance and understanding. Upon the grace of true beauty, he was enlightened.

Yet, she suddenly looked away from him. She smiled and laughed with the sacred shrine priestess with a genuine elated expression on their faces. The sight was like the daughter received praise and consolation from her mother. It was truly a sight to behold because both of them were peerless beauties.

With a deep sense of reverence, Richard bowed his head before the Elysion Church’s side. It was not the salute of a warrior acknowledging defeat, but the gesture of a soul humbled by something greater than himself.

After that, he returned to the Hero Party’s seats and the next match continued.

"She is also her disciple... so, we managed to fulfill her condition, right?" Harriet asked in wonder.

Based on the conditions given by the sacred shrine priestess, they could ask anything as long as they managed to defeat one of the sacred shrine priestess’ disciples among the Elysion Chruch’s representatives. Therefore, it was safe to say that they had secured the ticket to the knowledgeable one who would help them.

"Most likely..." Katsue covered her mouth to hide her faint smirk. The next match was her against the Shadow Assassin, the bad boy who was even wilder and colder than Liu Kang. She had yet to get closer to forming a bond with Liu Kang, but she found someone more attractive to her taste.

"Regardless, there are only four of us left. Katsue-san, Liu Kang... please do your best to achieve victory. We must not embarrass the Gods, the power bestowed upon us, and everyone’s expectations." Mashiro reminded his party members with emphasis on the last sentence.

"Yes, captain~" Katsue saluted with a flirtatious intonation.

"..." Liu Kang crossed his arms, remaining relaxed in his seat. He just sighed with some other thoughts in his mind.

---

"Sigh..." Genevieve, the princess of the Stevia Empire, heaved a subtle sigh with a hint of disappointment.

She already knew that humanity was declining, but she did not expect the prominent young generations, the prodigies and geniuses present to be relatively weak, too weak to face the real great threat.

If it were not for the participation of the Elysion Church, the summoned heroes would have wiped out the other participants, leaving nobody who could put up a proper fight.

It was probably because of the Elysion Church’s fault. Their representatives possessed the power to rival the summoned heroes and showcased various outstanding performances worth of respect and awe, causing the others to pale in comparison.

Because of that, the rest of the matches looked rather bland, or perhaps it was simply because she put up too high expectations for talents to support the Hero Party. After all, their true aim was the Demon King of Extreme Evil. They required more than firepower and magical prowess to subjugate this sealed great evil and his army.

"What do you think about the Elysion Church’s representatives, my daughter? Is there anyone there that catches your eye? How about those two young men?" Emperor Reginald observed two promising young men at the Elysion Church.

They registered as Micka, the Godly Warrior, and Azra, the Shadow Assassin. Both of them possessed the power that could threaten the summoned heroes.

He had no idea whether the Elysion Church’s representatives also received divine blessings, but he had yet to see them use their full power, and it was really irritating!

"..." Genevieve remained silent for a few seconds. As the princess of royal blood, she knew her father would make her marry the strongest hero. At the moment, the best candidate was the White Hero. She had to marry him and bear his children if he managed to eliminate the Demon King of Extreme Evil and the demon army from the Human Realm.

The reason behind it was simple, namely to strengthen the royal blood with the superior bloodline and blessing. Her children would be born with an unimaginable power for sure. Yet, her future husband would obviously change if someone more talented and powerful appeared in the younger generation, surpassing the White Hero’s potential.

"They are all extremely talented, blessed individuals. They held back a lot because this sacred event is held to honor the heroes and the Gods. They won’t aim for first place. The most dangerous one of them all, is the revered sacred shrine priestess. She is beyond mortal comprehension, even stronger than the ancestor’s potential during his enlightenment state." Genevieve spoke in a whisper-like voice, stating her honest opinion.

She was no longer a young girl, but someone with more than three decades of life experience. With all the arranged arrangements, she would follow them unconditionally as they hailed from the Glorious God’s will.

"She is by all means no ordinary, but you said she is superior to our ancestor even in his enlightenment state? How certain are you?"

"Nine out of ten. The hunch is so strong... this premonition and gut feeling is never wrong, royal father."

"I see... let’s see how they perform then. If they are as impressive as it is, then maybe, you need to register as the Elysion Church’s priestess. It would be perfect if you could be under the sacred shrine priestess’ auspices. What do you say, my daughter?"

"Genevieve will follow your arrangement if it’s according to the Glorious God’s will, royal father."

The Emperor proposed an idea and the princess understood her duties. She would carry them out if the Glorious God wished her to do it.