"Didn't I already say it? One of the Seven Demon Apostles under Desire…"
"Don't try to fool me with a fake identity. If the Witch of Desire really had someone like you under her command, her war with the Pope would have ended long ago."
York clearly didn't believe a single word the black-haired loli had said.
Seeing this, she didn't bother explaining, and only replied calmly:
"Believe it or not. Your choice."
"Heh."
York snorted, dropped the topic, and turned his attention to the magic she had used earlier.
"Killing the undead leads to corruption by fallen mana. Not killing them leads to assimilation by death mana. Calling this spell a 'catastrophe' is quite accurate.
But if a holy-element mage were standing here today, your spell would be easily countered."
"Unfortunately, you're not."
"Indeed. This magic hard-counters every attribute except holy.
So you calculated that I'm a Fate-type mage.
But what made you think that wealth—or rather, fortune—didn't inherit Fate's trickery?"
With that, York pulled a small, delicate balance scale from his spatial ring and tossed it into the air.
The scale expanded in the wind, transforming into a massive phantom that seemed to suppress heaven and earth.
"Under the holy artifact, the Scales of Plutus, everything has value. Everything can be measured by wealth.
And I am the one who controls this scale of fortune.
Since obtaining this artifact, I have never once used it.
You are fortunate—you will personally witness its power."
[Mid-Tier Wealth Magic: Value Manifestation]
York waved his hand, and a vast surge of magic power spread across the entire city.
Under its influence, strings of numbers appeared above the heads of every living being.
Some were small—around a hundred. Others were massive, as long as phone numbers.
The Chui-de royal family members all had extremely large values.
But York's gaze remained fixed on the black-haired loli.
When he saw that her number was only one digit longer than those of the royal sixth-rankers, he let out a sigh of relief.
"A top-tier Saint who's only worth slightly more than a bunch of sixth-rank ants. Should I say you're poor…or just ignorant of money?
I don't even need to use my own wealth to deal with you."
His tone relaxed, as if he had already completely grasped the situation.
"So?" The black-haired loli asked calmly.
At that moment, an even stronger sense of pity rose in York's heart.
How could I ever bring myself to kill such a pitiful child?
Guilt, sorrow, despair—all kinds of negative emotions flooded his mind.
Even though his body was still wrapped in magic, he was clearly being affected.
If nothing changed, he would sink into these emotions and become a puppet of feelings.
Realizing York's intentions, the black-haired loli finally became serious.
But in the next instant, a brilliant golden light descended from the phantom scales in the sky.
The light enveloped York's body, freeing him from the negative mental state.
Now fully alert, York quickly widened the distance between himself and the loli, his expression filled with caution.
This time, he didn't waste any words.
He activated the supreme magic engraved within the holy artifact.
[Supreme Fate Magic: Equivalent Exchange]
In an instant, the phantom scales radiated blinding light.
Golden pillars of light rose from the ground, surrounding every person:
The citizens of Chui-de City. The royal family members. York himself. And the black-haired loli.
The numbers above their heads became their "prices" on the scales.
But York wasn't finished.
He raised his staff again and spoke in a deep voice:
[Mid-Tier Fate Magic: Faction Judgment] [High-Tier Wealth Magic: Surplus Value Extraction]
The combination ritual—which York had simulated countless times but never used—was finally unleashed upon the world.
In the blink of an eye, the numbers above everyone else's heads began flying toward York.
Beneath his original value, an enormous new chain of numbers appeared.
At the same time, two phantoms appeared on the scales—one of York, and one of the black-haired loli.
"I can sense your abnormality. I can see that your soul does not match your body.
You are like a carefully crafted doll, with a terrifying soul far exceeding the value of your flesh."
Under the influence of the holy artifact, York's gaze became profound.
It was as if he were delivering her final eulogy.
"Unfortunately, no matter how powerful your soul is, this body of yours has only this much value here.
And in my domain, whoever controls wealth controls everything."
With a wave of his hand, the second set of numbers above York's head transformed into a beam of light and appeared above his phantom on the scales.
At the same time, the loli's value also manifested on her phantom.
Because of the massive difference, the scales tilted completely toward York's side.
"Then…let the exchange begin."
York raised his arms, smiling like a king awaiting victory.
The numbers above both phantoms rapidly decreased.
The black-haired loli sensed something wrong, but the golden pillar of light immobilized her, preventing any escape.
As the numbers dwindled, her struggle weakened.
Just before her value reached zero, she stopped moving.
She gave York a strange smile and said calmly:
"We will meet again."
A gentle breeze passed.
The black-haired loli turned into countless grains of dust and vanished completely.