Hearing this, Henry and Pence both looked over.
"This ti, in order to summon the divine artifact, the Church has reached an agreent with the North Arican officials. North Arica will provide the five sacrifices," Hawkwood said in a deep voice.
"What! They actually agreed to it!" Pence looked astonished. "Doesn't that make us accomplices of the Church!"
"This is the inside information I'm about to explain," Hawkwood said.
"Previously at the council, that Church Cardinal ntioned that the sacrifices needed to offer so blood to complete the ritual. However, the specific format isn't what you imagine."
He planted his sword into the ground and leaned his hands on the poml.
"The Church has already prepared a holy artifact for each of those five individuals. As long as they drip a portion of their blood onto it, they can activate its formidable power."
"And what they need to do is to eliminate the nearby evil existences as quickly as possible once the ritual begins."
Henry frowned upon hearing this.
"I rember the Grand Master ntioning before we ca that the ritual location is a place specifically chosen by the Church. Did they not clean up the evil there?"
Hawkwood replied, "That is also a part of the ritual."
"When the ti cos, these evil powers will be collected to serve as anchors, allowing the divine artifact to lock onto its target. Therefore, the Church has prepared many evil materials at the ritual site."
"But for these powers to be utilized effectively, a magic array needs to guide them, which requires a massive amount of energy to control."
Henry looked thoughtful: "So that's why the Church invited us exorcism factions."
"Correct." Hawkwood nodded.
"The ritual magic array has many energy nodes. We are responsible for maintaining the stability of these nodes. After those five sacrifices purify the evil materials, we must guide the power in as quickly as possible."
Pence rubbed his head: "But... couldn't the Holy Clergy mbers just do this themselves?"
"According to the Church, Holy Clergy mbers are inherently blessed by the Lord, which is how they possess supernatural power. Therefore, if the divine artifact senses their aura, it will distance itself," Hawkwood chuckled lightly.
"But as for the true reason... who knows."
"As long as the Church isn't truly planning to sacrifice those five people, the rest has nothing to do with us."
He looked up at the two young knights.
"However, Knight Henry's concerns are not unfounded. The Lord Knights have always been at odds with the Church, so we must be careful."
"While the ritual is underway, you two must constantly monitor our surroundings. The mont you notice anything amiss, report to imdiately. If you encounter a threat to your lives, evacuate at once."
Pence and Henry offered a knight's salute: "Understood."
Hawkwood pulled his sword from the ground: "But you don't need to worry too much. The Grand Master has arranged for other knights to serve as backup this ti. Even if the Church truly plans to pull sothing, we have reinforcents."
Hearing this, the two knights felt their spirits lift.
"Let's go. We shouldn't keep those guys waiting," Hawkwood said.
But as he turned around, a flicker of sothing unreadable flashed in his eyes.
In truth, there was another piece of inside information he hadn't shared with them.
Not long ago, the Lord Knights had acquired a wisp of "Pioneer Chivalric Spirit." Incredibly, it contained a revelation demanding their mandatory participation in the Church's summoning ritual.
"Although the Grand Master didn't reveal the exact contents of the revelation, for all the Divine Seal Knights to be deployed this ti..." Hawkwood narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself.
"With an operation of this magnitude, I just hope there won't be any unforeseen accidents."
Another part of the dense forest.
Several figures wearing robes and pointed hats had gathered together.
Among them, a short man held a stack of papers, distributing them to his companions.
"These are the magic array nodes we are responsible for. The operating procedures aren't complicated. Familiarize yourselves with them first; we cannot afford any mistakes later," Longbarn instructed.
Leaning against a large tree nearby was a witch with a cold, stunningly beautiful face.
Witnessing this, she frowned: "Why are you taking the Church's matters so seriously? Don't forget the cris they've committed against sorcerers."
Longbarn finished clarifying a point for a junior sorcerer before looking up.
"After all, it is to defend against the Demon God's legion. Whether it's the Church, the Knights Templar, or the North Arican officials, we are all part of humanity."
He picked up another magic array diagram and handed it over.
"Winona, you should take a look too. Grand Sorcerer rlin specifically ordered us to fully cooperate with the Church's operation this ti."
"I really don't know what the Grand Sorcerer is thinking," Winona said as she stood up.
"First, he publicly cooperates with the Church at the D.C. council, and now he's deployed so many of us to participate in this summoning ritual."
She tilted her head.
"I heard even the senior sorcerers out on missions across the country were called back."
Longbarn hurriedly waved his hands downwards to shush her: "We are outside right now; please mind your words. It would be terrible if others thought there was internal discord within our Sorcerer Association!"
Winona rolled her eyes at this.
"So many people died at the Warlock Academy in New Orleans. I heard those witches were almost killed too. Fortunately, soone stepped in and saved them."
She patted Longbarn on the head.
"Since when have we ever been harmonious!"
"And I heard the person who did all that was also a warlock. He used so unknown thod to blind the Association's detection, and after saving the witches, he vanished completely."
Longbarn hastily pressed a finger to his lips.
He then glanced to the side. Seeing that the junior sorcerers were fully concentrated on studying the magic array nodes, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Winona, the Grand Sorcerer has already made arrangents regarding the Warlock Academy. Let's not gossip about it."
Hearing this, Winona grabbed the tip of Longbarn's pointed hat and shook it back and forth.
"Can't talk about this, can't talk about that! It's always so boring going out on missions with you!"
Longbarn was forced to take off his hat, revealing his smooth, bald crown and the lingering hairline that served as proof of a sorcerer's vast erudition.
"Alright, alright! We actually have another mission this ti!"
Winona gave a sly smile: "Hehe, I knew it!"
She properly placed the hat back onto Longbarn's head.
The latter sighed before finally explaining: "After the D.C. council concluded last ti, the Church privately approached Grand Sorcerer rlin again."
A look of reminiscence crossed Longbarn's face.
"They want our Sorcerer Association to act as a diator. Once the ritual concludes, they intend to shake hands and make peace with the Lord Knights."
A flash of surprise crossed Winona's eyes: "Are they truly willing to let go of their past hatred?"
"I heard the Church had to invite them multiple tis before the Lord Knights finally agreed to co and help."
Longbarn shook his head: "I don't know the details. Anyway, this is sothing we've always wanted to achieve, so we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes this ti!"
Winona also understood the gravity of the situation, so she nodded: "Alright, I get it."
Old God Ruins, central area of the dense forest.
Nurous black-robed Holy Clergy mbers moved through the woods, burying the holy artifacts they carried at specific locations.
At the periter, there were also so guarding Holy Clergy mbers, their robes embroidered with a golden lion and cross motif.
One of them was just about to place a crucifix into the dirt when he was stopped.
"This node is the primary location for receiving the evil power. It requires a holy artifact of at least twenty years' vintage," a nun with a holy and pure countenance intervened.
"Otherwise, the Holy Power inside will be depleted far too quickly."
"Yes, Sister Betis." The man quickly swapped it for a different holy artifact.
"All of you, double-check your work! Do not make any mistakes!" Betis instructed the others.
After giving her orders, she walked toward a large tree.
Standing there was another white-robed nun with short brown hair and delicate, petite features.
"For sothing as important as summoning a divine artifact, why would the higher-ups deploy these people who have only just completed their Spiritual Awakening?" Cid frowned.
Betis sighed: "Ever since the incident a month ago with Archbishop... Jolan."
Halfway through her sentence, she quickly corrected herself, sneaking a glance at her friend before continuing.
"Ever since Jolan was rescued, the Place of Suffering suffered a catastrophic attack."
"So many people died all at once. The entire Vatican was shaken. For soone to pull off sothing like that, they surely have other ans targeting the Church."
Betis's gaze turned serious.
"That is why the Cardinal Council decided to bolster our manpower. On one hand, it's to ensure the summoning ritual proceeds smoothly. On the other hand, it's to guard against other potential attacks."
Cid shook her head: "But they only received their Brands recently. They are still far behind in their theological cultivation."
"You're right," Betis nodded.
"Fortunately, the Church is generous. They actually distributed a massive amount of precious pouring resources, which finally gave these newcors sufficient Holy Power. It truly is a blessing from the Lord."
To this, Cid remained silent.
"I'm sorry..." Betis took her arm. "I shouldn't have brought that up."
Cid squeezed out a smile: "It's fine. Let the past remain in the past."
She held Betis's hand in return.
"The most important thing right now is to finish setting up the ritual. Only when the divine artifact descends will those evil spirits and vicious thugs face their punishnt."
Edge of the western Virginia forest, Town of Ivo.
On the roof of a house, a man was observing the street below.
He wore an earpiece, a white wire trailing down from its end.
The man's gaze was fixed on a house with a green exterior diagonally across the street.
A second-floor window there was open, revealing a young woman packing her luggage inside.
The girl wore an outerwear top, but only a pair of gray panties on her bottom half, instantly adding a touch of alluring scenery to the ssy room.
"This is Carrion One. There are three targets in total, two females and one male. They will be preparing to leave shortly."
The man pressed his earpiece and reported.
On a street not far away, all the curtains of a particular house were drawn tightly.
This was the temporary command center of the Paranormal Special Operations Group.
From the outside, there was nothing unusual, but inside, the room was filled with agents in suits.
They sat at desks crowded with various instrunts and equipnt, the screens displaying a multitude of cara feeds.
Looking closely, one could see these feeds covered every corner of Ivo Town.
Two heavily ard guards stood at the front door.
Aside from their standard weapon loadouts, they each had a specially crafted firearm holstered at their waists. The barrels were made of transparent material and filled with an orange liquid.
In addition to them, a tall woman stood in the living room, holding a walkie-talkie.
The indicator light on it quickly flashed.
"This is Carrion One..."
After the other side finished speaking, Claire pressed the transmit button.
"Vulture copies. Continue observing. Wait for the targets to leave."
Soon, the crackle of static sounded from the walkie-talkie again.
"This is Carrion Three. The target is alone. He boarded a bus one minute ago and is estimated to arrive at the target location in ten minutes. Should we intercept him early?"
Claire pondered for a mont: "Vulture copies. Hold your position for now. Continue to stand by."
With that, she set down the walkie-talkie and walked toward a specific room.
Knock... Knock...
"Co in."
Claire pushed open the door to see a handso young man currently reading through so docunts.
"Mr. William, the target will arrive in ten minutes. Should we make our move now?"
William adjusted the sleeves of his black coat before looking up at her: "Let's proceed then."
Hearing this, Claire imdiately pressed the button on her walkie-talkie.
At the sa ti, at a bus stop not far from the green-walled house.
A young Black man carrying an outdoor travel backpack stepped off the bus.
He unzipped a pocket and pulled out a banana. It was covered in black spots, clearly overripe. The young man inspected the banana for a mont, a satisfied expression crossing his face.
Just as he dug his fingernail into the peel, he heard soone yell from behind him.
"Freeze! Put your hands in the air."
The young Black man jumped in fright. He slowly raised his hands and turned around, only to see a man in a suit.
One of the man's hands was thrust into his pocket, a pointed bulge poking outward. He was clearly holding a weapon.
"S-Sir." The young Black man gulped nervously. "You must have the wrong person. I'm just a local college student."
Imdiately after, he saw the man touch his earpiece: "Report. A suspicious male has been spotted in the neighborhood, in possession of a firearm."
"Firearm?"
The young Black man was visibly stunned. He glanced down at his hand.
"Sir... this is just a banana."
He was about to hand the rotten banana over to show him, but was imdiately warned.
"Hey! Don't move! If you move again, I will shoot!"
This ti, the man in the suit pulled his handgun out directly.
He then grabbed a passing pedestrian: "Hey! Ma'am, get out of here quickly! Don't let this thug hurt you."
The woman looked completely bewildered.
But given the tense atmosphere, she quickened her pace, shooting a highly suspicious glare at the young Black man before she left.
The young Black man: ???
At this point, the man in the suit spoke again: "Your na is Holden MacRae. You transferred to the local university last year, and you play as a wide receiver for the school football team."
Holden was taken aback for a mont, then nodded: "Yes, sir."
"Good." The man in the suit walked over to Holden and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
"You are under arrest for the illegal possession of a firearm. Please co with us."
He handcuffed Holden's hands behind his back, snatched the rotten banana, and placed it into a transparent evidence bag.
"But sir, I made plans to go on vacation with my friends today." Holden looked toward the green-walled house, his tone frantic.
"And that's just a rotten banana! You can't just take away like this!"
The man in the suit remained unmoved: "Everything you say now can and will be used against you in a court of law."
With that, ignoring the young man's protests, he shoved him into a car parked by the curb.
Temporary Command Center.
Claire put down the walkie-talkie: "Mr. William, the college student nad Holden has been secured. You can take his place at any ti."
William nodded, looking at the file on the desk, which contained Holden's detailed personal information.
Claire continued: "We have already deployed ard forces around the periter of the ritual site. Should any unforeseen incidents occur, backup will arrive within 15 minutes."
"Gail has also brought the third batch of Source Power weapons. The Exorcism Squad is fully equipped."
After the D.C. council, the North Arican officials had raised the production priority of Source Power weapons. Existing equipnt production lines had all made way for them.
Claire then looked at William, rembering another detail.
"The Church indeed never asked about the specific identities of the volunteers. It seems that aspect truly wasn't important to them..."
She marveled once again at Mr. William's foresight.
If North Arica had truly followed the Church's instructions blindly, they would have been placed in an extrely passive position if an accident occurred.
By this ti, William had morized most of Holden's information.
He stood up: "Since that's the case, I'll leave the outside matters to you all. I should be heading out as well."
"It's our duty," Claire smiled. "Please be careful in there. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to Gail..."
A short while later.
William pushed the door open, stepped onto the street, and began walking toward the house with the green exterior.
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