Thump. Kuuuung.
A deafening roar, unbecoming of the Great Temple, occasionally filled the air. Screams, angry cries, and the clashing, snarling sounds of weapons clashing against each other accompanied it.
Iris listened to the outside noise for a long ti, as if she were listening to beautiful music.
After a while, Iris spoke.
“It appears all your priests survived, High Priest Lumiel. While I find this sowhat regrettable, it’s a fortunate outco for you.”
“…”
But Lumiel didn’t answer. She seed unwilling to engage in conversation, simply sitting there, her hands clasped together as if in prayer, with her eyes closed.
But Iris knew full well that she was listening.
“But this is only the beginning… We’ll only know the outco much later. High Priest, you can watch comfortably from here.”
“…”
Only then did Lumiel slowly open her eyes. Her complexion, darker than before, looked like she was ready to collapse at any mont.
“…Is that so?”
“Do you have any regrets?”
“No. I alone am enough to guard the position.”
Lumiel answered in a cold voice.
“And please don’t misunderstand. I will never turn my back on Lord Luce. I will never take your side.”
Lumiel answered coldly. Iris smiled broadly, satisfied with that.
“I know that very well. Naturally, you must do so. High Priest, you are Lord Luce’s servant.”
She had no intention of denying her faith. Luce was undoubtedly a divine being.
It was only that Lumiel supporting Arendt von Eckhart did not sit well with her.
“It is a reasonable thing to do.”
Iris whispered quietly.
“I admire your character, High Priest, for embracing non-believers and apostates… but it wouldn’t be desirable for Lord Luce to get caught up in a childish revenge drama. Isn’t that right?”
“Unfortunately, Saintess.”
Lumiel closed her eyes again.
“I only wish to remain at Lord Luce’s side.”
“I see.”
Iris leaned back into the sofa, smiling.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to risk life and death with the High Priest. If they win, I’ll die, and if we win, the High Priest will be put on that scaffold with Sir Arendt.”
“…I know that the Saintess has the ability to escape at any ti.”
“But running away is not honorable.”
Iris answered calmly.
“If we lose this fight, we’ll have a hard ti recovering for a while. So, running away is pointless.”
“But for you, death is just an escape.”
Lumiel’s voice beca sowhat sharper.
“I heard you have lived many lives. What have you gained from this process?”
“It is Lord Chernion’s boundless love and faith. How glorious it is that He has allowed to live each life as a saintess.”
The saintess answered cheerfully.
“This life has been worthwhile. If I can usher in Lord Chernion’s era, I could ask for nothing more.”
“Saintess, you will never achieve your goal.”
Lumiel, with her hands clasped together, answered calmly.
“Not only this ti, but no matter how many tis you live, it will be the sa. Chernion and the Saintess will never be able to take control of the world.”
It was a curse-like remark, unusual for her. Iris simply laughed, as if even that was amusing.
“If that’s the case, I can only fervently hope for this victory. However, contrary to what High Priest Lumiel wishes, the outlook isn’t all that bleak.”
As Arendt and Laius continued to advance, devotion to Luce would diminish. Iris was confident that no one on that battlefield would pray to Luce right now.
If she won, Iris planned to kill Arendt in the most brutal way possible, in front of everyone.
What more effective proselytization could there be than to make an example of those who denied God Luce and rebelled against Lord Chernion?
Those who were abandoned by God Luce and lost even their heroes would eventually have no choice but to surrender to Lord Chernion.
“That’s what theater is all about.”
Iris chuckled.
It was a phrase Arendt often used. This ti, too, Lumiel didn’t respond.
She just closed her eyes and clasped her hands together quietly, as if in prayer.
Laius and Arendt charged ferociously into the enemy lines. Richt shouted at the two n as they retreated further and further away.
“Don’t go too deep! It’s dangerous to be surrounded! Co back, Captain!”
But neither of them seed to hear, or at least pretended not to.
Richt’s frustration boiled over.
“Honestly, neither of them listens for anything!”
Arthur gritted his teeth and began to cut down his enemies even faster. Glenn warned him.
“You should stop acting wild, you punk!”
“Are you seriously talking about that when we’re busy saving lives, Senior?”
Even in the midst of all this, the bickering that had beco a habit did not stop.
Richt, who was about to give a word of advice to focus on the fight, just gave up on everything.
As always, he just let out a deep sigh.
‘Is this better than having a bloody struggle?’
No one seed intent on dying.
Richt suppressed his anxiety and turned his gaze to the front line where the captain and his junior were.
Laius and Arendt, seen from afar, were moving as if they were one body.
Arendt, who had seed a bit uneasy for a mont, seed to regain his senses the mont Laius joined.
‘That’s fortunate, but…’
The fact that both Laius and Arendt were displaying movents that were close to acrobatics remained unchanged.
The places where the two swept through were left with only the ghouls’ corpses.
The ghouls struck by the Holy Sword lted away without a trace, and the enemies who ca into contact with Arendt’s range were swallowed by white frost without even being able to scream.
The space created around the two people gradually expanded toward the tightly closed door of the Great Temple.
And finally…
Bang!
Laius’ sword struck the locked door with trendous force.
A terrifying explosion swept through the battlefield.
The door didn’t imdiately collapse, as it seed that the enemies had cast a strengthening spell. However, it was impossible for re enchantnts to withstand Laius’ power.
Crack.
Cracks appeared across the beautiful golden face of Luce, carved into the double doors.
As Laius prepared to strike again, the enemies began to surge forward again. Laius turned his back to the door and faced the enemies again.
It was Arendt who stepped forward to take his place.
Slash!
Arendt, who had shaken off his enemies with a single stroke, kicked off the ground and ran straight towards the cracked door.
A group of priests rushed to stop him, but were soon killed by Laius’ sword.
“Ugh!”
“Stop him!”
As if he had known this would happen, Arendt grabbed the frozen sword with both hands without even looking back.
And with all his might, he swung his sword towards Luce’s face, which was now cracked.
Clang!
A cold wind swept through the surroundings.
The doors where Arendt’s sword was embedded began to be eaten away by pure white frost.
Arendt landed on the ground and rushed again towards the dangerously shaking doors.
Slash!
A pure white sword cut across Luce’s face.
Crack. Crunch.
The doors began to crack open with a terrifying noise.
And finally.
Boom!
Unable to withstand the extre cold, the doors shattered with a loud explosion. The fragnts flew in all directions, soon completely covered in frost and disintegrating into ice dust.
At that mont, Laius felt a change in the flow of magical power around him.
Laius, who had sweeped away all his enemies at once, shouted urgently.
“Arendt, step back!”
“…!”
Arendt quickly leapt away, retreating to Laius’ side.
At that very mont.
Fwoosh!
A huge summoning circle was created around the place where the doors were.
It was a sign that a homunculus was about to be summoned.
Arendt scanned the area, spotting a priest atop the walls overseeing the summoning.
“Ah, you annoying bastards!”
Arendt, cursing, escaped the summoning circle’s influence along with Laius.
Crack, crunch!
The ghouls and priests who touched the crimson summoning circle instantly disappeared into a handful of blood.
They were absorbed into the summoning circle as a nutrient for the homunculus.
The situation was becoming more urgent on the other side as well.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t touch the summoning circle!”
Zakar gave a hasty order.
Victims who were unable to escape the summoning circle began to appear here and there.
“Back off! Back off!”
Richt, sensing the magical power surging beneath his feet, issued urgent orders. The Third Knights, each fending off their own enemies, hastily retreated.
As expected, the battlefield where the Third Knights had just been fighting was instantly covered in a blood-red summoning circle.
Crunch!
As if it were so mythical monster, the summoning circle began to devour everything above it.
It sought to fill the power of the incompletely summoned homunculus.
“…”
Even the most focused fighters could not help but be astonished by the sight.
Most of the victims were ghouls and priests of the Chernion Cult. Despite the great harm they inflicted on their allies, the Chernion Cult continued its summoning.
Even the priest who cast the summoning spell had blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
“Prince Llewellyn!”
“I know!”
At Shekhinah’s shout, Llewellyn aid his arrow at the summoner.
The arrow imbued with the artifact’s power flew fiercely, but failed to reach the summoner.
A priest standing beside the caster took the arrow instead.
Thunk!
The arrow split the priest’s head cleanly. Llewellyn clicked his tongue and prepared to fire another arrow.
But it was already too late.
A giant shadow-like being slowly began to appear above the three summoning circles.
“…”
The giant shadow writhed, slowly pulling its body out of the magic circles. Elf warriors and knights attacked with arrows and daggers, but were reduced to dust when they touched the circles, absorbed by the homunculus.
In the end, they had no choice but to watch helplessly as the homunculus was summoned.
With violent tremors, the black shadow began to writhe wildly and gradually took form.
First, a ticulously sculpted, beautiful face rose from the shadows. Next ca hair cascading down like a waterfall, slender shoulders, and hands clasped delicately before its chest.
Its pitch-black surface seed to be carved out of a piece of night.
Those who were watching were left speechless.
“Oh, isn’t it beautiful!”
“That appearance is proof of Lord Chernion’s blessing!”
An ecstatic cry was heard from the Chernion Cult’s priests.
The new form of the God of Darkness finally raised its head above this land, casting a huge presence in the center of the battlefield.
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