“That was a splendid attack.”
Celia’s red lips curved elegantly.
The Crusaders fell into a heavy silence the moment Clayton’s attack was nullified.
Even the Inquisitors’ expressions flashed with fear.
If their most powerful holy power couldn’t work, how could they overcome this situation?
“You…!”
Clayton opened his mouth with a trembling voice, a mixture of rage and fear.
For him, who had lived his life according to the teachings of the Church, the current situation was an unbelievable shock.
“What in the world are you?”
Celia moved slowly. The temperature around her seemed to drop as she moved.
It felt like a chill of death was seeping in.
As she raised one hand, the Death Knight lowered his shield and retreated.
“Are you curious about my identity, Priest?”
Celia’s voice was sweet, but it contained a chill that penetrated to the bone.
“I am merely a servant of the true master of this world.”
The horns above her head became even more prominent.
Reflected in the light, the horns glowed red as if stained with blood.
“Our true Master is only the Goddess! You wicked fiends!”
Clayton shouted, raising his sword again.
If he retreated now, the honor of the White Church would be lost forever.
He had to take action by any means necessary.
Just then, Inquisitor Marcel muttered in a low voice.
“I don’t know who your Master is, but your taste in maid outfits is a bit…”
The moment those words echoed, Celia’s smile vanished.
Her eyes changed.
With a cold, death-filled gaze.
“What did you just say?”
Celia’s voice turned icy. Her gaze fixed on Marcel.
The entire street was engulfed in silence.
“Since when did insects gain the right to speak of the Great One?”
Celia lunged forward.
Before anyone could even perceive her speed, she was instantly in front of Marcel.
No one could follow her movements.
The next moment was swift.
Her hand gripped Marcel’s neck, and he was lifted into the air.
“Gk… Choke!”
His neck began to tighten.
His face turned red, then blue.
“Ah, no… please…”
Marcel barely managed to speak, his face contorted in pain.
The other Inquisitors reacted immediately.
They imbued their swords with holy power and attacked Celia, but their attacks were blocked before they could even touch her.
*Clang-*
It was as if there was an invisible wall between her and the Inquisitors.
Celia remained unmoved, still gripping Marcel’s neck.
“That is not a mere maid outfit.”
She said in a low voice.
“It is a precious garment that my Master gave me as the first gift.”
Marcel’s neck slowly began to twist.
Horrible sounds came from his joints. His screams grew louder, then suddenly cut off.
Immediately after, Marcel’s corpse began to burn from within.
His skin slowly turned black, then began to develop red cracks.
Flames seeped through the cracks.
“S-stop!”
Clayton shouted, but Marcel’s body had already turned to ash and scattered in the air.
Celia slowly lowered her hand. An elegant smile returned to her face.
“What I hate the most is rudeness.”
She said as if engaging in casual conversation.
“Especially when insignificant beings like you speak of the Great One.”
The Inquisitors around them recoiled in fear.
Marcel’s death had deeply shocked them.
More shocking was the realization of what kind of being they were now facing.
“N-no way!”
One Inquisitor dropped his weapon and started to flee.
With a clatter, the light from his sword, which fell to the ground, gradually faded.
It was a clear act of abandoning honor, but it didn’t matter.
What use was honor when faced with a monster?
After stepping back, he turned completely and began to run at full speed.
His heavy armor hindered his movement, but the power of fear was stronger than any situation.
The hurried footsteps of an Inquisitor echoed in the street.
But then.
“Gk-!”
Someone swung a sword at the fleeing Inquisitor.
It was Baldwyn, the Knight of Despair.
Celia took a step back and looked at Baldwyn.
“Mr. Baldwyn. Please bring despair to these insects.”
Baldwyn nodded at her words.
His pale face showed no emotion.
Only emptiness filled his dead eyes.
So why was he listening to Celia?
He didn’t know himself.
He only knew that he had to follow the words of that being.
“White… Church…”
Above all, the target Celia designated was the White Church he hated.
After all, as Celia had said, the White Church had killed his lover.
Therefore, it seemed right to repay them in kind.
Baldwyn’s sword moved swiftly through the air.
One, two… Crusader soldiers fell beneath his sword.
Their defenses were useless against the overwhelming power of Baldwyn, who had become a Death Knight.
“Block that monster, everyone!”
Clayton shouted, but the formation had already begun to crumble.
The Inquisitors had already witnessed Celia’s power firsthand.
Whether Baldwyn was strong or weak didn’t matter.
What mattered was that they had lost the will to fight.
As everyone hesitated to fight back, Baldwyn’s sword struck down towards Clayton.
*Clang-*
The Priest’s sword barely blocked the attack, but the impact forced him to his knees.
“Baldwyn… How could you…”
Clayton looked at Baldwyn in disbelief.
How could he exert such immense power even after becoming an Undead?
No, before that, how had he become an Undead in such a short time?
It was beyond comprehension with existing common sense.
Baldwyn’s sword slashed through the air once more. This time, Clayton narrowly dodged by rolling.
“Gk.”
He couldn’t win.
More precisely, it wouldn’t be difficult to deal with Baldwyn, who had become an Undead.
But what if all his strength was consumed in dealing with Baldwyn?
He would then have to face the mysterious woman.
Clayton, the Priest, had no choice but to conserve his strength while dealing with Baldwyn.
As the meaningless exchange between the two continued, footsteps were heard from a distance.
Celia smiled upon hearing the sound.
“You’ve arrived just in time.”
A group appeared at the end of the street.
Mayor Atilane led the way, followed by Vice Mayor Reinel and councilors.
Among them were mages in blue robes, and at the forefront stood Sharia, the leader of the Twilight Church.
They looked bewildered at the ongoing battle.
“What in the world is…”
Mayor Atilane’s face, in particular, had turned pale.
“The Crusaders are being pushed back…!”
The sight of the Crusaders being pushed back by an unknown entity was shocking.
Of course, it was obvious at a glance that the entity was not human.
“It’s dangerous! Everyone step back!”
Sharia made people step back and stepped forward. The hem of her robe fluttered in the wind.
She raised her staff high and shouted.
“Creatures of darkness, kneel before the holy light!”
Intense light erupted from Sharia’s staff.
The light shot towards Celia, Baldwyn, and the Death Knight.
The light then engulfed them.
In fact, the light Sharia cast was merely an improved version of a basic light spell.
However, everyone present was ignorant of magic.
Moreover, in the chaotic situation, no one realized the truth.
The street, shrouded in an impenetrable light.
Celia, without changing her expression, gestured to Baldwyn and the Death Knight.
“Shall we retreat then?”
“……”
The Death Knight nodded silently.
“…Understood.”
Baldwyn didn’t know the reason, but since it was Celia speaking, he decided to follow her suggestion for now.
A moment later, Celia and her companions retreated deep into an alley.
How much time passed.
As Sharia withdrew her light, dust and smoke slowly settled. The street was momentarily shrouded in silence.
“……!”
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the spot where the monsters had been. There was nothing there.
“Th-the monsters are gone!”
Someone’s shout broke the silence.
“The mages dealt with them!”
“A miracle! It’s a true miracle!”
Shouts came not only from the Free City Alliance camp but also from the Crusader soldiers.
Even some Inquisitors raised their hands in genuine joy.
A few knelt and offered prayers of gratitude.
“We’re alive! We’re alive!”
One soldier, overcome with excitement, threw his helmet high and leaped like a child.
The people around him burst into laughter at the sight, and soon those laughter spread throughout the entire street.
However, Mayor Atilane’s expression did not relax.
Instead, his mind was filled with an unreadable expression.
‘Was the Mage Guild really this strong…?’
These were beings who had fought on par with the Crusaders.
Yet, Sharia here cast one spell and eliminated them without a trace.
‘Have the Mage Guild been hiding their strength until now?’
The Mayor had to ponder this.
If the Mage Guild was truly this powerful, he blamed himself for not thinking of ways to utilize them sooner.
On the other hand, through this event, they had earned a favor from the Crusaders.
If the White Church was a righteous organization, they would not stand by idly in the current situation, giving him hope.
And indeed, Priest Clayton, leading the Crusaders, stepped forward.
He took a deep breath and slowly sheathed his sword.
The metallic sound echoed in the street, and then everyone fell silent again.
“Are you the Mayor of the Free City Alliance?”
In response to his question, Mayor Atilane nodded.
“I am.”
Clayton lowered his head towards Atilane. His shoulders slumped heavily.
“What happened just now… I am truly grateful.”
His tone was exceedingly gentle.
“It is possible that I… that is, our Church, made a misjudgment.”
Clayton paused for a moment, looking around at the destroyed buildings. Genuine regret was reflected in his gaze.
“I thought the Free City Alliance had colluded with Warlocks, but instead, they were fighting against such wicked beings.”
Mayor Atilane took a step forward.
“Priest, we told you from the beginning. The Free City Alliance has never colluded with Warlocks.”
The Mayor’s statement was met with a deep sigh from the Priest.
“What I witnessed just now… seems to prove the Alliance’s innocence.”
His gaze turned towards Sharia.
“I am especially grateful to you, Mage. Without your holy magic, many more lives would have been sacrificed.”
Sharia bowed her head humbly. No one noticed the hidden smile on her face.
Vice Mayor Reinel then stepped forward.
“It is fortunate that the Church’s misunderstanding has been cleared. Will the attacks on the Alliance now cease?”
Clayton pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.
“I will issue an immediate order to halt the Crusaders. However…”
While it was within his authority to halt the Crusaders, he did not represent the White Church, so time was needed.
“The investigation into where these beings came from and why they are attacking the Free City Alliance will be conducted by the Church through generations.”
Mayor Atilane’s expression also turned serious.
The problem was no longer the Church.
“That’s right. That is our biggest concern as well. Invasions by monsters have been reported throughout the city.”
Sharia stepped forward at this point. Her blue robe seemed like a symbol of authority.
“Priest, Mayor. It is not wise to continue discussions in such a dangerous street.”
Her voice was firm.
“It would be better to move to the Grand Garden. I believe it is a safe and suitable place to discuss future countermeasures.”
Sharia smiled.
