Outside the city of Saint Millom, at the Great Twilight Hall, a congealed twilight seemed to disperse the roiling dark clouds that had surged from the surroundings.
Stepping onto the stairs bathed in orange-red light, Larrion, the chief Shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat, looked up slightly. His pale blue eyes betrayed no emotion as he gazed coldly toward the center of the storm, at the Calamity Giant upon the iron-black throne.
Behind Larrion, within the grand hall supported by stone pillars, several giants four to five meters tall stood at the very front. Clad in exquisite and sturdy silver full-body armor, they also looked up slightly, the orange-red light flickering behind their visors.
These were the Ecclesiastical Hunters, established by the Church of the God of Combat in imitation of the Court Hunters of the Giant King's Court from ancient myths. Each one of them was a 'Silver Knight' who had completely mastered an incomplete Mythical Creature form, representing one of the most elite foundations of the Church of the God of Combat.
Further back were numerous clergy members drawn as reinforcements from various dioceses across the Evernight Plains in northern Feysac. Except for a few archbishops and high-ranking deacons who had attained divinity or wielded Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, most were influenced by the fighting spirit transmitted by Peter Einhorn I's authority of 'Conquest'.
As if in response to Peter Einhorn I, a mural occupying an entire wall in the center of the hall erupted with intense twilight light, causing the entire Great Twilight Hall to tremble gently.
The 'God of Combat' in the mural became increasingly lifelike, swinging the orange-red greatsword in his hand. This caused the twilight covering the mural's sky to crack open, revealing a translucent, bluish-black arm bone engraved with various divine patterns amidst the embers of dusk.
The protruding bone spurs at the tip made it look more like a spear. The surrounding matter and the void itself distorted along with it, as if all things were beginning to decay uncontrollably.
"Giant King Aurmir..."
Feeling a blood-boiling sense of attraction from the divinely bestowed object, Larrion, having reached a realization, knelt on one knee without hesitation. He raised both hands high to piously receive the God of Combat's gift.
The moment the bone spear entered his hand, Larrion's already exaggerated physique expanded once more. Bluish-black divine patterns crawled across his entire body, causing this 'Glory's' aura to climb step by step:
"The blood and bone of the Ancestor shall be reborn within my body..."
With his aura nearing a certain limit, Larrion slowly raised the bone spear and pointed it toward the Amanda Mountains, his grand voice vibrating through the Great Twilight Hall:
"The horn of the Holy War has been sounded!"
"Forward for the Glory of the Lord! Bring death to the heretics, bring destruction..."
Loen, Sivellaus County, southern Hornacis Mountains.
Bernadette, who was conversing with the Sanguine's Duke of the 'the full moon', Olmer, suddenly frowned slightly. Her 'Prophecy' authority, which had been sublimated after her advancement to Angel, triggered on its own. Her azure eyes grew deep and lost focus.
In the next second, she snapped her head toward the Hornacis Mountains. A thick fog of war was quietly dissipating under the cover of night. Within the 'Eyes of Mystery Prying' formed by converging symbols, the reflection of Medici appeared, a banner mark protruding from his brow. The Red Angel's lips curled up in what seemed like a silent sneer.
Olmer of the 'the full moon', stepping out of his coffin, saw his blood-red eyes grow even more vivid. The surrounding feminine power surged frantically, and the spiritual authority derived from 'Power of Creation' disrupted the maintenance of the war fog, causing it to collapse continuously.
A pure and complex torrent of information instantly emerged. Bernadette, having completely transformed into information, hurled the 'spear of longinus'—a Mystical Reenactment item emitting a strong aura of destruction and stained with mottled blood—from her hand.
A divine and ethereal cold snort rang out. A Sun woven from blazing white and golden yellow rose slowly from the mist. The pure sunlight caused the boiling feminine power to plummet.
A female figure wearing a white robe embroidered with gold thread appeared at the source of the light. She seemed to be composed of pure light, appearing translucent. Her features were beautiful yet holy. She raised a hand and destroyed the 'spear of longinus', which had been weakened by the power of purification.
She was none other than the patron angel of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, Saint Viève.
The 'miracle' of the descending Sun sent the entire Hornacis defense line into an uproar. The Sanguine, who made up a significant portion of the forces, felt the suppression even more markedly. However, it also caused the war fog to completely dissipate, revealing the Intis army that had been hidden within.
Medici, the 'Red Angel' leading them, stretched his body comfortably. He eyed the information torrent that Bernadette had turned into and mocked, as if talking to himself:
"A 'Sage'—so this is the daughter of that fellow who caused your family's downfall. Tsk tsk, what a coincidence."
Targeted by Medici, Bernadette felt a sense of crisis. She no longer held back. The 'Source of the Peach Blossoms' she had just manifested through Mystical Reenactment collapsed immediately.
A miniature, illusory Feathered Serpent suddenly emerged, pale flames rising in its eye sockets. The aura of death it emitted caused the information torrent it carried to be tainted with spots of grayish-white. The feminine power that had been suppressed by the 'Lightseeker' broke through the suppression once more.
Seeing the illusory Feathered Serpent evolved from the 'Pale Emperor' characteristic, Medici, the 'Red Angel' who was still essentially an evil spirit, stopped smiling. Feeling the suppression and even enslavement directed at undead creatures like evil spirits, the banner mark on his brow became increasingly vivid. His sacrifice to the origin of war offset the effects, but it also caused his aura to weaken slightly.
Saint Viève, the patron angel, ignored Medici. Feeling the loathsome aura of death, which seemed to evoke memories of the Pale Disaster, she stared coldly at the illusory Feathered Serpent. She raised her arms as if embracing the Sun:
"Praise the Sun! Let the Blasphemers turn to ash in the holy fire, and let their wails become the most solemn hymn dedicated to the Lord!"
Within the Intis army, many clergy members of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun raised their arms simultaneously, chanting along with the patron angel. Brilliant radiance continuously condensed in front of Saint Viève, making the illusory Feathered Serpent—evolved from the 'Pale Emperor' characteristic with only a small amount of living traits remaining—restless and uneasy.
Forsaken Land of the Gods, City of Silver, atop the Round Tower.
Cavendish, having regained control of his own body, clenched his fists and spoke with unconcealed shame and self-reproach:
"I have failed your trust..."
Aaron, who had descended to the Forsaken Land of the Gods again using a historical projection as a medium, waved his hand to interrupt him. He gazed into the distance at the Giant King's Court, which was flickering in and out of view under the lightning, and responded calmly:
"This is not your fault. After Amon obtained the final 'Worm of Time', he would not allow the key to open that door to remain in my hands, even if this was a tacit understanding between Adam and me."
Having decisively abandoned all marionettes parasitized by Amon and the corresponding Worms of Spirit, Cavendish, whose aura had weakened considerably, looked with some concern toward where Aaron was gazing:
"Is that 'Blasphemer' going to push open the door to Sasrir's place of slumber?"
Feeling the isolation of this continent from the outside world, Aaron shook his head and responded succinctly with an indifferent expression:
"Naturally not now. He will choose a moment when most existences are powerless to interfere!"