In the pure white spiritual world, the divine decree continued to echo.
The voice of the Goddess of Holy Light was sacred and compassionate, yet a certain 'message' conveyed within those words made Ansu gradually feel a chill.
"It is time... to apply purification to this world."
"Plant the holy flags across every inch of land, let the filthy return to dust, and use the blood of heretics... to cast the cornerstone of the new world."
In the opening cinematic of Ansu's memory, this final part had been omitted. So when the Goddess of Holy Light completed this sacred divine decree for the first time, he was deeply astonished.
The meaning of the Goddess's words was essentially:
Chosen One, launch a holy war for me!
Though the tone remained warm, the intent was for him to incite a bloody war in the world, which indeed felt inexplicably eerie.
And looking at it now, as the Chosen One... I don't exactly look like a hero saving the world.
Instead, I look like a crusade leader??
Just as Ansu fell into deep thought, this divine will began to invade his mind like a tide, attempting to brand series of commands deep into his soul.
At the same time, the cold prompts of the system followed one after another.
【Warning! Detected unknown power intrusion...】
【Risk of damage to system functions, initiating emergency protection.】
【System will temporarily shut down for update and maintenance, please wait patiently...】
【Restarting...】
The confrontation between the two powerful forces caused Ansu a splitting headache, his spirit unable to bear the burden.
The pure white spiritual world began to dissipate, and Ansu struggled to open his eyes.
In his blurred vision, the first thing to appear was a beautiful face filled with panic. Celia's cries seemed to come from across a body of water, distant and unreal.
"Ansu! Ansu, how are you?"
She supported Ansu's body as it nearly collapsed. Seeing his pained expression as he clutched his forehead, she became frantic with worry, her voice carrying a panic she had never felt before.
"Does your head hurt? Ansu! What exactly happened?"
Celia tried to use healing magic to ease Ansu's pain, but it had little effect.
"It looks like a shock on a mental and soul level...?" she murmured in shock. "Could it be... that demon and the Goddess of Holy Light protecting you are fighting inside your head?"
Although Celia did not know what had just happened to Ansu, the divine aura that suddenly surged after the demon's power made her feel even more uneasy... She had a suspicion that some unimaginable change must have occurred within Ansu.
"Hold on, I'll take you away immediately!"
Ansu looked at the increasingly blurred Miss Witch before him and thought to himself that it wasn't a fight between the demon and the Goddess in his head; that demon fellow wasn't even worthy of comparison...
The recent turn of events also finally confirmed a thought he had held for a long time.
It seemed that the deity and the system were indeed not on the same side.
In the eyes of the system, the 'righteous god' known as the Goddess of Holy Light was merely an 'unknown power intrusion...'
Between the two, Ansu clearly trusted the system more.
Though the Goddess's voice was incredibly warm, for Ansu, it was this cold, emotionless prompt that brought him a greater sense of security.
Just as this thought flashed by, he could no longer hold on. His eyelids felt heavy, and everything before him gradually turned to black...
"Ansu!!"
Amidst the witch's panicked cries, Ansu felt a reassuring magical power as a teleportation circle took effect around them.
With the last of his strength, he managed to tell Celia:
"Freya... is in danger..."
"Take her with us!"
Then, he fell completely into the boundless darkness.
...
Inside the administrative hall of Maplewood Town, the battle had already become one-sided.
Freya was retreating step by step under Seance's fierce sword strikes, almost unable to organize an effective counterattack. She could only keep her Holy Light divine arts condensed, barely dodging while clumsily parrying.
That simple, ancient cruciform longsword was shrouded in holy light, each swing carrying a whistle that tore through the air. Seance not only possessed top-tier talent for holy light but was also a true swordmaster.
After another clash of holy light, Freya was forced into a corner, her back slamming heavily against the cold wall.
She bit her lower lip, the holy seal badge she held to assist her casting already trembling slightly.
"It ends here, Freya."
Seance coldly watched the pink-haired girl who still refused to give in. "You are still alive only because I haven't used my full strength. If you persist in your folly, I will not show mercy!"
Freya stubbornly straightened her back, an unyielding fire burning in her pale gold eyes. "Mr. Seance! I will never let you step a single foot into the forest!"
With that, she gathered the power of holy light and exerted all her strength to launch another offensive.
Seance instantly raised his cruciform longsword, flicked his wrist, and easily neutralized her surprise attack with a sophisticated 'Master Counter'.
The power of holy light carried by the blade nearly grazed Freya's throat, leaving her in a cold sweat.
"So, who exactly is he?" Seance, on the contrary, was becoming increasingly curious.
"Or rather..." Seance gazed at the stubborn girl who never gave up, "what kind of person is he? To be worth you fighting so desperately for him?"
He truly could not understand what kind of person could make Freya so reckless, to the point where her eyes even revealed a sense of devotion... and even admiration.
That was an expression she had never shown even to Archbishop Paul, to himself, or even to Pope Leo III...
"Truly strange..."
Seance found it utterly absurd. "Is it possible that a cultist, a black mage, is more worthy of respect and better represents the will of the holy light than the three of us?"
How could that be possible?
Freya pressed her lips tight and remained silent.
Seance frowned slightly. "Freya, you keep claiming you are doing this for the holy light and that your path is correct, yet you refuse to explain, and you won't even say the other person's name..."
"Sigh..." He let out a sigh, his tone growing more disappointed. "In this state, anyone would think you've been deceived and bewitched."
This simple, innocent girl, this 'Holy Maiden' praised by countless believers, had clearly abandoned her faith entirely, falling into the hands of dark forces and colluding with cultists...
The Holy Maiden their Church of Holy Light had painstakingly nurtured had been snatched away by an evil person...
"No!" Freya's voice remained firm. "Sorry, Mr. Seance, I cannot say it now, but one day you will understand! What I am doing is indeed the right thing!"
Master Ansu is the Chosen One. Although he is currently enduring humiliation and hiding within a cult organization, even having to associate with that evil witch, one day...
He will rightfully stand at the forefront and, just as he once said, bring true light and salvation to the world in the name of the Goddess...
Mr. Seance will surely understand. One day in the future, it might even be possible for Seance to pledge his loyalty to Master Ansu...
Seance noticed the fleeting, gentle smile on Freya's face, and his disappointment deepened. "You are beyond saving, child..."
"Although you cannot pose a threat to me now, the betrayal of the Church's Holy Maiden will undoubtedly cause a shock among the believers. It seems that today..."
Seance's gaze grew colder as he slowly raised his cruciform longsword. "I must eliminate this hidden danger for the sake of the Church..."
Freya tightly gripped her holy seal badge, her eyes fixed on every movement of this powerful church figure.
She had no way back.
No news had come from Master Ansu's side yet. She didn't know what accident had happened to the plan, but she believed in him.
The only thing she could do now was to buy time for Master Ansu!
Rate on N.U.
