At the very moment Seance launched his offensive.
Dazzling holy light suddenly erupted, and Freya was instantly enveloped in a sacred halo.
"I pray for the descent of divine grace..."
Amidst the low whispers of prayer, Freya's pale gold eyes gradually turned pure white, her expression becoming indifferent and filled with divinity.
"God-Descent?" Seance was forced back repeatedly by this sudden sacred pressure, his voice filled with amazement as he watched the scene unfold.
"As expected of the standout of the younger generation. It hasn't been long since you consulted me about this art in the Royal Capital... I didn't expect you to be able to cast it alone now."
"However..." He changed his tone, sighing. "Freya, do you really think your body is sufficient to carry such power? Your current behavior is no different from seeking death."
Seance knew the power of God-Descent better than anyone.
Divine arts were fundamentally different from magic; the power of divine arts came from the blessings of the gods. The more one was favored by the gods, the stronger the power of holy light they could carry.
But humans were, after all, made of mortal flesh. The great power of God-Descent, which approached the presence of a god, was difficult for mortals to endure.
In the history of the Church, casting God-Descent generally required several senior archbishops to cast the spell together with the help of a holy relic.
Casting together was to share the risk and prevent a divine power backlash; the reason for using a holy relic was to use such a sacred object, used by gods in legends, as a medium to sense and communicate with the deity.
Freya had performed God-Descent without any medium, which was enough to prove her talent, but it did not mean her body could truly withstand such power.
In the next second, it was exactly as he expected.
The holy light enveloping Freya began to flicker violently, and her thin body trembled continuously under the burden of the powerful divine force. Beneath her fair skin, blue veins bulged hideously, and two lines of blood tears even slid down from the corners of her eyes...
Seance could feel that this power was exceeding the limits of what Freya could bear, yet she still showed no intention of stopping.
"You aren't praying for divine grace; you are sacrificing yourself..."
He shook his head helplessly, having nothing left to say to such a mad and determined Freya.
Seeing that the violent power of holy light was destroying everything around it with the force of a crushing tide, Seance could only rush out of the hall.
In just two or three seconds, the administrative hall of Maplewood Town turned into a pile of ruins behind him.
Seance hurriedly called over a clergyman who had also escaped in a panic. "You! Go quickly and bring the holy relic medium I prepared!"
With that, he turned back to keep a close eye on Freya's movements. She had already ascended above the ruins, looking down at him with an incredibly indifferent gaze.
Seance knew very well that only a divine art of the same level could suppress Freya.
But fortunately, in the field of God-Descent, he was Freya's teacher.
A moment later, several clergymen flusteredly brought over a magnificent and heavy metal box.
Seeing the box, Seance's tense expression eased slightly.
Inside the box was stored one of the most important holy relics of the Church of Holy Light. According to the records, this was a sacred statue personally blessed by the Goddess during her first descent to the mortal world after ascending to godhood in the First Era, carrying the purest divinity.
With the medium, combined with his experience with God-Descent, it would naturally be much easier to deal with Freya.
But just as Seance was preparing to cast the divine art—
Another dazzling, even more sacred power soared into the sky from the center of the forest.
That light was incredibly white and pure... far stronger than the sensing of the deity through God-Descent.
It was as if the Goddess herself had torn open the sky and descended here...
The two who were in a standoff both froze at the same time, looking toward the forest in unison.
"Another God-Descent?" Seance could not hide his shock, wondering why everyone seemed to know how to use this divine art today.
"Wait, no..."
"This power?"
The divinity and indifference in Freya's eyes slowly faded, and her pale gold eyes stared blankly toward the forest.
Such pure divinity... Could it be the Goddess herself?
But that was clearly Master Ansu's battlefield...
An unsettling suspicion suddenly surfaced in her heart. Had something happened to Master Ansu? Was that why such a miracle had been triggered?
She suddenly snapped out of it, her pale face completely devoid of color.
No! No matter what, she had to get over there and check immediately!
Thinking of this, Freya shot a cold glance at Seance.
Then, disregarding her heavily injured body, the holy light suddenly erupted, transforming into a blade of light that struck at Seance's vitals with lightning speed.
Seance's pupils shrank.
...
In the clearing in the center of the forest, a faint blue light was swirling beneath Celia's feet.
Just as she was casting the teleportation circle, preparing to take Ansu away, an anxious figure suddenly arrived.
"Master Ansu!"
Freya immediately saw Ansu lying unconscious in Celia's arms. Her heart tightened, and she rushed forward urgently.
"What happened to Master Ansu?" Freya ignored Celia's complicated gaze and asked anxiously:
"Weren't you just fighting Samantha? Why did he faint? Was he injured by that ancient demon?"
As she spoke, she held her trembling palms over Ansu's chest, trying her best to channel Holy Light divine arts to heal him.
Celia watched Freya's anxious expression, remembering Ansu's request before he lost consciousness, how he had insisted on pleading with her to save Freya even while enduring pain.
As a result, her gaze became even more complicated...
"Holy Light divine arts are useless. He fainted because his soul and spiritual level were attacked."
"I'm taking him to a safe place for treatment." Celia glanced at Freya indifferently and said expressionlessly, "Stay back. I'm casting a teleportation circle. Don't get in the way!"
"Okay!" Freya stood up decisively, for fear of delaying Ansu's treatment.
Celia continued to gather mana, and the magic circle on the ground glowed with a brighter halo.
Freya waited anxiously by the side.
In such a critical moment, she did not ask if this teleportation would take her away. She just stared at Ansu's pale face, whispering softly over and over:
"Please be alright, Master Ansu..."
"You are the Chosen One; the Goddess of Holy Light will surely protect you..."
Celia's gaze crossed the faint blue glow of the magic circle and landed on Freya.
Having just gone through a hard battle, Freya's face was deathly pale, bloodstains marred her cheeks and dress, and she looked battered and exhausted.
But she didn't seem to care about her own injuries. Her gaze was fixed on Ansu's face from beginning to end, as if he were the only thing in the world worth her attention.
Mana surged continuously, and the structure of the teleportation circle beneath Celia's feet was nearing completion.
She thought about Ansu's instructions, and when she looked at Freya again, her eyes were filled with hesitation.
Celia knew a bit about Holy Light divine arts. Freya's forced endurance of power that didn't belong to her would rapidly overtax her body. At this moment, her legs were shaking, and even standing seemed a struggle. She had clearly reached her limit...
For a Freya like this, Celia could easily kill her with just a flick of her finger.
This former Holy Maiden had long since become an apostate hunted by the Church. If she died in such a chaotic scene, it wouldn't even cause a ripple...
But...
Despite having countless opportunities, Celia still didn't make a move.
It wasn't that she couldn't bear it, of course. It was just that... for the first time, she felt a sense of guilt at the thought of killing an outsider.
It was truly a sentiment that invited reflection...
If she really did it, no matter how she hid it, Ansu would surely grow to loathe her, wouldn't he?
Celia couldn't even imagine the expression on Ansu's face when he learned of Freya's death, or what kind of gaze he would use to look at her...
In the past, she would never have cared about such things...
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the edge of the forest, as many people were approaching the center.
Freya looked around alertly. "Oh no! It must be Seance and the others catching up!"
She hurriedly said to Celia, "Take Master Ansu and leave quickly! I can buy you a little more time!"
Celia's brow furrowed slightly as she scrutinized her.
Freya misunderstood the complicated expression on the other's face, thinking she didn't trust her, so she quickly added, "Don't worry! I used God-Descent to stall Seance and even heavily injured him! I could do it just now, and I can do it again!"
Celia watched Freya as she turned around resolutely, prepared to face the enemy, her eyes flickering slightly.
After a moment, she let out a helpless sigh:
"Stop right there."
Freya turned back blankly.
Celia curled her lip, suddenly finding this Holy Maiden of the Church—this rival she had always taken seriously—to be hopelessly naive.
"Can't you see the teleportation circle is already active? Are you still going over there to throw your life away?"
"Huh?" Freya's gaze was momentarily dazed. "What do you mean?"
"Get in here, now!" Celia frowned. "Ansu instructed me to take you with us. If a fool like you dies here, he'll be angry with me."
"Oh... okay!" Freya nodded dumbly.
Then she obediently stepped forward, entering the range of the magic circle.
Seeing that her figure was already enveloped in the faint blue light, Celia continued casting expressionlessly.
Although she wouldn't strike at Freya here, it didn't mean she truly accepted this person!
Once everything was over, she would find a time to settle the score with Freya once and for all! She had to make this woman completely give up on Ansu!!
In the next second, mana surged violently, and the figures of the three instantly vanished from the center of the forest in Maplewood Town.
Rate on N.U.
