The man's injuries were severe; a knight's lance had pierced a hole through his chest, yet the black aura swirling around him continuously pulled his life back from the brink.
Observing the black aura lingering over the wound, Lina reached out and touched it.
'Sizzle!'
As the Saintess of War, her holy energy was sharper, and its effect on demonic energy was more pronounced.
The moment she touched it, Lina's fingertip clearly clashed with the black aura in an instant.
The demonic energy was instantly torn apart, and at the same time, Lina's fingertip felt slightly warm.
Holy energy and demonic energy, two utterly incompatible forces, intertwined and unleashed their power.
Even a small amount was enough to cause injury.
Unlike pure elements, only the Saintesses and the Pope possessed holy energy on the human side.
However, to some extent, by utilizing skills, certain knights could also release abilities imbued with holy energy.
Holy energy was not like a standalone element; it was more akin to a variant of light element.
Every Saintess possessed a powerful affinity for light elements.
Under this talent, further enhanced by the 'Saintess's Name,' holy energy would emerge.
Lina was no exception.
Her holy energy, depending on her personal circumstances, also exhibited some characteristic changes.
For instance, besides her affinity for light elements, Lina also had an affinity for wind elements.
As a result, the holy energy she wielded carried a sharp, blade-like sensation.
Momoka, due to a rare combination of lightning and wind elements, exhibited a completely different overall state.
Other Saintesses each had their own unique characteristics.
Except for Luo Li.
"It's demonic energy."
Lina's brow furrowed. Feeling the sensation and slight pain from her fingertip, she immediately confirmed it.
"This was demonic energy."
"Where did you find him?"
"Reporting to Lady Lina, he was found in the northwestern part of town."
Lina stood up, paced in thought, and after a short walk, made her decision.
"Immediately notify the city's forces to blockade the northwestern area of town. No one is permitted to leave within a five-hundred-meter radius of the incident!"
"Yes!"
Vide's expression tightened; he understood the gravity of the situation.
If the demonic energy spread, or if the true culprit behind its diffusion escaped this perimeter, it could very well lead to widespread chaos within the city.
If someone with ill intentions incited unrest at such a time, it could easily lead to a civil disturbance!
"Immediately notify the Dragon Knight Corps to dispatch five hundred men back to Kosa City. They are to patrol and guard the city's northwest for an extended period, allowing no one to leave."
"Understood!!"
Vide accepted the order, turned, and without another word, flew off into the distance on his skysoar dragon.
The nuns behind Lina also hurried to relay the orders to those below.
Soon, the city's soldiers were mobilized.
Kosa City's northwestern area was almost completely sealed off, with over a thousand security officers blocking all entry and exit points.
No one still within the northwestern part of the city was permitted to leave.
Lina's brow was deeply furrowed as she pondered the matter.
'It seems Zuka has infiltrated the city.'
'However, one thing struck Lina as very strange.'
'He had already infiltrated the city and could have slipped away unnoticed, so why spread demonic energy and deliberately draw attention?'
'What was Zuka's objective?'
'This point baffled Lina completely.'
'If she were Zuka, she would simply hide within the city.'
'There would be no need to expose herself at all.'
'For a level sixty demon marshal, hiding oneself in a city was relatively simple.'
'Even if he truly couldn't endure, Kosa City wasn't without its pleasure houses.'
'There were even many underground establishments.'
'They would be more than enough for him to release his urges.'
'Yet now, he had done the opposite, demonizing an innocent person.'
'Was there any need for this?'
Glancing at the man lying on the ground, Lina took a deep breath.
'Though it's a bit wasteful, there's no other way now.'
"Someone, fetch half a bucket of Holy Water, and prepare a large wooden tub."
"Yes~"
Lina was in the local cathedral, and all the nuns there, of course, belonged to the Holy Church.
As a Saintess, even if not from this nation, she commanded overwhelming authority over other nuns.
Receiving the order, the nuns dared not hesitate, immediately preparing half a bucket of Holy Water and a large wooden tub.
Following Lina's command, they set up the tub to heat, filling it with half a bucket of clear water.
Then they threw the man in, sealed the lid, leaving only his head exposed.
The sides of the tub were sealed with sealing magic, and the water temperature gradually increased.
Lina lifted the lid, poured the half-bucket of Holy Water directly in, and then replaced the lid.
"Ahhh!!!"
The unconscious man in the tub suddenly opened his eyes, letting out a horrific scream!
Lina seized the opportunity, grabbed the man's jaw and dislocated it, then scooped half a bowl of Holy Water from the tub and, holding his jaw, poured it down his throat!
'Hiss~'
It was as if a balloon had suddenly sprung a leak.
A dense mist suddenly burst forth from the man's seven orifices!
At the same time, the man began to struggle relentlessly, rattling the tub with his impacts.
Yet, he couldn't utter a single sound.
The entire process lasted for nearly five minutes.
Finally, the man violently spat out a mouthful of black gas, his eyes rolled back, his head dropped, and he fell unconscious.
The demonic energy, purified by the Holy Water, no longer held any effect.
The same applied to the steam and the final expelled black gas.
She opened the lid and pulled the man out.
At this moment, the man was covered in water, while the water in the tub appeared perfectly clear.
However, anyone knowledgeable would know that there was no holy energy left in the tub.
It had all been used to purify the demonic energy.
Fortunately, this half-bucket was enough to save the man.
"Take him away. Tend to his wounds, and inform me when he wakes tomorrow."
"Yes."
Several nuns carried the man away on a stretcher. Lina glanced at the tub, then settled back into her chair, leisurely sipping her tea.
'It wasn't that she wanted to drink; she simply didn't know what else to do.'
'She knew Zuka was in the city, but the amount of Holy Water available was nowhere near enough.'
'And because she was the Saintess of War, she had hardly ever mastered purification-type skills.'
'She could only try to purify him bit by bit with Holy Water like this.'
'If only Luo Li were here...'
Compared to other Saintesses, Luo Li's Holy Water was the purest, devoid of any impurities or other elements.
Therefore, even when diluted one hundred to one, it still retained the ability to detect demonic energy.
But hers couldn't; because of the two mixed elements, once diluted past a certain point, it would lose the properties of Holy Water.
The wind element would overpower the characteristics of the holy energy.
Because wind was one of the six major elements, it was far more stable than holy energy.
She could inspect at most five or six thousand people daily.
However, Luo Li's Holy Water could inspect five to six hundred thousand people at once.
'What a difference.'
'Indeed, she was still better suited for combat.'
'For similar matters in the future, it's better to let Luo Li handle them.'
'Call her when there's a fight.'
'Clashing with enemies, that truly suited her personality.'
'Tasks where she could do nothing but sit and drink tea were simply unbearable~'
'I wonder how Luo Li is doing now. Brilliant City... will it be alright?'
Subconsciously, her gaze drifted toward the northeast.
There, beyond the endless night sky, nothing else could be seen.
However, Lina knew well.
At this moment, to the northeast of Kosa City.
South of Brilliant City, Luo Li rode on Astrid's back, her eyes holding a sharpness rarely seen since she arrived in this world.
"The nobles... truly the absolute worst allies imaginable, bar none!"
Standing on Astrid's back, Luo Li pondered whether her current actions were comprehensive enough.
Was there anything she hadn't noticed?
What exactly did the nobles intend to achieve with this plan?
Neither the nobles nor she, as the supreme strategists, would ever consider just one move.
To scheme against her, this single incident alone wouldn't be enough.
It was like playing chess.
No one could say they'd moved a knight without considering their next step.
The normal process was that after moving a knight, one also had to consider its role, its deterrence, and whether it was necessary to sacrifice it.
This presented two branches: what would be the effect of sacrificing it, and what to do next?
What changes would occur if it wasn't sacrificed, and how should one proceed?
These were the considerations for a superior strategist.
Clearly, the Anjou family's actions this time indicated they were fully prepared.
Otherwise, they would never have dared to tamper with the issue of immigrants from the Kingdom of the Sun.
So, the question arose.
Had her opponents anticipated her departure from Brilliant City?
If so, what would they do?
How would they act?
Would they simply resign themselves to fate?
Wait to be overthrown by her?
No, no, no. These nobles, having pushed things this far, clearly knew they had no retreat.
In such circumstances, even a rabbit would bite.
Much less so many noble families who had entrenched themselves in the Kingdom of the Moon for centuries.
But what could they do?
Luo Li calculated her current strength.
Of the three Saintesses, excluding herself, who had little combat power, Momoka and Lina could both be considered top-tier fighters.
Adding Lancelot and two great dragons.
Their combat strength was definitely not lacking.
To directly rebel by force would be quite difficult.
While there weren't many powerhouses among the nobles, such vast families, after centuries, couldn't possibly neglect talent cultivation.
This meant that in terms of military might, she might have an advantage, but the nobles had no reason to be intimidated.
While not exactly fifty-fifty, there was at least a forty-sixty chance.
Occupying so many provinces and cities, possessing vast assets, talent cultivation was a given.
In terms of military strength, both sides should be roughly equal.
The moral high ground was on her side.
However, the problem now lay precisely here.
She held the moral high ground, but the nobles intended to attack her from that very angle.
Directly undermining her righteous claim.
This showed that there were still intelligent individuals among the nobles.
But now that she had left Brilliant City.
It was clearly impossible to pressure her through moral authority anymore.
'What would their contingency plan be?'
Luo Li's brow was deeply furrowed as she stood on Astrid's back, pondering what the nobles would do next.
At that moment, airships departing Brilliant City could already be seen ahead.
Dozens of massive flying airships were rushing towards Twin-Wing City through the night.
However, because they were carrying enormous amounts of supplies, including grain, clothing, and other daily necessities.
Their flight speed was restricted.
Currently, they were only moving at a speed of fifteen to twenty kilometers per hour.
This was already considered quite fast.
If on the ground, a speed of five kilometers per hour would already be extremely fast.
Moreover, it would require navigating various mountain roads and winding paths, and other problems might arise along the way.
This was also one advantage of air transport: it was unlikely to encounter trouble.
And the route was straight.
Essentially, no detours were needed.
Compared to the airplanes Luo Li knew, which often flew at four to five hundred kilometers per hour, this speed was indeed too slow.
But there was no helping it; this was the technological limit of this era. Better airships weren't nonexistent.
It was that once produced, their prices were excessively inflated.
In a passenger-carrying state, an airship could reach speeds of seventy to eighty kilometers per hour.
Even with two or three thousand people, the speed wouldn't drop too much.
The airship itself was quite massive.
But now, these airships were fully laden with actual supplies, so their speed naturally slowed down.
Was it necessary to leave people to guard the supplies?
No need. Within the airspace of the Kingdom of the Moon, no one dared to touch the Holy See's supplies.
Even if the nobles wanted to act, they wouldn't target this location.
Otherwise, they would only enrage the Pope.
Such consequences were beyond what the nobles could bear.
So now, what would the nobles want to do?
If her opponents had anticipated both her and Momoka leaving Brilliant City.
If she were a noble, how would she scheme against herself right now?
The girl stood in the wind, deep in thought. About an hour later.
She, Astrid, Shalin, and Momoka had arrived near Stargaze City.
It was now past two in the morning, and the distant night sky was still dotted with a sparse moon and stars.
After pondering for so long, Luo Li suddenly ordered Astrid to stop flying.
Behind her, Shalin and Momoka, seeing Luo Li suddenly halt her flight, couldn't help but be startled.
As for the Dragon Knight Corps behind them, they had long since been left many kilometers behind.
There was no helping it; the flying speed of great dragons was still much faster than that of skysoar dragons.
"Luo Li, what's wrong?"
Momoka, standing on the dragon's claw, asked with a mix of anxiety and confusion.
"Hmm... Shalin, you and Momoka wait for me. I'm going down for a moment; I'll be back soon."
Shalin's huge dragon eyes met Momoka's, but neither knew what Luo Li was planning.
Both wore bewildered expressions.
Luo Li paid them no mind.
The girl guided Astrid straight down, entering Stargaze City.
She then visited the local cathedral, staying for about half an hour before riding Astrid back into the air.
"All necessary measures have been taken. Now, it's up to them to play their hand. Let's go."
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