"No! Absolutely not!"
Tifa shot upright, her voice sharp.
"Bishop Theresa! You must have more awareness of your own importance! If Schicksal loses you, do you have any idea what would become of the world!?"
She spoke loudly, her words respectful but her tone fierce, a clear sign her emotions were fraying.
Her outburst drew the attention of everyone around. In truth, they understood Tifa's desperation.
A Bishop, after all—a being capable of hearing the divine will—was incredibly rare.
How could ordinary believers like them allow a Bishop to cover their retreat, to sacrifice herself for them?
The priest wanted to say something but held his tongue. This was far beyond his authority now.
Even if this was a foreign church, a foreign Bishop, a Bishop was still a Bishop. What right did a mere priest have to question her decision?
What surprised the priest even more were the female clerics clearly serving as the chapel's guards.
To question a Bishop's decree—such a thing was simply unthinkable where he came from.
"This is the first time... no, the second time you've opposed my will, Tifa," Theresa said, her expression unchanged, still resolute and sorrowful.
"The last time was before we arrived here. Do you remember the first duty taught to you when you joined Schicksal?"
"...I remember. But Bishop is different!"
"There is no difference. That is a duty I established, a creed I should uphold. Now, I must fulfill my obligation."
The white-haired girl bearing the cross moved past the crowd, walking toward the direction from which the dragon approached.
"Bish... Lady Theresa!"
At that moment, Lainer and the others, whose physical abilities were far inferior to the Valkyries, finally caught up. Their eyes immediately fell on Theresa, who was now outside the chapel.
"Lady Theresa! You must take shelter!"
Lainer shouted his warning.
"I am staying here. All of you, evacuate every citizen in this town immediately."
Lainer was no fool. He instantly grasped Theresa's meaning.
Schicksal's disappearance would naturally have downsides for the United States, but also considerable benefits.
However, that assessment was based on the world before they discovered this other world.
The current situation and pressure from this other world were no longer something the United States, let alone the United Nations, could easily explore or bear.
Schicksal, willing to take on this task, execute it, and stand on the front lines bearing the pressure, was truly the 'tall one' holding up the sky.
Therefore, Theresa absolutely could not come to harm.
The reason Schicksal's advancement and power hadn't made it a global enemy or an anomaly was entirely due to Theresa's leadership style and personal charisma.
If something happened to her and another leader took over, the world's balance of power could change drastically.
A Schicksal without bottom lines—Lainer dared not imagine what that would be like.
"Lady Theresa! You absolutely cannot stay here! Even if all of us perish, you must not come to any harm!"
Unlike the Schicksal Valkyries who were Theresa's subordinates, Lainer's words carried more personal emotion. "Do you know what would happen to our world if you died!?"
"I am not so easy to kill. Obey my orders."
Her wording held an uncertainty that was enough to root Lainer to the spot. "I beg you to reconsider!"
Time was desperately short. 'Reconsider' was really just a plea for her to abandon this idea.
"Obey my order, Colonel Lainer. Do not forget, I am the leader of the reconnaissance team."
Theresa's inclusion had been a last-minute decision. By rights, she held no real authority.
Everyone listened to her more because of her status back on Earth. But two days ago, after the representatives of various nations departed, they had elevated Theresa to the highest position within the reconnaissance team.
Only then did she gain the true authority to issue commands.
The duty to obey orders wasn't something one could defy so easily.
Seeing that even Lainer's protests were useless, the Valkyries silently began carrying out Theresa's orders.
Watching the figures pass him by one after another, Lainer knew he was powerless to stop it and could only say despondently, "You will regret this."
Although they spoke of evacuating the populace, the people were already converging on the chapel.
Even if they trusted in the gods, with a dragon bearing down upon them, they still craved spiritual solace, and coming to the chapel was clearly the best option.
But the dragon moved far faster than the people could gather. Torrents of flame descended from the sky. Houses touched by the fire were instantly set ablaze, even stone bricks melting under the intense heat.
This scene, beyond anything the residents had imagined, shattered their courage.
Their steps toward the chapel immediately quickened.
With the Valkyries among them constantly helping the elderly, the weak, and those with difficulty moving, the gathering proceeded much faster than anticipated.
"Follow us to the rear mountain! We'll take shelter there!"
Seeing everyone had gathered, the priest shouted immediately.
The dragon's flames were already licking at the chapel. Stone bricks and rubble, blasted apart by explosions, flew in all directions.
"Your opponent is me!"
Placing the cross she had carried on her back beside her, the white-haired girl in Bishop's vestments stood atop a high roof, raising her voice to draw the dragon's attention.
The red dragon immediately spotted the human on the ground who, instead of fleeing, dared to look directly at him.
The sheer audacity of this lower life form was displayed in full force, and he naturally took this gaze as a challenge.
Without a second thought, he spat a ball of fire, infused with explosive magic, downward, already anticipating the delightful spectacle of the challenger being blasted to bits.
However, events unfolded completely contrary to his expectations.
Facing the incoming fireball, the white-haired girl simply pressed her palm against the cross.
The originally solemn and ornate golden cross unfolded, front and back, then shot forth several chains. They intercepted the fireball mid-air, triggering its explosion prematurely.
'What is that thing?'
This unexpected turn piqued the dragon's interest just a little, drawing his focus more firmly onto Theresa.
Below, the fleeing priest and believers stole glances at the situation, equally shocked by what they saw.
"That... that must be a divine artifact bestowed by the gods!"
"As expected of the Bishop... Her Grace is the gods' agent on earth. She has truly come to save us!"
The believers chattered excitedly about the scene. In their understanding, humans possessed no inherent power.
Banding together to deal with some magical beasts was already the mark of a human warrior. Facing a dragon's attack head-on like this was simply unheard of.
Yet, once they remembered she was a Bishop, it all seemed much more reasonable. After all, she was a Bishop!
Unlike their optimism, Lainer and Tifa felt only numb dread.
Because they knew very well that Bishop Theresa was no divine agent. Right now, she was purely risking her life to draw the dragon's attention.
A dragon capable of flattening mountains, one that even Magical Girls could not rival—how long could a Bishop possibly hold out?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.