"How is this possible! How could something so absurd happen!"
Number Seventeen, who had launched the sneak attack on Alina and the others, could not believe his eyes! Three seemingly frail girls had essentially tanked his full-powered attack with their faces, and yet absolutely nothing happened to them!
The only proof that he had actually hit them was that the white Cautus girl's rabbit ears looked a bit limp, clearly indicating she wasn't in the best state. But in the next moment, that Elafia simply took a bottle of water and poured it down her throat—and to his shock, her entire body began to glow!
Are you a Laterano fluorescent light tube that gained sentience? I've never heard legends of Laterano having lamp-girls with rabbit ears!
However, what truly baffled him was that the Elafia was actually using an ability similar to a "Dominion"! It seemed she had observed the process of how he and Forty-one used their powers, gained some inspiration, and learned the skill on the spot.
Alina was indeed seriously adjusting the Holy Light she controlled, using a method similar to her enemies to turn the entire area into her own "Dominion." Relying on the Holy Water in her hand, a fifty-meter radius around Alina was enveloped in a faint shimmer, transforming into a sacred realm—a Sanctuary.
The others noticed tiny specks of light entering their bodies, and the residual fatigue within them seemed to be wiped away, vanishing without a trace. Those wounded who had not yet fully recovered felt their wounds gradually closing. The golden light in the sky was like a gentle rain, nourishing their scarred bodies.
But this sudden turn of events didn't just affect the soldiers of the Reunion Movement; the Emperor's Blades were also severely impacted.
The two agents almost couldn't resist cussing out Number Seven on the spot. What on earth is going on here? Are these people a special unit trained by Ursus specifically to counter us? If they were given another chance, they would rather go and assassinate the Emperor of Yan than come to this godforsaken place.
Originally, the power of the Demon had reached a state of coexistence with their bodies, existing in every corner of their beings. But because of the Sanctuary, they now felt like cotton dolls that had suddenly had all their stuffing pulled out. The only reason they were still standing instead of collapsing unconscious was their sheer strength of will.
At the same time, they felt like their heads were about to explode, as if a hundred marmots were screaming inside their brains. That "refreshing" sensation made them seriously consider the idea of just reincarnating and starting over.
As a result, the two Emperor's Blades instantly lost their power and became mere "super-soldiers." However, the people on the opposite side had no intention of letting them off easily just because they were having a sudden crisis.
Simultaneously, Executor found the perfect timing. His sniper rifle fired four consecutive shots, flying straight toward their vital points. The two agents instinctively sensed the danger, but they only had enough time to protect their most critical areas.
The result was that these four bullets hit the two Emperor's Blades squarely. The pain was so intense they almost screamed out loud, but fearing it would be too embarrassing and make them lose face, they forced themselves to swallow the cries.
The Yetis and Shieldguards then rushed forward together to "greet" the two of them. Number Seventeen, specifically, was beaten quite miserably for his sneak attack.
Yet, these two were truly tough; despite being beaten by such a large group for so long, they didn't make a sound. Forget begging for mercy—they didn't even let out a yelp after being hit for so long.
Fortunately, Kashchey hurriedly found Talulah and told her to stop first, saying that these two pieces of "merchandise" could be traded for at least four truckloads of supplies. Only then did the impoverished Talulah stop everyone's flying kicks and punches.
Finally, when the Shieldguards dragged the two unconscious men away, the only proof that they were still alive was the black mist occasionally wafting from their mouths and noses.
Hearing their recount of the events, Jeanne's eyes showed nothing but pity. These guys were truly unlucky to the core, running into a group that naturally countered them so perfectly. Otherwise, in the absence of Patriot and Jeanne, two Emperor's Blades would have been more than enough to handle Talulah and the others. They would have only needed to break through one point, and the rest would have been lambs to the slaughter.
"Lady Saintess, how do you plan to deal with them next? If it is inconvenient for you to act, I can handle them for you," Executor said respectfully. He assumed the Saintess spared them only because her status made it difficult for her to do the "dirty work." But he was very skilled at this!
He knew the Notarial Hall had sent him precisely because they worried something might happen along the way, and since Jeanne, as the Saintess, might find it awkward to act, they sent a "black glove" to handle the messy business.
"You can really just call me Jeanne, Mr. Executor. We'll handle these Emperor's Blades ourselves! Don't let my appearance fool you; I'm not someone who is unable to strike a killing blow against an enemy."
Though Jeanne's words were gentle, she made it clear to him that she wasn't that fragile or overly sentimental. She wasn't the kind of "bleeding heart" who would think, 'He didn't actually kill me, so why should you kill him?'
However, she didn't over-correct their use of the title "Saintess." After the descent of God, no matter how much she denied it, she couldn't sever her connection with the Divine. To keep adamantly denying it now would feel a bit hypocritical.
"As you wish, Your Eminence Jeanne."
After asking for Jeanne's opinion, Executor ceased to offer further suggestions. He simply followed behind Jeanne and the others as they entered the village, moving as silently as a shadow.
However, once they stepped into the village, his and Lemuen's halos—in an environment saturated with Holy Light—began to emit a dazzling brilliance once again, to the point of rivaling Frostnova on the other side. Even Executor, who relied on specialized technology to dim his halo and wings, found himself freed from the constraints of his devices at this moment; his halo manifested its brilliant light once more.
Now, the rumor that their "Big Sister" was actually a Laterano Halo Sprite began to spread throughout the Yeti Squad, with signs of it traveling to others as well. Frostnova seemed to have accepted the fact that she had become a giant flashlight again, her ears drooping as she stared at the guys calling her a sprite.
"Whoa, so the halo over my head could actually be this bright? Hey, I can actually take it off now!"
Lemuen looked at the halo held in her hand with the expression of someone discovering something entirely new. She happily tossed her "fluorescent tube" back and forth. If they were outside, touching a halo was strictly forbidden; even having something blocking the space between it and the head was incredibly uncomfortable, let alone touching it.
Lemuen threw the halo out with great interest, and it actually managed to find its way back to her on its own! Could it be that this environment, so perfectly suited for Sankta life, was causing her body to undergo a transformation? Looking at the wings behind her, those shard-like decorations were transforming into something resembling avian wings, though for some reason, the transformation wasn't quite complete.
Beside her, Executor was diligently recording the changes in his own body, as he was experiencing the same phenomenon. He had an intuition: this was what a Sankta was truly meant to be. The dense Holy Light here was completing the missing parts of their physiology. This was a monumental discovery! If this were the case, what kind of environment did the ancient Sankta live in? Was the light there even denser than it was here? What kind of paradise would that have been?
When Alina brought the two of them to the small chapel, a sense of returning home filled their bodies. It was a very humble little church; everything around it was made of wood, the glass likely salvaged from other windows, topped with a wooden cross.
Lemuen and Executor circled the simple structure. Such a chapel was almost unheard of in Laterano. In a nation where everyone followed the Church, the local cathedrals were of the utmost importance! If anyone dared to build such a shack to serve as a church, local clergy would likely deem it a sign of disrespect toward the Divine. This was because official churches received corresponding subsidies from the Church for construction and operation...
"Miss Alina, has the mountain range behind us always existed? I get an indescribable feeling just looking at it."
Hearing Lemuen's question, Alina explained the origin of the mountains. The two of them found the reality difficult to believe.
"So... that 'Apocalypse' was triggered just to create this mountain range? No wonder it was just a snowy plain when we saw it earlier... Miss Alina, could we negotiate with you? Could we go inside and take a look? We would be truly grateful!"
Lemuen pleaded sincerely; a place of such miracles was the pursuit of a lifetime! If the Pope ever found out, he would likely wage war at any cost to seize the Holy Mountain, wouldn't he? While Executor remained silent, the fanatical look in his eyes as he gazed at the Holy Mountain made his thoughts clear. If conditions allowed, they might even walk in on foot to experience the miracle personally.
On the other side, the three Emperor's Blades had mostly recovered. They stretched their bodies slightly, looking rather speechlessly at the group of Shieldguards and Patriot surrounding them.
Is this really necessary? Bringing Patriot himself to watch over us? With a lineup like this, are you planning to use the three of us to give Ursus a 'lesson' if the negotiations with the higher-ups fall through?
It wasn't that they hadn't considered leaving. The other two could have at least taken a gamble and tried their luck at escaping. But Number Seven was truly unfortunate; even trying to tunnel through the ground was useless! He had attempted to dive deep into the earth to sneak away, but every attempt ended in tragedy, sacrificing a portion of his body each time. The agony forced him to stay put and behave.
As for the other two? You'd have to ask them if they could even hope to beat the Patriot crouching outside first. With their current weakened states, Patriot could flatten them into pancakes in a matter of minutes.
After an unknown amount of time, as the sun began to set, a Yeti approached and whispered something to Patriot and the others.
Patriot stood up, destroyed the barrier around them, and said: "Though I am loath to do so, you may leave now. We have reached an agreement with your superiors."
At that moment, the communicator Patriot tossed to them relayed the order to retreat. The three of them didn't even stop to say a word; they bolted in the opposite direction as fast as their legs could carry them, terrified that the group might suddenly change their minds and settle the score.