The three men froze.
They were veterans of the Elder's Guard. They had fought bandits, wolves, and even goblin raiders. But they had never seen a malnourished girl explode with golden light.
Elara opened her eyes. They weren't just glowing; they were burning with a geometric, digital intensity.
But inside her mind, Elara was terrified.
Lord! What do I do? I don't know how to fight!
"Calm down," Zephyr's voice echoed in her skull. It was different now—clearer, sharper. Like he was standing right next to her. "You are not fighting. I am."
Zephyr, floating invisibly above, accessed the new interface that had appeared.
[Entity: Elara (Saint)]
[HP: 100/100]
[Mana: 50/50 (Derived from user DP)]
[Synch Rate: 100%]
The men recovered their wits. The leader, a scarred man named Davos, sneered. "Some hedge magic trick? Get her!"
He lunged, his iron sword aimed at her shoulder.
Elara flinched. Instinct told her to curl up and scream.
"Override: Motor Control."
Zephyr took the wheel.
Elara's body moved without her input. She didn't dodge; she rotated. Her left foot planted, her hips twisted with unnatural precision, and the sword blade passed a millimeter from her ear.
Whoosh.
Davos stumbled, his momentum carrying him forward.
"Target Acquired: Solar Plexus. Execute Kinetic Strike."
Elara's right fist shot out. It wasn't a girl's punch. It was a piston. Zephyr routed 5 FP worth of force directly into her knuckles at the moment of impact.
CRACK.
Davos folded like a wet towel, gasping for air that wasn't there. He hit the dirt, retching.
"What..." the second man stammered. "She's... she's barely a twig!"
"Fear is a Debuff," Zephyr lectured in Elara's mind. "Exploit it."
He projected his voice through Elara's throat. It came out layered—her voice, underpinned by his metallic resonance.
"LEAVE."
The sound wave hit them like a physical wall. The two remaining guards stumbled back, dropping their torches.
"Demon!" one screamed. "She's possessed!"
"I am not a Demon," Elara said, her hand raising on its own. Sparks of golden electricity danced between her fingers. "I am the Saint of the Architect."
Zephyr triggered [Spark] (Cost: 1 FP) but overloaded it through the Saint Link.
The tiny flash amplified into a blinding strobe light.
"MY EYES!"
The guards scrambled, blinded and terrified, dragging their fallen leader into the dark woods.
Zephyr watched them run until they were out of range.
[Threat Neutralized.]
[Combat Efficiency: S-Rank.]
[Faith Points Remaining: 4 / 200]
"Close," Zephyr sighed. "Combat burns mana too fast."
He released control. Elara collapsed, panting.
"I... I hit him," she whispered, looking at her hand. "I broke his armor."
"Physics," Zephyr replied. "Force equals mass times acceleration. I just provided the acceleration."
Elara looked up at the ceiling where his presence lingered.
"They will come back, Lord. With more men. Maybe the Elder himself. He has a Magic Sword."
"Let them come," Zephyr said. "By the time they return, this will not be a ruin."
He pulled up the [Territory Management] screen.
He had defeated the initial threat. He had a Saint. He had a (small) source of Faith.
Now, he needed a Fortress.
"Elara. Rest."
"Yes, Lord."
"Tomorrow, we don't just clean."
The golden eyes faded into the darkness, but his presence remained, heavy and comforting.
"Tomorrow, we Expand."