Our Family Has Fallen

From the hand missing fingers clutching the Magic Wand of Flesh and blood, it was clear she was the Saintess of the evil cult hidden among them.

Just now, she and the Deacon had driven those Heretics to this place for the soldiers to kill.

Only when the time was right did she act, using death and Flesh as sacrifices to summon the power of the Void.

The high walls of brick and stone were easily destroyed, further fueling the desire for Ascension among the believers, including herself.

Humans are indeed too fragile... Birth, aging, sickness, and death constantly threaten humanity, not to mention these powerful forces. Only Ascension is the future of humankind.

Performing Sorcery of that magnitude, even with sacrifices to bear some of the burden, had significantly affected her. Her power felt drained, leaving her temporarily unable to cast spells.

But when lambs lose their pen, they are no match for a pack of wolves, let alone when a tiger is hidden among the pack.

To end the battle quickly, the Deacon accompanying her made his move.

Even among Deacons, there were differences; not all were qualified to be implanted with the Seed.

This was enough to show his power was not simple; she could almost see him charging in, slaughtering the soldiers, and utterly destroying them.

But the Saintess hadn’t expected this to happen.

He had barely approached the front line when he was caught in an explosion, then shot, directly releasing the power of the Seed.

The Saintess could only think that those soldiers were truly lucky. However, a Deacon whose power was unleashed was even more terrifying. She was already prepared to offer this place to her lord.

Then she saw the Deacon being repeatedly interrupted, and finally turning into a man of fire. This scene left her somewhat confused.

What happened?

This isn’t what we agreed on, is it?

But the situation was clear: the soldiers seized the opportunity to counterattack and consolidate their defensive line, looking as if they were about to drive the Heretics out through the breach.

The ground, strewn with Flesh and blood, provided her with the best offerings. She casually plunged the Magic Wand in her hand into a corpse. The bizarre Flesh on the Magic Wand, as if alive, then devoured the corpse’s essence. Simultaneously, it fed a power back to her, rapidly filling the emptiness within.

That power surged forth! Her god was watching over her!

It was as if the frenzied slaughter occurring here had drawn her god’s attention. The Saintess’s face, hidden beneath her black robe, lit up with zealous fervor as a new Sorcery began to brew.

Geralt, wielding a Longsword and slaughtering Heretics with abandon, seemed to sense something and turned his gaze towards her.

You finally couldn’t hold back, could you... I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!

He immediately gripped his Longsword tighter and charged.

Geralt had, of course, also noticed the monster. However, a Spellcaster lurking in the shadows posed a more deadly threat, so he had to trust Balistan to hold off the creature.

To be honest, even his usually unflappable emotions began to waver, and worry crept in due to the situation.

It couldn’t be helped. If Balistan failed to hold his ground, the entire outpost would likely be overrun by the monster. He wasn’t even sure if he could escape then.

Fortunately, Balistan held his ground. The soldiers from Hamlet also demonstrated surprising strength, managing to stabilize the situation and even launch a counterattack.

This allowed him to relax slightly. Similarly, the changing situation forced the Spellcaster to reveal an opening at last.

With a casual swing of his sword, he cut down a Heretic who dared to block his path. His gaze then locked onto the figure beneath the black robe.

Want to cast a spell? Have you asked my sword for permission?

Geralt’s undisguised approach naturally caught the Saintess’s attention. Previously, everyone had been distracted by the Deacon’s mutation. They had completely failed to notice this man who dared to break away from the soldiers’ front line and charge in alone.

Such actions spoke of either immense confidence in one’s strength or pure foolishness.

However, the Saintess had encountered Geralt before. Not to mention, the bodies of at least a dozen Heretics lay around him as proof.

”Protect me!” The Saintess, knowing she was exposed, no longer concealed herself. She immediately threw off her black robe, revealing her alluring figure.

But the hand grasping the Magic Wand had already fused with the Flesh on it to such an extent that her knuckles were barely discernible.

The surrounding Heretics, hearing her call, rushed over without hesitation, their fervent expressions bordering on madness...

”Hehe... My Lady Saintess...”

”My Lady Saintess, take me with you...”

”My Lady Saintess, how can I live without you...”

It could only be said that all these Heretics were fools when it came to military matters. Or perhaps, when their ’Old Ancestor’—that scoundrel—abandoned governance and allowed neighboring Lords to devour their lands, the need for such strategy had vanished.

For a long time, to remain hidden, their operations had been conducted in small teams or by breaking into smaller units to blend into crowds. It was quite normal for them to lack experience in commanding large-scale battles.

If the Saintess hadn’t exposed herself and shouted, the soldiers on the front line would likely still be locked in a slow, arduous struggle against these Heretics who fought to the death.

But her shout caused the Heretics to swarm towards her, effectively abandoning their engagement with the soldiers. This, in turn, allowed the soldiers to push through the breach and successfully drive the Heretics out again.

However, the pressure on Geralt was now immense, as he faced these frenzied Heretics alone.

Forget about approaching the Saintess; right now, even defending himself was becoming difficult.

”Ald Dharma Seal!”

Geralt raised his hand, unleashing a fan-shaped shockwave that pushed back the Heretics in front of him. But in the next moment, those surrounding him surged forward again, their various weapons hacking down, forcing him to counter with another Dharma Seal.