Encirclement and Slaughter

"Stop her!" Fred immediately shouted.

At his command, deafening gunfire erupted in an instant.

The "hunters," usually responsible for exterminating aberrant creatures, had long taken aim. Various large-caliber alchemical bullets shot toward the glowing orb high in the sky.

Ophelia also acted the moment the enemy unleashed their divine magic, activating a large-scale spatial distortion ability. Low-rise buildings rose from the ground, allowing both flying and non-flying supernaturals to easily charge into the air.

As one of the three top fighters, Fred, who had always kept a low profile, was now forced to reveal his true strength. His body was enveloped in a foul black aura, his darkened muscles bursting through his clothes, his entire body covered in wild black fur, and his facial features elongated and grotesque, resembling a donkey.

But even more astonishing was the weapon in his hand. Calling it a sword would be an understatement—it was far too massive and crude, almost like a mere block of iron.

Yet, the enormous black greatsword seemed almost weightless in Fred's grip, his body now swollen several times its original size. Gripping the weapon, he stomped on the ground, launching himself into the air like a cannonball, leaving behind two terrifying craters where his feet had been.

Everyone was giving their all to besiege Eleya, and Luo Wei was no exception. He reviewed the magical techniques the witch had imparted to him during their late-night cram sessions just days before.

After a brief incantation, the 6th-tier spell [Comet Shards] materialized around him before raining down on Eleya like a barrage of blue projectiles.

The sheer concentration of powerful attacks in one place tore through the air with a terrifying screech.

Yet, despite the overwhelming force...

The orb representing Eleya merely flickered faintly, completely unmoved by the combined assault of so many formidable fighters.

Luo Wei stared intently at the scene above, forced to admit that Eleya’s current power far surpassed Tilis’s. She was truly approaching godhood...

Meanwhile, within the radiant orb, Eleya was also watching Luo Wei, her smile growing increasingly enigmatic.

"Is this all you’ve got, Luo Wei?"

"If this is your counterattack, I must say, I’m quite disappointed..."

As the orb continued to expand, a second sun seemed to appear in the sky above Saint Caron.

No one could stop Eleya. In the end, [Judgment] descended.

Every high-ranking member of the Church died gruesomely on the spot. Pope Adrian was left without even a complete corpse, and the Special Affairs Department suffered heavy casualties. Fred, battered and bruised, plummeted from the sky.

"Your Highness, I deeply apologize..."

Fred’s towering body was riddled with ghastly, gaping wounds, crimson blood pouring out in torrents, quickly forming a small pool beneath him.

Leaning on his black greatsword, he swayed unsteadily. "We truly can’t defeat her... Even if Hawkins and I fought together, we wouldn’t stand a chance against this Church Saintess..."

Luo Wei steadied him, casting [Eltuga School Healing Magic] to mend his injuries.

"Mr. Luo Wei, don’t worry about me. You must flee with Her Highness, now!" Fred glanced upward, noticing the Church Saintess’s gaze fixed in their direction. "She’s coming down—quickly! Your Highness, run!!"

"She’s not after me..." Ophelia sighed helplessly. "In her eyes, I’m less than an insect."

Fred froze, suddenly realizing that the Church Saintess had been staring at Luo Wei all along.

Eleya stood amidst the corpses littering the street, smiling as she took slow, deliberate steps toward Luo Wei.

Luo Wei watched her movements intently, deploying [Sigil Shield] to encase himself and Ophelia.

Seeing his defensive stance and the Vampire Magic gathering in his palm, Eleya couldn’t help but chuckle. "Luo Wei, your magic is like child’s play to me. What exactly are you guarding against? If I wanted you dead, you’d already be gone."

She glanced around, her smile widening with satisfaction as she confirmed the annihilation of the Church’s leadership. "Light will soon envelop this last dark corner. Luo Wei, you’ve already lost~"

"Oh, really?" Luo Wei replied calmly. "I don’t think so."

"Still stubborn at a time like this?" Eleya studied his expression with amusement. "The Pope is dead, the conservatives are wiped out, and no one can stop the spread of divine radiance. Not to mention..."

She trailed off, spreading her arms with a faint smile, letting the light bathe every corner of the streets.

At this moment, Eleya resembled a proud monarch standing before a palace window, surveying her domain. She was the light, and all things bowed before it.

If not for the fact that his mission prompt still hadn’t appeared, Luo Wei might have been intimidated by her display. Instead, he smirked and finished her sentence for her. "Not to mention, you’ve already infiltrated the regional churches, haven’t you? Soon, the entire Weston Church, from top to bottom, will be your devout followers. Quite the intricate scheme, really."

"You knew?" Eleya’s brow furrowed slightly. Seeing Luo Wei’s unshaken composure, she began to feel uneasy.

"If you already knew, why are you still here, lying in wait?" she asked suspiciously.

"To subdue you completely and drag you back to the basement, of course!" Luo Wei’s eyes gleamed with mockery. "Some people are so busy celebrating, they don’t even notice their home’s been raided."

"What?"

Eleya’s expression darkened as she frantically scanned her surroundings.

The light was dimming.

Not only that, she could feel her power waning—because...

The faith sustaining her was diminishing! Many devout followers of the radiance had vanished from her perception!

"Wait! Why is this happening?" She strained to listen.

In the next instant, she heard it—countless screams, groans, and desperate prayers.

It was the Weston Church! The Holy Mountain was under attack!

"Luo Wei!!" Eleya’s eyes blazed with fury. "What have you done? What in the world have you done?!"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Luo Wei sneered. "Would you like me to show you a live feed? So you can see it more clearly?"

Without waiting for her response, Luo Wei flicked his ring, conjuring a magical projection of a scene straight out of hell.

A terrifying torrent of souls relentlessly bombarded the sacred city of Weston. Its towering white walls were already riddled with holes, the hundred-meter-tall statue of the God of Light lay in ruins, and the pristine plaza—once capable of holding a hundred thousand worshippers—was now piled high with corpses, rivers of blood flowing through the streets.

And yet, the dark sorcerers showed no signs of stopping. Their next target was the Radiant Cathedral.

All the battle-ready priests were relying on this sturdy cathedral, shielded by holy light, to hold off the enemy. The surviving citizens of the Holy City, under the protection of the clergy, had been evacuated here with their families in tow.

Yet this last line of defense was shattered the moment the witch in black robes, with her piercing violet eyes, descended upon them.