Chapter 142: Advent of the Great Evil (2)

Shadranes sat inside the church with her eyes closed and hands clasped in prayer, fervently imploring Kalosia for Ketla and Rakuza to succeed in halting the ritual. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, startled by an ominous surge of dark energy from afar. Panic gripped her as she turned her gaze in that direction, sensing a formidable and sinister presence. “N-no way...” Did they fail to stop the ritual? Is our sanctuary about to be consumed by darkness? she thought. A fleeting despair overtook her thoughts, but she realized her assumption was incorrect. Her face turned deathly pale as she understood what was going on. Another terrible catastrophe had begun unfolding—a scenario she had not even considered. “This... can’t be!” Her voice quivered in denial, but reality was already beyond her control. Great evil had descended upon the world. *** The very fabric of space shattered like broken glass, and from within emerged the outline of a single figure. The being had pale skin like a vampire, a dark horn protruding from the center of his forehead, and extravagant attire befitting nobility. “How nostalgic, the scent of the mortal realm,” the man said. With a single breath, the air grew tainted. The earth beneath his feet rotted and decayed wherever he stepped, corrupted by mere proximity. His existence alone was enough to defile the world. The holy knights quickly realized the grim truth: the dark mages had sacrificed their own lives as offerings to summon this demon. “So... this is the place.” The demon’s indifferent gaze landed upon the holy land. “Such a nauseating sanctuary of the god. It seems everything has proceeded according to the prophecy.” As he began to move, the holy knights quickly snapped to attention. “E-everyone, prepare for battle!” Drawing their weapons, they blocked the demon’s path. Though none of them knew how this creature had managed to manifest here, they only had one mission in their mind. “Do not allow this demon to approach the sanctuary!” “For Kalosia!” United in their resolve, the holy knights charged forward, bathed in divine radiance. They were formidable warriors, veterans tempered through countless battles against dark invasions. Many among their ranks were considered Advanced. “Ah, the faithful dogs of god. Admirable indeed.” Smiling gently, the demon extended his hand forward. Dark energy surged, condensing into delicate, thread-like lines. With an effortless flick of his wrist, the demon sliced through the air. Instantly, the barrier protecting the sanctuary shuddered violently. Clang! “Kyaaah!” Terrified believers inside the sanctuary shrieked and ducked for cover, frantically staring at the magical barrier now marred with hair-thin cracks. “What...?” “Huh...?” The holy knights’ bodies suddenly split in half simultaneously, toppling lifelessly to the ground. Even battle-hardened veterans, who had survived countless horrors, perished without any chance to react. “Mmm... the sweet fragrance of falling flesh—how I’ve missed this.” With a contented smile, the demon raised his hand once more, releasing threads of mana like whip lashes that mercilessly struck the weakened barrier. Boom! Although thin as threads, their destructive force defied imagination. The sacred barrier, which had long resisted every assault by dark mages, now rapidly fractured. Overwhelmed by terror, the worshippers screamed helplessly as they watched the cracks spread wider. Just before the barrier could collapse completely, a pillar of radiant light descended from above. “Hmm.” The demon’s expression changed for the first time. He withdrew the dark threads, redirecting them upward, neutralizing the pillar of holy energy. “You...!” “Ah... the Saintess,” the demon replied. His soft smile widened. “What a pleasant encounter. Kalosia’s first slave.” “Demon...!” Shadranes gritted her teeth, sorrowfully surveying the fallen bodies of the knights. She had rushed here immediately upon sensing the demon’s descent, but it was already too late. Biting her lip in frustration, she turned toward her enemy. She knew that unmistakably pale, vampire-like skin, the stark black horn contrasting sharply against it, and those terrifying threads of dark energy. She let out a strangled gasp. “Lubitra, Demon of Twisting Threads.” “Impressive. Perhaps expected from a slave of a god.” “Of course I know you...” About two hundred years ago, there had been a prominent religious order. Although relatively small, its followers were profoundly devout, and it counted several Transcendent individuals among its ranks, gaining recognition across the continent. Led by these extraordinary figures, the order had grown steadily, widely believed capable of rivaling the Church of the Sun God in time. Yet, tragically, it had been annihilated single-handedly by a demon. That demon was Lubitra—the very entity now standing before Shadranes. But how...? she wondered. Lubitra was considered among the strongest demons able to manifest in the mortal realm. Summoning him typically required hundreds of innocent children offered as sacrifice, and even then, success was uncertain. Yet, this monstrous entity now stood before her effortlessly, inexplicably present. Her mouth went dry with dread. After quietly observing Shadranes, Lubitra raised his hand again. Threads of dark energy began weaving together, sending chills down her spine. “Great Kalosia!” she urgently called out, summoning a barrier of holy light just in time to intercept the demon’s attack. Instantly, fractures spread across the holy barrier. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief; divine energy, known for its absolute superiority over darkness, was crumbling far too easily. Shadranes poured more energy desperately, trying to reinforce the barrier, but it remained on the verge of shattering. Just as panic seized her, a sword of brilliant light shot toward Lubitra. “How irritating,” the demon said. He grimaced, effortlessly deflecting the strike. Shadranes gasped in relief, narrowly escaping disaster. “Saintess!” “Rakuza!” Shadranes’s face lit up with hope as the strongest among the holy knights arrived at her side, fighting back tears of relief. “Who is that demon?” Rakuza asked her. “That’s Lubitra, Demon of Twisting Threads.” “What?!” Rakuza’s eyes widened in shock. “How could this—” “I don’t know either. I believe the dark mages offered their own lives to summon him, but... that alone shouldn’t have been enough. How did the ritual go?” “I left it to Ketal. However... it will probably take time.” Rakuza’s voice was heavy with uncertainty. Even he doubted Ketal’s chance of success. Shadranes noticed his doubt but did not comment, aware that voicing their fears aloud would achieve nothing but deepen their despair. “I see.” Clenching her jaw, she tore the hem of her skirt decisively, preparing herself for battle. “Fine, we fight.” With every other holy knight slain, they alone stood as the sanctuary’s final defense. “You will regret setting foot in our holy land!” Shadranes shouted. Lubitra smiled silently, watching them prepare for their final stand. *** “Rakuza! Hold him back and buy me time!” Shadranes ordered. “Yes!” Rakuza immediately kicked off the ground, charging toward Lubitra with his entire body enveloped in divine energy. With an indifferent expression, Lubitra lightly flicked his finger. Threads of demonic energy surged forth, racing to pierce Rakuza. Rakuza hurriedly twisted aside, narrowly dodging the lethal attack. But Lubitra’s threads were impossibly swift, and several brushed past Rakuza’s armor. The armor, imbued with divine energy, cracked and shattered instantly. “Argh!” Rakuza desperately maneuvered, yet each move he made was perfectly predicted by Lubitra. The demon’s threads chased him relentlessly, forcing him into constant retreat without even a chance to counterattack. He’s incredibly strong! Rakuza thought. Even a mere casual attack forced Rakuza to exert all of his strength just to survive. Lubitra was undeniably superior, at least two stages beyond their level—an entity standing at the peak among Transcendent beings. Under ordinary circumstances, their defeat was guaranteed. But, we still have a chance. Their opponent was still a demon, and they were servants of the divine. Holy power was inherently superior to evil; therein lay their one hope. “Book of Ravin, Chapter 4, Verse 2! Grant your believers strength that shall never yield to falsehood!” Shadranes shouted the verse, capitalizing on the precious seconds Rakuza had desperately earned. Golden holy light enveloped Rakuza. Instantly, his movements became visibly swifter. Lubitra muttered softly, “That’s the holy scripture, is it?” The scripture was a sacred text chronicling the divine path of a god. Those able to invoke the verses directly wielded divine power itself. That very power had once allowed Aquaz, an Advanced believer, to stand equally against Ashetiaar. And Shadranes was not merely a believer; she was a Saintess, capable of invoking scripture at an entirely different level. Empowered, Rakuza swiftly turned the tide, finally holding his ground against Lubitra’s relentless assault. Shadranes wasted no time, seizing this fleeting opportunity. “Book of Kudon, Chapter 1, Verse 14! At your words, the wicked hypocrites were silenced, never daring to speak again!” At her words, sacred chains materialized, flying forward to bind Lubitra in place. “Hm.” Lubitra calmly countered, threads of demonic energy swiftly emerging and wrapping around the chains. Immediately, cracks formed across the chains as they began to break. Shadranes quickly continued chanting without pause. “Book of Kudon, Chapter 12, Verse 1! There was a man who proclaimed himself the sole bearer of truth! Kalosia bound him in a vow of lies and deceit, a vow that remained unbroken until his death!” A golden cross slammed into Lubitra’s chest, forcibly restricting his movements. “Book of Ravin, Chapter 15, Verse 58! When evil descended upon the world, Kalosia bestowed sacred relics to his servants, and through these holy artifacts, evil was expelled from this land!” A sword of pure light appeared in Rakuza’s hands. “Ugh...!” Shadranes fell to her knees, breathless. Sweat dripped down her pale face. Invoking scripture was not something a mortal could manage lightly. Channeling the power of the divine demanded immense mental fortitude—especially when reciting multiple high-level verses consecutively. Though she had reached her limits, she had successfully restrained the demon. “End this, Rakuza!” she shouted weakly. “Yes!” Rakuza lifted the sword of sacred light, his eyes burning with determination. “Demon, begone from this world!” Rakuza charged with all his might, aided by the holy scripture. A Transcendent holy knight, wielding divine power directly against a demon bound and defenseless—if it struck cleanly, such an attack was guaranteed fatal, even against a demon at Lubitra’s rank. Rakuza’s sword plunged into Lubitra with a powerful thrust. Still kneeling, Shadranes felt relief wash over her exhausted face. Anyone who saw it would agree that it was undoubtedly a lethal strike. However, Rakuza’s expression froze in horror. His sword of light had failed to reach Lubitra’s flesh. Instead, it was stopped mere inches away, entangled in a web of twisting threads. Lubitra had created a defensive net to block Rakuza’s decisive strike. “How...?” Shadranes said, trembling. The golden cross should have rendered Lubitra unable to use his dark energy. This should have been impossible! “Impressive,” Lubitra said calmly. Dark threads snaked around the golden cross embedded in his chest, shattering it into pieces with an ominous crackle. “Y-you...!” Rakuza stammered. “You have earned my praise,” Lubitra said. With those words, demonic energy erupted violently, instantly engulfing Rakuza in overwhelming darkness.