[Vol. 7] Chapter 104: The God and the God-Slayer
A golden dragon breath shot out like a blazing arc, streaking straight toward the altar.
Maybe because the little dragon girl wasn’t fully used to controlling this power yet, her aim was slightly off. But with how massive the altar was, even a blind shot couldn’t miss, the sheer radiance would still strike its target.
So, the [Savior] moved immediately.
He raised his staff, and some strange force field erupted around the altar, forming a shifting, chaotic shadow.
When Xiao Guang’s scorching light hit this barrier, it didn’t collide like one would expect. Instead, the energy was instantly reflected, shooting straight back toward her!
"BOOM!!!"
The blazing beam, crackling with electricity, roared through the air. It barely missed Xiao Guang, leaving a visible distortion in its wake.
He had deflected the attack without a scratch, and almost sent it right back at her.
But Xiao Guang wasn’t shocked. If anything, a flicker of understanding flashed through her golden, slit-pupiled eyes, and she muttered to herself.
“Reflection… so he didn’t just block it, he reversed the attack’s direction? That means he’s already touching the realm of laws... Not bad for an insect.”
The sudden assault seemed to make the High Priest of the Church of Truth realize something.
Although the gathering of the children wasn’t yet complete, he didn’t hesitate any longer.
With another swing of his staff, a massive glowing arc rose from the magic circle beneath them. Its surface shimmering like the reflection of a crescent moon on water.
In an instant, the arc expanded, forming a colossal cylindrical formation, enclosing the entire ritual site.
This shift in the ritual acted like a trigger.
Every single Church of Truth followers standing within the circle with the children froze for a brief moment.
Then, as if they had witnessed a divine miracle, they dropped everything and fell to their knees. Without hesitation, they prostrated themselves, chanting in fervent unison.
“The boundary of the endless azure sea, the reflection beneath the mirrored surface. You reveal the truth of all things, exposing the secrets of the stars, the sun, and the moon!”
“You are the rule that governs law, the measure that defines order! You divide reality from illusion! With a single motion of your hand, you turn the heavens and forge a future of boundless miracles!”
“O Great Lord! O God of Reversal and Defiance of Truth! Cast your gaze upon us! Let your reflection resonate with our faith! Answer our prayers and redefine the limits of reality! We, your faithful, shall cry your name in unison, offering everything in devotion to your divine grace!”
“O Exmont—God of Subversion and Paradox!!!!”
“Hummmm~~~~”
A deep, resonating hum filled the air.
Silver light from the Shadow Realm’s moon poured down, engulfing the altar.
In an instant, all the magical oils and ritual materials placed around the ceremonial site ignited, burning with a silver-gray flame, like the moonlight’s own shadow. The descending lunar glow expanded outward with a thunderous surge.
At that moment, every Church of Truth followers’s “mist”, the mark of their divine blessing, rose from their bodies, drifting upward. Their bodies shuddered violently as if undergoing some kind of mutation, yet they remained prostrated on the ground, chanting with even greater fervor.
Meanwhile, countless streams of similar energy came rushing in from afar, all converging toward the altar.
The rippling force spread outwards, casting shifting reflections upon the thousand children surrounding the ritual site.
All except for one.
The small dragon girl was the only one whose body instantly flashed with golden radiance, repelling the invading light.
Even the girl beneath her, Lenka Dorgon, was affected, just like the others.
This was both a selection process and an infection.
Any child touched by the silver-gray light immediately lost focus, their eyes dull and empty, like puppets caught in an unseen grip. They stared blankly toward the altar, passively receiving the qualification assessment from the higher power.
For these young, undeveloped minds, the high-dimensional power of a god was something they could not even begin to resist.
The light itself already had an inherent hypnotic effect, and under its prolonged exposure, these thousand children would soon become just like the Church of Truth followers, or even more so.
That was simply the nature of gods.
Even if this wasn’t their intended purpose, anything tied to the divine had inescapable, profound effects on mortal beings.
Soon, several children who had passed the ritual’s judgment, those whose shadows appeared the deepest in the glow, began to rise to their feet.
They had been chosen. They were the ones deemed worthy of becoming “saints.”
The one closest to the altar was a young girl, no older than ten, with long black hair and a simple dress.
She was the first to step through the shadow field, which seemed to reflect external forces, making it nearly impossible to break through from the outside.
As she walked forward, the pillar of light bathed her completely.
The girl slowly tilted her head up, staring blankly at the Moon of the Shadow Realm and the silver glow it cast down upon her.
Something indescribable was about to descend through her small, fragile body.
It was here.
And that was... the color of “Blood”.
The dark red color slowly spread through the girl’s smooth, silky black hair, dyeing it in crimson hues.
A pair of delicate bat wings suddenly unfurled from her waist, and her once dark eyes transformed into piercing crimson slit pupils.
Her simple dress was instantly replaced by a luxurious and elaborate Lolita-style gown, as if she had just transformed.
She lifted her hand slightly, and blood seemed to flow and gather in her palm, shaping itself into a long crimson spear.
Then, like a streak of blood-red shadow, she shot forward under the moonlight—
Charging straight at the Church of Truth’s High Priest!
"Clang!!!"
At the very last moment, a magnificent round shield, intricately carved with seven layers of engravings, suddenly materialized out of thin air, emerging from a playing card drawn by the High Priest just in time.
The crimson spear struck fiercely, sending out a sharp, ear-piercing impact.
In the next instant, bloodlight surged, and the shield was pierced halfway through, cracks spreading rapidly as if it would shatter completely at any moment.
But the brief moment of defense was enough for the High Priest to dodge back, avoiding the lethal ambush.
While still in midair, he flicked his wrist, sending out another playing card with a different pattern.
A giant black magician’s hat, nearly a meter tall, appeared in the air.
Without hesitation, he jumped into it. Countless white doves surged from the hat, flew into the sky, and then dispersed into specks of light. In this back-and-forth motion, the cult leader's figure vanished like a magic trick.
The Lolita-dressed girl twirled her crimson spear, a hint of disdain flashing in her gaze as she looked toward the spot where he had disappeared.
"Running away the moment we meet?"
"Hahahahaha~"
A calm and elegant chuckle echoed from nowhere, as if the High Priest’s voice resonated throughout the entire ritual site.
"The strongest Vampire, wielding the legendary Spear, [The Godslayer Spear, Longinus]. With a combination like that, very few in this world would dare face you head-on with just their mortal body… Your Highness, Lucine Constantius.”
Lucine didn’t seem surprised by his words, as if this wasn’t their first encounter.
Instead of chasing after him immediately, she simply glanced at a certain blonde dragon girl who had intentionally provoked the High Priest earlier, forcing him to activate the ritual.
The dragon girl stood there, completely unscathed, looking as though she had expected this all along.
Lucine let out a small chuckle and spoke with amusement.
"It seems you've already predicted my appearance. But her? She was definitely not part of your plan. Looks like your [Lucky Draw] cards… Finally failed you this time, Timos Young." [1]
.............................................................
Note:
[1] Timos Young: The First Throne and Leader of Eternal Throne