Chapter 238: Chapter 237 – Another POV
Gray skies hung heavily over the small town. The blizzard had yet to ease; instead, it grew thicker, turning daylight into nothing more than a dull smear of oppressive gray. In the distance, the looming shadow of a grand temple rose far more magnificent than the branches Sylvia and Noir had already reduced to rubble.
Its golden spire reached high, stained-glass windows glowing faintly from within, while dozens of stone angels stood at the gates as if to watch over any who dared approach.
Before those gates, ranks upon ranks of zombies stood still. Their crimson eyes glowed through the storm, cold breaths escaping their open jaws, some wielded weapons, others relied solely on claws and teeth.
At their front stood Celes. Her white hair whipped violently in the wind, blue eyes sharp and glinting, her long white gown standing in stark contrast to the shadowy horde behind her. At her right side, Aurellia held a glowing red crystal staff in her hands. Her face was serene, but her gaze burned with fervor.
Celes stared at the temple for a long moment. "Bigger than I expected," she said coldly. "It seems the Church wishes to prove they still have strength."
Aurellia’s smile was faint but filled with fire. "Then let us show them how easily that strength crumbles."
She lifted her staff high, lips weaving a long chant in an ancient tongue. Her voice echoed, mingling with the roar of the storm. The snowflakes falling around her slowly evaporated, swept aside by the heat surging from the crimson circle of runes forming in the air.
FWOOOOOSHHHHH!
The circle spun rapidly, glowing hotter and brighter, cracks forming in the earth beneath Aurellia’s feet as steam hissed upward.
Then, with a ringing cry
"Inferno Burst!"
BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!
A colossal torrent of fire erupted from the circle, lancing straight into the temple’s front wall. The explosion shook the ground, reducing stone walls meters thick into rubble. Rock, dust, and snow blasted outward, cloaking the temple’s forecourt.
Panic-filled voices rang out from within.
"Attackers! Enemies at the gates!"
"Defend the sacred temple! By our faith, don’t let them in!"
Celes raised her hand in signal. "Advance."
GRAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
Thousands of zombies roared as one and began to march. Their heavy footsteps thundered through the snow crunch! crunch! crunch! like war drums echoing across the storm.
Through the shattered walls, the Church’s forces emerged. Paladins with golden shields stood at the fore, swords blazing with holy light. Behind them, priests lifted staves, their prayers rising in haste.
Circles of radiant magic flared hundreds of arrows of light rained toward the undead.
SHHHHHHHHHHH!
Undead bodies split apart, some collapsing motionless. Yet none of the fallen rose again as new zombies. Celes had given explicit orders: no infection. Kill them outright.
"I don’t want the Church’s filth mixed into our ranks," she murmured flatly.
Aurellia raised her hand again. FWOOOSH! A wall of fire surged forth, sweeping into the paladins who braced behind shields. The flames clung to them, unextinguished even as they rolled desperately in the snow. Their screams pierced the air.
"AAAAAGHHHHHH!!!"
"This fire... it’s not natural!"
Celes stepped forward, her slim sword already in hand. It looked plain, yet its blade shimmered like glass, vibrating faintly as though not entirely of this world.
When she swung once
ZIIIIPPPPPP!
The air itself split. The three paladins holding shields froze. For a heartbeat their faces locked in shock then their bodies cleaved cleanly apart without blood, as if cut from paper.
"The Sword of Space..." one priest whispered in terror.
Celes’s cold gaze swept over them. "Correct. And space shows no mercy."
She vanished. WHOOSHH! Her body reappeared in the midst of their ranks. One more swing SHRAAASHHHH! and several soldiers split diagonally, their upper halves sliding before collapsing onto the bloodied snow.
The zombie army surged behind her, smashing into the enemy lines. Screams, clashing steel, and the undead’s roars merged into one cacophonous storm.
Aurellia’s staff flared once more, her chant racing. Red fire spread across the ground, morphing into serpents of flame that coiled upward. They wrapped around priests’ legs, burning upward until bodies were engulfed.
"GYAAHHHH!!"
"Holy water! Quickly!!!"
Some tried to summon sacred water, but Aurellia’s fire would not die. Instead it swelled, feeding on the holy energy, flaring hotter still.
Celes danced across the battlefield, her sword weaving death. Each swing was not merely a cut, but a dimensional sever.
SLIIIPPPP! A heavily armored paladin thrust at her, yet before his blade even touched, his body was sliced clean through.
She turned swiftly, expression void. "You are pawns. The Church has sent only meat for slaughter."
The undead horde grew more feral. Hunters scaled rooftops, tearing down archers. Tanks rammed the walls with their shoulders, stone cracking beneath each blow.
DOOOMMMM!!! More of the temple walls collapsed, opening wider breaches for the swarm.
Aurellia summoned another grand spell. A massive red circle blossomed in the sky, forming an enormous fireball. Its heat vaporized snow in a radius of dozens of meters.
"Burn to ash," she whispered.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!
The fireball crashed into the temple’s side tower. The blast rocked the earth, toppling the entire spire onto the soldiers below, crushing dozens at once.
Smoke, fire, and snow fused, blotting the heavens with a choking haze.
Celes stood amidst it all, her sword dripping faint light instead of blood. Her eyes narrowed, voice ringing clear.
"Advance! Destroy everything! Leave none alive!"
GRAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
The zombie army roared louder, frenzy rising.
The once-proud temple courtyard became hell itself. Aurellia’s flames clawed at walls, Celes’s space-blade severed all in reach, and the undead’s cries filled the air.
The last paladins gathered protectively around priests. Shields overlapped, a final wall of gold.
Celes strode forward.
"I will show you," she said coldly, raising her blade, "that your light was never enough to cut the darkness."
ZIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPP!!!
One swing. The space before them tore open. Golden shields once thought unbreakable shattered instantly, bodies sheared apart.
One by one they fell, none left standing.
Aurellia lowered her staff, the surrounding flames shrinking to embers that gnawed at rubble.
Celes lowered her sword, gaze fixed straight ahead, eyes icy. "It is done."
Aurellia nodded, her voice quiet but firm. "The largest Church branch here... has fallen in a single night."
The remaining undead stood still, their breaths heavy, red eyes burning through smoke.
Celes turned to Aurellia, a faint smile touching her lips. "One by one until they are extinguished completely."
Above, the blizzard raged on. Below, only fire, blood, and death’s silence remained.
POV Alicia & Stacia
Snow continued falling, blanketing the island’s eastern lands. The frozen sea glimmered faintly in the distance, a white line separating land from the swirling fog above. A small fishing village lay silent, its thatched-roof houses buried halfway in snow. Yet in its center stood a glowing white temple, holy torches burning warm and piercing against the storm.
Two figures closed in, riding atop a massive zombie wolf. Its black fur bristled, eyes blazing red, each breath rising as thick steam.
Atop its back, Alicia sat tall, a forked staff tipped with a blue lantern in hand. The flame inside glowed calmly, its light eerie. Behind her, Stacia sat clutching a heavy black-grim leather tome, fingers poised to turn its pages.
The ocean wind mixed with the snowstorm, whipping their faces. The wolf growled low Grrrrhhhhh its claws gouged tracks into frozen ground.
"Up ahead," Alicia said softly yet firmly. Her pale-red eyes glimmered faintly as she stared at the temple. "A small branch, but guarded well. Look at their numbers."
Stacia peered from behind her. Dozens of paladins and priests stood before the gates. Golden shields raised, radiant spears bristling, muttered prayers echoing they looked wary, as if news of the western branch’s fall had already reached them.
Stacia exhaled, shutting her eyes briefly. "They’re ready. But so are we, right?" A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Alicia gave no words and only raised her staff. The lantern shook cling! cling! the blue flame swelling, spilling chilling light across the snow. The warmth seemed stolen from the air itself.
Stacia opened her grimoire. The glowing runes flickered through pages until halting on one etched in gold. Her fingers traced the first glyph. "Then let’s begin with them."
She shut her eyes, chanting.
FWOOOSHHHH!
A silver-blue circle spread across the air, expanding until it covered the undead ranks behind them. Its light fell, red eyes flared brighter, stiff muscles surged, their sluggish steps replaced with unnatural speed.
"Great Haste!" Stacia called.
The zombies bolted, sprinting unnaturally fast. The undead wolf leapt higher, Hunters scaled walls, Tanks thundered forward.
Alicia smiled faintly at the effect. "Good. Now my turn."
She swung her staff forward. The lantern’s fire spun violently, spilling blackish-blue mist.
"Withering Veil."
WHOOOOOSH!
The temple courtyard drowned in blue haze. Paladins who stood firm began coughing, their movements sluggish, shields faltering. Holy swords dimmed as though drained.
"What is this... my body... so heavy!"
"My prayers... my voice won’t come!"
Stacia flipped to another page, runes of green flaring. She waved her hand. "Iron Ward!"
Green aura cloaked the zombies, their flesh hardening like steel. Holy spears clashed clang! clang! harmlessly rebounding.
The battle erupted.
The undead charged with wild roars GRRRRAAAHHHH!!! crashing into golden shields, tearing them apart. Paladins fought desperately, but their bodies dragged under Alicia’s curses, stamina sapped, their insides burning from unseen affliction.
Alicia lifted her staff again, lips uttering another curse. The lantern flared brighter.
"Curse of Frailty."
ZIIIINGGGGG!
Blue runes spun beneath enemy feet. Paladins froze, screams rising. "My legs... paralyzed!" They toppled one by one, weapons slipping away.
Stacia answered swiftly. "Sharpness Chant!"
Rusty blades gleamed with blue aura, turning razor-sharp. The corroded weapons cut through golden armor as if it were parchment. Blood spattered, staining snow crimson.
"GYAAHHHH!!!"
"It can’t be... their blades...!"
Alicia’s smile was faint, eyes still cold. "You are not fighting soldiers. You are fighting curses and prayers of darkness."
Priests advanced from the temple, staves blazing gold. Their voices rose.
"Holy light, cleanse the stain of darkness!"
A vast circle opened overhead, rain of light descending fwoooooshhh to purify Alicia’s haze.
But Alicia only chuckled softly. "Oh? You dare pit your false light against my flame?"
She swung her staff and the lantern burned like a falling star. "Grief Lantern."
BOOOOMMMM!
The blue flame surged, swallowing the holy light. Twisted, the Church’s glow turned into a torrent of azure fire that lashed back upon its wielders. Priests burned silently, their flesh paling before crumbling without even a scream.
Stacia snapped her book shut briefly, sweat on her brow. "They’re stubborn. But if we keep pressing, they won’t last."
Alicia turned calmly. "I can strip away all their defenses. You need only keep ours strong."
Stacia’s smile grew faint as she opened another page. "Blood Vigor."
Red aura cloaked the undead. They howled wilder, wounds knitting swiftly even as black ichor poured from their mouths. Empowered, they struck with doubled ferocity.
The fight peaked.
Paladins fell, priests burned in azure fire, zombies surged unstoppably beneath Stacia’s buffs.
Alicia raised her staff once more, voice flat yet pressing. "Now we end this."
The lantern spun wildly, flame bursting free shaping a translucent blue dragon coiling in the sky.
"Spectral Devourer!"
GROOOOOOAAARRR!!!
The dragon dove, sweeping the courtyard, devouring dozens of soldiers. Their bodies dissolved in cold flame, screams fading into haze.
Stacia closed her tome, her gaze stern. "That temple... won’t stand by dawn."
Alicia slid down from the undead wolf, standing upon bloodied snow. The lantern dimmed again, leaving only a small flicker. She turned to Stacia. "It’s done. Now, let’s report to Sylvia."
The undead stood tall around them, victory clear. The once-proud temple lay half-ruined, its roof collapsed, its holy light extinguished.