At the same time.
Far outside the temple, Selia was surrounded by the five powerful executives.
Each circling her like wolves.
Each of them was a sixth-circle mage. And in front of them stood their leader, Ilya's twin brother, with glowing red eyes.
He smiled, cruel and proud.
“So, the famous High Priestess dares face us alone?” he asked.
Selia didn’t flinch. She raised one hand slowly. Golden threads of light formed a circle in the air behind her. Her sixth-circle divine magic fully awakened.
“I do not fear cowards,” she said softly. “And I do not lose to children playing with fire,” she continued.
The red-eyed man growled. “Kill her!”
They struck all at once.
Flames roared. Shadow beasts leapt out. Blades of ice, bolts of black lightning, and a storm of cursed wind shot towards her.
Selia glided backward. Not ran—glided, her feet barely touching the ground.
A golden shield bloomed in front of her like a flower and blocked every spell. Not a hair on her head moved.
She spun gently, raising both hands.
Ten golden doves made of divine magic shot out from her circle, each homing in on an executive.
The air whistled with heat and light.
Whoosh! Whoosh! BOOM! BOOM!
The first executive barely dodged, losing an arm.
Another was blown into the wall by a burst of divine pressure.
A third raised a barrier, but it cracked and shattered under the golden dove's strike.
Selia raised a finger.
“Lumen Bind,” she whispered.
Swoosh... Boom!
Golden chains rose from the floor like vines and wrapped around the fourth executive, crushing his arms and legs. He screamed before being silenced by a flash of divine light.
Only the red-eyed man stood firm, smiling wide.
He stepped forward and opened his red eyes fully. Time seemed to slow.
Selia’s aura flickered, as if warning her of danger.
"Tsk! Those damned red eyes," she sneered.
Meanwhile the man's red eyes shimmered with strange power—dispel magic, illusion break, and true vision. Selia's divine spells fizzled near him.
Her divine light grew dimmer.
He charged.
A heavy fist of red magic punched towards her chest.
BOOM!!
Selia twisted, robes fluttering like silk in the wind. The punch missed her by inches.
She touched his wrist—and a circle of white light exploded―BOOM... CRASH!!
Sending him flying into a broken statue.
He roared, blood dripping from his mouth.
“Kill her now!” he barked.
Three surviving executives rushed her.
One summoned a wall of black blades. Another froze the air itself, turning it into razors. The third summoned venomous shadow snakes.
Selia calmly drew a glowing white staff from thin air. She spun it once, and a blinding white cross of light shone above her.
“Miracle: The Garden of Priests,” she chanted.
The area changed.
Golden grass grew beneath her feet. Flowers bloomed in midair. The executives gasped. Every spell they cast melted. Their shadows burned away.
Selia walked forward.
She raised her staff—and a beam of pure divine magic shot out, cutting through the blade wall and exploding the ice mage in one hit.
The shadow summoner screamed, her snakes vanishing, as Selia summoned angelic spears that fell from the sky and pierced her.
Three down.
Only the red-eyed leader remained.
He rose, eyes glowing brighter than ever. His smile was even brighter.
He raised both hands and shouted, “Red Collapse!”
Reality itself seemed to crack. Gravity twisted. Red lightning surged from his eyes. The air around Selia collapsed inward, trying to crush her.
Selia knelt slightly under the pressure, whispering a quiet prayer.
“Divine Circle: Seventh Light!”
BOOM!!
Seven halos formed behind her in a spinning wheel. A wall of light burst out and blocked the collapse. Her robes were torn, her arms shaking—but her stance didn’t break.
She stood tall.
She looked over at an executive who twitched on the floor, barely still breathing, and flicked her fingers. A golden needle of light shot out and pierced his skull.
One left.
Selia turned again to face the red-eyed man, now panting, blood running down his eyes. They stared at each other for a while longer.
"You’re strong,” he growled.
Selia wiped blood from her lips.
"You lack experience," she answered.
Their final clash was fast and brutal.
He charged with red lightning fists. She dodged like a leaf in the wind and countered with pure light.
He shattered her shield, landing a devastating hit on her abdomen.
She stabbed him on the side with a blade of golden flame, causing a large gaping hole.
He grabbed her throat.
She smiled—and a burst of divine fire exploded from her body, hurling him across the room.
BOOM!!! BANG!
Both of them collapsed bleeding, gasping for air.
But only Selia managed to stand up, barely staying on her feet.
Her eyes burned gold as her staff returned to her hand. “Your life ends here,” she spoke.
She raised her staff one last time—and a pillar of light fell from above, swallowing the red-eyed man in holy fire.
When it faded, there was nothing left.
Selia frowned as she whispered, "Damnit. This is why I hate fighting those red-eyed freaks." (Author's note: Lmao, Selia's lore is growing deeper and deeper. I wonder what other secrets she has that even I, as the author don't know.)
...
Far away from the battlefield, in an empty alley.
Red light suddenly flickered from the ground as space twisted.
Bang!
The red-eyed man suddenly fell out of thin air, bloodied and heavily wounded.
But still he laughed, "Hahaha! Truly amazing! Who would have known the High Priestess was such a powerful foe? To take down five sixth circle executives including me on her own... truly amazing!!"
Ilyren marvelled at Selia's formidable battle prowess, he had heard from his twin sister, Ilyra, that Selia was a strong opponent. Far more powerful than all the other High Priests from the temple.
But as the battle junkie he was, he wanted to face her head on to confirm it.
Back in the battlefield where the fight had just taken place, Selia burned the corpses of the fallen executives with divine fire before finding a secluded place to heal her wounds.
Although she won the fight, it didn't come without cost. Most of the injuries she got from this fight were internal, so in a sense, she was in worse condition than Ilyren.
Not to mention she had used a variety of powerful spells consecutively, which put heavy pressure on her body.
"Haa... why won't these kids let this old woman retire already." Selia muttered as she sat cross-legged in a hidden abandoned stable, circulating her remaining mana to heal her wounds.
A long time had gone by since the beginning of her fight, so she knew that the High Inquisitor and the other executives had probably arrived at the temple by now.
"I hope Elaria can hold on long enough for help to arrive," she whispered.
...
Meanwhile at the temple, the High Inquisitor, Dark Priest, and Ilyra arrived with the 20 executives along with many members of the Ash Hands.
The gates of the temple burst open with a deafening crash.
BOOM!! CRASH!!
Golden statues trembled as red mist poured inside like blood through shattered glass.
Ilyra had been the one to blow the temple's gates open.
The High Inquisitor stepped in first, robed in black and violet, a wide smile on his face.
His purple hair flowed beneath his hood, and his green eyes glowed with cruel amusement.
Behind him, the Dark Priest floated slightly above the floor, his cold presence seeping into the very walls. Shadows clung to him like a second skin. His gaze was blank, emotionless—but deadly.
Ilyra walked behind them in silence, her red eyes watching the temple's inner sanctum.
The twenty executives marched forward, surrounding them along with the other members like fanatics in a holy war.
Their auras surged, magic glowing in their palms—each a powerful mage in their own right.
Other than the 20 executives, around 50 powerful third and fourth circle mages had come with them.
The Ash Hands had come to claim their prize.
The temple's elite holy knights stood opposite them.
Their expressions cold and unwavering.
They were not shocked, nor surprised.
Although there were only 30 of them, these were the temple's elite holy knights.
They were far from ordinary swordsmasters.
Although no one in this world could use both mana and sword aura. Holy knights were the closest to being able to use both.
As knights favoured by their god, unlike the priests or Saints, who had divine magic bestowed upon them. Holy knights received divine sword aura instead.
A powerful type of energy that was between divine magic and sword aura.
This was why the title of "Holy Knight" carried heavy weight within every empire.
The requirements for becoming a holy knight were strict and difficult, which is why holy knights could only be found in major cities like Lunareth.
Staring at the approaching enemies. One holy knight, a tall man with a stubble on his face stepped forward.
He was clad in the temple's silver armor made for elite holy knights.
Sid, third in command to the Moonspire of Luna's elite holy knights and one of the strongest holy knights under Paladin Draven's command.
"You wicked fiends dare plunge the city into chaos, then step into this holy place..." his voice was cold and unwavering.
They had received word from Elaria before the city fell into chaos.
The order was simple, "Search and capture all of the Ash Hands' spies within the temple and find out their plans."
This order had come 2 days before Prince Elric's arrival to the city.
During this time, around 34 spies were captured and interrogated. Their methods of interrogation were cruel and torturous.
Although Goddess Luna was a ray of light and hope in the night sky, the cruelty of this world left her no choice but to take drastic measures when necessary.
So, the holy knights were allowed to take drastic measures in order to secure the safety of the majority when necessary.
After extracting information from the spies and learning of the Ash Hands' plans.
The holy knights had been expecting these "uninvited guests."
Not far away, in the distance. A few dead bodies lay in a pool of their own blood.
The High Inquisitor looked over, a frown appearing on his face―these were the corpses of the spies they had planted inside the temple.
Their role was to trick the elite holy knights into splitting up and dispersing around the temple.
The Moonspire of Luna was a huge temple, with many entrances and exits. They had planned to enter through this gate and split up to suppress and draw the holy knights away.
But now... things were different. The holy knights had gathered in front of them.
Although the Ash Hands had a numbers advantage.
Within the temple's vicinity, where divine mana gathered due to Luna's blessing. The holy knights were invisible; they had a huge home ground advantage.
The High Inquisitor's gaze shifted to the executives as he ordered, "Fifteen of you will stay here and handle the holy knights along with everyone else."
"Yes!"
"No problem!"
"Mhm!"
All the executives agreed without protest.
Meanwhile, just outside the city.
A tall middle-aged man with silver hair and a heavy aura stood silently, staring at the bloody barrier blocking his path.
Behind him were hundreds of powerful elite holy knights. All powerful enough to wipe out an entire area of monsters.
Their leader, the middle-aged man with silver hair at the front was none other than Paladin commander Draven Miren.