Chapter 16

Aile realized she was lying on the floor—and it was slowly ascending!?

"Ugh, I let my guard down just now..." She scrambled up, realizing she stood on a rising suspended ladder.

How could there be a ladder at the bottom of this deep pit? Had the Angelic Faith built it?

Aile glanced back—and right at the ladder's center, she saw—

"What is this??"

Meanwhile, on the ground—

Leon slashed through the pyre's stake in one stroke. Believers scattered in terror. Bound Ruri fell perfectly onto the giant Blade of Light, carried on it straight to Leon's side.

Naya hurriedly untied Ruri's ropes. "We're here to save you. I'm Naya. He's Leon."

"My name is Ruri Star-Chaser."

"You...? You dare reveal your Sorcerer surname?"

"One must not lie before the gods," Ruri replied flatly.

"You...? Do you believe Mercurial Deity is the true god?"

"My master and his father both believe. So must I. By the way—why save me?"

"Why save you?" Naya glanced at Leon, exchanging a silent look—this girl's reaction felt off...

"Rothschild offered you to the Angelic Faith! They're burning you alive!"

"I asked them to burn me."

"Do you really want to die that much?" Leon asked.

"Living is pain. Death is better," Ruri answered expressionlessly.

"..." Leon wordlessly picked up the archbishop's dropped torch.

"Leon? What are you doing?"

Naya watched as Leon brought the torch near Ruri—even before the flames touched her, Ruri flinched in pain.

Then Leon said words Ruri would never forget: "Being burned alive hurts ten thousand times more than this. Still want to die?"

Ruri fell silent, her eyes like a wounded kitten's.

"Alright. Time to rescue Aile."

No sooner had he spoken than the collapsed wall exploded! The archbishop soared upward—

What!? After that attack—he was still alive?

"Foolish enemies of the divine!" The archbishop appeared before believers as a six-winged angel! He raised the hardcover Bible—it had shielded him at the last second, now split in two. "This is faith's power! A shield against evil blades at the crucial moment! And—" he pointed to his wings—"this is Mercurial Deity's miracle!"

A miracle! A true angel! The believers' faith reignited!

"Rebuild the pyre! Burn the girl! Mercurial Deity ascends soon!"

"Ooooh!!" Front-row believers charged like a swarm! Leon leveled his sword—they froze, not daring to step closer.

"Don't touch her even with a finger!"

"Do not hinder Mercurial Deity's ascent to heaven!" The archbishop flapped his wings, lunging at Leon.

"All you babble about is flying, flying, flying—shut up! A god targeting a girl should crawl back to hell!" Leon met him head-on—in believers' eyes, black-clad Leon with dark hair clashed starkly against the angelic archbishop! Angel versus devil!

The archbishop covered his upper body with two wings, his lower with two more, and flew with the last pair. Leon's Holy Sword struck his wings like steel, sparking fiercely!

This guy... wasn't on the same level as the Twelve Angels of the Divine Court.

"Leon! The Holy Sword's duration is almost up!" Naya warned anxiously.

"Divine Punishment—!!" The archbishop spread all six wings! Countless feathers shot toward them like arrows.

Leon blocked—the feathers rained onto his sword like hail!

Could they defeat him in this limited time?

"Burn her!! Now—!!"

Front-row believers crept toward Naya and Ruri.

"You too... stay back!" Naya mimicked Leon, raising her staff—but her petite frame lacked intimidation... Ruri towered over her.

"Then—in Aio's name! Blade of Light!" Her staff instantly became a light sword.

Its sudden glow terrified them.

"Come closer if you want to die! The light kills on touch!"

Superstitious commoners mistook Aio's miracle for magic—they hesitated, no one daring to charge first.

"Are you throwing your lives away for me?" Ruri asked Naya.

"I support Leon's choices," Naya said. "I changed my surname to survive, but my family are Sorcerers too. If—you'd met Aio instead of Rothschild, your fate wouldn't be like this!"

Now Ruri met Leon. Would fate change?

The feather rain ceased. The archbishop folded his wings to guard himself—

Leon seized the moment!! His Holy Sword struck the archbishop—he spun, striking the same spot again! A third slash! All identical! Like a whirlwind, he struck four, five, six, seven times—breaking through!? The final blow! The archbishop split in half, crashing down—the floor shattered!

Giant Sword Technique: Whirlwind Slash.

The Holy Sword's duration ended exactly then.

"The angel lord... defeated...?" Believers stood stunned.

"Mer...cu...ri..." With his last breath, the archbishop stretched a hand toward the deep pit.

Something was rising!?

The suspended ladder neared the surface.

That thing slowly revealed its head—

To be continued.