This is a very suspicious place. People gathering with church robes, only their color and design are a bit strange? Inverted? Either way, it's a robe, but at the same time, it's not.
"The Orb of Resurrection, did you bring it?"
"As agreed, here" [Valdrid].
"Splendid. Splendid. We will fulfill our promise to you. To resurrect your mother and sister"
"Fine..." (You bastard caused their deaths in the first place, but if it means seeing them again, so be it) [Valdrid]
The Orb of Resurrection? Did you know that bringing back death is taboo? Even Master Merlin, a witch with extensive knowledge of the soul, would warn me not to do something so stupid. She even emphasized the matter to Princess Siti and Teacher Tiara. According to her word, life and death, it's something only a goddess should do, we mortals shouldn't pretend to be one.
They begin to pray. It's the same pose they did in church, but this has its own eerie feeling. I feel like my head is getting heavier and heavier. Whatever they are doing, I don't like it at all. They keep chanting the word "O Saintess Maria, come and save us once more" several times.
(Wait a minute... Saintess Maria? As in the First Favorite Daughter of the Goddess? She's the one who, along with my ancestor Aru, Master Merlin, and Fairy Queen Titania, stopped the invasion of the Devil King!) [Diana]
I can't see what they're doing very well, so I gather up some more courage and start floating up to the ceiling, maintaining my spell at the same time.
The number of people here far exceeds my thoughts, and I recognize some of them, as I will greet them in the church whenever I feel like going there, but most importantly, there's someone lying there, in a beautifully designed coffin. Just like the favorite daughter of this era, she also has red hair, although Saintess Rumia has short hair compared to the one inside the coffin.
(There's no mistaking it, this is indeed Saintess Maria. Her beautiful long red hair, her pale complexion. It's the same as my dream back then.) [Diana]
From what I've heard, I'm sure they wanted to bring the saintess Maria back to life. Why?
(If only Saintess Rumia is here, I can ask the Goddess...) [Diana]
Just like last time when I asked the Goddess if Saintess Rumia could go to school or not, this time I can ask the Goddess what to do. Her first favorite daughter is currently undergoing a suspicious ritual.
"It's a pity that Pope Alexander is not here with us, otherwise he could witness with his own eyes the moment that will shape the history of the Church and the world, but alas, the time we're waiting for is now upon us".
The person puts the orb of resurrection into the chest of the saintess Maria. That orb, it's an evil orb. Not only is my instinct going crazy, as the word [DANGER] is flooding my mind several times, but I can also feel countless souls inside. The souls are screaming and crying as they want to go to the Goddess for their final resting place, and yet their right to do so has been denied as they're trapped inside that nasty orb.
They continue to pray relentlessly, and the orb begins to respond. They offer their blood, cutting their wrists, and the white colored dress of the Saintess Maria is now stained with their blood. The more blood that comes in contact with the orb, the more violent it becomes. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who can hear the soul screaming, or if they can hear it too, but pretend not to.
One by one, I can feel that the soul is trying to enter the beautifully preserved body of Saintess Maria. If I didn't know better, I would think that Our Lady is sleeping. For every soul that tried to enter the body of Saintess Maria, it was purified and ascended to it final resting place, at least that's the case for the first few souls, the others, not so lucky. I don't know what this person is trying to do, but I'm sure he has some knowledge of souls, not as extensive as Master Merlin, but knowledgeable enough to get these souls trapped inside the orb and keep pushing the orb to enter Saintess Maria's body.
"It looks like Saintess Maria doesn't want to come back to this world, it's a shame, but I have to put the orb into her heart. Please forgive me for my rudeness, O Saintess, but we are all waiting for you".
With a knife in his hand, he tried to cut open Saintess Maria's body, and my body, by reflex, began to react.
"Ice chandelier!" [Diana]
"What was that!?"
"Intruder!?"
"Where?"
"Upstairs, someone is here!"
"That mana! There's no mistake! It's the hero's little sister!"
"You again!" [Valdrid]
Since they're still a bit confused, I quickly knock out the guy who's trying to cut open Saintess Maria's body, and with my combined wind, earth, and poison magic
"Poison swamp!" [Diana]
A swamp terrain, inspired by Aru Village, flooded with reeds, while poison gas was directed at them at the same time. As for Fie, he protected me from any attempt to harm me.
(Now how can I escape with Saintess Maria corpse?) [Diana]