"All of you, go into the building and barricade yourselves. We will remain here, facing the monsters and ensuring your safety, so there is no need to worry."
When those without Gifts heard those words, many were relieved, yet others looked at the building with worry in their eyes. Not only was it full of blood and corpses, but the continuous earthquakes had weakened its structure, and it might collapse if they kept happening.
"Are you questioning my command? Are you questioning God?"
Before any of the people could utter a word, Asmael's voice grew cold as he looked at those people with eerie eyes. Although they had valid concerns, that no longer mattered as rationality did not matter to faith.
With their heads down, they began to walk into the building, but there was one person who did not move, and that was Vlad, who soon became the center of attention.
Vlad could feel the pressure of all those eyes focused on him, but no matter what, he would not enter the building. It was not the earthquakes, much less the blood, that terrified him, but something else.
He had observed the behavior of the abyssal monsters and noticed a sharp tendency to march to the most populated areas. After seeing the nature of the angels, he did not doubt for even a second that they would escape if they found themselves overwhelmed, bringing only the Gifted and leaving the others as a distraction for the abyssal demons.
Jessica's eyes widened to see Vlad standing there, but a cold light appeared in her eyes as she was about to taint him as well. But before she could utter a word, a white Force burst from the young man's body, surprising everybody.
"I managed to kill one of the abyssal monsters when they invaded the building. I am also a warrior of God and would not be able to live with myself if I failed Him. Although I have no Gift, I am prepared to remain and fight as that is the will of God."
A sharp light appeared in Asmael's eyes as he stared at Vlad, seeing that the young man was not a sheep that would just lie down and follow his commands blindly. But as he saw how all the people glanced at him, he only smiled.
"I am glad to see another warrior present. Stay on the left flank with the rest of the warriors."
Vlad clasped his hands as he moved to the left flank, positioning himself immediately at the head. Although it was dangerous, his chances of survival were definitely greater here than inside the building.
He took out his army knife as he focused on the crack in the road. He would have liked one of the knives or swords of the angels, but it was clear that none would offer him one, and if he asked for it, he was sure they would find a way to twist a simple petition into a sin.
Asmael glanced at Vlad for a moment but soon turned his eyes toward the fissure in the earth. A new horde began to emerge, with larger and even more powerful abyssal beasts.
"Aim! Fire!"
Under the command of Asmael, all the Gifted aimed their rifles and began shooting beams of Holy Energy. None of those people had military training, so their aim was awful. Yet, the rifle itself seemed able to assist them with their precision. Not to mention that the horde was so densely packed that they killed several demons no matter the direction they were firing.
Although the rifles killed many of the demons, there were still dozens that reached the group, and it was now time for the angels to fight. Well, the angels and Vlad.
The Angels' strength and armor made it very easy for them to take the bulk of the demonic horde, and they did not even need to use their Force. Vlad, on the other hand, was not so strong, so he had to use it, or else he would be overwhelmed. Yet, unlike the angels, every time he took down one of the demons, Origin Force would emerge from their corpses and flood into his body, which he could use to increase his Force Water and replenish his energy pool.
A sharp light appeared in the eyes of the Angels and Gifted as they saw Vlad fighting. Although Vlad was much weaker than the angels, his martial arts and skills were greater than those of the so-called warriors of God.
Many of the Gifted were confused by those skills, especially those who knew Vlad, as the way he fought was something no average university student could do. Jessica's eyes also narrowed as she saw the man battle and a cold light appeared in her eyes as she kept firing her rifle.
Vlad kept fighting with all he had, ensuring that the demons could not surround him and that none could touch his backpack. His eyes narrowed as he dodged back, evading a claw from a rat demon before striking with his knife. The next second, he fired a kick to the left, sending another demon flying.