"Multiple Frost Blades!"
In the northern part of the harbor town, Jonny extended her hand, and dense diamond-shaped ice blades swiftly formed in the air, darting toward the guards blocking her path like a swarm of locusts.
Amidst the agonizing cries, several guards who failed to evade were slain, but more shield-bearing soldiers were already closing in from behind.
Jonny gritted her teeth, drew her sword, and parried a guard's halberd. Seizing the moment, she surged forward, her blade slicing through the opponent's neck, releasing a spray of blood. Yet, at that very instant, another guard's long sword came slashing down.
The blade's gleam flashed before her eyes, but after nearly an hour of relentless battle, Jonny's strength and magic were nearly depleted; she had no energy left to fend off the incoming strike.
Just then, a fierce camel-like beast charged forward, toppling the guard to the ground. The white dove seated atop the beast quickly blew into her wooden flute.
The crows circling above the harbor town seemed to respond to a signal, frantically diving at the shield-bearing soldiers.
Their sharp claws and beaks scratched and pecked at the unarmored faces and necks, but these small birds, despite their efforts, struggled to inflict fatal wounds.
Taking advantage of this distraction, the two of them veered in another direction. The white dove's face grew increasingly pale, her hands weakly resting on the camel beast as it carried her forward.
Jonny glanced at her with deep concern, silently sighing.
"This time, it seems it's my turn to apologize to you, White Dove."
"Not only did we fail to rescue Karl, but we also fell into the Church's trap..."
Jonny conjured a fireball to temporarily repel the pursuing guards, already filled with regret.
She wasn't remorseful about her decision to rescue Lynn; she only regretted dragging White Dove into this mess.
A few days earlier, upon learning that the Church had captured a devil worshipper and planned to execute him after Monday, Jonny had conceived the idea of a jailbreak.
But relying on her strength alone was far too risky; success was unlikely. White Dove's telepathic magic was invaluable in this situation, capable of gathering intelligence, creating chaos, or distracting the enemy by controlling creatures.
With this in mind, Jonny had formulated the entire rescue plan. White Dove would first send crows carrying fire starters to ignite key locations like the granary, diverting the guards' attention and creating chaos, allowing Jonny to break into the prison and rescue the captive.
However, once the operation began, Jonny realized how gravely she had miscalculated. The town guards were well-prepared, responding with alarming swiftness.
They had walked straight into the Church's trap...
"No, I... I came willingly," White Dove, despite her body trembling with fear, gritted her teeth and spoke.
She was terrified of death but also understood that it was Lynn who had sacrificed himself to cover their escape from the castle, allowing them to survive.
So, upon hearing of Jonny's risky plan to rescue Lynn, White Dove had resolutely followed her.
The two young witches exchanged glances, each seeing the resolve in the other's eyes. Jonny tightened her grip on the sword, offering words of encouragement.
"Their assault is weakening. We might still have a slim chance of escape."
White Dove nodded, tears welling in her eyes, but she immediately brought the wooden flute to her lips and blew again.
The once blackened sky, dense with crows, had dwindled to just over a hundred birds after several waves of attacks. They could barely handle reconnaissance, let alone hinder the enemy.
Nearly all the direct combat pressure fell on Jonny.
As if responding to her prayers, the number of guards pursuing them gradually decreased, and the intensity of the attacks noticeably lessened. No one seemed eager to charge at them anymore.
Yet, Jonny's expression grew increasingly grim. Based on White Dove's reconnaissance, the soldiers had already encircled them, leaving only one path open.
If they deviated from this route, they would face a solid wall of shields and blades, which not even the most explosive fireball spell could breach.
Were they being toyed with, or was the enemy preparing to close in on them?
Jonny didn't know, but she understood that stopping meant death, while running might offer a sliver of hope, no matter how faint.
At least... at least she could try to get White Dove out.
Just as she was pondering, White Dove, who was perched on the camel beast beside her, suddenly began trembling violently, shouting in terror. "It's Antilochus, the Archbishop of the Nordland! He's here... right on our right!"
Jonny hesitated, turning to see a blinding white light rushing toward her.
It was the Second Circle Divine Spell—**Holy Light Strike**.
"Ice Curtain!" Jonny barely had time to raise her right hand and conjure an ice wall in front of her. The dazzling white light was already upon them!
The hastily cast First Circle defense spell shattered under the divine power in mere seconds. The massive impact sent Jonny and White Dove flying off the camel beast.
Jonny crashed heavily to the ground, pain searing through her chest as a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. But she ignored the pain, scrambling to her feet to shield White Dove, her eyes locked on the source of the incoming white light.
Steady footsteps approached, and from amidst the shattered ice and swirling dust, an elderly figure clad in a golden robe emerged, flanked by a group of priests.
Even just standing there, his presence exerted an indescribable pressure...
Jonny's pupils contracted. Although the man before her looked vastly different from before, his age didn't match, but from his identity, attire, and White Dove's warning, she instantly recognized him.
This was the Archbishop... Antilochus!
The memory of being hunted in Ul Town was still fresh in her mind. His power and terror were beyond words, far surpassing what a few witch apprentices like them could resist.
Even more despairing, on their left, several figures had also appeared. The one leading them was young, with a solemn expression; his attire suggested he was a priest of the Church.
In no time, both forces formed a ring around Jonny and White Dove, trapping them completely.
At this moment, the two of them were like caged birds, utterly cut off from any chance of escape.