Considering the two witches were about to be used as bait to lure a formidable enemy, the priests didn't immediately take action. Instead, they turned their gaze to the priest 'Danny' across from them, eagerly inquiring,
"Danny, where is Priest Aydan now?"
"What do you mean? Isn't Priest Aydan right here with you?" Priest 'Danny' took a baffled step forward, questioning.
"Allow me to explain. According to the Archbishop's speculation, the devil's follower just impersonated my appearance and is responsible for directing your every move…"
Aydan explained, about to continue when a withered arm suddenly blocked his path.
"Lord Archbishop?" Aydan paused, his confusion evident.
Without a word and without hesitation, Archbishop Anluke raised his staff.
Third-tier divine spell - [Holy Spirit's Light]
Dazzling points of light illuminated from the staff's tip, then transformed into a resonating shockwave, spreading in a semicircular shape towards the front, enveloping Jenny, Dove, 'Priest Danny,' and even the guards behind them.
The battered road cracked layer by layer under the erosion of the powerful energy wave. Both witches felt the swift approach of death.
A dozen types of magic flashed through Jenny's mind, but she couldn't think of any magic that could resist this terrifying tier-three divine spell.
It seemed that awaiting death had become their only choice.
Jenny saw the young priest to her left also raising his hand.
Then, a massive demon hand composed of endless flames burst out from the ground, forming a semicircular palm, like a shield wall that protected them.
This was the improved magic
- White Phosphorus: [Flame Demon's Hand]
Powerful divine spell clashed with magic, accompanied by a tremendous explosion. The shattered road directly exploded, and the scorching airstream overturned the surrounding vegetation.
Countless dust and rubble flew into the air. The burning "Hellfire" formed a solid firewall, forcibly separating the two witches, Archbishop Anluke, and the others.
"Don't just stand there, let's go."
Jenny hadn't yet recovered from this sudden turn of events when the young priest had already severed the throats of several guards by her side, grabbed their arms, blasted through the alley's wall, and raced off with the two of them.
"What on earth is going on? Who are you?" Jenny ran alongside Lynn, her mind filled with questions.
Why would a clergyman of the Holy See have witchcraft abilities, and why would he save them?
Suddenly, Jenny recalled the words of the priests from earlier.
Could it be shapeshifting magic?
"How come you've forgotten me in just a few days?" Lynn's face swiftly transformed back to its original appearance, teasingly remarking.
"Karl?." Dove's face immediately showed a mix of surprise and bewilderment, with a hint of innocence. "But when did you learn shapeshifting magic?"
Before Lynn could respond, Jenny eagerly inquired, "Wait, weren't you captured by the Holy See?"
"Coincidentally, up until tonight, I thought you were enduring the Holy See's torture," Lynn shrugged helplessly. They all seemed to have underestimated the powers their companion possessed.
"So... we were all deceived?" Jenny realized, remembering the incredible power displayed by Lynn's Flame Demon's Hand, which allowed him to survive alone amidst Archbishop Anluke's pursuit.
"Where have you been hiding all these days? Did you go to find Laut and the Ship Gang?" Lynn asked, slightly puzzled.
After entering the port town, his main objective, besides obtaining a ship for crossing the sea, was to gather information about the two witches. According to his understanding, if they hadn't been captured by the Holy See, they should have sought the other's help.
Jenny shook her head in frustration. The port town was heavily guarded, with Holy See priests stationed at every checkpoint. They had no way to sneak in, so for these days, they'd been catching jackdaws in the woods, using these inconspicuous birds to gather information.
As the three were explaining, behind them, dozens of sharp arrows were already speeding towards them.
Obviously, in just a few seconds, Archbishop Anluke had figured out how to break through that wall of fire.
Lynn turned to look, his Overload Mode processing each arrow's flight trajectory as data in his mind.
[Magic Missiles]
In his thoughts, thirty-six flying projectiles composed of pure magic hovered in the air. Then, they were fired with pinpoint precision, detonating each of the numerous arrows in mid-air.
Jenny and Dove, who were just preparing to cast defensive spells, stopped and looked at Lynn. They couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
"Where are we going now?" Jenny asked in rapid speech.
"We have a ship at the town's pier. If we can get there, we'll have a chance to escape," Lynn explained succinctly, glancing back once more as Archbishop Anluke and the others caught up.
From their appearance, the Archbishop looked almost like an elderly man about to be laid to rest, with grey hair and sunken eyes, but his movements were swifter than the other priests around him.
Previously, when he'd disguised himself as Aydan, Lynn had learned some information: the Holy See's senior clergy had received blessings from the gods, granting them physical attributes far beyond ordinary people. Directly confronting them was not a good idea.
He had originally planned to appear as Priest Danny, seeing if he could trick them further or set up a sneak attack, but to his surprise, the Archbishop immediately recognized him.
Was it because he lacked the divine radiance himself?
Lynn pondered silently. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks was increasing, and the port town's pier was already in the distance.
Just then, Dove suddenly grabbed his wrist tightly, her lips quivering, and with a shaky, teary voice, she screamed, "I see many soldiers in armour, too many of them, at least... at least thousands."
Through the eyes of the jackdaws, Dove's heart was already filled with fear, as countless armoured guards with massive shields approached them like a black tidal wave.
A shiver ran down Jenny's spine as well. She hadn't expected that aside from Archbishop Anluke, the port town concealed an elite guard of thousands.
However, in this perilous moment, Lynn couldn't help but smile.
"Perfect, after waiting for so long, they're finally making a move."
TL/n -
Jackdaws are two species of bird in the genus Coloeus closely related to, but generally smaller than, crows and ravens (Corvus). They have a blackish crown, wings, and tail, with the rest of their plumage paler. The word Coloeus is Neo-Latin, from the Ancient Greek for jackdaws. They come from Asia, Europe, Africa and Siberia.
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The Holy See also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and the Vatican City State.
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Clergy: This term encompasses all individuals ordained for religious duties, including priests, ministers, and pastors.
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You can read the auxiliary chapter for more information about the church.