The underground hall was eerily silent, save for the crackle of flames licking the air.
The children had stopped crying, their tear-streaked faces now staring in stunned confusion. Even Igula, for once, looked like he'd reverted to his younger self, wide-eyed and clueless, like the children around him. Only Harvey managed a hilariously awkward expression, hesitating between laughing or grimacing as he raised his bound hand to give Ash a shaky thumbs-up.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath, waiting to see if Ash's bold declaration would yield results.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Nothing happened.
Disappointment swept across the children's faces, and Igula let out a faint sigh.
But the black-robed cultists began to stir, muttering nervously among themselves.
"How can this be..."
"Have we been abandoned?"
"Why? Why is this happening, Four Pillars?! Are you punishing us?!"
Even the Eternal Everlasting, her expression usually as pristine as a porcelain doll's, furrowed her delicate brows. She looked as though someone had snatched away her favorite toy.
Yes, nothing happened.
And that was the problem.
The Four Pillars were known for their swift responses to sacrifices, a hallmark of their appeal. Unlike aloof gods who ignored prayers or demanded excessive rituals, the Four Pillars prided themselves on promptness. Their efficiency in accepting offerings had become the backbone of their faith, creating a seamless loop between sacrifices and divine blessings.
But now, for the first time, the connection seemed broken. It was as if a website had gone offline, and the cultists were facing the spiritual equivalent of a 404 error.
Facing a disconnect, who wouldn't panic?
Suddenly, a dull thud echoed from above.
The cultists, startled, looked up in hope.
Instead of divine intervention, a jagged crack appeared in the ceiling.
BOOM!
A loud explosion shattered the tranquility as a chunk of the ceiling collapsed!
Ash stared at the scene, his expression oddly familiar. Why does this feel like I've seen this before?
"Found you, Serlina Bright."
A tall, gray-haired elf descended gracefully from the dust and debris, landing in front of the sacrificial group. She wore a hooded red cloak, her long ponytail swaying dramatically as she brandished two rune-engraved pistols.
As she landed, the fiery rings surrounding Ash and the children extinguished instantly. The ground quaked, forming protective earthen walls around the children, shielding them from harm.
More red-cloaked figures followed her lead, their coordinated assault smashing through the remnants of the ceiling. Gunfire echoed as they unleashed a hail of bullets, indiscriminately cutting down the black-robed cultists.
The cultists, however, weren't amateurs. Drawing their own weapons, they retaliated with dark miracles, clashing violently with the red-cloaked invaders.
One of the rescuers, a young man, roared furiously as he caught sight of the Eternal Everlasting.
"You monster! Die, cult leader!"
"No, Kusuo, don't—!" the gray-haired elf shouted in alarm.
ZING!
Kusuo's electromagnetic bullet streaked toward the Eternal Everlasting.
But just as it was about to reach her, it collided with another stray bullet in midair. The resulting impact deflected the shot's trajectory...
CRACK!
Ash flinched as he heard a sickening sound behind him, like a watermelon being smashed. A warm spray hit his back, followed by the children's piercing screams.
He didn't dare turn around.
"Job... JOB?!" Kusuo's anguished voice broke through the chaos. "No! This can't be happening—"
"Kusuo, this is a battlefield!" the elf barked, her tone sharp and unyielding.
Her warning came too late. Distracted by grief, Kusuo left himself open. A black-robed cultist seized the opportunity, and his scream soon followed.
Through it all, the elf never turned her gaze away from the Eternal Everlasting. Her focus remained unbroken, her pistols trained squarely on the diminutive cult leader.
"Cleo Byrm."
Despite the chaos unfolding around her, the Eternal Everlasting seemed entirely unbothered. Reclining on her silver throne, she smiled at the elf with lazy amusement.
"The infamous 'Crysand' of the Redcaps. Ranked first on the Azura Regional Redcap List, and tenth on the Global Redcap Leaderboard. I must say, I'm honored you'd come to arrest little ol' me."
"You're not just little, you're vile." Cleo's tone was as cold as the steel in her hands. "First on the Sinners List, sixth on the Killers List, and eighth on the Harbingers of Disaster. In recent years, your handiwork has made murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and cult activity resurge across Azura. Your crimes are undeniable."
"Big Sister Cleo, I'm innocent," the Eternal Everlasting whimpered, her doe-like eyes filling with mock tears. "Look at me! I can't even walk without help. I'm just a puppet on display, forced to dance whenever the Four Pillars pull my strings. Cleo, can I trust you to free me from their control?"
Harvey and Igula exchanged incredulous glances.
"Is... is this some cult leader school script? They all say the same thing!" Harvey muttered.
Ash groaned. "I'm actually innocent! Just replace her name with mine, and it's all true!"
"So you're saying you've been a puppet for a shadowy mastermind?" Harvey asked, raising an eyebrow.
Unmoved by the Eternal Everlasting's plea, Cleo sneered. "Save it. Tonight will be your downfall, no matter what you say. The Book of Revelation doesn't lie."
The cult leader's crocodile tears vanished in an instant. "Blind faith is a dead end. The most foolish thing humans do is selfishly assume gods are selfless."
Cleo narrowed her eyes. "And you, of all people, think you're qualified to preach about gods?"
The Eternal Everlasting smirked. "I know gods love humanity... but they love themselves more."
Cleo fell silent, unwilling to waste further words.
The cult leader leaned back, smirking. "If you're so confident I'm guilty, why not come and take me yourself? Or are you waiting for a 'helpless little girl' to come down and surrender?"
"I'm waiting," Cleo said coldly. "Waiting for your followers to fall. Waiting for all external factors to vanish. Waiting until your so-called miracles have no one left to use. Then I'll personally end you."
Ash's ears perked up at the mention of Fate Miracles.
The term alone sent a thrill of curiosity through him, Igula, and Harvey.
Destiny, truth, prophecy—these were the most coveted yet elusive arts in the magical world. In Blood Moon, even the more accessible prophetic arts were seen as arcane, with no formal system of study. Destiny and truth? Those were dismissed as myths or even outright scams.
Yet here, in this underground hall, stood a living example of one such forbidden art.
"Before this operation, I spent every resource I had to consult the Book of Revelation. Its instructions were clear: Do not harm you," Cleo said, her voice tense. "Your miracle twists fate itself. Any attack against you becomes an accident, redirected back at the aggressor.
"When Kusuo tried to kill you, his bullet hit his brother instead. That moment of hesitation was all it took for your lackeys to kill him."
Cleo's expression hardened. "That's why my plan is simple: eliminate your followers, clear all variables, and then deal with you. Watching you walk toward inevitable doom must be nerve-wracking, isn't it? Or does that adorable face of yours hide a trembling heart?"
"An admirable strategy, Cleo Byrm. But you've misunderstood one thing."
The Eternal Everlasting's smile widened.
"What you call a miracle isn't fate, nor prophecy, nor magic."
"Then what is it?" Cleo demanded.
"It's my... 'instinct.'"
Before Cleo could retort, she fired her pistols upward.
With a thunderous crash, the ceiling gave way, unleashing torrents of water from a hidden underground river.
Ash barely had time to register what was happening before the flood swept him away. As the chaotic current tossed him around, he collided with something soft and small.
"You bumped into me," a soft voice whispered.
Ash gasped for air and looked down, realizing he was lying across the silver throne.
And on the lap of the drenched cult leader.
"You called yourself the Terminus Watcher, right?" she whispered.
Ash nodded hesitantly.
"I'm Eternal Everlasting. Nice to meet you, Terminus Watcher."
Ash blinked. "Uh... you can call me Watcher."
Her smile turned devilish. "Well then, Watcher—die for me, won't you?"
With that, she slammed her forehead into his.