Just as the Empire captain had said, this place truly was hell.
As they moved forward, the group was greeted by one horrifying scene after another. Twisted masses of flesh clung to the walls and ground. Corpses hung from ropes, others were locked in cages... the whole city resembled a grotesque execution ground. It was nauseating.
No one spoke. It felt as though even uttering a single extra word would draw in the foul, almost toxic air. Lorena had already clasped her hands in prayer, mumbling softly to herself. Beside her, Melody carried her rifle on her back, her expression a mix of disgust and wariness as she swept her gaze across the area. Though they had heard about this world's situation from Duanmu Huai, seeing it with their own eyes made them realize just how much darker and more twisted it truly was than they had ever imagined.
Only Fia, bringing up the rear, looked around with shining eyes, as if she were a rat who had stumbled into a rice jar — clearly thrilled, her head darting from side to side in excitement. For her, this place seemed to offer some sort of intense stimulation... and perhaps, in a way, it truly did.
Soon, the group arrived at their destination and met with members of the Sisters of Sigmar. Three Battle-Sisters were waiting, clad in nun-like robes, wielding warhammers and shields in both hands — they definitely looked like they could fight.
"If you hadn't shown up, we might've had to reconsider our entire operation."
Glancing at Duanmu Huai, the leading Battle-Sister turned toward the Empire captain and spoke.
"How's the situation at the temple?"
"Bad."
The sisters shook their heads.
"At first, the Skaven occupied the temple. They tried to construct a [Doom Bell] here and recreate the horrors of the Great Catastrophe."
At those words, everyone's expressions shifted. The [Doom Bell] appeared in the Skaven's origin myth — it rang thirteen times, bringing with it plague and comets. The bell was both a symbol of legend and one of the most powerful and terrifying weapons the Skaven possessed. The very thought of one being built inside a Temple of Sigmar — an act of such profound desecration — was almost unthinkable.
"But soon after, Chaos warriors attacked the temple and drove out the Skaven. Now, they intend to open a portal here and summon Chaos daemons…"
"...…"
Everyone's faces turned grim. Clearly, the temple was in dire peril. Whether the Skaven rang their cursed bell or the Chaos warriors succeeded in opening a portal, the result would be catastrophic. If the portal came to fruition, the legions of the Chaos Gods could rampage deep into the Empire's heartland. The consequences would be unimaginable.
After seizing the temple, the Chaos warriors sealed the front gates and posted heavy guards around the perimeter. There was no way three Battle-Sisters alone could break through such a defense.
But charging in head-on wasn't going to be easy either.
The Temple of Sigmar had high walls and sturdy gates — practically a fortress within the city. Worse still, it remained mostly intact. A frontal assault would be incredibly difficult. The only viable option was to flank it from behind, but the back was heavily fortified. According to the sisters, the Chaos warriors had even summoned a few daemons…
"Then leave it to me."
At that moment, Duanmu Huai stepped forward and spoke.
"You?"
The Battle-Sister eyed him with confusion.
"What's your plan?"
"My warband will launch a frontal assault to draw the attention of the Chaos followers. You'll slip in from the rear while they're distracted. Simple, right?"
"It is simple, but... are you sure you can handle it?"
She had no doubts about Duanmu Huai's own combat abilities — he certainly looked the part — but she was clearly skeptical about the girls accompanying him. Their outfits didn't exactly scream battle-hardened veterans.
"No problem. Leave it to us."
"Then let's go with that."
The Battle-Sister and the Empire captain had a quick discussion and ultimately agreed to follow Duanmu Huai's plan. Given the current situation, they really had no better alternatives. Despite its simplicity, it was likely the most viable option.
Assuming, of course, that they could successfully divert the enemy's attention.
Once the plan was confirmed, both sides split up. The Sisters led the other two warbands through a narrow alley to flank the temple, while Duanmu Huai prepared to strike from the front.
As he watched them disappear into the distance, Duanmu Huai's gaze sharpened slightly. He snapped his fingers. The air shimmered faintly, and a few invisible [Execution Puppets] silently followed after the group.
Though they were allies for now, Duanmu Huai never let his guard down around locals. For an [Inquisitor], whenever he descended onto a world, every single person — man, woman, child — was a potential target of judgment. Anyone could be a servant of Chaos, or a traitorous spy.
That included the Battle-Sisters. They could have long since pledged themselves to some Chaos god.
Even the Imperial Army might have members secretly colluding with heretics or daemonic forces.
Thus, Duanmu Huai always kept his reservations — especially now that he had [Execution Puppets]. He would gladly spend some [Psynergy] to summon a few of them to monitor these people and stay one step ahead.
"Alright."
Retracting his gaze, Duanmu Huai turned to the girls standing behind him.
"This will be your first battle in this world. Nervous?"
"A-a little bit, Sir Knight."
Lorena looked uneasy, but she clenched her fists.
"But I'll do my best."
"Don't worry. Most of the enemies here aren't strong enough to challenge you."
Honestly, just [Lorena's Iron Fist] alone could flatten most of the threats in this city. Even a high-level daemon wouldn't scare her.
"What should I do?"
Melody sounded much calmer — perhaps due to her military background, she adapted quickly to this kind of situation.
"Find a vantage point. When we charge, take out the Chaos cultists on the high platforms."
Duanmu Huai pointed toward the patrols of Chaos archers standing atop the temple's elevated terraces.
"Of course, be careful. As you've already heard, this city is crawling with complicated and dangerous factions. Something could sneak up behind you at any moment. So…"
He turned to Fia.
"Fia, I want you to take a few [Execution Puppets] and guard Melody. Don't let anything harm her."
"Eh?"
Fia clearly wasn't pleased with that order.
"Why can't I go up there and slaughter them myself, Master? I want to kill them all! Every last one!"
"There are still enemies to kill here. But if I find out you've abandoned your post, you won't be allowed out again."
Duanmu Huai had to admit — the [Execution Doll Slayer] had serious psychological issues. But as long as she obeyed orders, she could still be used as a very effective tool.
Luckily, Duanmu Huai wasn't one of the "purist" Inquisitors. If he were, Fia would've been destroyed a long time ago. In fact, most players could be considered part of the radical faction — something that would deeply influence the war's balance later on... though it was still a bit early to worry about that now.
After disciplining Fia, Duanmu Huai turned to Olgis.
"Olgis, you're coming with me… Olgis?"
But this time, the puppet girl didn't respond as usual. Instead, her eyes were distant, as if lost in thought. It wasn't until Duanmu Huai called her name again that she snapped back to reality.
"Ah… Master… I'm sorry. I... I don't know what came over me…"
"No, it's fine. It's only natural."
Of course Duanmu Huai knew what was troubling her. Back during the battle in the Holy City, Gavia had charged the Sister head-on in a final, desperate attempt to stop her, allowing Duanmu Huai to destroy the temple. But Gavia was caught in the massive explosion afterward and torn to pieces. In the end, Olgis only managed to recover half of her sister's head.
He remembered Olgis holding that half-skull in her arms, staring at it for a long time, her expression unreadable. Eventually, they gathered Gavia's remains and burned them together, then buried the ashes.
Though they hadn't spent much time together, Gavia really had been Olgis's younger sister. That the puppet girl would be upset was entirely understandable. In fact, Duanmu Huai wanted to see that emotion. Only beings with a heart and a soul could feel sorrow — and that meant Olgis had grown as a person during their time together. If she'd reacted as if nothing had happened, he would've started to question whether he'd handled her character development incorrectly.
"We'll talk more later. For now, focus on the battle. You'll be joining me in the frontal assault. Any objections?"
This time, Olgis shook her head without hesitation.
"None, Master."
"Good."
Satisfied with her answer, Duanmu Huai nodded, then gripped his warhammer.
"Then get ready — we move out!"
(End of Chapter)