To prevent any intrusions, the Chaos cultists had made thorough preparations. They had completely sealed off the front gates of the temple and even stacked carts and crates behind it to reinforce the blockade. Under normal circumstances, there was no way anyone could break through.
Well, that's assuming the attacker was just a regular person.
BOOM!!!
The massive, heavy wooden doors burst apart under the force of a tremendous impact. Even the carts and crates stacked behind them went flying through the air, crashing down onto several unsuspecting, unlucky cultists. The sudden explosion caught the Chaos cultists completely off guard. They turned, alarmed, toward the entrance—only to see a hulking figure charging through the smoke like a furious bull.
"Haaaaaaahhh!!!"
Duanmu Huai swung his hammer down, instantly flattening the cultist in front of him. With a follow-up kick, that same cultist flew like a ragdoll, slammed into the wall, and slid down without another sound.
"Enemy attack!!"
The other Chaos cultists finally reacted, raising their weapons and charging at Duanmu Huai. But he didn't even glance their way—he simply swung his massive warhammer in a wide arc, sending them flying like bowling pins.
At the same time, Olgis and Lorena followed Duanmu Huai into the temple, engaging the remaining cultists in battle.
There was no need to elaborate on Olgis's abilities. Any cultist who dared block her path was shredded like a steak under a butcher's knife. As for Lorena, her combat performance was quite respectable. Before the battle began, Duanmu Huai had already told her that these Chaos cultists had fully succumbed to corruption—mind and soul completely twisted beyond redemption. The only way to deal with them was death. There was no need for mercy.
Lorena had taken that to heart. Though many of the cultists assumed she was an easy target and tried to harass her, they were all smacked to the ground in just a few hits—courtesy of the holy tome she wielded.
It's worth noting that Lorena's fighting style was rather unique. She fought at close range, not with her bare hands, but with that heavy, thick holy scripture. Honestly, Duanmu Huai thought it was a bit like a brick-fighting style. He had once asked her why she chose to use such an awkward weapon in combat. After all, it was heavy and cumbersome—wasn't it impractical?
Lorena's answer had been that the holy tome was not just a weapon, but a sacred relic capable of purifying evil souls. It could cleanse the filth from corrupted spirits and bring them peace.
Well, damn. An all-in-one combo: eliminate, purify, and send them to heaven. No wonder she's a priestess of the Holy Church...
Just like now, a low-ranking cultist charged at her, swinging a massive greataxe over his head for a fatal blow. But the moment he brought the axe down, Lorena shouted, stepped forward, and swung her scripture with full force. With a dull thud, the greataxe flew from his hands, and he staggered back. Before the dazed cultist could react, the small-framed girl darted up and punched him hard in the gut, knocking him to his knees.
When he looked up again, the last thing he saw was Lorena raising her tome above her head—before slamming it down on his skull.
THUMP!!
The cultist collapsed to the ground, body twitching, and went still. But even as that happened, another low-ranking cultist stationed on a high platform raised his bow, aiming for Lorena.
BANG!!!
Before his fingers could release the string, a gunshot rang out. His head exploded like a watermelon, blood spraying everywhere, and his headless body slumped backward and fell.
On a rooftop several hundred meters away, Melody pulled the bolt of her rifle and re-aimed at her next target, her finger squeezing the trigger again.
BANG!!!
The shot echoed over the battlefield.
"Didn't think they were this good," the Empire captain muttered under his breath after hearing the gunshot. By now, most of the cultists who had been guarding the back entrance of the temple were either dead or had fled. Only a handful remained in position.
Seeing this, a glint appeared in the captain's eyes.
"Should we wait a little lon—"
Before he could finish, a crossbow bolt suddenly shot out and pierced the throat of one of the remaining cultists. He opened his mouth to speak, but collapsed to the ground instead. From the shadows of the nearby ruins, the Witch Hunter and his warband leapt out and charged toward the temple. The Battle-Sisters followed close behind, gripping their warhammers tightly.
"Shit."
Clicking his tongue, the Empire captain drew his longsword.
"Alright, let's go too!!"
The rear entrance hadn't been fortified, and once they broke through the defense line, the other two warbands stormed into the temple and began clashing with the Chaos cultists.
The Battle-Sisters charged in headfirst, singing hymns to their god, their warhammers smashing into heretic skulls. The Witch Hunter and his team joined them shortly after. Since all the defenders were focused on Duanmu Huai's frontal assault, they never noticed the ambush from behind. The result was chaos—panic broke out among the cultists as they were forced to retreat.
"Go! Finish off those bastards!!"
The Empire captain shouted and charged toward a man wielding a staff with a twisted Chaos sigil.
His instincts were correct. The man in the black robe with the chaotic staff was a [Chaos Warlock], the leader of this cult. Defeating him would break their morale and possibly shatter their entire resistance.
At that moment, the Chaos Warlock was already being overwhelmed by attacks from both the Witch Hunters and the Battle-Sisters, protected only by two mutated warriors. The captain began to sneak closer from behind, hoping to land a fatal blow. If he could take down the leader himself, it would also mean a hefty reward.
Bang!
The two mutant guards were finally defeated, and the Warlock staggered backward. He didn't notice the Empire captain creeping up behind him. Seeing this, the captain grinned.
Now's my chance!!
Just as he raised his sword to decapitate the Warlock from behind—suddenly, a terrible scream erupted.
"—————————!!!"
The Chaos Warlock opened his mouth, unleashing a piercing screech. The captain felt a sharp stab in his skull, as if a dagger had pierced into his brain and twisted. The pain brought him to his knees. The Witch Hunters and Sisters also faltered, struggling to stand upright.
"Foolish mortals! You think you can stop the plans of a great god? Pathetic!!"
As he spoke, the Chaos Warlock raised both hands. Chaotic energy swirled around him.
"Prepare to die! Your souls will become playthings for the gods, utterly destroyed in eternal torment!"
The captain's face turned pale.
"W-wait, hold o—!!"
BOOM—————!!
Before he could finish, the sealed front gate exploded, and a massive black shadow flew through, slamming directly into the Warlock and launching him across the temple, crashing into the far wall.
Only then did everyone realize—the projectile was a [Chaos Spawn], a massive and terrifying creature. But that monstrous beast had been tossed through the gate like a sack of potatoes. As for the Chaos Warlock, he had been crushed against the wall, reduced to nothing but pulp. He wouldn't be making any more speeches.
Who did that?
Everyone instinctively turned toward the gate.
Through the smoke and dust came heavy, thudding footsteps. Duanmu Huai, clad in jet-black [Power Armor], walked in with his warhammer in hand. He blinked at the scene.
"…Is it over?"
And in truth, it was.
With the Chaos Warlock dead, the rest of the cultists lost their will to fight. They were wiped out within moments by Duanmu Huai and the others. A few tried to flee, but only made it as far as the temple doors—before Melody sniped them down from the rooftops.
After the battle, the Battle-Sisters, despite their wounds, immediately began praying and purifying the Sigmar statue inside the temple. Duanmu Huai watched quietly as they knelt beside the stone figures on either side of the altar. Moments later, a golden light enveloped the statues, purging the foul aura from the temple. The grotesque, mucous-like filth clinging to the statues evaporated.
As the Battle-Sisters focused on purification, the rest of the warriors began cleaning up and collecting loot. Duanmu Huai wasn't interested in that. He brought his team to the temple courtyard to rest.
Lorena immediately pulled out a handkerchief and began carefully wiping her holy scripture. Thanks to her unique combat style, there wasn't much blood on it. Her tome wasn't a regular book either—its cover was forged from steel, and the pages were made of copper… basically, a weapon.
Honestly, it was heavier than the warhammers the Battle-Sisters used.
Melody quietly tended to her rifle, her face calm. Beside her, Fia pouted. Although Melody's gunfire had attracted some Skaven scouts, that was all. For Fia, who craved violence and chaos, simply slicing up a few rat-men didn't satisfy her twisted urges.
Olgis sat obediently nearby, watching the surroundings. Duanmu Huai walked over and sat beside her.
"Alright, Olgis. Now we can talk."
"Master, I… I don't know what's wrong with me. Is this some kind of... malfunction?"
"Of course not. It's called emotion. Every living being has them."
He smiled.
"I know your heart is heavy right now. But that heaviness? It means you have feelings. You have a heart…"
"Even these... bad feelings?"
"Yes. Pain, sorrow, grief, rage—those are part of the human experience too. People feel joy, but they also feel pain. That's perfectly normal. As for Gavia…"
He hesitated, then pulled out a card.
"If you'd like, I can summon her. You could talk to her."
As a bearer of a [World Fragment], Duanmu Huai could use [Soul Cards] to summon Gavia. But he hadn't done it yet. After all, Gavia was even more mentally unstable than Fia—and her relationship with Olgis was... complicated.
Olgis stared at the card in silence, then shook her head.
"No, Master. I think… I'm not ready yet. I still don't understand the feelings she left behind. Maybe… when I finally do, I'll talk to her."
"Alright. Your choice."
Duanmu Huai smiled and put the card away. Just then, a Battle-Sister walked over to him and looked up.
"Steel warrior, we need your help."
(End of Chapter)