Less raised his sword for a final strike, holy light blazing around his scarred body. Blood flowed from the numerous cuts, but his eyes still burned with fanatical conviction.
"If I must die... I will take one of you with me!" Less screamed hoarsely, spittle tinged with blood spraying from his torn lips.
[DIVINE SACRIFICE]
The holy aura around Less turned a blinding white. He began burning his own life for the last bit of strength. His cracked armor began to glow like metal heated to thousands of degrees. The skin around his wounds began to peel, seared by his own holy power.
He's reckless, I thought. A suicidal technique... but dangerous.
Nana and Clarissa felt the real threat of death. The air around them grew scorching hot, as if standing near a furnace. They glanced at each other—a wordless communication between two warriors who had fought side by side.
"Clarissa," Nana whispered, blood still flowing from her broken nose, creating a red streak across her face. "Shadow Bind combination. We only have one chance."
Clarissa nodded, though her breath was labored by broken ribs. Every breath felt like a knife stabbing into her lungs. "Understood. I'll catch him off guard."
Less shot forward at a speed unimaginable for someone so badly injured. The blood pouring from his body left a red trail on the ground. His sword left a trail of white light that scorched the air, burning even the grass around him to ash.
[HOLY ANNIHILATION STRIKE]
The strike was aimed straight for Nana's heart. Less's eyes blazed with holy hatred, determined to kill at least one demon before he died.
But Clarissa was prepared—she threw herself into the path of the strike, ignoring the pain stabbing through her chest.
SPLURT!
The holy sword pierced Clarissa's abdomen with a terrible, wet sound. Warm blood gushed out like a miniature fountain, soaking Less's face and onto his armor. Less's eyes widened—he had never imagined anyone would dare to sacrifice themselves like this.
"What the—?!" Less was shocked.
But this was a deliberate sacrifice. Clarissa felt the sword pierce her internal organs, ripping through her intestines and stomach. The pain was excruciating, but she gripped Less's arm with both hands.
"NOW!" Clarissa screamed, wrapping her arms tightly around Less's arm, locking her movements even though the sword was still embedded in her abdomen. Her blood flowed freely, soaking the ground beneath them.
Nana was already moving. Dark shadows crept from all directions like living tentacles, wrapping around Less's legs and body with suffocating force.
[SHADOW BIND: COMPLETE RESTRAINT]
"What—?!" Less tried to pull his sword away, but Clarissa held on tight despite her own blood flowing freely. Her face was pale as a corpse, but her eyes still glinted with murderous intent.
The shadows squeezed Less's body, her bones cracking softly. Less felt her breath choke, but she still struggled to free herself.
Nana leaped high into the air, her hands holding a sword, the aura of darkness and holy light swirling like a destructive tornado. The energies of the two opposing elements created a terrifying vortex, the air around her trembling violently.
[HOLY DARKNESS: JUDGMENT OF DUALITY]
"RAAAHHH!" Nana dove down with all her might, her sword aimed straight at Less's head.
Less saw death approaching. The image of Nana's sword reflected in his pupils, dilated with fear. In the last second, with the last of her strength, she unleashed all her holy energy in a suicidal explosion.
[DIVINE EXPLOSION]
BOOOOOOM!
A blinding white light exploded in an instant. Clarissa was thrown back, her body charred. Nana was thrown, but her sword had already lodged itself deeply in the center of Less's head just before the explosion.
When the light faded and the dust settled, Less still stood in a strange position. His eyes stared blankly ahead, his mouth agape. But something terrible had happened to his body.
A thin line of blood appeared from the center of his forehead, running down his nose, mouth, neck, chest, and finally to his groin. Less stared down, his eyes wide with fear.
"God... have I... failed?" he whispered hoarsely, tears mixed with blood streaming from his eyes.
"Light... why have you... forsaken me..."
SPLURT!
Less's body split into two perfect halves like fruit cut by a sharp knife. Blood gushed out like a red geyser, his internal organs—heart, lungs, liver, kidneys—falling to the ground with a disgusting, wet sound. Long intestines fell like bloody ropes, while his spine split cleanly down the middle.
THUD! THUD!
The two halves fell to the left and right with a dull thud. Fresh blood flowed freely, mixing with other bodily fluids—green bile, yellow gastric juices, and other fluids that formed a disgusting puddle on the ground already covered in ash and rubble.
Less's still-open eyes stared blankly at the night sky. The holy light in his eyes slowly faded like a snuffed candle, until it became completely dark—empty and lifeless.
Nana fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her entire body trembled with exhaustion and pain. Her sword was stuck in the ground beside her, supporting her from collapsing completely. Blood from her broken nose still flowed, creating a red stain on the ground.
Clarissa lay motionless a few meters from Less's corpse. Her body was covered in severe burns—her skin blackened and peeling in places. The stab wound in her abdomen still oozed thick, almost black blood. Her breathing was shallow and intermittent, but she was still alive.
"Clarissa!" Nana crawled over to her with difficulty, ignoring the pain wracking her body. Every movement felt like torture.
"I... am fine..." Clarissa coughed violently, fresh blood spurting from her mouth. "I just... need to rest... for a while."
I rose from the bone chair and walked slowly over to Less's severed corpse. Blood still slowly flowed from the perfect cut, forming a small red river between the two halves.
Pathetic fanaticism, I thought as I stared at the corpse. He died begging God who never answered him. At least he is useful as a touchstone for my troops.
"A satisfying fight," I murmured, stepping into a puddle of blood. "Clarissa, your sacrifice demonstrates true loyalty. And Nana,your coordination is impeccable. You two are progressing faster than I imagined."
I reached out, a dark aura flowing from my palm like a black mist.
[DARK HEALING]
Dark energy enveloped Nana and Clarissa's bodies. Their wounds began to slowly close, though not completely. Clarissa's burns lessened, her peeling skin regenerating. Her broken ribs reattached with a small, horrifying crack.
However, the sword scar on Clarissa's abdomen remained visible—a deep, vertical line, though now closed. A permanent mark of her sacrifice.
Good, I thought. The scar will remind her of the price of loyalty. And remind others that I value sacrifice.
At least they won't die from blood loss.
"Thank you, My Lord," Nana bowed laboriously, though the movement was clearly painful.
Clarissa nodded weakly, still too weak to speak. Her breathing was returning to normal, though still labored.
I glanced toward the other battle. Loud booms and flashes of light continued to echo from all directions. But what caught my attention the most was Zereth's battle.
CLANG! CLANG! BOOM!
Zereth was fighting Paladin Gregorius—the leader of this group of Paladins. Both warriors moved at a speed barely a human eye could follow.
Gregorius was tall and muscular, his armor thicker and more luxurious than Less's. His greatsword radiated a far more powerful holy aura. Each swing sent waves of light ripping through the ground.
Zereth, wielding his dark sword, moved like a shadow of death. The dark aura emanating from his body clashed with Gregorius's holy light, creating small explosions in the air.
This will be interesting, I thought as I approached. Gregorius was far stronger than Less. But Zereth... he had something different today.
In the fight, I could sense something changing about Zereth. His dark aura was denser, more controlled. It was as if the previous battles had awakened something dormant within him.
I stepped closer, leaving Nana and Clarissa, who were still recovering. The battle between Zereth and Gregorius would determine the true strength of the church's elite forces.
And I wanted to see it up close.