The ruined landscape of the Varis Mountain Region had grown quiet. Fires smoldered in the distance, their smoke curling upward into the twilight sky. Ash drifted down like snow, blanketing the broken earth in a somber haze that blurred the line between life and ruin.
Gabriella knelt beside a fallen civilian, her fingers glowing faintly with healing light. She placed her hand gently on the motionless body, but the light did not take.
"I wish I could help them," she whispered, voice barely audible above the crackle of embers.
Garrik stood nearby, arms folded tightly across his chest, his brows furrowed. "Is something preventing you?"
"Garrik, don't be rude," Lumina said sharply, shooting him a sidelong glare.
"It's okay," Gabriella replied gently, offering a small shake of her head. She motioned to the lifeless form beside her. "I can heal people even if they're dead—but not like this. I can't recreate a body or replace limbs that have been completely destroyed. I'm sorry."
"You did your best," Garrik said after a pause, his tone softening. "I just hate seeing people die."
"You and I both," Gabriella murmured, eyes distant.
Suddenly, Sekino's posture snapped to attention. His hand hovered near the hilt of his blade.
"Someone's coming," he said sharply.
"Who?" Indra asked, stepping forward instinctively, both hands tightening on his blades.
"I don't know," Sekino replied, squinting into the ash-filled wind. "Their energy doesn't feel evil—but it's strong."
They all turned just as a streak of energy split the air and descended from the clouds. A figure landed gracefully before them, light glinting off polished armor. Her stance was composed, and the air around her hummed with disciplined strength.
"Good evening," the woman said, her voice calm but clear. "Are you the ones searching for the church?"
Gabriella took a step forward. "You're a Valkyrie, aren't you?"
"I am. You must be Madam Gabriella, correct?"
"I am," Gabriella confirmed, watching her closely.
"It's nice to finally meet you." The woman dipped her head respectfully. "My name is Crista, of the Valkyrie Knights. I was sent here to support the fight against the church." Her gaze shifted to Indra. "And you must be Lord Indra."
"Yes, ma'am," Indra replied with quiet respect.
Crista chuckled. "Please don't say that. You're going to make me feel old."
She turned, scanning the destroyed terrain with a thoughtful expression. Her smile faded.
"This place looks awful. Did the church do this?"
"No," Gabriella said. "It was Kayla and Layla."
Crista's expression darkened slightly. Her eyes flicked toward the edge of the ruined skyline. But before she could speak, Indra raised a hand and pointed off into the distance.
"But someone is here."
Gabriella's attention snapped to him. "What do you mean?"
"You see that building over there?" Indra said, gesturing. "I noticed it when I first left. Every structure in this area has taken damage… except that one."
Crista narrowed her eyes. "You've got a good eye. It doesn't look like a church, so maybe it's nothing."
"No," Lumina cut in, stepping forward. "The cult tends to hide out in ordinary buildings too—not just churches. That's where they place lower members."
"So should we check it out?" Crista asked, now fully serious.
"Let's do it," Indra said firmly, no hesitation in his voice.
At least his resolve isn't easily broken, Gabriella thought, her lips lifting in a quiet smile.
"Okay," Lumina said, turning toward her team. "Vira, Garrik, Kagiyama—stay here and evaluate the area. Sekino, you're with me."
"You got it," Vira replied with a confident nod.
"Wait, why can't I go?" Garrik protested, clearly bristling.
"I don't want you there if it gets bad," Lumina said, her voice lower. "We'll talk about it later. Just hang back. Please."
"Fine," Garrik muttered, arms tightening. The frustration on his face was clear, but he didn't argue further.
The team took off, wind howling past them as they streaked through the air toward the lone building standing untouched in the ruins. The structure was silent, still, and oddly pristine—too pristine.
As they neared, a solitary figure came into view—cloaked, motionless, standing as if waiting.
"You can forget about surprising them," Sekino muttered, his voice low and wary.
They landed in formation, dust kicking up beneath their feet as they faced the figure directly.
"Velari, Iodem, and Valkyries in one group," the man said with a smirk. "What a sight to see. Fortunately, your services are not required. You may leave now."
"That's definitely a demon," Gabriella whispered to Indra.
She then stepped forward, speaking aloud. "We're looking for someone. If you don't mind helping."
"I can't help you, Gabriella," the man replied coolly. "I'm sure you and Indra will be able to figure it out on your own."
Indra's brow furrowed, his grip tightening on his swords. "Who are you? And how do you know us?"
"My identity is irrelevant," the man said flatly. "Now I won't ask again. Please leave."
"So defensive," Crista said, arms crossed, eyes narrowing.
"Almost like you're hiding something," Sekino added.
"Look," Lumina said, stepping forward with authority. "We need to get inside. So what's it gonna be?"
"I have a better idea," the man replied, a slight shift in his cloak betraying movement.
Crista's eyes caught it instantly. In one seamless burst, she dashed forward and kicked him through the door, the force shattering half the wall in a violent burst of debris.
"What just happened?" Lumina asked, blinking.
"He reached for something," Crista replied, steadying her stance.
"Kagiyama, can you sense his energy?" Lumina asked quickly.
"No… I can't feel anything," he responded, eyes darting.
"I can't either," Indra added, voice tense.
"He's no low-level demon," Gabriella warned grimly. "Be on guard."
Indra's gaze sharpened. "I can see someone else."
A massive orange slash erupted from the broken building, cutting cleanly through the rubble and clearing the space.
The cloaked man stood once more—cloak torn, eyes seething with rage.
From deeper in the shadows of the broken building, another figure emerged.
"You let a Valkyrie injure you like that?" the older man asked, voice calm, but clearly laced with disappointment.
"It was a lucky shot!" the cloaked man snapped. "She won't get another!"
"Then handle it. I'll get the others," the older man said, stepping fully into view with a faint grin curling his lips.
"Good evening, children. My name is Torren, the upper priest of this church. I fear your presence defiles the holy ground of my lord, Killian. And the destruction of holy ground is… blasphemy at best. The price for negligence is death. But don't fear—your deaths will make way for a brighter future."
"A brighter future?" Indra asked, skeptical.
"Yes! A righteous future," Torren replied, eyes gleaming.
"What kind of brighter future involves death?" Gabriella asked, her voice level but cutting.
"One where The Zehirah are in their rightful place—as rulers over the lesser," Torren declared, clapping his hands together. "Those who disagree don't understand the vision. Therefore, they don't understand life. So what purpose does the living have if they don't understand the meaning of life?"
He raised his hands high.
"Calamity Void!"
The very air twisted, trembling violently as space itself bent around them. The ground cracked open. Rubble exploded upward in every direction as the terrain was warped.
"I'll show you a brighter future!" Torren roared.
The group was scattered. Crista and Lumina were thrown onto a separate platform, cut off from the others along with the cloaked man. Between them, Torren lifted his arms again, and with a guttural roar, a massive demon spirit materialized—its form snarling with hate and raw power.
The beast lunged.
Sekino reacted fast—his barrier rising just in time to absorb the crushing impact of the demon's first punch. It staggered backward, but only slightly.
Indra and Gabriella sprang into motion, dashing to flank the creature. But the terrain buckled beneath them. Indra's footing slipped—his balance gone in an instant.
Sekino caught him mid-fall, yanking him back just before a burst of flame scorched the earth beside them.
Gabriella's hands glowed as she conjured a star-shaped orb of energy. She hurled it at the demon, but before it could land—
Torren leapt, caught it mid-air, spun, and hurled it straight back toward Indra and Sekino like a spear of burning light.
"Sekino—move!" Indra shouted.
He shoved Sekino to the side and drew both blades in one motion. With a defiant cry, he slashed through the oncoming blast, splitting it apart in a burst of sparks and searing wind.
"I got him!" Indra called. "You handle the demon spirit!"
"Got it!" Gabriella called back.
The moment the words left her lips, her body ignited with celestial brilliance. A blinding wave of divine light exploded outward from her core, forcing the very air around her to recoil. Her feet rose gently from the cracked earth as if gravity itself had been dismissed by her ascension.
Her hair—once golden brown—shimmered like silver thread caught in moonlight, now glowing a pure, ethereal white. It floated weightlessly around her face, casting streaks of radiance through the air like trailing starlight.
Her armor, no longer simple or ceremonial, had transformed into a seamless blend of obsidian and luminous gold. Galactic patterns swirled across her torso—cosmic blues etched with constellations, as if the night sky itself had been woven into the fabric of her being. Across her chest, a glowing sigil pulsed: a brilliant star-circle crest that resonated with the rhythm of her heartbeat, each thrum echoing with divine purpose. Between each plated segment, light poured through like molten starlight trapped in motion. She seemed less like a person, more like a living embodiment of the heavens—a cosmic force given form.
Energy rippled from her body in slow, graceful waves, distorting the air with celestial heat. Cloth-like streams of translucent energy, laced with glowing stars and flowing symbols, coiled around her form like a divine cloak, fluttering in a wind that didn't exist.
Her eyes opened—and they were no longer human.
They blazed with stellar fire, twin galaxies staring down at the battlefield. Pure, unwavering. Holy.
She surged forward toward the beast, eyes locked, energy blazing.