BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The servants' battle raged on, the once-proud city now a ruin of shattered towers and burning streets—everywhere marked by the scars of combat.
"Iron Staff—extend!"
Mira lunged forward, voice sharp and clear. Her Ruyi Iron Staff shot out, lengthening in a blur before slamming brutally into her opponent's stomach.
"Aaagh—!"
The enemy pawn shrieked, blood spraying from her lips as she crashed into a wall. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone, then—CRASH—she dropped to the ground, out cold.
Mira swept her staff back to its original size, chest heaving. But joy lit up her delicate face—pure, unfiltered pride.
Lord Tenra, I did it! Mira finally brought you victory too!
She glanced toward Iru and Neru, ready to help, but the chainsaw twins hardly needed her. Their fight was already ending.
"Hehehe… Pretty big sisters, it's time to take you apart!"
"Disassemble, disassemble! Disassemble, disassemble!"
Peering down at their defeated foes, the chainsaw lolis grinned with wicked glee. Under the terrified gazes of the enemy pawns, they swung their chainsaws down—only to stop them an inch from the girls' foreheads.
No blood. No gore. The two pawns simply rolled their eyes back and fainted dead away from terror.
"Three pawns of Lord Diodora—retired."
"Yeah!"
Grayfia's voice echoed through the dimensional space. Iru and Neru flashed toothy grins at Mira, flashing victory signs.
"Maru, Bilent, Shuria—you alright, nya?"
On a ruined rooftop, Ni and Li peered down at their three sisters, still catching their breath.
"Yeah, we're fine."
After a moment's rest, the trio stood. Battered and bruised, but triumphant smiles bloomed on their faces as they glanced at the fallen battle nuns sprawled in pools of blood.
They had won!
"Three pawns of Lord Diodora—retired."
The battle nuns' bodies dissolved into motes of light as Grayfia's voice rang out again.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
CLANG! CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The vast plaza was a battlefield of intersecting sword scars. Four shadows crossed and collided in midair, blades singing.
At last, the duel ended. Four girls landed, backs to each other in pairs.
"Hah… hah… Let's go. Time to rejoin the others."
"…Yeah."
Siris and Kalamaina, breathing hard, bodies striped with bloody sword wounds, didn't spare a thought for their injuries.
Sheathing their beloved swords, they strode away. Only after their figures vanished did the enemy knights' bodies erupt with crimson cuts, collapsing in defeat.
"Aaah—!"
CRASH!
Isabella took a brutal blow to the stomach from an enemy rook, her body rocketing through a building, reducing it to rubble.
She dragged herself from the wreckage, face ashen with pain—but her eyes, visible beneath her half-mask, blazed with stubborn resolve.
She was Lord Tenra's rook and servant. She would not fall here.
"Die!"
The enemy rook showed no mercy, lips curled in a cruel smile as she charged again, fist cocked.
If she took another hit, it was over—Isabella knew it. But there was no fear in her eyes.
"AHHHHH!"
At the last second, Isabella roared, pouring every last scrap of magic into a single, desperate elbow strike.
"Guh—!"
BOOM!
The enemy rook hit the ground like a meteor, carving a crater dozens of meters wide, out cold before she even stopped rolling.
Isabella collapsed herself, gasping for breath—but her smile was radiant.
Lord Tenra, Isabella has claimed victory for you!
With a thunderous crash, Sheila dropped from the sky, tossing another unconscious rook to the ground.
"Isabella, are you alright?"
Sheila helped her up, eyes full of concern.
"Yeah… I'm still standing…"
At the center of town—
"Hah… hah…"
Yubelluna, Tosca, and Minami stood pale and battered, wounds marring their bodies, exhaustion etched into every line.
But their opponents were in far worse shape.
Semilia and the two bishop girls lay sprawled on the ground, soaked in blood, utterly defeated.
"Two knights and two rooks of Lord Diodora—retired."
Grayfia's voice echoed, and Semilia managed a twisted, bitter smile from where she lay:
"We lost. Completely… utterly lost."
Not a single servant on the enemy side had fallen, while her own sisters had been wiped out. Even Semilia, prideful as she was, felt the sting of shame and failure. But—
Wasn't this the only ending possible?
She and her sisters had once been celebrated nuns and holy maidens. In talent and potential, they weren't inferior to their foes. But after Diodora captured them, every day was torment—he fed on their screams, twisted their suffering for his own sick pleasure. There was no time or energy left for training.
Worse still, their opponents fought with true bonds—loyalty, love, a willingness to give everything for their master's victory.
But what about us? All we ever felt for that devil was hatred.
Total defeat. That twisted demon would only torture them more now, but at least he'd been humiliated before all the Underworld. That brought a sliver of dark satisfaction.
"We really envy you… to follow such a master, to be that lord's servants."
"Go on—finish us off. Give your master the honor of victory…"
Semilia smiled, resignation in her eyes.
"Yes. Serving Lord Tenra is our greatest honor."
"Farewell, unfortunate holy maidens. I hope we won't be enemies again…"
Yubelluna stepped forward, pity softening her gaze as she raised her staff for the final blow.
But then—
"Useless trash! All of you—DIE!"
Without warning, Diodora appeared above them, his savage roar echoing through the dimensional space.
A colossal magic circle unfurled overhead. In a heartbeat, thousands of magic arrows rained down, aiming to obliterate victors and vanquished alike.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters? 🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world? ✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong