[How... how in the Gods' names do you have that?!] Elias stammered, his spectral form trembling as he stared at the Rosary of the Weeping Saintess.
I wiped a trail of blood from my chin and gave him a dry, exhausted smile.
"I just found it on the side of the road," I lied smoothly.
Without wasting another second to let him recover from the shock, I wrapped the heavy silver chain tightly around my joined palms. I dropped to one knee, pressing my hands together as if in deep prayer, and fully opened my mana circuits to the artifact.
Whoosh—!
A massive, blinding wave of golden divinity poured out of my body. It exploded outward in a perfect ring, instantly washing over the entire clearing. The sheer purity of the holy light purified the lingering hostility in the air, making the ancient trees hum in resonance.
