"O Holy Emperor."
"Please deliver us from suffering."
Led by Arch-Sister Brino Harwell, the choir of novice Battle Sisters knelt before the Emperor's statue, hands clasped in prayer, chanting the Sisterhood's hymns.
"From plague, deceit, temptation, and war, Great Emperor, save us."
The pure, clear voices of the girls praised the great affectionate father Emperor while also expressing sorrow for the heroic sacrifices of the fallen warriors.
"Please grant eternal rest to the fallen, and let them serve by Your side forever."
Moreover, the golden dome above the singing was tinged with a special iridescent glow and brilliance, appearing incredibly sacred.
Frey clasped her hands together, looking at the Sisters above with envious eyes, humming and softly singing along to the melody.
Kenmyo Isayama leaned against the wall, absorbing the rich religious atmosphere, quietly listening to the Battle Sisters' hymns, without making any inappropriate movements.
Besides them, there were many priests and Sisters of the Imperial Cult present, some of whom couldn't help but sob softly, moved by the tragic singing.
Leaving aside the corruption within the Imperial Cult, they had indeed done one good thing.
"Faith in the Emperor is the only sanctuary in the hearts of people living in this chaotic world."
Without the Emperor as a spiritual anchor, ninety-nine percent of the common people would fall into depravity, for this world was truly too desperate.
It was deeply ironic that it was precisely because the Emperor's subjects prayed to Him incessantly that He was, in turn, burdened and could no longer rise from the Golden Throne.
Kenmyo Isayama wouldn't be so clever as to declare this; there was no need. Let these suffering people have a place to vent; after all, the Empire had been rotten for tens of thousands of years.
As the chorus on the ground reached its crescendo, the entire hall was filled with swirling golden particles, permeating the air with a sacred aura.
Kenmyo Isayama's eyes widened, for he saw a large, sacred golden coffin, about five meters long and three meters wide, gradually appearing amidst the torrent of golden particles.
The coffin, crafted from the Empire's rarest and most luxurious sacred wood, had several golden threads outlining its form, and beautiful and sacred ribbons full of prayers wound around its lid.
Kenmyo Isayama thought a sarcophagus was slowly emerging from the ground, but it turned out to be a projection.
Moreover, this projection looked exactly like a physical object, not fake, and within it lay a serene-faced woman, wearing power armor so ancient its version number was indistinguishable. The power it contained astonished Kenmyo Isayama.
Such pure power made it hard to imagine how magnificent the power of this long-slumbering Living Saint must have been in her lifetime.
Arch-Sister Brino Harwell, kneeling beneath the Emperor's statue, slowly rose. Bathed in golden light, she seemed to glow, her golden pupils filled with tenderness, her beautiful face exuding approachability.
She didn't even need to speak; she possessed a holy "charm" that could make anyone who saw her instantly fall completely, maxing out their favorability.
And the pure white power armor, symbolizing her position as Arch-Sister, added immeasurable dignity and an oppressive presence to her.
If she held a chainsword, to Kenmyo Isayama, she would look like a saint leading people to rise in rebellion during wartime, and he even had a faint illusion, as if he was seeing a living "Joan of Arc" standing before him.
"Indeed, one can doubt the character of the Imperial Cult's high-ranking officials, but not their taste."
With this, who wouldn't be captivated?
"Xenos have murdered our brethren."
Arch-Sister Brino Harwell placed her hand on her chest, her sorrowful gaze sweeping over everyone present.
Including Kenmyo Isayama.
However, she didn't seem to fear this notorious butcher, but rather found his presence here very surprising.
Because Kenmyo Isayama's methods and style didn't suggest he would be leisurely here, watching a few Sisters pray.
If the criminals he had executed since arriving on the Shrine World were placed in this great hall, it might not even be large enough to hold them all.
Even with Kenmyo Isayama present here, outside in the plaza and in unseen dark corners, people were being continuously executed. Compared to the Eldar and xenos, Kenmyo Isayama seemed more like the one bringing death and destruction here.
Brino merely gave Kenmyo Isayama a prolonged look before shifting her gaze.
"It was they who, with their own bodies, paid the price of life, fulfilling a great mission on our behalf."
"These warriors are great; only souls as noble as theirs are worthy to return to the presence of our Great God-Emperor, to serve by His side forever."
"Now, under the gaze of the Living Saint, let us pray for these noble souls."
Arch-Sister Brino Harwell closed her eyes in prayer, and as soon as her words fell, a pure white ethereal figure, composed of an unknown power, slowly appeared above the sarcophagus.
The white ethereal figure spread its wings, holy wings over ten meters long, almost completely obscuring Kenmyo Isayama's field of vision.
And as the wings spread, a few feathers fell from its body.
These pure white feathers, shimmering with golden light, did not float randomly; most of them corresponded to the fallen warriors.
As soon as a feather landed on a body, it vanished like a bubble.
But Kenmyo Isayama saw with his own eyes that the half-body corpse in front of him, after the wing melted, visibly looked much better.
Damn it, truly cursed.
Kenmyo Isayama didn't know how a dead person's face could look "much better," but he inexplicably had that feeling.
And not only the dead, but also a handful of the Sisters and Ecclesiarchy priests present managed to receive a feather.
Kenmyo Isayama saw that they didn't resist and even seemed to anticipate it, indicating this wasn't the first time; these feathers also benefited the living.
The little girl next to him also seemed to anticipate it, praying with her eyes closed, occasionally peeking at the feathers above.
But these feathers, intentionally or unintentionally, seemed to avoid Kenmyo Isayama's position, especially when he finally saw a "discerning" feather about to reach him.
For some unknown reason, the feather suddenly trembled and changed its trajectory, seemingly heading directly for Frey, who was beside Kenmyo Isayama.
This annoyed him a bit.
Surely a Living Saint wouldn't be more sinister than Warp entities, right?
Just as it was about to land on the little Sister's head, Kenmyo Isayama directly snatched it, uttering a "mine now."
The feather felt as warm and comfortable as jade in his hand, melting into his body upon contact.
"You receive the 'Resurrection' (Aura) buff: Stamina recovery speed increased by 20%, lasting fifteen minutes."
"You receive the 'Courage' (Aura) buff: Psychic power recovery speed increased by 20%, lasting fifteen minutes."
Receiving two buffs in a row, Kenmyo Isayama truly hadn't expected it. This feather, which didn't look like much on the outside, was actually quite potent.
This was the final part of the ritual, the blessing.
A gift only a select few could receive; it truly required good luck to receive the Living Saint's blessing, and it was different for everyone.
After this stage, the blessing of these corpses would be complete, and they could be sent to the cemetery for burial.
Frey was sure this was the closest she had ever been to the Living Saint's blessing, but… but…
She could only watch helplessly as her opportunity was taken by the demonic man beside her, and she could only be angry but dared not speak.
"Heh heh."
Thinking of this, Frey's eyes became hollow, and she collapsed onto the ground in a duck-sitting posture.
"…"
Kenmyo Isayama glanced at the spineless little Sister. He wouldn't be able to come here once in hundreds or thousands of years. Frey still had a long life ahead of her, so what was wrong with him taking it just once?
"Hmm? Was that an illusion?"
Frey, lost in her sorrow, lowered her head. With a casual glance, she suddenly noticed that the corpse in front of her seemed to twitch its eyelids slightly.
"How could that be?"
But soon Frey realized it wasn't an illusion, because the corpse in front of her, which had been so peaceful, suddenly opened its eyes and met her gaze.
Frey could clearly see that its pupils were murky, dark green mixed with yellow. It let out a roar, and then, with extremely fast, twitching crawling movements, lunged towards her, seemingly wanting to bite off her slender neck.
This terrified the little Sister, turning her face pale. She was just a novice Sister who had only recently joined and had never seen such a scene. She could only sit there dumbfounded, so scared that she even closed her eyes.
"Pfft…"
Amidst the monster's roar, a sharp blade pierced its skull and plunged into the ground, pinning the creature firmly in place, unable to move.
"Hey, Frey."
"Is that also an effect of the Living Saint's blessing?"
The Inquisitor's words made Frey tremble and open her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, she found that the scene before her had suddenly changed. The sacred temple had become a demonic realm where demons danced wildly.
These corpses, once blessed by the Living Saint, had now come back to life in a different, terrifying form, showing no trace of their previous peaceful appearance.
The reanimated corpses were frantically attacking the living, the sounds of tearing flesh and screams intertwining into a chaotic mess.
And what she found most unbelievable was that Arch-Sister Brino Harwell's power armor had been pierced by a dark green, barbed, vine-like object, and she was being held aloft in the air.
Frey quickly realized it wasn't a vine, but a terrifying tongue, inexplicably adorned with bizarre spikes.