Within the main hall of the Royal Church, a massive monolith bathed in the sunlight filtering through the stained glass of an angel mural on the ceiling. Surrounding the monolith stood several gigantic wooden crosses, casting long, imposing shadows.

  Pope Zen and Rizia walked slowly toward the structures, their footsteps echoing throughout the empty hall. As they drew closer, both of them stopped in their tracks. Pope Zen wore a smile of anticipation, as if he had been waiting for this very moment, while Rizia merely gazed upon the crosses with curiosity.

  "Finally, after years of preparation, it is finally complete," the Pope said, unable to hide his happiness.

  "Uhm, Pope Zen? Is this what I think it really is?" Rizia asked, confused yet curious.

  "Of course, my dear Rizia!" the Pope answered, spreading his arms wide. "This... is where your new role is going to shine through! I'm sure that our Lord is more than happy with your contribution later on!"

  "I... don't know if I can do this, Pope Zen," Rizia replied, hesitation plaguing her heart. "The way that three crosses have been put around the monolith makes me feel une—"

  "Rizia."

  The Pope's voice, calling her name so sharply, startled her for a moment. As the Pope dropped his arms to his sides, Rizia turned her gaze slightly toward him, only to feel a sense of dread as his expression turned dead serious.

  "Don't forget who is the one who took you in," the Pope stated, his gaze still fixed on the crosses. "You can doubt me if you want, but you can't doubt your own faith in God."

  Hearing the Pope's statement, Rizia gave only a profound answer of silence, which made the Pope draw his gentle smile back.

  "Good girl. Now, prepare yourself for your 'ceremony'," Pope Zen said as he walked toward the monolith, placing his hands against its surface. "We can't let our dear guests, especially the Child of Light, see you in that state."

  Back in the chaotic atmosphere on the other side of the church, another volley of dark spikes flew toward the guards and the blindfolded figures, paralyzing them where they stood.

  Taking the opportunity, Carol, Saria, Hana, and Arvain rushed down the corridor, leaving the immobilized figures behind. However, they were soon cut off by reinforcements who arrived to block their path forward. When they tried to retreat, they found their escape route blocked as well.

  Carol clicked her tongue in pure annoyance, feeling like a mouse that had walked straight into a trap.

  As the guards and blindfolded figures closed in with swords drawn, Carol, Arvain, Saria, and Hana huddled together, wands at the ready.

  "Is there no other way out of here, Mother?!" Arvain shouted, the intense tension gripping him.

  "Even if there were, do you think they’d just give up because we found a side door?!" Hana answered loudly.

  "W-what should we do now, C-carol?!" Saria asked panickedly.

  "Hmm, it seems I don't have a choice left," Carol stated. Her expression hardened as she pointed her wand at the wall beside them.

  "What are you—"

  Before Arvain could finish his sentence, Carol channeled her Ender into the tip of her wand and released a blast of wind energy that exploded against the wall. A heavy cloud of dust and debris filled the corridor.

  Arvain coughed, squinting through the haze with a look of frustration. "Can you just give us a warning before you go exploding things..?"

  "Forget about that, let's go!" Hana exclaimed, grabbing Arvain’s arm to guide him. The four of them scrambled through the hole Carol had created. Despite the smoke, the guards and blindfolded figures were quick to follow.

  Noticing them closing in, Saria skidded to a halt. She spun around, morphing her wand into her signature light bow. She loosed an arrow of pure light, which dissolved upon impact, temporarily blinding the pursuing guards.

  Saria quickly resumed her pace, following Carol, Hana, and Arvain deeper into the church.

  Meanwhile, outside the Royal Church, Sarah stopped in front of the massive doors, noticing heavy smoke leaking from within.

  "They finally made their move, huh," Sarah mumbled to herself, her gaze fixed on the rising plumes.

  "Executioner, it seems that Pope has reached the final stage," a voice echoed within her mind. At that moment, a small, dark bird landed on her shoulder.

  "Is that so?" Sarah fell into her own thoughts, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she snorted in disappointment. "That old man... even in this timeline, he’s nothing but trouble."

  Having reached a quieter, less crowded corridor, Hana knelt down with her hands on her knees, panting heavily. The strain of the run had already drained half of her energy.

  "This old age... I can't believe it's straining me this much..." Hana stated, sweat pouring from her forehead.

  Unfortunately, before they could even catch their breath, the sound of countless footsteps echoed from behind, closing in fast.

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  Arvain let out a deep sigh of lingering disappointment. "Just how many guards are in this place? It feels endless!"

  "Looks like... running and paralyzing them isn't enough..." Hana said, her voice unsteady from fatigue. Despite the strain, she lifted her head to look at Carol and Saria, who both wore worried expressions. "Saria, Carol. I want you two to go on and punch that crazy Pope for me."

  "Huh..?" Hana's sudden request left Saria confused. "You mean... you want us to go without you..?"

  Hana offered a genuine, gentle smile in response. "Someone... has to hold back the guards. You’ve seen how clingy and annoying they are when it comes to following orders, haven't you?"

  Saria couldn't find the words to counter her. she gripped her bow and her free hand tightly, her expression darkening with utter frustration.

  As Hana slowly regained her strength, she stood up and patted Saria’s head with a warm, gentle touch. "Don't worry. It's not like we're going to die or anything," she said, reassuring her. "With you two together, I’m sure the Pope won’t see the outcome coming. After all, a surprise element, an anomaly, isn't in his records."

  Carol’s eyes widened slightly as she felt Hana’s gaze lock onto hers for a moment. Realizing the weight of the trust being placed in her, Carol let out a sigh.

  "If... if it's for the best, then..." Saria slowly began to walk away as Hana pulled her hand back. Their gazes locked; one full of nervous resolve, the other were the worried gaze of a parent, pained yet grateful to see how much she had grown.

  "...We're going on ahead. Take care, Miss Hana, Arvain!" Saria exclaimed, turning to run alongside Carol in search of the Pope.

  Arvain watched them go, snorting in amusement. "Orphanage or not, you really love her, don't you?"

  Hana chuckled at Arvain’s words. "That applies to you as well, dear. Though, it makes me happy to see you’ve grown into such a fine man, just like your father."

  "I bet he’s happy for both of us up in heaven, right, Mother?" Arvain asked in anticipation. He swung his wand, the tip glowing with a bright, vibrant yellow light.

  "Yeah. I hope so, dear," Hana answered, raising her hand. A silver ring on her finger flickered with a faint, white light.

  Arriving in front of the majestic doors, Saria and Carol stared intensely at the wood with very different reactions. Carol hardened her expression in silent fury, while Saria felt anxiety kick in—the fear of the person she had to confront.

  However, before Carol could try to assure her, Saria clenched her hands in frustration, forcing herself to move despite the anxiety. Noticing this small reaction, Carol gave a quiet, proud snort.

  With that, they looked at each other and nodded in unison, pushing the doors open together.

  Yet, their resolve turned to horror as they couldn't believe their eyes.

  "Ah, you finally arrived, Child of Light," Pope Zen said, smiling toward them with his arms widely opened as if welcoming their presence. Behind him, a few figures had been pinned to crosses, including Rizia. Blood flowed down the wood, leaking from their hands and legs where they had been nailed. The blood pooled around the monolith, which began to glow as it was tainted by the red liquid.

  "It hurts, Pope Zen... it hurts..." Rizia said, using her remaining energy to speak.

  "You don't need to waste your energy, Rizia," the Pope stated. "The pain is what makes our Lord feel pleased, you know? Suffering is inevitable if you want to reach enlightenment."

  "What kind of bullcrap... is this..?" Carol clenched her hands tightly, her fury escalating further. "To think you misused a certain faith... Is that project of yours really worth sacrificing someone's life, Pope Zen?!"

  Hearing Carol’s sudden shout, the Pope swung his hands down. His gentle smile disappeared as he became serious. "The project, you say?" The Pope snorted in disappointment. "Really, I thought that my beloved apprentice would shut her mouth if I spared her life."

  Saria, watching lives being endangered because of the Pope, trembled more and more. She wanted to back away, to run from this place. Yet, she forced herself to ask. "Why... why are you doing this..? I thought... I thought you promised me there would be no bloodshed!"

  "Oh, Saria. You really are a hopeless one," the Pope replied, looking down at Saria with a gaze of contempt.

  "Huh..?"

  "Every fault lies with you, Saria. The moment you tried to use your Holy Magic for the sake of your own goal, it was already convincing enough for me to execute this project," the Pope explained.

  "The moment I used my power for the sake of my goal..?" Saria widened her eyes in horror, realizing the meaning behind his statement. "You don't mean..!"

  "Indeed. You used your power to save the Child of the Underworld, the one whom you, the Child of Light, are destined to kill."

  "How..?"

  The Pope snorted in amusement. "All your progress, all your actions, have already been written in the monolith. And that prayer of yours is the reason you made me break that promise."

  When she heard the Pope's statement, Saria slowly let out tears, unable to hold back her guilt as she looked at her trembling hands. "N-no... I... I..!"

  Unable to hold her frustration any longer, Carol finally lashed out. "Just shut up already, you old man!!" She swung her wand, morphing it into her violet sword. She didn't stop there; she charged forward, trying to attack the Pope. As she got closer, she swung her sword swiftly, but a sudden light barrier blocked the attack from Carol, who widened her eyes in surprise.

  "You really are a nuisance, Child of the Underworld," the Pope said in disgust.

  "Same to you, old man!" Carol countered, still trying her best to push forward. "Your manipulation is really making me sick!"

  As soon as Carol finished her words, the monolith glowed, and a huge magic circle erupted beneath the crosses surrounding it.

  (Carol! Back down, now!!) Irene's voice echoed within her mind, a direct warning. Thanks to that, Carol managed to back away from the Pope, frustration lingering as she gritted her teeth.

  Watching as Carol retreated from him, the Pope chuckled in amusement. "Behold! The ultimate creation of Artificial Holiness! The moment where an Angel of Judgment shall be reborn in this world!"

  The moment his speech finished, the light beneath the magic circle radiated more powerfully with each second. Rizia screamed in the middle of the ceremony, unable to hold back the pain as the light consumed her body and the other figures beside her. The scream made Carol and Saria feel bewildered and terrified at the same time.

  In that moment, a huge pillar of light erupted, consuming everything including the crosses, Rizia, and the figures beside her. Afterward, the pillar slowly disappeared, revealing the silhouette of a giant figure wrapped in a cloak, with a giant, spiked yellow halo behind it. There was also a massive sword in its hands, a tool for direct destruction against sinners.

  "Now, I present to you the true 'sheep for our Lord'," the Pope bowed down in respect toward Carol and Saria. "Its name shall be Uriel, the Angel of Judgment."