The longsword fell, and the statue split between its brows. Cracks rapidly spread across its entire body, sending tiny stone fragments showering down.
Faith power spilled from the cracks, surging along every contour of the stone statue.
A thick pillar of golden light rose from the ground, pierced the dome, tore through the clouds, and shot into the depths of the sky.
Heaven and earth changed color. The light soaring skyward could be seen for a hundred miles around.
Within the City of Holy Blood, countless frenzied civilians slowly returned to normal. Seeing the hellish scene around them, a few collapsed in terror, while most ran for their lives, desperate to escape.
The magic puppets did not attack the fleeing civilians. Instead, they stopped where they stood and awaited their next instructions.
As faith power spread, a thirty-thousand-meter-tall figure coalesced upon the earth.
Hundreds of kilometers away, countless civilians saw that towering figure and prostrated themselves, silently reciting the Scripture of Holy Blood.
Velin looked up at the phantom, but made no further move with his sword.
In an instant, a mighty will descended.
The phantom that had been taking shape began fading again. Tens of thousands of faceless statues throughout the Holy Blood Papal State shattered, and the faith power branded with blood-red marks was annihilated outright.
"Roar!"
With an enraged roar, the phantom dispersed.
From its formation to its annihilation, the entire process lasted only a few dozen seconds.
The instant the phantom was destroyed, an immeasurable world bounty appeared deep within Velin's soul.
The markings on the World Disk emerged. Of its three hundred and sixty marks, one hundred and thirty-seven had already been illuminated, representing his contribution to the world.
One mark after another filled with radiance. Only after the one hundred and fifty-third mark lit