Mission:033 Light

Mission:03-3 Light

In that instant, Mephisto turned into a streak of Eerie Light and attached himself to Ritsuka's shadow, hiding his form.

"This is a land of faith, a land of righteousness."

The magical energy around Giorgios was swelling violently, and with the Holy Sword in hand, she forced back the surrounding Demonic Rats with her Aura alone. She raised the shining Holy Sword high, and the phantom of a Giant Dragon appeared beneath her feet.

"From this day forth, no Evil Demon shall invade, no Evil Dragon shall disturb, and all who hold faith and righteousness shall be blessed—"

The Holy Sword reversed, and its glittering Sword Edge fell straight into the blood-soaked earth, slaying the phantom of the Evil Dragon. With that, Giorgios loudly declared the release of her Noble Phantasm:

"Come, under the witness of God!

"I swear upon the Cross of Blood—Ascalon!"

In an instant, the crimson soaked into the soil began to boil. It churned and spread across the ground, transforming, just as in legend, into a Cross of Blood that pierced through the fields.

At the center of the Cross of Blood, Giorgios stood with sword in hand. Pure white Holy Light overflowed from her sword and swept across the farmland swallowed by the pitch-black tide.

Nero looked back and saw rays of radiance rising from the paddy fields, pouring upward into the sky, making her skin prickle faintly.

The farmers fleeing the rat swarm could not help but stop as well, turning back to gaze at that pure Holy Light.

That light was as pure as white snow, as warm as flame. It was incomparably powerful, yet it destroyed nothing.

The light only grew denser and more dazzling, like a bulb luring moths, drawing endless Demonic Rats into it.

And then, they died on the spot.

In just a few moments, the Demonic Rats dissolved one after another within the sacred radiance and merged into the earth. As for the wheat fields that had been gnawed, devoured, and eaten clean, they seemed to reverse through time: the stalks stood up again and were once more heavy with golden ears of wheat.

Looking at this scene that could only be called a miracle, everyone in the town immediately realized: this was the grace of God. God had sent His messenger to drive away the demons for the people of Ratchvenge and free them from a future of famine.

Though many were still watching, the devout believers had already lowered their heads in silence, clasped their hands together, and begun praising their God in low voices.

And when the light dispersed, the knight holding the Holy Sword naturally became the object of their praise.

Nero looked around. She could still sense faint traces from the Demonic Rats, but their momentum was no longer as astonishing as before. Although Giorgios's Noble Phantasm release had not completely wiped out the rat swarm, it had at least destroyed ninety-nine percent of them. The ones left should no longer amount to anything.

Unless the enemy directing the rat swarm still had strength in reserve.

Nero quickly returned to the wheat field and regrouped with the two of them. The first thing she asked was, "You exposed your Noble Phantasm before even seeing the enemy's face. Is that really all right?"

Giorgios, who had already returned her sword to its sheath, answered calmly, "Laugh if you must—Master should know this as well. Under normal circumstances, my Noble Phantasm cannot display such great power at all."

"Huh, huh, huh?" Ritsuka was somewhat surprised, and also somewhat regretful. "It's clearly so amazing, but it's a one-time thing?"

"It requires certain conditions?" Nero guessed, based on the strange commonality between Holy Swords.

"Nero is correct."

Giorgios removed the entire sword from her waist and explained, "Ascalon is a Holy Sword, but its power is to protect its wielder from evil. Unless it is facing a demon or an evil dragon, it cannot display its strength as a Holy Sword.

"And as a swordswoman, the true name of my Noble Phantasm is 'I Swear upon the Cross of Blood.' If I wish to unleash its true full power, I need to slay demons and evil dragons, and let their blood flow across the earth."

After saying that, she fastened the sword back at her waist and looked at Nero. "So, thank you this time."

Nero nodded, recalling how Giorgios had asked her to leave, thinking about the reactions of the residents who had witnessed the Noble Phantasm, and remembering the restored wheat fields. She asked, "This Noble Phantasm will make people believe in your God more?"

"It can indeed do that."

After they had talked for a while, when faith was mentioned, Ritsuka suddenly remembered that someone was not here right now, so she turned her head and started searching. "Speaking of which, where's Demon Darling?"

Giorgios glared at Ritsuka's shadow with a cold gaze and said, "Stop pretending. I know you're fine."

Nero followed her gaze and saw a cloud of Black Mist suddenly rise from the shadow, turning into a human figure in a Tailcoat. "I am here, Master."

A strange ability. Why could this demon hide inside Ritsuka's shadow and avoid Giorgios's Noble Phantasm? The question left Nero somewhat puzzled.

Because Giorgios's Noble Phantasm was specifically used to oppose demons and evil dragons, the fact that Mephisto could remain within its range without a scratch seemed all the stranger.

"As long as you're all right." As Ritsuka spoke, she seemed to intend to skip over the topic.

Nero did not ask either. Giorgios, however, seemed to have seen something, and the look she gave Mephisto gained something hard to describe.

At this moment, the townspeople who had just watched Giorgios release her Noble Phantasm also gathered around. They warmly invited this Living Saint and her companions to sit in the town, and seemed to intend to have them meet the lord as well.

For them, this was exactly what they could have wished for.

And so, a large crowd escorted them through the streets and alleys in grand fashion, sending them into the lord's manor.

The lord of the small town, Baron Ratchvenge, who also served as the Town Mayor, had already heard what had happened and took the initiative to greet them at the estate. First, he thanked them—mainly Giorgios—for their help with an endless stream of polite phrases, then stated his own faith and invited everyone to go to the church together.

So Nero took the initiative to interrupt the lengthy speech the other party was leading and asked, "Yesterday evening, I encountered your daughter near the fields. Did she inform you?"

The lord froze for an instant, a trace of irritation flashing across his face, but he immediately understood. "I see. You must be the Devil May Cry she spoke of yesterday? I truly apologize. That child is always fond of spouting nonsense, so when she said there were demons appearing near the town, I paid it no mind. How negligent of me."

Hearing him say this, Nero immediately had an idea of the situation. The man before her truly loathed Beatrice's "strange ideas." As long as this lord remained in power, Beatrice would never be able to put the prototype of the Four-field Crop Rotation she had proposed into practice.

Then, as long as the Demon Pillar wanted to use her, it would have to get rid of this lord first.

Now that they knew this, was there still any need for them to make contact with Beatrice?

"Could you let us meet her?"

Nero turned her head and glanced from the corner of her eye at Ritsuka, who had asked the question, and immediately understood what she meant.

There was a need. Beatrice was the only clue they currently had that might point to the Demon Pillar—the enemy that had created the Singularity.

Ritsuka did not want to let it go so easily.