"Hmph, the Church, the Church again! Since you've set foot on my territory, leave something behind!"
Vlad the Impaler's face darkened. He slammed his spear into the ground, and the surging mana within him formed a crimson-black blood mist. The laws of the Execution King corroded the surroundings, making the air around them seem covered in razor-sharp spikes, ready to pierce everyone present at any moment.
Although this Shield of Heaven had successfully stopped the Ottoman Empire's expansion and defended Western Christian civilization,
his excessive slaughter had long been criticized by the Church's higher ranks. Even his brilliant achievements had been smeared, eventually becoming bloodstained atrocities.
With a cold snort, the dangerous sharpness did not merely target flesh from without. It also created the bizarre illusion that something was growing from within his organs. That vague sensation of being pierced seemed to grow clearer.
However, the intrusion from the outside world could not interfere with the spatial domain formed by the Longinus Spear.
Black and white remained distinct. Light and darkness remained opposed. The world remained divided.
"This is the Hall of God. This is the Gate of Heaven!"
Sensing Vlad the Impaler's hostility, Ritsubai Fei tightly gripped the Holy Spear in her hand. Her brows rose sharply as she solemnly chanted.
At once, a blazing white torrent of light shot into the sky. The night sky brightened like day, and a gate formed from gathered light slowly opened.
Tens of millions of humanoid figures of light emerged one after another. They had wings upon their backs, circular halos above their heads, and faces too indistinct to determine their gender—but they looked remarkably similar to the "angels" described in countless biblical tales.
Their total number... stretched beyond sight. Even a rough estimate gave everyone a rather imprecise answer—more than ten