Sacrifice

However, although Monica was in a bizarre state, as if corrupted and eroded to the point of losing all reason, she did not explode and die.

On the contrary, her body swelled several times over, and countless black pollutants burrowed in and out of her skin; Theus felt as if he could hear unwilling roars echoing in his ears.

"Revenge..."

Countless pollutants gradually gathered from the sea, clustering onto Monica like leeches.

She had now transformed into a massive behemoth; originally, she had been petite even among the Banshees, but now, she stood in the cave like a giant.

The disappearance of the water pressure and the cessation of the Flesh Magic did not cause her to explode; instead, the erosion of the pollution had made her even stronger.

She knocked Nora away as if flicking aside an ant.

After Nora was sent flying, Monica's crimson eyes locked fiercely onto Theus, who was the closest to where Nora had been.

The next moment, she lunged forward.

Theus wanted to dodge, but the moment the thought crossed his mind, Monica's hideous face was already right before his eyes.

So fast!

She reached out with her twisted arm, and Theus could see the pollution on her hand, boiling with what looked like cheers, as it swept through the air in an arc toward him.

He couldn't dodge it.

Was he going to die? Again, so suddenly? Would he have to start all over again? Theus gritted his teeth.

Whoosh!

Bright red blood bloomed before his eyes, warm and reeking, splashing onto his face.

It was a familiar scene, yet this time, he was not pierced through.

Ash pressed her six arms against Monica's corrupted body, shielding Theus; a gruesome, gaping wound marred her abdomen, and fresh red blood gushed out, staining her silver-white snake tail.

"Quick, go...!!"

Ash squeezed the words through her teeth, her face turning even paler; the weakness brought on by her mana exhaustion made her vision blur—she was in terrible shape.

But after holding on for only a moment, she was swatted away by Monica and slammed heavily against the stone wall of the cave.

In the split second before she was thrown, she struggled to flick her tail, hooking it slightly to knock Theus aside.

Immediately after, the pollution-laden limb crashed down, and the spot where Theus had just been standing was smashed into a deep crater by Monica.

Debris flew through the air, and the cave was thick with dust.

Monica slowly stood up.

Theus struggled to lift his head; he shared a Symbiotic Pact with Ash, so he was currently in the same critically wounded state, and the pact was still continuously draining his life force.

Creatures that were too weak would be drained of their life force until they died.

Theus felt his life slipping away rapidly; perhaps he would be claimed by the Golden Throne before Monica could even kill him.

Monica spotted Theus, who was gasping his last breaths on the ground, and crawled toward him in a strange, twisted posture.

It's over.

A chill ran through Theus's heart.

Just at that moment—

Bang!!

A square object slammed into Monica's head, bouncing a few times on the ground.

It was a Holy Scripture, its eight corners reinforced with bronze caps, and the cover depicted a White Crow reduced to bones.

Monica turned around in a rage, her mouth splitting into a grin.

The next moment, the dust parted.

A small figure slowly emerged; her armor was caked in mud, and blood trickled down from her forehead, yet there was no fear in her eyes. Facing the mountain-like Monica, she swung the flail in her hand and charged forward.

"The Sanctuary, never falls!!"

"ROAR!!!"

Monica, now a monster, collided with Nora.

Wherever the two passed, it looked as if they had been struck by a giant hammer, shattering the stone walls into pieces.

Theus gasped for air; he could see that Monica was completely suppressing Nora, and Nora's defeat was only a matter of time.

And he wouldn't even last that long.

A wave of weakness surged in his chest; the Symbiotic Pact was frantically draining his life force.

The Banshees were pacing anxiously underwater, but they were helpless; they would die if they left the water, they had no strength to attack while maintaining the Flesh Magic, and they would still die if they dispelled it.

Nini looked at her kin beside her and gritted her teeth.

She was relatively strong; she might be able to hold on for a while without dying instantly if she left the sea. As long as she was fast enough, she could reach Monica before she died and trigger an explosion of Flesh Magic, dealing massive damage.

That was the final bloom of a Banshee.

When they were fleeing the pursuit of the Fishmen, this was how they had used self-detonation to fight against the Fishman soldiers and the Ghost Ship.

Nini closed her eyes, trembling slightly.

It was a pity that she had only just arrived at her homeland... but looking on the bright side, at least she would be able to die on the soil of her home.

"Stop!!!" Ash barked out a sharp command, and Nini turned to look.

Ash's voice was fast and urgent: "I am severely wounded, and Theus will be dragged down by the Symbiotic Pact. Even if you succeed, it will be useless, not to mention that Monica is constantly growing stronger; she is no longer someone you can handle."

"Then what should we do!?"

"I am going to dissolve the Symbiotic Pact," Ash said calmly.

Nini's pupils dilated instantly.

Theus endured the waves of darkness washing over his vision and struggled to lift his head.

He remembered Ash saying that if she voluntarily dissolved the pact, she would die on the spot, and all her remaining life force would be transferred to him.

Ash closed her eyes; she had already made up her mind.

"After I dissolve the pact, take him and the clansmen and leave by sea... run far away, find a new place, and live on!"

"But..." Nini's face was filled with anxiety.

"Don't you understand yet? Castel is not our homeland, and the Storm Ocean isn't either, but he is!" Ash pointed at Theus and growled.

"Wherever he is, that is the home of the Banshee! Theus, he is our Promised Land!"

"Follow him, and live on."

Ash glanced at the battle not far away; Nora was already struggling to hold on.

"I am sorry, warrior of another race. You have lived up to your valor, and I will stay here to accompany you," Ash called out to her.

Nora was not far from them and had been listening to their conversation; slowly, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Theus and the Banshees became increasingly complex.

Perhaps the hope of the Silent Temple lay with this lord...

Should she take the gamble?

She gritted her teeth, suddenly raised her head, and shouted aloud:

"No need, you don't have to flee, I can handle her!"

She violently swung the Flail in her hand, forcing Monica to stumble back a step. Looking at the monster before her, which was as massive as a small hill and still growing, she stood her ground, spread her arms slightly, and slowly began to levitate.

"The moment of death is when the Burier is at their strongest. Although there were some twists and turns, it has come to this step after all..."

She gritted her teeth and suddenly turned to look at Theus: "Theus, I want you to make a promise: Castel will accept the refugees from the Northern Territory!"

"In return, I will save Castel for you." She turned back to face Monica, blood gushing from between her teeth.

Her long white hair began to drift in the air without any wind.

Her pupils were stained with the color of blood.

"Let me bury you!"