The farther they went, the more high-ranking Angel corpses lay on the damp soil. Blood still streamed endlessly from those massive bodies pierced and sliced apart. Angel blood slowly evaporated, and golden motes rose from the corpse-strewn ground like fireflies over summer fields, one of the few sources of light in this gloomy environment besides the lamps on their Power Armor. Yet the Sisterhood had no time to admire the sight. The spilled Angel blood had turned the ground into scalding mud that reeked of rosemary. They trudged through mire up to their calves, using Explosive Rounds Guns, Chainsaw Swords, and explosives to clear away the mountain-like heaps of corpses. In the darkness, Temperantia, the Four Virtues Angel representing wind, stood in the center of the mire like a small mountain. Impact scars like meteor craters surrounded it. The Sisterhood had watched with their own eyes as it was pierced by the spear of light Catherine had transformed into, then plunged into the darkness.
Only when they drew close did they discover a dense scatter of Upper Angel corpses around Temperantia. Most bore slashing wounds, and its two enormous arms lay in separate locations. Aside from the blunt-force injuries inflicted by Madame Butterfly's fists, its body was covered in countless wounds from sharp weapons. The hurricane trails marked by their night-vision electronic eyes told them that Temperantia had survived for some time after falling. A brutally fierce battle had taken place here. Following their despairing intuition, the Sisterhood groped their way onward and eventually found her atop a mountain of Angel corpses. From afar, Catherine seemed to still be standing upon the heap, waving her sword as she fought, with False Angel bodies strewn at her feet.
The Sisterhood called her name and approached cautiously. Though they had long prepared