The Missing Elders

When Benjamin arrived near the altar, the scene before him was nothing like what he had expected.

There was no Holy Light spraying across the sky, and the battle could not even be called particularly fierce. The Church's people stood in orderly ranks outside the altar. All the priests hovered in the air, crosses raised, murmuring incantations. A transparent membrane of light emerged, enveloping every member of The Church.

Opposite them stood roughly twenty priests in gray robes, lined up across the altar platform.

"Ignorant Tainted Light Cult, do you know how grave the sins you have committed are?" cried the oldest-looking priest, raising both hands.

Wolves, eagles, giant pythons... dozens of Magic Beasts crouched around the altar, strange symbols painted on their foreheads in blood. They appeared to have been controlled by Mind Arts. Their eyes were fixed on The Church's people, brimming with icy killing intent.

At the same time, streams of mental energy spread from the priests like endlessly growing vines, sweeping toward The Church's forces. Yet all of that mental energy was blocked outside by the light membrane summoned by the priests. From the outside, it looked as though nothing had happened at all.

The whole scene remained locked in a tense standoff; they had not begun fighting in earnest yet. Several corpses of attendants from other races lay beneath the altar. They were probably the first guards The Church had killed during its surprise attack.

"Evil believers of the Deep Sea Siren, today is the day you die." The bishop hovered before all the priests and refused to yield. "God has granted us a way to counter your evil arts. Do you see? Your evil arts are utterly useless against us!"

The elderly priest looked disdainful. "Hmph... Do you truly think the goddess's power amounts