As she watched the howling Storm of Light sweep past her, Charlotte felt nothing but relief.
If she had not noticed Hill and Edmund's movements in time, used the Conviction Donovan unleashed to break free, and quickly moved away from the bald man, she would probably have been caught in that storm too.
She could not be sure whether, when forced to make a choice, those two Purification-ers would wait until she was completely out of range or consider her a "necessary sacrifice" to stop the Cultist.
Fortunately, Edmund had indeed waited until she leaped into the air and moved away from the target before shouting "Dawn" in Feysac, leaving her no chance to test that question.
The hurricane of light vanished as quickly as it had come. Once the dust it stirred up gradually settled, the ground reappeared before the Purification-er squad, its entire surface carved down a layer as though countless blades had sliced it over and over. The bald man who had taken the attack head-on, however, was nowhere to be seen.
He was at least a Sequence 6 Beyonder. He could turn into flames to evade lead bullets and withstand Holy Light attacks. Could he really have died so easily...? Charlotte did not immediately lower her guard. Instead, she caught the Dagger of Judgment Donovan tossed over from the other side of the storm's attack range and quickly sheathed it to avoid further influence from the Sealed Artifact. Then she approached the Guardian Shield, which stood upright on the ground and seemed heavier than ever.
Neither Hill nor Edmund looked well. Though they did not appear to have suddenly aged several years, both were drenched in sweat, their expressions drained as they panted heavily.
Donovan retrieved the black cloth lying nearby and covered the entire shield.