A Bloody Feast

"Evil undead, in the name of the gods, I command you to retreat immediately!!"

A pure white light pierced the darkness, illuminating the earth before him. The priest held aloft the emblem of the God of Justice, glaring angrily at the horde of evil undead creatures. Behind him, a beautiful protective shield formed, enveloping those who had survived. They clung tightly to each other, staring in terror at the menacing monsters outside the shield. Just moments before, their loved ones and friends had perished at the hands of these evil creatures. Their blood still flowed on the ground, their corpses still staring wide-eyed in defiance. These people were fortunate; if they hadn't been so close to the priest preaching the doctrines of God, they too would likely have met the same fate.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Having once again driven away these evil undead creatures, the priest himself felt a wave of fatigue. Although light and holy power of justice continued to flow from the holy emblem in his hand, human strength has its limits. Glancing at the two paladins beside him, the priest sighed helplessly deep within his heart. He hadn't expected a routine doctrinal instruction to turn out like this—so many undead creatures. Where did they come from? Moreover, they didn't seem like the wandering ghosts he had encountered before; they were more organized and disciplined, which made the priest somewhat worried. He didn't know what the undead creatures' purpose was. Judging from the current state of the streets, the entire city was probably plunged into panic and the threat of death. Currently, only the Church of the God of Justice remained relatively intact. These undead seemed to understand the threat that the Church's powerful and holy force posed to them; therefore, the Church was clearly still unharmed.

These people must be brought into the church immediately.

Glancing again at the distance between himself and the church, the priest took a deep breath and calmed himself. When the Ghoul attacked, he was standing not far from the church, and these undead creatures seemed to understand his connection to the church, thus severing all ties from the start. Now, to lead this group into the church's territory, the priest had to overcome the corpses in the street and the siege of hundreds of undead, but he no longer possessed the strength for that. He had used his holy power far too many times to save as many people as possible, and now his body was already strained.

However, this can't go on forever. Sooner or later, the protective shield will lose its effectiveness, and by then... it will be too late.

I know you are tired and scared.

Thinking of this, the priest had no choice but to turn around and look solemnly and kindly at the crowd hiding behind him. Hearing the priest's words, the people also shifted their gaze from the roaring Ghoul outside and looked at the priest in front of them. At this moment, he was their only hope.

"But my children, this cannot go on. We must go to the church immediately. Only there, by relying on the great power of the God of Justice, can we obtain absolute safety. I know you are very afraid, even so afraid that your legs are weak and you can't stand up. But... look..."

As he spoke, the priest pointed a finger at the magnificent, heavy doors of the church not far away, which shone with a bright, gentle light that seemed to offer them a glimmer of hope and courage even on this terrible night of death.

"There, our great god awaits us. If we can overcome all difficulties, we can enter and receive our great god's protection... Now, you must stand up, stand up with your own strength, and go there."

Faced with the priest's words, the crowd exchanged glances and slowly stood up. Their bodies were still trembling, but their eyes were strong and determined. When hope was so close, no one would choose to give up.

"But, Father, these horrible monsters..."

"Don't worry, the gods have given us a shield to protect us, and naturally, they have also given us a sword to protect us. I swear to the almighty God of Justice, I will protect your lives and ensure your safe arrival there. This is my vow!! I will definitely keep it!!"

As he spoke, the priest turned around and looked at the two paladins with deep sorrow. The paladins, understanding his gaze, returned his gaze with composed smiles.

"Father, please do not worry. We will surely protect the followers of our great God from the clutches of evil. Rest assured, even at the cost of our lives, we will never abandon our duty. May God be with you and with us. The swords and power in our hands exist for this very moment... Please, show us the way forward."

"Hoo hoo hoo... Well said, you lackeys."

Standing on a rooftop not far away, Angela smiled as she surveyed the scene before her. Initially, she was merely angry because her subordinates had been destroyed. However, upon arriving and witnessing this sight, Angela immediately changed her mind. No matter what, the enemy was nothing more than a caged rat; their futile struggles would not change anything.

"Perfect, I'm getting a bit tired of simple killing... a different kind of entertainment wouldn't be bad."

Thick smoke enveloped the spot where Angela was, and after a strong gust of wind blew past, the place was deserted.

"Our great and almighty God, grant us the courage and strength to escape from this boundless evil before us and return to your embrace!"

As the priest prayed, beams of white light appeared on everyone's bodies, and their fear immediately vanished. Even their bodies, which had been trembling slightly from the cold, gradually calmed down. In an instant, the Magic Creature before them no longer seemed so terrifying; their roars sounded more like cries of anger and fear.

"Now!!"

The priest reached out, and a massive beam of white light cleaved the Ghoul army in two. The undead retreated in terror, fleeing the holy light. Just then, two paladins, already blessed by God, charged out of the barrier, swords in hand. They dispersed the terrifying monsters, covering the priest and the believers as they raced towards the church.

Faced with the onslaught of this holy light, not a single Ghoul dared to step forward. They could only move their bodies, staring at their fleeing prey with their crimson eyes, letting out unwilling roars.

"Faster! Faster! Don't stop!!"

Soon, the holy light began to weaken, its power diminishing. Sensing this, the Ghoul launched another attack, ramming their bodies against the barrier of holy light, gradually weakening its divine power.

"You filthy monsters, we will not let you succeed!!"

However, the paladins' longswords quickly dispersed the Ghoul again, but even so, they dared not stray too far from the group they were protecting. After all, there were hundreds of these terrifying monsters approaching, and if they were separated from them, the situation would become very dire.

"Faster, faster!!"

The distance of a few hundred meters had never felt so long. The priest and the believers he was protecting ran as fast as they could. The gate that had been so close now felt like it was a world away. The stench emanating from the endless Ghoul surrounded them, and the feeling of death constantly enveloped them. Even with the protection of divine magic, they could not completely escape this feeling.

Finally, they stepped onto the church steps.

"We're almost there! Everyone, give it your all!!"

Standing on familiar ground again, the priest immediately felt much more at ease. He turned around, pushed open the door, and once again raised the holy symbol in his hand, dispelling another wave of Ghoul that tried to attack the believers from behind. Taking advantage of this opportunity, all the believers had entered the church, and the two paladins began to slowly retreat.

"Hurry up, there's not much time left!!"

Realizing his power was no longer sufficient to dispel the Ghoul, the priest stood helplessly inside the gate, anxiously watching the two paladins who were fighting and retreating. Just then, the two paladins seemed to sense the urgency of the situation as well. They shouted, and the holy light around them intensified once more. Then, they slashed with their swords, dispelling the undead monsters surrounding them once more. They then quickly turned around and ran towards the church gate.

"Hurry!! Hurry!! Hurry!!"

As the two paladins drew closer, the priest grew increasingly anxious. Just as the two paladins were about to step onto the steps and rush into the church, a sudden gust of wind blew out from inside, and the two heavy doors slammed shut, ruthlessly shutting the two paladins out.

"No!!!"

The priest rushed to the door, gripped the handle tightly, and tried to open it, but the two doors remained firmly shut, refusing to budge. Through the heavy doors, the faint screams of two paladins, filled with despair and resentment, could be heard. They had been so close to survival, but that last chance had been completely snatched away.

"No!! God above!! Why is this happening!!"

The priest was completely powerless. He slammed his fist against the door, making a heavy echo, but... there was no response.

Just then, a deep, resonant sound arose. The organ, originally used for singing hymns, now played a heavy, deep rhythm. The mysterious, chilling, and eerie music echoed throughout the church's sanctuary, as if providing the perfect accompaniment to this terrifying Hell before them.

Who is it?!

The priest and the others turned around in surprise, and then their eyes widened.

On the altar piled high with corpses, a petite girl with long silver hair was playing an instrument that seemed enormous to her. Her slender, nimble fingers danced across the keys, pouring out terrifying music like an elf. The music was like the lure of death, gripping the souls of everyone present. They could neither close their eyes nor cover their ears; they could only stand there, dumbfounded, listening to this mad melody.

The sound gradually rose in pitch and intensity, like a messenger of death, searching indiscriminately, spreading seeds of destruction and a curtain of despair. It enveloped everything, leaving only eternal, boundless—pitch black.

The performance has now ended.

"Death is a symbol of eternity and equality."

The girl withdrew her finger, turned around, and stared at all the living humans present with her bright red eyes, making their hearts clench.

"The weak succumb to death, and the brave will also face death. Only those who transcend death have the right to rise above others—you lowly trash, why do you refuse the honor of death and books? Why do you resist the invitation of destruction? What meaning does your weak and powerless resistance have in the face of death? Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, you foolish and lowly humans who dare to try to transcend death, do you really think you have been saved?"

As the girl spoke, a terrifying ghostly aura emanated from her, dispelling the sanctity within the church. Even the candles, which emitted a reassuring glow, shook violently after being affected by the ghostly aura, before going out completely—and when they were relit, they shone only with a cold, bluish-green light.

Only then did everyone realize that they might have stepped into an even more terrifying place.

"Get out, you filthy evil!!"

The priest struggled to his feet and stood in front of the crowd, trying to resist the irresistible ghostly aura.

"This is the sacred abode of the gods, not a place for something as filthy as you!"

"The god you speak of, is this piece of trash?"

Angela snapped her fingers with a cold laugh, and then, with a deafening roar, the statue of the God of Justice displayed in the center of the temple shattered instantly. Everyone who saw this was filled with panic.

This is blasphemy!

"You lowly animals, how dare you bark at me like that? Do you really think that just because you can speak a few human words you're not dogs anymore?"

Angela's crimson eyes shone even brighter. Then, she suddenly reached out and grabbed at the air. With a scream, a girl seemed to be grabbed by something and pulled away from the crowd, floating in mid-air in front of everyone. She struggled and pulled desperately, but to no avail.

"I will now give you a chance."

Angela looked at the crowd in front of her with a smug expression and spoke with a light laugh.

"Now, lie down immediately and bark 'Woof,' and I will release this girl."

"... What if we don't obey?!"

Staring intently at the girl before him, the priest's anger grew even stronger.

"Then... I have no choice but to do this."

As she spoke, Angela chuckled softly, but at that moment, the girl let out a sharp scream. She stared in horror at her right hand, which was slowly turning uncontrollably!

"No!! No!! Please!! No!! It hurts, it hurts so much, stop, please stop... Ahhhhh!!"

Finally, the right hand, having reached its limit, emitted a crisp sound, and then completely flipped 180 degrees in a posture that is impossible for a human being.

The girl's screams echoed throughout the temple. People stared at the nightmarish scene before them, mouths agape, speechless.

"Next is the left hand."

As Angela spoke, the girl's left hand began to slowly rotate counterclockwise, followed by another scream and the crisp sound of bones breaking.

"Next are the feet... then the head... how about that?"

Angela's crimson eyes were filled with arrogance and smugness as she gazed at the human before her, a slight upturn at the corners of her lips.

"You think it's none of your business? Humans are just like that, indifferent to anything that doesn't concern them... Well then, how about I give you the same way to die?"

"... Woof."

Finally, someone could no longer withstand the oppressive power of those terrifying eyes, knelt on the ground, and began to scream.

"Woof woof..."

"Woof, woof..."

Soon, one person after another knelt down and began to bark like dogs. For a moment, the barking of dogs rose and fell. Only the priest remained standing, staring intently at the girl before him.

"You damned demon, the gods will never forgive you!!"

"I have no need for divine forgiveness."

As Angela answered, the girl screamed again as her left leg was twisted in the exact opposite direction and broken once more.

"And what about you, kind priest? This young girl is suffering! Isn't it your duty to save those who are in pain?"

"..."

Meeting the girl's pleading, pained gaze, the priest gritted his teeth.

"I will never yield to evil! Never!!!"

"Well, that's really a shame."

Another sharp, pitiful scream rang out, and the girl's right leg met the same fate.

"Next, it's time for the head."

As she spoke, Angela clapped her hands.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!! Father, please, save me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!!"

Realizing her head was beginning to turn slowly backward, beyond her control, the girl screamed in terror, her voice filled with fear of death and a desperate plea for life. "Save me, Father, please, please... save... me, save me..."

The girl's voice grew weaker and weaker, more and more eerie, while the priest slowly lowered his head, unable to bear watching the horrific scene.

"The gods will protect your soul... child."

Then he prayed softly.

Just then, the girl's head was finally twisted off. Her body trembled strangely before falling silent again. Now, she was like a broken doll, floating slowly in the air in an extremely unnatural posture.

"It seems that the priest is truly a devout believer."

Angela waved her hand, and the girl's body, now freed from its restraints, fell back to the ground.

"What a pity, I was originally planning to spare your lives... Now, what should I do?"

"Go to hell!!"

Just then, a man suddenly leaped up, swung his fist, and punched the priest hard on the head.

"It's all your fault, it's all your fault!! You should just die! Die!!"

"That's right, we want to live, we don't want to die!!"

Soon, the other people playing the dogs also jumped up. They angrily beat the priest, who was completely exhausted. Faced with their attack, the priest showed a look of despair, confusion, and heartache in his eyes.

"How pathetic, lost children... You are merely frightened by demons. Open your eyes and recognize your own souls..."

"Go to hell! We just want to live!! We don't want to die!! No!! We want to live!"

Then, a man drew a knife from his waist, roared, and plunged it into the priest's heart.

With a sorrowful gaze upon the frenzied crowd before him, the priest closed his eyes helplessly.

Almighty God, please tell me, was everything I did wrong?

"She really knows how to read people."

Angela watched this scene with satisfaction and chuckled softly.

"You're not entirely stupid, are you, you stray dogs?"

"Woof, woof."

Under Angela's gaze, the people exchanged glances, then knelt down again without prior arrangement and began barking like dogs.

"Hoo hoo hoo... Isn't this the proper posture for inferior humans? Kneeling humbly before beings of higher status, rediscovering their insignificance, weakness, and powerlessness... I'm very kindly teaching you the principles of being human, aren't I? Don't forget your place so easily. That's more like it, that's what I think, yes... What a bunch of obedient and adorable little dogs..."

Angela chuckled with satisfaction as she looked at the group of humans before her, then turned away.

"Hmm... how interesting. In return, I will spare your lives."

Woof woof!!

"Woof!!"

"Hoo hoo hoo, even if you wag your tails so happily at me, I don't have any bones to give you!"

As she spoke, Angela put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

A cold wind swept through the temple, opening its heavy doors. Outside, countless blood-red eyes greedily stared at their prey.

"However, you are servants who have bones to feed me."

Without divine power and priests, the church no longer poses any threat to undead creatures.

A dark mass of Ghoul surged into the church like a tidal wave, their tearing and roaring drowning out the faint wail.