On the other side of the continent, in the bustling port city at the heart of the Braham Republic, the newly erected temple of the Church of the Three Paragons stood as a beacon of faith.
The city, nestled on the westernmost edge of the Braham Republic, and at the eastern side of the continent, had beco a sanctuary for the Cardinals who fled the Milton Kingdom.
The revelation that the Immortal of the enigmatic forest was the sa as the Masked Devil Incarnate who had claid their Divine Sword had scared them away. The fear of retribution, had driven them from their holand!
Nonetheless, despite their departure, the Church's work persisted, for they believed the Immortal would not harm innocents over a personal vendetta.
They believed that the Archbishops and the Priests would be safe from Immortal's wrath.
At this ti, however, they had a different worry.
"The Abyss Realm's invasion has comnced. May the Paragons absolve us and deliver us from this plight…" Cardinal Lucius, the sage elder of the trio, prayed with a heavy heart. His life's work had been the study and dissemination of the Paragons' teachings—the divine trio that they believed had shaped the world.
"We must rouse the ssenger of the Paragons. Ti is of the essence!" implored Cardinal Sophia, whose youth and beauty were matched by her cunning and ambition. She envisioned a Church that wielded unparalleled power and influence.
"I concur… We must no longer hold back. The sacrifice of the five designated villages will awaken the ssenger. We await only your consent, Cardinal Lucius…" Cardinal Marcus, a man of valor and strategy, urged. His role had always been to safeguard the Church's interests and allies.
Cardinal Lucius' resolve wavered as he was faced with the weight of their proposal.
'Sacrificing those five villages might bring us more trouble… Even the current leaders of the Braham Republic weren't looking at us kindly. If we were found out, then our Church would have no place in this country…' Lucius gritted his teeth.
Yet, as he pondered, a new Rift tore through the fabric of reality, its ominous presence felt even from afar. The Republic was now under threat!
The three Cardinals looked at each other as they all felt that opening of the Rift. They could not be mistaken since the three of them were already starting to grasp the secrets of Spatial Arts. It was just one of the benefits they had after becoming the Cardinals of one of the dominant churches of the continent.
With a clenched fist and a heart laden with sorrow, Lucius knew there was no alternative.
The awakening of the ssenger of the Paragons required a sacrifice he wished he didn't have to make.
As the Cardinals convened, a plan was set into motion—a plan that would alter the fate of many in hopes of saving the world, or perhaps the Church, from the encroaching darkness of the Abyss.
***
In the village of Elmswood, where the railways hadn't reached yet, a blacksmith's hamr sang against the anvil, shaping the day's first task.
Children's laughter echoed through the streets of Brookstone as they chased one another, their gas were innocent and carefree.
In the orchards of Greenvale, farrs tended to the bountiful trees, their hands deftly picking the ripe fruits of their labor.
The villagers, each absorbed in their daily labors, remained unaware of the fate that lood over them. They greeted their neighbors with warm smiles, shared stories of yesteryears, and looked forward to the evening's communal feast.
Life, with its simple joys and sorrows, continued unabated.
But as the sun climbed higher, an unnatural heat began to suffuse the air. It was a warmth that did not co from the gentle rays of the sun but from an unseen, malevolent force.
"Mother… It's getting hot!" One of the children playing in the streets of the town imdiately complained as he felt his skin getting burned.
"Get inside the house! Hurry! This is not normal!" A concerned parent imdiately exclaid. He had learned the basics of Arcane Arts, and he imdiately realized that this phenonon wasn't normal.
"Ugh… I'm really thirsty…"
"Not good… I think there's a Dark Magician attacking us!"
"We're going to die at this rate!"
"I think that we're being cursed! Did the Fire Elentalists attack us?"
"Where are the Arcane Inspectors?!"
"Call the Priests!"
So villagers paused as they tried to understand what was happening, and so began to panic as the heat was unbearable. Nonetheless, a sense of unease crept into their hearts.
The laughter stopped, the hamring ceased, and the picking hands froze as they all hurried to find water or shelter, hoping to cool themselves down.
In the distance, the grand temple of the Church of the Three Paragons stood silent...
Within its hallowed halls, guarded by their Knights and Priests, the three Cardinals—Lucius, Sophia, and Marcus—gathered in solemn assembly.
Their faces were etched with the severity of their decision, the weight of the impending sacrifice pressing upon their souls.
With heavy hearts, they began the ancient rite, their voices rising in a chant that had not been uttered for generations.
The air within the temple shimred… Soon, the ritual started shaping as the fabric of reality thinning… Their actions continued for more than an hour as they called upon the divine ssenger of the Paragons.
Crack… Crack… Crack…
Outside, the villagers felt the ground tremble beneath their feet.
Then, a searing pain enveloped them, as if their very essence was being drawn outwards, towards the temple.
They clutched at their chests, their eyes wide with terror, as the heat intensified, becoming an all-consuming inferno that threatened to engulf their souls.
And then, amidst the chaos and despair, a figure descended from the skies—an eight-winged angel, glorious and terrifying at the sa ti.
Its wings bore celestial light while also emitting a suffocating aura.
The villagers, in their final monts, gazed upon the divine being, their fear giving way to awe.
Through the Secret Eye Spell of the Cardinals, they watched as the ssenger took form, confirming that their ritual was complete.
The sacrifice of the five villages had been made, the price of their salvation was paid in full!
The ssenger of the Paragons turned its gaze upon the Church and was able to see Cardinals behind its walls…
The ssenger then glanced at the people who had been sacrificed just to summon him, but after that, it disappeared and showed itself to the three Cardinals.
"The Paragons had instructed that you can only call if the Church is in imdiate threat… Did you call for to ask the Paragons to bless you again, or do you want to help you eliminate the threat?"
The ssenger asked as he glanced at the Rift that was opened by the Abyss Realm. It was quite far from the Church, but he knew very well that the chaos would soon reach this place.
Cardinal Lucius took a deep breath before he answered. "We want your help to fight back the Abyss. We need to ensure that they know not to send any Demon Saints in this area… We need to intimidate them enough and let them focus on other areas."
He knew very well that the ssenger couldn't win against the whole Abyss Realm, however, dealing with a few Demons and Demon Saints, wouldn't be that difficult, especially if the three of them and other Knights and Priests joined as well.
The ssenger nodded, its wings unfurling as it prepared to lead the charge against the encroaching darkness…
***
As the Rift tore through the skies of the Braham Republic, two Demon Saints erged, their formidable presence would guarantee that the Rift would remain unchallenged.
After confirming that there was no force that could stop them here, they unleashed the Abyss's minions upon the unsuspecting city, creating a chaos for the unprepared citizens!
Graaaghh~
The demons imdiately sensed the abundant presence of life and were excited to devour the people!
Yet, amidst the destruction, the Demon Saints paused, sensing a potent Aura that does not belong to their side…
After a mont of observation, the two Demon Saints felt thankful.
"Hmm… It is not the Shadow Immortal…" One of them murmured with a hint of relief in his tone.
"True. This entity is sothing we can handle…" The other agreed, confidence lacing his words.
They had faced the Life Devourer Shadow Immortal, a title they gave to the Celestial guarding this Human Realm. The two of them knew well the terror it wrought upon their ranks.
The Demon Saints prepared themselves, not for retreat, but for confrontation against the ssenger...
As entity arrived in front of the two Demon Saints, the surrounding space even started to twist.
The Angel, the ssenger of the Paragons, alighted upon the battlefield with eight wings unfurled, each feather shimring with divine light.
"Ha! You've co alone?!"
"Just because we're fleeing from that Immortal doesn't an that we're weak. Do not underestimate us!"
The Demon Saints shouted in fury!
The Demon Saints, ard with their Corruption Energy, t the Angel's radiant strikes head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battle was a spectacle of light and shadow, each blow from the Angel parried with the Corrupted Force brought by the Demon Saints.
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