### Chapter 113: Moths to the Flame (Part 1)
Clang——
Before the army, nearly forty and bearing the weight of the world, the Captain of Knights waved his sword, pointing it dramatically towards the heavens, his voice booming across the land: “Vanguard, disperse!!!”
“Roar—”
The knights at the front row roared in unison, lowering their shields as they took steps back. Meanwhile, the beast riders in the middle row charged forward with thunderous hooves, bursting through the gaps left by the retreating shield bearers, encased in golden armor, sprinting towards the desolate ground. The tightly packed formation quickly spread out like a startled flock of birds.
They wielded long, curved spears, stomping across the blazing red flames; during the charge, they split into three lanes, ready to maneuver around the floating demon below.
In the rear of the formation, the clerics of the Faith Organization quickly regrouped, launching a new round of holy lances to cover the knights’ advance. More lances than the last time flew out, a dense rain of golden lights, resembling a magnificent web spreading across the sky, as the sharp winds howled and hurled towards the demon!
In the gray sky, frost and ice mist swirled up again.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom——
Countless holy lances darted towards the demon’s position with pinpoint accuracy, seemingly determined to not give her a moment of respite. A series of massive explosions erupted from the ice mist, shards of crystal and frost bursting out like a glittering bomb. Before the second wave of assault ended, another group of clerics already began preparing the third wave of holy lances, their radiant glow never ceasing.
But soon, everyone was horrified to realize that their all-out offensive was utterly pointless in the eyes of the formidable demon hovering in the gray sky—it was as if they were tossing confetti at a war tank!
There, within the swirling ice mist, the demon’s petite figure barely flinched under the deluge of fire. She didn’t even bother to blink!
Around her, thick, deep-blue chunks of ice came to life, continually morphing into various shapes before swiftly melting away. Each jagged piece of ice appeared just in time to block the incoming golden flashes, intercepting the fierce impact of the holy lances without missing a beat. The gleaming spear shafts crashed against the solid frost, shattering or splintering into a flurry of debris, but never once touching the demon’s form.
Suspended in the air, she didn’t even lift a finger, her eyes unblinking, seemingly gazing down at the warriors below like they were mere ants, quietly watching them unleash their miracles, watching them scurry about in a frenzy, pouring their energy into a tide of attacks. Her bl**d-red eyes radiated a chilling indifference and, just faintly, a hint of… mockery.
It was as if their actions were nothing but an amusing performance, a farcical game that had nothing to do with her.
Gradually, many began to realize the absurdity of it all.
At the back of the formation, among the clerics, an elderly cleric with a revered air about him, faced with the third wave of holy lance barrage, wore an expression of gritted teeth. After whispering hurriedly to a few nearby, he rode his horned horse through the ranks and arrived at the side of the Young Bishop Aresta: “Your Grace—”
His voice trembled slightly, and he called out to the young leader. “Order the knights to pull back! Get them all to fall back! We need to hold that thing off with miracles… at least delay its vision! That demon’s power is immeasurable; if we attack recklessly, we’ll surely be devastated! We must retreat and defend! Until the Old Man returns, then we can mount a proper offense!”
“……”
The young bishop said nothing.
Riding on his beast, he gazed up at the continuous explosions in the sky, listening to the unending rumble, as if still trapped in a state of shock. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his gaze perplexing and unreadable.
“Can’t you see? That demon doesn’t even regard us! Only the Old Man can contend with it; the actions of the Grace Scales are too reckless! Please calm down and don’t send them to their deaths!”
The old cleric called out to him again, but the young bishop merely turned to glance at him, remaining silent.
Seeing him lost in thought, the old cleric assumed the young bishop, pampered and inexperienced, had never faced the brutality of true battle, and now, suddenly confronted with such a fearsome and unfamiliar presence, was internally panicking, completely dazed, and shocked by the demon’s overwhelming presence.
After a moment of hesitation, the old cleric clicked his tongue in annoyance, deciding against seeking this spoiled noble’s commands any longer. He urged his horned horse to turn swiftly and bellowed towards the front ranks: “Captain of Knights! Knight Hopes—”
At that moment, the young bishop snapped back to reality upon hearing the old cleric’s shout.
“What are you yelling about? Do you want to issue a retreat order in my place? Who do you think you are—”
He shot back angrily, wearing an expression ranging from fear to confusion, yet also tinged with an inexplicable sense of glee: “Get back to the defensive line! Do your duty!”
“You—”
The old cleric was about to retort but was drowned out by Aresta’s louder voice: “Don’t talk back! Show no doubt in my judgment! You have no idea what we’re up against! Do you know what you think is a demon? She actually is… forget it, forget it, you wouldn’t understand… how valuable she is…”
As he went on, the young bishop began to mumble to himself.
“But she’s already dead… why… why is she suddenly here… it’s incredible… it makes no sense… but she’s definitely right here… transformed into this… no! The Pope must know about this soon… we should bring her back alive… yes, if I can capture her… bring her to the Pope…”
As he spoke, his eyes widened dramatically.
“Alive—!!”
That last exclamation was directed at the Captain of Knights, as Aresta shouted, abandoning any regard for the old cleric’s seething anger, his face flushed with tension and unexplainable excitement, as he dug his heels into the beast’s sides and charged towards the front lines.
“What are you talking about! You’ve gone mad!!!”
The old cleric fumed, suddenly labeling the young bishop a cowardly fool for losing it during such a critical moment.
To prevent him from making some ridiculous command to the Captain of Knights, the old cleric hastily urged his beast to follow: “As the commander of this operation, you must bear direct responsibility for the outcome—”
“Shut up! If you remember my position as commander, then follow orders! Go back to your station; I know what I’m doing!”
“You’ll get everyone killed!!!”
The old cleric shouted at the top of his lungs, but Aresta paid no attention as he rushed to within a dozen meters of the Captain of Knights, urgently issuing commands: “Push forward, push forward! Don’t lose your formation; lock her down with miracles! We need to act fast! She’s not entirely untouchable! We need to capture her alive—”
