### Chapter 93: Rebirth (Part 2)
West of the Town.
Iron hooves resounded against the yellow earth, while the horned horses let out echoing neighs.
The terrifying explosion at the town center had barely subsided, and the ground beneath them was still gently shaking. A chill breeze wafted in from the direction of the town, disrupting the knights’ formation. The stunned knights took their time to regain composure, led by Bishop Aresta, as they once again advanced toward the ruins of the little town.
“Slow down—”
“Left flank! Left flank! Keep calm and follow along!”
“Faith Organization, get ready—”
“Release the white birds! Release the white birds!”
“We’ll flank them from both sides. Each Captain of Knights, keep your men in check—no one is allowed to get too close to that thing. Wait for the Pope’s command—”
“Be ready for the next wave of impact…”
Upon entering the town, the knights’ formation shifted repeatedly, spreading out in a fan shape between the crumbling walls, splitting onto relatively intact roads. The brave warriors moved with iron horses, taking steady, orderly steps toward the town center.
Miraculous lights shone up from all around, and white holy birds soared above them. Aresta, along with several elite clerics from the Yin-Yang Guild, halted the horned horses on the main road leading to the town center. They glanced somberly at the knights rushing past and whispered among themselves.
After a moment, the young bishop dismounted the beast and stood at the center of the road, reins in hand, looking up at the overcast sky. He gazed at the chilling snowflakes drifting down from ahead and the ominous black sun hovering over the desolate land in the distance, a hint of frenzied delight curling at the corners of his mouth.
“What a heart-stopping power that is…”
He muttered, although his light green eyes revealed an underlying panic and shock that slipped out inadvertently.
“Praise the Deity…”
“Aresta… dear bishop.”
Someone behind him spoke, their tone laden with concern. “If we proceed, it seems we’re stepping into a very dangerous area. We must ensure miraculous protections are in place. Also… looking at the current situation, it seems there isn’t a living soul around. While we can’t rule out ambushes from heretics, I suspect the odds are slim…”
“Hmm.”
Aresta nodded slightly at the words without looking back.
His gaze remained fixed on the enormous floating black sun ahead. Then he heard someone speak again, “Have you seen where Lord Apheir is—Maher, Maher! Has your white bird spotted Lord Apheir’s position?”
“None… the scouting knights seem to have vanished as well… I haven’t seen a single one.”
“d*mn it, why am I feeling so anxious?”
“If even Lord Apheir is in trouble…”
“The black sun…”
“What the heck is that? Is it a new trick from the heretics? It’s so terrifying…”
“…Hors.”
The young bishop recognized the voice and called out to the speaker, interrupting his rambling with a calm tone. “Send a signal of the Light of MaFa to the Knights Order, informing everyone to maintain the original orders and swiftly get into position, awaiting further instructions.”
“…Understood.”
The cleric named Hors replied.
Aresta detected hesitation in his voice. It seemed he had more to say, but it was just filled with worries that the young bishop was all too aware of.
But at this moment, he didn’t want to hear any of that.
…Heretics?
Their new tricks?
Ha, laughable.
He scoffed inwardly.
If those East Continent stray dogs, barely hanging on, could conjure such a terrifying phenomenon that could make the heavens and the earth change color, anyone in their ranks with that kind of oppressive power would’ve long since crushed everything in their path during the war in Silgaya not too long ago.
Or perhaps, they would have rewritten history long before, so there wouldn’t be a need to whine about the situation today.
What do you even know…
Only the power of the Great Deity could realize such things.
And that…
Is precisely what he came for, to reclaim it for the Church.
Hundreds of years ago, stolen by the traitors who worship demons, that lost seed of sin.
Without a doubt, that was the very thing floating in the sky now, emanating an irresistible force that made one want to kneel in submission; vast and powerful, like a mysterious orb, or something, perhaps a living entity, wrapped within it.
He couldn’t be wrong…
Aresta was confident in his judgment.
And now, it was the perfect opportunity for him.
After all, Lord Apheir had gone missing since entering the town, and the old hero Mr. Ryan, who looked down on him since their meeting and tried to thwart all his thoughts and actions, had been ensnared by a suddenly appearing crimson monster and fought off to who-knows-where.
Neither of them were here now.
There was no one left to limit Aresta.
The young bishop seized this chance to fulfill the important mission he carried on his shoulders.
Whoosh—
A sharp whistle.
Aresta turned back.
He saw Hors on the beast releasing a dazzling beam of holy light into the sky. The brilliance slowly ascended from his eyes to the gray horizon.
…Let’s get started.
…………
In the heart of the ruins.
The wounded swordsman Carlos also saw the light shooting up into the sky.
He stood high amidst the rubble. In his vision, the rumble of iron hooves rapidly approached from the west, as armored knights on their horned horses galloped down various roads, emanating a silent yet deadly aura, closing in within three hundred meters.
They were coming for Little Shay…
The thought flashed through the man’s mind instinctively.
He immediately turned his head, his gaze piercing through the swirling snowflakes, locking onto the enormous black sun in the air.
Thump thump…
Thump thump—
He could still hear the heartbeat resonating from within the sphere, the sound growing increasingly thrumming with life, as if something was about to awaken, ready to burst forth at any moment.
…But.
At least for now, she hadn’t broken free.
This might be the crucial moment…
The man recalled the words of the heretic, paused for two seconds, and suddenly made a decision in his heart.
He could not let the knights interrupt her.
Zzz—
He bore through his injury, transforming into a streak of lightning that shot out from the ruins, zip-zapping through the arcs of electricity. The brilliant blue sparks frantically darted through the town’s ruins, and within just a few breaths, the three hundred meters was covered. Carlos halted in front of a group of knights, coming to a stop with a thunderous crackle from the dispersing electricity.
“Hey, wait!”
He blocked the knights’ advance, the thunder’s roar startling the warriors. The horned horses whinnied, and someone unsheathed their sword with a clang, but once the leading Captain of Knights recognized he wasn’t a heretic, he raised a hand signaling everyone to calm down.
“You are…?”
“I’m Silver Flash, Pope Knight Carlos Gonzalez!”
Carlos shouted, instinctively reaching for his waist, seemingly wanting to pull out a badge to prove his identity, only to remember that he hadn’t worn it since arriving in the East Continent to conceal his identity.
“Wait a moment! Don’t act rashly—tell me who is leading! Where is everyone! I have something important to discuss with him.”
