In a flash, Mephistopheles dissolved into a wisp of ghostly light, merging into Ritsuka's shadow and vanishing from sight.
"This is a land of faith, a land of righteousness."
Georgios's magical aura surged wildly around her. Wielding her holy sword, she forced back the swarm of demonic rats with sheer presence alone. She raised the gleaming blade high, a faint dragon's silhouette shimmering beneath her feet.
"No evil shall trespass here, no vile dragon shall disturb. All who hold faith and honor shall be blessed—"
The holy sword flipped downward, its radiant edge plunging into the blood-soaked earth, shattering the dragon's phantom. With a commanding shout, Georgios declared the release of her Noble Phantasm:
"Come, under the witness of the Almighty!
*By the Oath of the Blood Cross—Ascalon!*"
In an instant, the crimson staining the ground boiled over. It churned and spread across the earth, forming a legendary cross of blood that pierced through the fields.
At the heart of the blood cross, Georgios stood resolute, sword in hand. Pure white holy light poured from her blade, sweeping across the farmlands drowned in a tide of darkness.
Nero glanced back, watching beams of light rise from the rice paddies, flooding into the sky. The radiance pricked faintly at her skin.
The farmers fleeing the rat horde froze in their tracks, turning to gaze at the pristine holy light.
It was pure as fresh snow, warm as a flame—overwhelmingly powerful, yet it destroyed nothing.
The light only grew brighter, more dazzling, like a moth-attracting bulb drawing in the endless swarm of demonic rats.
And then, they perished.
In mere moments, the rats dissolved into the sacred glow, melting into the earth. The wheat fields, gnawed and devoured to nothing, seemed to rewind time itself—stalks stood tall again, laden with golden grains.
Witnessing this miracle, the townsfolk instantly knew: this was the grace of the divine. God had sent His messenger to drive the demons from Ratvinci, sparing them a future of famine.
Though some still gawked at the scene, the devout had already bowed their heads, hands clasped, murmuring praises to their God.
As the light faded, the knight wielding the holy sword naturally became the focus of their adoration.
Nero scanned the surroundings. She could still sense faint traces of the demonic rats, but their menacing presence had dwindled. Georgios's Noble Phantasm hadn't wiped them out entirely, but it had obliterated at least ninety-nine percent. The remnants were no longer a threat.
Unless the enemy directing the rat swarm still had tricks up their sleeve.
Nero hurried back to the fields, regrouping with the others. "You revealed your Noble Phantasm before we even saw the enemy's face. That's not a problem, is it?" she asked bluntly.
Georgios, sheathing her sword, replied calmly, "No shame in admitting it—and the Master should know this too. My Noble Phantasm doesn't normally pack this kind of punch."
"Huh?" Ritsuka blinked, a mix of surprise and disappointment. "It was that awesome, and it's a one-time deal?"
"Does it require specific conditions?" Nero ventured, picking up on the strange synergy between holy swords.
"You're sharp, Nero," Georgios said.
She unhooked the sword from her waist, explaining, "Ascalon is a holy sword, but its power lies in shielding its wielder from evil. Unless it's facing demons or wicked dragons, it can't unleash its full strength as a holy sword.
"As a swordswoman, my Noble Phantasm's true name is By the Oath of the Blood Cross. To unleash its full might, I need to slay demons or dragons and let their blood soak the earth."
She reattached the sword to her waist and turned to Nero. "So, thanks for the assist."
Nero nodded, recalling how Georgios had sent her away earlier, thinking of the townsfolk's reactions to the Noble Phantasm and the restored fields. "This Noble Phantasm… does it make people believe in your God even more?" she asked.
"It can," Georgios replied.
Mid-conversation, as faith came up, Ritsuka suddenly realized someone was missing. She whipped her head around. "Wait, where's Demon Dad?"
Georgios shot a cold glare at Ritsuka's shadow. "Stop pretending. I know you're fine."
Nero followed her gaze. A puff of black mist rose from the shadow, coalescing into a figure in a tuxedo. "Right here, Master," Mephistopheles said.
Weird ability. How could this demon hide in Ritsuka's shadow and dodge Georgios's Noble Phantasm? The question nagged at Nero.
Georgios's Noble Phantasm was designed to obliterate demons and dragons, so Mephistopheles emerging unscathed was downright bizarre.
"You're okay, that's what matters," Ritsuka said, brushing past the topic.
Nero held her tongue, but Georgios seemed to notice something, her gaze lingering on Mephistopheles with an unreadable expression.
The townsfolk who'd witnessed Georgios's Noble Phantasm began to gather around, eagerly inviting the "living saint" and her companions to visit the town. They even suggested a meeting with the local lord.
That was an opportunity they couldn't pass up.
So, the group marched through the streets, escorted by the enthusiastic crowd straight to the lord's manor.
The lord of Ratvinci, who doubled as the town's mayor, Baron Ratvinci, had already heard the tale. He greeted them warmly at his estate, showering them—mostly Georgios—with effusive thanks before declaring his faith and inviting them to the church.
Nero cut through his long-winded speech. "Last evening, I met your daughter near the fields. Did she mention anything to you?"
The lord froze for a split second, a flicker of irritation crossing his face before he caught himself. "I see. So you're the demon hunter she mentioned yesterday? My apologies. That girl's always spouting nonsense, so when she said demons were lurking around, I didn't take it seriously. My mistake."
Nero read him like an open book. The man clearly despised his daughter Beatrice's "wild ideas." As long as he was in charge, Beatrice's fledgling crop rotation system would never see the light of day.
Which meant, if the Demon God Pillar wanted to manipulate her, it would need to remove the lord first.
Did they still need to deal with Beatrice, knowing this?
"Can we meet her?" Ritsuka asked.
Nero caught Ritsuka's sidelong glance and got the message.
They did need to. Beatrice was their only lead to the Demon God Pillar—the enemy behind this Singularity.
Ritsuka wasn't about to let that slip away.