Chapter 43: Battle of Light (Part 1)
The origin of light from the heavenly realm was spread out like silk, adorned with starlight, like a spring of divine grace from the realm of gods, the magnificent jeweled sacred throne intricately carved with holy marks in gold, appearing sacred, and the beautiful girl in a pure white long dress, quietly draped to the ground, making all embellishments dim in the distance.
The originally vast crowd in the Temple of Light was now empty, Pope Moon ascended the holy steps step by step, and the light that descended because of the girl twisted behind him. He came to the girl’s side, his outstretched palm brushed past divine radiance, and a harsh shattering sound echoed on his palm, streaks of black mist burning, his actions unhindered.
The young girl’s beautiful and soft bright red hair was adorned by magnificent light, as dazzling as precious gems, but as Moon’s outstretched palm touched it, he slowly stroked it down – his movements were gentle, filled with the utmost cherish in his heart, yet the slight trembling traces had long revealed the state of mind of this legendary powerful person.
“As you can see. Envoy of the Abyss—this is the Saintess of Light, she is my Saintess.”
In the eyes of the Abyss Envoy, the light illuminated the girl’s face, the young girl’s slender little hand was holding a red gem, yet she seemed to be sleeping soundly in the dream of light, her slender eyelashes gently concealing her once bright and beautiful pupils, and outside of holiness, her crystal-like clarity added a touch of fragility, making one feel pity.
A beautiful girl, exquisite like a doll, slept in the light.
“Is this that Princess Siya?”
The Abyss Envoy looked at the girl and suddenly chuckled: “However, Your Majesty the Pope, this girl should be your doll, shouldn’t she? Then, the divine power you stole from the Divine Kingdom of Light, is it also from her?”
The light continuously overflowing from Siya was the source of Moon’s current power. It was by stealing the authority and divinity of the Holy Lord of Radiance that Moon was able to usurp the faith of Sacred Light and establish the holy kingdom of light on earth, proclaiming himself a god.
The Abyss Envoy’s gaze swept across the holy city of light, and the fanaticism surged in the eyes of countless followers of light.
The Abyss Envoy suddenly scoffed—
In the eyes of all followers of light “purified” by Sacred Light, the current Moon was more than just a god to believe in!
For the devout believers of Sacred Light, the more firmly they believed in light, the harder it was to escape their faith in Moon, and the more they regarded him as a god! Even the renowned Cardinal and the legendary Captain of the Paladins could not escape their conversion to him!
“This Seat said, this is my Saintess.”
Moon’s palm gently stroked the girl’s tender face, a rich greed in his eyes. He raised his head and suddenly smiled: “As for this holy city and millions of believers—they believe in Sacred Light, and this Seat is even the incarnation of Sacred Light!”
The waves of light surged with his voice, and the Abyss Envoy remained unmoved: “Then, back then, you also harbored the delusion of scheming against the Saintess Highness like this?”
“Iris, hehe. Envoy, this Seat is curious as to which of the Original Sins you are, but is this your question, or Iris’s?” The Pope’s expression suddenly restrained, and the eyes that could see through reality surged with light.
“His Highness the Saintess created me, and I have independent thoughts. But as you can see, this is the will of His Highness the Saintess,” the Abyss Envoy replied.
“Since it’s Pope Iris’s question…”
Pope Moon put on a smile and looked up, laughing: “I did try. But at that time, Iris was no longer the weak she was back then. I couldn’t control her, so, as you see, I could only expel her.”
“Envoy of the Abyss, you should be grateful to this Seat—because of this, she became your Saintess.”
“Your Majesty the Pope, you know that Princess Iris is the Saintess of the Abyss. And now you have something to ask of the Abyss—” the Abyss Envoy said.
“If this is also Iris’s question, then allow this Seat to doubt whether she is still that fragile girl.”
Pope Moon waved his long sleeves, traces of light continuously descended, just as he had said about obtaining the divine power of the Saintess of Light: “A Goddess has already arrived before us. Iris understands the reason, the covenant between Light and the Abyss never depends on my relationship with her.”
“However, the Saintess said that she admired and revered her, and hated and loathed you.”
“Of course she should admire the former Hero and revere the current Goddess, and Iris naturally hates me who caused her downfall and resents my betrayal of her.”
Pope Moon extended his hand in the light, gently caressing the jade-like, soft and pure face of the sleeping Siya. His face was raised, his smile was still there, and his eyes, burning with light, were as warm as the sun:
“But, she is Iris. How can mortal emotions like dislike and admiration, hatred and reverence, trouble her as the Saintess of the Abyss? For her imagination, Iris would not hesitate to draw her sword against those she admires, let alone ally with someone she loathes like this Seat.”
“Your Majesty the Pope, the Saintess said that you cannot imagine her hatred for you,” the Abyss Envoy said.
“This Seat is not surprised.”
The Pope smiled, and as he raised his gaze, he saw a faint radiance of life seeping out of the light that dyed the holy city: “When we defeat Miss Verafia, this Seat will await the revenge of the Abyss here.”
…
A gale whistled past his ears, as he sat atop a frost-covered dragon, the boundless burning sky of light was easily torn apart by the surging ice frost between the flashes of its magnificent dragon wings, dazzling rays of light shattered in the wind like burning paper, scattering upon streaks of gold silk caressed by the wind.
Verafia tightened her grip on the dragon’s soft scales, her slender eyelashes trembling lightly in the wind. Even as a goddess, Verafia was still unaccustomed to sitting on a dragon and witnessing the earth being torn apart by gales.
Flicking a strand of hair, Verafia slightly opened her golden eyes beneath her long lashes, seeing a holy kingdom where light rendered brilliance and sanctity, like the heavenly realm.
At the end of her gaze was the holy city of light, its towering city walls shrouded in endless divine radiance, never falling for thousands of years, and the army composed of countless followers of light revealed incomparable fanaticism in their magnificent holy songs.
Behind the dragon, heavy spaces collapsed one after another.
In the holy kingdom of light, the planes reinforced by divine power were difficult to tear apart even for a legend, yet Ophi’s dragon wings had already torn through dozens in an instant, instantly creating defensive fortresses from tenacious space, and with the speed of lightning and thunder, they rushed towards the never-falling holy city of light!
From the beginning, Verafia had no intention of letting the soldiers of the empire and elves sacrifice themselves irreparably to force an attack on the holy city of light.
She was unwilling to wait for such a long time, and similarly, it was because in Verafia’s heart, she did not believe that simply reaching the holy city should come at such a heavy price.
Therefore, with the oracle of a goddess, the allied forces of the empire and elves feigned an attack on the fortress of the Church of Light, while Verafia herself, riding Ophi, who had transformed into a dragon, headed straight for the holy city of light.
