Chapter 276: A Brief Interlude (A Certain Bishop)
“They are far too powerful. If we deploy a knight (Ritsari), we might regain our footing, but the enemy is not just that spider.”
“Are you referring to that mountain-like monster in the rear? No, could it truly be a monster? Reports suggest it might be controlled by a human…”
“Do not be deceived, Brother. Whether it is a monster or a human, they are still traitors who bear ill will towards us.”
“Indeed. Even if they are human, what do they intend to do? Perhaps they will come crying for forgiveness? We must annihilate all enemies that stand in our way.”
“…Then it seems we have no choice but to deal with that leader in the back.”
“In any case, we must do something about that cannon. Our God’s will is not infallible.”
“That cannon has already depleted a tenth of our reserves in a single shot. We are replenishing as best we can, but it is not infinite. The Children (Dzeichi) are also offering their prayers, but it won’t last long.”
“…Then we must turn to the Bishop (Yepisukop) for assistance. No, it might be wise to also ask the Archbishop (Alhiepisukop).”
“That seems prudent. I shall take care of that. Unless we destroy that cannon, we have no future.”
The great barrier protecting the Holy Capital. Throughout history, there has been no record of this barrier ever proving effective. However, for the first time, it has demonstrated its power.
“Our Law God (Pravabok) has protected us as promised.”
““““Amen””””
In the center of the great barrier, a massive holy stone rests underground, emitting a faint glow that softly illuminates the underground sanctuary. Hundreds of faithful gather, offering their prayers to it. Responding to the faith (Viera) of the believers who trust in the Law God (Pravabok) and wish for his power to manifest, the holy stone reveals a miracle (Chuda).
“Protect us!”
““““Protect us!””””
“Grant our wishes!”
““““Grant our wishes!””””
“Show us the path to the promised land!”
““““Show us the path to the promised land!””””
“We offer our prayers!”
““““We offer our prayers!””””
““““Amen””””
The faithful, united in their prayers (Maritova), create a great wave that is offered to the holy stone.
“Annihilate them (Zistaloi)!!”
““““Annihilate them (Zistaloi)!!””””
Run.
““““Amen””””
Run.
Their speed is beyond the grasp of ordinary people. With each step, the ground is gouged, and their bodies accelerate. Faster, faster, ever faster. They dodge the incoming shells from the front, slice through the next one, and kick off the air to evade further.
The distance between them and their enemies closes in an instant, and they reach the foe.
A massive body, resembling a mountain, sprouting cannons from every part. The shells fired from those cannons are being absorbed by the great barrier of the Holy Capital. However, that barrier is not infinite. The faithful are offering their prayers (Maritova) to restore it, but even that has its limits. They must destroy that cannon, no matter what.
Kicking off the ground, they leap into the air.
From behind, a shell approaches. Even though the leader they must protect stands before them, the Children seem to be targeting them without hesitation.
Normally, the speed would be imperceptible. Yet, he stops the incoming shell with his foot.
His body, enhanced by faith (Viera), absorbs the metallic shell, using it as a foothold, converting its speed into his own. Using the shell as a platform, he transforms its kinetic energy into his movement speed, appearing at the base of the massive cannon with a speed akin to teleportation.
“…!!”
He strikes.
The sword of faith, imbued with his belief, cleanly severs the cannon’s barrel, which is far thicker than the blade itself. He attempts to move immediately after the strike, but the high-pressure electric current released at that moment paralyzes his body. Though his faith (Viera) protects him from severe injury, the current flowing from the blade through his arm, body, and leg scorches his skin, burns his clothes, and fuses the soles of his boots to the exterior.
A moment of stagnation.
Then, a torrent of high-temperature, high-pressure toxic gas erupts from the severed end. The poison will rot the skin upon contact and burn the lungs if inhaled. The chemical properties that should instantly penetrate and denature proteins are largely neutralized by the faith (Viera) that protects him.
Even so, this only prevents the alteration of his material composition. Drenched in the high-temperature operating fluid and wrapped in the toxic liquid absorbed by his equipment, he will continue to suffer injuries.
“Uuooohhh!!”
Unable to endure the pain of being literally dissolved, he screams. However, he is still a Bishop (Yepisukop). In the end, only his clothes and a thin layer of skin are harmed. He kicks off the enemy’s exterior and escapes the scene. Without pausing, he kicks off the ground and leaps to safety.
Above him, a sound of shattering echoes.
Having received an unexpected counterattack from his strike, another Bishop (Yepisukop) performs a remote shattering from a distance. The cannon, blasted from the outside, collapses under its own weight, and with a catastrophic sound, the long barrel detaches from its base. Toxic liquid spews forth like a fountain from the destruction, but the Bishop (Yepisukop) responsible has already dashed towards the next target.
Landing on the ground, he begins to strip away the equipment clinging to him as he runs. He discards the poisoned clothes and chooses to retreat for the time being. Once back at the base, he should be able to recover.
The objective of destroying the massive cannon has been achieved by other Bishops (Yepisukop). As far as he can tell, there are no casualties on their side. It seems his own injuries, as the first to engage, are the most severe.
He rushes into the base and receives healing prayers from a Priest (Svisinik). As his wounds are healed, he dons new equipment. Fortunately, his beloved sword, protected by faith (Viera), remains unscathed. Once he changes his armor, he should be able to return to the fray quickly.
Having donned his new equipment, he sets out once more from the base.
The Bishops (Yepisukop) who had gone to crush the southern cannon now approached the massive enemy. The moment they seemed to close in, a flash of light engulfed the battlefield.
He witnessed it.
The moment countless cannons aimed at the running Bishop (Yepisukop). The spiders thrashing around also had their small cannons trained on him. The massive enemy had sprouted cannons from every part of its body, all perfectly aligned to target the Bishop (Yepisukop).
All the cannons flashed simultaneously. In that instant, the Bishop (Yepisukop) vanished in a burst of light.
What had just happened was unclear. However, the Bishop (Yepisukop), their most formidable force, had disappeared without resistance. The other Bishops (Yepisukop) likely had no idea what had transpired. He, who had been positioned further back, was fortunate enough to have a vantage point over the battlefield.
The reasoning was unclear, but it was likely that a multitude of cannons had concentrated their fire on a single point. Each shot was far more powerful than any cannon he had knowledge of. When they overlapped, even a Bishop (Yepisukop) could not withstand such an onslaught.
As he conveyed the situation to all the Bishops (Yepisukop) on the battlefield, he too began to run. To defend against the next attack, they could only keep moving and share the movements of the cannons.
Then, another cannon was aimed at one of them. The Bishop (Yepisukop) who noticed it dodged with all his might. Kicking off the ground, he executed a technique known as Instant Movement to shift sideways.
The ground glowed, followed by a massive explosion. The molten earth erupted, and a cloud of white smoke billowed forth.
Yet, he had evaded it.
As long as he could dodge even a fatal attack, there was nothing to fear.
The enemy was powerful, but they could counter it sufficiently. Moreover, the Archbishop (Alhiepisukop) was standing by behind them. They could still win this battle.
He and his comrades were convinced of this.
It was only then that he finally noticed the multitude of shells raining down from above.
Panicking, he looked up at the sky. Almost simultaneously, the sunlight was obscured.
Above him loomed a colossal wing. The flickering all over its body was due to the numerous cannons continuously firing shells.
There it was, an overwhelmingly massive flying fortress.
“Hang in there! They’re coming down from above!”