The First Pope - Chapter 153

Chapter 153

The great war with the Vampires had only just ended. Although the God Race had suffered the fewest casualties, they had expended a great deal of mental energy. It was thanks to the Holy Water from the Sacred River; otherwise, they would have surely been at a disadvantage against the witches, who were backed by the Blood Demon.

However, even though the God Race wasn't at a disadvantage in terms of mental energy, they still felt immense pressure. And this was without the Blood Demon even taking action personally.

Holding a staff she had borrowed from another member of the God Race, Cynthia refused the escort of the Light Knights and walked alone from the rear to the front lines. The cold, sinister Power of Darkness writhed a meter away from her, held back only by a thin barrier of light. Through the barrier and the darkness, Cynthia could even see the witches on the other side—a dense, black mass more somber than the sky overhead.

Darcy, who was directing the God Race's fight against the witches, caught sight of Cynthia in her peripheral vision. She lowered her staff and walked over, her expression grave as she said, "Something is very wrong with these witches."

Among the witches facing them were many faces familiar to Darcy. They had once laughed and studied formations together. Even though their relationship had grown strained because of the Anderson witches, that "strain" wasn't enough to make them silently besiege the God Race's city like this, and with an air that suggested they wanted to annihilate them.

They didn't share such a deep-seated hatred with the Garcia witches.

It would have been normal if they were facing the Anderson witches, but what Darcy found strange was that she couldn't see a single one of them in the crowd.

"They've been bewitched." A strange black mist floated above the witches. Cynthia's gaze followed the mist as she said faintly, "The Blood Demon, a general of the God of Darkness, must be hiding nearby."

"The Blood Demon?" Darcy frowned. "What does she want?"

The Garcia witches' power had surged in such a short time, and now they were attacking the God Race. Could it be...

Cynthia's words confirmed Darcy's suspicion. "Of all those who lived through the era of the gods, who wouldn't want to become the god of this continent?"

Especially the Blood Demon, a general of the God of Darkness and once the being closest to a god.

They had just driven out the Vampires, and now they faced the threat of the Blood Demon. Darcy's mood was anything but pleasant. She pulled her gaze away from the black mist and turned to discuss a strategy with Cynthia, but she paused when she saw Cynthia's furrowed brow and solemn expression. "What's wrong?" she asked.

As she asked, she followed Cynthia's gaze. In the dense crowd of witches was a familiar face. Even Darcy's eyes widened involuntarily, and her voice dropped. "Why is Betty here...?"

Before she and Doris had left for the Temple of Light, Betty had specifically sought them out to ask about Chloe's condition. She should be taking care of Eunice right now.

"It seems the power of this bewitchment is far greater than I imagined." The index finger of the hand Cynthia used to grip her staff bent slightly, tapping the shaft. The dull sound was lost in the din of battle. She lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I'll deal with the Blood Demon. You all find the right moment to capture the witches."

"Capture the witches?"

Cynthia nodded. Her red lips curled, but her eyes held no trace of a smile. "I'm a little curious about what exactly the Garcia witches have been through."

What kind of "bewitchment" could completely change an entire family in such a short time.

Cynthia had yet to make a move, and the combined forces of the God Race, Light Believers, and Light Knights were simply too numerous. The Blood Demon floated in mid-air, staring down for a long time without finding Cynthia, which left her feeling rather unenthusiastic.

Her long spear circled within the black mist. The Blood Demon turned her head, but when she couldn't find the Sethite Grand Elder, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. She raised a hand, about to urge the witches to quicken their pace, but before the command could be given, a golden arrow shot up from the crowd below. Time seemed to stand still. A golden light gradually filled the Blood Demon's entire field of vision, like a bolt of golden lightning carrying the thunderous power to split heaven and earth.

The golden arrow didn't intimidate the Blood Demon; on the contrary, it stirred her will to fight. An arm condensed from black mist reached out, grabbing the long spear that had been circling her. The Blood Demon scanned the crowd below from her high vantage point and quickly spotted Cynthia.

Cynthia stood alone in a clearing, the dark green longbow that had fired the arrow resting against the ground at her feet. She tilted her head up slightly, a few strands of her long silver hair scattered by the wind onto the bow.

"Found you." The Blood Demon looked down at Cynthia, her deep voice filled with unconcealable excitement. She hurled the long spear toward Cynthia. The black mist around her dissipated, only to re-condense a second later just a meter above Cynthia's head.

The Blood Demon's long spear was a divine weapon. The moment it locked onto her, Cynthia felt its heavy, oppressive force. A crimson light expanded from a single point, gradually consuming her entire field of vision.

The black mist and the long spear struck as one. Cynthia cautiously took a step back, raising the dark green longbow from the ground. But there wasn't enough time to form an arrow. The spear was suddenly upon her, its sharp tip aimed at her throat, ready to pierce it at any moment.

Seeing Cynthia seemingly defenseless, the Blood Demon let out a low laugh. With a flick of her wrist, she was about to thrust the spear forward and pierce Cynthia's fragile throat when a cold gust of wind rushed past her ear. A pale green arrow grazed her cheek and struck the spear. A surge of nature power erupted into a ferocious whirlwind, instantly tearing the Blood Demon's body of condensed black mist to shreds.

The spear was knocked slightly off course by the arrow, its aim shifting from Cynthia's throat to her shoulder. A flash of golden light carried Cynthia several meters back. She turned sideways to evade the spear, raising her right hand. Her dark green longbow collided with the spear, producing a piercing clang.

The dark green longbow was something Olivia had taken from the temple of the Goddess of the Forest. It, too, was a divine weapon, and of a higher grade than the Blood Demon's long spear.

Without the Blood Demon's control, the spear was deflected by the dark green longbow. Cynthia switched the bow to her other hand and shook out her numb fingers. She turned her head slightly to look back. Olivia was floating in mid-air, preparing a second arrow. Her beauty was exquisite, but her expressionless face made her seem stern. She stared coldly at the black mist, her peripheral vision catching Cynthia's movement, and she glanced in her direction.

Seeing that she and Olivia had made eye contact, Cynthia deliberately gave her a wink.

Olivia's fingers, drawing the bowstring, paused for a moment before she looked away. But her cold, pale green eyes had unknowingly softened.

Although the hurricane hadn't caused the Blood Demon any substantial damage, her current soul form meant the black mist composing her body was constantly being dispersed, which she found irritating. She raised a hand to catch her returning spear, then shot an impatient glance at Olivia, who kept firing at her from a distance. Unleashing her full Power of Darkness, she instantly engulfed Cynthia below in a thick, pitch-black fog.

The black mist blocked Olivia's vision and cut off her senses, preventing her from pinpointing Cynthia and the Blood Demon's locations. The arrow on her bowstring was fully formed, and Olivia tried adjusting her aim a few times, but ultimately, she frowned and waved her hand, dissipating it.

The Blood Demon was arguably the enemy with the strongest Power of Darkness Cynthia had ever encountered. As the pitch-black fog swirled around her, the staff in her hand began to tremble as if in fear. The gem at its tip struggled to emit a golden light, but the glow was faint.

As the God Race's power had grown, Darcy had equipped her people with staves crafted from the finest light gems and materials. Even within the Blood Domain of a Second Generation Vampire, they had never shown such "timidity."

Cynthia looked down at the staff and reached out to stroke the gem at its tip soothingly. After trembling for a moment longer, it gradually grew still.

The black mist muffled all outside noise. The sudden silence was slightly unsettling to Cynthia. Gripping her staff, she looked around as if searching for a way to break out.

The Blood Demon watched Cynthia, who looked lost and helpless while trapped within the Power of Darkness. Her earlier impatience vanished completely. She loved toying with her enemies; watching them cry and beg for mercy was more thrilling to her than tearing them to shreds.

In the unnerving silence, the slightest whisper of wind was exceptionally clear. A cold gust blew through Cynthia's silver hair as a crimson spear struck from behind. She dodged just in time, but a lock of her hair was severed by the sharp blade and drifted slowly to the ground.

"This body must be the Goddess of Light's most satisfactory creation." The Blood Demon didn't approach, instead floating in the air and controlling the spear, chuckling to herself as she watched Cynthia's desperate evasions. "And to think it's been occupied by a stray soul like you, from who knows where," she called out. "It's a pity the gods have left. Otherwise, they could have all had a good laugh at the Goddess of Light's expense."

Cynthia had guessed the Blood Demon might recognize this body, but she hadn't expected her to know so much. She swung her staff, summoning Light Fire to block the spear's attacks. Golden flames flashed against the surrounding darkness, and in the flickering light, Cynthia's expression became indistinct.

The Blood Demon taunted her for some time, but Cynthia gave no reaction, which dampened her good mood. She floated a few meters closer and demanded, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Cynthia hadn't needed to chant to summon the Light Fire. Although she had to remain vigilant against the spear, it shouldn't have prevented her from speaking.

The Blood Demon circled her, looking her up and down. With a hint of confusion, she muttered to herself, "Can she not hear me?"

She had seen Cynthia a few times before, and the woman had a sharp tongue. It wasn't like her to hear such taunts and remain silent.

The staff in Cynthia's hand was an ordinary one. Under the dual pressure of the Power of Darkness and the long spear, cracks soon appeared on its shaft. The gem at its tip gradually dimmed until it lost its Power of Light completely, becoming a cold, hard stone.

The staff snapped in the middle, shattering into several pieces, and the Light Fire vanished with it. The space plunged back into darkness. Seeing Cynthia's staff broken, the Blood Demon grew smug and laughed loudly. "You can't even protect your own weapon. How useless."

The Blood Demon had already moved closer to test if Cynthia could hear her. Now, seeing the staff break, she threw all caution to the wind, wanting to get right up in Cynthia's face to mock her.

With the Light Fire gone, the Power of Darkness that had been held at bay instantly enveloped Cynthia. Darkness stole her vision once more, and the corrupting power clung to her exposed skin. Cynthia casually tossed aside the broken staff, took out a bottle of Holy Water, and drank it while observing her surroundings. Her face showed none of the panic and fear the Blood Demon expected; instead, it was as calm as still water.

The Blood Demon had no physical body; catching her would not be easy. She had to make the Blood Demon lower her guard... Cynthia felt the black mist drawing ever closer. In the darkness, her red lips curled into a beautiful arc. She tossed the bottle aside and rested her hand lightly on the Space Gem at her waist.

The Blood Demon, still circling Cynthia and muttering incessantly, was suddenly blinded by an explosion of golden light. Instantly alert, she instinctively tried to retreat but found she couldn't move. A ring of light had trapped her soul form in place.

"Who said I only have one weapon?" Cynthia twirled a staff in her hand, looking at the Blood Demon, who was now visible within the golden light. Beaming, she said softly, "Finally caught you, General Blood Demon."

She paused, then added with a smile, "Or should I call you... Lord Dark God?"

The Blood Demon struggled but couldn't break free from the ring of light. She had never imagined Cynthia could trap her, but what angered her even more was being ignored. She glared up at Cynthia and roared, "You could hear me! Why didn't you answer me before?"

Cynthia blinked, her expression unreadable. "Is that important?"

The Blood Demon was furious. "Of course it's important! How dare you, a lowly stray soul, ignore me!"

She was a general of the God of Darkness, after all. To be ignored by a mere stray soul was even more infuriating than being tricked.

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