Inside the crimson hall, the corpses of the dead followers lay prostrate on the ground. Though they were already dead, their bodies continued to twitch. This was no simple nerve reflex; amidst those rhythmic spasms, they actually began to stand up in a grotesque fashion.
The muscles across their bodies began to bulge, compressing their internal organs until they punctured through their skin. Their hair fell out in clumps, and blood flowed down their scarlet muscles to the floor, mixing with a transparent, mucus-like fluid. The scene was both twisted and uncanny.
“No wonder... I would create so many blood demons...” Li Yue slowly brushed the white hair covering her face behind her head. A faint, resigned smile touched her lips, making her appear relaxed and even cheerful.
“Letting these humans share my pain and madness... it truly is a fine method. It is just a pity that madness is infinite.” Li Yue murmured softly, “Even if all the humans in the world finished sharing my madness, that last little bit would still slowly... consume me...”
“It is a temporary fix at best, but... it is enough for now. As for how to solve it, I will just leave that to Clo.” Li Yue’s wrist turned slightly, and the human bodies that had transformed into blood demons were instantly impaled by blood crystals. They thrashed their limbs in agony, like insects caught in a spider’s web, before finally being forced to face their own annihilation.
“But if I kill them as I go, it seems nothing will remain. As long as one is not polluted by their blood, everything will be fine.” Li Yue’s fingers twitched casually, and blood crystals grew wildly across the floor. These monsters—devoid of skin, with overgrown muscles and long since stripped of self-awareness and humanity—left with only bloodlust, eventually met a miserable end at the hands of their own blood.
“It is a pity most humans are foolish and cowardly. They cannot even easily kill such weak creatures.” Li Yue shook her hand as if trying to flick away all the filth, her expression one of slight revulsion and disgust.
“As long as they are killed, this pain and madness... will completely vanish into thin air...” Li Yue’s eyelids lowered slightly as she glanced toward a corner, her voice tinged with a hint of sorrow. “As long as there is total death, whether it be gods, humans... or the monsters gods become, this madness will vanish from this world along with their passing.”
“Then the gods of future generations will remember this tragic farce, and when ‘He’ descends, they will utterly ‘destroy’ him...” Li Yue clenched her hand, and a bright red blood sword appeared in her grip. She gave it a few experimental swings, seemingly still adapting to this body.
“As for me... I will... handle the aftercare for them. From now on, their stories will never again circulate in this secular world...” Li Yue pursed her lips.
“From now on, everything returns to ashes.”
Numerous blood swords coalesced in the air, their patterns clearly visible. Each blade was inscribed with strange magic runes to enhance its power. This entire process had occurred in the brief moment Li Yue took to shape the blood crystals. Although her control over blood and magic was far from its peak, there was no longer anyone in this world who could match her.
She brandished the blood sword in her hand, looking coldly at the gathered followers. She then fired a blood sword; the sharp, powerful strike instantly shattered the magic barrier they had painstakingly constructed. At the same time, it utterly crushed their final remnants of confidence and courage to resist.
“Do any of you... wish to die for your faith?”
Li Yue gestured with her longsword, the tip pointing directly at the lifelike statue behind her. Its clear face was exactly the same as the one in her memories. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference.
The black-robed magic users fled in a panic. Those magic users of Soul who had not died were the ones who had not enslaved human souls. At this moment, this was the final chance for survival Li Yue granted them. The choice was entirely in their hands; this was perhaps Li Yue’s most magnanimous and merciful act.
Li Yue had no intention of wasting time. Before long, their distress signals would bring reinforcements from other churches. As for this church—the second largest in the world, one that could even rival the sect of Death within the Royal Court—Li Yue knew they would have no shortage of Calamity Warlocks. She herself would likely have to avoid their full brunt if she faced several at once.
Watching the crowd scatter, she saw someone she both did and did not expect: the Bishop who had led her inside. Because of him, Li Yue had been willing to give those who renounced their faith a path to live. Yet this man chose the path to death.
“You will die. You should think this through.” Li Yue’s face remained expressionless, her gaze consistently indifferent. When executing death, she had grown accustomed to indifference; if she allowed even a hint of emotion, pain and sorrow would swallow her whole. Perhaps this was... the final blessing and curse left to her by the gods.
“My life has reached its end. Perhaps I expected this, though it is a bit more dignified than I imagined...” He gave a faint smile. “My life was given by Her. It is time I returned it to Her...”
“I only wonder why She saved me then. For what purpose did She save me?” He looked at the divine statue and muttered to himself. “Have the things I’ve done satisfied Her? If She truly is a merciful and kind goddess, have I done well enough...”
“Tell me, what kind of god is She truly... what is the true nature of those gods...” he whispered in confusion. “Is everything between heaven and earth... nothing more than a complete script called ‘hypocrisy’?”
“She was a kind goddess. Truly. Everything else is a lie, but this sentence is true. You have done well enough.” Li Yue did not know why, but at this final moment, she chose to respect his faith, even though such things had never been worth mentioning to her.
“When She comes to see you, She will surely be satisfied with Her initial decision, whether it was intentional or not.” Li Yue pursed her lips. “I guarantee it to you in the name of the God of Death.”
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