Boom! Parniel swung her mace. Though it was a simple swing, the air itself seemed to tear apart with a deafening sound. The surrounding monsters were blasted away as if a bomb had detonated in their midst. "Hup!" Thud! Flesh and blood rained down like a storm. Parniel stepped forward with a fierce expression. Each step she took caused the ground to tremble and crack as if the earth itself was groaning. The monsters stumbled as though swept up in a violent hurricane. Her massive mace cleaved through the air once again. Boom! Boom! Boom! Each swing unleashed shockwaves that devastated the area. The monsters swarming toward the center were torn apart and shattered, their remains scattering in all directions. With each passing moment, Parniel’s attacks grew more ferocious. Alone, she pushed back and dominated the unending tide of monsters. Even the elite Ruthanian Army, known for their discipline and fearlessness, were momentarily awestruck. In their eyes, Parniel seemed less like a warrior and more like a living catastrophe. Boom! Her mace slammed into a troll’s skull, shattering it completely and crushing its torso in the same motion. Kraaaah! Despite her overwhelming power, the crazed monsters showed no fear. They continued charging at her, driven purely by instinct. "Haaah..." Parniel gripped her blood-soaked mace tightly, glaring at the approaching horde. Flanking her on both sides were mages tirelessly casting spells, leaving her to handle the monsters pouring into the center. As she drew upon her divine power, her body began to radiate a blinding light. Seeing her glow, the monsters went into an even greater frenzy. Now, they no longer cared about the fortress. Every single one of them was fixated on Parniel alone. Kraaaaah! A maddened ogre charged at her, wildly swinging its massive club. Even though Parniel was large for a human, she was still dwarfed by the monstrous ogre. Yet, with her thick arms, she caught the ogre’s club mid-swing. Boom! A thunderous sound rang out, and an unbelievable sight unfolded. The ogre’s enormous club shattered like a fragile twig, its fragments scattering like rain. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶 Amidst the flying debris, Parniel stood firm, unmoving. Not a strand of her hair was disturbed, nor did her feet shift an inch. "Huh?" The ogre looked down at its shattered weapon, bewildered. In that fleeting moment, Parniel’s eyes flashed with divine light. Swish! Her mace moved like lightning, slicing through the air. Boom! The ogre’s massive body exploded like an overripe fruit. The sickening sound of bones shattering and flesh tearing echoed across the battlefield. Clutching her blood-drenched mace, Parniel strode forward once more. Kraaaaah! Her immense divine power radiated outward, causing the monsters around her to scream and charge at her in a blind frenzy. Parniel narrowed her eyes at the sight. "Could it be...?" Something strange registered in her divine senses. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but there was definitely an unusual presence amidst the chaos. As a saintess, Parniel’s divine power was inherently close to the essence of the goddess. Unlike ordinary priests, she could perceive even the most subtle disturbances in her divine energy. "No time to think about this now." Boom! Boom! Boom! Parniel brushed aside her concerns and focused on the fight. The horde of monsters was too numerous to allow her any distractions. Thanks to her overwhelming strength, the monsters swarming the center were unable to approach the fortress. She alone held the line, stopping the tide in its tracks. Boom! Even when monsters latched onto her, they barely managed to leave a scratch. And any wounds she sustained healed almost instantly. Standing unyielding like a steel tower, Parniel continued to fight the endless wave of monsters. This was the true power of someone who had once faced Helgenique’s undead legion. Her near-impenetrable defense and devastating attacks, fueled by divine power, were unmatched by even the strongest warriors on the continent. Boom! Boom! Boom! But even Parniel was still human. The prolonged battle began to take its toll, depleting her divine energy and stamina. And there were still more monsters to come than those she had already defeated. It was impossible for her to keep fighting alone. At that moment, Tenant’s voice rang out from the fortress walls. "Support the saintess!" The fortress forces shifted, moving to cover the flanks. With the monsters no longer able to breach the center, the soldiers focused on defending against those climbing up the sides. In the newly cleared space at the fortress’s center, a group of over a hundred priests emerged. Led by Piote, they were representatives from various temples and members of Parniel’s own clergy. Temple knights formed a protective ring around the priests as they moved into position. At the forefront, Piote closed his eyes and began to pray. "Blessed Goddess, grant your servant the grace to banish this darkness." The other priests echoed his words in unison. "Grant us your grace." Flash! Piote’s hair began to shimmer with a silvery glow, and a radiant divine energy burst forth from his body. The priests behind him radiated divine power as well, their combined energy spreading across the battlefield and enveloping the soldiers in a protective aura. The greatest concentration of divine power, however, surged toward Parniel. Grinning, Parniel tightened her grip on her mace. "This is perfect." Her entire body pulsed with renewed strength, amplified by the immense divine power bestowed by Piote and the priests. Now wielding the title of "Saintess of War," Parniel had become more formidable than ever. "Haaaah..." Parniel steadied her breathing and swung her mace once more. She pressed forward without hesitation, undeterred by the monstrous horde. Kraaaaah! The monsters continued their relentless charge, but it was as if they were drawn to her. Even the flying monsters abandoned the fortress to attack her directly. Boom! Boom! Boom! Parniel swept through the horde with ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) relentless power. She was so fast and devastating that more monsters were now targeting her than climbing the fortress. The soldiers atop the fortress, temporarily relieved, watched Parniel in awe. "That’s the true power of a saintess..." "They weren’t lying when they said she was unstoppable with the priests’ support." "And Piote is incredible, too. I can’t believe they’re holding out with just this many priests." The soldiers also directed their admiration toward Piote, who stood serenely in prayer. Piote’s serene figure radiated an untouchable dignity, his presence inspiring reverence among the soldiers. The divine energy enveloped everyone on the battlefield. In this sacred atmosphere, the soldiers fought with renewed vigor. Their morale soared higher than ever. "Waaaaaah!" "We can win! The goddess is with us!" "We are the strongest army on the continent!" The soldiers’ triumphant shouts echoed across the battlefield. Listening to their cheers, Piote smiled faintly. His heart swelled with gratitude toward the goddess. "Thank you, Blessed Goddess! Truly, thank you! I can’t thank you enough!" Originally, the battle plan had Piote standing alone at the front as a decoy. With his divine power, he could survive being swarmed by monsters. The priests and Parniel would support him with divine energy, allowing the rest of the army to fight safely from behind. Piote had protested vehemently, but the others had pressured him into accepting the plan. What spared him from this fate was Parniel’s decisive statement. "I’ll take the lead instead. That way, we’ll crush the monsters faster." Though Piote was skilled in martial arts and capable of utilizing divine power and relics to great effect, his abilities were nowhere near as destructive as Parniel’s. And so, Parniel had taken the frontlines herself. With a subtle smile on his lips, Piote offered silent prayers of gratitude—to the goddess and to Parniel. "Waaaaaah!" "Kraaaaah!" The soldiers’ cheers and the monsters’ roars echoed endlessly across the battlefield. But louder still was the sound of Parniel demolishing everything in her path. Boom! Boom! Boom! Before long, Parniel had pushed far beyond the fortress, engaging the monsters directly in the open field. The entire horde had fixated solely on her. This gave the trebuchet teams, archers, and mages the opportunity to target the monsters’ rear lines freely. Kraaaaah! The monsters were dwindling faster than before. It was time to aid Parniel, who stood isolated at the front. Tenant descended from the fortress, mounted his horse, and raised his spear. Behind him, 20,000 cavalrymen of the Fenris Mobile Corps awaited his command. "Support the saintess!" With a thunderous groan, the fortress's massive steel gate—sturdier and taller than the walls themselves—began to open. As soon as the gate opened, Tenant and the cavalry shot forward like arrows. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thanks to Parniel’s relentless efforts to push back and draw the monsters, the cavalry had ample room to charge. As they picked up speed, the cavalry raised their spears. Zing—! Magical energy coursed through their weapons, igniting 20,000 fiery projectiles that streaked toward the monsters. Boom! Kraaaaah! While medium and large monsters managed to withstand the magical flames, smaller ones fell in droves. The 20,000 fiery projectiles erupted not once but thrice. The monsters converging on Parniel were thrown into chaos, scattered by the sudden attack. Before the monsters could regroup, Tenant and the Fenris cavalry charged into their ranks. Boom! The monstrous tide shattered under the onslaught. Tenant, leading the charge, unleashed a powerful aura blade, cutting down every monster in his path. Even large monsters couldn’t withstand the devastating strikes of his spear. Crunch! The cavalry’s momentum was eventually slowed as they encountered groups of medium and large monsters. But the charge was only part of the attack. Thud! Thud! Thud! Lumina and the mounted archers appeared from the flanks, unleashing a torrent of arrows that rained upon the monsters. Swish! The arrows avoided the allied forces, instead tearing through the monster ranks. The mounted archers maneuvered deftly, distracting nearby monsters while keeping them on the defensive. "Waaaaah!" Following the cavalry’s lead, the infantry surged out of the fortress, accompanied by mages and priests who bolstered their allies with spells and divine blessings. The trebuchets, previously targeting the monster horde’s rear, now focused on the densest clusters of monsters. Every unit moved with remarkable coordination. At the center of it all was Parniel, her overwhelming power commanding the battlefield. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Ruthanian Army, 100,000 strong, joined the fray. The already-dwindling monsters couldn’t hope to withstand such an onslaught. The tide of monsters that had once overwhelmed the battlefield was now smothered beneath the Ruthanian forces. Casualties were minimal, thanks to Parniel taking on the most dangerous position herself. A short time later: Boom! The last of the large monsters fell, its head crushed by Parniel’s mace. "Haaah..." Thud! Parniel planted her mace into the ground and exhaled deeply. Her entire body was drenched in monster blood. The soldiers began lowering their weapons one by one, murmuring among themselves. "It’s over..." "We really killed them all." "I knew we’d pull through." Though the battle had been grueling, the soldiers never doubted their victory. Their pride as the continent’s strongest army fueled their resolve to fight to their limits. Tenant raised his spear high and shouted. "Victory is ours!" "Waaaaah!" The soldiers erupted in jubilant cheers, as they always did in victory. And their adulation was reserved for Parniel, the hero who had risked everything to secure their triumph. "With the saintess by our side, we are invincible!" "The goddess is always with us!" "Bless the saintess, O goddess!" The soldiers celebrated with chants of praise, but Parniel’s expression remained grim. She replayed the strange energy she had sensed during the battle, her thoughts clouded with unease. "Why..." She understood that the monsters were controlled by the dragon’s magic. But this wasn’t just magic—it carried a subtle, sinister force that no one else seemed to notice. Only she, as a saintess, could sense the faint traces of this energy. Amid the roaring cheers of the soldiers, Parniel stood silently, her eyes fixed on the lifeless bodies of the fallen monsters. *** Thanks to the combined efforts of the superhumans, mages, and frontline troops, every fortress had successfully repelled the monster wave. The shadow mountain monsters had been nearly eradicated. The victory brought immense relief, especially to the people of Turian. For years, these monsters had ravaged their kingdom, and their disappearance was a cause for celebration. Though the monsters might return in time, once the dragon responsible was defeated, there would be nothing left to fear. Upon receiving the news of victory from each fortress, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction. "Good. One major task is finally complete. Now it’s time to prepare for the next step." He planned to leave behind a small force to handle any remaining monsters while preparing for the final confrontation with the dragon. Only the superhumans and mages would remain as the primary defense. After organizing his forces, Ghislain convened a meeting of all the commanders and allowed himself a rare moment of rest. That night, he dreamed again. These dreams had become more frequent of late. But this one was different. "What is that..." As always, it was a battle between the allied forces of humanity and the Salvation Order. That much was familiar. But this time, there were new figures on the battlefield, people he had never seen before. Watching the battle unfold in his dream, Ghislain’s expression hardened, his unease growing with each passing moment.