"REPENT!"
The words pressed inward, heavy and suffocating, like a divine hand descending upon Emery's soul. It carried spiritual authority layered with forced serenity that sought to dissolve hostility. It was a demand for submission.
Emery's spirit reacted before conscious thought could catch up.
Within the depths of his spiritual sea, a five-tier rainbow pagoda erupted into existence. Bands of prismatic light spiraled upward in layered rotations, forming a towering inner citadel of mind and will.
When the holy command struck, it did not pass easily. It crashed against the pagoda in cascading waves of luminous force, each impact splintering into shards of color that dissolved like rain against stained glass.
The Papal Cardinal's calm expression flickered.
"Who is he?"
He had expected resistance, but not this.
Emery's grip on Denard did not loosen.
