The bishop let out a furious roar before completely losing all signs of life.
Slowly pulling her sword free, the knight flicked off the blood from its blade and, with a casual wave, deflected the spell cast by the nun.
"Life magic isn't meant for battle. Sister Pamela, you should just stay as the church's lucky mascot."
This time, the voice coming from beneath the armor was that of a sultry woman — smooth, rich, and dangerously alluring. There was a strange, irresistible charm in her tone that could make a weak-willed listener fall in love with the sound alone.
She removed her helmet, revealing a cascade of fiery red hair. With a graceful flick of her head, her long hair shimmered in the light as she smiled playfully at Hel.
"I'm curious — how did you notice something was wrong with me? My disguise should've been flawless in this world."
She shrugged lightly, lips curling into a predatory smile. "But no matter. Once you're dead, the secret dies with you."
Her fingers caressed the sword's edge. This time, the aura radiating from it turned a deep, corrupted violet-black — aura of corruption.
"You're Anderson's sister, Tessa? No… that's impossible. She died in battle two years ago!" the nun exclaimed, her voice full of disbelief.
"When the commander dies, it's common for someone close to him to take his place — to keep morale intact," the knight replied with a cold laugh. "And those two years have shown me the true, rotten face of your Church."
With a casual motion, she tossed her sword. The blade flew faster than the eye could see and, in the blink of an eye, pinned the nun to the floor. The corrupted aura surged into the nun's body, dragging her into a spiral of hallucinations.
"Well then, the nuisance is gone. Now, let's get back to us, little angel."
The knight stepped around the conference table, approaching Hel and Vivian with measured steps. She gazed down at Vivian, who stood protectively in front of Hel, a mocking smirk tugging at her lips.
"What a perfect body… such pure angelic blood. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a real angel descended from the heavens."
Her voice dripped with obsession — as though she were admiring a divine work of art.
"This has been a good hunt. Since I'm in a generous mood, I'll let you die knowing why."
She drew a small vial from her storage ring, uncorked it, and released a faint purple wisp.
Before anyone could react, the wisp shot straight into Vivian's body. Even Hel — who had been quietly preparing her spell this whole time — was a heartbeat too late. The last rune of her incantation flared to life just as the spirit vanished into Viviane's chest.
A wild laugh rang out.
"Hahaha! You can call me Imshi, the Thousand-Faced Assassin. I was hired by the Supreme Church to take your life, little angel!"
As she spoke, she lunged forward, hand reaching for Vivian's throat.
Vivian didn't flinch. The holy light within her body flared, forming a brilliant barrier before her. She wasn't delusional enough to think she could win — she only wanted to buy Hel a few seconds to escape.
But the difference in strength was far too great. The armored hand tore through the light barrier like paper and reached for her neck.
Just then, the nun — having barely broken free from her hallucination — raised her staff with trembling hands. She gathered every bit of elemental power in her body, channeling it into the staff's single offensive spell.
She never saw the cold, triumphant smirk that flickered across Imshi's face as the assassin caught sight of her reflection in the window.
Before the nun could release her spell, a glowing magic circle appeared beneath Imshi's feet.
A low chant echoed through the room.
[High-Tier Elemental Spell: Four-Pillar Seal.]
Four massive elemental pillars erupted upward from the magic circle. From each pillar shot countless chains of raw elemental energy, weaving a shimmering web that sealed every possible escape route.
"What is this…?"
Imshi's eyes widened. She tried to summon her aura, but within this network of binding chains, her energy refused to move.
If her true body were present, she might have resisted — but this was only a puppet.
"So, it's domain-level magic… I was careless."
Her gaze fell on the burning magic scroll in Hel's hand, and she finally understood.
"I see… a pre-cast scroll. Well, next time, you won't be so lucky."
Her form began to tremble violently as the elements within her body surged chaotically — she was trying to self-destruct to break the bindings.
Hel's expression remained icy. Her lips parted slightly, and she whispered two words:
"Execution Bind."
In that instant, the chains began to move — grinding, twisting, and shredding everything within.
The sound was like a thousand blades tearing through metal and flesh.
Within moments, the armor, the flesh, and the corrupted essence that made up Imshi's puppet were all ripped apart — reduced to glittering fragments of mithril and a crimson mist that drifted through the air.
Through that cloud of blood, the nun looked up and saw Hel — her cold, beautiful face illuminated by the fading glow of the burning scroll.
For a brief, haunting moment, she seemed less like a young noblewoman… and more like a demon standing in the midst of carnage.
"Th-this…"
The nun swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "What… what was that?"
Hel smiled gently as she helped Vivian to her feet.
"A magic scroll. My grandfather's legacy."
The nun let out a soft whistle of awe.
"Top-tier magic scrolls… your grandfather was certainly a generous man."
She staggered toward the bishop's body, pulling the sword free with some effort. Kneeling beside him, she murmured softly,
"May you return to the Lord's embrace."
With a sigh, she closed his still-open eyes and turned to Hel with a grave, sincere expression.
"Thank you for your help, Lady Hel. But I must take the angel and leave immediately."