Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 215

[Vol. 5] Chapter 215: Isolated Island

The battle in Sacchino City had already erupted for over three days.

Demons surged in from almost all four directions, north, south, east, and west, launching an unrelenting assault on this small city standing on the western bank of the starry river, like a hurricane without pause.

Among these, the attacks from the north and south along the river were the most intense.

After months of lurking in the provinces of Sarnos and Keller, the demons seemed to have transported a substantial force from their homeland to this world.

The strength they displayed had surpassed previous large-scale wars, reaching a level of brutality unmatched in the history of the Holy Empire.

The demon beasts alone, used as cannon fodder, numbered over a million on the battlefield, like an endless ocean that showed no signs of stopping. For a full three days, more than seventy hours, those black and gray figures never vanished from beneath the walls of Sacchino City.

Their relentless day-and-night assaults put immense pressure on the defending forces, even forcing the Holy Empire’s soldiers to burn the bodies piling up outside the city with holy flames multiple times. Otherwise, the sheer accumulation of corpses would have likely reached the height of the city walls by now.

The Holy Empire adhered to a strategy of elite troops, and even in such a large-scale war, the real main force they committed to this holy war was merely around a hundred thousand soldiers.

While this gave them considerable advantages in many aspects, such as stronger individual combat abilities that effectively prevented the spread of the ?Defilement? plague within the ranks, or the capability to swiftly occupy Sacchino City and gain the upper hand on the battlefield even when ambushed by demons, the drawback of insufficient numbers was equally apparent.

For instance, as it stood now, the enemy could continuously exhaust the defending forces using demon beasts as cannon fodder.

Meanwhile, the truly powerful mid-to-high-level demons remained in the periphery, occasionally launching a few charges and attacks, which made it quite challenging for the defenders to respond.

It wasn’t that they were difficult to contend with. Rather, it was simply a matter of human limitations.

Although demon beasts were only the most basic units among demons, they were still far stronger than ordinary humans.

A standard Knight Templar could typically handle three or four of these creatures simultaneously, but the claws of the demon beasts could easily cut through the relatively weak necks of the Holy Knights, and clerics and similar professions were especially vulnerable to close encounters with the enemy.

As a result, the Holy Empire had to respond earnestly to each assault launched by the demons, rotating their forces to ensure the stability of their front line.

While the casualties on the demon side far exceeded the damage suffered by the Holy Empire’s forces, three days and nights of relentless assaults had significantly weakened the state of the defenders in Sacchino City.

The city was not about to fall, but they were indeed at a disadvantage.

The reason for this, apart from the fierce onslaught of the demons, was that the Saintess Healing Order, led by the Redemption Saintess, and rear support had yet to arrive.

The city lacked sufficient healing units to match the over a hundred thousand troops, and now the situation was beginning to deteriorate as casualties increased alongside their declining state.

On the southern city wall.

“It has already been three days.”

“Yes, it has been three days.”

The Holy Knight, clad in white armor, stood atop the wall, responding to the murmurs of the white fox lady beside her, who was dressed as a shrine maiden.

“How are you holding up? This is your first time participating in such a war, right?”

Edwina shook her head. In just three days, the remnants of her youthful innocence had faded, replaced by a true sense of maturity and resilience. The divine aura emanating from her had only intensified through the continuous battles, stabilizing at a transcendent level pushed by the ?God’s Bloods?.

The golden flames rising from her holy sword consumed the tainted demon blood, yet she did not sheathe the blade. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the surrounding city walls, which had already suffered significant damage even under the protective reinforcement of faith-based magic.

“I’m not too troubled, since so far, the enemies we’ve faced have been quite standard. Compared to those I encountered during my training, they really can’t be considered a hassle. In fact, I’ve gained a lot from this experience. But for the others, and for this city…”

“That’s true.”

Miss White Fox did not continue to look at her but instead gazed out at the horizon, where the dark waves of demon beasts surged again, nodding slightly.

Edwina Cecilia was known as a being of divine descent, having endured many trials and obtained the blessing of Violet’s skill ?Kiss of Light?. After integrating this power, she had become one of the strongest in the Holy Empire’s army, second only to the Bright Light Saintess, Yuna.

If even someone like her were to succumb under the pressure, this isolated island beneath the sea of demons would have already been overturned by the waves.

“What do you plan to do next?”

Although it involved confidential military intelligence, Edwina had no reason to hide it from a certain priestess. She took a few steps back, lowered her voice, and confessed.

“Actually, it’s not that complicated. Before this battle began, both Her Highness Yuna and I had already prepared ourselves for great sacrifices.”

“Though Sacchino is a small city, it absolutely cannot be lost. This place is not only the last bastion protecting our inner territory, but it is also an important foothold for our future advance to the east and the recovery of lost lands. Even if it costs lives and blood, we must repel this premeditated assault by the demons.”

“The most urgent issue right now is reinforcements.”

“Our strength has always been in healing and sustained combat capabilities, but with the absence of the Redemption Saintess, it has instead become a disadvantage. Therefore, we must unite with them as soon as possible.”

“Boom!!!”

A demon long-range attack suddenly exploded on the city wall beneath their feet, sending up thick clouds of dust and loud bangs into the sky.

However, Edwina, who was already accustomed to such noises, seemed unfazed. She had just stepped back from the front line to rest for a moment and continued speaking in a volume only the girl beside her could hear.

“However, now that the demons have surrounded the city, Sacchino has become an isolated island. Even if the reinforcements led by Philomina arrive, it will likely be difficult for them to break through the encirclement and join our forces. A small misstep could draw the attention of demon armies from other directions, putting them in danger.”

“The current plan is for me to lead a portion of the elite cavalry to pretend to break out, temporarily drawing away the main enemy forces at the west gate before the demons notice the approaching Redemption Saintess. Once they safely enter the city, we will use our speed to turn back and retreat. Miss Dawn, what do you think?”

“Well… a feigned attack to mislead them?”

Violet pondered for a moment, resting her chin on her hand.

“It seems simple, but I reckon even the most elite forces would suffer heavy casualties going back and forth. You could be in danger too. … And there are multiple transcendent-level beings in the demon army.”

Upon hearing the white fox girl’s clear articulation of the key difficulty, Edwina couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

“Miss Dawn is absolutely right. Retreating is just what we anticipate. In the worst-case scenario, complete annihilation is entirely possible. But the Redemption Saintess is too important, we must ensure her safety at all costs, and Her Highness Yuna, as the commander, must stay behind to control the situation. Among everyone in the army, I’m the only one suitable to take this risk.”

Seeing Violet fall silent, Miss Holy Knight solemnly placed her hand over her heart.

“Before stepping onto the battlefield, each of us believers is already prepared to sacrifice ourselves for this holy war. It’s an honor.”

“Honor, huh… So, Edwina, have you ever thought about what will happen to the thousands of infected refugees you’ve tried so hard to protect if you were to die?” the white fox girl said with a light laugh.

“You’re not thinking of dumping this mess on me because you can’t handle it, are you?”

“Ah? No, no, no! I—I would never…!”

The blonde girl was taken aback and hurriedly tried to explain, but Violet simply patted her shoulder again to stop her.

“Alright, don’t be so pessimistic. I know you want to do your best and take as much pressure onto yourself as possible, but it’s okay to rely on others sometimes… I told you before that I would provide assistance within a *reasonable* scope.”

“Uh, what do you mean by reasonable…?”

Without immediately answering Edwina’s confusion, Violet suddenly changed the subject and brought up a curiosity that seemed completely unrelated to their current discussion.

“By the way, I’ve heard that the Redemption Saintess possesses resurrection magic that can bring the dead back to life. Is that true?”