Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 217

[Vol. 5] Chapter 217: Breaking the Army

“So, Xiaoqi, you shouldn’t rely too much on probabilities…”

*Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh… bang!*

Before she could finish her sentence, a series of rapid explosions, like fireworks bursting in the sky, echoed from the distant hillside. Philomena immediately perked up, hurriedly wrapping the gemstone in cloth and tucking it into her inner pocket, then stood up to gaze into the distance.

“It’s the signal! Sacchino City has begun!”

She quickly turned around and, with a demeanor entirely different from her casual conversation, issued commands to her waiting personal guards.

“Everyone, prepare to move according to the plan!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The large army, which had been waiting for some time, sprang into action. The Knight Templars mounted their armored horses, while the priests and the Saintess Healing Order members, who were less suited for close combat, boarded specially designed battle chariots that allowed them to cast spells from within. They readied themselves for the imminent assault.

Under the protection of her personal guards and the ever-present Xiaoqi, the Saintess herself moved to the hillside where the Bright Light Saintess and Miss White Fox had once observed Sacchino City. From this high vantage point, she awaited the arrival of her personal battle chariot while observing the city’s situation below.

“Quite the spectacle… So many demons have already descended upon our world?”

Previously, to avoid alerting the enemy, Philomena and her troops had remained hidden behind the hillside. But now that the signal had been sent from Sacchino City, the enemy’s attention was drawn in the opposite direction, giving Philomena her first opportunity to witness the vast demon army besieging the isolated city.

A sea of dense, black demonic beasts filled every corner outside the small city at the foot of the mountain. Like waves, they surged toward the golden barrier covering the city walls, only to be repeatedly pushed back. A conservative estimate suggested there were at least over a hundred thousand of them.

If one disregarded the difference in individual combat strength, facing this force head-on, the several thousand members of the Saintess Healing Order and over twenty thousand reorganized Knight Templars led by the Redemption Saintess would be at a clear disadvantage.

Not to mention the presence of elite demon forces and many powerful high-ranking demons lurking within.

Especially since this Holy War had been confirmed to involve not just a single demon lord, but a coalition of the forces of ?Slaughter?, ?Corruption?, and ??Defilement?. This meant the direct bloodlines of the three demon lords had likely already descended upon this world.

It was, without a doubt, unprecedented and unimaginable.

“I’ve heard the western gate, aside from facing the Star River, is under the weakest attack. How terrible must the battles at the north and south gates be… Merciful Goddess, please protect your faithful followers…”

Philomena sent out a prayer in worry, almost unconsciously.

“Your Highness, the carriage has arrived. The personal guards are ready to depart at any time.”

“Hmm, let’s wait a little longer. Follow my command.”

According to the plan previously arranged through long-distance communication with Sacchino City, their forces would break out in a surprise attack to draw some of the enemy’s attention at the western gate, creating an opening for Philomena’s troops.

Undoubtedly, such a forced assault to break through the demon lines, even for the famed elite troops of the Holy Empire, would result in heavy losses. Philomena had wanted to refuse, but the distant Yuna had shut her down with a single sentence, “Do you have a better option?” Faced with no alternative, she had reluctantly agreed.

War is no game, and casualties are inevitable. As leaders, all they could do was reduce those numbers as much as possible, which was why uniting with the Redemption Saintess’s forces was crucial.

Now that the signal had been sent, it was time…

With this thought, two white figures suddenly soared into the sky from within Sacchino City!

These were two stunning young women with pure white, four-winged forms, their bodies seemingly shrouded in a platinum radiance. They shot out beyond the city walls, resembling two brilliant meteors trailing bright, fiery tails, heading straight for the demons’ battle lines!

Seemingly filled with fear and panic, the disciplined demon forces let out a series of sharp, urgent screeches, and several figures launched into the air to intercept the strange white-winged girls.

But before they could get close, a massive burning white-hot meteor, over a hundred meters in diameter, suddenly descended from the sky, crashing down onto the high-ranking demons without any warning!

The meteor came fast and furious. The moment it appeared, it slammed down upon the demons, its immense force and weight driving them into the ground below. The impact sent shockwaves through the dense sea of demonic beasts, creating a deafening roar and a tidal wave of destruction, as if an earthquake had struck.

“Hahaha! Foolish idiots!”

In the air, faint laughter could be heard from one of the white-winged girls wielding a staff, the one who had summoned the meteor attack. The two of them spun mockingly above the now-chaotic center of the demon ranks before accelerating again. They shot southward, trailing the brilliant white-gold flames of meteors breaking through the sky.

And then, just two or three seconds later—

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!”

The massive boulders that had crashed to the ground shattered into pieces, and several figures, radiating terrifying auras, burst forth once again!

Even after taking such a devastating blow head-on, they appeared completely unharmed. Enraged by the mockery, they charged straight at the two white-winged girls. Both sides, in pursuit of one another, quickly vanished from Philomena’s line of sight.

“That was…”

The Saintess, who had witnessed the entire event, was inwardly astonished.

She had previously heard unreliable rumors that while the demon invasion was overwhelming, the goddess had, for the first time, sent down Her envoys to help Her followers repel the foreign invaders.

The ?Blood Calamity? in the St. Bergen Mountains had been resolved because of this. Though she was far away in the capital, isolated from the latest news, as a Saintess and a direct descendant of the Lambert family, she was aware of some details from that great battle. She had assumed the rumors were merely fabricated by the temple to boost morale, but now it seemed…

“Such forms, and that aura of holiness and purity… Could angels really have joined this holy war?”

“Your Highness Philomena, please focus. We’re about to begin the operation.”

Xiaoqi’s calm reminder echoed in her ears. Moments later, with another cannon blast from within the distant city, the western gate of Sacchino City, which had withstood three days of relentless attacks, suddenly burst open. A cavalry force, composed of Knight Templars and elite unicorn-mounted soldiers, surged forth like a mighty wave, led by Miss Holy Knight in her snow-white armor!

“Under the radiance of the Goddess! In the name of the Goddess, knights of the Divine! Charge with me!!!”

“Holy Light! Smite the enemies of the Divine!!!”

“Kill!!!”

The Knight Templars, long prepared, galloped forward, raising their golden holy swords and swinging their massive halberds. Like a sharp blade piercing through soft cheese, they instantly shattered the demonic beast forces in front of them, tearing open a terrifying rift in the demon line outside the western city, advancing forward as if no one could stand in their way!

Philomena observed everything clearly.

Had it not been for the chaos caused by those two angels earlier, and the distraction of the powerful demons who had been drawn away, this charge, even if successful, would likely have resulted in significant casualties.

But with the loss of their strongest leaders and the knights deliberately avoiding areas with high-ranking demons, the remaining demon beasts and unprepared ordinary demons had no hope of stopping these elite holy knights, whose individual combat power was extraordinary.

Within just a few minutes, the thousands of knights pouring out of the city had pierced through the chaotic enemy lines and galloped westward, pursuing the path the two angels had taken earlier!

“……”

Watching the chaotic battlefield below, where at least a third of the elite demon forces had broken off to give chase, the Redemption Saintess took a deep breath and turned to head toward the carriage that had just pulled up nearby.

“Let’s go. It’s our turn to take the stage.”