Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 284

[Vol. 5] Chapter 284: The Battle Beside the Star River

“A sinner yearning for redemption… an interesting title indeed.”

The white fox girl looked thoughtfully at the page in her hand, which dissolved into tiny golden sparks.

As someone who had been around for over three hundred years, Loknisa, the true strongest member of the Cecilia family, undoubtedly knew far more than Frederica. But it seemed she hadn’t revealed many of those details to her descendants.

A cunning old fox…

Besides indicating the destination at the end, this letter had another crucial function: to take a stance.

It was clear that Loknisa wasn’t the direct cause of the transformation of the Goddess Church three hundred years ago. Instead, she seemed more like someone who knew but either couldn’t or didn’t stop it, only fulfilling her duty as best she could while going along with the times.

That’s why she calls herself a heretic, claiming both that she and her family never abandoned their faith, and that she yearns for redemption.

But there’s still one thing that doesn’t quite add up.

If that’s the case, and Loknisa now believes that “Dawn” is the “Holy Messenger of the Primordial Light,” this would be the perfect moment to stand firmly by her side.

Yet, her stance remains ambiguous. She helps them, but not wholeheartedly, and her explanations are vague, as though concealing something.

She seems to have intentionally guided Ayla to a certain place, discovered the true core secrets of the Goddess Church, and leaked the intel early to give them time to prepare, preventing her from reaching her goal smoothly.

She even anticipated that “Dawn” would mark Ayla to monitor her safety, and by triggering this marker, she lured a certain fox back, leaving behind guiding letters.

A double agent, perhaps…

At this point, being a double agent would only mean she’s pleasing no one, but considering Loknisa Cecilia’s past…

The white fox girl clenched her now-empty hand and turned to look out the window, a slight smile curving beneath her mask.

“Interesting. Then, I’ll accept this sincere invitation.”

…………………

Fulan Province, Sacchino City.

“Knights of the Goddess! In the name of the Goddess, the time for counterattack has come! Slay the demons!”

“Attack!!!”

At that moment, the city’s four battered gates burst open simultaneously. Under the brilliant pillar of light rising from the city center and the Bright Light Saintess’s thundering command, the armies surged forth like a raging flood against the retreating silhouettes of the demons below the city walls.

The army of white-armored holy knights clashed with the dark sea of demons on the fields beside the Star River, merging into two distinct, roaring waves. The sound of weapons clashing and galloping horses filled the air as the battle reached its grandest crescendo.

After two months of grueling attrition and seesaw conflict, the decisive moment in this key battle around the small border city beside the Star River had finally arrived.

The arrival of the Redemption Saintess and the Saintess Healing Order tipped the scales, with the Holy Empire’s elite tactics and endurance playing to full effect. The demons, exhausted by prolonged failed assaults, had suffered significant losses.

In particular, Edwina’s unit actively disrupted the demons from the rear, forcing them to split their forces. Her swift and unpredictable maneuvers spread chaos, requiring the demons to divert resources to secure their supply lines.

After all, demons aren’t like the beasts of the abyss. They are a military force, and like any organized army, they need food and supplies. This was the core theory behind the “Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao” strategy proposed by a certain fox.

But this battle’s outcome was still undecided.

The once vast demon horde had dwindled to less than half its original numbers due to casualties and reinforcements being withdrawn. Although the high and mid-tier demon forces besieging the city had suffered losses, they remained a formidable force, nearly equal in strength to the Holy Empire’s main forces.

The demon commander was no fool. After repeated attacks from the rear without being able to track down the elusive ambush unit, they had already roughly guessed the Holy Empire’s intentions.

If they couldn’t prevent it, they would go along with it.

A decisive frontal battle was, in fact, the outcome the demons had hoped for as well.

Unlike a siege, a victory in open battle outside the city walls would yield results far exceeding those of the previous two months of skirmishes. If they could break the main Holy Empire force here, then no matter how fierce that ambush unit might be, it would no longer affect the outcome.

Thus, they had prepared a game-changing surprise for this day.

“Sizzle… sizzle sizzle sizzle…”

With certain commands issued, ten twisted gates, each towering a hundred meters, suddenly rose up at the rear of the demon army. A strange energy radiated from them as countless new demons surged forth from within!

“Your Highnesses! Demon portals!”

Standing on the southern wall behind the main battlefield, a guard protecting the Redemption Saintess and the Bright Light Saintess let out such an exclamation.

“Ten whole seventh-tier demon portals… [Slaughter] is really going all out, even though this place is only…”

Surveying the ten portals from which demon warriors were pouring forth, Supreme Commander Yuna Summerfield frowned slightly, murmuring under her breath.

As the name suggests, a seventh-tier demon portal is an interdimensional gateway capable of summoning demons of up to the seventh tier, equivalent to legendary-level beings. The demons’ ability to launch frequent invasions into other worlds is due to their mastery of this technology.

Once a sufficient number of high-tier demons are summoned through sacrificial rituals, they can open these portals in the target world, allowing more of their kin to follow.

However, due to the world’s natural suppression of outside forces, it remains difficult for seventh-tier demons to fully manifest here, and even if they do, their power is greatly weakened. Thus, historically, the seventh-tier portal has been the highest specification for demon portals.

Opening these portals isn’t without cost. Although the Holy Empire doesn’t know the exact details, it’s easy to see the toll it takes.

Even in the critical battle at St. Sarnos City, where the Judgment Saintess fought, the demons reportedly only opened two seventh-tier portals. Yet here, just at the southern gate alone, over ten portals were opened simultaneously. Even compared to other demon wars in the Empire’s history, this is likely the first time.

“Your Highness Yuna, what should we do now? The portals are positioned too far at the rear, and it would be challenging for our main assault forces to destroy them quickly.”

Seeing the massive portals towering like city walls, the Redemption Saintess, Philomena Lambert, looked equally grim. However, after two months of real combat experience, her initial inexperience had faded, and she had become more composed, no longer losing her composure in public as she once had.

“If the demons keep reinforcing like this, our advantage in strength might be reversed again. Once we’re entangled on the plains, the Saintess Healing Order will struggle to support the front-line fighters. Should we consider retreating?”

“We can’t retreat, Lady Philomena. Retreating now would deliver a severe blow to morale, far more serious than mere casualties. At this crucial moment, whoever retreats first will lose.”

The three Saintesses are led by the Bright Light Saintess, and Yuna has consistently shown remarkable strategy and calm leadership in her decisions. Naturally, the Redemption Saintess took her words to heart.

Before Philomena could respond, Yuna shook her head with a reassuring smile.

“No need to worry. Though their move is forceful, it’s still within expectations. At this point, both sides should reveal their trump cards.”

She then turned to her trusted aide.

“Deploy the [Heresy Inquisition]. Have them destroy the demon portals in the other two directions. The defenses there aren’t as strong as the south gate. As for the specifics, let [Wing] handle the personnel distribution.”

“Understood!”