Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 307

[Vol. 5] Chapter 307: The Blade Descends, the Dragon Emerges

Amidst the forest, the fierce battle raged on without pause.

Three days ago, the army of [Slaughter] had been intentionally guided to this location by certain individuals.

What began as a simple reconnaissance mission had escalated into a full-blown operation, now enveloping over half of the residential areas in the provinces of Sarnos and Keller. Under the guidance of the [Light Worshipper Church], more than 70% of the population had been successfully evacuated to temporary shelters, ensuring their safety for the time being. Yet, this forest alone had become a focal point of demonic interest.

The reason for this might have been the abrupt and conspicuous emergence of a colossal ancient tree. However, the true key lay in the discovery the demons had made here: the presence of Frederica, the Judgment Saintess, and the [Judgment Holy Sword].

As the most offensively powerful among the Three Saintesses, the Judgment Saintess had long been a prominent figure in the Holy Empire, actively handling both internal and external affairs. Her renown had spread far and wide.

Since the mysterious disappearance of this generation’s Judgment Saintess, countless factions had been searching for Frederica Cecilia, each harboring their own motives. Yet her deep concealment had left little trace for them to follow.

The recent unearthing of the [Judgment Holy Sword] in Saint Sarnos City, however, confirmed that this legendary artifact of light, and the Judgment Saintess herself, were indeed hiding within the province of Sarnos. Coupled with the urgings of certain powerful demons and the setbacks suffered on the frontlines, the demons had shifted their focus to this area in hopes of turning the tide.

This had led to an all-out conflict between the demons and the [Light Worshipper Church], which had been maintaining order in the occupied territories through an unspoken truce.

The Judgment Saintess’s presence had finally been revealed amidst the flames of this renewed war.

“Shing!”

With a single swing of her sword, Frederica forced back the blade demon in front of her. The holy sword slashed in a wide arc, its razor-sharp energy surging outward like tidal waves. The attack obliterated over a dozen demonic cavalry and their mounts, slicing even their charging lances into smooth fragments.

Though the sword had been hidden for a long time, the might of judgment remained undiminished.

The battle had turned the area around her into a wasteland of carnage. The dismembered remains of demons of all shapes and sizes lay scattered, their forms nearly unrecognizable. Yet the [Slaughter] army continued to surge forward like an unrelenting tide, fearless and roaring, charging toward the lone figure at the center under the darkening, blood-red sky.

“Clang!!!”

With a single strike, the holy sword repelled three blade demons diving down at her. Their massive weapons clashed with the seemingly slender blade of the holy sword, but the latter did not bend or yield. Instead, it emitted an even sharper aura, cutting through their demonic blades with sheer power.

“!?!”

Shocked by this display of divine might, the blade demons abandoned their weapons and retreated without hesitation. Frederica intended to pursue, but another wave of demonic cavalry threw themselves at her, sacrificing their lives to block her advance and ensure the survival of the higher-ranking demons.

Green blood splattered everywhere, reducing the attackers to nothing but chunks of flesh.

But this time, the enemies did not launch another immediate attack. Perhaps they were finally cowed by the Saintess’s unmatched endurance and divine power, or perhaps they were waiting for something, sensing something approaching.

“Phew…”

Exhaling softly, Frederica swung her holy sword. Though it had already cut down hundreds, its gleaming surface remained pristine and unblemished. She cast her gaze toward the forest’s edge, where the blood-red sky seemed to loom closer.

“They’re finally coming, huh.”

No one knew who or what she was referring to.

The area Frederica was fighting in was not the only battlefield in the forest, nor had she been abandoned by her allies. She wasn’t sacrificing herself or staying behind to cover a retreat.

Her current predicament, where she stood alone against an army, was entirely her own choice.

Frederica was waiting—waiting for certain individuals who should not have appeared here.

At the same time, her strategy served a dual purpose: drawing the bulk of the enemy’s attention to reduce casualties and pressure in other combat zones. Additionally, the [Judgment Holy Sword] was so overwhelmingly powerful that even Frederica could not fully control it. Fighting alone allowed her to wield its power without restraint.

She shifted her gaze from the ominous, disaster-laden blood-red sky to the dozen or so armored figures floating in midair.

They were all blade demons, the elite of the [Slaughter] army. Nearly half of the top-tier forces from the invading demons in both the Sarnos and Keller provinces, including those pulled back from the frontlines, had gathered here for one purpose: to eliminate the renowned Judgment Saintess.

And judging by the ongoing battle, Frederica had certainly proven herself worthy of such attention.

“I wonder how the other areas are holding up. Everything should have been arranged in advance… I hope things go smoothly with as few casualties as possible.”

In a way, the demons’ overwhelming offensive wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

Had they not appeared early and forced the [Light Worshipper Church] to guide the citizens into underground shelters, the current ominous blood-red sky, spreading further and darker than what was witnessed during the St. Bergen Mountain incident, would have caused widespread panic. The terrifying celestial phenomenon, now encompassing most of the Sarnos province, would have made evacuation efforts far more challenging.

Fortunately, over 70% of the population in the affected provinces had already been evacuated to underground shelters stocked with sufficient resources. This gave Frederica some peace of mind as she focused on the battle at hand.

“The God of Slaughter, Sluthel…”

The saintess had barely whispered this name when—

“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!!!!!!!!”

Dozens of blood-red beams of light suddenly erupted from the distant forest!

No, it wasn’t just dozens.

From an altitude of at least ten kilometers, where the heavens met the clouds, countless crimson columns pierced the sky, creating a spectacle both awe-inspiring and harrowing.

A blonde girl with dragon wings and a long tail, fully revealing her true half-dragon form, gazed downward. Below her, tens of thousands of blood-red figures, almost like pieces on a grand chessboard embedded into the earth, formed an awe-inspiring array of glowing pillars.

She watched as the pillars rose higher and higher, passing her position in the sky, extending and stretching until they vanished into the blood-red heavens above, sending ripples of light cascading outward like waves.

A fearless, delighted smile curved her lips.

“Finally, it’s here. Took long enough, I was starting to think you’d back out. Heh, that dumb bird was decent, but nothing compares to an all-out fight. [Slaughter], huh? Don’t disappoint me.”

As her words echoed, the world itself seemed to rise in response.

Far beyond the distant heavens, a sound began to reverberate—a deep, resonant tolling, like a colossal weight striking an ancient bell. The sound was so vast and overwhelming that not only the citizens of the Holy Empire but also those in far-off nations could hear its thunderous impact.

“BOOM!!!!!!!”

“BOOM!!!!!!!!”

“BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The resounding clashes grew sharper, more frenzied. In the center of the blood-red sky formed by countless crimson beams, an enormous inverted vortex began to unfold. From its depths emerged a crimson “Throne of Blood”, which was soon interwoven with countless bloodlines, all converging above it into a pulsating cocoon.

This was the “Cocoon of God”, the vessel nurturing the physical embodiment of blood and slaughter.

The cocoon pulsed like a beating heart, its tremors synchronized with the echoing booms from beyond the heavens, creating a strange, ominous rhythm.

Then, in a single moment—

The cocoon of blood exploded! The fragments dissolved into a thick, lingering mist, which reassembled and condensed. When the form within reappeared…

From beyond the heavens, a streak of blood-red brilliance descended, accompanied by the shattering sound of something monumental breaking apart. The blood-light fused with the figure on the throne, uniting into one.

The will of [Slaughter] had taken shape at last, its presence resounding across the heavens.

[You haven’t run, but instead offer your neck for slaughter?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!]

[Good! Excellent! Oh, Dragon! Let start our fated clash!!!]