Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 889 - 826: Dark Sect

[What do you seek from me...]

[Torment that transcends death? How interesting.]

[Why? I am neither forgiving nor miserly. State your reason, Liches.]

[Deserved punishment? Hahaha, sinners don’t suffer from their *sins*.]

[I see now. You are *Sinners*, Undead plagued by mistakes of the past, yearning for liberation.]

[You seek freedom, but why should I give it to you? True, I was once an Angel, the exalted Punisher, passing judgment on sins was my duty. But everything has changed. Look at me. In your eyes, what am I now?]

"Despair, empty void."

[Yes, death changes everything—us, all of it! Order has collapsed, dynasties have shifted! My mission ended long ago, so why should I take up the blade for your pitiful lot? I saved you, but who will save me?]

[Wait, I have thought of something—an ingenious idea!]

[We can help each other. Silence! I care nothing for your foolish pasts. Cast aside your prejudices. Now, let us each take what we need. You stand before me because of *sin*, and we meet here because of *errors*. Now, sing aloud! Sing of our cursed fates, praise the wisdom purified by sorrow.]

[Between us, there must be a pact, Sinners.]

The pitch-black wings spread under the night sky, where their intersection shaped a hollow void. His voice surged like a tempest, dark yet laced with divine grandeur. The storm made bones kneel in submission, as the Fallen Angel eclipsed the moonlight.

[Become my followers, my kin!]

[I shall bear your sins with my fallen form. Delight, rejoice! From this moment, under the name of the Judgment Angel, I pardon you all. I will shoulder every consequence. Entrust your struggling souls to me, abandon your withering conscience entirely. Here and now, I declare you innocent. Rise up, break free from your prisons like true villains!]

[You are released, now my wardens! In the name of George Edmund, I will bear your guilt. In return, you must execute the punishments of the Dark Angel with your broken bodies.]

[When I fall, my armies will carry on my judgment.]

[The covenant is sealed, Sinners.]

[The Dark Sect is born at this moment!]

"And then, the next day, because the name was too malevolent, you were tracked down by Raymond and beaten senseless until you had to begrudgingly change it. Dark Leader, your death was a joke."

A soft chuckle escaped, a hand brushed the corner of a mouth. The Gentleman recalled the past; in the world after death, the very first moment joy emerged from a soul.

"Now, it’s time to pay the debt." Reaching the barrier outside Andrei Academy, an empty, vast wasteland stretched before him. His faded suit flailed loudly in the wind as he plucked the withered rose pinned to his chest, holding it in his palm. Shadows unraveled from the petals, and the rose truly withered, transforming into a crystalline fractured crown.

[This is the last time.]

Crack!

The crown shattered in his grip, explosive magic surged, forcing the Gentleman to clench his teeth in pain.

"By the name of Avonreiter, rats! Open the Gate of Darkness!"

From the Gentleman’s shadow emerged the Gnawers, primal Plague Messengers of the dark. A cacophony of squeaks consumed the soil as surging shadows swallowed the barren land.

With arms raised, the King of Rats condemned his own projection to death. Black rats with blood-red eyes wailed as they raced, exploding in bursts. Their spilling blood and magic ascended into the air, forming the outlines of an immense portal.

Moments later, a grand cathedral descended from the void, crashing onto the shadows and sending a whirlwind across the wasteland. Beside Andrei Castle, the Holy Light Cathedral radiated brilliance.

Clergy and bishops emerged from the dust clouds, Pope Atrax clutching Holy Light, gazing at the Gentleman, who bowed in greeting.

"And you are?"

"In the name of George Edmund, welcome to you all."

Karen stepped forward, holding her Light Sword, standing before the Pope, "Your Eminence, that is evil."

Atrax lightly tapped Karen’s wrist to stop her.

"I trust Saint George, that prideful bastard."

"Greetings, George’s follower. Would you guide us?"

The true Holy Light Forces arrived at Andrei, swiftly granted an audience at the war council. The commotion drew everyone’s attention to the elderly leader of mankind at the forefront.

The Academy Master stepped forward to meet him.

"Pope Atrax?"

"Merely an old man who survives through sacrifice, Soul Reaper." Having endured the Crusader Wars, the aged pope seemed to recognize the Undead lingering near the edges of the battlefield.

The Academy Master nodded politely in return.

"Then I suppose I am merely an old man no longer lonely due to sacrifice, Your Eminence."

The living and the dead stood together in harmony. Both leaders were kind, insightful elder statesmen. Pope Atrax was seated among them without displacing the Prince of the Abyss, instead being placed beside the Academy Master and scholars. The priests were seated but uneasy, their eyes darting toward the other factions. The silence of Andrei Liches was unsettling; the latent Holy Light within the clergy seemed to trigger traumatic reactions among the Undead, whose trembling bones betrayed their unease.

Lyle was also trembling, having spotted Karen, the glowing female Paladin, staring right in their direction. Unsure if they were exposed, he clung to the ribcage of a nearby Lich, blending into the collective shivers.

"Angel, why do you keep staring at those cloaked figures?"

"I sense something familiar."

"Familiar evil?"

"...Uncertain."

Karen’s nearby junior nun reminded her, a determined little figure trying to act all grown up.

"The Pope advised us not to show negative emotions and incite further tension!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Karen gently patted the nun’s trembling back.

"All right, I’ll keep that in mind."

Atrax’s kindness and sincerity quickly earned the favor of many factions. They watched the famed leader of Holy Light Forces with curiosity, some mingling admiration with the thrill of observing another potential antagonist. Andrei was notoriously difficult to deal with; Liches’ schemes were always ruthless. Holy Light? Ha! Survivors were only those who hadn’t provoked it, or perhaps ancient races like dragons, dead and revived.

"Holy Light has already failed; we no longer possess fighting strength," Atrax lamented.

"But I personally am willing to join you on the battlefield, to witness victory." Or the world’s final demise.

Atrax struck his staff against the ground, gentle Holy Light spread across the roundtable. Its radiance descended upon the living factions, granting blessings that filled them with astonishment.

"I should be the best remaining priest alive. Let me offer whatever humble assistance I can."

Lyle sensed someone beside him.

"Do you have something to add, Gallaron? I recall you’re a priest too."

"I’m the type who swings swords and mourns over corpses."

"I see now my understanding was lacking."

"I’m merely efficient with blade work. Skill is essential to shutting up George’s foul mouth. Atrax truly is the best priest alive, in terms of just priesthood."

"The most lethal at chanting scripture, the most devout while shedding blood."

"I won’t deny that. I’m retreating now; that little angel keeps glancing over here."

"Stay hidden this time!"