Chapter 737: The Calm
The Immortals, bound by loyalty and a shared desire to protect the Realm, immediately answer Vale's call.
Their target was the headquarters of the Church, a place that had once been a sanctuary but now stood as a beacon of corruption.
The two Immortals, Nefrin and Gammebhel, stood outside the castle, their appearances as striking as they were serene.
They were clad in heavenly garbs that shimmered with an ethereal glow, with their long, blonde hair cascading over their shoulders.
They were genderless, and if seen by other people, they'd also be confused because they were all androgynous. Nonetheless, it wasn't an issue at all as they were embodying the very essence of their immortal nature.
After asking Vale a few more questions about their mission through telepathy, the Immortals made their move.
They set out from the sanctuary of Vale's castle, embarking on a journey to the western region where the Church of the Eminence of the Sea held its ominous sway.
Their path was long, but with spells of swift movement, bolstered by their Divinity, they traversed the distance with supernatural speed.
As they neared their destination, the atmosphere around them transformed.
The sky darkened, and the ocean roared with fury.
Thunderstorms raged, lightning cleaving the heavens, illuminating the tumultuous Sea.
The main Church of the Eminence of the Sea loomed ahead, perched precariously on a cliff that faced the churning waters below.
Despite the tempest, the Church was a hive of activity, its lights flickering like fireflies...
'A Celebration? No—A ritual at this time?' Nefrin thought after sensing the odd festivity around the Church in this kind of weather. They should be covering themselves from the rain.
However, it seemed as if they were enjoying this type of weather.
Inside the Church's domain, a ritual was underway.
Robed figures chanted in unison, their voices rising above the thunder, calling upon powers that seemed forbidden and felt like ancient arcane arts.
"Is this part of their ritual to create plague?" Gammebhel muttered. He wasn't an expert in rituals, but he could tell that the Church was gathering a huge amount of Arcane Energy from the chaotic atmosphere.
"Should we let them finish? They might actually summon a strong being based on change in the atmosphere." Nefrin suggested.
As Immortals, they have nothing to be afraid. In any case, Vale didn't give them absolute command that they have to destroy the Church and kill everyone as soon as they see them. They still have to assess the situation.
"Let's not waste our time... If they opened another rift leading to a higher realm, this Realm might really become unstable. You don't want that to happen." Gammebhel reminded.
"Fine... Let's see what they have."
The Immortals, undaunted by the chaos of nature or the darkness of the ritual, pressed forward.
Whom~
Soon, their divine aura repelled the rain and wind, creating an oasis of calm around them as they approached the Church's domain...
With a gesture, the gates flew open...
They soon witnessed the congregation in the midst of their sacrament.
It seemed that there was a thin barrier above them that protected them from the thunderstorm.
The Immortals stepped into the Church's domain, and their presence was commanding, as they immediately caught everyone's attention.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as the ritual faltered, the energy in the Church's domain shifted and started trembling...
"Who are you?! Why are you interrupting our ritual?! Where are the Knights?! How come these two men managed to reach this place?!" The current Pontiff of the Church bellowed as the ritual was interrupted. Although they could just redo the ritual, they had wasted too much energy already! They would have to rest for at least six hours to redo it!
Nonetheless, as he was shouting, he was simply ignored by the two Immortals.
"This is definitely the energy of the Eminence of the Sea... Did he really betray this Realm?" Nefrin pondered aloud.
"There must be a reason why he wanted many humans to perish... He might be collecting souls, or he just wanted to help the Abyss Realm. I wouldn't be surprised." Gammebhel replied as if he knew the Eminence of the Sea.
Without wasting any more time, the Immortals then raised their hands, and a light, pure and blinding, radiated from their palms. It washed over the congregation, purifying the corruption and severing the ties of the dark ritual!
"You dare!"
The congregation, once bound by corruption, now blinked in the sudden purity that enveloped them!
The Church's leaders, their visages contorted with indignation and dread, cried out in defiance.
"You dare challenge the will of the Eminence?!" They thundered. Yet, their commands were lost in the divine luminescence that now filled the room.
"Storm Knights!" The Pontiff howled.
Outside the Church's gates, a formidable force gathered... It happened almost in the blink of an eye.
Hundreds of Storm Knights, clad in blue armor that was infused with electric energy, stood in formation.
They were the Church's elite, sworn to protect its sanctity against all threats.
As the Immortals turned to them, the Storm Knights braced themselves, their swords drawn, shields emblazoned with the sigil of the storm.
"These two had Divinity in their bodies! My Artifact is reacting to them... They must be Half-Immortals... Be careful! We can't hold back in this battle!" The leader of the army of Storm Knights announced.
"Half-Immortals?" Nefrin smiled brightly after hearing this. He wasn't offended by those words, and he even found them amusing. After all, they actually have an Artifact that reacts to Divinity.
It was certainly not a very useful Artifact since there weren't many individuals who had Divinity in this Realm in the first place.
In short, that Artifact would rarely be of any use!
However, Gammebhel just smiled at this thought as he watched the Storm Knights surround them.
"Charge!"
Soon, the Knight Commander shouted.
The clash was immediate and thunderous.
The Storm Knights moved as one. It was a phalanx of fury and discipline...
Lightning arced from their blades, seeking to pierce the Immortals' divine protection. Yet, the Immortals stood their ground.
They weren't showing any signs that they'll dodge!
Instead, they burst with Divinity's unyielding barrier against the storm's wrath.
Buzz!
With each strike from the blades of the Knights, the Immortals countered with a wisp of their Divinity lashing out at their opponent.
They were truly showing the huge difference between their strengths!
"This is boring... Gammebhel, I'll take care of the Storm Knights... Go ahead and deal with the Pontiff. Let's move our bodies a bit, or our skills might really get rusted." Nefrin said as he decided to play around with the Storm Knights.
Gammebhel didn't dislke this idea. In any case, they had been sleeping for a long time and its better to really move around. Although they would have duels against Vale from time to time to gain learning experience, battling to kill was still a lot different.
Just like that, the two Immortals made their move...
Their blonde hair flowed like banners of light, untouched by the storm that raged around them!
They wielded no weapons. Their hands were enough as they radiated with power... They started casting forth bolts of purifying energy that shattered the Knights' defenses.
Then, with their mighty physical strength, they started pummeling their enemies!
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The battle continued with the sound of clashing forces...
"These Half-Immortals have limited Divinity! Even if you sacrifice your lives, make them use their Divinity!"
With this command, some of the Storm Knights even decided to self-destruct as soon as they managed to grab the Nefrin's limbs!
"Die! Half-Immortal!"
Boom!
This self-destruction wasn't successful as Nefrin lived. However, the Storm Knights were able to tell that Nefrin spent a lot of Divinity to protect himself.
'Hmph... If Vale didn't take my strongest defense spell, I would not be spending my pure Divinity for that.' Nefrin thought as he recalled all the Spells that Vale had taken from him.
He doesn't hate Vale for that, but he certainly misses those spells during these types of situations.
"Kill! He must be weakened!"
The Storm Knights fought valiantly, their coordination was a testament to their years of training.
They formed chains of lightning, weaving a net of electricity that sizzled through the air. But the Immortals, were simply too powerful.
They broke through the electrified barriers or any attacks aimed at him... Their mere touch could even dissolve armor and disarm them...
As the conflict continued, the Storm Knights realized the futility of their resistance.
One by one, they fell to their knees, their strength sapped, and their resolve was broken... So many of them died in just a few minutes!
As the last of the storm energy dissipated, the Church stood silent... Any remnant of the previous ritual was long gone.
The Eminence of the Sea's aura had completely dissipated!
The Immortals, their task half-complete, gazed out at the Sea, now calming under the returning light of dawn.
The Church of the Eminence of the Sea had fallen, and its threat to the people was gone. However, another challenge awaited them...
At the same time, Nefrin and Gammebhel tensely looked at the calming sea.