Mein stood on a hillside with a curved shape, gazing into the distance at the city ahead.
When I last visited, Wolfheart City was nowhere near its current splendor. Its walls, built with the snow-white stones of Eternal Winter Kingdom, stood pristine and gleaming like newly grown wolf fangs. Yet in just three months, the city had undergone a complete metamorphosis. Cracks were patched with massive black stones, while unfinished sections were propped up with wooden frames and planks. The bloodstains that seeped into the stone crevices had dyed them a reddish-brown hue.
From a distance, the current city wall appears rough and covered with dirt, resembling the teeth of an old wolf weathered by time. However, compared to its former state, it now more closely resembles the fangs of a predator—only after biting its prey does it become truly terrifying.
The Church's forces established their camp about five li (approximately 2.5 kilometers) outside Wolfheart City. To prevent the Queen from deploying troops to attack the Old Holy City, this campaign was scaled down compared to the previous one. The Inquisition Army and supply units each numbered five thousand, while God's punishment army stood at around eight hundred. With their top-secret siege weapons and the Purifiers, Main was confident of capturing this stronghold of the Wolf King.
"Lord Bishop," a God official reported from the hilltop, "the siege beast is now in position and ready to attack."
"Where are the purifiers controlling them?" "They're all set," replied the commander. Mei' en raised his scope to survey the siege beasts—two colossal steel beasts crouched in a field two miles from the Royal Capital, flanked by barriers and topped with makeshift shelters. Their grotesque, menacing forms were barely discernible from a distance.
As the gaze shifts forward, the ranks of God's Punished Army emerge—transformed from the Church's most devout followers, standing motionless in the autumn wind. Only those who have clashed with them know the terrifying power of these extraordinary warriors. Unfortunately, they cannot act independently and must fight under commanders 'orders, who never appear publicly in the Church. During battles, these commanders disguise themselves as members of God's Punished Army, blending into the ranks. Except for the three major Bishops and the Pope, no one knows their true identity.
"Very well," said Mayne with a satisfied nod. "Return to your post and await the call to arms." "Yes, sir." The next to take the stage was the Purifier of the Papal Crown.
The mere thought of those two witches made him frown. Unlike other witches raised by the Church, they acted on their own even during military campaigns. If it were his own Purity, they would surely face flogging. Yet in the Church's hierarchy, they held equal status with the Bishop—Men couldn't command them. The Pope had only sent two Purity to 'assist' him in battle, not to 'follow' his orders.
However, he also understood that to completely eliminate the hidden dangers, it was necessary to rely on their strength.
Bishop descended the hillside and reached a tent on the camp's perimeter. When he lifted the curtain, the tent was empty—just as he'd expected.
"Where are Jeluo and Isabella?" he asked the Inquisition Army stationed at the gate.
"The two gentlemen are interrogating the prisoners. They should be at the eastern end of the camp," the latter replied. "There's a flat clearing there—just walk over and you'll see. Do you need me to bring them over?" If you could summon them, I wouldn't have come myself. And this is a prisoner's game... haven't they had enough of it yet? "Mayne said sternly." No need. I'll go check."
He quickly found the place the guard had mentioned.
In the center of the plain stood two women. One leaned forward, whispering secrets into the ears of three other captives with their hands bound behind their backs. Her expression was gentle and focused, her white hair and robe fluttering in the wind like a flawless sprite. The other woman, with her striking figure and golden curls, occasionally let out a clear, melodious laugh.
"Get the Inquisition Army surrounding us to leave this place immediately," Meen ordered the presiding judge, who was serving as a guard nearby. "The same goes for the prisoners' overseers—they should be told to stop meddling." "Understood." The blonde witch also noticed the commotion, exchanged a quick nod with her companion, and hurried over.
"Lord Bishop," the attendant bowed slightly, "how could you have dispersed the crowd? The trial is about to begin." "Lady Isabella," he nodded in return, "the full-scale assault on Wolfheart is imminent. Interrogating prisoners now would be pointless—these are mere scouts captured along the way, with scant intelligence. If possible, I hope you and Jero can proceed to the front lines immediately." "Rest assured, since we've arrived, we cannot let an important enemy escape," Isabella shrugged. "As for the trial... I can't stop her. Perhaps you could join as an audience member? It won't take long anyway." "Same as before?" "Well, the rules remain largely unchanged," she smiled. "Jero loves this game best of all." "Then begin swiftly." Damn it, Main's face remained expressionless, though his heart burned with frustration. This was more like a cat-and-mouse game than a trial. The prisoners could only hope for a glimmer of survival by escaping the designated area or defeating the Witch—though that hope was as elusive as bait luring a mouse to a desperate fight. It seemed achievable, but in reality, it was an unattainable dream.
He drove away the Inquisition Army tasked with protecting and monitoring the Pure Ones, with this very intention in mind—though the process was anything but fair, and their actions bore no relation to purity. Over time, such exposure might well shake their faith in the Church.
When you take over as Empress Dowager, you must properly instruct them to understand the importance of obeying orders.
At this moment, Jieluo had already untied the captives' ropes and spread her hands to indicate she was unarmed. Before the captives lay a longsword, a curved blade, and a light crossbow.
"Come on, fight or flee—follow your heart," she said with a gentle smile. "Only God can make the final judgment." One of them gritted his teeth, suddenly picked up the crossbow from the ground, and shot directly at the Purifier standing nearby. Without waiting for the shot to hit, his other hand grabbed the longsword and swung it forward in a single, fluid motion—clearly beyond the capabilities of a mere militiaman.
Yet the sword tip missed its mark entirely. The Pure One stepped back two paces, effortlessly evading the sudden strike. When he looked up, he was stunned to see the crossbow arrow lodged in the opponent's mouth—like a harmless twig in his jaws.
Jieluo hurled the crossbow arrow and said with a smile, "Please continue." The captive's eyes widened, his hands trembling slightly. Mei En could see that the courage he had gathered with great effort was nearly gone. Even if he fought on, it was likely only a final strike left.
Sure enough, after a moment's hesitation, he let out a roar as if to vent his pent-up frustration, then lunged forward with his sword at the unarmed woman.
Yet the strike was too abrupt. Even with eyes closed, Main could foresee the outcome. Judging from her brief half-month interaction with Jeluo, this Pure One possessed abilities that seemed boundless. Though not a Superhuman, she displayed combat prowess rivaling that of a Superhuman Witch. Her strength lay not in brute power or resilience, but in the mastery of God-like techniques.
Even without her Magic Power, she is a formidable warrior in her own right.
Jie Luo sidestepped with a slight twist of her body, effortlessly evading the opponent's slashing strike. Then, her seemingly delicate hands seized the captive's head and, using the momentum of his forward thrust, gently pulled him back. A faint crack echoed as the man's bones seemed to be ripped from his body, leaving him limp and lifeless.
She turned her head to the two remaining people and said, "Next up are you."