novelraw Chapter 339: Holy Maiden, Joan of Arc!
Chapter 339: Holy Maiden, Joan of Arc!
As the pure and passionate voice rang out, it was as if a radiant light flashed through the hearts of everyone present!
Caroline's voice was not loud, but illuminated by waves of white Holy Light, she captured the attention of everyone around her.
That white Holy Light radiated from her body, expanding outward bit by bit. Like a beacon, she freely shed her warmth upon the world.
When this Holy Light bathed the surrounding people, it instantly soothed the hearts of those who had been consumed by intense anxiety.
They suddenly felt that perhaps things were not completely plunged into despair, that this world was still beautiful. They were comforted.
The stability in their hearts transformed into the cornerstone of peace for this entire area.
At the same time, George and Leon were also comforted. They had been experiencing what was likely the most perilous moment of their lives—the imminent threat of death.
In the prolonged war of attrition, the strength in their bodies had been nearly depleted. Under the dual oppression of the demon and the vampire, they had fallen to the ground, awaiting their end.
But in the next second, with the release of the Holy Light, the two men suddenly felt a unique sense of comfort surging from an unknown realm!
"This is... the power of Holy Light? Is it the Holy Maiden?" Their depleted strength was replenished at a terrifying speed. The Transcendent abilities enveloping their bodies burst with radiance, even forming a shield of light over their skin!This power of pure holiness had even begun to repair their battered bodies!
The two men jerked their heads up. Their previously waning will to fight reignited, and the power within them surged anew. Their old strength had faded, but new strength was born. They directly blasted away the swarm of werewolves and vampires that had been suppressing them!
"Die!" Leon raised his hand. The terrifying power triggered by the iris mark once again summoned his blinding flame, a fire capable of incinerating the soul!
The white flames scorched the air, incinerating everything in the vicinity.
Before him, the werewolves let out agonizing howls amidst the flames, collapsing limply to the ground in an instant.
On the other side, George summoned his angelic wings. While slaughtering the vampires before him, he also launched a fierce attack against the two Great Monsters!
"This woman?" Remus and Vlad III were both astounded. This development was wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Under their constant psychological attacks, how could this woman still possess such tremendous power and such terrifying faith?
She was actually relying on her own strength to channel the Holy Light, replenishing the energy in the bodies of these two men?
The morale they had worked so hard to crush was rising once again!
"Fortunately, we don't just have one backup plan. We have another!" Remus stated slowly. He pulled a special piece of parchment from his pocket and began to chant slowly in an obscure and incomprehensible language.
"Followers of Hell, enemies of Heaven, messengers of the Demon God, return... Believers of Solomon!"
The next second, bricks and stones materialized out of the void right before them. The parchment was absorbed into the emptiness, transforming into an ethereal gate of flaming light. From within the gate, a group of people slowly walked out.
"The Solomon Cult greets Mr. Remus! We have received notice from Archbishop Jose, and we shall fight alongside you!"
Hearing the newcomers' words, the two demons nodded in unison. However, they did not order them to join the current battlefield. Instead, they pointed at the city before them. "Go, spread your faith throughout this city. This is the perfect opportunity!"
Demons naturally had a keen understanding of the human heart. They knew clearly that having this group join the current fight might not guarantee the successful hunting of these two unkillable cockroaches. But by scattering them outward, these Transcendent followers would make the Luo City Government and the entire Church hesitant to act for fear of collateral damage!
"Holy Maiden, your power is indeed strong, but you cannot save this city!" Vlad III chuckled as he gazed at Caroline. "The congregation of the Solomon Cult will continue to ritually sacrifice this city. Everything you do is utterly futile!"
Remus also spoke up. "As for that group outside the city, you can stop thinking about them too. We never intended to let them live. Vlad, the farmer, planted the energy of blood thralls in those black people long ago!"
"The clergymen you called over are actually their food!"
Hearing this, everyone was horrified!
It turned out the hostages were the true hunters, while the Transcendents and the rescuers were the actual prey!
This was yet another crisis caused by Caroline's judgment. It was another vicious psychological attack, delivering an incredibly fatal and terrifying blow to Caroline's psyche!
They were still attacking her heart, still launching their psychological assault. They simply wanted to drag a pure and kind young girl out of this holy state, turning her into a vessel of death and hatred!
"They will not die!" Caroline's voice remained soft as she answered the two demons. "Because... The Lord will not let them come to harm, and neither will the Light!"
The Holy Maiden's words were like a final wish. She continued to pray, waving the banner in her hands:
"Oh, Archangels of Heaven!
Please imprint the shadow of Michael's sword upon this banner—
When this tattered standard waves:
May the cracks in the Church's armor flow with golden light!
May the disheartened blades burst with the thunder of Valmy!
May the palms of the dying gripping their spears bear the mark of fire!
Joan of Arc! Joan of Arc!
Look! They dare to use the lamb as a shield—
I beg you to draw my spine to serve as an unbending flagpole, And plant it into this bloodstained mud:
'Whoever presses their forehead against this bone, Shall witness the roaring flames that consumed you centuries ago—
That fire destroys no faith, it only melts the chains!'"
Hearing such a prayer, Vlad III's expression changed drastically. "Quick! Stop her! Hurry!" In the next second, several vampires rushed toward Caroline, but halfway there, they were pierced through by several spears and pinned to the ground.
"The Holy Maiden shall not be insulted!" A clear, resonant voice rang out, leaving many onlookers in boundless shock. Who was this? Where did they come from?
Under everyone's astonished gaze, a pillar of white light descended from the sky!
Within the white pillar of light, an incredibly holy-looking woman slowly descended above Caroline's head. She pressed her forehead against Caroline's, and in that moment, her entire form violently and rapidly solidified!
Then, she transformed into a graceful young woman, slowly revealing herself before the crowd!
"To think that after hundreds of years, I would once again return here, return to The Lord's Promised Land!" the young woman said with a soft laugh. She spoke in French, but in everyone's ears, it sounded perfectly translated into their native tongue.
"Welcome, Crown Joan of Arc!" Caroline murmured, handing the spear and banner over to Joan of Arc.
"The Holy Maiden favored by The Lord is indeed extraordinary..." Joan of Arc glanced at Caroline once more. She took the spear, gave it a couple of twirls, and turned back to face the enemies ahead.
By now, everyone was slowly recovering from their sheer astonishment.
What had they just seen? They had witnessed a being from the Heavenly Kingdom descend from the sky and manifest in the physical world!
Moreover, Holy Maiden Caroline had called her "Joan of Arc"!
Which Joan of Arc was this? Was there any other Joan of Arc? Why would it be her?
Everyone fell silent. They quietly stared at this young woman dressed in plain clothes, who looked like nothing more than a vibrant, ordinary girl.
Was she the Holy Maiden, Joan of Arc? That female God of War from history? The young girl who had beaten England into crying out, the one who could be called the most important leader of the Hundred Years' War?
And now, she had returned from the Heavenly Kingdom?
At this moment, Remus and Vlad III also realized that the situation had gone terribly wrong. They had already begun retreating toward sparsely populated areas!
Wasn't it agreed that no angels from the Heavenly Kingdom would come? How was there still someone who could descend? And the Holy Maiden, Joan of Arc, of all people—someone who sounded like she lacked combat power, but whose combat power was actually maxed out?
"Did I say you could leave?" Just as the two continued to step backward, a banner was planted right beside them.
In the next second, the woman's voice rang out as a spear swept across the air, pressing against their necks. "After all these years, Hell still hasn't made any progress! Did you really think you could take advantage of the chaos? Even if the Heavenly Kingdom were empty of men, the nuns can still don their armor and march into battle!"
The woman stood in mid-air just like that, like a silhouette of light from the clouds, shining brightly in the heart of every spectator!
"Listen! The rumble of windlasses among the clouds!
Are those the war chariots of your Heavenly Kingdom crushing the gloomy clouds?
Please pour out that bucket—
The rain of holy tears that once quenched your execution stake!
Where the rain falls: blades rust and halberds snap
Where the rain stops: lilies bloom from pools of blood
And my name rises with the steam...
Leaving only this banner, planted by the gates of freedom!"
The melodious voice echoed as Caroline's prayer continued.
...
In the shadows, Alvin said in surprise, "Crown, her prayer has called upon our illusory Divine Kingdom. That Holy Maiden from Heaven has answered her call!"
"Thus, Joan of Arc has descended. She has showered her power upon the world to change the tide of battle!"
Bai Yang nodded slightly. "Yes, this is how it should be! A true Divine Descent is not a crisis designed by us, but a descent guided by their own hands! The rules of this world are automatically perfecting themselves!"
"The price and the duties will all be fulfilled by themselves, rather than dictated by our design!"
"With this, the third stage of the Divine Spark has begun!"