Thanks to Martinez opening the way, the Tirna city government was able to deploy new forces and join up with the people trapped inside. The advance team that discovered the reinforcements finally received sweet rain in the desert.
"Over here! We have survivors here!"
"How many of you are there? What about the other squad members?"
Due to the fierce battles with the corrupted beings, even the elite soldiers were mostly exhausted and worn out. Their initially imposing momentum had been good, but under the assault of the Eternal Church, their strength had been reduced by nearly one-third.
Moreover, everyone had scattered while retreating, so the life or death of the missing people was uncertain. Naturally, among them was Plimene, a high-ranking official of Tirna.
However, dispatching a separate rescue team wasn't feasible given the current situation.
"Move the wounded to the rear!"
"We need to periodically freeze the entrance so it doesn't close again!"
The wounded were transported and treated, and scarce supplies were replenished. The fresh and firepower-heavy additional forces were a bonus.
"It seems there's no news from Maia."Outside the building, a woman wearing a green hood muttered, and beside her, a small girl wearing a white hood replied.
"If there's no news, she's probably dead."
"...Watch your words. Maia is our colleague. She couldn't have died so easily."
"Shouldn't we check? She went thinking she could handle it alone, but we two had to be additionally dispatched."
The Witch Tea Party had dispatched as many as two more witches due to concerns about this situation. They regarded this matter as that important.
The two witches, escorted by city government soldiers, frowned at the scene unfolding inside.
Even they, who prided themselves on having seen all kinds of sights in Tirna, needed considerable effort to endure the space corroded by Red Eternity with their sanity intact.
"What a disgusting place. This is why heretics must be rooted out."
"Let's move quickly. We need to at least get Maia out of here."
Of course, the process wouldn't be smooth. Then commotion erupted from the front. Among the fleeing people, a corrupted being revealed itself with tearing screams.
"Damn it! Suppress it!"
"Shoot! Everyone shoot!"
"Where did it suddenly come from?!"
-Ratatatatata!
The city government soldiers poured bullets, but the corrupted being's hard carapace withstood such projectiles. It wasn't an ordinary corrupted being, but an entity transformed from a high-ranking believer. And with its hard body as a foundation, it was powerful in close combat, making it difficult for the soldiers to handle.
The creature had cunningly hidden inside the flesh wall and targeted the unit evacuating the wounded. This made proper response difficult. Given the close distance, magical support might involve friendly fire.
"I'll step forward."
Then the witch wearing a white hood stepped forward. With each step she took, her form shot forward like an arrow.
The witch who instantly closed the distance stood before the corrupted being that was about to charge toward the soldiers.
When the small girl suddenly blocked its path, the corrupted being glared with over ten eyes.
The creature growled and raised its fist, then violently struck down toward the witch. It was powerful enough to crumple even special shields like paper. If hit directly with a bare body, one would disappear as a red stain on the spot.
However, the witch had no intention of avoiding it and instead raised her slender arm in a defensive posture.
-CLANG!
With a massive impact, nearby soldiers were swept away by the shockwave and rolled on the floor. The few who managed to get up opened their eyes wide at the scene before them.
"H-how...?"
The girl they thought would die without a trace was blocking the corrupted being's attack with one hand, lightly, as if blocking a feather. Rather, the corrupted being that had thrown the punch was putting more force into its muscles, but its feet were sliding backward.
The wind from the shockwave blew the witch's hood back. What was revealed underneath was a girl with ash-gray hair and snow-white beautiful skin.
"I wondered how strong one who borrowed the power of an outer god would be."
The witch, Cinderella, didn't hide her disappointment.
"It's so pathetic that it's actually cooling my excitement. Did Maia really fall to such creatures?"
As she swept her right arm aside, the corrupted being's arm was repelled and its body greatly tilted. Cinderella took a step toward the corrupted being that was staggering and losing balance.
-THOOM!
Cinderella stamped her foot. With a resonant sound, the white cloak she wore fluttered greatly. Hidden inside the cloak was a white dance dress convenient for movement.
Cinderella clenched her left fist wrapped in bandages. Just by gripping her slender hand, one could feel the illusion of surrounding air being sucked into that hand.
-WHOOOOSH.
A transparent gauntlet was fitted over Cinderella's left hand. It was a uniquely designed glass gauntlet with a pointed tip like a shoe.
-GRAAAAH!
The corrupted being screamed and opened its chest wide. Its chest split open and organ masses spewed out like tentacles from inside, attacking Cinderella.
Cinderella drew a circle with her right arm extended outward. All the pouring tentacles were caught in it and held between Cinderella's armpits. It was a remarkably skillful technique.
Cinderella pulled the corrupted being's body with force. The gigantic corrupted being, which must have weighed ten times more, was helplessly dragged along like a doll tied with string.
Cinderella threw a straight punch with her left fist equipped with the glass gauntlet toward the approaching corrupted being.
[Straight Punch - Glass Slipper]
-BOOM!
The corrupted being's upper body hit by the straight punch burst like a balloon and scattered countless debris backward.
At that surreal scene, one of the soldiers muttered blankly.
"I-I've heard of her. The witch Cinderella. She's said to be the strongest martial artist who mercilessly crushes enemies by wearing her witchcraft Glass Slipper on her hands."
No one knew why she wore glass slippers on her hands to throw punches, but no one pointed that out. Seeing this violent scene, one couldn't dare voice such questions.
After easily subduing the corrupted being, Cinderella released the glass slipper and clenched and unclenched her left hand, recalling the sensation from moments before.
"Hmm. I thought there would be at least some satisfaction in beating it. At this rate, I'd rather go to my room and hit a sandbag."
"...You're probably the only one who would think that about such a monster."
Her fellow witch scolded her incredulously.
Regardless, Cinderella put her hood back on with an indifferent expression. The soldiers tried to express their gratitude, but the two didn't even pretend to listen and just left. As if it wasn't their business.
The two witches continued walking. They didn't need escorts. Rather, they had to protect the escorts. Soon they were able to meet the leading unit that had rushed in to rescue the advance team.
They had all become melted corpses.
"This is..."
A unit that had arrived not long ago had been completely annihilated. They hadn't received any call for help. That meant they had been defeated instantly before they could even make such a request.
The reinforced exoskeleton armor they wore was half-melted along with their bodies, and it was clearly melted by high heat, not acid.
"Cinderella. Get ready. It's the enemy."
And. As soon as it reached out its hand, bright yellow flames engulfed the entire passage.
Outside Trinity Building, the Tirna soldiers who were preparing and searching for another entry point from outside felt a strange vibration and stopped what they were doing.
Wondering what was happening, they stared at the building and soon had to gape in shock behind their bronze masks.
-RUMBLE!
The Trinity Building was moving. One might wonder how such a massive structure could move, but it wasn't false—it was real.
The building shook and its outer walls cracked, then countless tentacles began surging and writhing through the gaps.
Some of the building's outer walls stuck to the tentacles like turtle shells and swayed together. The eyeballs, muscles, flesh, and organ masses spread inside dripped sticky bodily fluids.
The moment everyone was horrified by that grotesque sight, the tentacles moved.
"Watch out!"
Numerous tentacles targeted the soldiers positioned around the building. The soldiers weren't flustered despite their surprise and raised their shields defensively.
However, that was the wrong judgment.
-CRACK!
The special shields were easily pierced, and the soldiers beyond were helplessly skewered by the tentacles. The tentacles lifted the soldiers they had speared like skewers and brought them close.
The split flesh of the building's outer walls opened to become mouths. Those mouths swallowed the soldiers and chewed wetly.
At the sight of their comrades being eaten alive in an instant, the soldiers felt fear rather than anger.
New tentacles moved to target prey.
-SLASH!
Then a flash was carved through the air, and dozens of bundles of tentacles were cut off at once.
"Everyone snap out of it! If you just stand there, you'll be killed! Create distance and counterattack by targeting openings!"
Sestain, Tirna's executor, shouted at the dazed soldiers. The soldiers immediately formed ranks. Soldiers in steam suits took the front and erected large shields to block the tentacles.
Sestain cut down tentacles with his sword and glared at Trinity Building, which had revealed its true nature.
'Damn it. It's not a building but literally a living creature. What the hell is happening?'
Things that couldn't be explained by common sense were occurring.
"It seems he's done something."
Osian sensed the energy felt throughout the building. He recalled the words of Phillis, who was now dead.
Cardinal Zaxilos had finally realized how to handle the power of the Sun Ring?
"Brother. What's about to happen?"
Martinez asked. The others also seemed to sense that the atmosphere wasn't good, as their expressions were troubled.
Then they saw Maia and Plimene, who they thought had fled far away, coming toward them.
"Plimene?"
Basilio looked at Plimene, then immediately took a combat stance. The two were fleeing toward them as if being chased by something.
They could soon see the monster pursuing Plimene and Maia.
It was a red corrupted being running while flailing its long arms and legs. Above its head was a ring like that of an angel, and the ring was burning with yellow flames.
Osian felt a familiar power in those flames. It was the Sun Ring.
-WHOOSH!
When the corrupted being reached out its hand, bright yellow flames spewed from its palm. The radially shooting flames licked forward, targeting Plimene.
Maia summoned swallows and created strong winds, but the flames of the Sun Ring couldn't be pushed away by such things.
-WHOOOOSH!
Maia's summons turned to ash and disappeared, and just as it was about to engulf Plimene as well, Basilio appeared and stood protectively in front of the two.
He immediately raised a red shield combining all geometric patterns and held it up in front.
-ROAAAAAR!
The flames of the Sun Ring hit the shield and spread widely outward. The flesh walls touched by the Sun Ring sizzled and burned with an acrid smell.
The flames ceased as Basilio lowered his shield and fixed his gaze on the new type of corrupted being.
"Julius..."
Plimene called that name with a complex voice. However, Basilio couldn't respond.
The corrupted being was reaching out its hand again and taking an attack stance.
At that moment, Martinez stepped forward. He who had somehow gotten close swung a massive mace made of sacred alchemy toward the corrupted being's flank.
-BANG!
The corrupted being's slender body was greatly bent sideways by the hit. However, it didn't go flying. The corrupted being's head turned toward Martinez with creaking sounds.
-WHOOOOSH!
Martinez was engulfed in the flames of the Sun Ring. However, he pushed through the Sun Ring's fire and retreated greatly. Thanks to the sacred power wrapped around his body, he didn't suffer major damage. Though he sustained burns in various places on his skin, even those regenerated quickly.
The corrupted being tried to chase Martinez and land additional hits, but it hesitated as if sensing something.
The creature's head swayed grotesquely again and turned toward Osian. Just as Osian had felt its power, it too had sensed Osian's power.
"It looks simple, but it seems to have some wit."
Above all, its skill in handling the Sun Ring was better than expected. Just not being consumed by that power was remarkable.
The corrupted being nodded its head several times, then spread its right hand wide.
-BZZZZT.
The flames of the Sun Ring gathered in that right hand, and a long two-handed sword was created. It gripped the burning sword and stood diagonally.
Osian kicked off from his position. Leaping over Plimene, Maia, and Basilio, he jumped down toward the corrupted being and swung his Starlight Sword.
-CLANG!
The Starlight Sword collided with the Sun Ring sword, scattering massive sparks. The two energies entered a contest of strength. The corrupted being's upper body bent backward. However, it didn't kneel or fall.
Osian watched this, then lifted his leg and stepped on the creature's knee.
-CRACK!
The thin leg bent helplessly in the opposite direction. As it lost balance and was about to fall sideways, Osian's sword swung diagonally, targeting its neck.
However, the corrupted being counterattacked with bizarre movements even in the midst of this.
-CREAK!
Its upper body twisted like a pretzel as it swung the Sun Ring sword. It was a counterattack coming in a completely unpredictable manner.
However, Osian naturally retrieved his Starlight Sword as if he had expected this and deflected the creature's attack to the side.
-CLANG!
The Sun Ring sword greatly deviated from its trajectory. Conversely, the Starlight Sword drew an additional trajectory all too naturally. It was a graceful and beautiful crescent moon shape.
-SLASH!
From the crown of the head to the crotch, the corrupted being split left and right and fell like a stiff log.
"Troublesome but nothing special."
Osian muttered this and suddenly looked up to stare at the passage across from them.
Dozens of yellow rings were rising there.
"The numbers are something else indeed."