A deafening roar ripped through the air, the sound of a massive black battering ram, forged by magic, crashing squarely into the front gate of the Holy See. The unrelenting force pierced through the gate, shattering it, and struck the inner courtyard beyond. What had once been a harmonious sanctuary of greenery and stone statues was reduced to a desolate wasteland, as if a star had plummeted from the heavens.
It was the moment the first barrier of the Holy See fell.
“…!”
The paladins, belatedly twisting their stiff necks, could only stare at the devastation behind them. Their faces drained of color, they lacked the resolve to act. Reed passed them by with a leisurely stride.
Having forsaken their duty and permitted this intrusion, the paladins collapsed onto the frost-laden ground. Trembling from fear and cold, they were utterly powerless.
With unhurried steps that never faltered, Reed crossed the central…