Outside the sanctuary, the scene is a bit chaotic right now. Surrounding the sanctuary, there's a significant number of knights marching, their presence a reassuring sign of the sanctuary's security.

Occasionally, opulent horse-drawn carts and wagons make their way toward the sanctuary.

And, due to their rapid pace, they kick up clouds of dust, giving the whole atmosphere a hazy quality.

In this particular moment, a magnificent horse-drawn cart, pulled by four robust horses, hurtles toward the sanctuary at a breathtaking speed.

It's moving so swiftly that one of the marching knights barely manages to sidestep it, narrowly avoiding a collision.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

The knight, having tumbled into a muddy puddle while evading the cart, shouts after it in frustration.However, the horse cart is already too far away to hear his scolding.having fell deep into the mud the knight struggle to get up.

"Are you alright?"

Witnessing his comrade in trouble, another knight steps closer and extends a helping hand.

"Damn these higher-ups. They don't even care if we get hurt, let alone if we die. To hell with all of this! Sometimes I think about going back home, escaping from all these low-level cares. The peaceful village life sounds better than this," he grumbles as he grips his fellow knight's hand, both of them standing together, sharing their frustrations about the higher-ups.

"I feel you, man," the knight replied, trying to calm down his comrade.

"But it's strange, there are so many horse carriages and wagons going in, and all of them are higher-ups," the knight continued, as he cleaned the mud from his knight armor, displaying his curiosity.

"Why, don't you know?" the other knight asked.

"Know what?" he responded, eagerly awaiting an answer.

"Apparently, the Seven Colossi have awakened, and that's why all these higher-ups are rushing into the sanctuary."

"What, really?" the other knight exclaimed in astonishment, taking a moment to absorb the information.

"Well, it's about time. Everyone has been expecting their awakening. I mean, look at the other theocracys; all of their deities have already awakened," after some time he replied with a calm demeanor.

"Hey, why are you so calm?" the other knight questioned.

"Don't you know how dire the situation is?" he continued.

"Why? What is there to worry about?" the other knight asked, sounding clueless.

"Idiot, don't you know why we're protecting this sanctuary?" the knight exclaimed.

"No, I joined recently, so I don't know anything. As soon as I joined, I received the command to come here and protect the sanctuary, and so I did," the other knight explained.

"So, you're just like me, a newbie, huh?" the first knight remarked.

"As far as I heard from some other veteran knights, apparently, this sanctuary was teleported to this faraway location by some enemy theo-rule.

Because thise cult almighty deities weren't awakened, they couldn't do anything to stop the enemy theocracy .

After a long search, they finally located the sanctuary. But before their main force could arrive, the enemy somehow got wind of it and attacked. Surprisingly, this led to the awakening of their deity being," he continued.

"And the awakening of this theocracy absolute being means war. Do you think they'll let the enemy cult that attacked them unjustly get away with it? With their absolute being awakened, it's almost certain that there will be a catastrophic battle when the two theocracys engage," he concluded.two knight looks at each other,in silence,and what are they ihinking is a mystery.

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*****

Inside the sanctuary's main hall, seven towering thrones command attention.

Seated in them are seven imposing, giant-like creatures, though the term "giant" is only applicable to their immense height. The rest of their features defy the traditional notion of giants.

Each of them is clad in formidable, resplendent armor, and they each possess a distinct and unique appearance.

One of these beings boasts majestic wings sprouting from their back, adding to their awe-inspiring presence. Another wears a regal crown upon their head, symbolizing their authority. Yet another has a massive belly, perhaps signifying his appetite.

And among them, one hides their entire face behind a featureless mask, shrouding their identity in mystery.

Together, they sit upon their thrones, dominating the entire hall with their commanding aura, casting a palpable sense of power and authority over the surroundings.

Kneeling before the colossal figures in their opulent human attire is a high-ranking crowd of individuals.

Among them stand the esteemed priestess Gaya, the valiant head knight Ronald, and the resilient knight Raven, who is still recovering from his injuries.

In complete reverence, they all bow before the seven Colossi figures, awaiting their rulers' response without uttering a single word.

"As you are saying, from long ago, mysterious statues appeared all around the continent, and subsequently, you began to believe in them as gods," broke the silence as one of the Colossi figures began to speak, directing the question toward one member among the crowd.

His voice resonates like a deep, rumbling sky, gracefully filling the entire hall and gently caressing the ears of everyone present, evoking a sense of awe rather than terror.

"Quite right, my lord," responded one of the elderly figures from the crowd with utmost humility.

"As marked in our history, when these statues first appeared, they exuded an aura of absolute dominance. This caused everyone to keep their distance, staying as far away as possible."

"However, as time passed, a brutal demon war erupted. These bloodthirsty demons hunted down every human they encountered, leaving the powerless humans with no protection."

"Fearing for their lives, some humans made the desperate choice to hide near these stone statues. Astonishingly, the demons were terrified of these statues and kept their distance."

"Once it was realized that the demons feared these statues, humans began to believe that the statues were protectors and caretakers. From that point on, we began to revere them as saviours ."

"After some time, humans even began to learn magic and aura manipulation, thanks to the gifts bestowed upon them by these statues. With several statues scattered across the continent, we eventually managed to eradicate the demons," the elderly figure explained, recounting their history.

"Is that so," the colossal figure responded with a deep hum of acknowledgment.

"Yes, my lord, it's entirely due to your blessings that we were able to save ourselves and eliminate the wretched demon race," the elderly figure continued to lavish praise upon the colossal figure.

"And as for the attack you inquired about," the colossal figure asked once more, seeking clarification on the matter.

"My lord," the elderly figure began to explain, "after the demons were gone, peace returned, and we humans resumed our usual way of life. However, your divine presence remained unchanged."

"As time passed, various cultures began to emerge across the continent, all sharing a belief in the Colossus statues."

"But due to the different types of statues scattered throughout the land, conflicts began to arise among these cults."

"Over time, these disputes escalated to the point where different factions started going to war, each claiming that their statue was the true savior, the one who had saved everyone from the demons, and therefore, their statue was the absolute being."

"The situation persisted for a long time, with the different cults locked in a seemingly endless stalemate due to their evenly matched battle capabilities."

" However, unexpectedly, a momentous event occurred."

"The long-slumbering stone figures suddenly began to awaken. This unforeseen turn of events surprised and delighted everyone. The awakening of these statues infused newfound power into the cults that revered them, and it wasn't long before similar events began happening across the continent. "

"The factions facing the awakening of their own statues experienced a surge in strength."

"As the power dynamic shifted, conflicts erupted into full-scale warfare. At one point, even the awakened being themselves joined in these battles, adding a new dimension to the ongoing struggles."

" The land was plunged into a period of upheaval and uncertainty as the theocracys vied for dominance and control."

"And as for us, my lord, because your awakening came a bit later, we fell behind in power. One of our enemy forces seized the opportunity and launched an attack against us," the elder concluded his explanation.

A heavy silence enveloped the hall for a moment.

"And all of you gathered here now are the ones who believed in us," one of the colossal beings asked, seeking confirmation from those present.

"Yes, my lord, for a long time, we all believed and prayed for you. We eagerly awaited your awakening," the elder figure affirmed with deep reverence.

The Colossus figures exchanged glances, and one of them spoke up.

"All of you may depart for now. We require some time to discuss matters among ourselves," he declared.

Following the command, everyone began to leave the hall, gradually emptying it until only the seven Colossus figures remained, left to deliberate in private.

"Pride, what's going on here? Where have all of us ended up? I thought we were all gone," one of the figures among them asked another, clearly perplexed and searching for answers after everyone had left.

One name Pride turned his attention to the figures seated on the stone thrones.

Simultaneously, all of them fixed their gaze upon Pride, their collective expectation clear as they awaited his response.