Lily didn't look too bothered. “You can say his name, there isn't anything wrong with saying it.”

“N-no. I shouldn't bring him into something stupid like this.” Nora answered, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Only their footsteps occupied the soundwaves for the next few moments. “Plus y-you wouldn't be wrong,” Lily commented.

“Huh?”

“I mean, I grew out of it quickly but, uh,” She seemed hesitant but continued. “I mean there was a time I, you know… had a thing for him.”

“Re-really? Well, I've never felt a thing for Jake so uh, you shouldn't expect everyone to be like that.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

(“Why would you bring that up!? And why would you respond to that!?”)

Everyone there other than those two thought. To say the atmosphere had gotten awkward would be like saying a forest had a tree or two.

“But I suppo-” Nora opened her mouth.

“Agatha! You mentioned something about worship?” Elizabeth was not going to let this atmosphere continue before a battle.

“Oh right! That's right!” Agatha proclaimed, realising she could change the mood.

She then explained what she heard out of the priest's and Furor's conversation while she lay on the floor after his attack.

“Revive their lord? And he had the gall to place them in the same sentence as the four gods?” Elizabeth said, sounding insulted.

“Ain't they optimistic about their mumbo jumbo,” Lily commented.

“I also remember him creating cubes in the mouth of his subor-”

Elizabeth flinched after hearing this but made sure to appear calm. She listened to her as she spoke but became engrossed in her thoughts.

“...they said they're used to strengthen their lord.”

(“Reviving their god? The cubes? Is that their purpose!? Could they actually be summoning some demon with those cubes? Hold on a minute if those cubes are created through a human life, and with the number of people they kill… damn, it actually sounds likely.”) Elizabeth worriedly thought.

“Maybe he used sleight of hand to get those cubes?” Lily commented.

“Possible, I could only see him put his fingers into his mouth. Plus he was trying to convert him.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“What fool preaches in battle?” Nora added.

Elizabeth had no idea if they were actually summoning demons but she also knew the priest had to be telling a half-truth at minimum. These things were created from people, and given they were so desperate to get them, it wouldn't surprise her if they had some big goal in mind. After all, why else would they collect them?

(“So they're summoning some great being. Dammit, my magic can't come back quick enough. I can't imagine I'll have a passive role in this given my sainthood and I'd want no such thing regardless. I can only pray they are years away from such a possibility. And if those plans of theirs come to fruition, I'll have to be ready.”)

As they talked about whether the idea of the cubes and this mysterious lord of the cult held any merit they came across a woman covered in blood. Elizabeth moved her hand to her blade.

“Ease up, Elizabeth-” Tina tried to say.

The woman covered in blood swung her long nails down at Elizabeth and Elizabeth aimed for her fingers. The woman in blood corrected and cut halfway into her blade before Elizabeth backed away for her blade's sake.

Tina was standing at the back of the group and quickly threw herself to the front. She swung her electrified spear at the woman and she quickly backed away, with her face filled with scorn. She kept her eyes on Elizabeth, even as Tina was the one who approached me.

“yOU CaSt ME DOwN, AnD LET OUR FathEr Die!? AND DARE SHOw YOuRSELF BEFoRE ME!?” She shouted with a hoarse voice, towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth kept her sword pointed up but Tina stood between the two.

“Don't waste your time with this trash, Elizabeth. I got it.”

“Fine but that woman is reminding me of something unpleasant.”

The tone of her skin in addition to the black horns, wings and surprising power nearly gave her a headache.

Lily started breathing heavily as she stared at the woman. “What are you talking about? That woman is obviously like that bald cultist guy we fought, right!? Shouldn't we all gang up on him?”

“Based on the little I've seen from her it seems she isn't anywhere near him in terms of power.” She responded. “And Tina, I won't hesitate to help you.”

“Sure, but I'm not gonna need it. (Welp, most of these bastards haven't really put up a fight, hopefully, you won't go down in a single swing.)”

“You sure it's okay for her to do this alone,” Nora asked.

“Yeah, I think we should just take her down as quickly as possible,” Agatha added.

Elizabeth made sure to lower her voice. “Well, Tina is a good baseline. I don't want to insinuate any of you are weak but that thing seems to have fast reactions. It'd be best if Tina could lower its guard before we strike. The last thing we need is one of you being injured. (Well, that's somewhat true, but I'd prefer not to expose my injury. If she can handle this by herself then so be it.)”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Lily said.

“So we strike the first opportunity we find, right?” Agatha asked.

“As long as I give you the go-ahead,” Elizabeth responded.

The demonic-looking lady showed Tina no attention and tried to jump over her to get at Elizabeth. Tina grabbed her leg and slammed her back first into the ground. It made a nauseous-sounding slam but she looked no worse for it.

The woman reached her own hands towards Tina's. Tina let go of her and the woman gave herself some minor cuts.

Tina swung her spear down and….