Jack cocked his head to the side, his eyes staring at the human-sized statue of Sahaqiel. Even at a distance, he could tell what it was, WHO it was with a sense of comfort emitting from it.

“Is that…” Jack trailed off, blinking repeatedly, unable to process what lay before him.

“The statue of our patron Saint, Saint Citri, founder of the Theocracy,” Lita added, misinterpreting Jack's confusion. “Not many outsiders have been bestowed with the grace of bearing witness to our maiden. Thanks to her presence, demonspawn have limited power when attacking the city. But the traitors know we have the statue of her holiness, and have been scouring the city ways in search of her.”

Sara… is there anything you want to tell me?

“I-no? I don't know! Why should I know why there's a statue of me down here?!” Sahaqiel replied, the angel flustered as she tried to make heads or tails of why there was a statue of her likeness.

Jack asked Lilith, but the specter held no reply, in fact, the more he drew closer to the statue, the more fatigue he felt. Almost as if there were a dampening effect on him.

But why?

Jack frowned, remembering the words of the avatar of the Nest Heart that had called him a.... deviant.

Led through the shanty town, Jack eyed the partisans that stared through windows, leaned over rickety bridges, and tracked the commando team and their MECHFrame as they passed.

With fair skin with blonde hair and clothed in rags ill suited to the weather, Jack noted that they all had blue eyes, however… that wasn’t what caught Jack’s attention.

“Jack…”

I know. They’re all awakened.... Jack replied to Sahaqiel, his brow furrowing beneath his helmet. Every person Jack came across he saw red and orange cores, his eyes picking up the abundance of energy that flowed through the air.

Albeit weak, every person here was the equivalent of a low ranking mage officer.

But how? And why? There were too many here for it to be a natural phenomenon.

At least, Jack thought so. The empire had one awakened per hundred thousand citizens while the Alliance had even less than that, yet here… there were hundreds of them.

“So the statue keeps the demonspawn at bay? How does that work?” Jack asked.

“The grace of Lady Citri shields us,” Lita replied, “Through her blessing we are kept safe through the channeling of her will, her presence alone flows through the city with the outer edges of our walls being the barrier to where here divine protection ends.”

Jack eyed the statue above, the woman locked in prayer.

Must be why I feel lethargic, Sar-

“I'm sure! I have NO idea why they're worshipping me!”

“I'm freezing,” Yukino complained with Jack noticing how lightly clothed the partisans were.

Must be cold resistance.

“There's a lot more than I thought…” One of the commandos commented, using the TEAMCOM feature of their helmet to remain anonymous to the outside world.

“Creepy. Look at their soulless blue eyes,” Another commando said.

“Cut the chatter Majestic,” Jessica cut in, silencing the group as they were led towards the base of the statue where a chapel lay beneath its massive six wings.

Around the ice-covered church, armed paladins and Templars, along with black-robed clergy women brandishing submachine guns and staffs.

“Ynell,” A priestess said, the group of battle-nuns stepping forward.

Lita paused, halting Jack and his party of commandos.

“Your team will have to wait out here,” Lita said, addressing Jack. “Only your lumenese and followers of our Church may enter our sacred grounds whilst prayer is in secession.”

At this, Jessica stepped forward, the woman attempting to say something but was stopped by Python.

Jack didn't get how prayer was so important considering the circumstances but he held his tongue, electing to say nothing in the face of a foreign culture.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“Understood. We'll wait outside,” Python said, signaling the team.

“Thank you Colonel. Sister Vere will show you to your accommodations.”

Yukino cocked her head sideways at Jack, but ultimately went as the latter nodded.

“This way sir,” Lita said, the nuns parting ways for Jack to enter their humble church through the wooden doors.

Within the abbey of rustic wood, there was a congregation in mass, a man in white papal robes speaking to the crowd in the language of the Theocracists.

“This way,” Lita instructed with Jack following behind into a nearby room that was covered in electronics. A far cry from how the rest of the settlement appeared.

Inside, armored men and women, Templars with their golden trim platemail who gave Jack a sideways glance as they talked over a hologram of a city.

“Good. He's arrived,” A woman wearing blue and black robes said, walking across the room to shake Jack's hand, her features as cold as the ice that chilled the air. “Welcome to the Theocracy, King Bell, I am-”

“Superbia...” Jack said, the woman's name out his mouth before he realized it.

The blue-eyed blue-haired woman paused, staring at Jack as he took his helmet off, his golden eyes glaring with tinges of red.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

“No, not in person, but I know of you,” Jack said, the woman raising a brow. “Frelia. I stood on the battlements as you casted your Anti-Army skill at our walls.”

The woman blinked, taken aback, her eyes casting downward to lock on the hand that firmly held hers.

A stillness settled within the chamber, all eyes focused on Jack with two templars moving slowly to flank Jack, perhaps on instinct as they felt the subtle shift of mana.

“I see. You were responsible for the mountain massacre…”

“I was,” Jack replied, the pair of Templars in the back sharing glanced at one another.

“Well... a lot of mistakes were made that day,” Superbia said, Jack's eyes taking in the woman's purple core.

“Mistakes… Right…” Jack replied, releasing the woman's hand. “Alot of good people died. Children too… but that's not why we're here. Fill me in on the assault plan.”

“Paladin Velmont,” Superbia said, turning to a man in white trim, the paladin shifting the hologram. “The battle plan.”

“Of course Lady Superbia,” Paladin Velmont said, the man's voice gruff as he shifted the hologram to a bird's eye view. "The Veneer Chapel and Sindel Underground stand with us. Boosting our numbers to roughly three thousand."

Three thousand? That's a lot more support than I thought. Jack thought to himself.

“What of the Carja Clan?” Superbia asked.

“We sent scouts, but… their enclave no longer exists,” Velmont said before zooming the hologram out. “We are three thousand verses a force of fifty thousand papal guards.”

Jack frowned, “Those are extreme odds. I can try to contact Sefian command for more backup, maybe send a cruiser.”

“No. Our mission isn't conquest, but decapitation,” Lita cut in, beckoning Velmont to shift the hologram to what appeared to be factories. “The Holy City festers the factories used to create the antegent that once rained on Frelia to create monsters. Our objectives here are to remove the so-called Green Bishop and shut down his science facilities.”

“And a large-scale imperial incursion over our border would immediately sound the alarm,” Superbia added before Lita stood beside Jack. "We will have to hit them first before any more imperial reinforcements arrive less we sacrifice our element of surprise."

"That will be alot of causalities," Jack replied, taking in the mobilization plans.

“Whatever the cost, we will pay to remove this snake and to rectify the sins of the past,” Lita said.

Jack sighed. The paladins were right, they had the element of surprise, but the losses…

“I understand. What's our battle plan here exactly?” Jack asked, pointing at the facility deep within the Holy City where their target lay.

“Many of our cities have large sewer pathways, leftovers from the old Bunker cities during the Collapse. Usually these pathways are manned by papal guards, however, what the Green Bishop doesn't realize is that we've replaced his people with our own,” Superbia said, tapping at the hologram to move the image, “These sewer entrances are our way for our main forces to navigate the city. Once in, we'll infiltrate and push to the Papal Citadel and hold a defensive line there while launching simultaneous attacks.”

“What about their air support? Titan class enemies? Anti-air? Anti-army?” Jack asked.

“Our saboteurs will take care of their anti-air. When we begin the assault, we've got a squadron of bombers that will take out their hangers. For Anti-Army, I will handle that while our Titans classes battle against theirs,” Superbia explained. "Although outnumbered, you fight beside the Theocracy's elite, you will not find our warriors wanting for capability."

“So what happens after we kill the Green Bishop?” Jack asked, furrowing his brow. “Selfia has promised a King Raven as standby support but against fifty thousand, I doubt it will draw the battle to a conclusion. Then theres the problem of the Roland soldiers that control the border who may decide to join the fight. Honestly, I can't help but to think I'm throwing you all into a slaughter just to kill one man.”

“The Papal council room houses a nationwide broadcasting unit. Once we breach it, we'll bring to light the horrors perpetuated by the Green Bishop, once word of our revolt spreads, others shall join thy cause,” Lita said resolutely.

“And? What if they don't take? What if they don't care?” Jack said.

“Then we fight,” Superbia said, “However many of the Templars that stand with Hugo only do so out of self preservation and hunger. Once we remove their leadership, the rest will crumble.”

“Ok, so this brings me to my next question, who are their commanders then?” Jack asked.

“Lady Matoya Cerda and Lord Jeremiah Fi,” Superbia replied. “You need not worry about them, we will handle our own. The only thing you need to do is focus on the false bishop and carve us a path to victory.”

The hologram changed, showing the schematics of the Green Bishop's facility.

“Right,” Jack said, clapping his hands together. “I'll take this to my team. I assume you have your forces ready?”

“On standby milord. We're prepared to move tomorrow,” Paladin Velmont said, Lita handing Jack an intellipad with the schematics and action plan.

Short notice, but Jack could work with this.

“Good,” Jack said, furrowing his brow as he took the intellipad. "Then get some rest. I have an amendment to make to the plan before we hunt our quarry."