Tucker Thor climbed the thick walls of the New Holy City and walked slowly to the mottled battlements. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

This was probably the most peaceful demon month ever spent since the establishment of the fortress.

In order to defend against the attacks of evil beasts, no matter how heavy the snow fell in the past, someone would sweep and de-ice, so the city wall always maintained its characteristic blue-gray color, which stood out against the white background. But now, he has left a series of footprints in the flat snow.

There were no potholes, no blood stains soaked in the cracks, and all traces of the battle were buried by snowflakes as if nothing had happened, which was an absolutely incredible sight before.

It's just that there have been so many upheavals recently that this incredibleness is not so concerning.

Expecting that the Holy City of Hermes would be trampled to the ground in front of the swarming tide of evil beasts, all the cultists were ready to live and die with the cathedral, but they did not expect that there were so few enemies in the snow that they did not even have the intention of climbing the city walls.

Before everyone had time to celebrate, the gods showed its impermanence in a very cruel way.

The conquest of the Grey Keep consumed so much of the Church's strength that their first task after the winter was to re-elect the three bishops and the corresponding high-ranking personnel. In order to stabilize the order of the Holy City and restore the faith of the believers in the gods, many young members of the congregation became the backbone, and he also became one of the temporary bishops because of his status as the former presiding judge.

However, just as the situation was slightly better, the cathedral suddenly collapsed on a windless night, and a number of high-rise buildings fell into the deep pit underground, instantly crushing everyone's sense of aftermath and death. And he happened to be able to avoid the disaster by visiting the camp.

No one knew how it happened, and although they had heard of a fire in the core area of the church's underground and had been invaded by evil beasts, they could not enter the privy council without the Pope's permission, even if the whereabouts of the acting Pope, Lord Teflon, were unknown.

It can be said that the collapse of Hermes Cathedral had an even more serious impact on the Church than the defeat of the Great Army - the defeat of the army could be the reason for the command or the enemy's cunning, but the Tower of Babel, which represents the indomitable will, is a symbol of the spirit of the Church, and its overthrow is equivalent to the abandonment of the Church by the gods.

Such a change in the mood of the people and the precarious situation almost became the last straw that overwhelmed the horse, even if he blocked the scene in the first place. The inhabitants of the Holy City began to flee Hermes, first from a small number of less committed artisans and outlying merchants, and then from the outer and inner towns...... Fear spreads like a plague, but there is no God-given antidote to stop it.

He had organized all the Inquisitors and Priests and held a devout prayer on the walls of the city to once again keep an eye on the last bastion of humanity and not let the thousands of creatures behind him be swallowed up by the evil forces of hell, but he never received any response.

Tucker Thor remembered Pope Mayne's teaching that the only way to fight evil was to be strong, but he could not think of any other way to stop the collapse of his faith than to pray to God.

"Your Excellency...... So you're here," a woman's voice suddenly sounded from behind, "The troops chasing the fugitives have returned, but it's ......"

"A few of them are gone, aren't they?" he said, turning around.

The reporter was none other than Farina, the surviving commander of the Inquisition Army, who had taken over her mission. Tucker saw a familiar shadow on her face, and thought for a moment before remembering the advance battalion warrior who had dedicated his life to the Church, Elecia - one of the few female Inquisition warriors who shared the same gritty, one who was able to fight even when more than half of her teammates were killed or wounded and the beasts approached the walls of the cathedral, and the other who took command of the Inquisition when the Church was crumbling and managed to keep the collapse under control.

"Yes," Farina stomped her foot in exasperation, "the group of makeshift recruits was of no use, and there were more than twenty of them when they went out, and only one or two returned—no matter how neglected they were, they couldn't have been killed by the fugitives." If I find them, I'll make these traitors look good!"

"It's inevitable," Tucker sighed, "how many of the Inquisitors remain?"

"Five hundred and sixty-four people, all of whom are now guarding the gates of the inner walls of the Holy City, should be able to stop the inhabitants of the inner city from fleeing. ”

Coupled with the hundreds of divine punishers who were not crushed in the ruins of the church, this is also the last remaining elite of the church...... He knew in his heart that it was impossible for man to stop the devil's attack on this alone, and the destruction of mankind was a foregone conclusion.

He had known about this extremely powerful enemy from Mayne's mouth. All the efforts made by the Church are to preserve humanity when the war of doom comes, so that the flame of continuity will not be extinguished, which is why there are such powerful samurai as the Divine Punishment Army. But this is not enough, before this great war comes, the Church must unify the four kingdoms and unite the forces of all mankind to have any hope of victory.

Now that hope is gone, what is the point of everyone still holding on to this highland fortress?

There really wasn't much left for him to do next, but for these more than 500 people, it might be a relief.

"Go to the east," Tucker began, "whether it's to Eternal Winter or Wolfheart, as close to the coast as possible, where we can build a new Holy City." ”

That way, even if the devil invades the four kingdoms, you will be able to escape from the harbor to further afield—and if you're lucky, you'll be able to survive this life before humanity is destroyed.

"Leaving Hermes?" Falina was stunned, "but my lord...... If we're gone, who's going to defend against the beasts?"

"If the evil beast enters the hinterland of the continent through the Great Breach, it will also be a crime committed by the Grey Castle. The Church's top priority is to preserve its strength, and the cathedral can be rebuilt when it is gone, but the believers cannot withstand the wear and tear, and it will not be remembered again until the evil beasts are flooded in the four kingdoms. ”

It doesn't matter what the beasts are, they are not the real enemy, the deadly threat comes from the depths of Hell, and there is nothing you can do about it. The last thing I can do is keep you as far away from the battlefield as possible - you've done enough to protect humanity.

"Those who are determined to stay here are the devout who are willing to live and die with the Holy City, and they probably won't agree to abandon Hermes." ”

"Where you are is the Holy City, child. They will say yes, as long as you persuade them well. Tucker paused, "And it's also an order from the Acting Pope - to preserve yourself and continue the Church, understand?"

As many as they can go, the fugitives will soon spread the word, and by then, the king of the Grey Keep will probably be ready to move again.

"I see, sir...... No, Your Majesty. Falina bit her lip, and finally clenched her fist to her chest and bent down in salute.

At this moment, the gray sky suddenly became a little more yellow, and he turned around, only to see cracks blooming in the clouds, and the orange-red sunset was slowly revealing his figure, casting the light of the road to the white snowfield.

"It's ...... Is the evil moon over?" said Farina, with a hint of joy.

"Well, the snow will melt soon, so let's tell everyone. If you start preparing now, you'll be able to leave in two or three weeks. ”

"Yes, then I'll quit first!" she nodded, and ran in the direction of the inner city.

At this moment, the dusk prayer bell also came from the holy city, and the nine bells were both a time to tell the time and to close their eyes and pray to the gods.

But Tucker Thor didn't pray.

Because the gods can't hear anymore.

He took off the crown from his head, placed it on the battlements, and climbed up the wall to look at the setting sun in the distance.

He still has one more thing to do if he wants these people to abandon Hermes completely.

Tucker didn't mind, though, because it would allow him to stay with his companions who had fought alongside him.

This twilight is not only the sunset of the Church, but also the sunset of all mankind.

He closed his eyes and leaned over.

......

Farina heard a slight crash behind her, as if something had slipped into the valley.

She looked back and saw that the walls were empty.

.

The bell of dusk is finished