The Fading Light of the Holy Maidens

Ruby, who had been fighting nonstop as she exhausted her mana and stamina, was getting stronger as she neared her very limit. It was a miraculous trait bestowed only upon the Holy Maiden chosen by the Dragon War Goddess Kia.

Unlike ordinary warriors whose strength faded with exhaustion, Kia’s divine blessing awakened only when the body stood on the edge of collapse. The closer Ruby came to her limits, the more fiercely the dragon’s blessing answered her resolve. Crimson-gold draconic runes spread across her arms, glowing beneath her skin like molten veins. Each heartbeat thundered with the roar of an ancient dragon, and every swing of her weapon carried enough force to shake the battlefield.

Yet such overwhelming strength came at a terrible cost.

Her muscles screamed with pain.

Her lungs burned with every breath.

Blood trickled from the corners of her lips, staining her chin as she forced herself to remain standing.

The blessing did not erase fatigue.

It merely allowed her to ignore it.

Around her, countless undead surged forward. Their hollow eyes burned with eerie green flames while corrupt cemetery-cold mana poured from their decaying bodies. The chilling aura froze the earth beneath their feet, leaving trails of lifeless frost wherever they marched.

Ruby raised her weapon once again.

A massive Ogre King charged toward her, swinging its enormous club with enough force to crush a castle gate.

Instead of retreating, Ruby stepped forward.

"Come!"

Her voice rang across the battlefield.

The crimson aura around her exploded.

BOOM!

Their weapons collided.

The shockwave shattered nearby skeletons into fragments.

With a fierce battle cry, Ruby twisted her body and unleashed another strike, severing the Ogre King’s arm before driving her blade through its skull.

The enormous corpse collapsed with a deafening crash.

But another immediately took its place.

And another.

There was no end.

She no longer counted how many enemies she had slain.

She simply fought.

For Fantom City.

For its people.

For those still praying behind its walls.

Even with her increased strength and abilities, the most she could do was defeat the Ogre Kings. Beyond them, colossal undead dragons circled high above the battlefield, their skeletal wings blotting out the light while streams of ghostly green fire rained toward the defenders.

Farther still floated the terrifying Necromancer.

Its empty eye sockets glowed with sinister emerald light as countless streams of corrupt mana flowed from its staff, raising fallen corpses into fresh soldiers.

Ruby looked toward that horrifying figure.

"...Not yet..."

She tightened her grip.

"I still can’t reach you..."

The realization weighed heavily on her heart.

No matter how hard she fought...

No matter how much Kia’s blessing strengthened her...

She was still incapable of matching the undead dragons.

Much less the dreadful Necromancer commanding the invasion.

Her vision gradually blurred.

Every breath became heavier than the last.

The divine flames surrounding her began flickering.

She knew.

This was her limit.

But if she was going to fall...

She would fall after taking as many enemies with her as possible.

A faint smile appeared on her exhausted face.

"Dragon War Goddess Kia..."

Her whisper disappeared beneath the sounds of battle.

"Please... lend me your final strength."

For a brief moment...

Time itself seemed to slow.

The crimson runes covering her body erupted with dazzling brilliance.

Behind her appeared the majestic phantom of an enormous ancient dragon, its golden eyes overlooking the battlefield with divine majesty.

The illusion existed only for a heartbeat.

Yet everyone nearby felt an overwhelming pressure descend from the heavens.

The dragon opened its jaws in silent approval.

Ruby charged.

Her figure became a streak of crimson light.

She flashed across the battlefield so quickly that only afterimages remained behind.

One slash.

Two.

Ten.

Hundreds.

Every strike carried the might of a dragon descending upon the mortal world.

Ogre Kings were cleaved apart before they even realized she had reached them.

Undead skeletal warriors shattered into clouds of bone fragments.

Even the earth split beneath the terrifying force of her final assault.

The entire battlefield trembled.

Only after completing her final attack did Ruby finally stop.

The crimson aura surrounding her slowly faded.

Her weapon slipped from her trembling fingers.

The last of Kia’s blessing quietly disappeared.

Her body swayed.

Darkness filled her vision.

Before losing consciousness, she watched thousands of undead collapse together.

A faint, satisfied smile crossed her exhausted face.

"I... did... enough..."

Her knees gave way.

She fell forward.

...

Natalia, on the other hand, was actually growing weaker because of the unique constitution bestowed upon her by her own deity, the Goddess of Justice Jenna.

Unlike Kia, whose blessing rewarded unwavering courage in desperate battle, Jenna’s divine authority revolved around absolute justice.

Justice protected.

Justice judged.

Justice punished.

Whenever justice prevailed, Jenna’s chosen maiden would receive overwhelming divine power for a limited time.

But justice was never measured by effort alone.

It was measured by results.

And today...

The innocent had died.

Undead had breached Fantom City’s defenses.

Families had been slaughtered before help could arrive.

Although Natalia had fought without rest, although she had healed the wounded and destroyed countless enemies...

She had still failed to prevent tragedy.

The divine scales of justice tilted.

Without warning, the blessing weakened.

The golden light surrounding Natalia noticeably dimmed.

Her breathing became heavier.

Her strength rapidly declined.

Her arms suddenly felt far heavier than before.

"...Lady Jenna..."

She clenched her teeth.

"I wasn’t strong enough..."

For the first time since the battle began, doubt crept into her heart.

Was this truly justice?

She knew the answer.

The Goddess was not punishing her out of cruelty.

Justice demanded responsibility.

Those chosen to wield divine authority were held to higher standards than anyone else.

The blessing existed not to comfort its wielder but to remind them of the weight they carried.

Natalia slowly closed her eyes.

"I understand..."

A gentle breeze brushed past her golden hair.

Though her divine power had diminished, the warmth she felt within her heart remained.

She would not curse her goddess.

She would simply become stronger.

Stronger enough that next time...

No innocent life would be lost while she still stood.

She looked ahead and saw Ruby collapsing after unleashing her final attack.

"Natalia..."

One knight shouted desperately.

"The Holy Maiden!"

Without hesitation, Natalia rushed forward despite her exhausted body.

She caught Ruby before she struck the ground.

Ruby’s breathing was shallow.

Her face had become frighteningly pale.

Natalia gently brushed a strand of scarlet hair away from Ruby’s face.

"You fought beautifully."

Her voice was soft, almost drowned out by the battlefield.

"I’ll take it from here."

Ruby didn’t answer.

She had already fallen unconscious.

Natalia carefully lifted her into her arms.

The weight wasn’t heavy.

Yet the responsibility she carried felt immeasurable.

The remaining knights quickly formed a defensive circle around the two Holy Maidens, fending off the advancing undead as they slowly retreated.

Step by step...

They withdrew toward Fantom City’s battered walls.

Every movement demanded tremendous effort.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Behind them, the undead continued roaring beneath the eerie glow of their green eyes.

Ahead of them, the defenders on the walls desperately covered their retreat with arrows, magic, and holy attacks.

After the two holy maidens gave their all and have nothing else to give, Natalia carried the unconscious Ruby as the two of them retreated back to the walls of Fantom City.