The thirteenth lightning bolt struck, and young Shaan had already been reduced to a charred husk.
Yet the church's floor glowed with a layer of golden light—Divine Mother Goddess's protective radiance. Because Ashu stood nearby, it enveloped the "luminous saint" and shielded him from harm.
"Pity—we lost one escapee," Ashu lamented as he gazed at the smoking remains on the ground.
Just then, Anna stepped out from behind the curtain and explained, "That vice-commander's rank is a full tier above yours, and he's a devout Devotee of the God of Deceit. If he planned his escape from the start, we simply couldn't have stopped him."
Ashu replied, "God of Deceit Devotee? Pure heresy."
Anna shook her head. "The God of Deceit is the state religion's deity in the Kingdom of Ankgarde—on par with the Divine Mother Goddess. He certainly isn't a mere cultist."
Ashu bristled. "If you're not a follower of the Divine Mother Goddess, you're a heretic."
…
