Fao looked at the boy who had collapsed to the ground, shaking his head and said, "Rest well here, leave the remaining battle to us."

Perhaps because of the impending danger, his mood was a bit agitated, unlike his usual calm demeanor, his actions were somewhat more aggressive.

Just as he dragged Danny to the side for him to rest, he heard a quarrel.

"You brat! What are you arguing with me for? Huh?"

Fao paused for a moment, lifting his eyes to see Radley striking the young Warrior crouching to dodge, with the hilt of his sword—just because the boy seemed to have whispered something to him.

Radley's temple veins bulged, the edges of his pupils tinged with an abnormal flush: "Shut your mouth! What the gods need are warriors, not cowards! I'm not your nanny!"

Radley and his nephew.

Although Fao did not know their backstory, the way these two interacted daily seemed more like a father and son than merely uncle and nephew.

For Radley to be so angry, the boy must have said something quite outrageous.

"Stopping just because you sense danger and something's amiss? What a joke!"

Radley widened his eyes, roaring, "We've come this far, how could I let down my Lord's expectations here!!?"

Not a single warrior does not yearn for victory.

Not a single believer does not wish for the divine's gaze upon them.

For these things, they would risk everything, even to the point of fighting fiercely for it.

Yet his words made Fao frown slightly.

Hmm?

Is this reason enough to be so furious?

Isn't your nephew concerned for your safety?

"This..."

The scent of blood entering his nostrils became sweet and sticky, causing Fao's eyes to gradually lose focus.

"Those are indeed excessive words! How could a warrior shrink back!!?"

He nodded forcefully, casting a look of approval towards Radley, ready to continue moving forward.

But just as he was about to step forward, the longsword at his waist quivered from the sheath before settling back in.

Clack.

The sound of the blade entering the sheath was especially clear amidst the clamor of battle, causing Fao to pause.

Fao instinctively pressed down on the sword hilt, and then his expression twisted.

"Hiss..."

Every previous time he gripped the sword, it felt like holding a warm hand, but now... it was like touching a searing hot iron, scalding with prickly heat!

Sizzle—

He looked down suddenly, seeing fine waves shimmering on the surface of the drawn blade, as if an invisible hand was repeatedly kneading a mirror.

"What is this?"

Beside him, cries of mutual slaughter erupted suddenly.

"It's mine!"

"It should be mine!"

Boom! Boom!

Two knights were beating each other, flesh pounding into flesh, and when their helmets fell, distorted faces were revealed.

They glared at each other as if seeing a mortal enemy.

"I was the one who killed him! The god will see me! It can only be me!"

"No, it was me!"

The sun emblems on their armors had been twisted at some point, the sharp corners cutting deep, bone-baring wounds on each other's bodies.

"This, this..."

Boom boom boom!

Fao's temple throbbed, feeling the blood in his entire body boil over.

Instinctively, he turned his head to look at the banner behind him.

The bloodred banner still fluttered proudly, standing tall on the battlefield!

The banner hadn't fallen!

No problem at all.

Yet mere seconds after being reassured by the sight of the church's banner, Fao snapped back to consciousness, eyes widening.

"Wait... bloodred?"

Fao almost bulged his eyes, staring hard at the banner.

Why... is it that color?

Why!!!?

A chill crawled up the back of Fao's neck, licking at his soul.

Wrong.

No, wrong!

"It's... wrong!!"

Fao's mind quivered as if something shattered, his previously hazy consciousness finally awakening.

He was fully awake now.

The scene before his eyes changed instantly, they were still at the Dawn Valley Fortress.

And it was right after they had just fended off the previous wave of attack, everyone hadn't even had time to rest.

But everyone else was plodding along with empty eyes — heading outside the fortress.

"An illusion!"

At this moment, the Paladin fully understood.

"It's the domain of Sinful Desire!!!"

Desires silently descended, affecting everyone, trapping them in a terrifying illusion between seeming and reality.

He raised his head to the sky, realizing that at some unknown point, a rainbow halo had surrounded the sun — but the halo's edges were patterned like snake scales, transforming back into a normal corona whenever he focused on it.

The wind carried a faint sickly-sweet scent, mingled with a stench of blood, like the rotting fragrance of flowers, sending chills up one's spine.

No, there's more.

When Fao looked up to scrutinize, he clenched his fists.

The blazing sun overhead... was not its original form.

That wasn't the sun!

It was— a crimson vertical pupil.

Coldly gazing at the mortals below, mired in madness and obsession, amusement and mockery passing through its eyes.

!!!

The god's eyes... it's Sinful Desire!

The God of Sinful Desire is watching us!!?

Has he descended?

And just as Fao's mind quivered, the enormous shadow in the sky, the outline of a giant winged serpent finally fully emerged.

He revealed his current incarnation.

It was a colossal six-winged serpent!

Three pairs of massive wings grew on the serpent's back, looking magnificent... but upon closer inspection, you could see a distorted snake's eye faintly on each feather.

His splendid feathers shimmered with seductive luster under the sunlight, countless snake eyes reflecting the most ardent desires in everyone's hearts.

Achieving glory, the euphoria of divine favor, the thrill of unrestrained slaughter... all could be seen as desires.

Desire!

The God of Sinful Desire affected everyone!

With no time to think further, Fao knew what had to be done now.

"Everyone! Wake up!"

His hoarse yell pierced the battlefield, the Holy Light Sword in his hand finally bursting with pure radiance.

He lifted the longsword high, trying to draw everyone's attention, making them look up.

"That's not our Lord's gaze! It's Sinful Desire's! He's feasting on your desires!"

"Quickly wake up! See what you're doing?"

But his call had no effect.

After a brief pause in his shout, they quickly sank back into their own illusion realm.

Some even fell deeper after directly facing the divine.

Not everyone can resist the Fallen spiritual qi of the Evil God.

Few like Fao could awaken on their own accord.

Most people would just silently fall into frenzy, entirely unaware that they were being corrupted.

Fao tried to stop them one by one, but it was too many, he couldn't manage it in time.

Moreover, the worst part was, a new wave of the Evil God's minions was already coming this way!

"What should I do now? My Lord!"

In despair, Fao could only pray to the Sun God, hoping He would inform the others of the situation here.

At the same time, another thought couldn't help but surface in his mind.

"What should I do now? What other way... Lord Herbert!"

Fao knew that Giant Dragon, knowing Herbert was also here.

If Lord Herbert were here, he would surely know what to do!

Almost instinctively, Fao ceased praying to the Sun God, instead silently calling out to Herbert in his heart.

"Lord Herbert! Please save us—ah."

Fao came to his senses, feeling helpless at his desperate and indiscriminate act, he chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I've truly gone mad, how could Lord Herbert hear me..."

But at this moment.

As if to answer his impractical and ridiculous prayer.

In the distance, a mournful horn sounded.

Woom—

The horn was deafening, echoing through the heavens and the earth!

Accompanied by the horn sound, shaking everyone's soul, a beam of white light cut through the haze in the sky.

Whoosh—

In response to the desperate call of the mortal.

A pure white Angel. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Descended.