The Great Cathedral of Tara was built in 326 AD and has undergone nearly a thousand years of expansion and renovation.

Ultimately, this religious temple, which embodied the hard work of countless people, became an architectural marvel on the continent.

The indoor plaza, spanning tens of thousands of square meters, can accommodate nearly half the city's residents at once; the acoustically designed arched structure allows the sound from the pulpit to travel clearly over a kilometer; and the hundred-meter-tall pure copper cross statue is so impressive that even the top craftsmen of the Southern Empire would be humbled by its superior craftsmanship.

To this day, nobles, artisans, clergy, and farmers of Terro gather at the foot of the cross. Although the smoke of war lingers outside the city, this sanctuary gives them unwavering faith.

"Now is the time to prove our loyalty to the Father!" Several young men carrying swords approached the church deacons: "We want to join the guard! We are willing to give our lives to protect the Holy Land!"

Hearing the distant explosions, a noblewoman said uneasily to her companion, "I've heard that those enemies from the west are monsters! They look like beasts and demons; ordinary swords can't harm them, only holy water and blessed weapons can kill them!"

A businessman, looking anxious, clutched his hair: "Half of my fortune has already been donated to the church. I hope the Father's army can defend this city. I don't want to become food for those monsters outside!"

The priests, holding Bibles, walked into the crowd and led them in the routine prayer before the praise ceremony.

"Almighty Creator, extinguish the flames of evil, eradicate strife among men, grant me physical well-being, and let my soul enjoy true peace."

After the prayers ended, Bishop Jacob, dressed in papal regalia, slowly walked through the main entrance, surrounded by a crowd.

That snow-white priest's robe was so striking that it drew murmurs from the crowd.

"Silence!" The clergy standing around the pulpit warned the crowd while maintaining order.

Jacob stepped onto the pulpit, opened the Bible, and began his inaugural address as Pope.

"Tero City, this sacred city favored by the Father, is facing an attack from heretical demons. This may be the greatest crisis the Church has experienced in thousands of years!"

"This is a test, and a trial! Anyone who harbors fear and timidity will be condemned and will never gain God's favor!"

"And I, as the Father's most trusted servant and His bravest warrior, have received His own revelation! I will lead you all..."

As Jacob delivered his sermon from the pulpit, the man in the black cloak looked at the enormous cross statue in the center of the church, his expression as if the world had nothing to do with him.

“Myris, you know what? When I was a child, I always thought God was right above me.”

Throat Bone placed his palm about twenty centimeters above his head and said with a smile, "It's probably around here."

“I always feel that no matter what I do, say, or think, God is the first to know.”

"Back then, my favorite thing to do was to sit quietly in a corner and talk to the 'God' above my head."

Myris looked up, his deeply lined face revealing a hint of pity in his cloudy eyes: "What changed you?"

“As a heretic, when my family was imprisoned in the Inquisition, my father told me that God would prove our innocence and righteousness.”

Throat Bone chuckled: “After my father was skinned and dismembered, my brother told me that God does not persecute faithful believers.”

“After my brother was impaled alive by a sharp wooden stake, my mother told me that God would forgive our sins.”

"After my mother was burned to ashes in the fire, everything finally fell silent, and no one came to tell me about God anymore."

He pulled out a silver nail clipper from his throat and slowly stroked its pattern: "I lay in the mud of the prison, listening to the sound of rats gnawing at my legs, looking up at the sky, and finally understood something."

The man with the throat bone looked at the crucified statue of God on the cross and said softly, "God has never cared about us. In His eyes, we are no different from dust or ants. If you want to find Him, remember, He exists in a deeper place, a secret realm that even the soul cannot reach."

"The only way to get closer to God is through death."

The Confession Hall, with its outer ring corridor.

A pebble hit the floor of the corridor and skipped forward quickly, like a stone skipping across a lake.

A group of soldiers in the corridor were looking at the bouncing stone with puzzlement when a woman holding a dagger appeared and disappeared like a ghost, following the stone's movements.

When this woman reveals herself, her dagger always takes a life.

In just a few seconds, the stone stopped at the end of the corridor.

The bodies of more than a dozen soldiers lay scattered on the ground, and blood gradually covered the entire ground.

Karin Forman sheathed her dagger and whistled behind her.

A fully armed squad quickly moved through the corridor and arrived at a tightly closed door.

Kellogg, the lizardman, peered into the door and said, "Yes, the child is inside."

Randall asked, "The guards inside?"

"There's a soldier on each side of the entrance, two soldiers in the foyer, and some unarmed men inside, probably servants... Wait, the commotion in the corridor just now alerted the soldiers inside, and they're walking over here."

Karin patted the lizardman on the back, gesturing for him to stand back a bit.

Then, Karin picked up a small pebble and threw it through the gap under the door.

Finally, Karin's figure disappeared through the doorway, and from inside came the sounds of fighting and screams.

A dozen seconds later, Karin opened the door.

Looking at the still convulsing corpse at his feet, Aldenan swallowed hard: "Quite a convenient ability."

Carol grabbed Aldenan and said, "Stop talking nonsense and save them."

A scantily clad girl screamed in fright upon seeing Carol's appearance.

Carroll quickly put down his weapon and raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

But this approach was completely ineffective. More and more children came out of the room and were frightened by the group of monsters that were neither human nor beast, and they ran away in all directions.

Randall waved his arms and shouted, "Calm down! We're here to rescue you!"

The results were minimal.

Father Pedro stepped forward and called out to the children, "Machina! Nelson! Kerr! I am Father Pedro, you know me!"

Several children stopped and looked at the priest, their faces showing disbelief and joy.

Father Pedro caught the child who was lunging at him, knelt down, and said with tears streaming down his face, "I'm so sorry for everything here, for making you suffer!"

Just then, twelve chimes came from the direction of the Great Cathedral in the distance.

Pedro looked up and murmured, "The pilgrimage has begun."