Face-to-Face – 1

-Benevolent our God, look down upon us.

There was a person who came from beyond the distant wasteland.

The hem of the woman’s clothes was covered in dirt and dust.

The wasteland. Yes, the wasteland was growing these days.

The grass had faded in color, and the plump livestock had become emaciated.

The products of nature that could be seen in the lush greenery disappeared one by one, and grotesque and bizarre creatures that endured in the barren environment took their place.

All these changes happened after that day.

[The Day the Light Went Out]

It refers to the day the Divine Doctor’s servant succumbed to the temptation of evil and abandoned the path of light.

To put it simply, it was the day the infamous Witch appeared, breaking into the execution ground, cutting down the Holy Knights, and protecting herself with dark magic.

After that tragedy, famine began to plague the world.

The Pope, unusually enraged, claimed that the forces of evil were stirring.

He also emphasized the unity of the believers, saying that if the children of light united, they could overcome this ordeal.

That was the official announcement.

Of course, those who did not share ‘the same’ faith whispered behind their backs.

“The judgment has begun.”

-Burn away the false and raise up the true once more.

The woman in modest attire carried little luggage despite walking a long distance.

Her possessions were a set of clothes covered in dirt and dust, something huge strapped to her back, and her body.

The woman crossed the wasteland, chanting prayers.

Her journey was like this.

Chanting prayers, she destroys whatever blocks her path.

And then she sets off again.

She crossed the wasteland barefoot.

The rough dirt and stones, and the insects of the wasteland, gnawed at her feet, but she remained unscathed.

Her pure white feet stepped onto the lush green field.

“……..”

Light began to enter her eyes, which had been staring blankly ahead.

“Ah… I’ve arrived.”

A dry voice flowed from her mouth.

The impregnable castle came into her sight.

It was the last refuge where the Pope had fled and made his nest.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at the castle walls. She saw knights in white armor.

Tension, hostility, and fear.

The emotions she had received countless times in the Order’s basement rushed at her.

Murderer.

Apostate.

Heretic.

Evil woman.

Witch.

Demon.

She couldn’t hear them, but the sounds they made were carried on the wind.

She didn’t care.

If her will could be broken by people’s accusations, she would not have pushed through the crowd and walked to the execution ground that day.

She untied the huge thing on her back.

She began to unwrap the tightly wound bandages, and her weapon gradually began to reveal itself.

A huge greatsword.

And a slender woman wielding it.

The people on the castle walls couldn’t let their guard down at the contradictory sight.

“Look.”

The woman put the weapon on her shoulder and started walking again.

“There are so many sinners deceived by falsehoods.”

A great violence slowly begins to head towards the castle.

“…?”

The woman, who was moving with her eyes fixed on the castle gate, caught a faint smell of blood in her nose.

The source of the smell was the castle she was heading towards.

It was a distant place where arrows couldn’t even reach, so why was there such a smell?

It wasn’t the smell of blood from one or two people dying.

At least hundreds of people had died. Right now.

The woman tilted her head.

Who but me would judge them?

Her steps, which had been slowly crossing the green field, quickened.

She looked up at the castle walls.

The troops on the castle walls began to move busily.

It wasn’t reinforcement to the castle walls.

People were starting to leave into the castle.

-Bang!

Before she could have a new question, a huge sound echoed through the sky.

The woman tilted her head again.

Black smoke was rising from the castle.

It was as if someone was using the castle as a beacon…

The smell of fire and blood began to fill the air.

The woman frowned at the heat and the smell.

“I don’t know who it is, but I can’t tolerate anyone messing with the sinners I’m going to judge.”

Whether she was displeased, her pace quickened even more.

“Don’t you think so?”

She asked someone, and of course, no answer came back.

But she smiled brightly, as if she had heard an answer.

“Saint.”