Loren cast spells, accelerating once more, completely unconcerned with draining his mana.
When his reserves ran low he would drink a mana-restoring potion, always keeping himself at full capacity.
As Loren flew past a certain threshold, the sky changed in an instant.
One moment it was overcast and rainy, the next it turned into blazing clear weather, the sun high and harsh, the light painfully bright.
Christmas had just passed, it was still winter, and Loren had just entered the God of Plague's territory — this place was nothing like the God of Bountiful Harvest's domain; this was true winter.
Yet now, not only had the snow melted, even the ground was cracked from being unable to tolerate the sun.
"This is trouble…"
Even if Loren were foolish, he could guess what was happening: this was the influence of the God of Light and Fire.
Loren fell silent and sped up. The God of Light and Fire's authority could find people quickly. With Loren not beside the witches, the Hermit card could not function.
They were very likely to be discovered.
…
"How much farther…"
Scarlett's legs felt like they no longer belonged to her. For concealment they had chosen to walk, staying inside the woods.
They all wore black robes and had activated the cognitive concealment devices Loren had made from the Murmuring Dragon's materials, granting some level of perceptual shielding.
That cognitive concealment wasn't strong enough to be true invisibility, but it made people subconsciously ignore them.
"Not far. About another half hour. This forest stretches all the way to the sea, so this route is safe."
Movila checked the path ahead with her clones and confirmed the safest route.
The trees were dense, blocking most light. Even if someone flew overhead, they wouldn't spot them.
"Half an hour…"
Scarlett felt like she was dying. If Loren were here she would have begged him to carry her on his back.
But Loren wasn't here, and she felt embarrassed asking anyone else.
"Lilith hasn't complained, how can you dare say you're tired?"
Anna teased. Scarlett felt ashamed at Anna's rebuke.
She looked to Lilith; Mirrorheart was holding Lilith's hand up ahead. Lilith had been silent the whole way and certainly hadn't complained.
"Do you want me to carry you?"
Luna volunteered to carry Scarlett, smiling.
Luna had been struggling to steady her emotions, yet her mother's hideous face would still appear in her mind from time to time.
Her mental state wasn't great; she dreamed nightmares every night. In the end, Loren noticed Luna's condition late at night and used the Code of Justice to forbid dreaming.
"Never mind… thank you…"
Scarlett still declined, out of consideration for Luna's fragile state.
Starnight perched on Mirrorheart's shoulder, constantly gazing into the sky, hoping Loren would suddenly descend from above.
Sunlight glinted off Starnight and stung the eyes, but Starnight didn't give up.
Naclis walked silently at the front, leading the group.
Since Loren left, she had grown even more taciturn, yet also more dependable.
Anna slipped her hand into Naclis's. She could tell Naclis was putting on a brave face; with Loren absent Naclis was nervous too, but no one else in the group was better suited to take the lead.
Mirrorheart wasn't a witch and had little combat ability. Laila, who always behaved like the matriarch, wasn't here.
Anna was young, Scarlett was scatterbrained, Luna and Paqina lacked decisiveness, and Movila didn't think deeply.
So Anna had to step forward.
Naclis focused, watching every movement around them, gripping her firearm.
She wanted to be like Loren, to spot anything odd and crush threats before they could grow.
Paqina lagged behind the group, reading from a book of notes about the Severance Ritual.
Dappled shadow across the pages hurt her eyes.
The Severance Ritual was complex; even now she hadn't fully worked it out.
Her aim was to be ready to produce the corresponding severance ritual the moment the gods started devouring each other's authority.
"Something's wrong…"
Naclis suddenly stopped, shading her eyes with her hand to block the sun.
"I remember we chose a path with thick foliage that wouldn't let light through…"
"Yes…"
Movila answered. She had picked this route and knew it well.
"But now the leaves are sparse and the sun is glaring…"
"Prepare to fight!"
Naclis instantly made the call. She had learned to imitate Loren, treating every anomaly with caution.
Though she didn't know exactly what was happening, she knew it was bad.
"Okay…"
At the order to fight, Scarlett efficiently distributed weapons. She first tossed the Scythe of Harvest to Anna.
As soon as Naclis said those words, the trees around them came alive. Hideous faces crawled across the trunks.
"Run toward the sea!"
Naclis shouted. They had been discovered; hiding was useless, running was their best option.
The trees shuddered; their roots began to move, forcing them upright.
One tree rose and Anna sliced it cleanly in half.
Shadows condensed in Naclis's hand into a chainsaw. Naclis and Anna charged forward, cutting down the blocking trees before they could reveal more of their abilities.
"You went the wrong way! Turn around!"
Movila suddenly shouted. Naclis froze; she had a strong sense of direction — she couldn't be wrong…
Naclis turned and saw behind the group an eerie humanoid beast. Its body was covered in constantly shifting mouths, and each of its six pairs of wings was full of eyeless sockets.
Naclis recognized it: an Angel of Confusion. They had successfully killed one before.
The surrounding trees began to twist and merge, forming a monster of bloodlike branches and branchlike flesh.
"Angel of Bountifulness…"
Naclis whispered the name of that thing. She felt the light from the sky intensify, so she looked up and saw a nightmare she had once imagined:
"Angel of Light."
At the same time, on the other side the sky went black — the power of the Angel of Night.
A fierce wind rose, making Naclis falter. The Wind Angel had arrived in an instant.
A creature with inside and outside reversed beat its ribs and descended slowly. Its dangling entrails swung about. This grotesque structure made every movement excruciating, so it was in constant torment.
"Angel of Pain…"
Even if Naclis had never seen an Angel of Pain before, she could guess what it was.
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