Chapter 1405 - 4: The Cycle of History

Seven Hills, Saint Nalos Cathedral.

The Holy Hall Knights wandered the edges of the Seven Hills and the streets within the city. Normally, these Knights rarely appeared directly before the eyes of the public, but from some point unknown, their appearances became increasingly frequent, and their numbers grew ever larger.

Some recalled that it all seemed to start from the imposition of martial law at the Saint Nalos Cathedral long ago, as to why use "long ago," naturally because such martial law had lasted too long, so long that the populace almost forgot when things started to change into this form; trying to recall only yielded blurred memories, as if from the beginning, Saint Nalos Cathedral had always been this stern.

Rather than say it was a sense of distance between man and God, it was better to say that one night the Saint Nalos Cathedral became the Devil’s cage, deliberately maintaining its distance from the earthly world...

"Nonessential personnel must leave immediately!"

Soldiers shouted at the streets, not far off were the fully armed Holy Hall Knights, maintaining order at the scene.

As the Pope’s hammer, the believers always trusted them, but in the face of the current demands of the Holy Hall Knights, even if this command came from the mouth of the Pope, it was difficult for them to accept.

"No, I cannot leave!"

Someone cried out in this way, blood seeping from his forehead, he continuously kowtowed, pleading for mercy.

Regrettably, this did not change his fate, believers were dragged away by the soldiers, thrown into the slowly moving crowd, they formed a very long line, guarded by soldiers and Holy Hall Knights, seeping out from the corners of Seven Hills, converging on the main roads, and then driven out of this Holy City.

Believers all looked forward to the day martial law would be lifted so they could observe the grandeur of the cathedral from afar, but instead, what arrived was not the lifting of martial law, but a deeper purification.

"I can withstand this!"

Another believer shouted, his eyes crimson, but was soon subdued by the soldiers.

With yet another person’s uprising, more believers shouted in unison, some too extreme and crazy, spouting blasphemous words.

"This place is being invaded by darkness! They are crawling out from the shadow of God!"

Another believer somehow managed to detach from the crowd, standing at a height, shouting to everyone.

"This sacred land is about to be contaminated! We must defend it! Until the very end!"

He roared, even as soldiers struck him with short batons, he also tried to struggle up, continuing to spread his words.

The words were like a mad incantation, as if they touched something, many lowered believers slowly lifted their heads, eyes flickering with another kind of emotion, they clenched fists, as if to overturn these soldiers and protect the land.

According to their faith, even if devoured by darkness, dying on this land was the utmost glory.

"There is no darkness! The light of God will forever protect all this!"

The Holy Hall Knights noticed these subtle changes, immediately shouted aloud, the voice resonant, like a tolling bell striking at the believers’ hearts.

This truly seemed to scare them, making them much more compliant, but no one knew when the unrest hidden in their hearts would rise again.

Even the Holy Hall Knight himself felt the same way, he gazed at the forcibly expelled believers, the recent reprimand not only for intimidating the believers, the Holy Hall Knight was also trying to intimidate the fear in his own heart.

He looked at his comrades, beneath the heavy helmets, in the darkness, he could see pairs of eyes similar to his own, with emotions hidden underneath.

The hand holding the reins trembled slightly, amidst the noise by the ears, came secret and eerie murmurs.

Yes, exactly when did it all start?

Perhaps a week ago, possibly half a month ago, even the Holy Hall Knight couldn’t recall clearly, anyway, deliberately sure was, it all started after martial law.

At first, some people began having nightmares, they dreamed of hell entwined with blood and bones, hearing the sounds of demons grinding teeth sucking blood at night.

Initially, there were few such people, even if someone spoke out, everyone thought it was due to insufficient faith, but gradually, such nightmares consumed more and more people, most found it hard to sleep under the nightmare’s assault, their eyes hollow, whites filled with bloodstains, utterly exhausted and weary.

Gradually, these kinds of nightmares seemed to become a consensus, everyone knew what they were encountering, but all tacitly kept silent, because they were well aware, this was the most sacred city in the world, they coexisted on a plot with the great Pope, if there was a place closest to the Celestial Kingdom, then it must be here.

Devils would not invade these devout believers, they believed this too.

Believers couldn’t convince themselves to believe in the reality of the nightmare; if this nightmare was real, was the Devil’s torment, then such devout faith of theirs, what was it worth? A ridiculous lie?

Hence, they deceived themselves, to protect their pathetic faith, stubbornly viewed the unusual nightmares as mental weakness, increasingly prayed piously, until falling into hysterical madness.

Believers awaited the appearance of the Pope, but what ultimately arrived was expulsion, the Pope did not explain the reason for it all, just drove out most of the believers from this city, even resorting to the Holy Hall Knight Order.