Chapter 59: The last Altar (1)

Even if he wished for just a single moment of standstill, he knew it wouldn’t happen.

As the statues were already jumping at Edward and Lumiel, Lucy raised her gun once more.

Shooting at him twice, Steven deflected one of them while Merency burned the other.

"I didn’t expect a lot from you guys, but this is disappointing," Lucy spoke, shooting another wave of bullets.

Jumping to the side, one of them missed him and instead hit Merency in the arm.

Her pain-filled groan filled the church only to get overturned by another gunshot.

But before another wave of attacks came their way, Lumiel jumped high above them, landing directly behind Lucy.

He was holding a marble sword, which he infused with mana, swinging his sword ready to cut her in half.

Stepping back, her teammate June used the chance to create a sword out of ice and shatter Lumiel’s barrier.

Steven used the time to recover, leaping together with Merency away from the middle of the fight.

Feeling his mana sense scream at him, he ducks down, barely avoiding a statue sent flying towards him by Edward.

"What’s going on? Why are they all so aggressive?" Merency asked, her arm bleeding badly.

Steven didn’t know the answer, but it almost seemed like both sides were ready to kill everyone.

As Edward dashed towards them, holding a spear of light, thrusting it towards Stevens’ heart.

Colliding with his barrier, it sent him flying out a window as he crashed down on the grass outside.

Only his head was hitting something else, creating a metallic sound.

Shaking off the pain, he rose to his legs, turning around to whatever was behind him.

There stood a single small hut probably used to store resources during winter.

Only that the door was slightly open, either by his head striking against it or someone else before.

Only giving a single look inside, he found a familiar Metalic plate in the middle of the room.

He had found the entrance to the fifth and last altar; now he only had to activate it.

But the sound of clashing behind stopped him, with how they were fighting; maybe one or two would still be alive when he finished down there.

Letting out a sigh, he turned away from the hut and dashed back to the church entrance.

Inside was the pure chaos: marble statues shattered all across the floor, and blood was all across the walls.

June was sitting on the ground while Lucy stood next to her holding her gun, which was cut in two clean.

Edward, in the meantime, still continued to shoot arrows of light at them.

Meanwhile, Merency was engaged in close combat with Lumiels, whose sword had already shattered to pieces.

But the boy was still using the remaining sharp edge to cut at her.

Steven didn’t hesitate one more second as he picked up multiple small marble shards.

Throwing them towards everyone, most of their barriers blocked them.

Except for Edward, who couldn’t activate his without dissolving his light bow, but even then the stone only brought him off balance for a second.

Sprinting forwards, he grabbed Lumiel’s extended arm towards Merency and brought it down hard to his knee.

Until something cracked loudly, as Lumiel let out a pained scream, Steven delivered him a hard kick, sending him flying to Edward.

Who caught his teammate with just one hand, letting him fall to the ground after.

He had to find a way to restrain everyone inside of here or clear them of the mind hex.

"Mercury, you think you could clear them with a spell." He asked carefully while dodging a light arrow.

The Edwards group seemed to change their focus to them after June got eliminated.

"Yes, but I need at least a few minutes." She answered nervously, her gaze wandering between the two groups.

That was enough for Steven to hear as he dashed a window, pulling an iron rod from it.

As he positioned himself back in front of Merency. "Start."

As she positioned herself on the ground, burning a magic circle into the ground.

Deflecting another light arrow, Edward continued to stay at a distance while Lumiel approached them.

Just something was wrong; no matter how many arrows Edward shot, Steven was sure they would’ve missed any lethal point.

But he had to concentrate on the enemy first, as Lumiel sent out two rotating fire disks.

Steven moved his one empty hand down, collecting the water from the air and freezing it instantly.

The wall had barely finished as it was destroyed and molten away by their attacks.

Blocking Lumiel’s healthy fist, he didn’t expect that maniac to attack him with his shattered too.

As a small piece of glass pierced his side, drawing blood, Steven tried kicking him away, but Lumiel Dodge barely.

Leaving him open for a light arrow, which hit his chest directly and exploded on impact.

Sending him tumbling backwards as Lumirl tried hitting his face, he ducked down, grabbing his arm from below.

And with a single swing sending him over his shoulder to the ground.

As Merency finally finished her circle, the air became much lighter.

Stopping Edward and Lumiel in their tracks.

Only one person did not stop.

Lucy, who still stood too far away for it to take effect.

As her broken gun started glowing uncontrollably.

Shooting directly towards Merency

A blinding golden light filled the room as the weapon exploded simultaneously.

Steven was already moving in the way.

But couldn’t step forward.

As the still confused Lumiel was holding his leg.

He could only cast a low-level barrier in the way.

But it shattered like glass being hit by a hammer.

Piercing Merency’s chest with ease.

Lucy was thrown against the ceiling by the explosion, bouncing back hard to the ground.

But Steven could only stare at the fist-sized hole in Mercy’s body.

Which was closing with visible speed.

As her eyes opened.

Steven could feel a different mana controlling her body.