Chapter 525 - 213: Trash Authority, Blind

That’s right, the Red Moon!

She recalled that a scroll from the Era Relics seemed to have recorded a similar sight. Apparently, this was a common occurrence for city-states in the last era.

At this thought, Kali’s eyes brightened. She now remembered the origin of all these beautiful people.

"The Red Moon Church?"

"Yes."

"Then... they should be all right, shouldn’t they?"

"We’ll know if we keep watching."

"Oh."

Before long, under Kali’s uneasy gaze, the villagers began to wake up one by one.

"I... where am I?"

"Why aren’t I at home?"

"What... Dammit, the Red Moon?!"

The villagers looked around and finally realized they were exposed beneath the Red Moon. Despair washed over their faces.

"How can this be...? No!"

"Forget about that for now! We need to get back somewhere safe!"

"Wait, this... this isn’t my body?"

"Wh-why have I become like this?"

"Akars, is that you? My god, you’ve gotten so young!"

"You’re one to talk, old woman... You’re the same..."

Just as they were about to move, they stopped. Catching sight of each other’s youthful bodies and beautiful faces, they were overcome with ecstasy.

"Hahaha... This feeling is incredible!"

"C-could it be? Have we been saved by the great Dawn? Has it made us young and beautiful, and immune to the Red Moon’s contamination?!"

"This is amazing... Huh?"

But their joy was fleeting. Soon, all movement ceased, and the smiles on their faces froze solid.

’What’s happening?’

’I can’t move?’

’I can’t even... move my eyes...’

As this realization dawned on them, the old numbness and despair returned to the eyes of these villagers, who had just experienced such a violent emotional rollercoaster.

’So, it was all just a fantasy after all?’

Whatever they were thinking, they were utterly paralyzed, able to do nothing but await their fate.

The villagers soon felt a warmth wash over them, as if the Red Moon in the sky were the sun, bathing them in a gentle, warm radiance.

’This warmth... could it truly be the Dawn?’

But in the next instant—

POP, POP, POP... The bodies of the villagers, who had just been fantasizing about becoming Extraordinaries, all exploded into a fine mist of flesh and blood. Hundreds of crimson clouds enveloped the village.

Strangely, however, the crimson mists didn’t coalesce and drift down. Instead, they slowly rose and dispersed into the air.

Eventually, they seemed to dissolve into the Red Moon’s glow, vanishing completely.

"Th-they..."

Kali stared blankly at the scene. One moment, the villagers had been full of life; the next, they had all disintegrated into a bloody mist.

"What just happened?"

"A technique of the Red Moon Sect. Red Moon Medium Fusion, or," Celestia paused, then looked at Kali and said with deliberate emphasis, "as it’s also known, Red Moon Contamination!"

"Contamination?" A flicker of confusion crossed Kali’s face. "But shouldn’t people contaminated by the Red Moon turn into mutations? Why did their bodies just disintegrate?"

"Mutation occurs when their essence cannot withstand the corrosive properties of the Red Moon. However, if a Holy Professional of the Red Moon Church converts them into followers, their essence will fuse with a sliver of power that carries the Red Moon’s contaminating properties."

The color drained from Kali’s face. "Why would they do that? Aren’t the True God Churches supposed to be responsible for protecting ordinary people?"

"This touches upon much deeper matters," Celestia said, her tone flat. "The True God Churches are not all the same. The Dawn preaches harmony, the Earth praises adaptation to change, the Storm advocates for freedom... and the Red Moon is far more radical."

"The core tenet of their doctrine is to have their followers become vessels, to willingly bear the Red Moon’s radiance. They hope that by doing so, they can diminish the power of its contaminating properties."

"So they want more people to become contaminated and mutate?" Kali asked, starting to understand. "But why use ordinary people? Surely the Holy Professionals who walk the path of faith can bear much more."

"To put it bluntly, the Eastern Continent is not the Red Moon Church’s domain. They couldn’t care less about the lives of these people." Celestia looked up at the Red Moon in the night sky, a golden light shimmering in her eyes, warding off the ubiquitous crimson glow.

"..."

Kali bit her lip. ’So this is what she meant by ’deeper matters’?’

’One’s own domain is off-limits to other True God Churches, but if you get a chance to invade someone else’s turf, you can just slaughter indiscriminately?’

Melbel, standing to the side, paid little heed to their conversation. His gaze was fixed on the ground not far from the wooden cottage, where a red robe lay torn in two...

"Patickule, make the arrangements. We’ll rest here for the night and depart for the Caster City State first thing in the morning."

Celestia then waved to the Judgment Legion behind her, signaling that they could rest.

"Yes, Lady Celestia!"

Then, several thousand figures in platinum armor retreated several hundred meters in an orderly fashion. They sat down on the bare earth, quietly and informally eating while reciting psalms.

"Praise the great Dawn. Its form is as vast as the sea of stars, Its gaze as warm as..."

Hearing the voices of the Holy Professionals, Kali hesitated for a moment before nodding to Melbel, indicating that he, too, could go rest.

The eyes beneath Melbel’s mask shifted. He bowed, then departed quietly, leaving behind the two women who held transcendent status within the Dawn Church.

"Now, tell me about that heretic," Celestia said, sitting down cross-legged with her longsword resting across her lap. She looked at Kali as she asked.

"Hm? You mean the Mutated Mage?" Kali asked as she, too, sat down.