Maids VS Apocalypse
Chapter 121: Pitiful Souls.

Chapter 121: Pitiful Souls.

The attack came out of nowhere, leaving the Peace Keepers in shambles. Overwhelming numbers tipped the balance to one side and usurped control over the underground shelters one by one.

The refugees sensed the tremors caused by the battle and believed it to be another monster invasion. The horrors they survived came back to torment them and only the worst filled their minds. They were lacking in imagination, however.

Hope’s End underground shelter number 18 was far from the center of the city and the events from a few days ago. It was exactly for those reasons why the number of survivors it housed was significantly higher.

A large crowd huddled together in the spacious hall. Zhang Tianmu couldn’t help but grimace. He understood the cause but that did little to lower the displeasure he felt. A few thousands were gathered in front of him yet they weren’t even half of the shelter’s population.

"Trash..."

A bigger pool should have been a cause of celebration, but seeing how it’s filled with nothing but living waste, only disgust could be felt from looking at it.

"Curse those heretics..."

Things have not always been this way. Long ago, when humans received the gift of the gods, those unworthy were easy to discern. The darkness in their hearts would show itself and they would turn into monsters who know nothing but to serve their sick desires.

Heretics saw that as a sickness to be cured and created vaccines to protect the unworthy. Because of that, only the most heinous and despicable can be exposed for what they truly are and everyone else could go on living believing themselves to be among the worthy.

"How would you like to proceed, Elder Zhang?"

One of the disciples approached him with the question. Though the battle outside was still ongoing, the outcome had already been decided. There was no reason to delay the selection and so Zhang Tianmu had already decided to start.

"I will handle this myself."

"Understood."

The disciple stepped back and took his place among the gourds. The eight of them followed after the Priest as they descended. The crowd had witnessed the fate of the few Peace Keepers tasked with guarding them and so no one dared to utter a word as the strangers in red walked onto the podium.

Zhang Tianmu arrived at the center and stepped forward. He swept his gaze at the crowd, his smile calm and reassuring, granting the frightened civilians a moment of respite. An instant later, a suffocating pressure enveloped the entire hall.

One by one, the civilians began to fall like flies. They weren’t dead but they might as well be. Among them, only a handful managed to remain on their feet. Most of them looked no older than fifteen with the adults being counted on one hand.

The pressure dissipates quickly, adding to the confusion felt by those still standing. They directed fearful looks at the handsome man in red robes and were surprised to see that his smile had grown wider.

"O pitiful souls," His voice reverberated in the silent hall. "Your world has been tarnished by evil. It seeks to save the wicked, to help them survive despite the darkness in their hearts. You might have been touched by that evil, but your hearts remain pure." He reached out with both hands. "I am here to lead you back to the right path. I am here to offer you guidance. I am here to teach you about God! Come! To my side! Let us walk the righteous path together! Let us cleanse this world of the filth that dared to defy the divine will of the holiest of them all!"

Silence filled the room once more and only the Priest’s request order was left hanging in the air. No one dared to move. No one dared to say anything. A short while after, his smile disappeared and his gaze turned sharp. The suffocating pressure hadn’t returned, but even without it, fear overwhelmed those still standing, beckoning them to accept the robbed man’s invitation.

A young young girl took the first step. Though her limbs trembled, the gaze directed at her by the devilishly handsome man caused her heart to flutter. The others followed in her track, walking toward the podium with a mix of terror and reverence.

The approving smile their actions earned put their hearts at ease. Facing them, Zhang Tianmu raised his arms again and spoke with pious zeal.

"O pitiful souls, you have taken the first step toward redemption. It is a long road you will walk, and only through devotion will you reach the end. Let us show your sincerity to the holiest of them all. Let us offer a sacrifice to lord Neb’Alseth, and may his fire cleanse the souls of these wretched."

As he spoke, specs of light came to life over the robbed priest’s head. They gathered and coalesced, taking the shape of several rings formed from numerous symbols.

The rings turned, each in a different direction. They melded into each other and soon took on a new form; a crimson halo as majestic as it was terrifying.

The man turned to the vast hall, his hands still held up by his sides. Embers manifested over his palms and in seconds grew into spheres of azure flame.

With utmost grace, he tossed the flames in the air. They floated weightlessly, wobbling as they slowly approached the center of the hall, then, as if a seal had been lifted, they suddenly expanded, filling the entire structure in no more than one second.

The azure flames raced toward the podium like a raging tide. The few that had climbed onto it helplessly raised their arms to guard, but no heat reached them and they felt no pain.

They opened their eyes and looked ahead. The fire had stopped at the edge of the podium, not advancing a single centimeter as if it had been stopped by an invisible wall.

As the light cast on their faces flickered and danced, one of the survivors finally returned to his senses. He rushed toward the fire yelling for his mother, but the invisible wall came in the way, remaining unmoved no matter how much he cried and wailed. The others soon joined him, striking with their fists and begging for their families to be saved.