Succubus cannot be a saint

Durenna leaped forward, slashing down with a sword swirling with a fierce vortex of energy. The archbishop shuddered, snapping out of his trance. He instinctively rolled on the ground, but the gusting wind blades still pierced his shoulder blade, tearing his flesh and oozing blood. His right arm drooped limply at his side, clearly unable to lift it.

His right arm was injured, and the Archbishop let out a shrill scream. The light hammer and light shield in his hands disappeared without a trace. The illusion in his mind disappeared, and he suddenly found himself standing in front of Sharlelei. The scenes just now seemed like a fleeting dream in the middle of the night.

"Dream!" He screamed miserably. What had just invaded his mind, injected illusions into him, and provoked endless regret in him was undoubtedly the dream magic of the Nightmare Cult!

But, but why can this woman cast dream magic? !

He hadn't finished speaking when, accompanied by Isadore's furious scream, a powerful force slammed into him from the side. Like being hit head-on by a chariot, the sound of ribs breaking echoed in his ears. His vision went black as he was sent flying sideways for over ten meters.

As blood gushed out, the raging rage in Raymond's heart suddenly vanished, and he didn't even dare to look directly into those purple eyes. He was afraid that if he looked into those eyes, he would be reminded of his past and the gaze of the goddess statue.

Suddenly something unexpected happened. Whitham looked at the scene blankly, not knowing why Raymond suddenly froze, giving Sharlele and others the opportunity to turn the tables in an instant.

"Raymond! Do you still remember the Goddess's teachings? What qualifications do you have to call yourself a follower of the Goddess now? What qualifications do you have to rule the cathedral?"

Salares shouted, but this sentence was more to divert Whitham's attention so that he would not notice the abnormality of the archbishop.

"Goddess... Goddess... No, don't... don't--!" After hearing these words, the archbishop rolled on the ground for several times, screamed miserably, and hurriedly got up, turning around and running away regardless of everything!

At this moment, the fighting spirit in his heart disappeared, leaving only a panic of fear. He wanted to escape the goddess's gaze, but when he looked up, the angel statues surrounding the Field Cathedral were right above his head. The silent statues gazed gently at the creatures on earth, but that look was like a thunderbolt, striking his heart!

“No… don’t look at me… Goddess, no, don’t look at me—!”

At this moment, his heart was filled with fear and he no longer cared about anything else. He ran into the cathedral howling as if he was being chased by an invisible monster.

Gradually, his fear subsided. Yes, yes, I still have the Sisters of Battle! He thought frantically, with the extraordinary strength of the Sisters, we will definitely be able to capture those rebels. I am still the Archbishop... I am still the Archbishop!

Just then, a series of footsteps were heard. He looked up and saw Irennie walking quickly from the corridor with the battle nuns.

"Irenne!" He was overjoyed, dragging his back with blood dripping, and rushed over, pressing Irenne's shoulders. The nun's calm voice had never sounded so reassuring to him.

"Please be patient, Archbishop."

Raymond panted, a smile on his face. Great, he had waited for reinforcements. The Sisters were loyal to him, the Sisters—

But when he looked up, he saw Irenne's icy eyes. He shuddered, and the terrifying feeling of being stared at by the goddess statue resurfaced.

But before he could react, he felt a chill in his lower abdomen with a "puff" sound, and a long sword shining with holy light pierced into his body.

The Archbishop's face was pale, and he stood there in a daze. Irenne supported his shoulders, slowly leaned over, and whispered in his ear.

"Archbishop, do you remember... how long it has been since you last picked up the 'Flame of Compassion'?"

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This is finally the big chapter, right?! See you tomorrow! And I'm begging for some money and blades! (Sneaks away)

Volume 3: The Faith Revolution of the Succubus Saint: Chapter 253: Controlling Field

An hour later, in the meeting hall of the cathedral.

The deacons filed in, their legs trembling and sweat dripping. Some of them heard the sounds of battle erupting in the temple courtyard, while others did not.

Some people who reacted quickly had already fled, but the Battle Sisters and the Holy Legion had already guarded all the entrances and exits of the church. Several of the deacons who fled were killed on the spot by the nuns, and the rest were taken back to the meeting hall.

"Archbishop Raymond colluded with the Black Wing Society and committed numerous crimes. The evidence is both there and I have captured him."

The Saint Lady at the head of the council hall spoke calmly, and the first sentence alone shocked the hearts of the deacons and priests. Some of them even burst into tears and knelt on the ground.

"I have also captured Moise, the leader of the Black Wing Conference. This is his account book. I will thoroughly investigate every name on it. I will never wrongly accuse a good person... but I will also not forgive a villain."

Her usually gentle purple eyes now became incredibly sharp. She swept a cold glance at the people before her, then with a flick of her slender hand, she produced an account book. Upon seeing this, the deacons in the audience, those who still held onto hope, saw their last hopes shattered, and immediately fell to the ground, weeping and begging for mercy.

Sharlelei coldly ordered the battle sisters to take these people away, and then began to methodically issue orders, block the news, arrange daily work, maintain the normal operation of the cathedral, and pretend that nothing happened to the archbishop...

During this time, Angeldel beside her stared at her with her beautiful eyes without blinking, as if she was seeing her for the first time.

Xiaosha...is this you? Is this really you?

From the late-night visit, the half-smiled "I want to ask you a favor," to rushing to the Archbishop's study to uncover evidence and incite Whitham to rebellion, to mobilizing the Sisters to defeat the Archbishop and capture him... the entire operation was swift and seamless. Almost instantly, the entire city's power center was in their hands.

Was this really something the innocently smiling girl in his memory could do? Had she really... been transformed by the goddess, becoming someone else... a "saint"?

For a moment, Angeldel felt a chill of fear in her heart. Even the "reward" that Salares had promised her didn't seem so appealing anymore.

Goddess of Light, oh Goddess of Light, if you really did all this... if you really took my girl away...

——Then I will curse you.

........................

For the entire day that followed, Sallele didn't rest. She issued orders non-stop, recalling the Knights, reshuffling personnel, sending men to the sewers to retrieve Moise, handling his official documents and correspondence in the Archbishop's name, and spreading the news to the city's nobles and dignitaries that the Archbishop was ill and recuperating...

From an outsider's perspective, everything in the cathedral was operating as usual, and no one would have thought that the spider perched on this huge web had been silently replaced.

Now, this holy city in the west has fallen into her hands completely without anyone noticing.

Until the early hours of the morning, even though she had the physique of a succubus, she felt too tired to continue. She threw down the pen in her hand and leaned on the sofa in the study to take a nap.

With a creak, the door opened gently, and Angeldale walked in quietly. Under the shadow of the flickering light, her beautiful eyes stared at the girl reclining on the soft chair.

Her light flaxen hair flowed over her fair skin, and her sleeping face was pure and innocent. Perhaps only at this moment did she shed the dignified and holy aura of a saint, and her awe-inspiring temperament, and turned back into the girl with an innocent smile in Angeldale's mind.

Her gray eyes gradually became hazy. Angeldel came to her side gently, as if possessed. She reached out and lifted a lock of her soft hair, and her fingertips touched her soft and flawless skin.

"...!"

Yes, it was still... a familiar feeling. She had touched the girl's cheek countless times in that month, the feeling etched deep into her bones. And now, her fingers told her, yes, yes, this is the girl you remember, the one who fell in love with you, then was betrayed by you, the one you hurt.

As soon as she thought of this, Angeldel's heart suddenly ached, her heart was blocked, and she was so sad that she could hardly breathe.

Her fingertips moved downward, bit by bit, minute by minute, along the pale skin. Just as they were about to touch the pale, unpainted lips, Angeldale suddenly stopped, as if something had gripped her tightly, unable to move an inch. Those gray eyes, once devoid of emotion, suddenly sparkled with tears.

The lights flickered, and memory and reality gradually overlapped. During those thirty days and nights in the Duke's Mansion in the Western Territory, how many times had she watched the girl before her fall asleep peacefully? And how many times had she fallen asleep in her gentle purple eyes?

If she could, she would like to turn back the wheel of time. If there was a god who controlled time, she would give everything without hesitation.

But there is no "if" in fate, time will not come back, all the mistakes have been made, a small voice in her heart smiled at her and said, the past time can never be returned, is she willing to forgive you now?

For a moment, Angeldel's heart felt as if it was suddenly stabbed. Her fingertips trembled and pressed on the lips of the girl in front of her.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and her purple eyes slowly opened. Then the innocent girl in her memory immediately changed into a different person. She reached out and grasped her hand, smiling softly, "Miss Angeldale, are you here to ask for your reward?"

Reward—that day's reward. Angeldel's breathing quickened. She clearly remembered that Salares had asked her to detain the Archbishop, and she had impulsively demanded a strange reward.

"—I wish I could spend a night alone with you, just the two of us."

"No, how could that be?" After staring at her infatuatedly for a moment, Angeldale slowly withdrew her hand. Her heart still ached slightly, but her face used all the cunning she had cultivated in the Duke's Mansion in the Northern Territory, not revealing the slightest bit of pain. "Lady Saint, you've been working hard all day. How dare I take up your precious rest time? I just wanted to come and see if I could share your worries."

"Thank you, Miss Angeldel. These official duties are complex, but once I'm done with them, everything will be fine." Sharlelei smiled slightly and sat up. "If I've troubled you too much, Miss Angeldel, I'm afraid you'll ask me for 'remuneration' again."

Upon hearing this, Angeldale's eyes darkened and a sharp pain pierced her chest.

She's still wary of me...

This thought flashed through her mind, but she remained expressionless and smiled, "Now that Field City has fallen into your control, you have even removed a corrupt tumor from the Church. Congratulations, Saint Lady."

She spoke these polite words, but her mind was completely elsewhere. Unexpectedly, she heard Sharlene say with a smile, "That's nothing. On the contrary, Miss Angeldale, what kind of 'reward' should I give you to keep this secret from the Duke of the North?"

Hearing this, Angeldale was suddenly startled. Staring at Sallelei's gentle smile, she felt a lump in her throat. For a moment, her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, but she couldn't utter a single word...

Volume 3: The Faith Revolution of the Succubus Saint: Chapter 254: Cognitive Operation

"Lady Saint, you must be joking..." After a brief silence, Angeldale smiled tremblingly, "In that case, I won't bother you anymore..."

"Then I won't see Miss Angeldel off. If you want to get your 'reward', you can come anytime." Sharlelei smiled and looked at Angeldel's departing back. The smile on her face slowly disappeared.

..............................

After that, in the secret dungeon under the cathedral.

All of Moise's men who had been imprisoned there had been dealt with. Those guilty of capital crimes were publicly hanged, while those not guilty of capital crimes were sentenced accordingly. As for the tabby cat, Sharlele cleaned it up and kept it with her.

Now the only one imprisoned here is Archbishop Raymond.

It was a great irony that the prison he originally used to secretly detain prisoners had now become his own prison.

Weakening, restraining, sealing, silencing... Multiple magic circles surrounded the prison cell. Magically reinforced chains as thick as several thighs tightly locked the archbishop's hands, feet, neck and waist. Even his eyes and mouth were sealed with magic-reinforced belts to prevent him from chanting divine prayers to cast spells to escape.

In the complete darkness, the archbishop felt that even his consciousness was hazy for a moment, and he didn't know where he was or how much time had passed.

Tap, tap. Refreshing footsteps echoed through the cell as Shalelei arrived in front of the Archbishop's cell. Du Mudan was beside her.

At this moment, this former nightmare cultist was wearing a black nun's uniform, with half of her face covered with light red marks, but she no longer had the hideous appearance of no skin and tangled flesh. Instead, after looking at her for a long time, she looked like some kind of half-face tattoo, with a strange charm.

"Lady Saint, are you really going to try to manipulate his subconscious?" Du Mudan said softly and respectfully, "He is a high-ranking priest with extremely high mental resistance. Manipulating the subconscious is a very difficult skill in dream magic. I'm afraid..."

"I have my own plans. You just need to assist me." Salares shook her head. Under the effect of the silence circle, the archbishop could not hear their conversation at all.

Seeing her master so determined, Du Mudan said nothing more and bowed, "As you command."

...............................

In the hazy, dreamlike atmosphere, Archbishop Raymond vaguely caught sight of the saint. A young woman in white, smiling, walked toward him in the darkness.

The moment he saw her, he felt a surge of rage, wanting to break free from his chains and smash her to pieces with his hammer. But somehow, another thought came to his mind: Well, well, I've already lost... Ever since the day I couldn't lift the holy hammer, I've already lost.

As soon as he thought of this, he suddenly became completely hopeless and didn't even want to move. He just lay there lazily, glancing at the girl who was gradually approaching, in silence.

When she came closer, her whole body suddenly shook, and she wanted to jump up as if she had been electrocuted - those soft purple eyes were so similar to the eyes of the goddess statue in his memory!

“Goddess… Goddess…” He whispered in a frenzy, his body involuntarily wanting to curl up, trembling all over, cold sweat dripping down, “Goddess, I… I——”

He wanted to say something, wanted to say, "It's not my fault," "I couldn't help it, I had no choice," but the more frantically he thought, the more guilt and remorse he felt. Scenes from the past flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, each one like a sharp wedge, wedging deep into his heart...

In a trance, the girl in white in front of him seemed to have transformed into a gentle and compassionate statue of the goddess. He could no longer bear it and burst into tears.

If time could go back, how much he wanted to go back and make different choices. If so, would his fate be different?

"Raymond, don't cry, don't cry..." The goddess came to him, her voice gentle and kind, just like the mother who gently rocked the cradle in his childhood memory. "Look, didn't you just receive the Holy Hammer?"

Just received the Holy Hammer?

Raymond suddenly opened his eyes, and it was like a bolt of lightning flashing across his heart. His mind suddenly went blank, and the scene before him gradually became hazy and illusory: the majestic cathedral, the statue of the goddess, the holy hammer held by the bishop, and himself in chain mail...

In a trance, the relief and ecstasy of surviving a catastrophe washed over him like a tide, drowning him from all sides. Yes, yes! I—I—I was just promoted to the leader of the Battle Priest Corps today, and I was just awarded the Holy Hammer!

Yes, I, I clearly swore an oath to the Goddess, and to the Holy Hammer, that I would follow the Goddess's teachings, be strict with myself, and treat my followers well. Yes, yes, that's how it should be!

Choosing to compromise with the bishop... interfering in the sale of indulgences... relying on collusion with the underworld gangs to sit on the throne of the archbishop... How could it be possible! It was all just a dream, yes, it was all just a dream...

How could I have gone astray... I am the righteous one chosen by the Holy Hammer... I, I am the goddess's warrior, I am the fist that carries out her justice, I am the hand that spreads her loving kindness... I, I, I, Raymond, ahhhhh——!

..............................

"Lady Saint...are you sure this is okay?"

In Raymond's spiritual world, the surrounding scenes changed rapidly, like boiling water.

Poison Peony's voice was a little weak at this moment, as if she had exhausted a lot of energy. "Even if we successfully weave an illusion and distort his cognition, if the 'truth' in the outside world is too different from his false cognition, he will still wake up..."

Sallely hovered beside her, gazing at the revolving visions before her. In those visions, Raymond had angrily denounced the bishop's corruption and darkness, resolutely breaking with him; then, like the unknown priest who had forged the Flame of Compassion, he overthrew the bishop and was elected a member of the Papal Inspectorate...

These are the "second life" that Raymond hopes for, and they are also illusions created by Salaret and Poison Peony deep in his consciousness.

Just now, they sneaked into the depths of Raymond's mind and fabricated an illusion in his subconscious, making him believe that he had never embarked on the path of corruption and degeneration, and was still the righteous man holding the holy hammer.

"It doesn't matter." Shalelei said calmly, "I don't need him to live in his dream all the time. I just want him to appear in public when I need him. The rest of the time, he can stay here and continue dreaming."

Du Mudan thought for a moment, nodded, and stopped talking, but the emotions in her heart could not calm down for a long time.

She knew that the Saint had, through some unknown means, acquired the power of dream magic from her. Although she was extremely curious about this, she wisely refrained from asking. The ability to seize the magical power of different gods was a secret that could shake the Church of the Seven, and indeed the entire world. Of course, she didn't dare to ask further questions.

But even so, with the mental resistance of Raymond, a high-level priest, even if the power of the two of them was combined, it would not be enough to modify his subconscious mind, causing him to fall into his own delusional illusions forever, and his cognition would be completely distorted from then on.

But the actions of the Saint Lady overturned her imagination.

The lady didn't forcefully break through the Archbishop's mental strength, but instead cleverly stirred up his already intense guilt, causing his remorse to spiral out of control. Then, she skillfully guided his remorse and evasion, causing him to actively reject the status quo and indulge in fantasy.

Afterwards, with his assistance, the Saint used the Archbishop's own delusions as "material" to weave one false illusion after another, imprisoning his consciousness in a cage woven by his own fantasies.

Throughout this whole process, Raymond didn't even realize that the illusions were fake, because this was exactly what he expected.

Even if there are illogical things in the illusion, he will take the initiative to blur, ignore and supplement them, so as to continue to immerse himself in his righteous dream.

From the beginning to the end, the Saint Lady did not take the initiative to confront Raymond's mental power, nor did she even arouse his vigilance. She just let him jump into the trap and accomplished the almost impossible task of "manipulating the subconscious of a high-level priest."

So, dream magic... can be used like this? My ten years as a dream priest have been wasted.

And thinking that the archbishop who was in charge of the holy city in the west had ended up in this situation, reduced to a puppet immersed in delusion and manipulated by others, Du Mudan felt both fear and admiration in her heart.

For a moment, she even felt a little relieved - relieved that she had become a succubus and stood on the side of the Saint Lady.