The Calamity Exorcists’ Demise

Each Calamity Scar Phini eliminated reverted to its original state, shedding the grotesque form it had taken in the night.

“…”

Having dispatched one wave of monsters, Phini’s gaze incidentally fell upon a figure that had just collapsed to the ground.

“A Disaster Purger?”

As the distortion receded, revealing its true human form, Phini’s eyes immediately caught the distinct attire it wore. She instantly recognized the uniform, knowing precisely who would bear such a design. Beyond their standard armor, Disaster Purgers also possessed blessed cloth uniforms.

These pure white coats, adorned with golden patterns, were unmistakable. Anyone familiar with the Light of Holy Flame would instantly identify them. Judging by the intricate patterns on this corpse, it appeared to be a Second-Class Disaster Purger!

“Why would there be a Disaster Purger here?”

Noting the presence of a Purger among the ghouls, Phini’s mind reeled in confusion. She had never before encountered a knight within Kabi Village. Could these Purgers have come from outside?

This thought spurred Phini to quicken her pace, dashing toward the temple in the swamp. An unsettling premonition whispered to her, suggesting something truly dreadful might have transpired there.

With her heart pounding in trepidation, Phini finally arrived before the temple.

“…”

Raising her eyes to behold the scene, Phini was met with utter devastation.

The once majestic, albeit overgrown, ancient temple was gone, replaced by nothing but freshly pulverized ruins.

“What in the world happened?”

“I wish I knew!”

“Why are there so many Calamity Scars near this temple?”

Just as Phini’s thoughts drifted, several unfamiliar voices echoed from within the ruins.

“?!”

“Is that a Calamity Scar?!”

“My heavens!”

Moments later, three figures emerged from the rubble. The instant they appeared, they noticed Phini. They immediately tensed, assuming defensive stances. Covered in defilement and armed with a draconic claw, she clearly appeared to be a threat to them.

“Disaster Purgers? What are you doing here?” Seeing the knights emerge from the ruins, Phini didn’t answer their unspoken question. Instead, with a sharp glint in her eyes, she countered with a forceful question of her own.

“None of your concern!”

“You’re just a monster on the verge of disappearing.”

“We have nothing to tell you!”

Facing Phini’s inquiry, the three highly vigilant Purgers showed no inclination to explain themselves. Instead, they drew their Holy Swords with overt hostility.

“Is that so? In that case, I suppose I’ll have to resort to ‘physical’ means to extract answers.” Seeing their uncooperative stance, Phini decided against further pleasantries. She raised her arm—now fully transformed into a deadly dragon claw—and fixed them with a stern glare.

“Well, well!”

“Come on then, if you think you’re capable!”

“We Second-Class Disaster Purgers aren’t mere mascots!”

Feeling utterly underestimated, the three were instantly enraged. They roared defiantly at Phini, then unleashed their full might.

“Oh, really?”

Phini’s heart remained utterly unperturbed by their impassioned bravado. With a mere flick of her wrist, she scraped her claw upward. The air, torn by her strike, immediately gave birth to several razor-sharp wind blades, which swiftly shot toward the three charging figures.

“Wh—”

“Watch out! Defend!”

Sensing the imminent danger, the three instantly fanned out, narrowly evading Phini’s initial ranged attack.

However, as the trio dispersed, a cold smirk flickered across Phini’s face. In the very next second, she crouched, launching herself forward like a cannonball.

Her target, naturally, was one of the now-separated men.

“Wh—”

Before the Purger could even react, Phini slapped the one on her left, sending him flying through the air!

“Lilei!”

Seeing their comrade launched away, the remaining two could not remain calm.

“O Holy Sword, heed my voice and purge the evil that plagues this world!” One of the two seemed to abandon all caution. Raising his right hand, marked with a holy sigil, he loudly chanted an incantation.

Immediately, the Holy Sword in his grasp erupted with an intense, blinding light.

“Die, monster!” Feeling his weapon fully charged, the Purger swept it horizontally.

“O Holy Sword, heed my plea! Cleanse the impurity that defiles this world!” No sooner had the first released his power than the remaining one followed suit without hesitation.

Two dazzling blades of light, like miniature suns, shot rapidly toward Phini.

Yet, facing the unleashed power of the magic, Phini showed not a hint of fear or evasiveness. Directly confronting the incoming blades, she raised her claw and violently slammed it into the ground.

The earth groaned with a deep thud from the impact. Circular ripples of kinetic force began to spread outward, much like waves emanating from a stone dropped into water.

Moments after appearing, the ripples quickly collided with the blades of light. Under the force’s influence, the light blades visibly slowed, their brilliance beginning to dim as the magic was physically dispersed.

“This…”

“Don’t falter! We must hold firm to our faith!”

Sensing that their light blades were clearly no match for the opposing shockwaves, the two exchanged a look. They yelled even louder, exerting themselves more, seemingly trying to bolster their confidence through sheer volume.

“Brothers, I’m coming!”

The Disaster Purger Phini had flung away first tumbled several times on the ground, groaning in agony. Witnessing his companions struggling, he endured the excruciating pain, struggled to his feet, and held his Holy Sword before his chest.

“O Holy Sword! Grant me the pure light that shatters evil!”

This Purger showed no intention of being a mere bystander. He quickly urged his weapon to unleash its hidden power. After reciting an incantation, he plunged his Holy Sword into the mud before him.

As the blade pierced the earth, golden ripples spread outward, seemingly attempting to contend with Phini’s seismic waves. However, even with the third joining the clash, Phini’s power showed no sign of being nullified.

Before long…

“Ugh!”

Three pained groans erupted simultaneously. As if suffering a massive backlash, the wrists gripping their sword hilts trembled, and the Holy Swords clattered to the ground. As their weapons fell, all three stumbled backward, collapsing onto their bottoms and spitting out mouthfuls of fresh blood.

“This is the power of Second-Class Disaster Purgers?” Phini mocked with a sarcastic smile, looking down at the three overconfident fools.

“Damn it…”

“How can this monster be so powerful?!”

“Is Heaven forsaking us?!”

The three, injured by Phini’s counter-shock, realized the vast disparity between them and their opponent. They complained bitterly, unwilling to accept their defeat.

“Did you destroy that temple?” Phini had no interest in their lamentations. She glanced at the ruined sanctuary, then swept her cold gaze over the three.

“Even if we did, we wouldn’t answer that question!”

“Exactly! We absolutely won’t tell you!”

“The Evil God’s temple has no right to exist!”

The three Purgers stubbornly turned their heads away, speaking with venom. They seemed utterly unwilling to cooperate.

“Is that so?” Seeing that they still refused to answer, Phini smiled chillingly, then leisurely walked over to one of the men.

“Still unwilling to answer me, even like this?” She seized his head with her dragon claw. Her voice chilling, she repeated her question.

“Monster! What are you trying to do?!”

Seeing his comrade’s head seized by Phini, another Purger instantly lost his composure. “I’ll fight you to the death!”

Clutching his chest, he quickly snatched up his fallen Holy Sword. Despite his unsteady steps, he charged toward Phini.

“Overestimating yourself.”

Sensing the killing intent from behind, Phini, without even turning her head, simply raised her left arm and swept it outward, backhanding the charging knight.

The impact was so sudden that the Purger didn’t even see her movement. He was sent flying backward like a deflated ball, crashing violently into a cracked stone wall, shattering the already precarious structure. He slumped to the ground, dead.

“Do you have anything to say now?” Phini gazed down at the Purger currently in her grasp. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she pressed the question once more.

“I… I… I…”

“My patience is limited!”

“I…”

“Is that so? Then you needn’t answer.”

Seeing that the Purger still hadn’t managed a reply after a long moment, Phini, having lost her patience, squeezed with force.

Crunch.

The man’s head burst apart, scattering across the ground like a crushed watermelon.

“Mon… Monster!”

Watching his comrades die one after another at Phini’s hands, the last remaining Disaster Purger recoiled in terror, unable to bear it any longer. He scrambled to his feet and crawled away. His mind consumed with thoughts of escape, he fled without a backward glance, leaving his Holy Sword behind.

However, what the terrified Purger didn’t realize was that the direction he fled was toward the recently ruined temple.

As the Purger plunged into the thick black mist clinging to the rubble, perhaps it was due to the loss of his Holy Sword’s protection, or perhaps without the sword, his holy sigil ceased to function. In the blink of an eye, the defilement surged toward him as if summoned. It seemed intent on filling his body.

As the black mist seeped into his veins, bit by bit, his original form began to undergo a startling transformation.

The Purger’s head gradually deformed, his jaw elongating into a maw, while a reptilian tail sprouted from his back. Rotten, bat-like wings grew from his shoulders, bursting through his uniform.