The white robed healer shivered in terror as the self proclaimed 'Storm Goddess' stood before him in all of her majesty.

The putrid stench of charred meat drifting into his nose, and unfortunately making his stomach grumble as it reminded him of his father's "well done" burgers whenever they had a barbecue.

He always said that the burnt parts were just extra flavouring. But there was no way in hell that the healer was ever going to try out the flavouring of this barbecue.

Holding in the urge to vomit from his own unfortunate, invasive thoughts, the healer did his best to stir up the courage.

He looked the "Storm Goddess" directly in the face, as she scowled at him deeply. Her face twisted with a deep, resentful rage as she glowered darkly.

The twisted thoughts that were running through her mind, one could only guess. Maybe…. Maybe the reason she cooked the wonderful Paladin Phobus was because she wanted to taste his flavouring.

He wouldn't put it past these wretched, blood drinking heretics to be tasting human meat as well. In fact, that's all the sinners they had captured ate.

Although the healer had never actually seen one of these sinners himself, he had heard horrific tales of them through some of the Holy Guard, and had heard that they were even being sent out onto another battle to fight against the heretics. Sinner against heretic.

Exactly what they deserved.

With that thought running through the healer's head, he puffed out his chest slightly and held his head high.

He might die, but if he did he would do so in a way that made the Lightbringer proud. He would not cower, he would not falter and he certainly would not beg!

WHOOOOOM!

A sword flew from the battlefield, straight through the hole in the wall and landed right in the 'Storm Goddess's hand as she turned her dark, murderous gaze towards him.

On second thought, begging sounded like a perfect idea. Nothing wrong with a bit of begging.

He dropped to his knees so fast that he almost cracked the floor when he hit the ground. He slammed his head down as tears welled up in his eyes, as he started to scream at the top of his lungs.

"Pleasepleaseplease don't kill me! I'll do whatever you want. Please just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. If you want my blood to drink I'll give it willingly, you don't need to kill me. Please!"

It was not the most dignified way of communicating, but he felt that it got his point across quite thoroughly. Raising his head, the healer looked at the Storm Goddess with large, pleading puppy dog eyes… only to see her face twisted in the utmost disgust as if she was looking at a cockroach wriggling on its back after having just climbed out of the sewer.

He let out a pathetic whimper at that look, a terrified shiver running through his entire body as he thought that he had only hastened his death sentence. He clenched his eyes closed, burying his head into the ground and readied himself for death.

Before he could launch into his second round of pathetic grovelling and begging, the Storm Goddess in a cold, commanding tone.

"Where is the monolith?"

His crying paused as the words reached his ears, confusion taking the wheel and interrupting his life flashing before his eyes, which was fine because it was getting to the boring parts of his life, such as all the time he spent in school.

Raising his head, he tilted his slightly and said with a sniffle.

"Th-the Monolith?"

"Sigh, Yes the Monolith. The shrine, the idol. Whatever it is you built here to worship your false god, just like you were made to build at all the other forts. Where is it?"

"Oh, the monument to His glory."

"Yes, that. Where is it?"

"It is… wait, so you aren't going to drink my blood and steal my blessing?"

Her face twisted in disgust again, a few sparks of electricity flying off of her body and striking the stone around her, causing him to whimper and slam his head down onto the ground again.

"...No, I won't. I have literally no desire to do that, ever. God what has that asshole been teaching you.

Hurry up and take me there, I haven't got all day. But just know that if you lie to me, then a swift death will be the most pleasant thing I can give you, and I'm not known to be pleasant when I'm in a bad mood.

Understood?"

"Y-yes Ma'am!"

He shouted on instinct, shivering in fear as he slowly got to his feet, his legs trembling and knees knocking together as they threatened to give way and send him crashing to the floor once more.

Eventually he made it to his feet and ushered her further into the fort. However she barely made it a few steps before she kicked something, sending it skittering across the floor where it came to a gradual stop at the healers feet.

His face paled when he saw it. The injector gun that Phobus had used to increase his blessing now lay at his feet, a few droplets of the golden liquid remaining in the glass case at the end.

The healer crouched, trying to pick it up, but sparks rapidly formed around its metallic body before the gun shot from the ground, and straight into Astra's outstretched hand.

She looked over the device curiously for a few seconds before placing it against her thigh, where it stuck to her black, skin tight outfit like a magnet on a fridge. Her face didn't change, at least not that the healer could see, as she continued to glare at him with her brows twisted in a deep scowl.

"F-follow me."

With a trembling voice and shaking legs, he left the room and led the terrifying Storm Goddess to the Monument of His grace.

***

"Intruder! We have an intru-"

With a flick of her wrist and a bored sigh, Astra sent the guard flying backwards through the corridor with a slightly electromagnetic push. He flew like a cannonball, clearing the entire corridor before slamming hard against the far fall, sliding down it and landing on his rump, remaining sitting there with a slump.

Usually she wouldn't be able to manipulate other people's equipment so easily. Foreign mana always interfered with it, and Requitals were overflowing with it.

But this armour had no mana, and weren't requitals. If she had to guess, they were simple forged armour, but where they had got so many and why they were so immaculately polished she had no clue.

She narrowed her eyes at the back of the healer who was leading her through the fort. He was walking slow, with shaking steps, but from what she could see he wasn't trying to stall or mislead her.

In their short journey, she had been studying their path and making sure to memorize little details, just in case he was leading her around in a circle. But that had never been the case. The guards they came across were simply unlucky, with no signs of an ambush or trap.

If there was, it was one of the worst traps she had ever seen in her life.

There was also the matter of whatever caused that sonic boom earlier. Although she had no idea who or what it was, it seemed to be in a brawl with Alexandra when she entered the fort. Whatever it was, she had full confidence in the dynamic duo of Cynthia and Alexandra to take it down.

They were practically invincible, each in their own way.

So while she was pressed for time, Astra's curiosity got the best of her as she couldn't help but ask,

"Why do you follow him?"

"Wh-what? I'm not following anyone. I-I swear, I'm leading you to the right place. I-"

"No, that's not what I mean. Why do you follow the Lightbringer? Why worship him, let him rule over you? What has he actually done for you to deserve that?"

"He… He is a God. Why would we not? He saved us from the demonic beasts. He gave us our blessings, each and every one of us!

Even… even your abilities are stolen from the blessed. I still remember the moment I received mine.

I was one of the first of His chosen. The first moment of the rapture, the end of the old world, and I hear the voice of his messenger. It told me that I have been deemed worthy and that I-"

"That you will under-go an evolution. And I'm guessing it did that after showing you a list of your stats, huh?"

The healer paused, both in words and steps, as he turned his head to look at Astra with a mixture of nervousness and confusion.

"H-how…"

"Because I heard the same thing the day the world ended. But I am an enemy of your Lightbringer. So why would I have his blessing, hmm?

If he is a god that walks the earth, why would he need a messenger at all? Why not appear before you and give you your blessing himself? In fact, better question, why is he not here protecting his blessed right now?"

"B-B-because a god doesn't need to act himself. That's what his faithful is for. We carry out his will and…"

"Uh huh… But he acted himself when it came to defeating those beasts, didn't he?"

"Y-yes But…"

"And I'm betting that he rewards your good behaviour not with his own power, but with some sort of blessed meat, doesn't he? Meat from animals you have never seen before, and tastes like nothing you have tasted before. Where exactly do you think that comes from, hmm?"

The stammering healer opened and shut his mouth as he stared at the ground in disbelief. The cogs in his mind spinning rapidly as he tried to formulate an answer. As he tried desperately to clutch at the teachings of his god but in the end all he could let out was silence.

And it said more than words ever could.