Cassian was too focused on cutting down the cultists swarming him to notice the massive red orb streaking toward him, blazing with destructive energy. A panicked shout from somewhere caught his attention, pulling his gaze away. He turned just in time to see Cassandra sprinting toward him, a silver spear in hand. Its tip was unlike any he had seen before—a crescent-shaped blade that gleamed brilliantly in the light.
To his astonishment, she swung the spear in his direction. Cassian froze, confusion and disbelief washing over him. 'Why would she attack me?' But before he could react, the arc of light from her weapon whizzed past him, slashing cleanly through the fiery orb behind him. The sphere split in two, its halves streaking by before crashing into the ground with a deafening explosion.
Cassian stood there, confused. He didn't feel any pain, but his arms were clearly burned. As he stared down at them, trying to figure out what was going on, Cassandra's voice snapped him out of it. The silver glow around her shifted and spread over to him, wrapping him in a soft light. The harsh red aura radiating from his body started to fade.
She stepped closer, worry written all over her face. Clearly blaming herself for not stopping the attack in time, she asked, "Can you talk?"
"Huh?" Cassian blinked, caught off guard. Then, seeing her concerned expression, he raised his burned arms and said, "Detective, I… I don't feel any pain."
The sight of Cassian's burns confused Cassandra, but more than that, it filled her with pity. His skin was charred so badly it was painful to look at. Just as she was about to say something, she noticed the burnt skin starting to flake away, revealing fresh, unscathed skin underneath. Cassian was healing.
She had already suspected Cassian had awakened his domain from the way he'd been effortlessly cutting down the cultists, but she hadn't known what effects it might have on him. Now, she was sure of two—one was unusual, and the other was exceedingly rare.
Before she could process further, her attention shifted to a looming threat. A strong presence was approaching, and Cassandra's gaze locked onto the direction where the fiery red orb had originated. Whoever had cast that attack was no ordinary opponent. Steeling herself, she stepped in front of Cassian, her silver spear at the ready.
"Stay behind me," she said firmly, her eyes sharp but tinged with worry.
As the dust from the previous blast began to settle, another red fireball hurtled toward them. This time, Cassandra reacted swiftly, slicing the orb into multiple pieces with her spear. The fragments exploded harmlessly behind them, the force and debris completely absorbed by her domain. Determined not to let the raised dust obscure their vision again, she swept her spear, clearing the air with a powerful gust. Finally, the source of the attacks came into view.
A man floated mid-air, a serene smile on his face, with an ethereal glow behind his head that gave him a divine, almost heavenly appearance. His attire made both Cassian and Cassandra freeze in shock.
Cassian's confusion deepened as his eyes caught another figure standing below the floating man—someone familiar. It was the pastor he had seen on the first day of his torment, a memory that felt like it belonged to another lifetime. But as Cassian's gaze shifted back to the man above, radiating an unsettling calm, he realized something chilling: 'That was the fake pastor.'
"Detective... that's the pastor," Cassian said in a shocked tone, his eyes locked on the floating man. His wounds were healing rapidly, the red glow around his body dimming as his regeneration took effect.
The benevolent-looking man seemed to hear him and smiled even more warmly, a gesture that made Cassian momentarily question his instincts. For a split second, he almost believed this man was truly kind. But the memory of the earlier attacks—ones that had nearly incinerated him—made him shake his head, dispelling the illusion. The man began to speak, his voice calm and measured. "You may know—"
Before he could finish, a blue streak shot out from the jungle, tearing through the air toward him. It slammed into a golden barrier that flared into existence just in time, yet the impact was so strong that it sent the pastor hurtling backward. He crashed into the ground with a deafening explosion, the force of his fall creating a crater as massive as the earlier red orb blasts.
Cassian stood frozen in shock, unsure who had launched the attack. As the bright aura around the streak faded, his eyes widened at the sight of a man with striking blue hair and a gleaming blue sword, smiling confidently in their direction.
Meanwhile, the fake pastor had been blasted backward by the impact, slamming into a tree with such force that he now lay crumpled against it, bloodied and motionless.
"What're you staring at? A 'thank you' would sound nice to your savior's ears," Julius said with a smug grin.
Cassian chuckled, while Cassandra initially assumed he was joking. But when she caught the pride in his expression, her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. 'He really means it,' she thought.
Though she wanted to brush it off, she decided to humor him. Smiling faintly, she replied, "Thanks, Detective Julius."
"Well, don't mention it," Julius said with a chuckle. By then, Alix and Dallas had arrived on the battlefield, their faces pale as they took in the carnage around them. Bodies were scattered everywhere—some burned, others charred or half-incinerated, and many cut apart. The overwhelming stench of blood and cooked flesh filled the air, making Alix visibly uneasy.
Spotting Cassian standing next to Cassandra, both Alix and Dallas rushed over, their expressions shifting from shock to concern. Alix immediately bombarded Cassian with questions. "Cassian, how did you get here? No, wait—who kidnapped you? Are you alright?" Her worried eyes swept over his burned skin as she began casting a spell to accelerate his healing. Without pausing, she rattled off more questions. "Was it the person who killed all these people? Were they the one who kidnapped you? Were they the source of that intense killing intent—?"
Before she could finish, Cassandra cut in sharply. "You can ask all those questions later. The enemy is still alive," she said, her gaze fixed on the crater where Julius had blasted the real pastor.
Julius looked at the crater, his surprise quickly turning to excitement as he muttered, "Tough bastard..."