Gospel of Blood

In the abandoned western district of Borde, within a dilapidated courtyard.

Mina leaned against the corner of the wall, her face pale, consciousness blurred, a fierce wound piercing through her chest, the crimson blood already staining her entire outfit.

Two beautiful young daughters gathered by her side, tears streaming down as they held their mother's hand.

The Limp Frank held a piece of tile, collecting rainwater through the leaking roof, bringing it to his wife's lips.

"Mina... don't sleep, have some water."

His condition wasn't much better than his wife, a terrifying sword wound had nearly severed his right arm, and it was only hastily bandaged.

It was the wound he sustained while defending his wife and daughters.

In fact, if their elder daughter, Sherry, hadn't returned in time and angrily killed the intruding knights, he, his wife, and even their two daughters might have already perished under the knight's blades.

"Father, mother... how are you?"

Sherry, holding a longsword, entered the dilapidated house, approaching her parents with a cold voice tinged with a slight tremor.

Seeing his eldest daughter's blood-stained maid's dress, Frank sighed deeply.

He was about to answer when Mina suddenly struggled to grasp his hand, intermittently saying.

"Frank, don't... don't mind me."

"Hurry... take Sally and Mary and leave the city..."

"Rose... is going to be judged, don't go find Sherry... or Lady Charlotte..."

"That will only bring trouble to them..."

Mina's consciousness was already becoming unclear.

She spoke intermittently, her memory seeming to linger on the moment when the knights broke into the shop.

Frank touched his wife's forehead, the combination of severe injuries and rain had caused her to develop a high fever.

However, during their escape, they didn't even dare to light a torch.

He knew his wife wouldn't last much longer. And he also knew that he couldn't run too far in his current condition.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Sherry entering the room and gritted his teeth.

"Sherry, take Sally and Mary and go to 17 Old Street, it's a shop our family owns in the outer district."

"Although the city gates are closed and we can't leave the city or enter the inner city, there might be a way to contact Castel Manor there."

"Mina and I probably won't hold on much longer; take them and go there... seek refuge from our family!"

"The attackers at the shop were too strange, they arrived much earlier than the Judgment Knights, and they weren't wearing iron chains, which means they're not true Judgment Knights!"

"This so-called sacred judgment against Rose Society... someone is orchestrating it in the dark!"

However, upon hearing her father's words, the young girl remained motionless.

"Sherry!"

Frank repeated angrily.

Sherry didn't respond but quietly rolled up her sleeve. On her wrist hung a bracelet in the shape of an eagle.

Frank's eyes widened slightly.

He recognized it, it was the magic bracelet of the Castel family, the symbol of the core servants of Castell. It had only one function: to locate within a certain range.

In the past, almost every core follower of the Castel family had one.

When they were members of the Mage Corps and the Maid Corps, Frank and Mina also had one, but they were taken back when they were expelled from the family.

Obviously, Castell valued Sherry's group very much, already considering them as future core followers.

However, several hours had passed since the earliest attack, and the true Judgment Knights had already been mobilized for half a day.

Even they had been evading the true knights' pursuit and engagement for a long time, even fighting more than once. But so far, there had been no news from the Castell family, which made Frank fall into silence.

With such a big commotion in the outer district, the Castell family couldn't possibly be unaware of what happened to the Rose Society.

"Father, we have been abandoned once again."

Sherry said softly.

"No, it's impossible. The family must be entangled in something, maybe they're negotiating with the church!"

"Take Sally and Mary and go quickly!"

Frank stubbornly shook his head, seemingly trying to convince himself.

Sherry wanted to say something more, but suddenly raised her sword and looked out into the courtyard through the broken window.

With a loud bang, the courtyard gate was smashed from outside.

Disorderly footsteps echoed, and faintly, a flattering voice could be heard.

"G-gentlemen..."

"Those people who just entered this courtyard, they're all injured and in a hurry. They must be the evildoers of Rose Society!"

"Yes... I can smell the stench of Rose Society on them, you're right!"

A hoarse voice chimed in.

"T-then... sirs... may I be allowed to leave?"

"Of course."

After the hoarse voice spoke, there was the sound of a crossbow bolt piercing flesh from outside the room.

Accompanied by a scream, the flattering voice disappeared completely.

Dazzling lightning illuminated everything in the courtyard.

Entering the courtyard were seven or eight figures wearing gray robes, their hands and feet bound with iron chains. They were Religious Inquisition Troops!

The lightning illuminated the courtyard, as well as the house, and the figures of Sherry and her companions.

Through the tattered window, several cruel eyes glanced over, one of them squinting slightly.

"I recognize them, Frank and Mina, they were peripheral members of Rose Society when I joined the Inquisition."

"That girl should be his daughter, if I remember correctly, she's also an extraordinary."

The leading knight sneered.

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"The Inquisition judged that all members of Rose Society, including peripheral members, must be executed."

"Judging from their appearance, they probably wouldn't resist much, did they?"

After saying that, his expression turned cold, and a bloodthirsty excitement flashed in his eyes, as he said viciously.

"Kill them!"

After his command, they drew their weapons and rushed towards the small house.

Sherry also tightened her grip on her silver sword. She stood at the doorway of the small house, her cold eyes seemingly filled with determination, like a knight guarding her family.

The battle soon erupted between the girl and the knights.

...

Sherry didn't know how many times she had repelled these knights' attacks. Nor did she know how many times these people had swarmed her.

Although they were both extraordinary, the sacred chains ultimately limited the strength of the opponents, and these people were not her match.

However, even so, with their rich combat experience, these people were slowly wearing her down.

A sharp pain came from her lower left abdomen, another sneaky sword left a wound on her body. Her maid's dress was already tattered, and her clothes were completely dyed in blood.

Sherry felt her strength waning. However, the adjudicators besieging her remained unhurried, even though the balance of victory was tilting in their favor.

"They're toying with me, enjoying watching me weaken little by little, waiting for me to collapse on my own."

Seeing those mocking and excited gazes, Sherry quickly understood the enemy's intentions.

"Sherry! Run! Don't mind us!"

Her father's anxious voice came from behind.

Sherry didn't move.

Her parents were behind her, her sisters were behind her, and she couldn't abandon them. Even if the outcome of this battle was death, she would die with her family.

Torrential rain poured down, raindrops dripped down the girl's cheeks.

The enemy's sneer, the pain of her wounds, the chilling raindrops... made Sherry feel as if she had returned to that night ten years ago.

That rainy night, after her parents, who had dedicated everything to Castell, lost their power, they were expelled from the manor.

Suffering from a high fever, she was sore all over, but could only wander with her parents in the rain, hiding from those enemies who dared not attack Castell but dared to target them, who had once been loyal to Castell.

The beautiful childhood memories at the manor were like a dream, but when they lost their value, when Castell needed a scapegoat, her powerless parents became victims.

Castell abandoned them.

The family that once called them their members, abandoned them.

And now, ten years later, when Castell found them again, it was because Castell was also facing a crisis, and Castell needed new blood.

How ironic.

When they weren't needed, they were cast aside, and when they were needed again, they were remembered.

And now, when the crisis came again, Castell had indeed abandoned them once more.

Sherry didn't know what she was feeling right now.

Perhaps the interactions of the past few days, the warm smiles of the young lady and the mischief after, had touched her heart slightly, and for a moment, there was a flicker of hope.

Of course, it was just a flicker.

Castell was still Castell.

When the church's iron fist came down, they abandoned their people once again.

Sherry hated extraordinary power.

She hated it very much.

If her parents hadn't had extraordinary power from the beginning, perhaps they could have lived peacefully as ordinary people, not being absorbed by Castell as core members, and not ending up like this.

If she didn't have extraordinary power, perhaps her parents wouldn't have hoped for her to return to Castell, but would have left with her to lead their own lives.

However, at this moment, Sherry also longed for extraordinary power.

If she could be stronger, maybe she would be able to defeat these enemies now, and she could leave with her parents and sisters... And never to come back.

Unfortunately... there are no "ifs."

The girl's strength gradually weakened, almost reaching its limit.

Finally, she exhausted the last ounce of her strength, and the long sword in her hand was directly knocked away by the knight's attack.

The knight kicked over, kicking weakened Sherry in the abdomen. She couldn't help but spurt out a mouthful of blood, falling directly to the ground, unable to get up again.

"Sherry!"

Behind her, came the anxious cry of her father.

Sherry saw her father struggling with his heavy injuries as he rushed over, shielding her in front of him.

Just like when she was a child...

"Such touching father-daughter affection..."

The knight walked over with a sinister smile.

Their expressions were ferocious, no different from before they became Judgment Knights, some still wearing the sacred chains of the Holy Court on their hands and feet. But clearly, these chains couldn't save the girl and her family.

They were a group of crazed dogs nurtured by the church. And now, they had been let out.

The knight raised his long sword high, his gaze towards Sherry and old Frank filled with indifference.

Meanwhile, inside the house, accompanied by the rushing knights, the cries of her younger sisters grew louder and louder.

Looking at the cold sword, Sherry gently closed her eyes, a hint of despair surging in her heart.

It's over.

Everything is over.

However, just as the sword was about to pierce old Frank's chest, accompanied by a breaking sound, a crossbow bolt shot out, directly hitting the head of the attacking knight.

The force of the crossbow bolt was so great that it directly sent the knight flying, stumbling a few steps before sitting down on the ground, never to make another sound.

Amid the pouring rain, the dilapidated cottage suddenly ushered in a moment of quiet.

And following closely, was a cold, tender voice.

"You, dare try to touch any of my people."