78 The Necromancer and the Priestess 12

The night before the succession ceremony, the inner sanctum of the church was extremely busy. There would be no witnesses, other than those who had to participate in the transferring of the seal, which included the Bishop, and several elite of the elite priestesses, while the guards would be on stand by.

Yin Mei also let El in during this time, when everyone was distracted by preparations for the ceremony. There would be a planned official ceremony after this, but Yin Mei didn't think that that would happen - after all, Yu Na would die tomorrow.

During this time, the barrier was also changed, turning off for one short moment. Because, normally the person holding up the church's barrier was Celestina, but during the succession ceremony, Yin Mei would be unable to use magic to maintain it. Because of this, they switched it out with a special one time use barrier tool, putting up gemstones in key points of the church.

Yin Mei and Yu Na were both purified and bathed in holy water the day of the ceremony. It would be performed at noon, when the goddess's power was at its strongest.

Yin Mei didn't know what El's plan was, but she had already done all that she could. When the succession ceremony happened, Yin Mei would be incapable of using magic during the transfer of the seal, and immediately after the seal was transferred.

See, she even had an excuse for not making a move against El when he would make his move.

During this time, not only herself, but the Bishop would also be significantly weakened. This moment was the best moment to make an attack on the church, which was why they made things as hush hush as possible, only including the bare minimum of trusted people to perform the ceremony. After all, not only would the seal be significantly weakened right after the transfer, the two strongest members of the church would also be weakened.

Because of Yin Mei's interference, she had inadvertently set up the most perfect situation for El.

When everything was ready, the group were all in the garden. Yin Mei and Yu Na were both kneeling on the ground, barefoot, while the Bishop stood in front of a gently smiling statue of the goddess of light.

The bishop looked up to the statue, a chant smoothly flowing out of his mouth. It was peaceful, almost like music as it flowed through the garden. A light began to shine, and from the chest of the goddess statue, a heart appeared, wrapped in golden chains.

Celestina's heart.

The intermediary for the seal was the heart of the high priestess or high priest.

Yu Na was surprised seeing it in person, but she stayed calm, as the entire process had been explained to her beforehand. She didn't know why they needed her heart, but she did know that there wouldn't be any adverse affects to her body. She had been afraid at first, but after a while, she reconfirmed her conviction and determined that sacrificing a heart would be worth it in the long run.

The Bishop walked over, leaning down and his hand snaked forward. In a clean movement, he striked through Yu Na's chest, his hand coming out the other side, heart still beating in it. He moved his hand back, sliding through Yu Na's body like water, not leaving a single mark behind. The heart rose from his hand into the air to hover next to Celestina's heart. With more chanting, the golden chains wrapping around Celestina's heart slowly transferred to Yu Na's heart.

The girl screamed in pain. This process, it was more painful than death. Yin Mei didn't know how a ten year old child could bear it, but actually, children were more adaptable than adults. Perhaps that was why. Yin Mei closed her eyes and ears to the sounds that Yu Na made, as the ceremony continued to pass.

She could feel herself being freed. As if every scream of Yu Na's was another chain off her heart. She relished it. A faint smile graced her lips, her expression gentler than ever, and at this moment, was the most beautiful.

She bowed her head to hide it, clasping her hands as if in prayer.

The ceremony seemed to last an eternity, but at the same time, but only a moment.

The moment that Celestina's heart was returned to her body, Yin Mei felt her body slump in relief. She couldn't suppress the laugh that escaped her mouth, the soft giggle entwining with the sound of rhythmic chanting. Yu Na's heart was placed inside the goddess statue, and the chanting stopped, along with Yin Mei's laughter, as she stared blankly at the ground, waves of exhaustion hitting her all at once.

At this moment, the bright noon sun was blocked out by darkness, alarming everyone present. There was the sound of something shattering - the barrier. Yin Mei had tweaked with the barrier gems the other day, and now El had forcefully broken them with barely any effort.

"What is this? How could the barrier break?" One person said in alarm, as everyone glanced around. The sudden change from day to night was disconcerting, and Yin Mei was expecting ghosts to pop out at any moment. Well, El was a necromancer after all, so that wouldn't be too far fetched.

A white fog began to appear around them, the temperature dropping.

Yin Mei felt that it was extremely cold. When she breathed out, she could see her breath becoming a white mist in front of her. Normally, a change in temperature wouldn't affect Celestina, but perhaps it was because it was caused by the magic of someone on par in strength with her, and on top of that, while she was weakened, that Yin Mei could feel the cold so clearly.

"It's been a while? How has everyone been while I was gone?" A gentle voice sounding out, and the sound of rattling bones could be heard. A giant skeleton had appeared from who knows when. Sitting on its shoulder was El. His golden eyes almost seemed to glow from behind his pair of glasses, while his body was wreathed in white mist, giving him a mysterious and eerie air.

"El! This is your doing? How did you know that-" The Bishop said, but he suddenly sharply looked toward Yin Mei, who calmly stared back at the man.

Her lips curled up in a faint smile as she wanted to ask him if he was doubting her.

But before she could speak, El spoke. "Why are you looking at Celes like that? Wouldn't the more suspicious person be yourself, father?"

???

Yin Mei's face was blank, with no reaction.

But on the inside she was confused to all hell. Excuse me? Father? Who? The Bishop? What???

She had to pause for a moment. There wasn't a single mention of this in the information! What the hell? Why was it that the information was so unreliable at an important moment like this?

She wasn't the only one shocked, and the others didn't hide it as well as she did. They outright stared wide eyed at the Bishop. El's appearance was wide known, and there was only one person who could summon such a strong undead - he was definitely the infamous wanted necromancer, who had massacred hundreds in his search for power.

The large skeleton grabbed at a building as he leaned in, his eyes glowing bright blue. El's feet touched the ground, and he stood in front of the frozen group. A smile graced his lips, and he kept his attention focused on the Bishop, not even glancing in Yin Mei's direction.

"It's been a while, father," He said, with such a sweet and sunny smile that it looked out of place in this situation, more creepy than anything, sending shivers down the spines of those present.

Yin Mei looked at the Bishop. The high priestess was not the only one who was forbidden from relationships. So was the Bishop. Though in the Bishop's case, it was more so that he had no family members that could be taken hostage in times of crisis. Ever since an event like that had happened in the past, it had become an unspoken rule of the church for the higher ups to not take any lovers or have a family.

The Bishop could feel the gazes of the group on him, but didn't even flinch. His eyes were cold as he looked at El. Yin Mei could now see the resemblance. The Bishop's long almost white hair, and his cold golden eyes. The monocle he wore glinted in the light of the full moon that had replaced the sun, bathing their figures in a pale blue wash of color.

"I'm not your father," the Bishop replied, his face one of disgust. As if the mere notion was revulsive.

El laughed. "Yeah, after all, the Bishop of the church of light could never father a demon, right?" El tilted his head. "But, no matter. That's not what I'm here for today. Today, I'm here to fulfill the contract that you made so many years ago."

The Bishop flinched, his eyes going to Yu Na. "Stop him!" He shouted, reaching out to grab at El. He himself barely had any mana left. But the priests and knights did not have the magic capability to go up against El. When they did, there was the clattering sound of bones, as skeleton of all shapes and sizes began appearing from purple magic circles on the ground.

"Tsk! Celestina-" The Bishop called, but he knew that even if Celestina really did want to do something to stop El, she was incapable of doing anything. Her body had yet to adapt to the return of her heart, and she would be unable to use any magic for the time being.

A soft laughter escaped her lips. "Nothing can be done," she said, and a sharp wind blew past her, with it coming the splattering of blood. Half her face became covered in red, as Yu Na, who had been absentminded from the exhaustion and pain of the seal transfer, died just like that.

Whether they were the protagonist of the story or not, they all died so easily. Human lives, they were so fragile, like a flickering candle light, able to go out at any moment.

Yin Mei smiled, but no one had the time to pay attention to her.

There was a rumbling from deep under the ground.

"The seal!" Exclamations came from all over, and one person even wailed like it was the end of the world.

The goddess statue cracked, crumbling to the ground. There was only blood from where Yu Na's heart was buried.

The ground seemed to crack with the statue, as if splitting apart to reveal something dark and evil from underneath. El was laughing, as blood flew and screams echoed around them.

"You're crazy! Do you know what you've done?" The Bishop said angrily. His hundreds of years of hard work, ruined by this b*stard! He knew that he should've killed the boy while he was still in his cradle!

El sneered at the man. "I've done what you should have done a long time ago." And with that, the great demon that the church had been in fear of this entire time revealed itself. Yin Mei was curious - this was a character that had barely made its appearance, only to be resealed by Kai. It was a demon of legends and stories used to scare little children to sleep.

And much to her shock, it was a person that looked uncannily like El.

Golden chains crumbled from his body. Long black hair, golden eyes with black sclera, deep bluish gray skin, and runic tattoos all over his body. He floated in the air, as he opened his eyes like awakening from a long slumber.

Yin Mei didn't understand, but she instinctively thought that this must be the true reason for the mission being the way it was.

Their appearance was like that of twins. If El had been a demon, perhaps he would look like that.

El walked up to the silent floating demon, stretching his hand out. The demon spoke not a word, only meeting his hand with El's. There was a flash of light, and the sound of the Bishop shouting something that Yin Mei couldn't hear.

When she regained her sight, there was only one person left - it was as if the two had merged into one. It was El, but it also wasn't. His skin had turned that same ash color as the demon's. The silver rings on his wrists and ankles jingled, as he stared at his hand, seeming thoughtful.

He lifted that hand, and a blast of pure magic power hit the Bishop, knocking him into a marble pillar and causing him to cough up blood. He didn't lose consciousness though, his eyes glaring at El, who slowly approached Yin Mei.

He caressed the girl's cheek. "Sorry, Celes. I have to go now." He said, and before Yin Mei could reply, a tear in the space appeared, and El walked into it. It shut behind him. With his disappearance, the skeletons fell, and night turned back into day.

Yin Mei could hear the sound of the system congratulating her for completing the mission, and it asked her to be patient as it calculated the next mission.

"What, the f*ck?" She said, laughter leaking out of her mouth. "What the f*ck!" She didn't realize there were tears running down her face. That b*stard dared run away? He actually dared to run away, leaving this mess for her to deal with? Don't joke around with her!

On that day, the world was hit by a storm. After the necromancer El had raided the church, the great demon had escaped its seal, the high priestess's successor was dead, the high priestess herself had gone missing, and the Bishop was severely injured.

The humans of the continent lamented and cried out in despair, as if the world was about to end. The strong pillar known as the church that had defended them so far was starting to crumble.