Chapter 684 The Last Sanctuary’s Shadow

Behind the ruins of the underground altar of Sanctuary Plum Blossom, the last protective group of Oda and Gaia gathered. They were left with only a handful—Akiko, Miel, Shigure, and two young protectors who survived a series of massacres and betrayals. Their faces were full of wounds and dust, but in their eyes, there was still a small ember that could not be extinguished. Sometimes, that ember reminded them of a promise, where every sacrifice would be honored by the world that had been destroyed.

Sabina, the protector of Gaia who once promised Iris to guard the last womb of the world, whispered to Akiko,

"Do you see what is happening above? Angels are no longer protectors, Joanna cannot unite them. We... only have ourselves."

Pain and despair enveloped them, but Sabina felt a tension in her words, a push to endure even as hope faded. The whispering wind seemed to ignore them, carrying messages from a forgotten world.

Akiko gripped her spear tightly,

"There is no more paradise for us. But if we die tonight, at least history will remember our names—not as victims, but as the last hands of the world."

Every word spoken by Akiko carried a heavier burden, as if binding them to the task that had been set. The decision was a sacrifice, and they knew that with every passing second, they were stepping closer to an unavoidable fate.

Miel, who was holding a wound on his arm, looked at his two friends, "I've heard rumors. Earth is sending a platoon of glyph hunters—they have spies among us. If they find this place..."

The tension added weight to their burden, with thoughts of betrayal creeping in. Miel felt fear, but more than that, he felt loyalty to his friends rising, reaffirming his commitment to the coming battle.

Sabina interjected softly, "We are not waiting for death. We will make them pay for every step with blood."

This statement echoed like a mantra, giving new strength to their shattered hearts. They knew that in this darkness, every action would speak louder than they could ever express. With every heartbeat, they vowed to protect one another, as if their blood was the last guarantee of loyalty remaining.

That night, the sound of armored footsteps and the rustling of spells echoed from the main corridor. The elite forces of Earth—led by Captain Shin, a cold-eyed young soldier, wielding a glyph spear that could break their protection—found the entrance to the underground altar, guided by a young traitor who was once a servant of the altar. In the darkness, the faces of the protectors appeared tense, able to feel the chill creeping into their souls. This was not just a battle; it was a wager between life and death, between betrayal and sacrifice.

Captain Shin raised his hand,

"Prepare! Don't give them time to set up the sacrifice glyph!"

The protectors moved quickly. Akiko led the counterattack with the Kage Mai technique—a shadow dance that made her body seem to fold in two, slashing two Earth soldiers at once. Behind her, Sabina and Miel threw fire glyphs, creating a wall of flames that held back the advance of the enemy forces. The heat from the fire clashed with the coolness of the night, as if robbing hope from the unexpected aggressors.

However, the traitor of the altar leading the Earth forces, Yuna, recited the spell to break their protection, causing their glyph wall to melt. She cried out, her eyes filled with doubt,

"Forgive me! I just... want to live..."

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The entire tension felt enveloping like dark fog. Sabina looked at her coldly, "You have made your choice. The world will no longer grant mercy." Every word that creaked from Sabina's mouth contained pain, like a sword stabbing into the heart of every loyal protector.

Captain Shin took advantage of that gap, plunging his spear into the chest of the young protector—blood gushed, staining the ancient stone floor. The duel turned into a brief slaughter. One protector fell, but Akiko retaliated by stabbing her spear into Shin's throat before she herself fell to a magic glyph.

In an instant, the tension flared, and amidst the clang of steel, the final screams of the young protector haunted the ears—haunting sounds that became the echo of sacrifice made for loyalty.

The remaining Earth forces surrounded Sabina and Miel in a dead-end corridor. In her last breath, Sabina pressed a sacrifice glyph against the wall, igniting the corridor with blue flames—sacrificing herself to halt the enemy's advance. The blue fire blazed with fury, approaching the enemy like the spirits of the protectors that refused to extinguish. In its glow, it seemed to remind all who saw that sacrifice was not a sign of weakness, but the highest form of loyalty.

Miel, the only one left, fell to the ground, his body full of wounds. He gazed at his bloodied hands and the shadowy stone ceiling, whispering softly, "Every drop of blood that falls is a promise I keep. I may be alone, but their souls are with me, accompanying my steps into the void."

"I... am the last protector, not an angel... just a human who refuses to bow."

Above the shattered altar, the sounds of the duel below blended with the commotion on the surface of the sanctuary. Some disguised angels fought against the Earth army, but they had already run out of strength and magic. The rumble of battle echoed, creating a symphony of destruction among the ruins. Amidst all the chaos, the hearts of the protectors beat fast, bound by an unwavering loyalty that could not be extinguished, even in darkness.

An injured angel—Asmodel—raised the Sabre of Light and protected the fleeing people, but was thrown back by Valen's Heavenbane spell, one of the Five Pillars. The light from the sword raised by Asmodel shimmered in the darkness, as if challenging fate against all odds. In every swing, there was a vibration of surrender; not just for herself, but for every soul that depended on their hope.

Meanwhile, Joanna, who watched everything from the tower, heard the echoes of voices that once meant hope now turned into cries of despair. An isolated self, she felt crushed by silence, as if every scream ended with a whisper of helplessness. Her thoughts drifted to those who had been lost, to every protector who had sacrificed for a bleak future.

Joanna whispered, almost inaudibly:

"The angels no longer have wings. The people have lost their land. The protectors have lost their faith. Who will light the candle in this darkness?"

At the break of dawn, Miel crawled to the dark altar, trying to write the names of Iris and Nobuzan on the wall with his own blood. The tense atmosphere surrounded the altar, where shadows of dark history seemed to intimidate, as if demanding the final validation of the sacrifices that had occurred.

"The world may perish, but your names will live on."

Before the Earth soldiers executed him, he whispered an ancient spell—a prayer that the new world would learn from the destruction of this night, not from the greatness of war. Every word spoken carried the heavy burden of regret and hope, floating in the cold air that enveloped that tragic night.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the sanctuary, the remaining civilians saved by the disguised angels crept in fear. They prayed silently, no longer to the sky or the queen, but to the memory of the last protectors who bravely chose to die as humans. The sounds of moans and breaths full of resignation merged, as if becoming a lament that permeated every corner of the place they sought refuge.

As dawn approached, the sanctuary lay in ruins and flames. Earth declared victory—unaware that this victory only brought emptiness, not security. Thick darkness enveloped, as if darkening every remaining hope, illustrating how great the price had to be paid.

Beneath the collapsed altar, the names of the protectors remained etched in blood and ash—as a symbol that the world once had humans who dared to endure, even when heaven and earth chose to destroy each other. That moment of silence seemed to hold its breath, waiting for a sign that their sacrifices would not be in vain.

Joanna, with Michael's core rumbling in her chest, finally descended to the altar herself—touching the last blood of Sabina and Miel, whispering softly,

"Forgive me, I was late to be the light for this world."

The world fell silent. But behind the ruins, the whispers of the names of the last protectors remained alive, waiting for a truly new dawn—if it ever came. Among the scattered debris, their hearts beat relentlessly, struggling against the darkness that snatched away hope. Every passing second was a life sacrificed, proof of unwavering loyalty to this shattered world.

In that silence, the voices of the last protectors blazed, as if reaching for the dark sky with prayers and dreams that had not yet faded. "We will not be forgotten," whispered one of them, her voice soft yet full of spirit, as the shadows of resurrection began to dance among the ruins.