Gospel of Blood

Chapter 365: A Legendary Battle

Charlotte returned to the real world as her “possession” state ended.

Summoning spells require specific incantations, even if they’re vague, and the same goes for the 『Demon Contract』.

From the memories Charlotte had read and Bertrand’s diary, the description of the Dark Apostle Albrecht of the Blood Demon Cult stood out.

He resembled a demon more than a bloodborne. Bloodborne appearance usually aligns with their race before their first embrace, and given the close relationship between the Blood Demon Archduke and demons, even if Albrecht wasn’t a demon, his bloodline likely contained a high concentration of demon blood.

This led Charlotte to a bold idea. By using the 『Demonic Contract』 and the blood thrall mark, she could trace an incantation representing the Dark Apostle Albrecht.

She could then assign this incantation to a demon summoning circle, using the extraordinary power lingering in Bertrand’s body as a catalyst to forcibly summon Albrecht.

This idea was risky and daring but had a considerable chance of success. Unlike other demons who reside in alternate dimensions, Albrecht was hiding in the capital, which made the summoning process easier.

Even if he concealed his identity and aura, the summoning circle would expose everything. Forcibly summoning a Legendary Bloodborne would cause a significant disturbance, especially in the inner city near the church, making it hard for the Holy Court to ignore.

Although this was a spur-of-the-moment idea for Charlotte and not guaranteed to work, the incantation representing Albrecht traced by the 『Demon Contract』 and the blood thrall mark was genuine.

This fusion of the 『Demon Contract』 and the demon summoning circle allowed for the forced summoning of Albrecht without exposing Charlotte herself.

Summoning a Legendary entity with the power of a Blood Count would create a massive disturbance regardless of success or failure.

If the summoning failed, the sheer magical fluctuation would still alert the Holy Court and prompt a swift reaction.

Charlotte had left the roster and diary in the chamber. Even if the summoning failed, it would expose the Blood Demon Cult’s base.

As for whether the roster and diary would be destroyed by Albrecht’s power… well, that was left to luck.

If Albrecht was successfully summoned, the roster wouldn’t matter much. Charlotte could simply report it afterward, having memorized the entire roster using the 『Enhanced Memory』 blood magic.

A plot is a plot because the schemer lacks the confidence to confront the opponent directly.

The church had an undercover agent within the Blood Demon Cult, but they were clearly unaware of the cult’s plans or that the Dark Apostle was hiding in Lutecia.

If Charlotte could expose this Dark Apostle, the church would not let him go. And even if the summoning failed, the roster and diary wouldn’t likely be destroyed in the resulting power surge.

Charlotte stood by the window, her gaze naturally drifting toward the inner city where Lutecia Cathedral, the Royal Plaza, the Central Council Hall, and Bertrand’s estate were located.

Night had fallen, and the sky was deepening, but soon, a crimson beam pierced the darkness and shot into the sky.

The dim sky was instantly illuminated, and a vast, overwhelming pressure began to rise. Despite having the Gospel of Blood as an advantage, Charlotte felt a strong sense of threat from this terrifying pressure.

Clearly, the summoning was successful. Although she was only a Silver Moon, her numerous trump cards made her incomparable to ordinary beings, even those at the Blazing Sun tier. Only a Legendary entity could evoke such a strong sense of threat in her.

Charlotte couldn’t help but smirk as she looked toward the beam of light. The sky there had turned entirely crimson, resembling the flames of hell. Though she couldn’t see the summoned Dark Apostle clearly from a distance, the aura matching the residual power in the blood thrall mark confirmed his identity.

Moreover, Charlotte could faintly sense the emotions of the Dark Apostle through the residual link from the incomplete 『Demon Contract』—anger mixed with astonishment, bewilderment replaced by alarm.

Just as the Dark Apostle’s aura emerged, three new Legendary auras erupted in the distance.

Golden light illuminated the sky like three rising suns.

Charlotte instantly recognized the three auras as the Legendary clerics she had encountered at the church: Archbishop Charles, Grand Inquisitor Bernard, and Hunter Cardinal Joseph.

Then, an icy voice, filled with suppressed rage, echoed.

“Divine… Eternal!”

It was Grand Inquisitor Bernard’s voice. More radiant light shone as a golden sun rose, a familiar sensation to Charlotte.

It was the Holy Court’s artifact, the Eternal Sun.

Charlotte sensed the Dark Apostle’s panic. With a roar, a towering figure wreathed in crimson flames emerged in the sky, attempting to flee under the brilliance of the Eternal Sun.

“God said, ‘Let there be light'”

A gentle voice spoke.

It was Archbishop Charles.

Holy light blossomed, enveloping Lutecia and making the night as bright as day.

『Divine Ritual Counter』 activated, revealing that Archbishop Charles had cast the legendary spell “Holy Canopy.”

This holy light acted as a giant cage, encapsulating Lutecia and trapping the crimson figure within.

The crimson figure roared and tried to break free, but soon a golden figure swiftly caught up.

“Blood Demon! Die!”

It was Hunter Cardinal Joseph.

Charlotte saw golden light rapidly entangle the crimson figure, causing an apocalyptic spectacle in the night sky of Lutecia.

The battle between Legendary entities was rare, let alone multiple Legendaries clashing at once. Charlotte’s curiosity was piqued, feeling like a thousand cats were scratching at her curiosity, yearning to grab a telescope and watch the fight with popcorn in hand.

However, as the instigator, she needed to remain low-key.

Although the demon summoning circle partially replaced the 『Demon Contract』, she had still used the Gospel of Blood, creating a faint link with the summoned unfortunate soul.

This link couldn’t control the opponent but could sense their status and position. If she became too conspicuous, the Dark Apostle might detect something. Legendary had powerful senses, so it was better to stay low-key.

The battle in the sky continued. Although she couldn’t see the details, Charlotte could judge the Dark Apostle was being overwhelmed by the three Legendary clerics based on the fluctuating auras.

If not for the clerics protecting the city below, Charlotte believed the unfortunate soul she had summoned might have already been captured.

Despite this, the crimson light grew weaker, while the holy light grew stronger.

Clearly, the lone Dark Apostle was no match for the three clerics. His increasing anxiety, hatred, and anger signaled desperation. In a moment, the weakening crimson suddenly brightened, spreading an evil power rapidly.

Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat.

She looked up to see a destructive aura exploding from the crimson light, aiming at Lutecia below.

“You dare!”

The three Legendary clerics shouted in unison, unleashing holy light to shield Lutecia.

The collision of powers shook the earth. Meanwhile, the crimson giant’s emotions turned to joy. Charlotte saw the crimson figure seize the chance to flee under the clerics’ protection efforts.

Yet, just as the crimson figure was about to escape, a cold snort echoed from the inner city’s depths. A sharp aura soared, and a silver sword light shot from the royal palace, slashing at the escaping crimson figure.

The sword light arrived instantly, and Charlotte heard a muffled grunt as the crimson light split in two.