Chapter 488 Evacuation
The Exorcists channeled their energy to a Magic Circle that amplified their prayers...
Their prayers also started getting louder, resonating with a distinct holy energy that sought to purge the dark influence of the possessed Dark Magicians.
One by one, the Possessed Dark Magicians or Vessels found themselves assailed by the Exorcists' sacred power.
The beings within them writhed and contorted, their hold weakening as the exorcism took effect. However, they weren't the elites of the Order of the Evanescent Vessels if a simple exorcism would render them incapacitated.
The beings from the Shadow Realm fought with everything they had since there was no way they would allow themselves to just return to their Realm without benefiting. They had to at least take the shadows of their enemies!
Whom~
As if they had planned their next move, the possessed Vessels started sucking in the shadows of all the Arcanists around!
Most of the Holy Knights in front lost their shadows, but those in the back managed to cast some Rune Arts to stop their shadows from being taken away…
Holy Knight Morris didn't expect that their shadows would be taken. Furthermore, even if they had no idea what the Vessels would do to it, they knew that it was not a good idea to give their shadows to these Dark Magicians, who are experts in curses.
"Strengthen the exorcism!" One of the leaders of the Exorcist Division shouted as he realized that their vanguard had their shadows taken.
There were no visible effects at the moment, but they had to get those shadows back!
The Exorcists, guided by their unwavering faith, pressed forward. They started spending all of their energy to separate the Vessels from their unholy entanglement with the beings of the Shadow Realm.
As the exorcism ritual continued, the Academy itself seemed to pulsate with light and dark energy. The spiritual barriers that had once confined the Exorcist Division shattered, allowing their collective power to flow freely and unhindered.
The entities from the Shadow Realm fought desperately to maintain their grip on their hosts, unleashing dark tendrils and gathering more shadows in an effort to resist the purification power of the exorcists.
However, their efforts proved futile against the overwhelming might of the Exorcist Division.
Gradually, the hold of darkness weakened, and the spirits within the Possessed Dark Magicians began to dissipate.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when Professor Gale Evans suddenly appeared.
"Mhmm… So this is the Exorcist Division. They've really come prepared this time."
Her figure materialized above the main building of the Academy, her silver hair flowing gracefully and her blue eyes piercing through the chaos. Clad in a white robe, she wore a gold necklace with a purple gem pendant, a symbol of her authority as the strongest Corruption Weaver in the Academy as of this time.
"Since the evacuation isn't done yet, you guys should continue fighting here..."
Gale muttered after observing the situation closely.
She noted that even the hiding Necromancers were unable to summon their Undead due to the overwhelming purification power of the Exorcists. It was clear that the enemies had prepared extensively for this battle.
With a wave of her hand, Gale unleashed an invisible spell upon the Exorcists.
Surprisingly, this spell remained unaffected by the sacred energy being released by the Exorcists. Instead, it directly targeted a dozen of them, leaving them in a dazed state, as if lost in a daydream. Their prayers faltered, causing the purification process to weaken.
In a matter of seconds, the effect spread throughout the entire Exorcist Division, rendering them incapacitated.
Whom~
The sudden halt of the exorcism disrupted the flow of energy in the surroundings, causing a small shockwave to happen.
It barely took a minute, and Gale's intervention stopped the Exorcists' progress of exorcising the entities of the Shadow Realm!
This allowed the possessed Vessels to regain control of their powers, renewing their assault against the Holy Knights.
The first ones to regain their control were the Moonlight Reaper and the Shadow Guardian.
Boom!
The change in the flow of the battlefield was immediate as one of the Holy Knights, who had raised his shield in defense, was sent flying by the force of a charging Shadow Guardian.
It seems that Reed, or the Ninth Shadow Guardian, was really angered by the Exorcists.
"How?!"
"Sir Hogan was thrown away?!"
"This is bad. If Sir Hogan failed to defend against that, how can we survive?!"
"We should work together!"
Many of the Holy Knights in front immediately panicked and expressed their concern.
Even the Shamans, Priests, and Runecasters behind were shocked as the Holy Knights were not expected to be easily overpowered like that...
Holy Knight Morris was also shocked at first, but he immediately noticed something.
"Not good! Those who lost their shadows, move to our rear!"
It didn't take him that long to realize that the previous disappearance of their shadows was related to their weakened state.
Luckily, not everyone had lost their shadows. The Holy Knights immediately understood what was happening and acted according to the command of their leader.
Simultaneously, the Necromancers within the Academy seized the opportunity and finally summoned their undead minions.
From the ground, an army of zombies, skeleton warriors, skeleton knights, hell hounds, vengeful spirits, and other abominations emerged, ready to wreak havoc upon the battlefield.
"That's how it should be…" Gale remarked, smiling contentedly as she noticed that the other possessed Vessels started recovering from the purification. Thanks to her intervention and the Necromancer's move, their once-twisted expressions morphed into relief as they regained control of their hosts.
However, she knew that this wasn't enough to stop the imminent destruction of the Academy.
If the reinforcements of the Dark Arts Faction failed to arrive in time, she had no doubt that the Vessels would die here and Vermont Academy would be gone.
"Well, that's not my concern. I've done my part." Professor Gale Evans muttered as she looked at the center of the Academy, where the students were gathered. Then, as soon as she noticed that the other professors started transporting them to another location, she shifted her gaze to where Manager Faith and the two other Master Arcanists were fighting.
"Just a little longer, Miss Faith. The evacuation is almost done." Gale telepathically said to the mysterious Half-Spirit fighting for the Vermont Academy.
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