I'll kill you after I finish this game!

A whooshing sound came from behind, and an arrow flashing with a cold light grazed past Lizzie in the corner of her eye in horror, striking a tree trunk on the forest path.

Before I could react, I heard the sounds of armored vehicles colliding and scraping behind me, along with excited shouts.

"Those heretics are here!!"

The roar was like the voice of a demon, which made Lizzie and all the fleeing sisters turn pale. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some spearmen, archers, and sword-wielding soldiers appear behind her.

Even though their faces were covered by helmets, Lizzette could feel the boiling malice beneath the armor locking onto them.

With no other options, Lizzie and the others could only grit their teeth and run away. But how could a group of girls of all ages possibly outrun a group of well-trained soldiers? It was only a matter of time before they were caught.

Death would be the best outcome, but when Lizzette thought of the soldiers she had encountered before, she felt a sense of dread.

She wanted to live, she didn't want to die, she absolutely didn't want to die, and she wanted to see the person she missed again!

At that point, barring any unforeseen circumstances or miracles, this will be the fate of Lydette and her sisters.

But in order to protect her youngest sister, the sisters who were close to Lizzie were prepared to sacrifice themselves in exchange for a chance to escape.

"Run! I'll go buy you some time!"

Maria gritted her teeth and handed Lizzie's hand to one of the girls, abruptly stopping her escape. Amidst the weeping gazes of Lizzie and her sisters, she ran towards the pursuing crusaders.

Without exception, even as Maria was pierced by the soldier's spear, she was thinking of the children in the moment of her fatal pain.

Even in his final moments before death, he gritted his teeth and clung tightly to the soldier's body, refusing to let go, even as the soldier repeatedly stabbed him with a sword while cursing him.

Even after death, the body still clung tightly to the other person, but just as Maria's consciousness was about to fade into darkness, she felt her soul enveloped by a warm light.

In the brief darkness of consciousness, she saw a heavenly paradise in the twilight, or rather, a blissful land, and at the same time, a voice resounded throughout Mary's soul.

"Your selfless sacrifice and dedication to others is enough to enter the Pure Land and be redeemed."

Maria, who took good care of Lizzie, was selfless and devoted to others, and Reiji saw it all. He did not take action because of his plan for the girl.

But if the person around Lizzie is truly a kind and devout person, Rezzie will give them the chance to go to heaven or to the Pure Land, and the opportunity for rebirth.

As expected, Reiji was not disappointed. After learning that her soul had ascended to heaven, the devout Maria wept tears of joy and pleaded with the 'Lord' whom she could never see, for the sake of Lizzie and the other members of the Sisters' House, begging for their salvation.

"Lord, please have mercy on those poor children!"

Watching the nun who was pleading for mercy for Lizzie and the others kneel in her own paradise, Rezer remained silent.

That was a vast territory spanning hundreds of billions of light-years that Rezer created in the hellish space.

There is no hunger, strife, pain, or sorrow there; it is the place of redemption for those kind and good souls in Rezé, a permanent sanctuary that liberates people from all suffering and troubles.

If the souls he accidentally killed are worthy of redemption, they can be guided to any place they want to stay for as long as they wish. Once they have stayed long enough, they can choose whether or not to be reincarnated into the world based on their good karma.

As for the nun who took such good care of Lizzie, Rezer gave her two choices: either be reborn or stay in the Pure Land.

When asked about the nun's plea for Lizzie and the others, Rezé's response was...

"Those who pass the trials will naturally be redeemed, and the souls of piety and goodness will naturally come to this place."

Before Sister Maria could say anything as she stepped into the Pure Land, she saw light flashing around her, and one after another, lost souls were being guided to this place.

Maria's lips curled into a smile that was a mixture of clarity and bitterness. She knew these souls too; they were also members of the Sisters' House, and that night they had teased Lizzie, the younger sister.

"Cerine, could it be that you...you also..."

She looked at the other person with excitement. The other person must have accomplished the same thing as her to have come here.

So, did none of the other members of the sisters' families escape?

The other souls also understood everything through Maria's explanation and the voice that had resounded in their minds.

"Sister Maria, I'm so sorry. I was caught and shot, and I died. I didn't cherish the opportunity you sacrificed to give me."

The blonde girl, scratching the back of her head sheepishly, forced a smile of guilt and disappointment on her face as she apologized to Maria.

The other sisters looked at each other, and breathed a sigh of relief when they realized that Lizzie wasn't there. They had thought their entire sisterhood had been wiped out.

With their sacrifice and protection, Lizzie should have escaped to a safe place, but can that child take care of herself by herself?

Maria learned from them that during their escape, the sisters were all killed by the pursuing Crusaders while trying to protect their youngest sister, Lygate, and they bled all the way.

Maria, who loved Lydette dearly, was also worried about her. Her heart was conflicted; she hoped that Lydette would live well, but she also hoped that Lydette would pass the Lord's trials as soon as possible and come here to reunite with her sisters.

Knowing they were already dead, all they could do besides worry and lament was pray for Lizzie, hoping that God would bless the poor child.

P.S.: Please vote and recommend! My subscriptions are dropping drastically. I hope the Liselotte storyline ends soon...

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Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Girl's True Dream

In reality, thanks to the desperate protection of her sisters, Lizzie was finally safely and miserably transferred to the city.

As a refugee, she hid in a corner of the crowd, curled up and weeping sadly, her sisters all having died protecting her.

Having survived alone, Lizzette felt no relief at her narrow escape from death; instead, she felt empty and lost.

Thinking back to the bloody memories of the past, the sisters who used to be with me day and night were killed by swords, mercilessly pierced by spears, and shot through the body by arrows.

Lizzie was in great pain and sorrow. She wanted to cry so much that her eyes were red and swollen, but she was too exhausted to shed any more tears.

Not knowing what to do next, with obvious marks left on her sleeves soaked with tears, Lizzie looked at the group of people who were just as sad and disheveled as she was in a corner where the refugees were temporarily stationed, her expression full of confusion.

Most of the group looked like they had just survived a disaster, still in shock, while others had the same bewildered and empty expression as Lizzie.

But when the sorrowful and weary girl heard the soldiers guarding the city declare martial law and mention that the demonic Crusaders were coming again, an uncontrollable fear began to grow in Lizzet's heart.

Because she saw the same melancholy and determination on the faces of the soldiers as the soldiers of Béziers, and heard their worried words that the disparity in troop strength between the enemy and herself was too great, and that the city might not be able to be defended.

After all, the Crusades launched this war with a force of over 100,000, including 90,000 well-equipped Crusader soldiers excluding special forces and militia.

The main force was attacking this city.

For France, 90,000 well-trained troops would be enough to sweep across most of the country. They could even conquer a small part of the country, let alone the several cities and metropolises in the south.

Given enough time and supplies, what place can't be captured?

If this city is destroyed again, will I be able to survive? If I do survive, where should I go?

Thinking of her former close sisters dying tragically before her eyes to buy her time to escape, Lygate's eyes filled with fear again as she huddled in the corner, her curled-up body trembling slightly.

Confusion and fear, not knowing what to do—this is the most accurate reflection of the girl's current state of mind.

Is there anyone who can help me?

As she pondered this question, Lizzie, now covered in cumin, couldn't help but think of the golden figure in her memory, the man she had met once and who had saved her.

How I wish... how I wish that the man who left such a deep impression on me during our escape with my sisters would reappear and stand in front of me, protecting me from my weakness.

Taking out the Philosopher's Stone from her already filthy clothes, Lizzette forced a sorrowful smile.

"...Lei...Zhe...Sir."

Clutching the gem tightly, Lizzie, filled with confusion, murmured the name of the person she cared about. Would she ever be able to see him again?

"Are you calling me, Lizzie?"

Hmm? The sound...

A gentle yet familiar, almost bewitching voice reached the girl's ears in the corner, causing a faint glimmer of doubt to appear in her lonely eyes as she huddled in a ball.

Because of fatigue and the surrounding noise, I wondered if I was hallucinating.

But as her vision, blurred by crying, began to clear, the golden figure was actually squatting in front of her, its golden eyes looking at the pitiful girl with the gentleness one would show to a child.

The other person reached out and gently placed a hand on her head, soothing her. This gentle touch made the girl realize that she wasn't hallucinating or experiencing auditory hallucinations; it was all real...

"...Lord Lei Zhe!!"

Tears welled up in Lizzie's eyes again with emotion, and she threw herself into the arms of the man who gave her the strongest sense of security in the world, clutching his clothes tightly and sobbing silently once more.

Like a bullied and wronged child, Lizzie clung tightly to the man's clothes in front of her, afraid that he would suddenly disappear and abandon her. She let go of all restraints and cried in his arms.

Lei Zhe simply stroked the head of the underage girl to comfort her. After all, she had experienced so many cruel things and the death of her companions, and the girl was extremely frightened at the moment.

She was afraid that a crusader-like demon would suddenly appear and hunt her down again, and she was also afraid that the man she knew and cared about would leave her, leaving her alone and helpless once more.

She cried, as if pouring out her grievances and fears, until she released all the fear and insecurity that had been weighing on her heart.

The extremely exhausted girl also fainted in that reassuring embrace.

"Get some rest and sleep; it'll be over soon."

Gently picking up the girl, Reizer took the Philosopher's Stone from Lizzet's clothes, and slightly turned his head as if piercing through the barrier of time and space, seeing himself in another timeline, also holding Lizzet in his arms.

In the distorted points unseen by ordinary people, each Lizzie from different timelines, as she fainted in the arms of Reiji's avatar, tore through the barriers of time and space, allowing her soul to fly towards the original.

The souls and even the physical bodies of Lysette from multiple timelines transformed into fundamental particles and merged into the Philosopher's Stone in Reiji's hand, making the twin serpents fighting pattern inside shine even brighter.

Seeing this, Rezhe chuckled with satisfaction. The next step was to plan for Lizzie's future.

------

The sleeping girl, Lizzie, seemed to be having a strange dream, a bizarre, recurring dream.

In her dream, she encountered the man she longed for, Reiji, in slightly different ways. It was an encounter that left a deep impression on Lizzet.

In that dream that filled the young girl with shy joy, she was rescued from the fortified city and stayed by his side, living with him.

During those peaceful days together, Lizzie seemed to have forgotten the pain brought by the war, and calmly followed the man by his side.

Compared to a life of faith, a life spent with others seems more fulfilling and...happy.

In contrast, there was no Razer in another dream, a dream that... or rather, a nightmare that felt so real, caused Lizzie unbearable pain.

Even though she did not meet that Razor, she still lived in her faith, in the Begiye that gave birth to her.

But the war she feared broke out, the city that had raised her was destroyed by the Crusaders, the kind and benevolent Lord Per was brutally beheaded, and the entire city became a living hell.

Lizzie and the others from the Sisters' House went to the fortress city for protection, but they still suffered heavy casualties on the way. Except for her, all the sisters were caught up and killed by the Crusaders.

She thought that accepting the city's protection meant the end of it, but the city she sought protection was the very place the main Crusader force was attacking.

Despite the overwhelming force of hundreds of thousands of crusaders, it still took them some time to breach the city, and the flames of war quickly spread throughout the bustling metropolis.

The girl fled amidst the smoke and death, running away again and again, determined to stay away from the Crusaders if she didn't want to die.

The fortified city had become a complete hell, with the stench of blood, screams, and shouts filling the entire city.

Black smoke dyed the bright sky red. Lizzie was really tired. Her clothes and feet were stained with blood. She collapsed to the ground and cried in pain.