The Villain Saint is my secondary account

General Dawson stared at Ella's departing figure, stunned. He recalled that Holman had never seemed so devoted and risked his life to protect civilians.

“Your Excellency, this…I’m afraid it’s not quite appropriate. Moreover, we made this decision without informing Her Majesty Erica…” General Dawson reminded him with concern.

“I will find a way to deal with Her Majesty Erica.” Holman gazed at the rows of figures stretching across the distant wilderness, his tone resolute and decisive. “The situation is urgent, and we don’t have enough time to return to the palace for further discussion.”

"The Holy Maiden of Light is willing to provide strong support on behalf of the Holy Temple. Although the fortifications on the city wall are damaged, they are still basically usable. Our chances of holding the city are not as low as we thought."

"Most of the nobles who support Prince Raymond's faction are actually supporting the Holy Maiden. If two hours of defense can earn the Holy Maiden's full support and the stability of our regime, it's worth the risk."

"Dawson, immediately order all the soldiers present to strengthen the city's defenses. I'll go back and bring the main force to the city walls to provide support."

After saying that, Holman turned and left. Dawson felt a little helpless, but he also understood that what Holman said was not entirely unreasonable.

Alright, let's take a gamble.

General Dawson picked up his greatsword and ordered the soldiers present to begin defensive deployment.

It's somewhat ironic that the fate of the imperial city ultimately didn't rest on the shoulders of the imperial guards who should have been sworn to defend it to the death, but rather on us, the usurpers who should be branded as traitors.

……

The mighty army marched through the city, with the rebels who had originally occupied the palace leading the royal knights and court mages through the bustling streets and alleys, heading straight for the towering city walls.

The Holy Temple split its forces into two groups. Archbishop Holmes led a large number of Holy Temple Knights, priests, and sorcerers to the city walls to build a defensive line with the rebels.

Meanwhile, Saint Ella led the remaining small group of people through the city, using her high prestige to call on citizens to evacuate to the west side of the city for refuge.

Guiding the people to flee using the influence of the saintess's name was not a difficult task, but the migration of a million people was undoubtedly a massive undertaking. Even with the help of numerous adventurers and scattered imperial guards, the process was still lengthy and arduous.

Those citizens who had just managed to catch their breath at the guild's headquarters amidst the chaos now donned their cloaks again and stepped once more into the storm-swept streets.

They were still unaware of what had happened, but seeing their equally fearful neighbors and fellow countrymen, as well as the church clergy sweating profusely and desperately directing the evacuation, a sense of dread about the unknown inevitably began to creep into their hearts.

There were still rioters causing trouble in some parts of the city, and Ella would decisively order the Templars to kill them without mercy whenever she found them.

Those who continue to create chaos at this point are simply harming people, and there is no need to show them any mercy.

In the huge, crowded evacuation line, a woman was holding a little girl's hand, slowly moving along the seemingly endless line.

"Mommy, why are we leaving home?" Amidst the noise, the little girl's childish voice was particularly clear and crisp.

“My dear, even I don’t fully understand right now.” The woman gently stroked the girl’s delicate hand. “But it is the will of the Holy Maiden. She guides us forward, and we only need to firmly believe and follow her guidance.”

"So... will we go home later?"

"Yes, of course." Although the woman's face showed a hint of fatigue, she still tried to smile, instilling a sense of reassurance in her daughter. "The Holy Maiden is the spokesperson of the God of Light. She will surely protect our homeland."

These two small figures are just a microcosm of the countless migrating people. Meanwhile, atop the city walls, glowing magical energy works in concert with bricklayers to tirelessly repair the cracks in the walls and gates.

Archmage Holman and General Dawson stood side by side atop the wall, behind them soldiers in gleaming armor arrayed along the city wall, forming a solemn and imposing defensive line.

The massive crossbows and cold cannons adjusted their direction under the drive of gears and winches, their muzzles pointing directly at the boundless wilderness in the distance.

Musketeers steadily positioned their gun barrels between the battlements, while court mages and holy arcane mages were organized into small squads, each stationed atop a tower along the city wall, setting up massive magic arrays large enough to cover the entire wall.

Below the city wall, the people from the settlements outside the city had already fled to the nearby mountains and forests. Busy engineers, carrying barricades with spikes and fuel, were setting up trenches while sweating profusely.

Looking into the distance, dark figures covered most of the wilderness, like a dark tsunami swallowing the heavens and the earth, dense and surging, stretching all the way to the depths of the dense forest on the edge of the sky.

A moment later, Holman estimated the distance of the army of corpses and whispered an order to his deputy.

"Order all engineers stationed below the city walls to immediately withdraw into the city; all unfinished defensive structures must be abandoned." — Huo

The adjutant nodded slightly, then relayed the order to the messenger beside him in a slightly trembling voice. The messenger quickly took out a small horn and blew out a sharp, urgent note.

In an instant, the soldiers working below the city walls dropped their tools without hesitation, turned and ran toward the city gate without looking back.

Upon hearing the bugle call, the guards on the city wall swallowed hard, their Adam's apples bobbing involuntarily, and their hands gripping their muskets trembled almost imperceptibly.

They were not untrained recruits, but the suffocating sense of oppression from the horde of undead sweeping in from the horizon like a tidal wave was enough to make any tough guy's heart skip a beat.

As the dark, swarming army of corpses drew ever closer, the soldiers could clearly feel the city walls beneath their feet begin to tremble slightly—the vibrations caused by thousands upon thousands of corpses trampling the earth and advancing relentlessly.

Everyone was on edge, their eyes fixed on the approaching horde of zombies, their hearts pounding like drums, each beat seeming to foreshadow the impending carnage.

"All artillerymen, heed my command!"

In the silence, Holman's voice, amplified by the sound-amplifying array, quickly echoed across the entire city wall.

And it was precisely for this reason that snowflakes, like goose feathers, drifted down from the azure sky.

Winter finally arrived in Loren in the middle of the month of rest.

Chapter 180 Scorched Earth

"preparation--"

"fire!!!"

As Holman's thunderous roar shook the towering city walls, the artillerymen simultaneously waved their blazing torches, igniting the fuses deep within the cannon barrels.

Hundreds of giant iron cannons roared at the same moment, shaking the heavens. The flames that burst forth were like stars falling to earth, instantly turning half the sky blood red.

The shells rained down like a torrential downpour, crashing into the surging torrent of the dead, blooming into fiery fireworks of death in the dark abyss.

The undead zombie at the epicenter of the explosion was instantly reduced to dust. The fragments ejected from the explosion carried devastating force, tearing the surrounding zombies to shreds with holes, guided by the trail of flames.

To maximize area casualties, all shells were replaced with high-explosive shells containing violent explosives, instead of high-penetration lead bullets. The effect of this tactical choice was obvious; the first volley of fierce artillery fire almost completely pulverized the dense sea of ​​corpses at the vanguard.

However, faced with this vast and endless army of the dead, the gap was quickly filled by a new horde of corpses. They disregarded life and death, relentlessly trampling over the shattered bodies of their comrades as they continued to advance.

This scene did not surprise Holman in the slightest. He decisively raised his hand and issued a new round of destruction orders. This time, the protagonist became the heavy repeating crossbow standing atop the tower.

There are only a few dozen of them, but each one is equipped with a unique giant rocket filled with fuel.

As the rockets launched in unison, they resembled fiery dragons piercing through the horde of corpses, rising into towering walls of fire on the ground and weaving together a dense red net.

The horde of corpses continued to break through the raging fire wall with unwavering ferocity. The bodies that were touched by the flames were charred and smoking after only a few steps, falling to the ground as ashes and afterimages.

Against the backdrop of blazing flames that filled the battlefield, the court mage corps solemnly raised their staffs inlaid with mysterious runes, their chanting voices echoing across the battlefield like ancient hymns.

One magnificent array after another slowly unfolded in the sky, with raging meteorite fire rain intertwined with the cold snowflakes that were already falling from the clouds, all mingling and pouring down on this army of the dead, forming a spectacular yet tragically apocalyptic scene.

However, even when faced with such a ferocious attack that could destroy the heavens and the earth, the advance of the zombie horde did not slow down in the slightest. They seemed to ignore the hellish scene before them and maintained their relentless charging rhythm.

Although tens of thousands of their kind had already turned into charred skeletons before even reaching the city walls, the vanguard zombies who had managed to escape the rain of fire and explosions were less than half a mile from the solid city walls.

At this moment, the musketeers on the city wall stood ready, their muskets already aimed at the dead below.

With Holman's sharp shout, the command rang out like thunder, followed by a series of fiery tongues spitting from gun barrels.

The dense rain of projectiles, like streaking sparks, instantly wove together a devastating metal storm that mercilessly tore the unfortunate victims who had endured the devastating bombardment to pieces.

Immediately following, another thunderous salvo of artillery fire erupted. The newly filled cannons, requiring no adjustments, were thrust directly into the breach in the city wall, instantly unleashing their fury upon the scorched earth before them.

On this vast land before us, the dead, their faces contorted in grotesque horrors, throngs about. Wherever artillery fire falls, it is a saturation massacre woven from overwhelming firepower.

General Dawson, standing atop the city wall, watched as countless dead struggled and writhed in the blazing flames before finally turning to ashes. Only then did his fist, which had been clenched for so long and was sweating, quietly release a trace of tension.

Due to the previous poor performance of the imperial city guards, these precious firepower resources have been accumulated and are now being converted into high-intensity bombardment, which is enough to temporarily withstand the terrifying zombie horde.

It's unlikely that we can defeat this endless horde of zombies, but if we can hold out for two hours, there should be hope.

However, Holman's expression remained unchanged, his gaze fixed like that of a hawk on the dense forest behind the horde of corpses.

In that deep shadow, some strange movement was quietly brewing, as if an invisible hand was slowly lifting the veil of mystery.

Soon, the hidden movement began to materialize, and the gradually rising outline resembled a small hill rising from the earth's core.

Upon closer inspection, the so-called "hill" was actually formed by countless layers of living corpses stacked on top of each other. Their twisted and deformed bodies resembled wriggling maggots, embracing each other and growing taller until they evolved into a huge human-shaped silhouette, standing majestically from the dense forest.

"By Mother Goddess, what the hell is that?!" General Dawson was so shocked that he even forgot to hide his faith.

However, no one around him reacted to his words, because everyone's eyes were firmly drawn to the imposing figure that was gradually approaching the horizon, leaving them no time to look at anything else.

"Third and Fourth Tower Mage Corps, prepare your siege spells! Aim at that ugly monster in the distance! Blast it to pieces!"

Holman gave the order immediately without any hesitation.

The situation on the battlefield can change in an instant. Whatever that thing in the distance is, we absolutely cannot let it solidify and take shape so safely.

The cannons' range was insufficient; only by having the court's mage corps weave siege magic that could pierce the heavens could they hope to reach the terrifying giant standing at the edge of the wilderness, constructed from countless pieces of flesh and blood.

As the corpses piled up like mountains, the towering giant of the dead gradually took shape, raising its massive arms.

At the same time, a deep blue magic array bloomed above the imperial city, and a torrent of magic containing the power to destroy the city tore through the air in an instant and shot straight towards it.

Like a blue meteor streaking across the night sky, the spell transformed into a giant arrow that pierced the giant's chest with pinpoint accuracy, and the remains of the remaining body parts fell like raindrops into the dense forest.

However, the massive body remained sturdy, and even with its chest cavity pierced, it still hurled the fist formed by countless living corpses, like a rolling boulder thrown towards the imperial city.

The Holy Arcane Mage Corps guarding the imperial city reacted instantly, summoning several spears that shone with holy light, like a constellation of stars, which shot towards the dark, fleshy ball that was traversing the battlefield.

However, just as the golden spear light was about to touch the fleshy ball, the ball suddenly exploded, disintegrating into countless scattered corpses that poured down like a torrential rain.

On the city wall, many soldiers who failed to dodge in time were instantly struck by the corpses, their flesh and blood mangled.

Thin, dark tendrils, like startled water snakes, shot out from the fallen wreckage and quickly burrowed into the gaps in the armor of the unsuspecting soldiers.

Screams and cries of agony came from beneath the cold helmets. The soldiers writhed in agony on the ground, and then, as the screams ceased, they rose shakily from the pool of blood under the watchful eyes of their comrades.

But at this moment, their eyes, hidden beneath their crooked faceplates, were bloodshot, revealing a fierce glint.

Chapter 181 Migration

The soldiers infected by the tentacles were like raging beasts, fiercely pouncing on their comrades.

On the battlefield, even when faced with continuous artillery fire, those zombie warriors, despite being mutilated and broken, could still move as if nothing had happened. Therefore, their tenacity in life was even more terrifying in close combat.

Even amidst the clash of swords and the flow of blood, these undead still possess a terrifying vitality. With their broken bodies, they tear and devour the innocent people around them with unimaginable strength, as if pain and death could not weaken their fighting power in the slightest. Instead, they imprinted fear and despair deeply into every brutal close-quarters battle.

Only when they are dismembered into piles of irreparable pieces of flesh do these living corpses seem to be stripped of their life force, gradually withering and stiffening in the cold wind.

However, even at this seemingly final moment, countless tiny and cunning tentacles emerge from the rapidly decaying flesh, scattering like agile parasites, continuing to seek new hosts and further spreading the curse of turning into zombies.

On the city wall, the originally well-organized defenses began to falter in the sudden chaos. The ever-spreading infection, like a plague, quickly dismantled the formation of the defenders on the wall, plunging the solid fortifications into chaos and panic in an instant.

Fortunately, General Dawson, who was in charge of coordinating the infantry formation, immediately began to calmly adjust the formation, mobilizing the infantry to clear out the infected areas while defending the key defensive fortifications that had been set up with artillery and heavy crossbows.

In this critical moment, we must not lose our composure. Even if the battle in the rear is so fierce that blood flows like rivers, the artillery groups standing on the front line must be like an eternal furnace, constantly spewing scorching iron rain at the enemy.

In the deep, dark forest beyond the wilderness, several colossal giants pieced together from undead rose into the sky, forcing the court mage corps on the defending side to focus on sniping these bizarre creatures that could send airborne undead across the battlefield.

Nevertheless, the hordes of undead that coalesced into giant spheres continued to fall from the sky from time to time, crashing heavily onto the top of the city walls. As the mages' area-of-effect spells were forced to disperse to deal with the aerial threats, the undead army on the front lines, under wave after wave of fierce volleys of muskets and cannons, finally approached the edge of the city walls.

The corpses at the forefront piled up at the base of the city wall like madmen, layer upon layer, providing a path for the surging horde of their kind to trample and climb to the top of the high wall.

Holman quickly ordered the soldiers stationed on the city wall to pour scalding hot oil through the firing ports, and then ignite the torches that were burning fiercely.

In an instant, a waterfall of flames cascaded down the wall, and the scorching flames swept across the entire wall, turning it crimson red.

The charred remains of the bodies washed over the plain beside the wall like ocean waves, followed by countless withered feet trampling over them and engulfing the blazing inferno.

It has only been a little over half an hour since the organization of the citizens' relocation began, but due to the harassment from the airdrops of the undead giants, the army of corpses arrived at the top of the wall much earlier than Holman predicted.

Meanwhile, in Ella's area, the first batch of relocated residents had not yet fully entered the West District.

Organizing a movement involving millions of people was far more difficult than imagined. Every street and every intersection was crammed with people and carriages, and the crowds on the rooftops stretched as far as the eye could see.

The procession moved at a snail's pace, and they couldn't simply open the inner gates of the West District to let the citizens swarm in. They had to station priests at key intersections at intervals to use holy light spells to detect any potential threats, because if corrupted members of the Cult of Life were to emerge from the crowd, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This uncovered many individuals who were secretly possessing the power of the Mother of Life, but it also slowed down the team's progress due to the testing.

Ella dared not relax for a moment, directing the migration while observing the situation of the crowds in each block through the numerous crow familiars deployed along the streets.

At the same time, on a building next to a street crowded with migrant citizens, Zhu Jun was leaning against a window that was completely covered up. He lifted the curtain with his hand to reveal a gap and observed the situation outside.

"Tsk, so cautious."

“Many civilians who took the ‘Life Fruit’ have been caught,” said a man whose face was obscured by the window, who was hidden in the shadows and seemed to be talking to Zhu Jun. “And thanks to your old classmate surnamed Ye, most of the Life Sprouts that were distributed before have been found and destroyed.”

"Are you really sure his relationship with the Holy Maiden has fallen apart? It seems like both sides are targeting us."

"Hmm...it's really a headache." Zhu Jun lowered the curtain, crossed one arm over his chest, and rubbed his chin with the other. "Maybe it's a diversion? But what's the point of them splitting up like this?"

“I don’t know the significance, but your old classmate has already sneaked into Greygold Town,” the figure hidden in the darkness said impatiently. “If you don’t deal with him soon, I’ll have to take care of him for you.”

"So fast." Zhu Jun raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised. "Your purpose is very clear, which is why I told you that this guy had a lot of ideas even when he was a student."

"What do I care? I'm not interested in him." The figure's tone was fierce. "If he dares to interfere with the company, I'll kill him."

Zhu Jun smiled and said, "Then you might not be able to kill him."

"What did you say?"