The Church truly could not stop the Saintess from escaping; this was not only known to the Saintess herself, but Via, who was well acquainted with her, also understood this clearly.
Cecilia’s status as the Saintess wasn’t just a title she rose to by being a figurehead.
In terms of combat ability, if there was anyone among humans as powerful as a god or demon, the Saintess would definitely be counted among them.
However, failing to stop the Saintess did not mean they couldn’t watch her.
Some of the Church’s surveillance spells had already been tracking her even before the Saintess entered this city.
It was precisely because of this that Cecilia could say things like “I no longer know where to go,” since no matter where she fled, the Church’s spells were always trailing her.
Via had long detected the existence of this surveillance magic.
She tasted the Saintess’s aura in the most profane way possible and then, with a provocative smile, she turned to the watching spell that monitored her and Cecilia and gave it a triumphant grin.
“Hello, hello, everyone at the Church, are you there~”
***
Via was right—indeed, the Church’s upper echelons were watching Cecilia through the “Eye of Knowing” spell. And yes, they all saw this very scene.
But there was one thing the succubus never expected—
At this moment, the audience watching this scene was not just the Church’s leaders.
It was an entire plaza full of worshippers who had come to pay homage.
For Cecilia to be defrocked, there needed to be a clear reason, and one major evidence to convince the worshippers was to prove the Saintess had allied herself with the demons.
In fact, up until now, everything was still under the Church’s control.
The worshippers had seen Cecilia enter the demon-occupied area and head toward the residence of the Demon Lord.
Then, as time passed, a projection appeared in the plaza, showing the legendary succubus.
Her long hair, a pale gray nearing white, fluttered wildly on the balcony.
Compared to most succubi, her dress was elegant and reserved, covering her long, slender legs.
At this moment, her face was full of mockery.
The moment her face appeared, a stir broke out across the Church plaza.
The Church’s leaders knew exactly who this succubus was, but the worshippers had no idea.
All they knew was that this was the Demon Lord who had brought countless casualties to humanity in recent years.
“Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, everyone,” the succubus said casually, unaware that tens of thousands were watching her at this very moment.
“I am your old friend Via, the Succubus Demon Lord.”
“Today, I want to introduce you to a new toy I recently picked up. For that, I have to thank all of you. Without your efforts, this little toy might not have fallen into my hands.”
Saying this, the succubus leaned on Cecilia’s shoulder, pressing her cheek against the Saintess’s: “Come now, my dear Saintess, say hello to everyone~”
What followed was a scene that shocked humanity.
No one could describe how stunned the worshippers were seeing this.
The Saintess they once revered so highly—the one who always led humanity toward the light and never retreated—was now in the arms of that evil demon race, treated like a mere plaything.
And in the hands of such a demon, the Saintess’s face showed no disgust.
Her expression was closer to helplessness and humiliation.
Even with her eyes closed, avoiding the magic before her, the blush on her cheeks clearly proved the shame she felt inside.
“I’m very pleased that you’ve delivered such a perfect toy into my hands. Rest assured, Saintess Cecilia is living quite well here. Perhaps, in the future, she will even contribute some strength to the demon race… Oh, well, that’s none of your concern anymore, since she’s no longer the Saintess.”
Via’s words were laced with clear sarcasm and mockery.
She deliberately exposed Cecilia’s current state in front of the Church, tarnishing the label of the “Most Holy and Pure Maiden” so revered by the Church’s High Priesthood.
The worshippers watched in stunned silence, unable to believe how submissive and powerless the Saintess appeared in the hands of a demon.
When the Saintess closed her eyes just now, many instinctively thought it was the sign she was about to strike back.
Even though Cecilia had been defrocked by the Church, their hearts still held her to the standards of the Saintess, as if no matter what the Church did to her, or what situation she was in, she should still uphold her faith and responsibility.
“…Please, don’t do this here…”
Cecilia whispered in a voice only Via could hear.
She understood Via’s intentions, but since she had once been part of the Church, letting people see this side of her still wounded her deeply.
“Since you’ve come this far, you should be prepared for this, right? My dear Cecilia, you’re going to go through this scene sooner or later. Why not accept it happily ahead of time?”
Via leaned lightly behind the Saintess, her warm breath brushing against the sensitive skin of Cecilia’s neck, causing the latter to tense instinctively.
She watched the Saintess’s reaction carefully, locking eyes with her.
“Why feel ashamed, Cecilia? You came here because they cornered you with no way out. Even now, do you still hold on to the hope that you can go back to being that flower vase Saintess? Do you think they want you back?”
“Stop deceiving yourself. Being abandoned means being abandoned. They don’t want you anymore. So why keep up that false facade in front of them? Is the Saintess’s reputation really that important to you?”
Via’s pupils narrowed like a snake’s, dangerous and sharp.
Her tone had changed from before, now carrying a hint of uncontrollable excitement.
Ignoring Cecilia’s reaction, Via walked over to the surveillance spell and squatted down, studying it with interest.
“Someone must be watching on the other side, right? Don’t worry, the Saintess is with me now—at least she’s not betrayed like she was with you,” disdain was clearly visible on her face.
“Since you’re watching, I might as well notify you of something—”
“I believe among those watching this scene, there are some old acquaintances of mine.”
Hearing Via’s words, the few archbishops present immediately reacted.
The projection above the plaza vanished in an instant, leaving only the images on the demon crystal tablets in the hands of the Pope and the archbishops.
The worshippers began to stir, but the archbishops no longer had time to calm them.
Because on the crystal tablets held by the archbishops and the Pope, the succubus gave a sinister smile and then declared the statement the Church had cut off, preventing it from being shown to the worshippers:
“I have never forgiven that betrayal in the past—the shameful betrayal’s mastermind—I will not spare a single one of them—including the traitors to the Saintess.”