Chapter 6: The Bonding

The sudden emergence of the demon creature threw the girls who had been resting in the courtyard into a brief state of chaos, but the Church's Execution Witches quickly regained their composure and began to organize an offensive.

The white demon dodged attacks, dashing and weaving through the courtyard, its bone spurs lashing out at the surrounding crowd, reducing the garden to a state of disarray.

Elara dodged a flurry of ice blades and leaped back into the air once more; her bone spurs swept across and shattered a fountain, causing the Witches nearby to scatter. One Witch, wearing glasses, was a moment too slow and was knocked to the ground by the splintering stone.

The demon's attack arrived in an instant, with sharp bone spurs slicing down from above towards her. The bespectacled girl had nowhere to hide and despairingly shielded her eyes.

Suddenly, a golden light shield erupted around her, repelling Elara and sending her flying. Black chains materialized in mid-air, coiling around Elara's body like snakes, binding her tightly and rendering her immobile.

"Is everyone alright?" A blond man dressed in the attire of a high-ranking Priest, his hands radiating the golden glow of a holy shield, inquired. Behind him, a slender Witch in black stood atop the wall, her pale golden hair fluttering in the wind.

"To fall to demonic possession the moment she arrives, quite the misfortune," the Witch remarked, her lavender eyes cold with lethal intent as black mist began to congeal in her hands.

"Alicia, hold off for now!" Noyce arrived from behind, halting the Witch who was about to launch an attack.

He leaped into the air towards Elara, his body erupting in a golden radiance as dazzling light blades severed both the black chains and bone spurs that had ensnared her.

Colliding with Elara, he forced her towards the ground with a heavy impact. The garden's bluestone tiles cracked like a spider's web under the weight of her bony, hardened body, the sheer force of the impact momentarily paralyzing the demon.

Noyce slit his palm and pressed it against Elara's chest. His blood seeped into her skin, tracing a complex pattern across her collarbone.

More and more Priests were drawn to the commotion, recognizing the familiar blood-red sigil: "This is... the Curse Mark?"

As the pattern was fully inscribed, Noyce intoned a spell. The demon beneath him suddenly let out an inhuman screech powerful enough to pierce eardrums. The golden shield rose again, protecting the novices who clutched their ears in agony.

Elara's body convulsed violently as Noyce activated the Holy Light Bind, pinning the demon beneath him and immobilizing all its movements. The Curse Mark, while assaulting the demonic energy within, also attacked every cell in the girl's body. The excruciating pain in every limb and joint caused Elara to let out blood-curdling screams.

The demonic energy within her raged in retaliation, violently churning as it sought to break free from the mark's shackles, engaging in a fierce struggle with the silver-haired Priest's divine power. Noyce exerted more force, a full-spectrum light enveloping the girl's entire body. Elara felt as if her body was being ground to pieces, her skin melting and shifting uncontrollably, her body convulsing spasmodically.

In the end, the golden beast eyes, filled with hatred and defiance, staring at the high Priest, finally dimmed. The bony claws retracted, transforming back into the shape of human hands and feet. The golden light dissipated, leaving the girl, now in her human form, unconscious on the ground.

"Can you believe it?" came a chorus of amazement from the onlookers.

"Amazing... to recover after demonic possession," the blond Priest said, his face a picture of disbelief.

The Witch in black, who had been leaning against the wall with her arms folded since her attack was interrupted, let out an enigmatic chuckle: "Interesting."

She lost interest in the proceedings and, after smoothing her hair, turned and left.

Noyce removed his coat, wrapped it around the girl's naked body, and lifted her into his arms.

"I'll leave the rest to you," he said to the blond Priest, who nodded in understanding.

The girl in his arms furrowed her brows, her breathing becoming rapid again. Noyce sighed softly and carried the girl towards his residence.