Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 217: The Ashes Of Faith

The distant roar of the riots was deafening.

Ren could feel the vibrations through the stone floors of the church as he jogged after Kevin and Jean, his armor clanking softly with every hurried step he took.

Beside him, Lilith kept pace effortlessly, her movements graceful even weighed down by her gleaming white Chosen armor.

The moment they burst through the grand archways of the Church's main hall, the full scale of the chaos hit them like a wave.

Smoke rose from multiple parts of the city, black plumes twisting into the sky like accusing fingers. Cries of anger, fear, and desperation echoed from every direction.

Ahead, the senior Chosen had formed up at the main gates, looking like a sea of white, barring the masses from entering.

Those iron gates, which had once seemed like a strong and impenetrable barrier, were now merely another line to be overrun.

Kevin barked orders, his sword in one hand and a battered shield in the other. Jean mirrored him on the other side of the courtyard, rallying newer Chosen into defensive wedges.

"Move!" Kevin snapped, waving them forward.

Ren and Lilith fell into line without hesitation, joining the flow of armored warriors heading toward the gates.

As they moved through the courtyard, Ren caught glimpses of the crowd outside.

The people of Summerhold, the faithful, the downtrodden, the desperate, they had gathered in force.

Thousands pressed against the gates, their voices filled with rage and betrayal. They screamed for justice. They screamed for answers. They screamed for blood.

Chosen formed solid shield walls in front of them, bracing themselves against the seething tide of people. Their faces were grim, resigned. Most of them had spent their lives being revered. Now, they were hated.

Rotten food, rocks, and debris rained down over the Chosen.

Kevin pointed toward a thinner section of the line. "Ren! Lilith! Assist with crowd control. Non-lethal force only. Understood?"

Ren nodded once, tightening the straps on his shield. Lilith didn't answer, but her eyes gleamed dangerously.

They pressed into position, using their resonances in the way they'd been taught.

Ren reached out, Pushing the mobs back whenever they threatened to break the line, using short, sharp bursts to avoid injuring anyone. Lilith mirrored him, Pulling people just enough to slow their momentum without crushing them.

The strategy worked, at first.

But Ren could feel it. Simmering right below the clamor of the mob, he could feel the buzz of Lilith's Soul Dominion, like a pressure building under her skin. Her Gift was itching to lash out.

He leaned closer, voice urgent. "Stay calm. Not here. Not now."

Lilith gritted her teeth, fists clenching, but she gave a curt nod. She wouldn't do anything. For him.

A few minutes later, the Chosen had built a space between the gates and the people, calming them down slightly. And it was just in time, as the Bishop had just arrived, flanked by his guards of loyal Chosen.

He raised his hands as he stood at the front but not stepping out of the shield of Chosen, his resonance vibrating as he amplified his voice across the courtyard.

"My children!" He called out, his voice carrying to every corner. "Fear not! For the Creator watches over us still! In our darkest hour, He will provide salvation! Remain strong, remain faithful—!"

A rotten cabbage struck the steps before him, bursting into wet, fetid pieces.

Gasps echoed from the crowd.

Another voice, shrill and furious, cut through the noise. "You let Rainhold burn!" A woman screamed. "You sit in your golden halls while we die!"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the mob.

Another man shouted, "Your clothes are clean, but our people dirty themselves just to get something to eat! And you dare tell us to remain faithful?!"

The Bishop's jaw tightened, but he forced a benevolent smile onto his face. His resonance shimmered around him as a protective shield, deflecting more thrown fruits and stones.

"I bless you all." He said grandly like everything was alright. "And I promise you, action will come."

He turned, preparing to retreat back into the Church.

Then, another voice, louder, filled with raw hatred, echoed over the crowd.

"You could use your power to stop this plague, but you only use it to keep your robes clean! You enjoy and we suffer! Death to the church!"

The crowd surged.

The thin line of Chosen almost buckled under the sudden wave of people.

"Hold the line!" Kevin roared, slamming his shield into a charging farmer and pushing him back. His fire resonance would not be useful here.

The Bishop didn't even look back. He issued a single command to the senior Chosen beside him.

"Shed no blood."

And then he disappeared into the safety of the Church.

Ren braced himself as the mass of bodies slammed against them.

It was chaos.

Rocks clattered off his shield. Hands grabbed at him, pulling, tearing. He Pushed them back with short bursts, but they kept coming.

Beside him, Lilith fought with a smirk hidden by her shield, Pulling attackers off-balance, toppling them without breaking their bones.

But it wasn't enough.

One of the young Chosen, panicked and desperate, stabbed an unarmed man in the gut. Blood splattered across the courtyard stones.

The mob screamed in outrage.

More Chosen lashed out in self-defense, and more civilians died.

The chants began.

First scattered voices, then a growing roar.

"The hour is struck, the hands must move!"

"The doors are open, the will must choose!"

"The blood is spilled, the debts are due!"

"The gods are silent, the world needs you!"

Ren's blood ran cold.

That chant, it wasn't random.

Someone had planned this.

He scanned the crowd through the cracks in the shield line. Somewhere, hidden among the angry faces, there was organization. Intention.

The riot wasn't spontaneous.

It was engineered.

A rock sailed through the air, and time slowed. His mind ran through his options and he settled for what he wanted to do.

The rock smashed into his head. His vision exploded with white stars. Pain lanced through his skull. He staggered backward, blood running down his face.

"Ren!" Lilith cried, grabbing his arm.

He blinked blearily at her.

"Now." He muttered, and immediately, she understood.

Supporting him with one arm, Lilith pulled Ren toward the medical tents where the wounded Chosen were being treated.

But halfway there, Ren stumbled deliberately, and they veered off course, slipping between the trees and in the direction of the Church.

No one noticed.

And they won't. Not with the city burning.