Chapter 92: By Name Of The Lord

As the Phoenix dived, its beak opened wide, unleashing a torrent of fire that engulfed a section of Glory Fortress, turning it into a sea of flames. Screams of agony echoed through the inferno as priests were incinerated, reduced to charred husks. This was no ordinary magical fire—it was akin to dragon breath, an elemental blaze that rendered most magical defenses useless.

From the outskirts of Glory Fortress, dozens of griffins soared in with their riders shooting arrows and casting spells at the Fire Phoenix. Below, mages unleashed their magic toward the sky. But whether it was fireballs or ice bolts, none seemed to have any effect on the colossal bird of flame, a creature said to be immortal.

Wreathed in dazzling fire, the Phoenix surged forward at a speed many times that of the griffins, diving upon its vastly smaller airborne adversaries. With a single sweep of its massive wings and a powerful body slam, the mighty predators—capable of tearing beasts apart—were struck down like a swarm of burning insects, plummeting from the sky in flames.

The ancient Elven Empire had once used magical beings like this to contend with dragons. No living creature of the present age could stand against such a force. Even wyverns were as fragile as bats before the might of the Phoenix, let alone any lesser flying beasts.

"Everyone, do not panic! Follow me to the Glory Hall!" The Pope's face was grim as he gazed at the massive beast in the sky, but he did not show a hint of fear. He turned swiftly, heading toward the sacred hall, leaving a final order to Lancelot: "Capture that brat. If necessary, cut off his limbs. As long as he's alive, that's enough."

By now, nearly half of Glory Fortress was engulfed in flames. The Fire Phoenix, wreathed in its blinding inferno, smashed into one of the castle's towering spires with immense force. The entire stronghold trembled from the impact. The grand tower, unable to withstand the devastating collision, split apart and collapsed, crushing the structures beneath into rubble. The section directly struck by the Phoenix was blasted into a shower of burning debris, scattering like a fiery rain over the battlefield.

The entire Glory Fortress had become as hot as a desert, capable of roasting eggs, as the Fire Phoenix swept across its expanse. Everywhere it flew, fires erupted, consuming all that could burn. For the priests within the castle, this legendary divine bird felt no different from a demon summoned from the depths of hell. If this continued, the heat alone, without the flames, would be enough to incinerate everyone in Celeste.

Suddenly, over a dozen lightning bolts and Thunder Frost Ice shot up from the ground, including two high-level spells, Thunderclap Bomb. These spells all struck the Phoenix's body. The Thunder Frost Ice reduced some of the flames on the Phoenix's surface, and the Thunderclap Bombs detonated, causing an explosion of fire and debris around it. The immense figure of the Phoenix shook under the impact, and burning fragments of fire rained down from the explosion.

However, the combined assault of these ten or so powerful wizards barely harmed the Phoenix. With a roar of pure fury, the Phoenix dove towards the ground. A torrent of fire erupted from its mouth, overwhelming the wizards below. Before they could even scream, they were reduced to ash by the fiery blast.

Suddenly, a chill cut through the scorching air. Countless water elements, forced to condense in this intensely hot atmosphere, began to form snowflakes. Though they barely took shape before evaporating in an instant, they managed to cool the air slightly. Gradually, the water elements began to condense more and more, and the snowflakes no longer vanished immediately, instead turning into raindrops that fell gently to the ground. The spread of the fire that had been consuming the area slowed slightly.

On the square before the Glory Hall, the priests and wizards had gathered. Several high-level water mages were chanting incantations and waving their arms, casting Blizzard spells. Low- and mid-tier magic had almost no effect on this life-form made of elemental energy, and the church's battle mages, most skilled in fire magic, found that their fiery spells only seemed to invigorate the Phoenix, rather than harm it.

The priests' white magic was not much use against this strange elemental being, but all the priests on the square continued to chant their prayers intently. Instead of the usual white light of divine magic, a faint white glow began to appear above the Glory Hall, as if the cathedral itself was resonating with the prayers of the surrounding priests.

On the arched dome of the Glory Hall stood a solitary figure—the Pope. There were no guards by his side. He simply gazed upward at the swirling fire Phoenix, while the cathedral beneath his feet emitted a glow in response to the prayers of the priests.

On the square below, several high-level water mages were putting their full effort into casting the Blizzard spell. The effects of their combined magic were beginning to show—while the air had cooled and a slight chill now lingered, the snowflakes that melted into raindrops continued to fall. Though the surrounding flames still managed to dissipate the Blizzard's power, the Phoenix's movements seemed slightly slower than before.

"Prepare, fire," a voice rang out from the mage formation—Cervantes, the leader, commanding. At his signal, over a hundred mages launched their magic toward the Phoenix.

Individual attacks seemed almost useless against the beast, but this was no mere scattered magic—this was the concentrated firepower of over a hundred mages. While many of the mages in the Glory Fortress were specialized in destructive fire magic, the remaining mages were not to be underestimated. Among the assembled mages, there were numerous high-tier spellcasters. A few of them even produced their personal scrolls, unleashing them into the magic wave. Among the barrage of spells, there were several high-level spells, such as boulders and Thunderstorm Blasts.

The Phoenix, sensing the power of the oncoming attack, twisted and darted through the air with incredible agility and speed, avoiding most of the spells. However, its massive size and the sheer volume of magic coverage meant that a significant portion of the magic still struck it. In a violent explosion of flames and feathers, the massive bird's fiery plumage scattered through the air, quickly transforming into pure fire elements and being neutralized by the Blizzard's cold.

As the Phoenix's agonized screech rang out, Welleskay, holding his golden warbow, loosed an arrow that emitted a tremendous hum. A beam of condensed fighting energy, a burst of light created purely from his own power, shot forward.

He had previously tried using his usual steel-broken magic arrows, but no matter how fast or destructive they were, they were immediately melted into molten metal the moment they came into contact with the Phoenix's fiery aura. This time, however, the arrow was made purely from his fighting energy. It flew at several times the speed of magic itself, striking the Phoenix with a dull "thwack," followed by a louder, more tormented scream from the great beast.

The arrow struck the Phoenix with greater force than even the high-level magic like the Thunderbolt, and for a brief moment, the Phoenix's massive body swayed, a few fiery feathers scattering with a strange golden liquid, like molten lava, mingling among them.

With a deafening crash, the flames surrounding the Phoenix intensified, exploding outward like oil catching fire. The air, which had started to cool under the blizzard's influence, immediately became unbearably hot once again. The Phoenix continued to cry out, but now it was no longer a cry of pain; it was the furious shriek of a creature enraged by its wounds. Its massive form spun around and, fueled by its newfound wrath, the flames surrounding it surged to a terrifying intensity as it hurtled toward the Glory Hall.

On the plaza before the temple, every water mage present hastily unleashed all their magic, desperately trying to counter the scorching heat wave rolling toward them. Even the mages who had been casting Ice Storms paused their spells, working frantically to use water magic to mitigate the inferno that was coming. The furious Phoenix wasn't just carrying flames anymore—it was bringing with it an entire sea of fire. It no longer aimed to merely pass by; it was crashing directly toward the Glory Hall, intent on reducing the entire area to smoldering ruins, burning everything to ash.

Faced with this firestorm rushing toward them, the hundreds of priests on the plaza neither flinched nor panicked. They continued their chants, their voices steady, having never stopped their prayers since the first moment the battle began. The white light emanating from the Glory Hall continued to grow, intensifying with each passing second.

"By the name of the Lord, break!" The booming voice of the Pope echoed from the top of the Glory Hall. With those words, the white light that had surrounded the entire Glory Hall instantly vanished, and the Pope's body began to shine with a blinding brilliance.

The Pope was completely immersed in this concentrated radiance, which had become as solid as material itself. In the next moment, this light condensed into a massive white sword, which shot toward the descending fire Phoenix.

The light sword appeared and flew toward its target in a seamless flow, striking directly at the Phoenix's path. This was not just the Pope's power alone, but the combined strength of over a hundred high-ranking priests, amplified through the power of the Glory Hall.

The white sword silently pierced through the Phoenix's chest, cleaving the massive firebird almost in two. The fire clouds that filled the sky instantly dissipated, and the Phoenix's body, which had been charging down with ferocity, tilted awkwardly like a kite with a broken string, veering off course and flying off to the side. Lava-like blood poured out from its body in torrents, but before it could fall, it evaporated into the air.

"Long live His Majesty. Long live His Majesty." Amid the Phoenix's dying, weak wail, the Glory Fortress erupted in cheers. Despite the destruction, with many dead and wounded, the people witnessed the fall of this legendary monstrous beast. It was a demonstration of the Pope's supreme authority and power.

Amid the thunderous cheers, the Pope's face turned pale, his body swaying as he nearly lost his balance. The priests on the square also looked exhausted. To unleash the final blow that brought down the ancient beast, they had expended all their magical energy.