Chapter 96: Battle Is Over

As the colossal form of the fire phoenix, spanning dozens of meters, was cleaved in two, the sea of flames that had filled the sky vanished. The white rain of light disappeared as well, leaving only the blackened night sky marked by the lingering trace of that brilliant slash. In a single stroke, everything had been severed—gone without a trace.

The phoenix's two halves plummeted to the ground, still wreathed in flames, though these flames had lost much of their former intensity. Soon, its body crumbled into a heap of ashes. The surrounding fire elements continued to converge toward the remnants, but this time, the process was painstakingly slow. That world-cleaving sword strike had carried more than just raw power—it had disrupted the very fabric of space and elemental cohesion itself.

With a thunderous crash, the executioner's greatsword plunged heavily into the ashes left behind by the phoenix, standing like an unshakable monument of authority. A faint but distinct cracking sound followed—a few shards of crystal burst into the air. The fluctuation of fire elements in the atmosphere gave one final, dying surge, like the last sigh of a fading giant, before completely dissipating into silence, returning to its most primal stillness.

The entire Glory Fortress erupted in celebration. Everyone had seen it—the so-called undying ancient beast had finally fallen beneath the archangel's sword.

Yet, the archangel's golden-bearded face remained devoid of expression, as though the countless voices of reverence and exultation beneath him were of no concern. He merely lowered his gaze—toward Asa.

Asa could not see it, but he could feel it. He could feel the immense, mountain-like pressure bearing down on him, every ounce of the archangel's imposing will now fixated upon him. With a sudden burst of strength, he tightened his grip on his weapon, swung it down with all his might, and roared, "Get out of my way!"

From the moment the phoenix pushed the archangel aside, Asa had intended to seize the opportunity and escape, but he hadn't been able to get away.

Lancelote had already turned his attention to the phoenix, and the knights and priests were all distracted by the earth-shattering battle in the sky. It had been the perfect chance—just a few seconds would have been enough for him to break out of the circle, and no one would have been able to stop him. But just as he made his move to charge toward freedom, someone blocked his path.

And that person was Talice, who had been locked away in the dungeon.

Earlier, the holy warriors had already reduced the prison to just a skeleton of its former structure, and the aftermath of the battle between the archangel and the phoenix had completely turned the place into rubble. Talice had been quietly standing nearby, observing everything—whether it was Asa's attempt to escape, Lancelote chasing him, or the prayers and battles of the priests and mages. She had remained silent, her expression strange. But when she saw Asa charge toward freedom, she suddenly gritted her teeth, grabbed a paladin's longsword, and rushed forward to block his path.

"Are you crazy? Don't stand in my way!" Asa slashed his sword, surprised that Talice had chosen to block him at this critical moment. But he quickly realized there was no time for surprise—whoever stood before him had to be cut down.

Talice barely managed to parry the strike, stumbling back. She gritted her teeth, as though using all her strength to shout, "Stop him, he's trying to escape!"

As soon as Talice blocked the path and shouted, the surrounding holy warriors immediately reacted. Although their attention had been focused on the battle overhead, they were seasoned warriors, and dozens of them quickly surged forward.

"Sister Talice, what are you doing...?" Ayime asked, with her face full of disbelief.

Talice didn't respond, not even sparing her a glance. Instead, she raised her sword again and charged at Asa, her movements frantic, as if she had lost all sense of reason. The heavenly rain in the sky had vanished, and the dense white magic in the air had begun to wane. The two death knights were gradually regaining their mobility, but the holy warriors closing in around Asa had already formed an impenetrable blockade.

"Brother Asa, don't worry about me, just go quickly... Please, stop fighting!" Ayime shouted in Asa's arms, though she dared not move recklessly.

Asa's face turned ashen, and with each strike towards Talice, his blows grew heavier and more urgent. Talice struggled desperately to block, each movement a painful effort. But no matter how taxing it was, she didn't retreat or avoid the strikes. Asa's path was indeed blocked by her. Despite the surrounding holy warriors continuing to assist, most of them were forced back with staggering steps after just one swing of Asa's blade.

If it weren't for Talice, and if there were only a few holy warriors instead of dozens, perhaps these elite swordsmen specially summoned by the church could still put up a fight against Asa. However, surrounded by dozens of opponents, with Lancelote's disciples in the front, everyone began to feel a subtle hesitation. The dark aura and the bloodthirsty scent emanating from Asa's blade stood out like a torch in the night within this previously pure and powerful domain of white magic. Even the raw wood could almost sense the lethal consequences of being struck by such a blade.

Only Talice did not take a step back. More than half of the attacks were blocked by her alone. She seemed to have no hesitation, completely unafraid that the ominous, cursed blade would strike her. Every move she made was a deadly, mutually destructive tactic, as if she were willing to sacrifice herself in the confrontation.

In this situation, Asa finally realized that this woman, who seemed not particularly intelligent or impressive, had far better swordsmanship than he had expected. It was the result of her natural talent and Lancelote's years of teaching. While Asa was stronger in terms of raw power, he couldn't push her back after just a few exchanges.

It wasn't until he felt the air's fire elemental fluctuations completely settle and the immense pressure from the Archangel descended upon him like a mountain that Asa finally let go of Ayime. He roared and unleashed his full power with a single strike. He knew this was his last chance—if he couldn't break through now, he would never get away.

This strike was a true full-force blow. The black blade light erupted like a sudden black tide, sweeping over everything, completely obscuring Talice's sword light. The nearby holy warriors were forced to retreat, clearly unable to withstand or block such a fierce attack.

Surrounded by countless companions, with the Paladin Lancelote in the air and the miraculous Archangel above, Asa should have had no chance to escape, even if someone were to retreat or dodge slightly. It seemed no fool would risk their life to block such a blow.

Yet, there was one person who neither dodged nor retreated. Talice, with a swift motion, reversed her long sword and held it against her arm, crossing her hands over the blade. All of her energy, both fighting spirit and magical light, gathered around her arm. She was preparing to take the full force of Asa's strike with her own body.

The vast white magic in the sky had dissipated, as if it had been driven away by this strike. The overwhelming black aura was not only the force of the blade but also the stench of necromantic energy, the killing aura, and the murderous intent capable of crushing and erasing any living being. This full-force strike, merging the killing energy, the necromantic aura, and the blade's sharpness, could only be wielded by someone like Lancelote, a master whose mind, martial skill, and soul were completely fused. It was a blow that only such a master could unleash, one that no one else could hope to resist.

Even though Talice couldn't perform such a strike herself, she recognized its power. Yet, she still gathered all her strength and fighting spirit to face the blow head-on. As long as she held her ground, Asa's strike would lose its full momentum, causing him to pause and weakening the force. That would give the others the perfect opportunity, leaving Asa with no chance of escape.

The black blade aura surged like a tide, like thunder, and the human body was as fragile in this storm as bread soaked in water. Yet, there was no fear in Talice's eyes. There wasn't even the fiery will to fight that one might expect. What was there was a strange calm, and a deep sorrow.

"Sister..." Ayime's scream was completely drowned out by the roar of the wind and the overwhelming force of the strike. Even though she didn't understand martial arts, just by instinct, she could sense that if Talice didn't block this blow, Asa would be torn to pieces in an instant.

A dull "clang" echoed, and the black storm of killing energy dispersed. The experienced warriors, seasoned by countless battles, all recognized the sound. It was the mixture of metal and bone shattering.

Talice was not torn to pieces, but instead, like a projectile launched by a catapult, she was thrown violently backward. With a resounding crash, she slammed into a wall not far behind. The wall crumbled, burying her beneath it, but the blood spray she expelled in the air was visible to everyone.

The one who spat blood wasn't only Talice; Asa's lips were also stained with blood. His strike had sent Talice flying, but it seemed like he had also suffered some injury, and for a moment, he couldn't move.

However, even if he couldn't move, there were others who could. Rodhart and Hilika, who had been surrounded by the Holy warriors, suddenly broke free and charged forward.

The white light rain summoned by the Archangel had dissipated, and the white magic in the air was gradually weakening. Though the two death knights were slowly recovering, their movements were still limited. This was why the holy warriors had managed to trap them. But as Asa made his strike and his body froze for a moment, the two death knights simultaneously emitted a strange, guttural cry. Black liquid began to ooze from their eyes, ears, and nostrils, and then, their movements fully returned to the state they were in when they first stormed into the Glory Fortress.

The two figures, who had been struggling under the white magic of the holy warriors, suddenly accelerated. Several of the knights who had surrounded them were sent flying, and the death knights charged toward Asa and Ayime.

With their astonishing speed and strength, if they truly broke through, no one would be able to stop them. But as soon as they moved, a towering shadow suddenly descended from the sky, landing right on top of them. It was the Archangel's executioner's sword.

The ground shook with the force of the giant sword, and the lower halves of the two death knights remained where the sword struck, while their upper halves were sent flying from the momentum. The hand holding the sword loosened, and a finger, as large as a human, pointed at Asa. Immediately, Asa froze completely in place.

The Archangel's gaze, cold and emotionless, conveyed more authority than any expression could. The supreme majesty he radiated was enough to convey all that needed to be understood.

The holy light surrounding the angel flared intensely at that moment, and the massive angel, standing tens of meters tall, slowly began to fade within the light. It was as if he were a mirage, vanishing into the air.

Amid the united prayers of the priests, the Pope, who had been standing motionless like a statue in the Light Cathedral, finally moved. He wobbled, staggered, and then fell to the ground.