Murderous Intentions Appear
The Scarlet Priest's figure flickered, moving swiftly through the scarlet realm. Here, he could move freely through the fog, bursting forth with extraordinary speed.
He appeared above the young man, extending a hand. A hexagram magic circle flashed into existence before him.
**Buzz!**
A brilliant blood-red beam of light shot out, plummeting from the sky with a terrifying sense of impending doom.
**Boom!**
A violent explosion erupted, and both the boy and the ground beneath him vanished, utterly helpless against the force.
"Projection?" The Scarlet Priest turned abruptly, scanning his surroundings. The three worker bees destroyed earlier had the ability to create illusions. He didn't understand why the alchemist could even fake a breath, but there was no time to investigate further.
Alchemists were even more fragile than mages. If he found them, they'd die instantly.
**Buzz!**
A subtle buzzing filled the air as more explosives rained down from above. The Scarlet Priest glanced upward, his blood gathering as he detonated the bombs in midair.
He narrowed his eyes and raised his hand, summoning another hexagram magic circle. A blood-red beam of light shot out, obliterating two or three worker bees. But the rest, too quick to be caught, evaded his detection.
He attempted to sense the breath within the blood mist, but before he could focus, an overwhelming sense of danger gripped him. He whirled around in an instant, just in time to see a sword light bearing down on him.
Blood and energy surged, exploding in a violent rush.
**Zheng!**
The sword's divine aura cleaved through the scarlet mist, but its path was disrupted by an explosive burst of blood energy. The sword light embedded deeply into the ground, leaving behind a near-mirrored cut in the earth.
Scarlet energy surged around him, and a stronger sense of danger rushed in. The Scarlet Priest retreated quickly, just as a black crystal-shaped shell fell where he had been standing moments before.
**Boom!**
A deafening roar erupted as the shell exploded, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The Scarlet Priest was sent flying, but the blast had given him a moment to recover his footing.
Mossen, now replenishing some of his magic power, appeared in a flash. His enormous sword swung down with tremendous force.
Kami followed closely behind, relentlessly pursuing the Scarlet Priest, determined to keep the pressure on.
**Buzz!**
The cluster of worker bees resumed their relentless bombardment from above. Though the bombs fell ceaselessly, their power was insufficient to affect the ongoing battle.
As the three warriors moved in swift formation, they began to ignore the alchemist—his presence had become an afterthought.
Suddenly, a chill swept through the air, followed by an overwhelming sense of weakness. The Scarlet Priest's body staggered for a moment.
Kami's eyes lit up. The artifact's power flared, and in an instant, he appeared behind the Scarlet Priest.
**Zheng!**
The sword's edge cut with absolute sharpness.
Mossen immediately followed, his remaining magic power surging as a giant phantom appeared behind him, mirroring his every movement as they both launched their attack.
In a flash of rage, the Scarlet Priest shattered Ernado's curse magic. Blood and energy surged in a frenzy, but this time, the timing was flawed. The curse hit just as Mossen and Kami prepared their final strike.
The blood energy was a moment too slow.
The Scarlet Priest had no choice but to react, forming a shield of scarlet mist to absorb the blows. As he turned sharply to avoid their strikes, the Demonic Slash landed with tremendous force on his shoulder, sending him flying backward with a spray of blood. Bone-crushing sounds filled the air.
**Boom!**
The distant roar of artillery rang out, and a shell from the city defense railgun crashed to the ground near the Scarlet Priest.
A blinding white light shot into the sky, obliterating much of the surrounding scarlet mist, leaving it almost invisible. The bombs dropped by the worker bees were detonated before they could land.
Kami and Mossen descended to the ground, both reeling from exhaustion, but they knew the window of opportunity was closing. Even if the Scarlet Priest hadn't perished from the blast, he would certainly be grievously wounded. This was their best chance.
The shockwaves had little effect on Kami, who rushed forward, intent on ending this battle.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
**Boom!**
The explosion's shockwave hurled Kami backward. The scarlet mist rapidly cleared, and from within the massive crater left by the shell, the Scarlet Priest rose, battered but not defeated. His tattered body, burned and broken, began to heal as the scarlet mist, once thinned to almost nothing, began to flow back in, restoring him.
Kami, barely able to stay on his feet, was caught by Ernado, who supported him as they both gazed at the Scarlet Priest with grim expressions.
Though the divine favor that had once granted the Scarlet Priest immense power seemed to have been exhausted, the gap in strength remained vast. Both Mossen and Kami, exhausted and with their energy spent, could barely affect the priest's recovery.
Their only remaining hope lay with the city defense railgun. But without the intervention of someone capable of striking decisively, even the railgun's power wouldn't be enough to defeat him.
Trouble.
Mossen, sensing the Scarlet Priest's rising power, felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Though tired, his expression remained calm.
"Retreat!" he commanded.
A button appeared in his hand, which he pressed with purpose. A faint electrical hum echoed as they all quickly took flight, pulling back from the battleground.
Just as they disappeared from sight, an overwhelming sense of danger filled the air. Even the dozen or so worker bees still airborne broke off their bombardment and frantically fled upward.
The Scarlet Priest, recovering rapidly, paused midair. His figure flickered, disappearing into the massive crater below. But it was too late.
**Boom!**
A deafening roar erupted as three shells formed a triangle and exploded where the Scarlet Priest had just been. The combined blast swept through half of the East City District, obliterating buildings and cracking the earth beneath.
The outer city, meant to be a battlefield, was now reduced to rubble, its wooden structures collapsing under the intense blast.
White light filled the sky.
Tobu Castle would never sleep tonight.
As the smoke cleared and the white light faded, Kami stood at the edge of the blast zone, prepared to move in at any moment. He understood the significance of what lay in that crater. What the Scarlet Priest had sought was no ordinary relic. It was the key to ensuring the Will family's ascendancy in the Senate, a goal that could not be abandoned.
**Cough…**
Through the diminishing light, a figure stood, scorched and disheveled, barely clinging to life. The Scarlet Priest, his body burned and barely clothed, slowly rose to his feet, clutching the flesh and blood of the ancient god. White bone peeked through the charred remains of his arm, yet he still held on tightly to the relic.
The cracks in the crystal sealing the flesh and blood deepened, threatening to break at any moment.
The Scarlet Priest's voice was hoarse with fury and hatred.
"Scarlet… Scarlet will come, no matter the cost. Xia cannot live without God!"
His words were barely a whisper, yet filled with desperation. Magic flickered around his broken form as he called out in prayer.
"Great Scarlet Lord, I offer all that I have in exchange for your attention. Your most humble servant cannot protect your sacred gift, but I will give my life to bring it to you…"
The murmured prayer echoed across the battlefield as Kami, recognizing the gravity of the moment, rushed forward, determined to stop the priest's final, desperate act.
But as he moved, a sudden, overwhelming killing intent flooded the area, the pressure of it so great that all three of them froze.
"Gold… Is there a gold-tier ambush?" Kami thought, panic rising.
Before they could react, another terrifying aura flared. In the sky, a magical hand descended, carrying with it the crushing weight of a top-tier gold-level presence.
Mossen's face darkened. "There's more than one!"