NOVPUBThe upper layers of Bandera city, cradled in rolling thunder, had now become a city as dark as an empty valley due to the sudden appearance of the Bishop of Nirvana.
The city-state’s imperial music drastically sped up, morphing into a sharp and ambiguous strange melody.
Meanwhile, the illusions beneath the city started to collapse, gradually revealing their true faces amid twisting transformations.
Piles of chaos-engulfed remains of citizens were akin to tiny black fingers trying to claw their way up, their eyes eerily like gouged, deep voids. Seemingly alerting every passerby, the parted lips of the deceased murmured a warning; this place was, indeed, a point of no return.
It was undoubtedly Asksan’s masterpiece.
Of course, he might not have accomplished it all by himself.
Even the Cardinal Bishops of the Rebirth Church wouldn’t abandon the imperial speakers and arbitrarily cause the Protoss Empire to wage an endless war against them.
There must be someone collaborating with him, driven by a more significant scheme, urging Asksan to initiate a full-scale massacre.
Before the inevitable battle that couldn’t be avoided, Asksan watched with interest the two people who were caught in his spatial lockdown. He was in no hurry to eradicate them.
"In addition to the investigation team from the imperial capital, there are other little mischievous mice causing trouble," Asksan sighed as if reminiscing about Major General Fan Leiku.
"Were you sent by the Grand Sage Isis of the Empire, or by Duke Berenhald’s house?" He looked upon them questioningly.
Asksan’s voice was calm, like time’s sands flowing from his mouth, every word imbued with an irresistible magic power.
"..."
Lanci, completely shackled in the silence, was only focused on Sigrid’s movements beside him.
With his [Transformation Technique: Human], even Asksan was unable to see through Sigrid’s disguise at this moment. More importantly, the Bishop of Nirvana would never dream that at this juncture, the Bishop of Hegemony, who should be on the home front in the south, would personally infiltrate deep into this northern boundary!
Before coming to the Northern Continent, Lanci had not anticipated that the first time he met the Bishop of Nirvana, Asksan, would be face to face at such close proximity.
This was the absolute danger distance that Loren had warned him about.
Lanci had duly noted Loren’s words.
That’s why he found an equally ranked "Big Daddy" to fight Asksan.
However...
"?"
When Lanci looked carefully at Sigrid, he found that she was like a wimpish girl who had been scared into silence, with cowardice brimming in her eyes and her legs trembling.
Lanci was dumbfounded.
For a moment, he even doubted whether this supreme being was genuine.
The Bishop of Hegemony really could do anything.
Asksan was eyeing Lanci.
Apparently, the only one who could answer his question was this youth, who was still in a clear state of consciousness.
"If you do not answer, I will have to start with her..."
At that moment, a dramatic change occurred in Sigrid’s eyes, interrupting Asksan’s speech.
Her usually relaxed and lazy purple pupils seemed to be covered with icy frost, replaced by a determined ruthlessness and resolve.
One moment, Sigrid, suspended in mid-air, the next, her fist transformed into a whirlwind, slamming into Asksan’s body!
Her violent strength caused the entire building under Asksan’s feet to collapse in a tide-like roar. Their first collision resonated throughout Bandera City, quicker than thunder! 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
The earth quaked, wide crevices cracked open on the stone-paved streets. The ancient Herram-style buildings collapsed under the impact of the clash between the two Cardinal Bishops, with exquisitely carved sculptures and stained glass windows shattered into fragments, scattering with the wind.
Reflected in the surprised eyes of Asksan, who had fallen into the ruins, was Sigrid’s figure. He was clearly unaware of the true identity of this young girl. Even though Asksan’s combat instincts had slowed the dynamics of the world in his eyes, Sigrid’s deadly attack made no sound. When the sound of tearing air reached his ears, she had already struck him, and a fatal shattering sound erupted in the air.
Without giving Asksan a chance to catch his breath, Sigrid’s counterattack arrived in front of him again.
The true form of her, appearing at this moment with a pale silver glow radiating from her skin, was pure and sacred like a new moon. This was not magic, but the result of her physical condition, immune equipment, and the perfect combination of the Original Slabs and her fist.
Sigrid possessed an Original Tablet different from the other Cardinal Bishops - [Original Slabstone - Foundation].
When she launched her most direct attack at full strength, it would be triggered, resulting in a dramatic increase in its power.
But this time, after Asksan reacted, it wouldn’t be so easy for Sigrid to succeed.
Even though a furious Asksan was caught off guard and took a lethal blow, he was equipped with many damage reduction and life-saving tools. His body was not thrown into the air again, instead quickly stabilizing in the space between the ground and mid-air. Dark gray markings on his coat began to emit dark purple lightning, creating an invisible magic barrier in front of him, just as outraged as his eyes, blocking Sigrid’s fist. Rings of metallic humming and shockwaves rippled outward once again.
"Bishop of Hegemony... Sigrid..."
Inside the magical barrier, Asksan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spat out each word like a curse. The thick, cold magical power drew scar after scar on the dim city ground, sealing off all the space between Sigrid and him.
If it were Sigrid, everything would make sense.
This damn woman never knew when to show up or when to cause trouble, attempts at killing her quickly had all failed!
"Very well, this time we will settle both the new and old scores, it couldn’t be better that you are willing to walk into the trap..."
Asksan’s gradually calm gaze shifted slightly, looking towards another person in the distance.
That was a young man he had no recollection of.
Sigrid had used two of her rarely-used Magic Cards to protect the young man when the battle started.
Probably, Asksan could guess that this was Sigrid’s new successor. Only in this way would Sigrid value him so much, using two Eighth-order Magic Cards to protect him.
But the Saint of Hegemony should have the same disguise magic as Sigrid.
Even with the use of magic-breaking techniques, it was impossible to see his true face, so the identity of the new Saint of Hegemony in the Protoss Empire couldn’t be determined for the time being.
But it didn’t matter who the Saint of Hegemony was.
Asksan glanced at the sky, with still a long way to go until nightfall.
As long as both the Bishop of Hegemony and the Saint of Hegemony died here today.
This small upheaval.
Could not be classified as an unexpected event.
