NOVPUBOn the thirty-third floor of the Protoss Congressional Building, Franklin Hall.
At seven minutes and twenty-five seconds, Sigrid killed Asksan with an overwhelmingly powerful move.
Long after the decisive blow, the entire conference hall remained engulfed in silence, followed by a wave of shocked voices flooding the space.
The nobles and ministers’ eyes were fixed on the center of the venue, their faces filled with disbelief.
No one had expected that the Bishop of Hegemony could conclude this fatal battle of Cardinal Bishops in such a dominant manner in a few minutes.
Originally, it was believed that the Bishop of Nirvana, with his high and mighty posture, had actively challenged the Bishop of Hegemony, forcing her into a corner, and a fierce battle would be launched in which both sides would have to pay a terrible price. In the end, within the blink of an eye, one side had been cut down relentlessly.
The Bishop of Hegemony might not have had to exert her full power.
Because the Bishop of Hegemony, regarded as the strongest in physical strength in the Northern Continent, had never thrown a single punch from start to finish.
Low whispers filled the conference hall as everyone attempted to digest this horrifying ending.
Many imperial dignitaries showed a look of awe on their faces, beginning to reassess the power of Sigrid, the Bishop of Hegemony.
Her unseen fighting strength alone was terrifying enough, along with the three demon summons, making it clear from the very beginning that Asksan was not on her level.
It was hard to imagine that the two Cardinal Bishops, who had formerly stood on equal footing, and had faced off several times without determining a victor, were now so decisively matched.
Another group of dignitaries seemed worried and restless, fearful of the uncontrollable and dangerous nature of Sigrid, the overpowered Bishop of Hegemony as an ally.
As the dust settled from the battle, the tense atmosphere still lingered in Franklin Hall, and no one dared to act recklessly.
Sigrid glanced at the Grand Priests of the Hegemony Branch.
"!"
Lead by Gloria, the Grand Priests of Hegemony acted hastily, cleaning up the traces of the battlefield, putting Asksan’s corpse and the other non-Epic Cards left unexcavated on him into a body bag, and cleaning the floor of the hall.
This entire process only took a few seconds.
Not only was the smell of blood eliminated by an air purification spell, even the floor became clear and shining, as if the Bishop of Nirvana, Asksan, had never been in the world.
The imperial dignitaries in the Franklin Hall seating looked at the professional and efficient performance of the Grand Priests of Hegemony, their eyes twitching slightly.
The Rebirth Church was indeed living up to its name, being exceptionally thorough in its area of expertise.
Meanwhile, the Grand Priest of Nirvana looked on with deep fear written in his eyes, feeling as if he was on pins and needles.
As Sigrid returned to the front of the Hegemony Branch Grand Priests’ seats, the noise in the conference hall gradually subsided.
The spoils claimed by the Bishop of Hegemony in the process of the internal battle of the Rebirth Church were rightfully hers. After all, when the Grand Sage Isis first chose to recognize the form of the Cardinal Bishops’ fatal battle, it was to avoid the responsibility and intervention of the imperial side.
At this moment, even if there were greedy nobles trying to claim that Asksan’s legacy should be handled by the empire, they dared not speak up.
Although the people’s feelings had not fully recovered from the result of the just-concluded fatal battle, the normal procedure of the congress had to continue.
"Now that the internal issues of the Rebirth Church have been resolved, we can resume the normal procedures for the subsequent Bishop election."
Grand Sage Isis was still sitting cross-legged in her high-back chair with no specific posture, but her voice penetrated the hall, even more majestic than the Emperor of Protoss.
Isis’s words gave the imperial people present a sense of stability.
The nobles and ministers present gradually recovered their composure, falling silent as they waited for the Hegemony Branch’s speech and demonstration.
While Sigrid’s victory brought her substantial advantages, the upcoming voting process remained unpredictable -
Under the anonymous voting rules, those dignitaries who were initially close to, or even indebted to Asksan, were now more likely to cast their votes for Mourning Bishop Amiles, in order to avoid Sigrid’s retribution!
Further complicating matters, Sigrid faced serious charges. Before those allegations could be confirmed or refuted, people feared her power, and questioned why she had the support of three epic-level demon summons.
The nobles were all thinking critically and evaluating the situation, trying to predict how this sudden battle could impact the future of the Protoss Empire.
On the other hand, Sigrid herself, having undergone such a trial by combat, had unquestionably seen a profound shift in her status, becoming the focus of everyone’s attention.
Just as Gloria, of the direct troops, prepared to step forward to deliver her second speech, she was interrupted.
"Hold on, I have something more important to say."
Sigrid abruptly cut Gloria off, her voice echoing across the congressional building, filled with determination.
Gloria obediently bowed her head and backed down to her seat, looking utterly intimidated, like a child afraid of being neglected.
What followed was...
Under the watchful eyes of everyone in Franklin Hall, the sharp-eyed Sigrid turned around and looked at Duke Morotian Berenhaldhardt, who was seated in the upper level on the left side of the hall.
The Bishop of Nirvana, Asksan’s, accounts have been settled.
She was ready to hand the [Original Slabstone-Sealing] directly over to her Saint Heir.
However, there remained a real adversary, hidden deep within the Protoss Empire.
He was the cancer and the last obstacle for both Sigrid and the Saint Heir, who jointly sought to control the Protoss Empire.
Its aura was all too familiar to Sigrid.
For someone with the keen senses of a fighter of the Extreme Realm like her, after having completely regained her power, at this distance, it was impossible for her not to sense the aura of an enemy she had once fought to the death with.
Masked beneath a dark coat, the composed and unwavering elegant man in the high seat gave off a distinct aura. It was the damn sneak who had fought her from beneath a black cloak in the north border province!
"Duke Berenhald, isn’t it time we settled our accounts?"
Sigrid had no intention of commanding the three eighth-order demons. Instead, she clenched her dangling hand, ready to eliminate this foe at any moment.
"The Bishop of Hegemony."
Grand Sage Isis, who sat beside the monarch, spoke in what could have been interpreted as either a reminder or a warning.
No matter what grudge existed between Sigrid and Morotian Berenhald, this place was not where Sigrid should take action.
"Rest assured, Miss Isis, I won’t violate the empire’s rules."
Sigrid turned around and said to Grand Sage Isis.
Then, once more, her gaze shifted to Duke Morotian, who sat leisurely in the seats high up on the left side of the hall.
"Morotian, shouldn’t you explain the bloody, horrifying massacre in the North Border Province, as well as the monstrous crimes you and Asksan committed?"
Sigrid’s gaze was as sharp as a sword; she was determined to pierce through the hypocrisy of the man who sat high up there, to put a final end to the ridiculous chaos of the Protoss Empire!
