Within the Estath Cathedral, the air was thick with the stench of fresh blood, plaster dust, and chaotic magical energy. The ferocious battle between Archbishop Ralph and the Rank 6 Bloodluster had momentarily paused after a series of cataclysmic exchanges. Both combatants had paid a significant price.

Archbishop Ralph stood upon the High Altar. The sacred space was now strewn with shattered remnants of the chancel rail and broken angelic statues. His once pristine, jet-black ceremonial robes were tattered, revealing bleeding wounds on his powerful physique.

A deep gash on his left shoulder, almost to the bone, was particularly grievous. Blood soaked a large patch of the white linen shirt beneath it. Above this wound, a faint, dark handprint of black blood radiated a chillingly evil aura and slowly spread. It was the insidious result of some treacherous artifice employed by the Bloodluster.

Opposite him, the Bloodluster was in no better state. Hurled by the Archbishop's power, his body was deeply embedded in a thick stone wall of the cathedral. Bricks, stone fragments, and splintered wood from shattered pews lay scattered around him. He struggled to rise, coughing up a mouthful of black blood, but a crazed, bloodthirsty smirk remained on his gaunt face.

Upon the chancel, Archbishop Ralph tore away the tattered remnants of his robes, revealing a robust physique riddled with wounds both large and small, blood still flowing unceasingly. However, a pure, warm, holy light began to emanate from his form. The wounds, though deep and severe, were slowly closing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"Battle Heal!" - A powerful surge of vital energy mended the physical trauma.

"Angel Shield!" - A translucent but incredibly resilient shield of light materialized, enveloping his body.

"Holy Armor!" - A second layer of light armor, denser and more potent, superimposed itself over the shield, transforming him into a mobile fortress.

Archbishop Ralph had unleashed three high-level support spells in rapid succession upon himself. In mere moments, all the wounds on his body were almost completely healed.

His physique, though not rippling with the overt musculature of pure warriors, now exuded a terrifyingly lean power, every sinew, every vein, appearing as if forged from tempered steel, hinting at explosive strength. His aura, far from diminishing, felt even more potent, more stable.

Below, the Bloodluster had also staggered to his feet. He brushed off the stone dust clinging to his form, spat out the remaining mouthful of acrid blood, and took a deep breath, the frigid air of the cathedral seeming to further sharpen his senses. He laughed again, a triumphant, insane cackle.

"Hah! Not bad, old man," the Bloodluster rasped, the crazed smirk widening. "Facing my Blood Saw barehanded and still throwing me around? This is getting interesting. A shame I'll have to kill you soon."

"That was with my bare hands," Archbishop Ralph retorted, his voice deep and resonant. "You haven't even seen my true weapon yet. Perhaps you should wonder what happens when I do use it."

"Good! A real weapon makes for a real fight!" The Bloodluster roared with laughter, his eyes burning. "Killing a strong opponent like you... now that's a thrill!"

" Then we agree on one thing," Archbishop Ralph said, his voice calm but firm. "My satisfaction will be in putting you down." He stood before the crucifix. With both hands, he grasped its transverse beam, then slowly, he drew it upwards. It was not a gentle action, but an eruption of astonishing power, like an ancient knight drawing a sacred sword from a millennial stone. The crucifix pulled free from the stone floor, leaving a deep cavity, and as it completely left the ground, its form began to transform.

"Let's get to it!" The Bloodluster bellowed, agitated to an extreme degree, the Blood Saw in his hand vibrating intensely.

"Precisely my intention," Archbishop Ralph replied with a smile, the holy aura surrounding him growing even more radiant.

The two figures, one black, one white, one evil, one righteous, lunged at each other like colliding comets. The bloodthirsty Blood Saw and the Holy Cross, now a Greatsword of Light, slammed together in a burst of red and gold energy. The screech of metal against metal was piercingly loud, echoing deafeningly through the ruined cathedral.

In terms of raw power, an interesting development occurred. Archbishop Ralph, augmented by the just-unleashed Holy Sword Estath, was actually gaining the upper hand.

Each of his attacks, whether a downward chop, a horizontal slash, or a direct thrust, carried an immense weight and a surge of holy energy, forcing the Bloodluster to strain to defend.

The sword in his hand was wielded with incredible versatility, attacking from every unpredictable angle.

The Blood Saw in his hand was wielded with incredible versatility, attacking from every unpredictable angle. Vicious slashes to the flank, powerful overhead blows, surprising straight thrusts, all were lethal strikes, a single unguarded hit sufficient to end a life.

Sparks of gold and red erupted profusely wherever the two weapons met, brilliantly illuminating a vast area, casting stark light on the tense faces of the monks and soldiers battling the other four Rankers in the distance.

CLANG!

The two weapons locked once more. The two Rankers closed in, their bodies almost touching, sinews bulging, attempting to overpower each other through sheer force transmitted via their weapons.

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Archbishop Ralph's muscles suddenly tensed, his skin taking on a faint, metallic sheen as if gilded. "Iron Fist!" - Physical strength surged. "Divine Strength!" - Holy energy further amplified his power and speed.

Two enhancement spells activated simultaneously. Archbishop Ralph roared, channeling all his might into his arms, driving the Holy Sword Estath forward.

The Bloodluster didn't anticipate such an explosive burst of power. He was driven back and sent flying straight into a colossal marble pillar supporting the cathedral's dome. His back slammed hard against the pillar, creating a indentation and cracking sounds.

"Holy Arrow!"

Giving his opponent no time to recover, Archbishop Ralph spread his hands. A brilliant golden magic circle appeared before him. Moments later, dozens of golden rays of light, each shaped like a sharp arrowhead, shot straight towards the Bloodluster, who was struggling to rise.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The arrows of light created successive explosions upon impact, sending stone and debris from the Bloodluster's vicinity flying. But he remained unharmed. Just before the arrows reached him, he had managed to conjure a thick shield of black blood - "Blood Shield!". The shield trembled violently but held firm, blocking the entire onslaught.

Before the dust from the explosions had even settled, an even more potent aether had been gathered by Archbishop Ralph. He clasped his hands together before his chest, and a golden magic circle, smaller than the one for "Holy Arrow" but far more concentrated and pure in color, slowly formed.

"Holy Cannon!"

From that magic circle, a radiant golden sphere of light, about two meters in diameter, carrying a terrifying destructive power, was launched at unimaginable speed. The sphere of light flew incredibly fast towards the Bloodluster. Though it never touched the stone floor, it created a deep trench due to the immense energy pressure.

The tremendous speed of this attack gave the Bloodluster absolutely no chance to evade. The newly formed Blood Shield was struck by the light sphere and shattered into fragments of black blood.

The sphere of light did not stop; it propelled the Bloodluster onwards, smashing through five more colossal marble pillars of the church, before embedding him deep into the final wall of the grand hall. Immediately thereafter, the sphere of light detonated.

A heaven-shattering, earth-shattering explosion rocked the foundations of Estath Cathedral. The sturdy stone wall at the end of the grand hall completely disintegrated, revealing the empty space beyond.

The explosion left the Bloodluster with tattered clothes and countless injuries. Black blood seeped from innumerable wounds. He struggled to one knee, bracing himself with his hands on the floor, continuously vomiting mouthfuls of thick, foul-smelling blood. He coughed violently, a twisted smile still adorning his lips.

"Hah... you pack a punch, old man..." he gasped between coughs, "Both strength and magic... Impressive! This is what I live for!"

Archbishop Ralph drove the Holy Sword Estath forcefully into the stone floor before him, concentrating aether powerfully into its blade. It was a final, finishing blow, meant to end the evil Bloodluster's existence.

Suddenly, from Archbishop Ralph's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, fresh blood began to flow unceasingly. The light aether concentrating into the sword abruptly became chaotic and dissipated.

"Blood Curse!"

Archbishop Ralph faltered, his body swaying. He immediately recognized he had been struck by an incredibly insidious dark curse. He hastily cast his two most powerful healing spells. "Great Heal!" "Angel Blessing!"

His internal organs, damaged tissues, and torn muscles temporarily stopped bleeding, but his strength had been significantly diminished. So this was the Bloodluster's true plan. The Blood Curse would cause the victim to suffer continuous internal hemorrhaging; the wounds would accumulate, causing the victim to bleed to death.

The more power used, the more aether channeled, the more severe the damage would become. Thus, from the beginning of the battle, he had deliberately tried to prolong the confrontation, constantly forcing the Archbishop to expend power, and just moments ago, he had even recklessly taken the full force of the "Holy Cannon," all to give the curse enough time to activate and inflict maximum damage.

The internal injuries were temporarily stabilized, but the excessive blood loss prevented the Archbishop's senses from recovering quickly. Everything around him became hazy, blurred. Before he could reorient himself, a faint, illusory image of the massive Blood Saw appeared directly before him, slashing straight down.

The reflexes of a Rank 6 expert allowed him to lean back just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. He had expected a relentless follow-up assault and had prepared a high-level protective spell, but when he sprang back to his feet, he saw the Bloodluster still standing where he had just dodged, showing no intention of pressing the attack.

"Hahaha! Still dodging, old man?" The Bloodluster jeered, oozing satisfaction. "Almost a shame to kill you. Almost, this mission demands your head, pity."

He didn't pursue, still standing there laughing and talking, but these were not just idle words. When Archbishop Ralph fully recovered his senses, he was horrified to realize that all the pools of black blood the Bloodluster had vomited earlier had completely vanished.

The myriad wounds on his body had also strangely healed. His aura and aether levels were now no different from when he had first entered - completely restored, not weakened in the slightest.

Archbishop Ralph straightened up, brushed off the dust clinging to his clothes. "So, the shoulder wound was a feint," Ralph stated, wiping blood from his lips. "All to land that filthy Blood Curse. The longer we fight, the worse it gets. A cowardly tactic, even for you."

He then continued, a weary but defiant glint in his eyes, "Still, you fight with a rare ferocity. Such power, twisted to this end... It's a waste. Even now, if you chose a different path, the Light might still find a place for you. Though I doubt a creature like you understands such concepts."

"HAHAHA!" The Bloodluster's laughter was a harsh bark. "A different path? For me? Are you delusional, old man, or just stalling for time? You're dying. And you think I'm the one who's lost?" He still couldn't stop laughing, his body shaking violently.

"If I'm weaker," Archbishop Ralph said, his voice turning icy, "then let's see if you can survive my next attack."

As soon as he finished speaking, Archbishop Ralph charged towards the Bloodluster with unbelievable speed, even faster than before. The holy aura surrounding him now condensed, forming a brilliant sphere of light, carrying an energy pressure no less terrifying than the "Holy Cannon" moments ago.

But this time, it was even more frightening, because Archbishop Ralph himself was inside that sphere of light, transforming himself into a living cannonball.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Successive explosions occurred as the sphere of light collided with obstacles in its path. The Bloodluster had managed to leap backward just in time, avoiding a direct hit.

Above the High Altar, where he had just stood, now lay only a pile of rubble. Archbishop Ralph stood there, his breathing slightly ragged, but his aura undiminished.

"A direct hit? You wish," the Bloodluster scoffed. "You're fading, Archbishop. Is that all you have left?"

At this moment, the holy halos enveloping Archbishop Ralph had almost completely dissipated. The jet-black metal exterior of the Holy Sword Estath had also shattered considerably after the violent collisions, revealing a strange, greyish-white core within.

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