Outside Estath Cathedral, the smell of smoke and dust, a pervasive miasma of death, and an overwhelming sense of despair hung heavy in the air.

The remaining monks, their white vestments stained with blood and grime, struggled to fight off the lower-Rank minions. These were foes they would have killed with ease under normal circumstances.

But now, their spirits were severely shaken by the cataclysmic explosions erupting from within the sacred edifice, where two terrifying Rank 6 auras clashed with ferocious intensity.

They couldn't comprehend why, even now, no reinforcements had arrived from the military command post or from other city patrol units. The distance wasn't prohibitive, and with the heightened senses of high-ranking, the chaotic energy fluctuations here would undoubtedly have been detected. Could it be… that the entirety of East Aerion was engulfed in flames?

Within the cathedral, only a desolate ruin remained. Rows of ancient oak pews lay shattered into countless fragments. Exquisite marble statues of angels lay broken, strewn across the floor. The magnificent stained-glass dome, once the pride of the cathedral, was now a twisted skeleton of buckled iron frames, exposing the grim, mournful grey sky above.

Amidst this scene of utter devastation, the battle between Archbishop Ralph and the Bloodluster raged on with unimaginable ferocity. Two streaks of light, one gold, one red, continuously collided, twisting, roaring.

The deafening, ear-splitting shriek of metal on metal and exploding energy echoed relentlessly. The sound threatened to tear space itself asunder. With each exchange, fresh sprays of blood and shattered light erupted. Their power gradually waned, signaling a protracted battle of attrition that was draining the life force of both combatants.

BOOM!

Another immensely powerful blow sent both figures hurtling to opposite sides. Archbishop Ralph, his silver hair disheveled and his face etched with exhaustion, raised a bloodied fist skyward. All the remaining light aether in his body surged into it.

"Holy Hammer" A brilliant golden magic circle materialized on the breached ceiling of the church. From within that circle, a colossal hammer of light, forged from pure holy energy, slowly took shape and descended directly upon the Bloodluster, carrying the decisive power of divine judgment.

The Bloodluster, though weary from the continuous attacks, remained unfazed. He didn't evade; instead, he slashed a long gash in his own right arm, and dark blood spurted forth. A deep red magic circle, radiating a thick, evil aura, appeared in the palm of his hand.

At the same time, beneath Archbishop Ralph's feet, the ground fractured, and a gigantic demonic maw, lined with jagged, sharp teeth, slowly emerged. Countless black blood chains, carrying wails of torment, shot out from that maw, tightly binding the Archbishop's limbs, immobilizing him. Then the demonic mouth opened wide, rising from the ground, swallowing him amidst savage laughter.

"Devil Crunch" Its sharp teeth ground together, the sound of bone grating on bone echoing gruesomely.

Two devastating attacks, carrying the full remaining power of the two Rank 6 powerhouses, seemed to occur simultaneously. As the demonic maw engulfed the Archbishop, the Sacred Hammer of Judgment crashed down upon the Bloodluster's head.

CRASH! CRASH!

Two cataclysmic explosions merged into one.

"Heaven's Pillar" A pillar of pure, potent silver-white light unexpectedly shot up from the ground, precisely where the demonic maw had just vanished.

The teeth, flesh, and shadowy remnants of the Devil Crunch spell were obliterated by the light pillar, scattering everywhere. Archbishop Ralph, covered in blood but his fighting spirit undiminished, leaped up from the ground along with the pillar of light.

Though he had narrowly escaped, countless new, deep wounds now marred his body, blood flowing unceasingly. The light on the Light Sword Estath in his hand had also visibly dimmed.

However, compared to his opponent, he still held a significant advantage.

The Bloodluster, who had taken the full force of the Sacred Hammer of Judgment, was now completely exhausted. He knelt on one knee, bracing himself with his hands on the shattered stone floor, continuously coughing up mouthfuls of foul black blood. His entire body trembled, covered in deep, bone-exposing wounds.

There was no longer any trace of protective magical energy around him. Moments before, he had managed to deploy "Red Barrier", one of his strongest defensive spells, but even that could not entirely negate the terrifying force of the "Holy Hammer" The spell had only barely allowed him to survive by a hair's breadth, unable to fully withstand the destructive holy power.

However, Archbishop Ralph was also unable to deliver an immediate finishing blow. The wounds on his body, though being tended to by the Light Sword Estath, were still too severe.

The fact that he could still stand at this moment was largely due to the indomitable spirit of a powerhouse forged through a hundred battles, and his own tenacious, unyielding will to fight.

Right now, he lacked the strength to deliver one final sword strike, a strike carrying all his power and faith, to completely annihilate this evil Bloodluster.

But he was still trying to channel every last bit of the faint light remaining in the holy sword, transferring it into his body, attempting to heal his wounds, to restore a meager amount of vitality and aether.

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Just a little longer, just a little more time, this battle would end, and justice would be served.

"ALRIGHT! I LOSE! I'VE LOST! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST DO IT QUICKLY!" The Bloodluster, always arrogant and bloodthirsty, screamed in desperation. He was still continuously coughing up blood, the cold aura of death drawing perilously close, forcing him to accept his limits, to accept defeat and surrender in humiliation.

Suddenly, a dense black smoke billowed from every dark corner of the ruined cathedral. Before Archbishop Ralph could react, eight black magic chains, emitting horrifying hisses, shot out from the smoke, tightly binding his limbs, pinning him to the ground.

"Shadow Chain" - A powerful, cold, and evil aura suddenly appeared. It was even more potent than the Bloodluster's, completely overwhelming the auras of both severely injured Rank 6. There was no doubt; this was also a Rank 6 powerhouse, a new, far more dangerous enemy.

A tall, slender figure, his skin grey as a corpse, his shoulder-length platinum-white hair, slowly emerged from the black smoke.

He wore jet-black armor, exquisitely crafted with angular lines, fitting his body closely, creating a sense of sleek, sharp, and extremely dangerous efficiency, not at all cumbersome or heavy like typical suits of armor.

In each hand, he held a short dagger, its blade black as night, radiating a chilling killing intent that made one's skin crawl. His aura and appearance immediately made Archbishop Ralph think of a special type of warrior - an extremely dangerous and unpredictable professional assassin.

"If you had cooperated with me from the beginning, this battle would have ended long ago, and you wouldn't be in such a pathetic, pitiable state. Now, do you realize how foolish you've been?" The newly appeared Phantom Assassin spoke, his voice devoid of emotion, yet its resonant quality made listeners feel extremely uncomfortable and cold, as if it were a sound emanating from the deepest abyss.

"I don't need you to teach me!" the Bloodluster roared back in annoyance. "Finish the mission and let's retreat quickly! We're still within the timeframe Lord Laurent allowed, don't dawdle!"

"Precisely because there is still time, and you have also obeyed orders, completing part of the mission, that your head is still on your shoulders. If you dared to act recklessly again, ruining Lord Laurent's grand plan, I would have killed both you and this old man long ago, without waiting until now." The Phantom Assassin's voice remained cold, emotionless, yet it contained an absolute contempt for both injured Rankers before him.

"Damn bastard…" The Bloodluster gritted his teeth, indignation clear on his face, but he dared not utter another word. He knew well, the person before him was not only stronger but also far more ruthless and unpredictable.

The Phantom Assassin turned, facing Archbishop Ralph who was tightly bound by the Shadow Chains. He smiled faintly, a gentle, almost friendly smile, yet it sent shivers down one's spine. "While I was chatting with this fool, you must have managed to absorb all the remaining aether in your holy sword, haven't you? This is your last chance. If you can free yourself from these chains, I will not pursue. Show me one last interesting display."

Both the Bloodluster and Archbishop Ralph were stunned, astonished by the Phantom Assassin's words.

"Son of a bitch! He just told me to ensure the mission was completed, not to ruin the grand plan. And now, he himself casually gives that old man a chance to escape! Who exactly is the arrogant, conceited one here, looking down on everyone?" The Bloodluster cursed silently, his face contorted with annoyance, but he dared not voice his objections.

"What's wrong? You can fight to your heart's content, exhausting nearly all the strength of both sides. As for me, I just want to find a little amusement before ending things. Is that not allowed?" The Phantom Assassin suddenly turned, kneeling on one leg, using the cold flat of his dagger to lift the Bloodluster's chin slightly. His voice was still gentle, unhurried, but the killing intent radiating from him made others tremble in fear.

Currently, he was also completely turned away from Archbishop Ralph, as if the Rank 6 powerhouse, who had just fought a life-and-death battle with the Bloodluster, didn't exist at all, not worthy of even a moment of his attention.

Forced to endure indescribable humiliation, and wanting to escape the imminent deadly situation, Archbishop Ralph had no other choice. He gathered all the last vestiges of strength remaining in his body, simultaneously activating the three most powerful support spells he possessed:

"Divine Strength!" - increasing physical power to its maximum for a short period;

"Angel Wing!" - a pair of strong, pure light wings appeared behind him, allowing him to move freely in the air with astonishing speed;

"Holy Blessing!" - a stream of holy energy enveloped his body, rapidly enhancing his wound recovery and physical constitution.

A powerful, holy strength erupted from Archbishop Ralph. He transformed into a brilliant sphere of light, soaring into the empty space above, where the cathedral's dome had been completely destroyed.

But before he could pass the remaining part of the church ceiling, something stopped him. A colossal dark magic formation, deployed at some unknown time, had enveloped the entire space above. It resembled a transparent glass pane, but within it were countless ancient, bizarre characters, arranged complexly in a dark circle, radiating a sky-high killing intent, chilling to the bone.

Above that magic formation, the Phantom Assassin was casually kneeling on one leg, as if he had been waiting there for a long time, his posture identical to when he was threatening the Bloodluster below.

The image below, the one that had spoken and provoked them both, suddenly dissolved like a wisp of smoke, vanishing without a trace.

Both Archbishop Ralph and the Bloodluster were once again stunned, astonished. It seemed all their spirit and strength had been completely depleted after the fierce life-and-death battle moments ago. Now, both were like fully drawn bows, their physical strength and situational judgment pushed to their absolute limit. They had been completely manipulated and toyed with by the Phantom Assassin, the one who appeared last but held the initiative.

From the jet-black magic formation above, four crescent-shaped dark slashes, carrying destructive dark energy, struck down simultaneously. The center of those attacks was none other than the sphere of light Archbishop Ralph had transformed into.

All the protective light enveloping him shattered completely. The Light Sword Estath, the cathedral's guardian artifact, had also exhausted its aether. Its brilliant golden light completely vanished, and it reverted to a lifeless, jet-black metal crucifix. Archbishop Ralph, the Rank 6 powerhouse, head of the East Aerion Church, had completely lost consciousness, his body limp as a lifeless puppet, falling freely from above.

The Phantom Assassin landed lightly on the ruined church floor. He merely beckoned with two fingers, and a faint black smoke, yet carrying an invisible power, gently enveloped Archbishop Ralph's falling body, slowly lifting him, suspending him in mid-air.

"This damn bastard…" The Bloodluster once again couldn't help but curse inwardly. He truly detested Phantom Assassin's arrogant, condescending demeanor.

"I am merely carrying out my assigned mission. Hasn't everything become much simpler and easier?" The Phantom Assassin's voice remained cold, emotionless, without any change. Then, he continued to provoke the Bloodluster: "If you feel dissatisfied, unconvinced, you are perfectly welcome to come over here, rescue him from my grasp. I will give you a chance."

The Bloodluster fell silent, clenching his teeth. He knew well, no matter how angry he was, he could do nothing against this Phantom Assassin. In any case, the mission was completed; there was no need for another meaningless life-and-death battle. The most important thing now was to preserve his life and leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

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