In North Aerion, a chaotic and tragic scene was unfolding. Countless large and small explosions caused by lightning and fire erupted everywhere. North Aerion was now chaotic and tragic.

The stag-headed monster, the architect of this disaster, refused to engage Sage Sean in a fair fight. Instead, it led him on a devastating chase through the city, relentlessly unleashing bolts of dark lightning to demolish buildings and slaughter innocent civilians. It was an effective hit-and-run strategy, using the city's chaos to evade the Sage.

Every time Sage Sean cornered him, forcing a direct confrontation, he would only exchange one or two blows before quickly using the terrain or creating large explosions to cause a distraction, then continue to flee. At Rank 5 or Rank 6, defeating an opponent of the same level was already a difficult task, requiring immense effort and even luck.

That was assuming the opponent was willing to fight fairly or was ambushed. Trying to eliminate or capture an enemy who was solely focused on evasion, using every trick to escape, was exponentially more difficult, almost an impossible task.

Many important locations in North Aerion, as in the other satellite cities, were being attacked by groups of monsters and mid-to-low-level Rankers from the enemy side, causing panic, chaos, and immeasurable losses.

The stag-headed monster, after playing cat-and-mouse with Sage Sean for about five minutes and draining a considerable amount of the powerhouse's stamina, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

More accurately, it was as if he had slammed into an invisible, unyielding wall. A 'Holy Screen.' But this was no simple defensive shield. Its caster had woven a prison of pure light, a cube over one hundred and twenty meters on each side. The monster was now trapped in a perfect cage of holy energy.

"Well done, Kurt! You arrived just in time!" Sage Sean praised, his voice unable to hide his joy and relief. Archbishop Kurt, in a jet-black bishop's robe, floated leisurely above the 'Holy Screen' cube.

He was over one meter eighty tall, with a round, benevolent face and snow-white hair neatly combed. In his hand was a bible bound in sheepskin, radiating a warm, holy aura. This was Archbishop Kurt, a respectable Rank 6, one of the two most formidable Rankers guarding North Aerion.

"Now it's two against one, you wretched beast. Let's finish this quickly, old friend Sean." Bishop Kurt replied to Sage Sean. His gentle voice hid an undeniable power. Immediately, the stag-headed monster was pincered by the two powerhouses.

Facing him was a Sage relentlessly attacking with countless fire-based assaults, fireballs, blazing firebirds, binding chains of fire… Above him was a Bishop continuously casting support spells for the Sage, while also constantly applying spells to restrict his movement and ability to fight back, pushing him further into a corner.

After withstanding the attacks for a while, the stag-headed monster suddenly fought back. "Thunder Hammer" - a massive bolt of lightning, carrying the power of a tempest, descended from the sky straight at Archbishop Kurt, who was standing outside the Holy Screen cube. He broke through the surrounding rain of fire, using all his physical strength to try and close the distance with Sage Sean, hoping to find a small chance to fight back.

But he had fallen into a trap once again. Sage Sean had anticipated this move. The moment he escaped the ring of fire, he was trapped in another fire dome, a much more dangerous trap. "Phoenix Egg". This was one of the Sage's most potent killing moves, a perfect offensive and defensive technique.

Sage Sean stopped attacking; he just smiled. The stag-headed monster was trapped in an egg of fire. He frantically attacked the fiery shell, but it was strangely durable. Then he realized the air inside was slowly disappearing. His chest began to ache, his vision blurred. The agonizing heat felt like it was incinerating his soul. In a panic, he mustered all his remaining strength and threw a punch at the fire dome. The shell cracked! A bit of fresh air from outside rushed in, and he greedily took a deep breath.

But that was his last breath. The moment the shell was broken, the phoenix flame inside, fueled by the rush of oxygen, exploded.

"BOOM!"

A huge explosion, its destructive power far surpassing all the fire spells Sage Sean had used since the beginning of the battle. The "Phoenix Egg" dome, when broken from the inside, allowed the outside air to rush in, triggering a hidden mechanism, turning it into a literal fire bomb, a bomb of horrifying destructive power. The most crucial part of this move was that it exploited the opponent's psychology.

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Once trapped inside the fire dome, the opponent would typically fall into a narrow mindset with only two choices: either stay and be burned and suffocated, or try to break the dome to escape. And no matter which they chose, the outcome was the same. Stay, and you suffocate. Break out, and you face the full power of this mighty magic bomb. It was a nearly inescapable trap.

The smoke and flames slowly began to clear. The stag-headed monster, who had been rampaging, now staggered out of the rubble. One of his arms had been blown to pieces by the explosion, leaving only a small, charred stump of flesh and bone near his shoulder. His entire body was covered in severe burns, his flesh blackened and ulcerated from the heat of the phoenix flame. Clearly, Sage Sean's attack had been effective, causing heavy damage to the enemy.

Just as both Sage Sean and Archbishop Kurt thought they were about to finish off the troublemaker, a dome of darkness suddenly enveloped the "Holy Screen," trapping them both inside.

"You two were a bit careless, weren't you?" - a clear, sweet voice rang out within the dark space.

At that moment, at the nerve center of Zephyros, Silver Wing Castle, Alfie had safely returned, bringing with him the two light pyramids that sealed the dangerous Rank 6s. He had just set foot on the marble floor of the great hall, the echo of his magic not yet faded, when a familiar figure appeared.

"You've almost reached your limit, Alfie. Stay here and defend Central Aerion, and take the chance to recover your strength," the person said, their voice deep and steady, filled with reliability. It was Pope Vincent, dressed entirely in the black robes of the Church, his Demigod aura commanding yet restrained, deep and unfathomable. "I will personally go to support the North and East cities. The situation there seems to be critical."

"I'm counting on you, Vincent," Alfie replied, his voice slightly weary but his eyes still shining with determination.

"Angel Wings". A pair of brilliant, pure light wings appeared behind Pope Vincent. Though his flying speed might not match Alfie's Shooting Star technique, with the help of the angel wings, Vincent's movement speed had reached a terrifying level, far beyond that of ordinary Rankers. He aimed straight for the location where four Rank 6 auras were fiercely clashing, where the battle was at its most intense.

The great hall of Silver Wing Castle became silent as Alfie closed his eyes to meditate. But that peace was a fragile illusion.

From a deep shadow, a figure emerged, moving with an unnatural stillness. It was the high-ranking official, Kerus. But the subservient respect was gone, replaced by a treacherous cunning in his eyes and an aura of power utterly disproportionate to his station.

Alfie's eyes snapped open, his brow furrowing. This presence was a violation. "Kerus? How did you enter this sanctum?"

The official offered no reply, only a sneer of pure contempt as he slowly raised his right hand. His voice, no longer polite but a harsh, angry growl, uttered the forbidden words.

"I summon thee, Mordath, the Black Sword!" A dark, impossibly complex magic circle erupted from his palm. From the tearing rift in reality, a black sword emerged, its blade drinking the light from the hall. The aura it bled was that of a Rank 7 divine artifact, a pure, dark aether that promised to defile the holiest of souls.

Alfie was on his feet in an instant, his own Demigod aura exploding in a protective, silver-white halo. This was not just an attack; it was sacrilege. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

"Take this, Alfie." The controlled official swung the Black Sword. A slash carrying the power of a divine artifact, a stream of pitch-black energy that seemed capable of cutting through space itself, shot towards Alfie with extraordinary speed. Alfie's eyes widened, surprise appearing for the first time on the face of a Demigod. A Rank 5 internal affairs official, daring to summon a demigod-level divine artifact? Right here?

"He dares… right in Silver Wing?" The thought hadn't even fully formed before the dark energy of a Divine Artifact struck. It wasn't just an attack; it was an insult.

"AEGIS" - From the void, a gleaming silver round shield appeared, the engravings of a griffin on it seeming to come to life. The Aegis shield, Zephyros's ultimate defensive treasure, trembled violently as it collided with the dark energy. Alfie felt a powerful shockwave rebound, numbing his arm. He had blocked it, but the price was focusing all his power on a single point.

And that was the mistake. The moment Alfie had to concentrate his full power to block the slash, the controlled official used his other hand to quickly draw another dark seal. An attack even faster than the first slash.

But its target was not Alfie.

The black sword pierced through space, stabbing straight into one of the light pyramids, the one imprisoning the Dark Sage Uval. The sturdy light seal of a Demigod, no matter how strong, could not withstand a deliberate attack from a Rank 7 divine artifact. The pyramid shattered. The attack pierced Uval's heart, killing him instantly.

"AARGHHH!" Inside the remaining pyramid, Ronove let out a final scream, then his body convulsed and disintegrated into ash. The Fate Link Curse had been activated. The internal affairs official let out a savage laugh.

His mission was complete.

The Black Sword vanished into the darkness, and he collapsed, dead on the spot. For a Rank 5 body, using two Rank 7-level attacks, even with the mastermind's prior support, was beyond his limits. Now, both the puppet and the prisoners were dead, leaving everything clean, without a single trace.

Alfie stood there, amidst the ruined great hall, staring at the three newly fallen corpses with an expression of unprecedented shock and anger. The enemy had dared to attack the safest place, killing two important prisoners right before his eyes. This was not just a provocation; it was an insult to a Demigod like him, to the entire Zephyros.

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