Isis's decision caused a wave of noise in the parliamentary hall that gradually subsided.
Askesan's provocation and Sigrid's avoidance of battle had long since planted all sorts of doubts in everyone's hearts.
Now Sigrid appeared exhausted and trapped, being forced step by step into a dead end.
The great prelates of the Domination branch were anxious, yet they knew well that acting rashly at this moment would only cause trouble for their bishop.
Askesan was also keeping an eye on the assembly hall's seats. At this critical juncture, he was waiting to see if that Holy Son of Domination would step forward of his own accord to help Sigrid out of this bind.
In the past, Askesan never believed there could be variables in a situation under his control.
Only this woman, Sigrid, would always appear anywhere like a ghost.
Now, there was one more fellow who had left a deep impression on him.
Accordingly, Askesan had also prepared to bait out that Holy Son of Domination and obliterate him.
As long as the Holy Son of Domination dared to show his face... death would come for him in an instant.
A long ten-odd seconds ticked by, and not a soul in the parliamentary hall spoke up.
Below on the right side of the assembly hall, Lanqi sat in his seat, staring down at the center of parliament, completely motionless.
Today, the opponent of Bishop of Domination Sigrid was Bishop of Extinction Askesan.
Meanwhile, as the patriot closest to the truth on the Protos Empire's side, Luoqi McCarthy's opponent lay hidden in far deeper waters.
In this Herrom parliamentary hall, Lanqi and Sigrid had their own respective opponents.
He and Sigrid would fight their own separate battles today, paying no heed to each other or even meeting eyes. Yet if they truly were each other's best partners, victory was bound to intersect at the very same spot.
In the shadows, Boss Cat shivered, pleading for Lanqi to hurry and help Sigrid.
It had no idea what Lanqi was waiting for, or who he was waiting for, but it knew that Sigrid must not agree to Askesan right now. Under the seal, Sigrid clearly could not defeat Askesan in a fair, one-on-one duel.
If Sigrid died in battle today, everything would be ruined, meow!
It didn't want Sigrid to die; it still wanted to cook for her!
Boss Cat was teary-eyed, its heart practically leaping into its throat.
And yet.
After the assembly hall had remained dead silent for what felt like an eternity,
"Askesan, have you truly thought this through? Don't run this time. Duel me one-on-one."
Sigrid kept her head lowered, the back of her hand trembling slightly as she asked, doing her best to keep her voice calm.
Her words set the hall buzzing once more, with onlookers shifting their gazes back and forth between the two bishops.
"Heh heh, does something like this even need confirming again?... Or could it be that you aren't trembling in fear right now, but trembling with excitement?"
Askesan looked at Sigrid and asked.
Perhaps this cunning woman still had some hidden cards.
Yet precisely because he knew Sigrid too well and understood all these possibilities, he was certain of many things.
"Then let us settle life and death today, Askesan."
Fighting spirit blazed in Sigrid's eyes.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the day would come when you would proactively ask me for a duel to the death. It just so happens to suit me perfectly—I've grown tired of hunting down a sly villain like you!"
Sigrid, who finally raised her head, spoke words that echoed through the parliamentary hall like a clap of thunder.
This sudden decision shocked every dignitary present.
The Bishop of Domination's fierce aura was not merely a response to the Bishop of Extinction; it was proof to the nobles and ministers of the entire Protos Empire of her might and chilling resolve as a Cardinal.
Sigrid tossed it lightly with her fingertips; the orange radiance of the Silver Moon Crown traced a crescent, as if to tear all enemies to shreds, until she caught the Holy Sigil [Proof of Bishop - Domination] firmly in her palm.
The nobles and ministers once again fixed their gazes on Sigrid and Askesan, knowing that a thrilling, life-and-death battle between bishops was about to unfold.
This was not just a battle between two bishops; it could also mark an important turning point in the history of the Protos Empire.
More importantly, a ritual like a Resurrection Church Cardinal's battle to the death was something most people would never witness in their lifetimes.
And now, the entire Protos Empire would bear witness to this life-and-death duel between tier-eight supreme powerhouses taking place in the Parliament Building at the heart of Herrom!
"Very well."
Askesan produced a seal. In the center of the cold gray totem was a hollow eyeball, its edges wrapped with several twisted, intertwined chain vines that held the eye firmly in place, radiating and constricting a piercing orange glow, as if seeking to lock away all hope within.
This was none other than the sole copy in existence, belonging exclusively to Askesan: [Proof of Bishop - Extinction].
The moment it appeared, it resonated with Sigrid's Proof of Bishop.
At this, Askesan finally let out a mocking smile.
Who would bother having a fair duel with a foolish woman like you?
Out in the open, what Askesan feared most was that fellow with the wolf making trouble again.
Only the isolated Death Arena was a domain that no one could interfere with.
It guaranteed the absolute fairness of a battle between Cardinals.
Compared to a Shadow World, it permitted at most the introduction of magic apparatuses and magic scrolls; all external third-party influences would cease to exist.
Askesan had roughly guessed that the Holy Son of Domination had most likely given Sigrid some strange, bizarre things, which was the final reliance that gave Sigrid the confidence to accept the challenge.
But on the flip side, Askesan, who had already anticipated all of this, had also left behind a contingency among the seats of the Great Prelates of Extinction outside the arena—
A tier-eight clone.
As long as he sensed the slightest trace of that bastard's mana in a prepared state, the clone Askesan left outside would be able to trace the Holy Son of Domination's location at close range—no matter what form the Holy Son of Domination had assumed!
As fellow Sealers, their mana was more closely attuned, creating an absolute hierarchical disparity between superior and subordinate.
The Death Arena would separate the Bishop of Domination from the Holy Son of Domination; once that happened, the Holy Son of Domination outside would no longer enjoy the Bishop of Domination's protection.
Even if some unexpected accident occurred inside the Death Arena, his clone could immediately find the Holy Son of Domination right on the scene, capture him as a hostage, and coerce Sigrid into surrendering.
The Death Arena was an exquisite trap he had prepared today to divide and hunt down both the Bishop of Domination and the Holy Son of Domination.
Once both parties signaled their intent to engage in a duel to the death, the two Cardinal Proofs of Bishop began to generate a terrifying resonance of mana and floated into the sky, causing the original barrier of Franklin Hall to tremble.
Dark purple thunder roared around the open space at the center of the hall, making reality seem like an illusion that had begun to crumble. A gloomy aura linked together, twisting and shifting to reveal its true form as it gradually sealed off an arena spanning hundreds of square meters.
And on opposite sides of this Death Arena, sharply demarcated in deep gray and silver, Bishop of Extinction Askesan and Bishop of Domination Sigrid were already sealed within.
Today, whether the two Cardinals lived or died—
would come down to who was strong and who was weak!
Chapter 472