The thirty-third floor of the Protos Parliament Building, Franklin Hall.
At seven minutes and twenty-five seconds, Sigrid killed Askesan with overwhelming might.
Long after that decisive blow landed, the entire parliamentary hall remained locked in silence before a wave of stunned gasps swept through the space.
The eyes of nobles and ministers were fixed upon the center of the floor, their faces etched with disbelief.
No one had anticipated that the Bishop of Domination could draw an end to this Cardinal Deathmatch in a matter of minutes with such crushing dominance.
They had thought the Bishop of Extinction, swaggering with supreme arrogance when he initiated the challenge, would press the Bishop of Domination hard and spark a cataclysmic clash exacting a grievous toll from both sides; instead, in the blink of an eye, the tide had turned abruptly, and one side had been chopped into mincemeat.
Perhaps the Bishop of Domination had not even been pushed to use her full strength.
For the Bishop of Domination, renowned as the physically strongest in the Northern Continent, had not thrown a single punch from start to finish.
Subdued whispers rippled across the parliamentary hall as everyone scrambled to process this appalling outcome.
Awe crept onto the faces of many imperial dignitaries as they began reevaluating the strength of Bishop of Domination Sigrid.
The sheer combat power she herself had kept in reserve was terrifying enough, and paired with three summoned demons, the contrast made it clear that she was completely out of his league from the very start.
It was hard to imagine that these two Cardinals had previously been peerless powerhouses locked in a stalemate, clashing multiple times without a victor.
Another faction of dignitaries looked troubled and uneasy; they worried that an overly powerful Bishop of Domination Sigrid would become far more uncontrollable and dangerous as an ally.
Though the dust had settled, a perilous atmosphere still permeated Franklin Hall, and no one dared make a rash move.
Sigrid glanced toward the great prelates of the Domination branch.
"!"
Led by direct retainer Gloria, the Domination great prelates sprang into swift action, clearing away the traces of battle, packing Askesan's corpse and the non-epic cards remaining on him into a body bag, and scrubbing the hall's floor clean.
The whole process took only seconds.
Not only was the stench of blood dispelled by air-purification magic, but even the floor was left gleaming and spotless, as though Bishop of Extinction Askesan had never walked the earth.
Watching the Domination great prelates work with such practiced efficiency, the imperial dignitaries seated in Franklin Hall felt their eyes twitch.
The Resurrection Church was truly the Resurrection Church; when it came to their old trade, they were never sloppy.
Meanwhile, deep terror filled the eyes of the Extinction great prelates. Everything was lost; they sat as if on a bed of needles.
As Sigrid returned to the front of the Domination branch's seats, the commotion in the parliamentary hall slowly subsided.
The spoils claimed by the Bishop of Domination through the Resurrection Church's internal Deathmatch rightfully belonged to her. After all, Great Sage Isis had sanctioned the Deathmatch precisely to absolve the empire of liability and interference.
Even if greedy nobles wished to claim that Askesan's legacy should be handled by the empire, none dared speak up.
Though the crowd had yet to fully recover from the outcome of the Deathmatch, the parliament's standard proceedings had to continue.
"Now that the internal affairs of the Resurrection Church have been resolved, we may resume standard procedure and proceed with the bishop election."
Great Sage Isis still sat cross-legged on her high-backed chair, posture careless, but her voice cut across the hall with an authority that surpassed even the Protos Emperor's majesty.
Isis's words gave the imperials present a sense of reassurance.
The gathered nobles and ministers gradually reined in their emotions and kept quiet, waiting for the Domination branch's presentation.
Although Sigrid's victory had granted her a tremendous advantage, the ensuing voting process remained fraught with variables—
Under the rules of anonymous voting, dignitaries who had previously courted or curried favor with Askesan were now far more likely to cast their ballots for Bishop of Mourning Yamiles to shield themselves from Sigrid's retribution!
Furthermore, horrific criminal allegations hung over Sigrid's head; before the truth could be verified, people dreaded her power and wondered how she had managed to obtain three epic demon summons.
The dignitaries wracked their brains evaluating the situation, trying to predict how this sudden battle would shape the future of the Protos Empire.
As for Sigrid herself, this duel had undeniably transformed her deterrence and influence, thrusting her into the absolute center of attention.
Just as direct retainer Gloria prepared to step forward once more to begin her address:
"Wait a moment. I have something more important to say."
Sigrid abruptly cut Gloria off, her voice ringing through the parliamentary hall, resolute and decisive.
Gloria meekly lowered her head and scurried back to her seat like a child afraid of being abandoned.
Then.
Before the eyes of everyone in Franklin Hall, Sigrid turned, eyes razor-sharp, and looked toward Duke Morotian Bernhardt seated in the upper tier on the left side of the hall.
Her score with Bishop of Extinction Askesan was settled.
She also wanted to hand [Original Slate - Seal] to her Holy Son right away.
Yet there was another true enemy lurking deep within the Protos Empire.
He was also the final cancer and obstacle standing between Sigrid and the Holy Son seizing control of the Protos Empire together.
Sigrid knew this aura all too well.
To a pinnacle martial artist endowed with razor-sharp instincts who had regained her full strength, failing to sense the aura of a foe she had fought to the death at this distance was simply impossible.
On the raised tier of seats, the aura radiating from that poised, perpetually composed and elegant man in the dark overcoat belonged to none other than the bastard who had fought her beneath black robes on the northern border!
"Duke Bernhardt, isn't it time we settled our score as well?"
Sigrid had no intention of commanding the three tier-eight demons; instead, she curled the hand hanging at her side into a fist, primed to strike this enemy dead at any moment.
"Bishop of Domination."
Beside the sovereign's throne, Great Sage Isis called out in reminder—or perhaps warning.
No matter what feud Sigrid held against Morotian Bernhardt, this was no place for her to strike.
"Rest assured, Miss Isis. I will not violate the empire's laws."
Sigrid looked back and addressed Great Sage Isis.
Then she turned her gaze back to Duke Morotian, who sat composed in the upper seats to the left.
"Morotian, shouldn't you explain that horrific, blood-drenched slaughter stretching a hundred li across the Northern Border Province, as well as the monstrous crimes you and Askesan committed?"
Sigrid's gaze pierced forward like a sword, intent on tearing through the sanctimonious veneer of the man seated high above, bringing a final end to this absurd turmoil plaguing the Protos Empire!
Chapter 477