The clamor surged like a tidal wave across the broad stone-stepped plaza.
The seats on the terraces had quickly filled with students, and the surrounding walkways were no exception. The faculty and students of Ikerite seemed drawn by an irresistible force, halting in their tracks one after another, their eyes glued to the giant screen.
From time to time, they shouted and screamed in wild excitement.
Ikerite Academy felt as if it were in the midst of a festival.
"Loren, you're back!"
"I knew you weren't dead! A man of your caliber couldn't possibly die so easily!"
Even though Loren's right cheek on the screen was somehow etched with a black centipede brand that had never been there before—resembling the price paid for clawing back from the underworld—the divine-era radiance of the Original Wind Slate and that Tier 9 wind spell undoubtedly proved that he was, beyond any shadow of a doubt, Hell Loren.
The eyelids at the top of the black centipede curse-mark looked down disdainfully upon the mortal world, and the clear, cold azure glint within his eyes made everyone feel that the Loren before them had ascended to an entirely new realm, embodying the aura of 'Throughout the heavens and earth, I alone am revered.'
"Did Teacher Loren just use a Tier 9 spell?"
"That was definitely Tier 9!"
"When on earth did Teacher Loren reach Tier 9?"
Exclamations of astonished joy erupted continuously, and the mood of the entire crowd had completely transformed.
Facing the invaders, they had previously been unable to see any hope or future, with no idea when the nightmare would ever end. But upon hearing Loren's voice and witnessing the flow of that wind, it was as if their very souls had been reignited. Strength surged through their bodies, filling them with an excitement so intense that none of them would be able to sleep tonight!
"The scariest thing about Loren is that you can never guess how many lives he has."
The light-blue-haired little reporter, Luweixier, continuously snapped photos of the open-air giant screen with her camera, a bright smile blooming once again on her face.
"There's even an eerie tale that says even if you are one hundred percent certain you've killed Loren, he will simply appear again. He is unkillable—a conceptual-tier phantom god, Hell Loren!"
She spoke excitedly to the classmates around her, moved almost to tears.
Though the surrounding students had all heard that the student council secretary was a notorious troll, combined with the scene unfolding before their eyes, her words sounded truer by the second.
...
Back on the screen, in Brillda.
A chasm had been gouged into the ground of Creti Memorial Square, cleaving the earth in two like a natural abyss.
As the clouds and mist dispersed, Loren's figure hung suspended in midair before the crowds, resembling a living god descending upon the mortal realm.
"Loren... was even your defeat at our hands that day, and being sealed and brought back to Brillda, within your calculations...?"
Chief Ritualist Simonro, who had halted the coronation ceremony, prepared himself for battle, reinforcing the barriers across Creti Memorial Square and even the Manhott central district of Brillda.
As the one closest to Hyacinthus, Eleventh War God Simonro of Jade could sense the power of the wind most acutely.
"A challenger? It seems that Tier 9 wind spell just now has made you rather confident in yourself," Hyacinthus murmured softly, gazing at the white-robed pope from afar.
If Loren truly possessed Tier 9 strength, he would indeed not be an easy opponent to kill.
Of course, that did not mean killing him would be terribly difficult, either.
"Then why did you launch a sneak attack against me? Afraid you couldn't beat me?"
Lanqi hung his silver-white mask at his waist, readying himself as if warming up, and looked back up at Hyacinthus to question him.
"Oh?"
Hyacinthus glanced at the War Gods standing vigilantly below the sacrificial altar on the plaza. Even with his hand resting on his hilt, he knew he could no longer strike at will.
The atmosphere had grown exceedingly precarious.
"What on earth are you after, Loren?" Fourth War God Jasper of Jasper called out toward Loren.
Her mechanical prosthetic eye worked at full capacity to analyze the enemy high in the sky, yet everything remained an unknown.
Loren had chosen his angle with exceptional precision, almost as if arranged by a director. He had deliberately positioned himself near the outer perimeter of the plaza, making Hyacinthus's earlier slash appear as if it had been directed straight at the citizens, while Loren had stepped in to intercept the Tier 9 strike on their behalf.
One might not have noticed it as it happened, but once the dust settled, it felt like a deliberate angle rather than a mere coincidence.
Even though the War Gods present knew Hyacinthus's aimed attack would not have strayed far enough to harm anyone beyond the barrier behind them, it did not appear that way to ordinary people who lacked their level of perception.
"Loren, please exercise restraint," Eleventh War God Simonro echoed.
Loren had now taken the initiative to show deference, while simultaneously demonstrating his might.
If Hyacinthus attacked again, in the eyes of the populace, it would inevitably look as though Hyacinthus disregarded the lives of the citizens, actively instigating a war against Loren and destroying all of Brillda.
"These thirty minutes aren't out of respect for you; they are out of respect for her."
This time, the white-robed pope faced Hyacinthus and the War Gods behind him with eyes that truly regarded them as enemies.
"If you genuinely think I am merciful to the point of foolishness, or that I lack decisiveness in critical matters, then you are gravely mistaken. I have undergone special training from the Church of the Goddess of Fate. To protect more people, I will not hesitate to strike. I have ample reason to believe that you, the Twelve War Gods, disregarded my peace proposal and took all the residents of Brillda hostage—and the best way to rescue hostages is to refuse to negotiate with terrorists and defeat them first."
The white-robed pope addressed the War Gods, "Do not forget that my past adversary was Bishop of Destruction Ivanos, and I never hesitated before her."
The white-robed cultists behind him remained silent.
Even though it seemed to them that Lanqi had entirely rewritten Loren's persona according to his own whims, he had genuinely cornered Hyacinthus, leaving Hyacinthus—who wanted to be crowned as a benevolent ruler—in an impossible predicament.
If Hyacinthus struck now, he would be branded a tyrant who cared nothing for the lives of his people.
The man who wished to destroy everything was forced to pretend he was protecting everyone, while the man who wished to protect everything was forced to pretend he was ready to destroy everyone. Ridiculous and ironic as it appeared, at this precise moment, it struck the exact balance Lanqi had spoken of.
They knew that Boss Cat had fallen asleep and would take a while to awaken, because the Tier 9 spell used just now carried a negative drawback—
[Night Dew Wind Chant]
[Category: Spell Card]
[Grade: Pink Divine]
[Attribute: Wind / Healing]
[Tier: 9]
[Effect: Consumes all mana and puts the caster into a deep sleep. Grants group immunity to all targets within range, gradually restoring health and mana. Cooldown: 1 hour.]
[Note: When distant sunlight shines upon the depths of a dream, you shall awaken as the gentle breeze stirs once more.]
It was currently recovering its mana, and once it woke up, shifting back into Cat Loren would pose no problem.
Regardless, it did not matter.
Lanqi was far tankier than the real Loren anyway. Even if a fight broke out shortly, trading a few moves with Hyacinthus would be trivial.
...
On the sacrificial altar atop the steps before Saint Astri Palace.
"..."
Hyacinthus said nothing, refusing to take the bait of that leading question. He simply smiled faintly.
Only one thing became clear in his mind: who Violet's collaborator truly was.
The moment he had stepped in while Rasheal and Violet fought to mutual devastation, he had guessed that someone else had defeated Rasheal first.
Through the groggy, trauma-ridden hallucinations when Blood Mind Control took hold of Rasheal, Hyacinthus had only glimpsed a white-robed silhouette known as the 'Holy Polant Pope.'
Unable to truly master Blood Mind Control himself, he had not bothered to pry into the useless wretch's past, choosing instead to efficiently puppet Rasheal into performing the truly momentous drama.
And sure enough, Violet's collaborator had come knocking on his door.
Still, this worked out well. Settling both the old and new scores at once would save him the trouble of digging three feet into the ground to fish out these hidden threats later.
"Hyacinthus, Simonro needs time to reinforce the barrier."
Fifth War God Lukayed of Mica slightly opened his perpetually closed eyes, speaking to Hyacinthus with a look of sorrow.
If Hyacinthus and Loren clashed like this, all of Brillda would be plunged into devastation.
Since Loren had offered a compromise, accepting it was only reasonable.
As a physician, Lukayed could not bear to see more innocent civilians suffer.
"High Priest Loren..."
Near Saint Astri Palace on Creti Memorial Square, the imperial War Gods either looked toward Hyacinthus or frowned as they stared in the direction of the white-robed pope.
The bad news was that among the enemies stood an unfathomable Tier 9 powerhouse. The good news was that he was not a chaotic evil madman; High Priest Loren had always been renowned for his nobility and mercy, and he merely stood opposite them today due to conflicting allegiances.
If they had not misidentified the spell when Loren cast it earlier...
Even if they could not appraise its full details, the fragmented runes they deciphered indicated a Divine-grade group immunity forcefield wind spell—unmistakably of the ninth tier.
Aside from Loren reaching Tier 9, another realization began to seep into the minds of the War Gods.
"We have a traitor among us."
Seventh War God Philip of Bloodstone bluntly gave voice to what every War God was thinking.
It was not just Loren being secretly freed; the fact that so many Tier 8 combatants could infiltrate Brillda was deeply suspicious in itself. Their arrival today smacked of premeditation. To have prepared so early, it was highly probable that a War God had allied with them long ago and leaked intelligence.
And Loren's escape—the undeniable proof—could only have happened in one of two ways:
Either Gyath had personally undone Loren's seal;
Or another War God had colluded from the inside, assisting a high-ranking sealing master to extract Loren from the Illusory Domain.
Judging by Loren's words, the one who freed him was most likely Violet of Aquamarine.
With Violet now missing and dead men telling no tales, Gyath's suspicion was conveniently wiped clean.
Yet the cleaner it looked, the more suspicious Gyath became.
Why had he brought Loren back? Why did Loren happen to be in Brillda? Why was Loren surrounded by such a massive force of Tier 8 fighters?
When all these coincidences piled together, even though each possessed causal logic, it was impossible not to suspect that Gyath was secretly coordinating with Loren.
Cold sweat beaded on Gyath's palms.
He felt that he had undoubtedly become the prime suspect.
Even Hyacinthus had glanced at him earlier.
Yet only Gyath knew that the traitor was definitely not him!
The person who broke Loren out of his Illusory Domain had to be someone else entirely.
A shroud of suspicion hung over the foundation seats of the War Gods at Creti Memorial Square.
Even the War Gods present grew reluctant to let battle erupt in the narrow confines of the plaza.
Compared to the painful memory of having to turn their weapons against their own comrades three nights ago, what they feared even more was that someone had genuinely betrayed them and might suddenly backstab them while unmonitored.
"High Priest Loren, in that case, I will take your word for it."
Taking in the entire situation, Hyacinthus suppressed his murderous intent, maintaining his public persona as he agreed to Loren's terms.
He had never imagined the Blood Clan would be so useless. Rasheal had been mentally shattered, yet the enemy seemed to have suffered no major losses aside from Violet, and two days later they could even regroup and confront them openly.
If he and the War Gods attacked together right now, regardless of the civilians' lives, these enemies could easily be eradicated.
Yet he absolutely could not display his brutality at this juncture. All plans for purging the populace had to wait until he took complete control of the Creti Empire before being executed step by step. If he exposed his true nature today, smoothly taking over the empire would become drastically harder, and these War Gods would no longer serve as his executioners or support him as a tyrant.
"In half an hour, I will fight you with everything I have."
Lanqi waved his hand, and the white-robed cultists behind him retreated outside the perimeter of the plaza's barrier.
This was the concession he offered.
At the same time, after exchanging glances with Hyacinthus, the ten War Gods nodded slightly and withdrew warily from Creti Memorial Square.
Remaining inside the barrier would only hinder Hyacinthus, burdening him with concerns and preventing him from exerting his full strength against the Tier 9 Loren.
Furthermore, the overwhelmingly powerful white-robed cultists did not seem likely to sit idle outside the barrier; the War Gods needed to keep them under watch to prevent them from doing as they pleased in Brillda.
In particular, Third War God Gyath of Sardonyx, Seventh War God Philip of Bloodstone, and Eleventh War God Simonro of Jade knew intimately just how difficult Loren was to deal with.
Even though Hyacinthus possessed bottomless, terrifying power that none of them could fathom, and by all accounts ought to surpass Loren, they still dared not assert that Hyacinthus was guaranteed to defeat a Tier 9 Loren.
Seeing that this ultimate clash was about to unfold, while eager to bear witness, they were equally cognizant of their grave responsibilities.
"Hyacinthus, be careful," Bianca of Opal called out to him with concern.
She was promptly dragged away by Julius.
The War Gods retreated beyond the barrier of Creti Memorial Square, reaching the opposite edge of the plaza's outer perimeter.
"We still have a mission! Those white-robed cultists are already on the move. Loren only promised that *he* wouldn't act, but those cultists might try to destroy the city defense energy stations!"
Julius gripped Bianca's arm, urging her not to hesitate.
"Meow..."
Bianca stared blankly at Julius.
As expected, Julius was decisive no matter the circumstance.
To put it bluntly, he was reckless, but sometimes his rapid decision-making was genuinely necessary.
Before she could reply, she saw silhouettes of the white-robed cultists peeling off, soaring toward distant corners of Brillda.
"Simonro, stay here and continue reinforcing the barrier. Lukayed, do not stray far from the Manhott central district where Simonro is. Conzel, Philip, and I will head east. Julius, Bianca, and Ryan will take the south."
Fourth War God Jasper immediately took command of the other War Gods. "Salon, Gyath, please seek out the strongest adversaries individually and keep them pinned down!"
Eleventh War God Simonro should be the safest. Since Loren had promised not to act, Simonro, tasked with reinforcing the barrier, had become a neutral party; if anyone attempted to ambush Simonro, both Loren and Hyacinthus might intervene.
Fifth War God Lukayed, as a Tier 8 physician remaining in the central district, could maximize safety there and accelerate civilian evacuation.
As for the rest of the War Gods, Four, Seven, and Eight formed one team, while Nine, Ten, and Twelve formed another. The strength within each group was relatively balanced; even if a traitor lurked among them, striking down the other two would be difficult.
Gyath, the most suspect of the Third Seat, would act alone, while Second War God Salon, also operating independently, possessed ample strength to protect himself.
"Understood."
All the War Gods immediately agreed to Jasper's directives.
Julius had guessed correctly; were it not for his excessive brashness, his sharp instincts would have made him an adept commander as well.
Yet with Hyacinthus occupied, Jasper was the supreme commander.
For the War Gods, each fearing betrayal from within, separating to fight brought a greater sense of security. Clustering together would only foster paranoia and tie their hands.
"Maintain communications," Jasper emphasized.
Understanding her meaning, the War Gods dispersed into streaks of light.
They had to prepare for the worst.
Should anyone be caught turning on their own, the rest had to know immediately.
On the colossal Creti Memorial Square, only the two most powerful figures remained, standing far apart, awaiting the Tier 9 clash that would shake the entire Southern Continent.
...
Not only in Brillda, Botswana Province, and the titan Creti Empire spanning two-fifths of the Southern Continent, but across the northern Allied Kingdoms, in countless scattered estates and households, people watched with pounding hearts the imminent clash of the supreme.
Kingdom of Posen, Palieu, the City of Flowers.
As the hub of the eastern region connecting the Kingdom of Aloran to the left and the Hutton Kingdom to the right, its leadership was currently in utter turmoil.
In the center of Posen's capital, Palieu, stood the magnificent Royal Ministry of Defense building.
Constructed of grey-white marble, six ancient Palieu-style columns supported a triangular pediment, symbolizing the strength and glory of the Kingdom of Posen since antiquity.
On the third floor, inside the dispatch center.
Magic-energy screens displayed military deployment diagrams along Posen's border defenses, yet at this moment, every officer's attention was fixed on the live broadcast transmitted from the imperial capital of Brillda.
The second hand ticked impatiently as personnel in military dress and high-ranking Posen civil service uniforms hurried back and forth.
They gathered around an intelligent touch-table, conversing in solemn yet stirred voices.
"Loren gave Hyacinthus half an hour to evacuate civilians. Sixteen minutes have already passed. Loren's subordinates have begun suppressing the energy stations in Brillda. But viewing the footage from other districts, their actions are restrained; they haven't harmed civilians and seem solely intent on drawing the War Gods away so Loren and Hyacinthus can focus on their final duel."
The intelligence officer used a stylus to circle the clock tower in the corner of the screen, where the timestamp from when the ceasefire was announced remained recorded.
In just a dozen minutes, Brillda had devolved into utter chaos; even dozens of military split-screens were insufficient to track it all.
Centered around Creti Memorial Square, multiple layers of barrier canopies had enveloped the area.
The entire Manhott central district had been transformed into an ultimate battlefield crisscrossed by crystal walls.
"It isn't just Loren's formidable subordinates making moves. At this very moment, the Silver Moon Restoration Society and the Brillda Mafia lurking in Brillda have mobilized simultaneously, pulling the Imperial Special Operations Division and the Capital Garrison Command into action as well."
"Apart from the primary Tier 9 battlefield at Creti Memorial Square, other sectors will likely erupt into secondary Tier 8 skirmishes any second."
Amidst the din of rapid analysis, footsteps sounded from the stairs, and a figure arrived on the third floor. Instantly, many officers hurried over.
"Lieutenant General, thirteen minutes remaining," they promptly reported to Nigel, the supreme commander of the city defense forces.
"I know," Nigel nodded, his eyes weary. Ever since the incident in the City of Flowers, the death of his mentor Perlman, and the outbreak of war, he had been run ragged every single day.
He had not possessed the bandwidth to watch Brillda's coronation ceremony from start to finish, but now, he was forced to monitor it alongside his duties.
What Nigel truly worried about were Lanqi and Tata.
Those two dear friends, who had shared life and death with him, were sent to Brillda by his own hand. If anything happened to them, Nigel would not know what to do.
The only comforting news was that during their last emergency contact, he learned that Lanqi and Tata were doing very well in Brillda, held high status, and were even disguised as an engaged couple.
Watching the turmoil in Brillda, Nigel felt none of the schadenfreude harbored by the other officers.
Because Brillda at this very moment mirrored the City of Flowers of that day.
In times of upheaval, someone always loses everything.
"Still..."
Nigel stared quizzically at the replay showing the white-robed pope making his move.
For some reason, he felt that wind looked strangely familiar.
*Why does it feel so recognizable?*
Before Nigel could ponder further, the ecstatic cheers of his subordinates shattered his train of thought.
"Loren!"
"You are the strongest!"
As long as Loren could defeat Hyacinthus, the northern nations would see peace.
No one had anticipated that a savior of the Southern Continent would emerge at such a dire hour, turning the tide and upholding a crumbling world.
"High Priest, you have to win!"
He was the hope of the people, the final light of the Allied Kingdoms!
...
"We will win,"
Lanqi murmured softly to himself, as if sensing the cries of the Southern Continent's people and the surging power of their faith.
Creti Memorial Square was desolate, cleared into a battlefield solely for him and Hyacinthus.
Even the roads and high-rises stretching into the distance were completely vacated, wind sweeping through the empty avenues.
In a short while, a radius of several kilometers around them would likely turn into their apocalyptic battleground.
The clouds above Brillda had long been torn apart. Intermittent flashes and deafening booms resonated from afar, painting the sky in erratic hues before ripples of shockwaves surged across the horizon.
Even sensing it from this distance, he knew the War Gods and his companions had engaged across several battlegrounds dozens of kilometers away.
"Damn it..."
Standing outside Creti Memorial Square and watching the sky, Simonro wished to provide support, yet could not simply walk away.
Eleventh War God Simonro of Jade was unique. As the Chief Ritualist, he had to remain in place to continuously reinforce the barrier and protect the crucial Saint Astri Energy Station. With this time, he could construct a defensive barrier pushed to its absolute limits.
Should this post fall, the impending battle between Hyacinthus and Loren would rapidly tear all of Brillda to pieces.
Currently, there were three layers of barriers.
The first covered Creti Memorial Square—a temporary barrier that took form the fastest.
The second reinforced barrier spanned a two-kilometer radius, composed of intersecting cubic crystal walls. It provided the greatest protection, but beyond drawing power from the Saint Astri Energy Station, it required other spellcasters to maintain and strengthen it. All residents within this perimeter had already been evacuated.
The third barrier had a radius of roughly five kilometers, nearly cloaking the entire canopy. Once all residents were evacuated, it would be fully sealed. Covering the largest expanse, its defensive capacity was proportionally the weakest, primarily meant to absorb shockwaves.
It would be wonderful if someone could help him reinforce the second barrier—any spellcaster would do—yet unfortunately, the other War Gods had likely all encountered their own adversaries.
The fact that no one had attacked him was already a blessing in disguise.
With three layers of barriers mitigating the disaster, this was the optimal battlefield possible. Even when the two world-strongest Tier 9 combatants went all-out at the center, the shockwaves radiating outward would be minimized, shielding the citizens still fleeing as far as they could.
Now, only a few reckless, sensation-seeking journalists carrying their sturdiest equipment remained within the second barrier, filming the standoff from afar and broadcasting passionately.
"High Priest Loren, you truly say one thing and do another."
Hyacinthus rested his wrist on the pommel of his sword, sneering at the white-robed pope.
"With righteousness on your lips, have your subordinates already begun waging warfare that endangers the citizens of Brillda under your command?"
He asked casually, as if merely passing the time.
"Look closely. They are deliberately avoiding residential areas, abstaining from lethal force, and solely striking the militarized installations already trained on us. This is reasonable self-defense. My companions are also protecting civilians by intercepting the War Gods in grey zones and high altitudes."
Lanqi looked toward Hyacinthus, lecturing him on the principles of modern warfare.
The battle for public opinion had to be won as well.
He had no fear of Hyacinthus suddenly striking him; the only things that would suffer were Creti Memorial Square and the surrounding architecture.
Perhaps Hyacinthus was gambling that Loren's life-saving magic had a usage limit—after all, not even Epic spells should defy common sense.
Unfortunately for him, Lanqi's life-saving spell had only a duration limit. As long as his mana was not exhausted, the eternal penalty of undying would persist indefinitely.
Half an hour could be considered long, or perhaps very short, but even without looking at the clock tower, both knew that the half-turn of the hands was drawing to a close.
"It seems the civilian evacuation is nearly complete."
"You should be ready as well, correct?"
Though facing one another, Lanqi and Hyacinthus both turned their heads slightly to gaze into the distance.
With leisure and ease, they waited for the ultimate showdown, each thoroughly convinced that he was the sole, supreme victor in this world.
Chapter 848