The upper reaches of Banderra City, wreathed in thunder, had become a desolate, shadowy metropolis due to the sudden appearance of Cardinal of Oblivion.

The city-state's imperial fanfare accelerated to a jarring, erratic, and eerie composition.

And the illusions cloaking the city's lower levels began to collapse, gradually revealing their true form as they twisted and turned.

The residents' corpses, piled haphazardly into mountains, resembled tiny, black fingers attempting to climb higher. The eyes of the dead had become deep, gouged-out holes—hollow and lifeless. Their slightly open mouths seemed to warn any who passed that this was a point of no return.

Clearly, this was Askesan's masterpiece.

Or perhaps not entirely his doing alone.

Even a cardinal of the Resurrection Church wouldn't abandon his position as a power player in the empire to do something that would create an irreconcilable conflict between the Protos Empire and himself.

Someone must be collaborating with him, with a grander scheme driving Askesan to engage in a full-scale massacre.

Facing an unavoidable battle, Askesan observed the two individuals trapped within his spatial lockdown with interest, not rushing to obliterate them.

"Besides the imperial capital's investigation team, there are other little mice causing trouble."

Askesan sighed, as if lamenting the loss of Major General Van Leuk.

"Did the Imperial Sage Isis send you, or are you from Duke Berenhard's family?"

He questioned, raising his eyes.

Askesan's voice was calm, like the sands of time flowing from his mouth, each word imbued with irresistible magic.

"..."

Ranchi, completely immobilized, focused solely on Sigrid's movements beside him.

Thanks to the [Transformation Art: Human] he had given her, even Askesan couldn't see through Sigrid's disguise at this point. More importantly, the Cardinal of Oblivion would never dream that the Tyrant Church, whose home territory was in the south, would personally venture deep into the northern border at this time!

Before coming to the Northern Continent, Ranchi hadn't imagined that his first encounter with Askesan, the Cardinal of Oblivion, would be at such close range.

This was the absolutely dangerous distance that Loren had told him about.

He had remembered Loren's words well.

So, he found a bigshot of equal standing to fight Askesan.

The result...

"?"

When Ranchi looked at Sigrid, he found her resembling a frail girl who had been frightened speechless, her eyes already filled with timid tears, her legs even trembling.

This made Ranchi's eyes widen.

For a moment, he even wondered if this ultimate powerhouse was a fake.

The Tyrant Church was truly capable of anything.

Askesan gazed at Ranchi.

Clearly, the only one who could answer his question was this young man who was still able to maintain a clear state of mind.

"If you don't answer, I'll have to deal with her first..."

In that instant, Sigrid didn't wait for Askesan to finish speaking before her eyes underwent a complete transformation.

Those purple pupils, which were mostly relaxed and languid, seemed to be covered with cold frost, replaced by unwavering determination to kill.

The Sigrid who had been locked in mid-air the moment before had transformed into a storm, slamming her fist into Askesan's body!

Her violent power caused the entire building Askesan was standing on to collapse like a surging tide. This first collision between the two was faster than thunder, shaking the entire city of Banderra!

The earth trembled, and wide cracks split open in the stone-paved streets, as if being swallowed, collapsing step by step. The exquisitely carved sculptures and stained-glass windows of the Old Herulom-style buildings shattered and fell in an instant under the impact of the two cardinals' confrontation, the fragments scattering in the wind.

In the ruins, Askesan's surprised eyes reflected Sigrid's figure. He clearly hadn't realized the true identity of this young woman. Even though Askesan's combat instincts had slowed down the entire world in his eyes when the crisis came, Sigrid's fatal attack had not made any sound. By the time the sound of the air being torn reached his ears, she had already hit Askesan, and only then did a fatal cracking sound erupt in the air.

Giving Askesan no chance to catch his breath, Sigrid's pursuit arrived before Askesan again.

At this moment, revealing her true form, her skin was surrounded by a faint silver glow, as bright and holy as a new moon. This wasn't magic, but a phenomenon brought about by the perfect combination of her physical qualities, immune equipment, and the Original Stone Slab with the intent of her fist.

Sigrid possessed an Original Stone Slab different from those of other cardinals—[Original Stone Slab - Foundation].

When she threw out her most direct attack with all her might, it would trigger, granting a drastic increase in its power.

But this time, after Askesan reacted, it wouldn't be so easy for Sigrid to succeed.

Although Askesan, in his shock and fury, had taken a near-fatal blow at close range, he possessed many damage reduction and life-saving equipment. His body wasn't sent flying again, and he quickly stabilized himself between the ground and the air. The square magical emblems on his dark gray coat began to burst with dark purple crackling lightning, just like the anger in his eyes. The invisible magic barrier unfolded before him resisted Sigrid's fist, and the metallic hum and shockwaves rippled out again in circles.

"Tyrant Church... Sigrid..."

On the inside of the magic barrier, Askesan wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, each word he uttered like a curse. The heavy, cold magic carved scars on the dim city-state's ground like blades, sealing off all the space between Sigrid and him.

If it was Sigrid, then everything became clear.

This damned woman never knew when she would appear, or when she would strike! He had wanted to kill her several times, but hadn't been able to do it!

"Very well, this time we'll settle our old and new scores together. It's just as well that you walked right into my trap..."

Askesan's gradually calming pupils shifted slightly, looking at the other person in the distance.

It was a young man he had never seen before.

When Sigrid started the battle, she had used two extra magic cards that she didn't often use to protect that young man.

Perhaps, Askesan could guess that this was Sigrid's new successor. Only then would Sigrid cherish him so much, using two eighth-order magic cards to protect him.

But the Tyrant Saint should have the same disguise magic as Sigrid.

Even with perceptive magic, he couldn't see his true face, and he couldn't guess the new Tyrant Saint's identity within the Protos Empire for the time being.

But no matter who the Tyrant Saint was, it didn't matter.

Askesan looked at the sky; it was still far from night.

As long as both the Tyrant Church and the Tyrant Saint died here today...

This small storm...

Wouldn't even count as a variable.

(End of Chapter)