https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-848-Lance-Helps-Loren-Go-Crazy-Part-2-/12937139/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-850-Lance-Finally-Summons-a-God-Part-1-/12937141/
Chapter 849: The Ultimate Battle at Brillada's Sky Canopy Battlefield
Chapter 849: The Ultimate Battle at Brillada's Sky Canopy Battlefield
The commotion on the spacious stone steps of the plaza surged like a tidal wave.
The seats on the steps were quickly filled by students, and even the surrounding roads were no exception. The students and teachers of Echter Academy were drawn by this force, stopping in their tracks, their gazes fixed on the giant screen.
From time to time, they shouted and screamed with excitement.
Echter Academy was like a festival.
"Loren, you're back!"
"I knew you weren't dead. A man like you wouldn't die so easily."
Despite the mysterious black centipede mark on Loren's right cheek, which seemed to be a price for his return from hell, the divine radiance of the Primordial Stone Tablet and his ninth-rank Wind Magic undoubtedly confirmed that he was the real Loren from hell.
The black centipede curse seal at the top of his head, with its disdainful gaze, and the deep blue eyes that shone with a chilling light, made people feel that Loren had reached a new level, embodying the concept of supremacy in heaven and earth.
"Was that just now a ninth-rank spell used by Teacher Loren?"
"It was definitely ninth-rank!"
"When did Teacher Loren reach the ninth rank?"
The surprised discussions continued, and everyone's mood had changed.
Facing the invaders, they had already lost hope and saw no future, not knowing when it would all end. But hearing Loren's voice and seeing the wind's movement, they felt like they had been reignited, filled with strength, and were so excited that they might not be able to sleep tonight!
"The scariest thing about Loren is that you can't guess how many lives he has."
The light blue-haired reporter, Luvehill, held her camera and kept taking pictures of the scene on the outdoor giant screen, her face once again breaking into a smile.
"There's even a weird story that even if you're 100% sure you've killed Loren, he'll appear again. He can't die. That's the concept-level Mythical God, Hell Loren."
She excitedly shared this with her classmates, almost moved to tears.
Although the students had heard that the student council secretary was a notorious gossip.
But with the scene before them, it all seemed more believable.
On the screen, Brillada.
A deep ravine split the ground of Crethia Memorial Square, like a heavenly chasm, dividing the earth in two.
After the clouds dispersed, Loren's figure in mid-air, blocking the citizens, appeared like a divine presence.
"Loren, was it also within your expectations that you would lose to us and be sealed and brought back to Brillada?"
High Prefect Simonro, who had interrupted the coronation, prepared for battle, reinforcing the barrier around Crethia Memorial Square and even the Manhot District of Brillada's central area.
The eleventh archon, Simonro, was the closest to Hestinos and had the most obvious perception of the wind's power.
"Challenger? It seems that the ninth-rank Wind Magic from earlier has given you quite some confidence in yourself."
Hestinos gazed at the White Robed Pope from afar, whispering.
If it was the ninth-rank Loren, he was indeed an opponent that couldn't be easily killed.
Of course, it wasn't difficult to kill him either.
"Then why did you take the initiative to ambush me? Are you afraid that you can't beat me?"
Lance hung his silver-white mask on his waist, as if ready for a warm-up, and once again looked up at Hestinos and asked.
"Oh?"
Hestinos glanced at the Archons on the square below the altar, who were filled with vigilance. Even if he held the hilt of his sword, he knew that he couldn't take action so casually at this moment.
The atmosphere had become quite dangerous.
"What exactly are you up to, Loren?"
The fourth archon, Jasper, spoke to Loren.
Her mechanical eyepiece was working at full capacity to decipher the enemy in the sky, but everything was still unknown.
Loren had chosen an excellent angle, as if directed by a filmmaker. He had positioned himself on the side closer to the outer perimeter of the square, making the previous slash seem like an attack initiated by Hestinos towards the citizens, while Loren had stepped in to block the ninth-rank slash for them.
This wasn't noticeable at the time, but after everything had happened, it made people feel that the angle was not just a coincidence.
Even though the Archons present knew that Hestinos' aimed attack wouldn't mistakenly harm those far beyond the barrier at the back, it didn't seem to be the same for ordinary people of their strength.
"Loren, please exercise restraint."
The eleventh archon, Simonro, said the same.
At this moment, Loren had expressed his willingness to back down.
And he had demonstrated his power.
If Hestinos took action again, what the citizens would see would be Hestinos disregarding the lives of the residents and initiating a battle with Loren, destroying all of Brillada.
"This half-hour isn't given for your sake, but for hers."
This time, the White Robed Pope looked at his enemies with genuine intent, facing Hestinos and the Archons behind him.
"If you truly believe that I'm so kind to the point of foolishness, or that I might hesitate in crucial matters, then you're greatly mistaken. I've undergone special training from the Goddess of Fate's Church. For the sake of protecting more people, I can make resolute decisions. I have reason to believe that you twelve Archons have ignored my peace proposal and turned the residents of Brillada into hostages. The best way to rescue hostages is to refuse negotiations with terrorists and defeat them first."
The White Robed Pope spoke to the Archons,
"Don't forget that my previous opponent was the Destroyer Bishop Ivanoth. I won't hesitate in front of her."
The White Robed Congregation behind him remained silent.
Even though at this moment, they believed that Lance had completely changed Loren's image according to his own ideas, but now he had successfully stopped Hestinos, putting him in a difficult position as he wanted a righteous coronation.
If Hestinos took action now, he would become a tyrant who disregarded the lives of the residents.
Those who wanted to destroy everything had to pretend to protect everyone, and those who wanted to protect everything had to pretend to destroy everything. Although it seemed especially absurd and ironic, at this moment, it just happened to achieve the balance that Lance had mentioned.
They knew that Boss Cat had fallen into a deep slumber and would only wake up after a while due to the adverse effects of the ninth-rank spell he had just used.
Night Dew Wind Chant
Type: Spell Card
Grade: Pink Sacred
Attribute: Wind/Healing
Rank: 9
Effect: Consumes all mana and puts the user into a deep sleep, granting group immunity to all targets within range, gradually restoring health and mana. Cooldown: 1 hour.
Note: When the distant sunlight shines upon the depths of your dreams, you will awaken as the gentle breeze caresses you once more.
It was also gradually recovering its mana, and there would be no issues even if it transformed into a cat again after waking up.
But it didn't matter.
Anyway, Lance was even more durable than the real Loren, and even if a fight broke out, he could handle a few rounds with Hestinos without any issues.
On the altar at the front steps of Saint Asteria Palace.
"..."
Hestinos remained silent, not wanting to give a hasty response to the tempting question. He smiled slightly.
He understood one thing in his heart.
Who was Violet's accomplice?
When he successfully captured Lashar and Violet, both of them injured, he had guessed who had defeated Lashar first.
From the successful casting of Blood Mind Control, Lashar was filled with psychological shadows and delusions, and all he could see was a white-robed figure known as the Holy Soul Lant Pope.
As he couldn't truly master Blood Mind Control, he didn't bother delving into Lashar's past and instead efficiently controlled him to perform the truly important act.
Sure enough, Violet's accomplice had come to them.
But it was also good to settle old and new debts together, saving him from having to dig deep and fish out these hidden enemies later.
"Hestinos, Simonro needs time to reinforce the barrier."
Fifth Archon Mica Lugayed, who had kept his eyes closed, opened them slightly, his gaze filled with worry as he spoke to Hestinos.
If Hestinos and Loren were to fight here, the entire Brillada would suffer.
Since Loren had proposed a compromise, accepting it wouldn't be unreasonable.
As a doctor, he didn't want to see more innocent civilians suffer.
"High Priest Loren..."
The Imperial War Gods near the Crethia Memorial Square, on the side closer to Saint Asteria Palace, either looked at Hestinos or frowned as they stared at the direction where the white-robed Pope Loren was located.
The bad news was that there was indeed a difficult-to-assess ninth-rank among the enemies, but the good news was that they weren't chaotic or evil, and the high priest Loren, known for his noble and compassionate character, was only on the opposing side due to his current stance.
If the identification hadn't been wrong at the moment Loren successfully cast the spell.
Even though the spell's information couldn't be fully identified, the interpretable parts revealed it was a ninth-rank group immunity wind magic of the sacred grade, and it had to be Loren who had reached the ninth rank.
Another matter also began to loom over the War Gods' minds.
"We have a traitor among us."
Seventh Archon Blood Jade Philip bluntly voiced what all the War Gods were thinking.
It wasn't just that Loren had been secretly released; it was also strange that so many eighth-rankers could infiltrate Brillada. Their arrival today seemed well-planned, and the high probability of an early collaboration with a War God made it likely that someone had leaked information.
There were only two possibilities for Loren's escape—
Either Gayaht had personally unsealed Loren.
Or another War God had colluded with an outside force, assisting a high-level Seal Master to rescue Loren from the Illusory Domain.
From Loren's words, it was likely that Violet, the Water Jade, had rescued Loren.
With Violet's whereabouts unknown and no proof of her death, Gayaht's suspicion could be perfectly erased.
The more this was the case, the more suspicious Gayaht became.
Why did he bring Loren back? Why did Loren happen to be in Brillada? Why did Loren have such a massive eighth-rank force with him?
Despite the logical explanations for these coincidences, it was hard not to suspect that Gayaht was also in on it.
Gayaht's palms began to sweat.
He felt like he had undoubtedly become the prime suspect.
Even Hestinos had been looking at him earlier.
But only he knew that he wasn't the traitor! Someone else had rescued Loren from his Illusory Domain.
Suspicion hung over the War Gods' Stone Seats at Crethia Memorial Square.
Even the War Gods present didn't want to engage in combat within the narrow confines of Crethia Memorial Square.
Compared to the painful memories of the night three days ago, when they had to face their companions in battle, they feared that someone had truly betrayed them and might suddenly stab them in the back without warning.
"High Priest Loren, if that's the case, I believe you."
Hestinos kept everything in his eyes, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart and maintaining his character to agree with Loren.
He hadn't expected the vampires to be so weak; Lashar had been defeated to the point of mental trauma, yet the enemies seemed to have suffered no significant losses aside from Violet. After two days, they could regroup and confront them head-on.
At this moment, he and the War Gods could easily wipe them out without regard for the civilians' lives.
But he couldn't reveal his violent intentions at this crucial juncture. All plans to eliminate the civilians needed to wait until he had complete control over the Crete Empire, and exposing his true intentions now would greatly increase the difficulty of controlling the Crete Empire, and these War Gods would no longer support him as a tyrant.
"In half an hour, I'll let you have a fair fight."
Lance waved his hand, and the white-robed congregation behind him gradually retreated from the barrier's range.
This was his concession.
At the same time, the ten War Gods exchanged glances with Hestinos and slightly nodded, then cautiously withdrew from the Crethia Memorial Square.
Remaining within the barrier would only hinder Hestinos, causing him to hold back and not be able to deal with the ninth-rank Loren with his full strength.
And it seemed that these powerful White Robed Congregation members would not stay put outside the barrier. They needed to keep an eye on them and prevent them from running rampant in Brillada.
Especially the Third Archangel, Twisted Carnelian Gat, the Seventh Archangel, Blood Jade Philip, and the Eleventh Archangel, Jade Simonro. These three were well aware of how difficult Loren could be.
Even with the current Hestinos' seemingly bottomless terrifying strength, they didn't know how strong Hestinos was, and he should be stronger than Loren in every aspect. Still, they didn't dare to say that Hestinos could definitely defeat the Ninth Rank Loren.
As they witnessed the ultimate battle about to begin, they wanted to witness it, but they also understood the grave responsibilities on their shoulders.
"Hestinos, be careful."
Catseye Stone Bianca called out to Hestinos with concern.
She was quickly pulled away by Julius.
The Archangels left the barrier of Crethia Memorial Square and arrived at another boundary on the outskirts of the square.
"We still have a mission. Those White Robed Congregation members have already started moving. Loren only promised not to take action, but who knows what those White Robed Congregation members might do to destroy the city's power stations!"
Julius pulled Bianca's arm and spoke to her, urging her not to hesitate.
"Meow..."
Bianca stared at Julius in a daze.
As expected, Julius was always decisive no matter the situation.
To put it bluntly, he was reckless, but sometimes his quick decision-making was indeed necessary.
Before she could respond, she saw that the White Robed Congregation members had already split up and flown towards the four distant corners of Brillada.
"Simonro, you stay here to reinforce the barrier. Lugayed, don't stray too far from Simonro's location in the central district of Manho. I'll go to the east with Kanzell and Philip, and Julius, Bianca, and Ryan will go south."
The Fourth Archangel, Jasper, immediately took command of the other Archangels,
"Salone, Gat, I'm counting on you two to find the strongest opponents and keep an eye on them!"
The Eleventh Archangel, Simonro, should be the safest. Since Loren promised not to take action, Simonro, who was in charge of reinforcing the barrier, became a neutral party. If anyone tried to ambush Simonro, both Loren and Hestinos might intervene.
The Fifth Archangel, Lugayed, an Eighth Rank healer, stayed in the central district to maximize the safety of the area and speed up the evacuation of civilians.
The remaining Archangels were divided into groups of four, seven, eight, and one. Within each group, their strengths were relatively close, making it difficult for any potential traitor to harm the other two.
The Third Archangel, Gat, who was the prime suspect, acted alone, and the Second Archangel, Salone, who also acted alone, had sufficient strength to protect himself.
"No problem."
All the Archangels immediately agreed to Jasper's command.
Julius' guess was correct. If not for his recklessness, his sharp intuition would have made him a capable commander.
But with Hestinos busy, Jasper was the commander.
For the Archangels gathered here, each feeling threatened, separating and fighting on their own brought a sense of relief. Staying together would only breed suspicion and hinder their actions.
"Maintain communication."
Jasper emphasized.
The Archangels understood her meaning and dispersed in a flash.
They had to prepare for the worst.
Once they discovered anyone attacking their own, they had to ensure the others were immediately informed.
In the vast Crethia Memorial Square, only two of the strongest figures remained, standing tall and waiting for the Ninth Rank vs. Ninth Rank battle that would shake the entire southern continent.
...
Not only Brillada, but the entire Botswana Province, and even the massive Crethia Empire, which occupied two-fifths of the southern continent, was on edge. Even the allied countries in the north, countless homes and families, were anxiously awaiting the outbreak of the ultimate battle.
Bosson Kingdom, the Flower Capital Parai.
As the hub connecting the Aloran Kingdom to the left and the Hethon Kingdom to the right in the eastern region, the higher-ups were in complete disarray.
In the center of the Bosson capital, Parai, stood the majestic King's Defense Department Building.
The building was constructed from gray-white marble, with six ancient Parai-style columns supporting a triangular pediment, symbolizing the Bosson Kingdom's strength and glory since ancient times.
The third floor of the command center.
The Magic Conductor Screen displayed the military deployment map of the Bosson Kingdom's borders, but at this moment, all the officers were focused on the live feed from the imperial capital, Brillada.
The second hand of the clock ticked impatiently, and officers in military uniforms and Bosson Kingdom's high-ranking civil service uniforms hurried back and forth.
They gathered around a Smart Touch Table, their expressions both excited and solemn as they discussed the situation.
"Loren gave Hestinos half an hour to evacuate the residents, and sixteen minutes have already passed. Loren's other subordinates have also started to suppress the power stations in Brillada. But from the perspective of other districts, their actions are restrained, and they haven't harmed any residents. It seems they only aim to restrain the Archangels, allowing Loren and Hestinos to focus on their final duel."
The intelligence officer circled the image of the corner clock tower on the screen with a Mechanical Pen, where the time of the initial ceasefire between the two sides was recorded.
In just a few minutes, Brillada had descended into chaos, with dozens of military split screens unable to keep up with the situation.
At this moment, the central district of Brillada, with Crethia Memorial Square at its center, was already covered by several layers of Sky Canopy barriers.
The entire central district of Manho had become the ultimate battlefield, crisscrossed with Crystal Walls.
"It's not just Loren's powerful subordinates who are in action. Even the Silver Moon Reform Society, hidden in Brillada, and the Brillada Black Hand Gang have all started moving. Along with them, the Imperial Special Operations Unit and the Capital Defense Command have also been mobilized."
"Aside from the main Ninth Rank battlefield at Crethia Memorial Square, the rest of the area will likely become a battleground for Eighth Rank clashes.
Amidst the constant buzz of activity and analysis, footsteps echoed as a figure ascended the stairs to the third floor, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
"Rear Admiral, there are thirteen minutes left," they informed Nigel, the highest-ranking officer of the City Defense Army.
Nigel nodded wearily. Ever since the incident in the Flower Capital and the death of his mentor, Perlman, followed by the outbreak of war, he had been overwhelmed with responsibilities.
He barely had the time to fully focus on Brillada's coronation ceremony, but now it seemed he had to keep an eye on it in his spare moments.
Nigel's greatest concern was for Lance and Tata.
These two friends, who had been through life and death together, were personally sent by him to Brillada. If anything were to happen to them, Nigel didn't know what he would do.
The only solace was the recent emergency contact, informing him that Lance was doing well in Brillada with Tata, and their status was not low, even having to pretend to be an unmarried couple.
Observing the unrest in Brillada, Nigel didn't share the same sense of schadenfreude as the other officers.
At this moment, Brillada was like the Flower Capital during the incident.
In the midst of chaos, there would only be loss.
"However..."
Nigel looked at the replay of the White Robed Pope's actions with a puzzled expression.
For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity with this wind.
Before Nigel could ponder further, the excited cheers of his subordinates from the Flower Capital interrupted his train of thought.
"Loren!"
"You're the strongest!"
If Loren could defeat Hestinos, it would mean peace for the northern countries.
No one had expected a savior from the southern continent to appear at this crucial moment, turning the tide and saving the alliance from collapse.
"High Priest, you must win!"
He was the embodiment of the people's hopes, the last beacon for the kingdom alliances.
...
"I will win," Lance muttered, as if hearing the cries and feeling the surging faith power of the southern continent's residents.
At this moment, Crethia Memorial Square was empty, providing a stage for Loren and Hestinos' battle.
Even from a distance, the roads and buildings appeared deserted, with only the wind blowing through the desolate landscape.
Within a few moments, the surrounding area within a radius of several kilometers would become their final resting place.
The sky above Brillada was already torn open, with occasional flashes of light and booming sounds from afar illuminating the sky in strange colors, only to fade and create ripples once more.
Even from a distance, one could sense that the other battlefields, several dozen kilometers away, had engaged the Twelve Archons and their companions.
"Damn..."
Simon Roland stood outside Crethia Memorial Square, gazing at the sky, wanting to provide support but unable to leave his post.
The Eleventh Archon, Simon Roland, was unique among the High Prefects. He had to remain in place to continuously reinforce the barrier and protect the central Saint Asteria Power Station. With his abilities, he could create a barrier of the utmost defensive strength.
If this location were breached, the entire Brillada could be swiftly destroyed when Hestinos and Loren clashed.
Currently, there were three layers of barriers. The first layer enveloped Crethia Memorial Square, forming the fastest temporary barrier.
The second layer, a reinforced barrier, covered a two-kilometer radius in the shape of a cubic crystal wall. It had the strongest defense but required the power supply from the Saint Asteria Power Station and the support of other magic profession users to maintain. The residents within the barrier had already been evacuated.
The third layer extended to a radius of five kilometers, almost reaching the sky canopy. Once the residents had completely evacuated, it would be sealed, and due to its vast range, its defensive capabilities were the weakest, mainly serving to mitigate the aftermath.
If only someone could help reinforce the second layer, any magic profession user would do, but unfortunately, the other Archons had likely found their opponents.
It was fortunate that no one had come to attack him yet.
With the triple layer of barriers reducing the impact, this should be the best battlefield. Even if the two strongest ninth-rank individuals in the world clashed in the center of the barrier, the residual force and diffusion would be minimized, protecting the city-state of Brillada and its residents who were still evacuating to a safer distance.
Only a few fearless journalists remained in the second layer, capturing the battle from a distance with their sturdy equipment and providing passionate reports.
"High Priest Loren, you're truly one to talk behind people's backs," Hestinos mocked, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword as he smirked at the White Robed Pope.
"You talk of righteousness, yet under your command, others have begun to wage war, endangering the citizens of Brillada?"
He asked casually, as if passing the time.
"Look closely, they are deliberately avoiding residential areas, refraining from using any lethal force. They are only targeting military facilities aimed at us. This is a reasonable self-defense measure, and my companions are also protecting civilians, with the Archons intercepting in the gray zone and high altitude," Lance explained to Hestinos, elucidating the nature of modern warfare.
The battle for public opinion was just as crucial.
He wasn't afraid of Hestinos suddenly attacking him; the only casualty would be Crethia Memorial Square and its surrounding buildings.
Perhaps Hestinos was betting on Loren's life-saving magic having a limited number of uses, even if it was an epic-level spell.
However, Loren's life-saving magic only had a time limit; as long as his mana held out, he would remain immortal.
Half an hour might seem long, or perhaps short, but even without looking at the clock tower, one could sense that the half-hour was almost up.
"It seems the residents' evacuation is nearly complete," Lance said.
"You should be ready too, right?"
Lance and Hestinos faced each other but both turned their heads to look into the distance.
Their leisurely demeanor belied the impending final battle, each believing themselves to be the strongest in the world.
(End of Chapter)
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