492 Pride

Red Angel Medici stood unfazed amidst the onslaught from Snarner, Diest, and the other formidable adversaries. His focus unwavering, He channeled His conquering will to subdue Vermonda Sauron, wielding a broadsword ablaze with purple flames, ready to cleave through the menacing foe.

Seizing the opportune moment, with the uncontrollable Calamity Giant at its weakest, Medici aimed to deliver the final, fatal blow!

Suddenly, a radiant light burst forth before the eyes of Snarner, Diest, and the rest. It was pure sunlight, banishing the darkness and cleansing the surroundings of filth and the stench of blood. The two Angels, now in their Mythical Creature forms, appeared as if exposed to the brilliance of the sun at close range.

From within the luminous glow emerged a holy and beautiful woman, draped in a white robe adorned with golden threads—Trier’s guardian angel, Saint Viève!

She shielded the Red Angel from the relentless attacks of the other powerhouses.

Simultaneously, Medici, clad in blood-stained black armor, descended like a mountain. Plunging the purple broadsword into Vermonda Sauron’s skull, which showed signs of melting under the intense sunlight, Medici marked the decisive moment in the battle.

Boom!

The implosion absorbed the surrounding flames, hurricanes, lightning, hail, and sunlight into the Calamity Giant’s colossal form. The once tumultuous wilderness now stood cleansed, except for the remnants of invisible flames in the sky and a vast golden vortex.

Boom!

Reaching its limit, the implosion rapidly expanded, unleashing a barrage of projectiles. A violent hurricane tore through Vermonda Sauron’s charred skeleton, casting darkness upon the once brightly illuminated landscape.

A torrential downpour accompanied by countless bolts of lightning and thunderclaps ensued, marking the demise of an Angel—a Conqueror.

Snarner, Diest, and the other powerhouses, breaking through Saint Viève’s obstruction, witnessed the scene unfold. Vermonda Sauron’s body disintegrated, and Red Angel Medici, now in the form of a Mythical Creature, brandished His purple-flamed broadsword. He turned disdainfully, mocking those who dared challenge Him.

Snarner Einhorn narrowed His eyes, evaluating the situation. Swiftly transforming into a blaze, He ascended into the air, disappearing into the colossal vortex of formless flames.

Realizing that even with the support of the Iron and Blood Cross Order, victory against Red Angel and Saint Viève was unattainable, He chose to retreat.

The former was undoubtedly a Sequence 1 Conqueror. Moreover, in this unique setting, He appeared capable of tapping into the formidable power hidden within the Fourth Epoch Trier to some extent!

In that situation, He’d fall back and escape if needed; otherwise, He could meet His end right here!

Snarner dashed into the massive vortex in midair, while Diest morphed into a beam of light and shot into the sky. He raced out of the wilderness with Tony Twain, chasing after the Einhorn family’s Weather Warlock.

As Angels of the Hunter pathway, Their judgments and choices were strikingly similar.

Red Angel Medici, observing Their departure, chuckled and muttered to Himself, “The heroic escape of your descendant is reminiscent of yours many years ago.”

His attention then turned to Saint Viève with a smile.

“Now, we can proceed to the final part of the plan and eliminate the bestowed of the Outer Deities.”

Saint Viève nodded in agreement, emitting a blazing light as She flew towards Fourth Epoch Trier, enveloped in a shroud of gray fog.

…

In the depths of Fourth Epoch Trier, alongside a wall-like grayish-white fog, Bernadette Gustav, the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle, fixated Her gaze on a seal adorned with countless mysterious symbols.

In Her palm, a faint golden figure materialized once more through the viscous light emanating from a golden lamp that resembled a miniature lamp.

It said to Bernadette, “Take another step forward and find a monster to ‘replace’ your wish using the method I told you. I can use Under-the-table Transaction to help you obtain something from here to counterbalance the corruption affecting your father.”

Bernadette remained steadfast, not advancing. Calmly, she responded, “I entered this place to analyze the seal and understand how the various corruptions have intricately balanced themselves through years of mergers and confrontations. That sigh was merely an unexpected bonus.”

“Time is of the essence. If you don’t act more assertively, once the Mother Goddess of Depravity breaches the barrier, your father will truly transform into a monster,” warned the distorted, blurry, pale-golden figure.

Undeterred, Bernadette continued absorbing knowledge related to the seal, her focus unwavering.

The pale-golden figure fell silent and retreated into the peculiar lamp without making further persuasion.

…

Gardner Martin’s head, donned with a silver-white helmet, soared into the air, carrying his blood-soaked spine with it.

Glancing down, he witnessed a broadsword of light materializing in his hand.

He—no, his body could use the Pride Armor’s Hurricane of Light again!

However, this time, the target appeared to be him—specifically, his head!

Is this the traitorous curse? My own body turning against my head… Why another betrayal? Could it be linked to constant wearing of the Pride Armor? Gardner Martin’s pupils dilated, fear gripping his heart.

In a desperate attempt to mitigate the impending impact of the Hurricane of Light, he condensed numerous crimson, almost white fireballs. The explosions around him aimed to lessen the force of the onslaught. Simultaneously, he sank his consciousness into his glabella, seeking a connection with the great will, praying for its protective intervention.

…

Beside the shattered corpse of Vermonda Sauron, Red Angel Medici extended His right hand, observing as a beam of light, reminiscent of iron and blood, emanated from the Conqueror’s body. It landed on the damaged skull cradled in His palm.

In that moment, Gardner Martin’s desperate shout and plea reached Him.

Red Angel chuckled dismissively, paying no heed to the pawn that had served its purpose and was now deemed expendable.

Gardner Martin had not submitted to the great will from the depths of Fourth Epoch Trier but to Red Angel Himself!

Over the past few years, Red Angel Medici had lurked in the shadows, orchestrating a scheme to obtain the Sauron family’s lost Sequence 1 Conqueror Beyonder characteristic. Leveraging His uniqueness and level, He assisted numerous members of the Iron and Blood Cross Order in maintaining their lucidity and rationality in the face of corruption at 13 Avenue du Marché. They did not transform into monsters but were only slightly affected.

Using His uniqueness, Medici disguised Himself as a great will from the depths of Fourth Epoch Trier, He manipulated the Iron and Blood Cross Order members to grasp the underground situation and pinpoint Vermonda Sauron’s exact location.

During this process, He uncovered the issue with the Mirror People but refrained from interference, pushing the plan forward. His intention was to involve Trier’s evil god bestowed and utilize them to divert the attention of other factions while extracting corresponding special value and uncovering hidden problems.

As the plan unfolded, Philip informed Gardner Martin about Lumian Lee, who had undoubtedly prayed to the great will.

Seizing this opportunity, Red Angel Medici refined the plan, bestowing Gardner Martin with a divine vision. This allowed him to acquire significant mysticism knowledge and “conceive” the Hostel ritual.

The ritual, designed to create minimal disturbance and increase the chances of success, aimed to “fool” Trier’s most formidable evil god bestowed into Fourth Epoch Trier. The ultimate goal: capture them all and purify them in one fell swoop!

Observing the Beyonder characteristic rapidly condense in His hand, Red Angel Medici raised His gaze to the gradually shrinking golden vortex.

The smile on His face, adorned with decaying wounds, deepened.

Whether it was the Hostel plan or the original strategy involving the special mirror world, both required the cooperation of a faction and the assistance of a true god.

Enter the Eternal Blazing Sun!

Indeed, how can the sun, intolerant of darkness, filth, and humbleness, genuinely collaborate with the Mother, the symbol of depravity and evil?

Having ascended to godhood and abandoned His original Lord in the past, He had chosen this path precisely because He refused to submit to another deity. Why would He now bow to the Mother Goddess of Depravity, an Outer Deity, a different entity altogether?

His needs and acknowledgments were reserved for a collaborator. And I willingly embraced this role. Even if I were to become a Great Old One in the future, I vowed to honor this agreement and stand together in defense as a collaborator.

With the Ruler of War’s divine spot vacant and Cheek in dire straits, I emerged as the most likely candidate to ascend to true godhood and attain the status of a Great Old One in a short span.

The Sun didn’t repent or return to the original Lord’s side, nor did He submit to the Mother Goddess of Depravity who reigned above the gods. Instead, He chose the path of enduring pressure and facing the worst possible outcome to support a new Great Old One.

This decision may have seemed nearly the worst, yet He embraced it wholeheartedly.

Because He is the proud Sun.

Through the golden vortex, the Red Angel’s gaze surveyed the gradually calming storm above Trier, noting a significant decrease in the frequency of lightning.

His smile grew even more smug.

As expected, Tyrant and the old dragon have grasped the entirety of the situation. They are no longer seizing the opportunity to confront the Sun, rendering the entity that had inherited most of the original Lord’s legacy effectively useless.

They, too, yearn for the emergence of a new Great Old One.

Red Angel Medici directed His gaze to His palm, where an iron-black object, resembling a blood-stained crown, was on the verge of taking shape.

Recollections of past events and the betrayal He had only comprehended a few years ago flooded His mind. It all stemmed from His unwavering loyalty to that Lord of 2,401 years.

His choice was unforgiving. He chose to collaborate with the Eternal Blazing Sun.

This was because He was also a proud King of Angels, once the most loyal Red Angel.

As the Sequence 1 Conqueror Beyonder characteristic fully condensed, Medici chuckled and declared, “The curse of your useless descendants can end now.”

He pressed the blood-stained iron crown, formed by the broken skull in His hand, between His eyebrows and devoured it without concocting a potion.

Vermonda Sauron’s blood and shattered corpse, scattered across the wilderness, seemed to come alive, pouring into the Red Angel’s body like a torrent.