Richard's gaze locked onto the beating black heart.
At the edge of the pit, the Fallen Angel's enormous skeleton stood like a gray-white statue, ominous and lifeless.
"Sacrifice it to my lord, and you will receive the first key to ushering in the New Era."
The deity's words echoed in his mind.
"Captain, we..." Gregory stepped forward, unable to suppress the excitement and awe in his voice.
Before he could finish, everything changed.
Two flames, black as pitch, suddenly ignited in the hollow sockets of the kneeling skeleton.
It moved.
A massive Bone Hand slowly rose and gripped the rusted greatsword half-buried in the soil beside it.
Crack—
As it pulled the greatsword free, the ground split, and a stench of death and decay rushed toward them.
The Fallen Angel's skeleton stood up.
Its body, dozens of meters tall, cast an immense shadow that swallowed the entire squad of Templar Knights.
"Brace yourselves!"
Gregory roared. He and every knight raised their heavy shields, driving their Purification Auras to the limit.
Richard did not move an inch.
Within the range of his Divine Grace Aura, the knights felt the pressure on their souls ease considerably. A strange anger replaced the fear rising in their hearts.
Roar!
The skeleton let out a soundless roar. It was not a noise, but a wave that struck directly at their minds.
It swung its rusted greatsword at the knights, the blade shrieking as it tore through the air.
"Shield formation!"
Gregory took the front and slammed his Epic-grade shield into the ground. Golden Holy Flame surged from its edges.
Boom!
The greatsword crashed into the shield formation.
Unimaginable force bore down on them. The ground beneath Gregory's feet sank half a meter, while several knights behind him grunted, blood spilling from their lips. The blow