Praise Ella-[Holy Light]

"Don't act rashly! Come back, Buck!" Joanne shouted.

Buck ignored her, lunging forward with a savage expression.

"Praise Ella—[Holy Light Impact]!" Antioch spoke slowly, opening with a second-ring divine spell.

Dazzling white light flared again. Though cast later, it struck first; the corpse held before him as a shield was blasted directly into a cloud of blood mist, and the terrifying force of the aftermath effortlessly sent Buck flying.

Antioch raised his staff, intending to continue casting and finish him off. At the critical moment, White Dove opened her mouth again.

The sharp, piercing shriek sounded like a death knell from hell. Antioch's movements paused, though only for an instant.

[Flame Touch]

[White Phosphorus—Fireball]

Lynn and Joanne, who had covered their ears in advance, seized the opportunity to intervene. They simultaneously unleashed the strongest spells they possessed, and two streams of scorching flame surged toward Antioch, forcing the Archbishop to abandon his attack and switch to defensive magic.

Third-ring divine spell—[Divine Barrier]!

An invisible barrier rose before Antioch, easily blocking the torrent of flames. However, the white phosphorus fire clung to it, slowly yet relentlessly corroding the surface of the invisible shield.

Roar!

Buck, who had just been grievously wounded and knocked to the ground, stood up again. His eyes were bloodshot, and the beastly traits of his body became ever more pronounced.

At that moment, Buck resembled a massive bear standing upright. He charged straight into the blazing sea of fire, and the fur and robes on his body were soon covered in white phosphorus flames.

The agony of being scorched by temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees was enough to drive anyone mad, yet Buck paid it no heed. The moment he, a Wizard Apprentice, used Magic Transformation, the process of beastification had become irreversible. And if he wanted to break Antioch's defensive divine spell, his strength alone would never be enough!

"Joanne, Carl, get out of here first! I'm staying to avenge Barton!" Buck roared as he slammed a paw against the [Divine Barrier] before him.

Ripples appeared across the invisible barrier, but Antioch casually used a divine spell to blast Buck away.

"We're leaving!" Lynn said without hesitation after giving Buck a deep look. Covered head to toe in white phosphorus fire, Buck was beyond saving.

After knocking Buck away, Antioch moved directly in front of the only exit. Having lost so many men, he naturally would not let Lynn and the others go so easily.

"Repent before the great Lord, Demon's Followers..." Antioch raised the bishop's staff in his hand and chanted loudly.

"Praise Ella—[Holy Light]!"

A brilliant wave of light spread outward in a semicircle from the staff. It could neither be blocked nor evaded, for the divine spell covered more than half the side hall!

But Lynn was never someone who failed to leave himself an escape route!

In fact, before entering the side hall, he had already prepared an escape plan for just such a crisis!

Lynn, White Dove, and Joanne pressed their hands against the ground almost simultaneously.

Zero-Ring Magic—[Basic Material Deconstruction]!

The sturdy floor cracked apart instantly. Three fine fissures spread like spiderwebs, eventually connecting together. Before the terrifying white light arrived, the ground beneath their feet collapsed first...

The [Holy Light] that had struck empty air swept over the collapsed opening and slammed into the wall behind it. A series of explosions soon echoed through the castle.

Once the stirred-up dust and rubble had settled, Antioch stared at the collapsed hole in the side hall, his expression turning extremely grim.

Roar!

A hoarse bellow came from beside him.

Having been sent flying earlier, Buck had not been within the range of [Holy Light]. But by then, he no longer looked human. He had transformed into a hulking bear, his skin still covered in blazing white phosphorus fire. Beneath the charred flesh, pale white bones could vaguely be seen.

Even so, Buck still charged forward, driven by his obsession with revenge.

Antioch frowned. He had no time to waste on a dying Wizard Apprentice. Raising one hand, he caused the fallen sand and rocks to rapidly pile together, combining them with the shattered armor on the ground to form two enormous stone statues three meters tall.

This was the second-ring divine spell—[Summon Spirit Realm Guard].

Once the two stone statues had formed, they split apart. One swung its fist and knocked the giant bear Buck to the ground, while the other leaped directly into the hole where the floor had collapsed...

"Good thing this place isn't very high!"

Using the falling rubble as a buffer, Lynn smoothly relied on the [Basic Material Deconstruction] cast jointly by the three of them to break through the floor and arrive directly in the castle's basement.

Lynn surveyed the surroundings. It looked like an armory, with a great many weapons, blades, and swords stacked on racks around the room. There were also many empty chests, likely where treasure had been stored before. Clearly, however, the castle's owner had taken it away while fleeing.

After confirming their surroundings, Lynn immediately turned his attention to his two companions.

Joanne was in relatively good condition, merely suffering from severe mana depletion. White Dove, however, was different. Having used [Soul Shriek] twice in succession, even though she was an exceptionally rare Psionicist, she could barely stand.

"Joanne, how far are we from that underground canal?" Lynn asked.

"Follow this path straight ahead. We'll reach it in three minutes at most." Joanne reached out to support White Dove. After hesitating briefly, she quickly made up her mind. "We can split up from here. You take White Dove, and I'll draw Antioch away..."

Joanne knew perfectly well that they could not outrun Antioch. If this continued, they would sooner or later be caught.

Although the earlier battle had drained much of her mana, with [Magic Hand], she could still cast two more advanced first-ring spells. At the very least, she could buy them some time...

The silver-gray-haired Witch lowered her head, biting her rosy lips until traces of blood appeared. She had once promised her mentor Coru that she would bring everyone safely back to the Land of Wizards.

But Kent was dead now. Will was dead too. Buck and Barton had fallen before her eyes, yet she could do nothing...

"I'm afraid you said that too late!" Lynn looked upward.

In that brief moment, a violent explosion had already erupted above them. Immediately afterward, an enormous armored stone statue, fully three meters tall, crashed down through the opening overhead.

"Go!" Lynn grabbed Joanne and White Dove by the arms, dragging them out of the area where the rubble was falling as he shouted.

In order to save Buck earlier, he had been forced to use up the white phosphorus fire he had intended to use for covering their retreat. More than half the mana in his body had already been depleted.

If he faced that Archbishop again, he stood no chance at all!

The huge, heavy Spirit Realm Guard crashed to the ground, seeming to make the entire floor tremble. Then it extended its stone arms and charged toward the three of them in great strides.

Lynn's expression tightened as he prepared to evade it, when a notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Warning... A treaty target has been detected committing serious illegal acts, suspected of using chemical weapons to carry out mass slaughter. The nature of the crime is exceptionally severe! The criminal evidence has been recorded. Before the Federal Police arrive, you will have one opportunity to make an online statement...]