Backstab

Extreme light and heat enveloped the world.

A second Sun rose from the sea deep within the mist, a gigantic golden sphere suspended in mid-air, burning and emitting dazzling light. This light was incredibly intense, carrying Destruction heat and terrifying Purification power, shooting out in all directions.

Holy, brutal, pure, terrifying!

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

The miniature Sun radiated deadly heat, vaporizing the seawater below before it even had a chance to boil, sending it billowing up as scorching Steam. The wreckage of the Intis warships turned to ashes in an instant, and the heavy cannons melted into scalding, bright liquid within seconds, evaporating before they could even touch the surface.

The sea level dropped rapidly, creating an astonishingly large depression. The surrounding seawater kept replenishing it, but it was constantly being consumed, gradually forming a whirlpool with an incredibly fast current around the perimeter.

The surviving sailors of the Fog Sea Fleet suffered a devastating blow. They were simply unable to survive in such harsh conditions; some were dried out by the intense heat, others were burned to dust by the extreme sunlight, and still others were completely Purification into nothingness...

In the depression in the Sea, only two relatively intact Ships remained.

One of them was the modified Steam where Jean- Pierre was. He enveloped the ship in light, protecting it from the Miniature Sun's attack. At that moment, he held aloft his short, black staff, the light at its center faintly echoing the Miniature Sun in the sky.

"Sizzle..."

The other surviving ship was naturally the Black Throne, scorched by the light and constantly emitting smoke. Its true form was Sequence 2 Angel, and although it wouldn't be easily Destruction by damage of the same rank, it was still in a difficult situation.

"Splash..."

The chains clanged together, making a sound.

The woman in the long black dress slumped onto the deck, a few strands of hair clinging to her delicate face with sweat under the blazing sunlight. Looking at the majestic figure opposite her, bathed in light and radiating an aura of Justice, a flicker of disdain crossed her eyes.

He's just a Sequence 3 Beyonder using Sequence 2 Sealed Artifact. If it weren't for those chains, how could I possibly lose?

"The remnants of Roselle!"

Archbishop Pierre's voice boomed, pointing his short staff at her as if delivering a final Judgement: "In the name of Justice, I will punish you!"

"Buzz--"

A deep golden hue condensed on the surface of the Miniature Sun, accumulating terrifying energy. At the same time, the woman in the black dress, after being pointed at by the short staff, further weakened, as some unseen rule was influencing her Spirituality.

"Oh..."

The woman gave a Pride laugh, looked down at the chains binding her with disgust, and then slowly rose from the deck. The chains were tightly bound to her, and even such a simple movement seemed to impose a great burden on her.

She fearlessly faced the golden light.

Meanwhile, on the opposite ship.

"Bishop Pierre!"

Seeing the former's violent actions, Major General François, who was hiding in the shadows of the Steam, immediately shouted, "Calm down! Don't forget, our mission is to capture the Black Throne and bring it back to Intis intact!"

Those big shots want the ship, not to Destruction it like this!

However, Pierre completely ignored François's shouts, and the priests surrounding the bishop simply prayed. Their fanaticism was contagious; they now had only one thought: to utterly destroy evil.

"Damn it..."

François looked distressed.

The Archbishop's hatred for Roselle and his adherence to principles of Justice Distortion his actions; it seems he's going to unleash the full power of the Sealed Artifact 0-15, showing absolutely no mercy! The Fog Sea Fleet is already destroyed; if the main target is also Destruction, who knows what kind of punishment he'll face...

Thinking of this, François suddenly felt a surge of anger.

It's all this guy's fault!

This Lunatic from the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, a completely incomprehensible paranoiac... I should kill him right now!

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Someone whispered in his ear with a laugh.

It was a young and energetic voice, its tone carrying a strong seductive quality that easily stirred his emotions. It was a resonance from the depths of his Spirituality, François's eyes glazed over. The impulsive thoughts buried deep in his heart ignited like wildfire in an instant.

Yeah, what am I waiting for?

I'm Hunter; do Hunter need a reason to attack others?

Besides, this guy has his back to you, you'd be doing him a disservice if you didn't teach him a lesson... Finding his weakness and launching a sneak attack, isn't that your specialty?

"Brush!"

He immediately drew a short sword from his robes, which burst into a pure blue flame the moment it touched the air. Unlike the sacredness of the Sun's fire, this flame displayed a destructive power of destruction and slaughter!

Bishop Pierre had reached the crucial moment in gathering his light, and everyone's attention was focused on the golden sphere. His back was exposed undefended to François.

We've found the weakness... Die!

A surge of emotions roared deep within his soul. In an instant, François exhausted a large amount of his Spirituality, rushed forward, and plunged the flaming dagger into Bishop Pierre's back.

"Weak Point Attack" plus "Harvest", plus a Sequence 4 Mystical Item!

"Puff!"

The next instant, a sharp, penetrating sensation came from the short sword; François's Spirituality transformed into a powerful attack, exploding within Bishop Pierre's body!

Serves you right, haha... wait a minute!

François was just beginning to feel a malicious pleasure when he suddenly snapped back to reality. Pierre's body wasn't bleeding; instead, it was radiating golden light. Illuminated by this light, his previously muddled thoughts suddenly cleared.

What am I doing?!

The priests around him stared at him in astonishment. He seemed to have just woken up from a dream, and realized with bewilderment and horror that he had actually ambushed his companion!

I remember a voice that seduced me... François's momentum hadn't stopped; his eyes darted around, looking in the direction from which the voice had come from.

The next instant, his pupils suddenly contracted.

On the distant sea, a blood-red figure had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. He held a head in his arms (François vaguely remembered it; it was a minor officer in his fleet). A strange shadow lay on top of the head, its mouth close to the head's ear.

"Hehe..."

Sensing François's gaze, the shadowy figure chuckled lightly, a sound seemingly filled with mockery.

Only then did François truly regain control of his body, and the clergymen's screams had just begun!