Battle of Divine and Arcane Magic

Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages?

Nisi frowned. In all her years, she had never heard of these so-called Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages. However, one thing caught Nisi attention: the title sounded very similar to "Seven Ring Spirit Envoys," and this woman didn't seem to be an ordinary human. She had clearly seen the girl appear after the scepter disappeared. Could she also be Weapon Spirit?

Nisi was unwilling to accept this conjecture. She did not sense Magic Power from the girl, but even so, the divine power emanating from the girl was not to be underestimated.

Should we retreat?

Nisi began to hesitate.

The opponent's identity is unknown. As a mage, unless you are absolutely certain of victory, it's best not to fight an unidentified enemy. Moreover, this girl seems to possess considerable power. Since she was able to withstand my legendary spell, it means she has the strength to rival me. This means my elven soldiers will be unprotected and are likely to suffer losses, which is a serious concern for elves, whose population is always a sensitive issue.

But...

"Don't forget, you're Arcane Mage, Nisi!"

Just then, Nia couldn't help but recall what Nia had said to her back then.

"You are an Arcane Mage, and only by using the power of Arcane Mage can you possibly defeat me! Mastering this power is essential for you!"

That's right.

Although I don't know what the Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages are, I am Arcane Mage! I absolutely, absolutely cannot give up here!

With that thought in mind, Nisi made up her mind.

Are you going to stand in my way?

"Certainly."

The girl opened the holy book in her hands.

"This is my mission, a mission bestowed upon me by a great god. I must stop your invasion and protect innocent humanity from harm."

"Innocent? Invader?"

Nisi clenched her fists.

"Nonsense!"

She shouted loudly.

"What innocence? What invasion? We're just taking back what's rightfully ours! Do you even know what humans have done to us elves? In your eyes, only they have the right to treat us like slaves?! I don't know what you are, but as an elf, as Arcane Mage, I absolutely cannot let your words go unpunished. You understand nothing! I will never back down! For my sister, for the future of the elves, I will defeat you!"

A torrent of magical power began to gather in Nisi's hands, manifesting as a fierce whirlwind that swept towards the girl floating in the sky.

For Nisi, this battle wasn't entirely hopeless. After all, Evokers possessed the strongest offensive power among all mages, while users of divine spells weren't quite as powerful. They might have considerable strength in defense and blessings, but the offensive capabilities of most divine spells couldn't compare to Evokers. Nisi's first priority was to seize the initiative and launch an attack.

A magically manipulated hurricane roared towards the girl, who frowned at the oncoming attack. She quickly opened the tome in her hand and pressed down on a page. Then... that page emitted a golden flash.

The fierce hurricanes shifted their course before the girl, missing their target and roaring with endless regret as they hurtled towards the horizon, as if an invisible wall had been erected before her, forcefully diverting the magic's direction. However, Nisi's attack did not cease. She swiftly made a series of dazzling hand gestures, once again gathering magical power for her own use. Through this period of training, the elven mage's understanding and application of magic had deepened further; she could now freely control the power of the elements and command them to serve her.

Several enormous water spheres appeared before Nisi, and their icy surfaces and the flashing lightning within them indicated that they were not simply water spheres. If Li Lin were here, he might even praise her—to be able to train elemental fusion to this level in such a short time, Nisi truly deserves her reputation as a genius.

At the same time, the girl was rapidly turning the pages of her book while whispering a prayer. Just as Nisi released the fusion elemental orb, a powerful divine spell was also ready to be unleashed.

Both sides launched their attacks almost simultaneously.

As Nisi pointed forward, several fused elemental orbs hurtled toward the enemy before her. At that moment, the girl ceased her prayers, and several longswords, formed from white light, appeared out of thin air, slicing through the air with a sharp whooshing sound as they pierced Nisi.

However, neither side succeeded.

The lightsabers pierced the massive elemental sphere, penetrating its hard, icy surface and detonating the lightning within. Moisture instantly burst and shattered, while lightning almost immediately spread outwards, seizing and destroying everything in its path. The incoming lightsabers were naturally the first to be struck; they were not immune to the power of the lightning, and under its deafening roar, they dissipated back into particles of light and vanished into the air.

The first duel ended in a draw.

However, this does not mean that both sides will stop fighting.

The air suddenly became scorching hot, and the previously colorless and transparent parts were tinged with a bright red. Crimson clouds suddenly appeared, swirling and churning towards the girl. The unbearable shockwaves even caused the girl's hair to twist and turn. Faced with this sudden change, the girl's expression grew even more solemn. Soon, a pure white halo spread from her body, transforming her back into a sphere of light. The sphere of white light barely withstood the further onslaught of the crimson fiery clouds. Nisi didn't stop; she gritted her teeth and continued to manipulate the elemental energy in her hands, transforming it into pure essence and slowly pressing it forward.

In their previous two encounters, Nisi had already sensed how troublesome this "thing" was. Just as she had predicted, while divine magic users weren't particularly skilled at offense, they were quite adept at defense. Continuing like this could drag on for a long time, so she decided to finish the battle quickly and complete her mission first. After all, her primary task here was to destroy this human town, not to fight some strange and unusual thing. Therefore, she immediately changed her battle plan. After the fire cloud completely enveloped the sphere of light, she began to manipulate the fire cloud to spread in all directions. If she could use it to ignite the town, then her objective would be completely achieved. Even if this strange girl could withstand her attacks, there was no guarantee she could protect the town behind her under such circumstances.

Just then, Nisi felt a blur before her eyes.

It was only because of the Evoker's protection that she escaped this fatal blow. Nisi stared wide-eyed in astonishment at the Hell Hound engulfed in flames before her, utterly dumbfounded.

What's going on? How could a demon appear?

However, the current situation left Nisi no time to think. She decisively ended her manipulation of the fire clouds, ordering them to spread outwards with maximum force to create a threat. The elven mage then retreated swiftly, an invisible wall rising before her and deflecting the Hell Hound that lunged at her again. Nisi used this opening to retreat rapidly. After all, she was just a traditional mage, unlike Li Lin who idly traveled the continent for centuries to hone his melee skills. Although she didn't know where the Hell Hound came from, avoiding it was the safest course of action.

However, Nisi was not able to completely evade the following attack. Although she blocked the Hell Hound's attack with surprisingly fast reflexes, she was caught off guard by the two black flames that shot out from the fire cloud. They not only penetrated the air wall in an instant, but even Nisi's protective spells could not hinder them in the slightest. While Protection from Good was indeed the best countermeasure in a certain sense for the current battle, it seemed so weak and powerless in the face of evil divine power.

However, Arcane Mage is, after all, Arcane Mage.

Nisi a shout, two thunderous bolts of lightning instantly appeared in her hands. She stretched them forward, barely managing to block the oncoming black flames. At this moment, she used the power of the elements to its fullest extent. The flashing lightning fiercely resisted the oncoming black flames, bursting apart with a deafening roar, bringing with it a strong air vibration and a violent shockwave.

Just then, a beam of pure white light shot down from the sky and struck Nisi, who had no time to react.

"Ugh!!"

If the "Protection from Good" on her body hadn't not completely dissipated, and if Nisi herself weren't a truly evil being, this attack would have been enough to obliterate her. But even so, the elven mage was still knocked down from the sky and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Waaah..."

With great difficulty, she managed to lift her head and gaze at the still bright and shining orb in the sky, completely Nisi.

What's going on? Isn't she an emissary of the God of Justice? Why can she summon creatures from Lower Planes? Why can she wield the destructive fire that only evil gods can use? What's going on? Who exactly is she? Why is she...?

But even so, I cannot admit defeat!

"Don't underestimate Arcane Mage!!"

Just then, Nisi finally made up her mind and unleashed her power.

Magical runes emerged from her body, bursting forth with bright light. The wind began to tremble, the sky began to shake, the earth began to roar, and the clouds that had disappeared reappeared—then, they merged into one, transforming into a gigantic storm giant that could stand tall and upright.

The wind swirled and swirled, forming Nisi's face amidst the clouds. Her body had completely vanished, replaced by an invincible form constructed from elements. Clouds, wind, lightning, and even the soil swirled under the immense elemental power, roaring as it charged towards its enemy. It was as if it could sweep away all obstacles in its path with a mere wave of its hand, no matter what they might be.

Nisi did reach out her hand, but she failed to do what she was supposed to do next.

Two chains appeared out of thin air, firmly binding Nisi's storm-like body. They should have been something intangible, but that was not the case.

"The Chains of Wind?"

As one of the rare elves who has lived from a thousand years ago to the present, Nisi immediately recognized that what bound her body was neither ordinary magic nor ordinary divine art; it was originally the patent of the God of Storms —she could even see the God of Storms's emblem on the chains constructed of wind.

What exactly happened?

Nisi was completely bewildered. She couldn't understand why she was being attacked simultaneously by four divine powers—Justice, Light, Destruction, and Storm—when she was facing only one person. However, Nisi had no time to be surprised or astonished, because at that moment, she saw the young knight suddenly leap up, transforming into a bright flash of light, wielding a longsword imbued with divine power and thrusting it towards her. Although the storm and lightning still roared around her elemental body, trying to stop the intruder, the elemental forces attacking the young paladin were all dispelled and vanished, accompanied by a strange and intense war song.

The God of War's "Song of the Brave".

"Lord Luoxia..."

Unable to move, and bound by the Divine Lock, Nisi couldn't even revert to her original elf form. She could only stare blankly as the paladin charged towards her, then close her eyes and call out the name of the person she trusted most.

The storm's body was torn apart in an instant, followed by a sharp scream that pierced the sky.

Just then, the whole world suddenly trembled, and ripples of vibration appeared. Then, as if the scenery had been distorted, it jumped, and then Nisi's figure disappeared.

She escaped.

Back on the ground, the young paladin stared at the holy longsword in his hand, frowning slightly at the shocking sight of the bright red bloodstains on it.

"However, this meant the elves no longer dared to invade human cities at will."

The girl who had been floating in the sky slowly landed on the ground and spoke quietly.

"You have protected the future of humanity, Mr. Mobius... As a savior, you have done well."

"Of course, I will continue to work hard."

Mobius said, wiping the blood off his sword.

"For my teacher, and for all humanity, I will surely achieve final victory... The evil elves and the Magic Empire will ultimately be destroyed."

Gazing at the distant sky, the boy made an unwavering vow.

Nisi did not die, but her condition was quite serious.

"Just one inch deeper, and she would become the shortest-serving Arcane Mage in history."

After examining Nisi's injuries, Li Lin frowned and sighed helplessly. Then, he turned to the silent girl standing beside him.

"Please convey my gratitude to the Lady of Secrets; I owe her a favor."

"I will, Arcane Mage."

The girl turned slightly to bow, then left the room.

"I never expected Lady Nisi to be so badly injured."

Nia frowned, her expression equally grave. Just moments before, as she and Li Lin were discussing their next move, the Lady of Secrets had suddenly appeared, bringing with her the severely injured and dying Nisi. They hadn't received a response from the Lady of Secrets's messenger about what had happened, but that was to be expected. The fact that the Lady of Secrets was directly intervening to help them rescue her was already a rare and valuable assistance.

"Although she has only been Arcane Mage for a short time, she shouldn't have fallen to this state."

Li Lin gently stroked Nisi's cheek and tidied her hair. Although Nisi's face had been frighteningly pale just now, she had improved considerably after the treatment.

"Waaah..."

Seemingly sensing Li Lin's hand, Nisi slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw the man in front of her clearly, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Lady Luoxia... I...!"

She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her chest forced her to lie back down on the bed.

"Don't get agitated, Nisi."

As Li Lin spoke, he patted her head.

"You should be grateful for your good fortune. If it weren't for the Lady of Secrets's help, you'd probably be reporting to your sister right now why you went to have afternoon tea with her before fulfilling her wish."

"I..."

Nisi opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Although she had lived for so long, even when the Magic Empire was destroyed and the elves were threatened, she had never been so close to death... She had even taken a half-step across the threshold, and although she finally left that darkness, the fear wouldn't disappear so easily.

"I... I..."

"Calm down, Nisi. As an Arcane Mage, calmness is essential... At least you're still alive, and we're all here for you... So, tell me, what exactly happened?"

Perhaps it was because Li Lin's words were reassuring, or perhaps it was because she realized she was in the safest place, that Nisi gradually calmed down. Then she began to recall everything that had happened during the previous battle and carefully recounted it to the two of them.

After listening to Nisi's words, Nia and Li Lin both fell silent.

"Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages, I don't know what those things are, but if the information provided by Nisi is correct..."

As Li Lin spoke, he looked at Nia.

"Has the God of Justice mastered the technique of creating Weapon Spirit?"

Nia naturally understood what the second half of Li Lin's sentence was.

"That's a top secret of the Magic Empire, isn't it?"

"That's true in theory, but nobody knows the reality."

"Furthermore, according to Lady Nisi, that Weapon Spirit can wield the power of multiple gods simultaneously? No wonder she failed."

"If the God of Justice, who has absorbed so much divine power and authority, can't even offer this much, then what's the difference between him and an idiot?"

"That's true."

After a brief exchange, silence fell again in the study.

"..."

Li Lin.

Seeing that Li Lin remained silent, Nia asked.

"What should we do? Should we send Miss Angela?"

"Although I have absolute confidence in her abilities, if the little one goes, I think she'll wipe out the elves before she can kill all the enemies. You know, the elves will not fight alongside the Scourge Legion. That's their principle, and even I can't change it."

Li Lin shook his head, rejecting Nia's suggestion, and gave a wry smile.

"Besides, the battlefield on Kudel's side needs her, and I think she's more suitable there."

"However, the situation for the elves is also not optimistic."

Nia offered her opinion.

"Although Lady Nisi has only been Arcane Mage for a short time, she was nearly killed..."

It is indeed a very tricky situation. If the elves cannot control the humans, then it is very likely that the humans will spread and infiltrate that area, which will greatly affect Li Lin's plans.

It's not okay to just leave it there, but...

Nia.

In the end, Li Lin made up his mind.

"Would you be interested in seeing what these so-called Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages are all about?"

"Certainly."

In response to Li Lin's question, Nia revealed a smug smile, gently shaking the staff in her hand, producing a crisp clinking sound.

"I've never seen Weapon Spirit capable of using divine magic before, and... I'm also curious to see if that so-called 'Glorious Holy Light' is truly more powerful than the 'Eternal Library'."

"Very good."

Li Lin nodded heavily.

"Starting today, I order all Seven Ring Spirit Envoys depart for the Elven territory to assist them in their next strategic move."

"Then what about the affairs within the city?"

"I'll handle this; it's my job... Suoxiate will go too, and your deputies will be able to help. Your only task is to find the so-called 'Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages' and bring them back—of course, if you can't capture them alive, then destroy them completely, leave no survivors. I'll inquire with Catherine again, but since she didn't reveal those weapons when she met with Gabriel before, it means there's something fishy about these 'Divine Envoys of the Seven Sages.' You need to be careful. If anything seems amiss, don't follow Nisi's example; just quit immediately."

"I understand, Li Lin."

Nia nodded slightly in response to Li Lin's order.

"I... no, we will complete the mission."