275 Contracted Bail Part 1 (1/2)
Erhardt, Bayiz and the third elder's son, the three violently maimed captives appeared before Konrad, broken, and unable to speak.
”NOOO!”
The third cult elder and Anatol's wife roared in tandem and shot toward the Anti Divine Power screen! This time, even Anatol could no longer restrain himself and joined the fray.
The appearance of the three experts did nothing to deter Konrad. With the Anti-Divine-Power screen standing between them, even if the Celestial Church's leader was one of the two most powerful experts on the globe, he still couldn't alter today's result.
Seeing the three land before him, in his thousand-headed World Devourer form, Konrad's maw formed the semblance of a smile, creating a grotesque sight that intensified the dread of those observing the scene from afar.
As soon as they arrived, the third elder and Anatol's wife unleashed their strongest strikes on the Anti-Divine-Power screen, fighting tooth and nails to obliterate it. However, all of their attempts were futile. Anatol then joined the fray, condensing a dazzling golden sun that fired a succession of blinding beams upon the screen.
In the world's knowledge, Draven, Anatol, Berken, and the Celestial Church's Great Elder were the Ancient Crystal World's mightiest experts. They'd been stranded in the late-stage of Divine Transformation for thousands of years, and failed to break through to the peak not because of talent, but due to lacking resources.
However, of those four, the two leaders were ranked higher due to their ownership of their respective factions' Supreme Artifact while Berken was believed stronger than the church's great elder. Of course, without battles to determine the truth, this was nothing but hearsay.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
Anatol's sunbeams barreled into the screen but failed to leave a dent. Meanwhile, Konrad flew toward the screen, bringing the maimed captives closer to their relatives. And seeing Bayiz's state, Berken, who observed the scene from a distance, didn't even bat an eyelid.
Mild disappointment flashed on his face, and he turned heels.
”There is nothing else to see. In the future, we will all meet within the Barbarian Continent. In the meantime, I'd recommend you devise a way to make up for your blunder. Otherwise…”
Berken didn't finish his words and vanished in a golden haze. Gulistan's smile remained unchanged, and she observed the battle's conclusion with rapt attention.
…
Anatol unleashed strikes upon strikes on the screen, all to no avail. At a loss, he summoned a white bow which overflowed with unfathomable divine power.
This was the most potent artifact of the Celestial Church, the Heavenly Star Bow.
Wielding this high-grade Divine Artifact, Anatol's already tyrannical pressure rose to new heights.
But as he armed his bow, and fired a white light arrow which seemed endowed with the power to obliterate the sun and moon, Konrad merely shook his head.
”Useless.”
And indeed, the arrow slammed against the Anti-Divine-Power screen and vanished like all the previous moves.
Anatol despaired. But what was the point of desperation? Since an offensive stance was useless, he could only lower his pride and seek a compromise.
Returning his Heavenly Star Bow to his space treasure, he raised his defeated eyes toward the towering Konrad's central heads.
”You won.”
He admitted, in a calm tone that concealed the waves of emotions within his heart.
”How could I not? I warned you, but you didn't listen. Whoever came could only perish. Having been forced to slaughter so many lives, my heart is full of grief. Believe me, this hurts me more than it hurts you.”
Konrad replied, and in his thousand-headed horned serpent form, his words echoed like a perfectly matched choir. An evil choir that grated the ears of his foes. However, Anatol kept his composure.