In scripture, a certain class of angel was recorded: beings composed of pure bright flames, tasked with guarding the Lord's throne and serving as the vanguard in every battle against demons.
They were the sharp blade in the Lord's hand—they were "Seraph."
Yet across the long span of history, one could occasionally find them annotated under another name: "Seraphim."
Lu Li had seen a Seraph once before. Its twisted, hideous face and suffocating malice made it seem far more like a demon itself than a weapon meant to destroy them.
Yet today, he bore witness to a completely different scene.
Scorching flames ignited the entire sky as two blurred figures—one red, one white—clashed in midair, sending gorgeous ripples surging outward from time to time.
This was Lu Li's first time seeing a Holy Relic armament with his own eyes, and likewise his first time feeling the continent's most powerful extraordinary force at such close range.
The two figures clashed fiercely like two massive surges of power, their stray shockwaves alone powerful enough to demolish the sturdiest of fortresses.
The crowds at the academy and its surrounding areas had mostly been evacuated. At present, the only ones remaining on the scene were Lu Li and the unit of knights protecting his safety.
“Your Holiness, we should leave as well,” Anthelia said.
Although leaving Amore here alone went against her knightly chivalry, the safety of the Holy See was the top priority she had to consider.
What was more, the battle's intensity had already exceeded the limits of her capabilities. Even if equipped with a Holy Relic armament, she could at most assist Amore to fight Wendelina to a draw, unable to play a decisive role.
Lu Li shook his head, his gaze fixed on the magnificently dazzling sky. It was an atmospheric phenomenon caused by the rippling waves of surging energy—beautiful, yet lethal.
“It's no use. She's coming for me. Even if I leave this place, she will still track me down.
“Rather than dragging more ordinary people into this, we might as well stay here with peace of mind and await the outcome.”
As Lu Li spoke, he observed the ongoing battle.
He could see that the white energy representing Amore was trying its absolute best to block the red energy representing Wendelina from approaching, yet the distance between them continued to shrink step by step.
“She is a Sacred Knight, after all.”
Lu Li understood that Amore was by no means a match for her opponent. At present, the Sacred Knight named Wendelina clearly had not even exerted her full strength.
Amore, currently locked in combat, felt this as well. Though both had released their True Names, every single exchange strained Amore to her limits, while her opponent handled it with apparent ease.
She had even used the latest experimental results Professor Mekal had tested on her, breaking the limits of True Name release within controllable parameters. The intensity of mental pollution had long exceeded what she could normally endure while using a Holy Relic armament.
“Heretic! Don't you dare take another step!”
Gritting her teeth, Amore swung her heavy greatsword as pale flames surged violently outward, resolving to slice down her opponent with a momentum that could destroy all in its path!
Yet that crimson figure merely raised the fiery longsword in her hand lightly, blocking the blow with ease.
“Heretic...”
An emotionless voice murmured softly from Wendelina's lips.
She swung her sword, forcing back the fiercely burning Amore, and quietly stared at the child before her, who was a few years younger than her own daughter.
Then, she spoke:
“Child, the power of Holy Relics is a double-edged sword. While it stabs your enemy, it stabs you as well.
“It is something to be thankful for to have things you wish to protect, but having too singular a purpose makes it easy to lose yourself.”
Wendelina's voice carried a hint of gentleness, but at this moment, Amore could hear none of it.
The oppressive pressure brought by the enemy before her was too overwhelming, far surpassing any formidable foe she had ever encountered.
At this very moment, there was only one single thought in Amore's mind:
I must never, ever, ever let her get half a step closer to His Holiness!
Therefore, she could only—and must—completely defeat her here!
“Aaaaah! Shut up!!!”
Along with the girl's furious roar, she swung her greatsword once more.
If one strike didn't work, then two. If two didn't work, then three.
Yet every single time, the greatsword in her hands was effortlessly blocked by her opponent.
Wendelina looked at the frantic, wildly swinging girl before her, then glanced thoughtfully down below.
Far in the distance, the boy clad in holy robes was looking toward them as well. The young knight guard at his side seemed to be advising him to leave, yet he shook his head and refused.
“Bastard! Where are you looking?!”
Wendelina's action ignited an even fiercer rage within Amore, and she called out that name once more with virtually no hesitation.
“Sa—ri—el—!!!”
True Name, third release.
As the girl's raspy voice echoed, the blazes burning fiercely across the sky seemed to freeze in a single instant.
Immediately after, a domineering, brutal aura descended upon her.
The sky turned dark.
No, it wasn't that night had fallen, but rather that profound, pitch-black flames swapped places with the crimson and pale flames in an instant, taking over their original domain across the firmament.
Lu Li knit his brows slightly, sensing an inexplicably familiar aura.
It was malice—a pure malice emanating from Amore. Yet how could Amore be filled with malice toward him?
It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that this malice was not directed at him at all, but toward every living creature in this world.
“Are you crazy?”
At this moment, even Wendelina was stunned. Releasing a True Name so recklessly regardless of the cost was something she had never witnessed before; even looking across the Holy State's thousand-year history, no one had ever acted so recklessly.
Faced with Wendelina's shock and confusion, Amore answered her with only three words:
“I'll kill you!”
The pitch-black flames continued to spread as if possessing a consciousness of their own, tightly enveloping Amore's body. In this moment, just like Wendelina, she seemed to have transformed into a humanoid fire.
The two clashed once more!
Standing in the distance, Lu Li took in all of Amore's changes, a faint trace of worry showing in his eyes.
“Anthelia, is Amore really fine looking like that?”
He understood the principles behind using Holy Relic armaments, and precisely because he understood, he was all the more worried about that white-haired girl. Her current state looked anything but normal.
Truth be told, Anthelia was utterly uncertain herself. She was even already contemplating where she should take the Holy See to flee if Amore suddenly lost control... Uh, she meant make a strategic retreat.
When it concerned the Holy See, it wasn't called fleeing—it was a strategic retreat.
However, she was currently the only support at the Holy See's side, so she absolutely could not show even a hint of worry.
Thus, with a solemn expression, she spoke these words in a tone brimming with confidence:
“Rest assured, Your Holiness, everything will be fine!”
Great... Now I'm even more worried...
Lu Li sighed in his heart.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. Logically, the fight had been going on for quite a while now, so the reinforcing Holy Relic Knights should have arrived long ago. Why was there still no sign of them?
Rate on N.U.
