The battle was entirely one-sided.
Even if Archbishop Terry still had a shred of strength left to fight for his life, he had no desire to continue a futile struggle, and he desperately lunged toward the window.
Escape! He had to escape and call for reinforcements!
However...
A thick magic barrier blocked his path.
Celia let out a cold laugh as she instantly fired several smaller Shadow Bolts, piercing Terry's palms and feet, pinning him firmly to the wooden floor.
Archbishop Terry let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
Watching the expressionless girl slowly approach him, cold sweat drenched Terry's forehead, and his expression gradually turned to one of despair...
But at that moment, Ansu suddenly called for Celia to stop.
"Wait!"
From his position, he could observe the movement outside the door, and he realized the time had come.
Celia understood his meaning instantly, and the black Shadow Bolts vanished at once.
Ansu walked forward unhurriedly until he stood before Terry.
"Archbishop Terry, actually... it's not that we absolutely have to kill you."
Archbishop Terry was startled and hurriedly waited for Ansu to continue.
"We are subordinates of Elder Samantha. We came here on one hand to stop this conspiracy against her, and on the other..."
Ansu glanced quietly at Celia. She clearly noticed the movement outside as well, so she secretly withdrew the magic barrier that had been isolating the room's sound.
"We hope to root out the traitors within the cult. Besides Elder Simon, there are clearly many other betrayers within the Council of Elders. As long as these people aren't eliminated, they will remain a threat to Elder Samantha."
"You mean..." Archbishop Terry's eyes widened, his despair suddenly turning into a pleasant surprise.
"Yes, exactly! Catching the traitors is what's most important!" He clutched his chest, coughing blood continuously as he pleaded in pain.
"There's absolutely no need for our partnership to end! My goal was to earn merit anyway! Whether it's dealing with Samantha or capturing other high-ranking members of the Echoes of Truth, it's still a great achievement!"
Seeing hope within reach, Archbishop Terry completely disregarded his dignity; survival was all that mattered!
"How about this!" he hurriedly proposed. "I'll help you catch the cult traitors if you let me go, how about it?"
"That depends on your sincerity," Ansu said with a smile. "If you can't provide a list that satisfies me, I won't be able to report back, will I?"
"Let me think, let me think..." Archbishop Terry immediately began to recall. "Darren and John. Those two are the cult... er, members of the Echoes of Truth I met with before!"
"That's not enough..." Ansu shook his head, putting on a troubled expression. "They are just low-level executors. What I need is a list of traitors within the Council of Elders."
"But..." Archbishop Terry pleaded frantically. "I only know those names. Aside from the first meeting with Elder Simon, those two have been the ones contacting me... Is that still not enough? If I really knew that much about your Echoes of Truth, would I have needed to risk my reputation to set a trap with your traitors to lure and kill Samantha?"
"So you do know you were risking your reputation?" Ansu gave a mocking smile. "I thought you lacked any self-awareness!"
"A dignified archbishop of the Church of Holy Light, driven so mad for power. Do you have any idea how many innocent people would have died in the Royal Academy if your plan succeeded? How many families would have been left in grief?"
Ansu stepped forward and ground his foot down hard on Archbishop Terry's palm.
Archbishop Terry screamed again, trembling uncontrollably from the pain as the blood from his palm flowed even faster.
Looking at him like this, Ansu still didn't feel satisfied, so he continued to apply pressure and even twisted his foot a few times.
"Enough, enough! Stop it, ahhhh...!"
Archbishop Terry was nearly losing his mind.
This kid wanted to cooperate one moment and then pulled this sanctimonious act the next. What on earth did he want?!
"If the Church is filled with people like you now, then there really is no point in its existence." Ansu kicked him in the face, knocking Archbishop Terry over and breaking several of his teeth. "You are a disgrace to the name of the holy light!"
"Damn it!" In Archbishop Terry's heart, he had fallen from heaven back to hell, and he cursed manically.
"You cultist scum! What right do you have to lecture me! As long as the goal is achieved, what does it matter if a few more people die? As long as I remain in this position of archbishop, I will always represent the name of the holy light!"
Just as Archbishop Terry was cursing, an aged voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"He is right. You are a disgrace to the name of the holy light."
Archbishop Terry froze. That voice...
The door was slowly pushed open, and Archbishop Paul's figure appeared outside.
He gazed at the blood-covered Archbishop Terry with disappointment. "Terry, we have worked together for over twenty years. I never imagined you would become such a person. Has that high-spirited, pious ascetic of the past truly died?"
"Paul?" Archbishop Terry's eyes bulged. "You... why are you here? Could it be..."
As if suddenly realizing something, his exposed malice turned into even greater fury. "It was you! You set this trap! I knew it... how could the plan go wrong? It was you, you old geezer, who intentionally lured me here!!"
Archbishop Terry's face grew paler from the blood loss, and his voice became weaker.
However, due to his excessive emotions, he still roared with resentment.
"Paul! At this point... what the hell are you still pretending for? Wipe that look of a compassionate saint off your face! You must be thrilled to death, aren't you? To be able to eliminate a rival like me!"
Archbishop Paul looked at the state Terry was in and let out a helpless sigh.
"You are beyond saving..."
Ansu heard the sound of carriages outside the inn. A large group of people was approaching, likely brought by Paul.
At the same time, hurried footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Freya pushed the door open and entered, her pale gold eyes full of worry. "Ansu! Are you alright?!"
Seeing the anxious Holy Maiden, Ansu smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine. It's already over."
Freya looked at Archbishop Terry raving in a pool of blood and let out a gasp, hurriedly moving to Ansu's side.
"So... the bad guy in the Church really was Archbishop Terry? Ansu! How did you take him down?"
Freya knew that Ansu asking her to get Archbishop Paul was for reinforcements, so she had hurried the entire way, fearing any delay...
But she didn't expect that by the time everyone arrived, everything had already been settled?
Lord Ansu is just too amazing!
A feeling of admiration welled up within her. Freya gazed excitedly at the calm Ansu, thinking that this was exactly how the person meant to change the world in the divine decree should be! This was exactly how her ideal Chosen One should look!
However, Freya's expression did not escape Celia's eyes.
Celia narrowed her eyes slightly, a trace of indiscernible gloom flashing through her gaze.
"Uh... as for how exactly he was taken down, it's a long story..." Ansu was mentally refining a new lie and instinctively glanced at the nearby witch, only to find her staring at him as well.
As if switching masks, Celia mimicked the Holy Maiden's tone and walked over with a half-smile. "Ansu~ That's quite an intimate way to be called!"
"Won't you introduce me to this beautiful girl?"
Seeing that expression, Ansu suddenly began to break into a cold sweat...
It was over!
He had been so focused on trapping Terry that he had almost forgotten this possessive vile witch... hated seeing him and Freya together the most.
"Uh, this is the Holy Maiden of the Church," Ansu said with a forced laugh, answering Celia even though she already knew.
"Ansu..." Freya blinked curiously and leaned in to whisper in Ansu's ear. "Who is this lady? Is she a helper you found?"
"She..." Ansu stole a glance at Celia. "She's my boss."
"Boss?" Freya was even more confused. "Is it from that enterprise where you do your work-study? Why would your boss be here?"
Celia watched the young man and woman who were leaning so close they were almost touching with a beaming smile.
Though she was smiling, her tone was incredibly sinister.
"So you still remember I'm your boss?"
"Ah..."
"Come here!"
Under Freya's surprised gaze, Ansu obediently walked back to Celia's side.
Only then did Celia let out a satisfied cold snort.
Rate on N.U.
