An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

The pirate group's original base, Ship Island, is now mostly part of Antica's Ship Island. Consequently, most of the pirate group's non-combat members currently live in Antica.

Mei'er widened her eyes and carefully checked the list, but did not see the names of the pirate members.

Could it be that everyone else has been reduced to fragments in the sea... Such ominous thoughts inevitably surfaced in my mind.

"They are safe, for now. Half of the island was destroyed, and many were injured, both minor and serious. However, Bahar surrendered early and was taken away obediently."

"Did they send you a messenger bird?"

"Hmm. They were probably sent out immediately after the attack. It was definitely a good decision to station Tim's Isonian bird there permanently just to be on the safe side."

"Is that so... Then I feel a little relieved. Then Chris and the others... should be on the move, for sure."

"The initial assembly order sent to them instructed them to send out a messenger bird after reaching the northern coastline closest to the Principality. Judging by the scheduled schedule, news should arrive soon."

Considering Mei'er's feelings, Loris added this.

But of course, we cannot be optimistic.

"This announcement was issued in the name of the Oracle. Its purpose was likely to emphasize the previous declaration of victory and further restore the church's authority."

"It seems like he's trying to provoke us."

But Loris speculated so. Oscar added with gritted teeth.

"The message is, 'We know you want to take action, but don't waste too much time, and we won't allow you to engage in a protracted guerrilla war. The stage is set for you.' That's probably what they're trying to say."

"That's right."

"What a joke!"

Meredith threw the newspaper to the ground and shouted excitedly.

"Let's go rescue them immediately—"

"No, absolutely not, Chief."

Shirley interrupted her. The unwavering look in her eyes confused Meredith.

"I am here because I was entrusted with this task."

The attack on the Reshena Hotel came very suddenly.

The knight, who possessed the power to corrode anything, led the charge, unleashing force without hesitation. Without even a moment to engage in a chaotic battle, they stormed the basement.

The Black Key originally given to Tsui had been returned to the hotel when Natsu and the other passengers on the train were transferred to Esperade; however, in order to conceal the existence of the Black Gate and destroy the relevant data, only one person had time to enter the Black Gate in such an emergency: Shirley.

"I am now conveying the words of my father, Branch Manager Reagan: 'You must not make any rash decisions. Be fully prepared until the day of execution.'"

From these words, one could see their awareness. Reagan also understood that this was advice that Milady could only reluctantly accept.

"Also, Kagu and Bahar also want us to pass on a message."

Kagu anticipated that members of the Liberator branch would come to the closed workshop to check on the situation, so he left a letter.

Before leaving, Bahar also asked residents who were not the targets of arrest to pass on a message.

──Don’t waver, otherwise I won’t forgive you!

──Don't act rashly. If anything happens to your daughters, they will kill you.

There must have been no time at the time, so they could only leave such a brief message. However, it clearly expressed their will more clearly than any words.

"...Tsk, who said you can think you're my dad? He's so annoying. Xiao Mi, it's okay to ignore him."

Mei'er squinted her eyes and smiled.

However, she looked at Meredith with a resolute look. Shirley and Mel must have been extremely anxious, but neither of them showed any sign of panic.

“Oh…”

His fingers trembled slightly as he pushed up his glasses, surely out of anger. But—

"It is true that there is still time until the execution."

Likewise, Oscar remained calm.

"If we launch an attack now, everything will be ruined. You understand, Meredith."

"Now is the time to bear the humiliation!"

Ross and Lutilis advised one after another.

Meredi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and after a pause, the expression of an organization leader appeared on his face, and he announced.

"The strategy remains unchanged. We will be victorious in ten days, absolutely!"

"As you command. Also, the troops in the western part of the continent will definitely not be able to catch up at their current rate. I intend to instruct them to wait in the nearby branch for a while. Is that alright?"

"Thank you for your help. I'll pick them up then."

"Well then, I'll make some minor adjustments to that strategy and then pass it on to each unit."

"Yeah, no problem, we'll definitely catch up. Leave it to Ao!"

"Yes. This is crucial to the battle. If it still doesn't work, have all the Liberators smash his glasses together. Including the spares, all of them."

“…I’ll definitely catch up.”

Sarus narrowed his eyes as he watched the young men converse, his gaze like that of a military advisor genuinely proud of his monarch. However, his expression quickly softened.

"Everyone, please fulfill Meredith's wishes."

He looked at Oscar and everyone else tenderly. He looked at Meredith as if she were his grown-up granddaughter.

Meredith looked around at everyone with trusting eyes.

A torrent of six-colored light erupted, replacing the chorus of sounds. The momentum was unprecedentedly powerful.

Prequel 5 Chapter 5: The Bell of Change

That day, the whole world was unusually noisy.

Because this day was the day for the public execution of heretics, and the scale of the execution was unprecedented.

It is undoubtedly a day to proclaim the power of God.

No matter how deeply one believed in the Church, one could not avoid hearing rumors. No matter how hard one tried to avoid thinking, one could not avoid sensing the true outcome of the last war. Everyone could sense that they were definitely shaken.

The people felt relieved at the prospect of their anxiety being resolved, but the emotional backlash only intensified their excitement.

Such passion, even madness, also spread and intensified within the church.

In the throne room.

A throne sat at the top of a pure white staircase, and behind it was a portrait of the god Esid, smiling leisurely. The throne looked like an altar.

The door to the right of the throne opened, and the person who walked out was Pope Lucius.

He stood before the throne with full majesty, looking down upon the audience. What he saw was—

Mulu wields the "Holy Bow," one of the Seven Sacred Arms, while Darion wields the "Holy Lance" and "Holy Shield."

There are ninety-eight members of the Beast Light Knights and the Guardian Light Knights, all of whom possess second-generation holy weapons.

The Knights of the Temple, including Lilith, all of whom possess second-generation holy weapons, the Knights of the White Light, led by Kaim and Shem, and the Archbishops, led by Archbishop Kime Yesu.

Everyone bowed their heads and knelt. The Pope looked at their heads—all of them had white hair.

——Transformed into an apostle with full combat power.

Although he was transformed into an apostle, he did not gain the same power as a true apostle, nor could he freely use silver wings and decomposition magic.

However, the basic capabilities have been greatly improved and are far superior to those of a semi-apostle.

Originally, only one person in each era could be chosen as a hero and given such power, which was a great honor.

However, the knights did not look happy at all.

Everyone was determined to fight to the death, and the majesty they displayed was just right for the peak of the era that was about to come.

At least, every knight understood that this day would be a critical day that would determine the trend of the times.

Luxilu nodded with satisfaction and walked down the steps of the throne.

After descending the pure white steps, he stopped one step in front of the neatly arranged knights, turned around, and looked up at the throne. He narrowed his eyes slightly and knelt as well.

"Master Esther, everyone is here."

She was once the "Oracle Maiden," but now she is the embodiment of divine power—the "Apostle of God."

As if responding to the Pope's call, a radiance suddenly appeared in the empty space above the throne. She emerged from within this radiance.

A majestic female warrior, her wings blooming with silver light spread out, and her beautiful feathers flutter in the air.

But there is more to it than that.

After Esther, one, two, three more people appeared one after another.

Finally, there were five people standing on each side of her, all of whom were beautiful women with exactly the same appearance and style as her.

Before the throne, with the portrait of the god Esid displayed behind them as the background, eleven true divine soldiers stood side by side in front of everyone.

"Whoa whoa……"

The knights were so moved that they were speechless, and some even shed tears on the spot.

"Lucilu."

"Yes. Allow me to report the situation."

It has been reported that the leaders of various countries have entered the Divine Capital, and their troops are deployed in the central square of the Knights Templar and the outskirts of the Divine Capital.

The air defense surveillance network has been completed, and the surveillance range includes a radius of seven kilometers above the ground.

The great barrier of the Divine Capital is functioning normally.

Lusilu reported the information Esther requested with great energy, which was in stark contrast to her usual quiet demeanor.

This also means that the church has already made full preparations to fight.

"very good."

Esther looked around at everyone. As the eerie glow from her azure eyes grew stronger, the frenzied atmosphere and fighting spirit within the throne room grew. And then...

"We must present the highest level of contemporary entertainment."

She commanded, her tone flat and lifeless. The army of God was extremely solemn, only responding with a short "Long live the god Esid," and everyone's expression was like that of a martyr.

The execution began at noon.

Just before the sun reaches its zenith.

The square of the capital was packed with people.

The central square is vast, a perfect circle with a diameter of 300 meters. Frequently used for rituals, the roads connecting the east, south, west, and north are also extremely wide. The surrounding buildings also have height restrictions, becoming increasingly lower towards the center, resembling a stairway. In other words, it's ideal for exhibitions.

The only exceptions are the area within a 100-meter radius from the center of the square and the north-bound avenue leading to the royal palace, which are prohibited areas and therefore there are no crowds.

Apart from that, the square, the avenues in the other three directions, and the surrounding buildings were all crowded with people.

Not only church members and the gods' people, but also many people from surrounding nations. Because of their status, they were allowed into the divine capital. "Execute the heretics!" "Restore peace to the world!" "The god Esid is the absolute!" Frenzied shouts echoed one after another, and the very air of the divine capital seemed to vibrate.

Conversely, 500 meters away from the central square, there was no crowd at all. Families with injured or sick people, elderly people, young children, and other caregivers could only peer out the windows of their homes or facilities to observe. It was as quiet as a dead city. The contrast was eerie.

In the center of the central square was a large stage. In the center of the stage was an iron cage. This stage was the execution ground.

To prevent the audience from getting too close, the Knights Templar formed a circle around the stage, forming a human wall. Several airships were suspended in the air above.

Many knights were also neatly arrayed on both sides of the north-facing avenue. Adding these troops, there were nearly three thousand knights on guard near the square alone.

Outside the walls surrounding the Divine Capital, divisions of up to 10,000 troops stood ready in each of the east, west, and south directions. The division guarding the southern gate—the Divine Capital's main gate—was led by Commander Lilith herself, maintaining a thorough security posture.

"How can this be called a precaution? They're simply planning to fight with all their might."

"It seems... we are surrounded."

The south side of the central square houses the VIP seats for heads of state. Someone grumbled with a shudder.

They were the closest confidants of the heads of state. They were immediately warned to keep their mouths shut, but they couldn't hide their fear and nervousness. The kings of the various nations were in the same mood.

In the atmosphere filled with enthusiasm and tension, time was approaching noon and the sun was slowly rising towards the zenith.

Finally—the bell rang.

Finally, the time for execution arrived.

There is a single huge double-door gate on the avenue north of the square.