Furious, Kaim spread his white wings and simultaneously released countless white feathers. While the feathers couldn't disintegrate, each shot was as powerful as a "Sky Flash," creating a menacing hail of bullets.

But even as the attack, like a white meteor, approached him, the frivolous smile on Bart's face remained. The scythe, Egerges, spun like a windmill, sometimes engulfing the white feathers, sometimes deflecting them, and sometimes devouring their hidden magic power. And not only that—

"Hey! He can't activate his decomposition ability whenever he wants!"

He immediately passed this information to his accomplices.

"What!?" Kaim was embarrassed and angry, his eyes raised.

Based on the information Cui provided beforehand, Bart knew that Kaim was still mentally immature.

Therefore, he reasoned that if he could anger Kaim, he would reveal his true abilities, and thus, he would be able to see to what extent Kaim could utilize the decomposition ability derived from his transformation into an apostle, something he needed to be most wary of. Bart's assumption proved correct.

"Damn it! How hypocritical can you get!?"

"Captain, please calm down! We've already entered a chaotic situation. Please give the orders!"

Leleye couldn't bear to watch and stepped forward to Kaim's side. The magic energy emanating from her body had turned pure white due to her apostle transformation. She raised the Second Holy Bow and simultaneously channeled the magic energy into an arrow. The white arrow, condensing a vast amount of magic energy, emitted a flash resembling lightning. Bart saw this and immediately dropped his smile.

In an instant, the arrow shot out with a whirring sound, turning into a flash of light, pointing directly at Bart.

Bart dropped his composure and dodged with all his might. He leaped to the side, simultaneously swinging his scythe upwards, deflecting the incoming white arrow.

The white arrow's trajectory was abruptly twisted, and it finally struck one of the cathedral's pillars. However, the arrow pierced through the pillar as easily as through wet paper. This was undoubtedly the effect of the disintegration magic.

"There's a two to three second lead time! The omen is the compression of magic power!"

Bart continued to dodge Kaim's white feathers with his body movements, speaking loudly. His eyes were still fixed on the white arrow Lelaye had just shot, which was returning towards him, the effect of Lelaye's unique magic, "Arrow of Atonement."

Eggers roared angrily, and a large amount of purple-black aura surged out, as if he was angry at himself for not being able to absorb all the magic power in one breath.

"You're going to eat it all this time, Eggjess!"

The aura pulsed with a thud, entwining and converging around the scythe's blade. With a flash of the blade, it shattered the returning "Decomposing White Arrow," dispersing it.

Bart glanced at Leleye, who was still firing ordinary light arrows, while trying to calm Kaim down.

(Humph, the team leader turned out to be a little brat, you've worked so hard!)

Although Shem was the vice-captain, in reality, Kaim and Shem were the same captain. In other words, Leleye was effectively the vice-captain of the Knights of the White Light. This sense of responsibility compelled her to suppress her inner anxiety and diligently correct the captain, demanding he fulfill his duties as leader.

No matter how powerful these two children were, they were still severely inexperienced. Having these two children as leaders of the Knights was a significant advantage for Bart and the others, as they would be a complete burden to the enemy.

In reality, with no one giving orders, the White Light Knights could only rely on their own judgment and improvisation to deal with the attackers, and the battle easily devolved into a chaotic situation.

The White Light Knights, who could once have fought a thousand men at once, were scattered everywhere, each one pinned down by the seamlessly coordinated Liberators and pirates. Furthermore, their wavering minds left them vulnerable, and they were subjected to merciless and fatal attacks.

The three commanders of the Knights Templar were in the same predicament.

The commander of the Second Legion, Strauss, faced Chris, Katie, and other senior members of the Melkine Pirates.

The commander of the Fourth Legion, Mercs, faced Hauser, Madam Jaclyn, and members of the Xiangdora branch, including Nadia, Solas, and Bakara.

The commander of the Third Legion, Vapura, is also controlled by Marshall, Hugh, Tony and Ivy.

They were all unable to move freely. Although their minds were equally shaken, they were still able to withstand the continuous attacks from all directions. Perhaps it could be said that they were worthy of being the commanders of the legion.

However, they did not have the energy to issue orders.

At this moment, if only any high-ranking official had called out, the White Light Knights would have recovered from the shock of witnessing three apostles being struck down simultaneously. However, no one did so. Lelaie, feeling deeply anxious, called out to Kaim, who had lost his composure in the excitement—

"Captain!" The implication was that he should fulfill his duties as the captain.

"Tsk, I know! Glorious Knights of White Light, listen to my orders—"

"Hey, hey, hey, little master, is this okay? It's time for the good kids to go home and sleep. Daddy is here to greet you."

Kaim's expression tightened and he twitched stiffly twice.

Bart's words were inexplicably loud, and even Shem, who was a little further away, heard them.

Shem was being attacked by Snowbell, who was dressed like a pervert in bikini-style armor. Faced with this utterly blasphemous presence, Shem frantically erected a barrier to defend himself. Upon hearing Bart's words, Shem's face suddenly changed, as if he had just woken from a nightmare.

Leleye instinctively tutted her tongue, deciding to silence Bart first. She attempted to fire the "White Arrow of Decomposition" again. However, her judgment was wrong, playing right into Bart's hands. As Bart had observed, the arrow needed at least three seconds to fire, so Bart seized the opportunity to speak and continue his verbal assault on the brothers.

"You two little masters are definitely no match for Daddy. You can only run away with your tails between your legs. That's understandable."

This provocation is not very clever, and anyone can see the intention behind it.

But Bart's provocative expression and words and actions were all very well-placed, and the Byrne brothers were both children whose self-esteem was higher than that of [Shenshan].

"Lelaiye! I'll leave this place to your command! They're just a bunch of small fry, so figure it out on your own!"

Kaim then stomps the ground with immense force, blasting forward with a thud, unleashing a massive Sky Flash.

Bart dodged as deftly as a matador, letting Kaim rush past.

At the same time, he saw Shem also spreading his white wings and flying upwards. Snowbell just watched him leave with a smile.

Indeed, deliberately provoking the brothers and forcing them to leave the battlefield was a pre-planned plan. Although the brothers' presence was an effective burden on the enemy, the Liberators had already unanimously agreed that the brothers would be fully under the control of their father.

"The operation was successful♪" Snowbell said, giving Bart a sweet look.

Bart instinctively dodged desperately, looking even more nervous than he had been facing the "Decomposition White Arrow." Nothing was actually flying towards him, but he simply felt compelled to dodge. This was a common occurrence when facing a female tough guy.

"What a disgrace! It seems those two are the offspring of traitors after all!"

"Ahahaha, it's kind of adorable when you're so obsessed with yourself, isn't it?"

"Shut up, Knight Hunter!"

Despite her rage, Leleye remained a ruthless knight, a seasoned warrior. She unleashed her "Decomposition White Arrows," firing dozens of arrows simultaneously while casting wind-attribute amplification magic.

"Everyone, listen! I will now command the battle! Overwhelm the enemy with numbers! We are the white light of God, and we must fulfill our duty!"

It was a roar like a gas explosion, and Bart's eardrums felt a sharp pain, and he couldn't help but frown. Naturally, this roar from his dantian awakened the White Light Knights, who were in confusion and hesitation, and at the mercy of the enemy. Their eyes suddenly changed.

"Punish heretics!"

“““““Punish heretics!””””””

Although the turmoil in my heart has not subsided, what I should do has not changed.

The White Light Knights understood this and regained their spirits, as if they had been rekindled from the ashes.

"Oh my, it seems... I only defeated about fifty of them."

Bart, who had expected to defeat more, tutted in dissatisfaction.

As for the White Light Knights seen in the previous battle, not a single one had been defeated. Those defeated were likely just replacements, filling in for the troops lost in the previous battle. In other words, they were all those who had been Temple Knights just a few days ago, and their strength was no match for the true White Light Knights.

Even these rookies managed to defeat less than a hundred people and failed to achieve their goal.

For the sake of their mission, the White Light Knights adjusted their mental states. The Liberators, who had originally had the upper hand, were gradually losing ground.

As the White Light Knights reorganized their forces, the burden on the commanders of each legion was greatly reduced.

"You're so annoying, you flies!"

The Fourth Army's commander, Mercs, roared like a ferocious beast, and a powerful gravitational pull erupted around him, pulling Hauser, Lady Jaclyn, Nadia, and the others who were confronting him forward.

──Inherent magic seal.

This was a suction spell designed to prevent the divine enemy from escaping and bring the condemned to his presence. After simultaneously drawing Hauser and the others in, Mox raised his axe-spear-shaped Second Holy Hammer and lashed out at them fiercely.

Hauser and the others were ejected radially as if in rewind.

Although everyone couldn't help but groan, they immediately stood up, apparently withstanding the attack. However, it was obvious that even with the five strongest warriors from each branch attacking together, the situation was quite unfavorable. It wasn't just this side that was at a disadvantage—

"This guy……!"

"Hmph, a mere brute. Just a little faster. It won't take long for you to master it."

The pirate leaders who were fighting against the Second Legion's commander, Strauss, were also in a tough fight.

Katie, the cat-man warrior, possessed the inherent magic "Acceleration," allowing her to attack at breakneck speed, but now she was being played for a ride. Her two-handed daggers stabbed Strauss with precision, but missed. He suddenly appeared from her side, wielding his dagger-shaped Second Holy Sword, and launched a counterattack.

——Inherent magic Phantom Dance.

The effect of this magic is to create illusions of oneself and the weapon, disrupting the opponent's cognition.

Katie thought she had dodged the attack, but the real blade came from where she had moved. Fortunately, Chris came at the last moment and deflected the attack with his pirate knife. Ned and Kuang seemed to have been hit by a knife each. Although the wounds were not fatal, they were not minor enough to be ignored.

Marshall, Hugh, Tony and Ivy, who are fighting against the commander of the Third Legion, Wapura, are also having a hard time.

"Damn it, should I say he's worthy of being called a swordsman? Even at his age, he's still incredibly strong!"

"Boy...you're incredibly tenacious."

If Marshall didn't have the inherent magic "Vajra" to protect him, he would have been killed.

Sword Saint Wapura's dual swordsmanship was so exquisite. He could also use the other eight swords floating around his body to deal with the surrounding attacks of Xiu Xiu and others.

──Ten inherent magic swords.

In addition to his hands, he can also use magic to make eight swords float, and perform four-person master-level double sword techniques at will.

Koloris, Mr. Assel, Snowbell, and the others also led their own teams to fight against the White Light Knights, but they were also at a disadvantage due to the difference in numbers.

Bart and the others were equipped with orbs with sublimation magic effects, which increased their stats by 1.5 times. Even so, they were still clearly inferior to their opponents in terms of ability, and were inevitably forced into danger.

(The abilities and equipment quality after becoming an Apostle are more difficult than expected...)

Even if the situation worsened, if they could buy time and hold out until Meredy and the others overran the church headquarters, then Bart and the others would be considered victorious. Without the orb's sublimation magic, they probably wouldn't have been able to hold out for much longer.

Bart broke out in a cold sweat at the thought. He quickly scanned the battlefield, confirmed the situation, and then activated the communication.

"Everyone, prioritize survival! Adel, hurry up!"

I still have cards to play. No, I haven't played any of them yet. A defiant smile crossed Bart's face. Then, the Empire's "magic madman," Baron Adel Rackman, shouted at him over the comms. Again, his tone lacked any hint of despair.

"Don't rush me! Magic is very profound and delicate, and it's not something a fool like you can understand."

"Okay, okay, that was a slip of the tongue. I'm sorry."

Bart glanced back and saw Adel standing by the collapsed wall with his back to the blue sky, looking like he was busy with something.

Before Adel stood a black, coffin-like object, shielding him like a shield. He placed his hand on it and unleashed a burst of magical power. Magical circles appeared and vanished from the coffin-shaped object, resembling a flickering light.

Bart turned his attention from Adel back to Lelaie. At that moment...

“Ugh!”

Bart suddenly disappeared. No, he was thrown violently out, his whole body spinning in the air, and finally hit a pillar with a heavy blow.

(Oh no, it's shaking.)

He took a direct hit to the head. Although his amazing reflexes and miraculous relaxation techniques managed to absorb much of the impact, his vision continued to shake, gradually turning red, as if a red warning light had been turned on.

(Is this the Light Guardian Knight mentioned in the report!?)

Bart's prediction was correct. Deep within the cathedral stood a towering knight, his stance resembling that of someone who had just swung the Second Holy Hammer. The Second Holy Armor he wore bore the symbol of a "circular shield with backlight" on its chest.

He was the Light Knight, Seth, who had once defeated Uruluk with his space-jump attack, Invisible Judgment. His cold gaze fixed on Bart.

"Knight Hunter, you're done!"

Leleye judged that Bart was unable to move his body immediately, and seized this perfect opportunity to shoot the "White Arrow of Decomposition".

However, this fatal blow was actually blocked, and in an unexpected way.

"What!?" Lele's eyes widened in surprise. A dark gray liquid object shot out from Bart's arms and instantly hardened, blocking Lele's attack. Bart immediately cut off the caught arrow and chuckled.

"It's best not to underestimate our alchemist's ability to cope."

All of the Liberator's equipment was crafted by Oscar. Even their clothing was woven from metal threads imbued with various defensive features. The most exceptional of these was the object now retracted into Bart's arms.

──Metal Bartram, a fluid metal slime specialized in defense.

This is a product of generative composite magic. Although it has no clear will, it can automatically harden defenses and mitigate impacts.

Of course, Oscar has prepared countermeasures for all known enemy tactics.

"Report to Division Commander Leleye! It seems that the 'Decrepit Execution' is not working!"

"Damn it! I only saw it once, and you think you can handle it!?"

To be precise, it wasn't "seen" but merely "heard" of it. But for the peerless alchemist, that was enough.

At that moment, Bart felt a sharp pain in his neck. Was it a sign of trouble? No, it wasn't. By the time he realized it, his skin had already changed color, as if it had been burned.

"Oops……!"

A terrifying magical smoke burst out from behind the pillar that Bart was facing and immediately surrounded Bart.

“—‘Flash’!!”

A slash narrowly missed Bart's head, like a crack on a mirror. "Eh!?" Even Bart couldn't help but let out a humiliating cry of shock. Before Bart could protest, "What are you doing!?" a knight wielding a holy lance leaped out from behind the severed pillar.

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