"Just a little scare, and I managed to hook so many big fish. Why are you all so stupid? Living so shallowly—if it were me, I'd never forgive myself. Wahahaha!"
The Archbishop of Lust, Capella, let out a cold laugh, her face full of contempt. She clearly didn't take them seriously.
"You talk too much."
The moment she saw Capella, Shendu drew the Amaterasu Sword and casually slashed forward.
In an instant, violet magic power tore through Capella's body, reducing her to fragments that scattered before them. Crusch and the others let out a breath of relief.
"Wahahaha! How troublesome. Among all my opponents, only you—and that woman in red—interest me. The rest of you are nothing but crawling insects."
Her voice rang out again. Even though Shendu had sliced her into pieces, Capella had used her Authority to regenerate once more.
After her wild laughter echoed, the sound of beating wings came from the rooftop—like the flutter of a bat's wings. Crusch and Wilhelm turned toward the top of city hall.
"This is..."
Their pupils shrank, shock flashing in their eyes as their bodies trembled involuntarily.
The others were more or less surprised as well. Only Shendu and Akane remained calm, silently watching Capella, who had already changed her form.
"Since this is such a rare opportunity, allow me to introduce myself again. I am the one in charge of Lust within the Witch Cult—an Archbishop of Sin!"
Capella had transformed into a black dragon, laughing recklessly at the people before her.
"I am Capella Emerada Lugunica! Die! All of you will stay here—I guarantee it!"
After finishing her grand introduction, she soared above city hall. Her wings resembled those of a pterosaur, her fangs were razor-sharp, and her scales looked tough enough to repel blades.
Still, her features were somewhat similar to a ground dragon. At most, she looked like an enlarged winged drake. The sense of oppression she exuded was far inferior to Akane's human form.
"Tch. Just a counterfeit. There's no dragon's majesty at all."
Akane muttered from below. Having fought Capella once before, she knew this woman was actually weaker than expected.
The only troublesome part was her regenerative ability. No one knew what kind of treasure she had obtained to allow such endless regeneration. No matter how one thought about it, it defied all logic.
"If that thing truly is a black dragon, we need to break her wings first. Prevent the dragon's breath. Then eliminate her by piercing straight through the heart."
Wilhelm gripped his sword tighter, as if returning to the days of his youth.
"Heh. Old man, sounds like you've fought a dragon before."
Akane glanced at him in surprise.
"That's right. I once battled a black dragon—with three heads."
Wilhelm spoke thoughtfully, recalling the past.
"Capella, your ability is shapeshifting, isn't it? Turning yourself into a black dragon and thinking you're impressive? You're nothing but a clown putting on a show."
Shendu saw through her at a glance. She lightly stepped on her shadow, and more than a dozen Batkhan burst forth from it.
Pressing their palms together, they unleashed over a dozen soundwave-like attacks simultaneously, blasting toward Capella without mercy.
Capella seemed momentarily stunned by Shendu's words, standing motionless as if she had lost consciousness.
"Now! Let's defeat her together!"
Sensing the opportunity Shendu had created, Julius drew his longsword and connected with his six quasi-spirits, unleashing his strongest strike.
"Be scorched by the light of the rainbow—Al Clauseria!"
With a single downward slash, rainbow-colored radiance descended in a straight line onto the black dragon.
Combined with the golden shockwaves from the Batkhan, the sky above was engulfed in light.
The shockwaves shattered the black dragon's wings and abdomen. The rainbow light followed, continuing its relentless destruction.
"Aaaaah!"
As expected, the black dragon screamed in agony. It seemed their plan had succeeded.
Clang!
Taking the initiative, Akane and Wilhelm charged at the cloaked woman.
Garfiel and Ricardo continued attempting to subdue the burly man. Their weapons collided again and again, sending sparks flying.
As the battle intensified, Shendu chose not to move. She remained in position, guarding against unforeseen complications.
With Akane's support, Wilhelm gained a slight upper hand against the cloaked woman.
Meanwhile, the multi-armed warrior faced Ricardo, the mercenary captain, and Shendu's servant. Both sides fought at full strength.
Each of the burly man's arms swung with immense force. Every slash created explosive bursts of air. Anyone who approached risked being torn apart.
"Raaagh!"
Seizing an opening, Ricardo opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful, magic-infused sonic roar.
Caught off guard, the burly man was struck head-on. The surrounding stone slabs shattered, and the force blew apart his cloak.
Instantly, a lifeless face was revealed before Ricardo's eyes, making his entire body tremble.
"This is 'Eight-Arms' Kurgan—the demi-human hero from another kingdom over a decade ago! How is this possible? Did the Witch Cult kill him and revive him as a weapon?"
Ricardo was utterly shocked. Fighting such an existence left him feeling powerless.
"Tch. I don't care what hero he was. He's our enemy now. We have to kill him."
Garfiel remained as wild as ever. Ignorance bred fearlessness—he had no fear of this so-called hero.
"Aaaaah! Foolish trash! Stupid insects! You've angered me!"
As the battle reached its peak, an enraged voice echoed from the sky. The next moment came the sound of dragon's breath.
A mass of black flames poured from her mouth, spreading into a sea of fire that rained down upon them.
Everyone tensed. Crusch tightened her grip on her weapon, preparing to deal with the crisis.
Any strong warrior present could sense the terror contained in those flames. There was only one thought in their minds—stop them from falling.
"Sword Technique—Heavenfall Rend."
At the critical moment, Shendu moved once more. A blade of energy erupted from her sword—the divine technique she had obtained from the Multiverse Role-Playing System.
In an instant, a black dragon-shaped slash devoured the descending flames and surged back toward the black dragon in the sky, striking Capella directly.
Not only was this technique overwhelmingly destructive, it also carried the power of wind. The black flames were blown back.
As expected, Capella was once again sliced into countless particles. Yet the black flames continued to burn around them, scattering across the plaza.
What was more troubling—wherever the flames landed, whether rooftop or ground, they continued burning endlessly. Even inanimate objects were consumed without cease.
"This is bad, Lady Shendu. These flames don't seem to extinguish. This is no ordinary trouble."
Crusch's voice carried clear alarm.
"Don't worry. With me here, she won't stir up any real storm. However, this game isn't over. The true battle begins now."
Shendu pointed upward. Fighting still raged around them. Only a few remained guarding in place against greater danger.
Fortunately, Shendu had chosen not to press forward recklessly. Watching the rooftop carefully, she saw that the black dragon still existed.
Though somewhat battered, she was undeniably alive.
"Such troublesome regeneration... It's almost like the Blacklight Virus."
After a brief test, Shendu had already discerned some clues and couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
"How irritating—having my flames sent back at me is quite troublesome. You truly aren't simple. Wahaha... Just as I thought, you're a woman worth my attention."
Capella's voice echoed once more from the rooftop. A brand-new black dragon wreathed in black flames appeared before them.
In just a short time, Capella had already been reborn three times. Her regenerative ability far surpassed even Elsa's—she was practically capable of reviving from a single drop of blood.
"Your regeneration is impressive. I suppose it's another form of immortality."
Shendu voiced her evaluation calmly.
"Wahaha! Of course! I possess true immortality. I've already cast off death itself. You cannot kill me."
Still in her black dragon form, Capella crossed her arms arrogantly and looked down at them.
"What a coincidence. I'm immortal too. But that doesn't make one invincible. I've learned quite a few ways to counter it."
With every word Shendu spoke, the expression on Capella's draconic face darkened.
As an Archbishop of Sin, Capella had gathered increasing intelligence about Shendu. She understood all too well that this silver-haired woman was far more troublesome than imagined.
She had appeared out of nowhere—ruthless and merciless. She had eliminated two of the Three Great Witchbeasts and even cleansed an Archbishop of Sin. Her true power was evident.
If anyone else claimed to have a method to counter immortality, Capella would have laughed it off. But coming from Shendu, it felt different.
Dong... dong... dong...
At that moment, the city's bells rang out. A strange gleam flickered in Capella's crimson eyes.
"Oh? It's the appointed time. I would have loved to stay and play with you longer, but I suppose I'll return inside now."
With narrowed eyes, Capella vanished from sight.
"Oh? So you still have an ambush waiting inside."
Shendu murmured to herself as the black dragon disappeared, retreating back into city hall.
"Lady Shendu, Lady Crusch, Julius—Capella's objective is likely the hostages. We cannot let her succeed. Leave the outside to us. Please go inside and rescue them."
After forcing the demi-human hero back with a slash, Ricardo quickly called out, urging them to split up and complete the mission as swiftly as possible.
"Very well. Come forth—Shadowkhan!"
This time, Shendu summoned heavily armored ninjas—nearly a thousand of them—surrounding the entire area.
Kurgan and the cloaked woman were intercepted. Each time they attempted to break through, the ninjas temporarily forced them back.
"Let's go."
After initiating the righteous mob assault, Shendu left with the other two. Akane remained behind to continue fighting.
Taking only a few steps, Shendu suddenly scooped Crusch into one arm and grabbed Julius with the other as if lifting a chick. Activating the power of the Rabbit Talisman and the Rooster Talisman, she shot into the sky like a meteor.
In an instant, she landed steadily atop a domed structure on the rooftop.
The surroundings were in ruins. The roof had clearly endured fierce combat—many tiles had shattered and fallen away.
Knowing the magic device was located on the top floor, Shendu wasted no time and flew directly toward it, descending gently.
There was a skylight leading indoors.
After spotting it, Shendu gave Crusch and Julius a subtle signal.
But suddenly, an out-of-place voice reached their ears.
"Ahahaha! Calm down, big brother, big sister."
The skylight was kicked open from below, and a young man leapt out.
"I'm so happy... so very happy! Because I'm happy, I feel happy! Gluttony and indulgence—I long to devour every kind of emotion. Your emotions are my delicacies."
The boy was clearly unhinged. He wore a filthy robe, shark-like teeth exposed in a grin. His dark green eyes looked at them as though they were prey.
"The Archbishop of Gluttony from the Witch Cult? Aren't you the one Akane beat quite badly last time?"
Recognizing him from Akane's previous report, Shendu fell into brief contemplation.
"Oh, that annoying woman? Yes, she did teach me quite the lesson last time. That's why I'm here for revenge. I'll devour your emotions and your names."
"I am the one in charge of Gluttony in the Witch Cult—Roy Alphard!"
Roy greeted them politely, though Crusch's expression darkened slightly.
"The Witch Cult attacked us before. I haven't repaid that debt yet. You'll pay for it now!"
Crusch showed no mercy. She raised her weapon and unleashed a blade of sword aura.
Roy immediately dropped flat onto the ground, barely avoiding the terrifying slash.
"Oh my, that was close! If I didn't have so much combat experience, you might've cut me down in one stroke. That would've been quite unfortunate."
Roy appeared relaxed, dodging effortlessly. Having devoured countless memories, his combat experience was vast, making him surprisingly resilient.
Seeing Crusch's emotions beginning to sway her, Shendu placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Crusch, let it go. Rescuing the hostages comes first. Julius, I'll leave this to you."
"Understood."
Fortunately, Crusch regained her composure quickly.
"No problem. Leave this Archbishop of Sin to me."
Julius gripped his sword tightly, his expression solemn.
Because Crusch's memories had not been devoured this time, her combat experience remained intact. Thus, her hatred toward Roy was not yet overwhelming.
"Hehe, a knight? I do love devouring the memories of heroes. A knight's memories would make quite the feast."
Roy showed no fear, a trace of disdain curling on his lips.
Having decided to fight the knight, Roy slipped on a pair of knuckle-dusters and launched into a fierce battle with Julius. Their combat experience appeared evenly matched.
"Shuma! Fura!"
During an opening, Roy drew upon the magic he had devoured and unleashed it.
Flames, shards of ice, and countless wind blades surged forward—only to be cleaved apart.
"Ahahaha! You truly are interesting, knight. My lesson is only just beginning. Let me see the breadth of your spirit!"
Roy attacked swiftly, but Julius' blade was faster. After only a dozen seconds of clashing, a flash of steel streaked past, leaving a deep wound across Roy's shoulder.
"Ahahaha! What a magnificent strike. If I didn't have so much experience, I might not be able to handle you."
Roy's interest only deepened.
Fortunately for him, Capella remained inside to coordinate. Otherwise, facing Shendu alone might have meant his immediate demise.
Within the Witch Cult, Shendu was regarded as a terrifying opponent. She had once infiltrated their headquarters, striking multiple regions at once.
Clearly, Shendu still possessed hidden strength. This proactive strike by the Witch Cult was meant to reclaim every advantage possible.
Clang!
Their weapons collided again. Roy staggered back a step, slightly outmatched, though his experience allowed him to endure.
To ensure the success of the overall plan, Roy was willing to hold his ground here—continuing his battle with Julius until the very end.
"Don't underestimate an Archbishop of Sin from the Witch Cult, you filthy knight!"
"Bloom, my buds—defeat the enemy!"
As a renowned knight, Julius fought with everything he had, gradually forcing the Archbishop of Gluttony toward a corner.