Chapter 554: God's Guard

The white robe of a regular cleric on his body, and his slightly dirty eyes, made Sard look no different from any old man who was basking in the sun on the streets in Rentato, although the atmosphere around him was indeed profound and gloomy.

He looked around at the empty square of the church and chuckled, "I was worrying that you did not dare to come, Lord of Storm."

With the vibe of a storm, Fernando snorted, "Why would I not dare come? Would the Church wait and watch while we grow all the while doing nothing? I bet that no waiting is needed at all. The moment the pope's God's Arrival is recovered next year, he will launch a total war against us. Therefore, we might as well take the initiative in the battle."

Because of the rapid development in the past hundred years and the achievements that disrupted the Cannon and the Doctrines now and then, the Congress of Magic had become a major target that the Church struck and suppressed. It was impossible for the Congress to grow in secret while taking advantage of the confrontation of the South Church and the North Church.

When one force was developed to a certain level, it was inevitable to have a war with the previous dominator in order to get room, for further development.

The Congress of Magic had been provoking the Church over the past ten years exactly because they intended to fight a controllable local war when the enemy was not prepared.

When the pope was distracted by the North Church and the Dark Congress and not ready for a general mobilization or a negotiation, the Highest Council was confident to control the loss of legendary sorcerers. Then, they would be certain to win the seven legendary knights over. However, the pope had been rationally suppressing the radical tide within the Church while he made preparations one step after another.

In such a case, the Congress of Magic was under tremendous pressure. Had it not been for the consequences from the incident of the scarlet moon, it was possible that the Congress of Magic would've been beleaguered by the Church. That was why Douglas risked tricking the pope's God's Arrival with the artificial planet experiment. It improved the situation and bought more time for their preparation. Even without Sard's attempt of cooperation, the Congress would have tried to raise a war this year or at the beginning of next year.

As for Sard's claim that the pope estimated that the Congress would only be uncontrollable after sixty years and therefore a total war would burst out in ten to twenty years, Fernando and the other members of the Highest Council did not believe it at all. The pope and the Grand Cardinals were not blind. They couldn't have neglected the rapid expansion of arcana theories in the past few years and stuck to their previous estimation. Also, more important, the pope had already announced a total war because of the new alchemy before the new alternate dimension was discovered, except that the war was later delayed by the search for the demigod.

Therefore, Douglas and other grand arcanists had reason to believe that, now that the situation in the new alternate dimension was gradually stabilized, the pope would focus on removing the Congress of Magic after his God's Arrival was recovered. Perhaps at this moment next year, they would be embracing a total war where the Church was fully prepared. With that in mind, they might as well ferment changes and create a more favorable situation to avoid the dreadful scenario where one legendary expert had to be sacrificed to waste God's Arrival as cannon fodder. None of the experts at the peak of legendary were willing to die. It would raise an internal division of the Congress.

Sard's cooperation provided an opportunity. It was also fit for the Congress' idea to activate the plan this year or at the beginning of next year.

Therefore, the Congress' most detailed plan regarding the operation was about the sudden arrival of the pope with a dozen Grand Cardinals.

Sard smiled. "As expected of the young and vigorous Congress of Magic. The Church has been decayed after a thousand years and can only be revived with fire and blood. Go in now. The barrier of divine power has been shut down. Even the neutral clerics have been sent to Richard by me. Few members are left inside, including Vera Amelton, who will supervise the battle on behalf of me."

He demanded that the other parts of the Radiance Church except for the transmission magic circle be kept intact for his future usage.

His petty and desirable attitude seemed indicative of his sincerity in the cooperation.

Without the barrier of divine power, Fernando's spiritual field enshrouded the Radiance Church without any trouble. However, he was prudent enough to ask Donald, the chairman of the Will of Elements, and Thompson, his student to walk in and control the barrier of divine power as well as the massive transmission magic circle first.

The archmages and senior-rank sorcerers soon got the Radiance Church under control. The clerics who watched their actions felt rather complicated.

Although they were more inclined to the Congress of Magic, and they had the idea of change like the North Church under Sard's enchantment, they still felt at a loss as they watched the Radiance Church, the symbol of the Saint Truth's control on this side of the Storm Strait, fall into the control of the sorcerers. Their eyes were reddening.

Was it the end of an era?

The massive transmission magic circles were too solid to be destroyed by the archmages. So, Fernando walked towards the Radiance Church in his red magic robe.

At this moment, Sard smiled. "I'll leave Rentato to relieve your concerns. After you completely control this land, I will come back and be crowned as the Radiance Archbishop."

Fernando looked at him with his stormy eyes. Without saying anything, he walked by him, followed by 'Absolute Defense' Ataman.

Sard chuckled and walked out of the church square in a seemingly slow but actually fast way.

'Allyn' had flown to the sky of Rentato at some point. All the rails were retreated, turning it into a battle fortress.

Supervising on the thirty-fifth floor of the pivotal magic tower, Douglas said, "Atlant, keep an eye on Sard."

The Eye of Curse nodded and opened his closed eyes, in which a bizarrely intoxicating world seemed to be hidden.

The east of the city was the district of nobles. Both the Nekso Palace and the Radiance Church were here. It had a beautiful landscape and a low population.

Before Sard was out, a rider rushed on the broad, unpopulated street quickly on a dragon scale horse. The sun was too fierce at noon, and he barely met anybody before he reached Duke James' villa.

"Her Majesty demands an emergency meeting of nobles?" Asked James in confusion. Also, the time requirement was so strict that only the nobles in Rentato could participate. Those in other places did not have the time to come back at all.

After confirming the authenticity of the command, Duke James left for the Nekso Palace full of questions.

In a remote corner at the northwest of the Nekso Palace, Lucien waited for orders behind a sycamore, hoping that nothing would go wrong.

"Lucien, don't be nervous." Morris flew over with the sorcerers of the royal family of Holm and greeted Lucien on the ground, before they flew in another direction of the Nekso Palace as defenders.

"Mr. Morris, my name is Don't Be Nervous." Watching them going away, Lucien replied with his cold humor. When he looked at the spacious villas of nobles next to the street, he couldn't help but recall Joel's family, who had been sent to defend a manor at the suburb under Natasha's arrangement in case they were affected by the warfare.

Juliana and Minsk's missing still made Lucien ill at ease.

"I hope that Plan E wouldn't be adopted... It will be best if Plan C is not used, either..." Lucien secretly prayed.

Outside of the Rentato abbey on the west of the city, Hathaway, in a dark red magic robe, stood in the shadow of a tree in silence, waiting for Fernando to destroy the massive transmission magic circles. Then, she would attack and eliminate the entirety of the Knights of the Grail as well as part of the radical clerics in the abbey.

As for Divine Knight Stone, who was only a level-one legendary expert, she was neither careless about him nor too bothered.

......

On the thirty-fifth floor in the Allyn magic tower, the intelligence from various places were sent back.

"Erica has controlled the Grand Church of Cocus."

"Vicente has controlled the Grand Church of Blanes."

"Hull-Chulia controlled the Church of North Light."

"Brook and Holt are waiting for the order to attack."

"Confirmed. The pope is still preaching..."

"Confirmed. The few saints are still around him..."

Douglas stood in the front peacefully, not too anxious. Having founded the Congress of Magic and developed it under the extremely unfavorable circumstances, he had seen far too many dangers. No matter how terrible the situation was this time, could it have been worse than when the Congress of Magic was just established?

At that time, some sorcerers were purged by the Church every day, and the organization might collapse any moment!

Suddenly, Atlant said in a gloomy voice, "Sard disappeared..."

Under the watch of the Eye of Curse, Sard vanished into thin air after he left the district of nobles!

Looking at Oliver and the rest of them, Douglas said peacefully, "Inform Brook and Hull-Chulia to attack. Send the few Grand Cardinals to Mountain Paradise or seal and banish them before the legendary knights notice anything wrong. Also, tell Brook that he will return as a reinforcement the moment the battle is over."

"Hathaway will swap with Davey."

"We will help Fernando together!"

As the orders were sent, Hathaway disappeared and arrived at the Allyn magic tower. Davey, the 'Innovator', took over her mission to stop Stone.

Inside the Radiance Church, the massive transmission magic circles were covered in the holy light.

Standing far away in the atrium, Fernando was about to destroy it with 'Thunderstorm'.

At this moment, Vera Amelton, who had been supervising the battle from another direction, suddenly put on a smile of sincere delight. Holy light burst out from her body, and her facial muscles twisted and wriggled, turning her into a handsome man that was more beautiful than girls.

The man had long gold air and a sacred face. White wings were unfolded on his back quickly. One pair, two pairs, three pairs... four pairs... eighteen pairs in total!

He kneeled on the ground devoutly, and spots of light were glimmering among his wings. Behind him, the projection of a seven-floored Mountain Paradise was vaguely appearing, with singing holy spirits and angels, six seraphs and the infinite brilliance on the highest floor.

However, this project was much more blurred than the projection of God's Arrival. Also, on the highest floor, the gigantic angel who held the Cannon next to the feet of the God of Truth was gone!

"Whoever prays in your name shall not be harmed."

The man began to pray in a low voice. His body was rapidly obscured, contaminating everything around him with the ripples that did not seem to belong to this world. The ripples quickly spread out and enshrouded the massive transmission magic circles.

Fernando's red pupils slightly constricted: "Mecantron, the Angel King!"

Instead of attacking the massive transmission magic circles in a hurry, he sent a signal calmly:

"Plan C."