Klein appeared to urge them on, in reality, he threw the "Staff of Life" toward the grand staircase below, toward Lovira, asking her to treat both himself and Colin Iliad for their injuries. ——As the former "Bishop of Roses," Lovira was the least afraid of the "Staff of Life's" adverse effects; no matter what bodily changes occurred, as long as they didn't involve the spirit, she could always recover. Meanwhile, Deric hurried to the collapsed battlefield in the middle of the staircase, picking up the chief's severed arm. As long as the limb remained intact, the "Staff of Life" would heal the wounds as if they had never happened! Klein nodded enthusiastically to Colin Iliad, then leapt into the historical mist, racing back to the First Age and taking shelter within a fragment of light. Then, with a thought, he returned to the Source Keep and took his seat at the position belonging to the Fool, using the deep red star—corresponding to the Sun—that constantly contracted and expanded, to examine the interior of the Giant King’s palace. Yet under the "true vision," the interior remained deeply dark and subtly shimmering, obscure and indistinct. No wonder—given that he was the God’s Left Hand, the Deputy King of Heaven, and the Angelic King seemingly linked to the "Chaos Sea"... Cléon silently murmured a remark, his brow slightly furrowed. Now he doubted that even if the small Sun entered the palace and prayed there, he would still struggle to penetrate this darkness and clearly perceive what was going on—unless he himself became an Angel and truly mastered the Source Keep. Moreover, Cléon’s spiritual intuition signaled that the place where the "Dark Angels" slept still harbored many unknown influences, which absolutely could not be overlooked. He then calmed his thoughts, observing the surroundings, searching for possible high-level presences such as Adam or Amun, but found no anomalies. Exhaling, Caine busily dismantled the extraordinary traits of the "miracle master" that had detached from the "curtain," reuniting the portions from Sequence 9 down to Sequence 3 and purifying the Sequence 2 elements. Then, he returned to the historical fragment, once again influenced by the "virtual persona," becoming more like a clown. The very next moment, he stepped out of this gray-white mist and reappeared at the open doorway of the Giant King's residence. The "silver knight" figure, who had inserted the great sword into the fissure to create an intangible barrier, rose to his feet. At this point, Colin Iliad's severed arm had been reattached, and Lovia's injuries had healed, though a few golden wheat stalks had grown on the back of her head, swaying gently there. They walked with Deric to the door and returned the "Staff of Life" to Caine. Caine took it and, with a casual shake, dissolved the historical projection, causing it to vanish into thin air. Then, he extended his right hand forward, intending to summon the historical aperture image of the messenger girl in her intact condition. At that moment, Colin Iliad suddenly asked, "Do you plan to summon that angel?" "Not necessarily that one—I have many options," Caine said, delivering the truth with a slightly exaggerated tone. Colin had already shed his giant form and returned to his original height of over two meters, as maintaining an incomplete mythic form remained a considerable burden for him. At that moment, he wore the silver armor condensed from the light, holding two morning-sun blades restored to their normal size, and spoke calmly: "The corrupted monster we just encountered displayed traits that cause the very essence of life to decay. The same influence must be affecting the place where the 'Dark Angel' sleeps." The chief's implication was that the angelic projections summoned by the 'World' Lord might rebel upon entering the Giant King's domain—perhaps even a fallen angel, even if only a projection, could exact a heavy toll upon us... Darien easily grasped what the chief had not explicitly stated. Meanwhile, Loviega's flesh and tissue pulsed as she absorbed the several stalks of wheat, integrating them into her own form. "That makes sense," Caine nodded, smiling slightly, and then gave a gentle tap of his finger. Next, he pulled out a common raven from the historical haze and sent it soaring through the open doorway, into the deep, shadowed interior. Once the figure of the raven was swallowed by the dark surroundings, Caine's brow subtly lifted as he tilted his head, smiling at the chief of Silver City. "We've lost contact." Colin Iliad responded without surprise. "That's the King of Angels." Caine couldn't help but lift the corner of his mouth—this was a significant inconvenience, meaning he couldn't summon a historical projection to take his place instead. ——The very fact that his "shadow" had been severed earlier underscored this. "Well," Caine gestured as if moving his wrist, waving his hands through the air and drawing forth a black staff adorned with various gemstones. "0–62," "The Star Staff!" He could only hope that the seal object and the secret figure he was holding wouldn't falter or rebel. With everyone prepared, Colin Iliad, Lovia, and Deryck simultaneously turned their gaze toward the deep darkness beyond the open doors. Caine, pointing with his "Staff of the Stars," smiled warmly and said, "This journey will be perilous—each of us might perish. You all may, and I may as well." He then tapped his top hat and followed behind the "Silver Knight" puppet, stepping through the open doorway into the profound darkness. Colin Iliad, Lovie, and Deryk remained silent, yet resolute, moving steadily forward. ........... Beckland, the battlefield outside the city. Audrey, now transformed into a dragon and her face refined by the art of deception, engaged in a fierce battle against the half-god dressed in the uniform of General Vosak, wearing a silver mask and gloves. The opponent's unyielding defense, the broad sword forged from dawn light, his ability to conceal himself through radiance, and his skill in "teleportation" with a slender sword all left a deep impression on her. Had Audrey not known that many of the high-ranking officials from Flassac and Intis were "Silver Knights," "Mages of the Hunt," "Ironblood Knights," "War Bishops," "The Unshadowed," "Champions of Justice," "Alchemists," and "Scholars of the Mysteries," and had not gathered intelligence and prepared thoroughly ahead of time at the Tarot Gathering, she would have been defeated early on due to her lack of individual combat experience. Building on this accumulated strength, she weathered the initial assault and gradually stabilized. Through abilities such as "Battle Hypnosis," "Mind Erasure," "Spirit Exhalation," and "Spirit Storm"—all focused on control and mental influence—she steadily turned the tide and broke free from her predicament. Of course, the most decisive factor was the divine influence of her "Dragonization," which disrupted the mental and cognitive faculties of the "Silver Knight," and granted Audrey a resilient body capable of withstanding damage and a defensive strength sufficient to repel attacks. Without this, she could only have maintained a fragile defense, already suffering significant injuries. As a Sequence 3 Saint on the Warrior Path, General Vrask possesses a resolute will and a unique trait that renders him immune to illusions, effectively countering mental-based abilities and mitigating negative impacts—thus maintaining the upper hand. He continues to press on Odile with "Light-Borrowed Concealment" and "Silver-White Fine Sword," striving to create an opportunity for decisive victory. Odile remains exceptionally composed, as during the battle she has already mentally projected a distinct persona, subtly dispersing numerous seeds of "spiritual plague" throughout the surrounding environment. Soon, General Vrask will be silently and imperceptibly infected! At the allied forces' position, crimson flame spears surge forth in a dense, overwhelming tide. The "Silver Knight" makes no attempt to dodge, stepping forward and wielding his Dawn Giant Sword to anchor Odile in place. Whizzing, whizzing—successive flaming spears descend, enveloping both half-gods. Audrey's face could not help but twist, the gray-and-white scales on the dragon-form bearing fresh burn marks one after another, while the silver armor of the "Silver Knight" remained gleaming with a steady silver-white radiance, largely unscathed. Compared to the "Giants," whose specialty lay in defense, the "Dragon" clearly proved far more vulnerable to attacks. Only now did Audrey truly feel that she was engaged in war, rather than merely facing one-on-one duels. As the next wave of flaming javelins was about to strike, a stir began within the allied lines—some degree of disarray and collapse became evident. At that very moment, the thick fog that had enveloped the battlefield vanished abruptly, as if it had never been there at all. Both Audrey and the Fasque general halted their combat movements, suddenly feeling unusually weak, finding it difficult even to raise their arms. She saw a vibrant orange glow surge rapidly from the rear of the allied lines, spreading swiftly across the endless plain and instantly filling half the sky, completely obscuring the sun. The surrounding area of Beckland plunged into dusk! A deep darkness emerged on the opposite side of the sky, quickly colliding with the warm orange hues of twilight. All soldiers and officers across the battlefield instantly collapsed to the ground, falling into deep sleep. ................................ Outside the Saint Hilal Cathedral in the heart of Beckland. Leonard, wearing red gloves, lifted his head to gaze at the sky, half dusk, half night. A silent sigh escaped his throat, and then his eyes turned toward the entrance of the Saint Hilal Cathedral. Icanser Bernard, with messy brown hair, and the other members of the "Heart of Mechanism" stood there, slightly bewildered, staring up at the sky. Just a few months ago, they had worked in close collaboration with Leonard's "Red Glove" unit, jointly eliminating the malevolent forces in Beckland and searching for the faithful followers of the "Fool," a secret organization identified by its Tarot card designations. ……… The Rosedale Islands, the city of Bayam—the "City of Generosity," with the bell tower of the Seawall Church. Danyz watched as the rebels entered the city, taking over numerous locations, and finally let out a quiet sigh, turning to his companion Aljé and saying, "Look, in most parts of this city, they're well received." Aljé's gaze moved steadily among the darker-skinned locals, offering no immediate response. Danyz felt relaxed, smiling warmly and adding, "I never expected to meet you again in such a scene." As Aljé lifted his head to speak, a sudden thought struck him, and his eyes turned toward the northwest sky. There, the sky darkened instantly, thick clouds gathering in layers, with countless silver lightning serpents bursting forth. Deep blue waves surged upward, carried by the wind, rushing toward the clouds and linking the sky to the sea. At the boundary where sea meets sky, streaks of light emerge—neither brilliant nor clear, devoid of color, as if composed of vast quantities of ephemeral phenomena.