Amidst the maniacal laughter, Rita's clone completely transformed into specks of golden dust, along with the holy flame lance that pierced her, dissipating into the damp, murky air of the Lor Swamp.
All that remained were her malicious and declarative words, which echoed endlessly like a curse over the desolate battlefield.
Alfonso slowly lowered his gun, the holy flames gradually subsiding on his body, revealing his resolute yet slightly weary face.
He frowned slightly, focusing his mind inward.
Ellen, standing beside her, did the same thing, a sharp glint flashing in her wine-red eyes before returning to calm.
The two looked up almost simultaneously, their eyes briefly meeting in the air.
“Just a negative label,” Ellen’s voice remained cool and composed, as if stating an objective fact. “'Time erosion'? It seems that old woman left us a souvenir.”
Alfonso nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "It doesn't affect the flow of power, so it's fine for now. Cleaning up the battlefield is the priority."
His tone was decisive, without the slightest hesitation or self-pity.
Since we can't eliminate it immediately, let's solve the immediate problem first.
This pragmatism and composure are the cornerstones of his ability to lead the Thirteenth Holy Knights.
With Rita's complete departure and the collapse of the golden magic circle that enveloped the battlefield, this chaotic battle that swept through the Lor Swamp finally came to a bloody and abrupt end.
Just as Rita's clone unleashed its final burst, amidst the chaos of abyssal matter and golden mist of time, a disheveled figure seized the fleeting opportunity.
The eldest prince, who was possessed by Grom, had long since replaced the ghastly green soul fire in his eyes with extreme fear.
He didn't bother to look at the outcome of the battle between the two powerful figures, let alone dare to hope for any spoils of war.
The instant Alfonso's torrent of holy flames tore through the edge of the magic circle, he was like a trapped beast that had sensed its only way out, unleashing its final potential.
"Burning Blood - Escape!" He roared like a wild beast, and the remaining essence blood in his body burned wildly, turning into a foul-smelling blood-red aura that enveloped his entire body.
Its massive body instantly transformed into a blurry blood shadow, fleeing desperately towards the orc territory in the exact opposite direction from where Alfonso had come from!
It moved so fast that it left a brief, bloody trail in the air before disappearing into the miasma deep within the swamp in the blink of an eye.
He was right. Alfonso's entire focus was on Rita, leaving him no time to chase after a stray dog.
Even after Rita's clone was destroyed, Alfonso had no intention of pursuing him.
At this moment, the center of the battlefield was a scene of utter devastation.
The heretics of the Corrupted Vine Alliance, the flagless Holy Knights, Turu and his remaining loyal orc warriors... were now all cold corpses, soaking in mud and blood, silently telling the story of the battle's brutality.
Thranduil and her two elven companions had already stopped their retreat. They hovered a short distance away, their emerald cloaks stained with mud, their blue eyes fixed on the heart of the battlefield.
Although the bowstring was not fully drawn, his fingertips remained on the fletching, maintaining the highest level of alertness.
Their gazes were especially sharp on Anna, who had completely blended into the shadows and whose aura had become elusive.
Clearly, the most eye-catching figures on the battlefield at this moment are Mark and his companions, who exude heretical magical energy.
Mark's gaze fell on Elaine, a belated realization mixed with helplessness.
“Star Moon…no, Elaine?” he spoke, his voice hoarse. “So it was you…those missions in Osborn Town…”
He finally connected the dots, realizing why those seemingly ordinary adventurer quests always ended up dragging him into the vortex of the Enlightenment Society.
The source of the problem lies here, with that seemingly lazy and harmless clerk in the Adventurers' Guild!
Eileen turned her head at the sound.
Faced with Mark's questioning, she simply shrugged casually, a smile that was a mixture of cunning and composure on her face, a smile that appeared particularly vivid on her still bright face, which was stained with some dirt.
"Hey, the mission information is genuine, and you didn't lose a single penny of your reward. You accepted the mission yourself, so why are you blaming me?"
She blinked, as if it were just a harmless joke, lightly brushing aside the previous deliberate guidance.
Thranduil watched from afar as the members of Mark's squad interacted with Elena in a seemingly relaxed manner, even with a hint of wry smile (in her view), and her blue eyes grew even more wary.
A group of beings of various shapes and clearly bearing heretical auras stood before Alfonso Lin, the Grand Master of the Thirteenth Holy Knights of the Holy Light Church, known for his iron fist and purification of heretics.
She took a deep breath, ready to ask for help at any moment.
Anna Eldrinval must be brought back to the Elves no matter what!
Whether dead or alive.
However, what happened next made the proud elven hunter and her companions shrink in surprise.
Alfonso completely ignored Grom's escape and went straight to Kyle and Ruby, who were being protected by Kyle's team.
A holy light flowed from his palm, gently and powerfully enveloping the two of them.
Kyle's pale face quickly regained color, his depleted holy light power was replenished, and Ruby's weak breathing also stabilized.
After doing all this, Alfonso turned around. His sharp gaze, which seemed to see right through people, did not fall on the various members of Mark's team, nor on Anna and Monica in the shadows.
Instead, it was directed at Little M, who was hovering beside Mark and emitting a strange, seven-colored black light.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the three pairs of wings of light, each with distinct yet harmonious attributes, before finally settling on Little Mu's chest, which was covered by the strange battle suit.
He seemed to be able to see through matter and see a tiny imprint inside it.
For once, Alfonso's face showed no trace of hostility or the sternness of judgment.
On the contrary, the corners of his hard, cold lips seemed to be pulled upwards in an extremely slight arc.
Then, a word of undeniable praise came from his mouth:
"well done."
These three words, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up huge waves in Thranduil's heart.
The commander of the Holy Light Church's knights, upon witnessing the heretical act of devouring a seraph's avatar, not only failed to deliver a judgment but instead... praised the monster?!
Eileen's smile deepened, carrying a hint of knowing certainty.
The tense nerves of Mark's team members finally relaxed a little after Alfonso's unexpected approval.
The cold reality, like the chill of a swamp, instantly seeped into Thranduil's heart.
It is an undeniable fact that Anna associates with these people.
Alfonso's attitude further clearly declared the Church of Holy Light's position on this matter.
At least, right now and in this place, they are on the same side.
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