Alfonso Lin hovered in the air, the legendary radiance flowing from his silver armor like a cold moon, dispelling the surrounding smoke and death.
His cold gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield below, finally settling on the distraught knights of the Ninth Regiment, without uttering a single extra word.
He flipped his hand, and a rune scroll condensed from pure holy light appeared in his palm, bearing the emblem of the Holy City's highest tribunal.
The moment the scroll unfurled, a majestic and unquestionable divine will, accompanied by Alfonso's icy voice, resounded across the battlefield:
"By order of the highest authority of the Holy City!"
The sound, like the clash of cold metal, clearly reached the ears of every member of the Ninth Knights.
"Harrington Stuart, Grand Master of the Ninth Holy Knights, colluded with the heretical Enlightenment Society, colluded with the Orcish Royal Court, disregarded the Holy Light, and betrayed the Church. The evidence is irrefutable. I, Alfonso Lin, hereby carry out the judgment of the Holy Light and execute him on the spot!"
Every word struck the hearts of the Ninth Knights like a heavy hammer, many of them turning pale and trembling slightly.
The regimental commander colluded with the enemy?
The absurd accusations were hard for them to believe, but under the terrifying pressure of the Holy City's secret decree radiating supreme authority and Alfonso's newly crowned legend, any thought of rebuttal was crushed as soon as it arose.
Alfonso's voice continued without pause:
"All members of the Ninth Holy Knights are to immediately disarm! They shall be detained and guarded by the Eleventh Holy Knights! Anyone who disobeys shall be punished for treason and executed without exception!"
The order was given, clear and ruthless.
Count Ferdinand glanced at Alfonso with a complicated expression, then regained his usual elegance and composure, nodding slightly: "As you command, Commander Alfonso."
He turned to his adjutant, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority: "Eleventh Knights, heed my command! Execute the detention! Confiscate all weapons, mounts, and spatial equipment of the Ninth Regiment and place them under strict guard! Any resistance is not permitted!"
The knights of the Eleventh Knights were already on high alert, and at that moment they responded in unison: "Yes! We will obey the Commander's orders!"
They deployed swiftly and systematically, like a golden iron wall, dividing and surrounding the distraught Ninth Knights.
Under the legendary pressure and the oppression of the two major knightly orders, the disarmament process encountered no significant resistance.
Occasionally, officers or Harrington's most loyal confidants would show resentment and move their lips as if they wanted to say something, but under Alfonso's gaze, which was as tangible as a judge's will, they could only bow their heads in defeat and let their swords be taken away.
Alfonso's gaze swept over the detained members of the 9th Regiment, confirming that the situation was under control. He then turned to Ferdinand, speaking rapidly with an undeniable decisiveness:
"Commander Ferdinand, maintain custody and stabilize the situation. Your unit will be responsible for the cleanup of this battlefield. Furthermore, immediately divide your forces, with your elite squads leading the operation, carrying my orders, and in conjunction with a portion of the Thirteenth Knights, to clear all known Rotten Vine Alliance strongholds in the Blackwater Shore area! The list and coordinates will be delivered later. Make sure to completely eradicate these heretical minions, leaving no future trouble!"
He produced another small silver token in his hand, imbued with the unique spatial markings of the Thirteenth Knights, and handed it to Ferdinand.
“Understood!” Ferdinand took the token, his eyes sharp.
Eliminating the Rotting Vine Alliance's strongholds was a crucial step in weakening the orcs' peripheral forces, and Alfonso's order was exactly what he wanted.
In the past, whenever the Holy Knights tried to launch a surprise attack on the orc army in the Lor Swamp, the orcs would inexplicably escape. It was all because of these Rotten Vine Alliance guys who ruined things!
Alfonso took one last look at the shallows soaked in blood and death, his eyes showing no joy or emotion of victory, only a frozen resolve.
The main orc force fled, Harrington was killed, the Enlightenment Society puppeteers stole the treasure and escaped, and the Ninth Regiment was purged...
The game of "playing house" in the Lohr Swamp, which involved various forces secretly vying for power and was even tacitly approved or participated in by some high-ranking members of the Holy Light Church, has come to a complete end as he has entered the legendary realm and obtained irrefutable evidence.
“Here,” Alfonso’s voice was low, but carried a chilling sense of ending everything, as if he were putting a period to a chaotic era, “there is no need to continue playing this game.”
On the battlefield, where the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, the stench of blood and the smell of burnt meat stubbornly lingered.
When that mirage finally disappeared.
Mark's team of six was hiding behind a relatively intact pile of bones. Kyle maintained a dim holy light barrier to prevent detection. Ruby's incinerating flames had long since subsided, but the air still retained a chillingly high temperature.
Monica's figure almost blended into the shadows, while Anna knelt on the ground, unconsciously twirling the tail feathers of a magic-piercing arrow with her fingertips, her sharp gaze sweeping over the Ninth Order members in the distance, who were being closely guarded by the Eleventh Knights and looked like stray dogs.
The lava patterns on Enzo's body slowly subsided, and he let out a satisfied groan. The feeling of immense power filling his entire body made him grin.
The air behind the pile of bones was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and the lingering magical energy still hissed in the air.
Mark slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the surging torrent of magic power within his body, far more powerful and refined than before.
This shamanic slaughter storm, which swept through the heart of the orc army and right under the noses of the legendaries, brought an unimaginable amount of experience points.
From the early stage of the seventh rank to the stable early stage of the eighth rank, they actually managed to cross the level that ordinary professionals might need to hone for more than ten years to advance under the extreme pressure of blood and fire.
“Eighth rank…” Anna’s voice was slightly hoarse, a mixture of post-battle fatigue and the excitement of a surge in power.
She weighed the bow in her hand; the natural and shadow magic flowing along the bow's limbs became even more harmonious and restrained, like a lurking ferocious beast.
The increase in strength brought her a real sense of security, and she finally had the confidence to be on equal footing when facing the upcoming negotiations with the Elf Royal Court.
The phantom of the image of judgment on Kyle's body had long since dissipated, but the heavy pressure originating from the holy light of judgment could still be faintly felt.
He nodded silently. Compared to the Holy Light power that had advanced to the eighth tier, the "protection" belief brought by Mark's strange passive skill seemed to resonate with him on a deeper level.
A wisp of pure golden flame flickered at Ruby's fingertips. The power of the Burning Flame increased with its rank, even causing the air to subtly distort.
The intense light in her eyes wasn't entirely due to power; it also carried a hint of complexity.
The Mark Squad's almost blatant "extreme mutation" state, and the "blood-red rose" that blooms by absorbing the enemy's life force, are essentially contrary to the purity proclaimed by the Holy Light doctrine, and are almost heretical and evil.
As a Fiery Sister, she instinctively felt repulsed.
But seeing how Mark and Monica were discussing so openly, and thinking that if it weren't for this power, everyone would have perished here long ago, she opened her mouth, but in the end, she swallowed back the doubts that welled up in her mouth. She could only turn her head helplessly, pretending not to hear, and cast her gaze toward the Ninth Knights who were being held captive in the distance, the flame at her fingertips flickering slightly.
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