On the left side of the pulvinar, the situation had developed into a completely different kind of confrontation, one that did not rely on brute force alone but instead carried a heavy sense of psychological pressure and inevitability that was beginning to suffocate Winston.
Andrea let out a soft chuckle as her eyes settled on the visibly terrified Pope standing before her, and without any hesitation, she took a calm step forward as if the tension in the air meant nothing to her, but the moment she moved, Winston reacted sharply as fear overtook his composure.
He immediately pulled a sword out from his storage, raising it in front of him with both hands in a defensive posture while pointing it toward her as a clear warning to stay where she was.
"Stay back, you vile dragon," Winston shouted, his voice carrying both anger and fear as he tried to assert control over the situation despite the unease evident in his expression, "I know you are one of the perpetrators of this attack!!!"
Andrea did not appear offended or threatened by his words or his weapon, and instead of raising her guard or preparing for a counterattack, she simply continued to smile; her demeanor was relaxed, like she was amused.
She tilted her head slightly and spoke in a light, playful tone, "Lord Winston, do you remember what I said when we met?"
Winston’s expression did not change in response to her question, and his eyes remained fixed on her with a mixture of hostility and indifference, clearly showing that he had no interest in recalling anything she had said before.
"Well, since you seem to have forgotten, let me remind you," Andrea continued, her smile widening slightly as she maintained steady eye contact with him, "I told you that I had brought some congratulatory gifts for you. Do you remember now?"
Winston’s eyes narrowed at her words, a flicker of suspicion crossed his face, but before he could respond or question her further, Andrea casually reached into her storage and brought something out into view, and in the next instant, Winston saw it clearly.
He saw a severed head, unmistakably belonging to Dell, one of the four cardinals, the one he had personally sent into the abyss as a precaution in case he needed to establish contact with Amon.
Andrea stepped closer without any concern for the sword still pointed at her, and as she closed the distance slightly, she raised the severed head just enough for Winston to see it clearly before asking, "What do you think, Winston? Will you be able to save your church today?"
At her question, Winston’s eyes turned bloodshot almost instantly as anger and panic surged through him, and he tightened his grip on the sword as he replied through clenched teeth, "Do you really think you can go against primarchs?"
Even as his words left his mouth, a sudden and deafening explosive impact echoed from the sky above, drawing his attention upward, and right before his eyes, Victor’s massive dragon body came crashing down onto the arena ground with tremendous force, sending shockwaves across the area, and before Winston could fully process what he was seeing, the same flying abomination that had been battling Victor hurled him back into the sky once again as if the dragon weighed nothing.
Winston, still not having it, said, "Do you think you can uproot the influence of the church so easily? It’s something I have given years of my life to. People live and die by my name. Touch me, and they will label you as the devil."
As he spoke, several massive blasts sounded from the city outside. He turned his head and looked at the smoke rising several miles away. He realised that it was the church headquarters.
Winston’s eyes widened in shock as the reality of the situation began to sink in, and a cold realization crept into his mind that things might not turn in his favor today. As his thoughts raced, he blinked repeatedly, trying to think of any possible way to escape from the situation that was rapidly spiraling out of his control.
He knew very well that it was extremely difficult for the light god to descend into this realm under normal circumstances, and relying on divine intervention was not a viable option at the moment, so he began considering alternatives, including the possibility of seeking help from the demon lord Amon, but only after ensuring his own safety first.
As if she could read the direction of his thoughts, Andrea let out a small sigh and spoke in a tone that carried both certainty and finality, "All the abyss nodes in the northern continent are being personally guarded by Rominus the Titan Emperor, so there is no escape left for you, Winston."
The words struck him heavily, and Winston’s eyes trembled slightly as despair began to take hold. Noticing his reaction, Andrea continued with the same calm smile, "You are already so frightened by my first gift, so I wonder what will happen when you hear about my second gift."
Winston chose to ignore her words this time, forcing himself to remain focused as his mind desperately searched for a way to cross the borders of the Holy Sun territory and escape before it was too late. He could either escape from Dawnhold or would have to cross Veridian Province to leave."
As his hopes were bubbling, Andrea poured cold water over his plans AGAIN.
"The celestial army is currently taking over the Dawnhold province, and the long dragons are with them as well," Andrea said, her tone casual as if she were discussing something routine.
Hearing this, Winston felt a deep shock run through him, and the gravity of the situation finally became clear as he realised this in disbelief that this was a full-fledged war.
"Vridian province is currently welcoming the elven empress," Andrea added, maintaining her composed expression.
At this point, Winston’s urgency increased, and he quickly began moving toward the exit, his steps hurried and unsteady, but before he could reach it, he suddenly collided with a metallic frame that blocked his path, forcing him to stop abruptly as he turned to see who had obstructed him.
As he looked up, his gaze fell upon the familiar face of Cardinal Theodore wearing a golden armour in which Winston had crashed, alongside him, a young man stood who bore similar features, and for a brief moment, a glimmer of hope appeared in Winston’s eyes.
"Theodore! Quick! Stop this woman so that I can escape!" Winston shouted, his voice carrying desperation as he tried to command the man he had always considered loyal.
Theodore, however, did not react as expected, and instead, he smiled calmly before speaking in a composed tone, "My lord, you are the ever-radiant true messiah of our people, so how can you run away like this?"
Winston’s expression twisted in anger and confusion as he shouted back, "What are you even saying?!"
Throughout his time in Holy Sun, Winston had always seen Theodore as someone who constantly flattered him and carried out his orders without question, which was precisely why he had kept Theodore close, believing him to be easy to control and manipulate.
"Who did you assign the task of bringing the execution platform to the arena?" Theodore suddenly asked, his tone growing firmer as he looked directly at Winston.
Winston paused for a brief moment as the question registered in his mind, and then realization dawned on him as he understood the implication behind Theodore’s words. After all, it was Theodore tasked to protect Winston, but before he could respond, Theodore spoke again.
"Do not worry, dear Pope," Theodore said, his smile unchanged, "once you depart for the afterlife, as your decorated cardinal, I will personally expose all your dealings with the demons."
Hearing this, Winston felt a surge of rage so intense that it nearly made him spit blood, and the veins on his forehead bulged visibly as he launched an attack toward Theodore without hesitation.
However, before his attack could reach its target, it was abruptly stopped as a crystal wall suddenly grew from the ground beneath them, forming a protective barrier around Theodore and the young man beside him, completely dispersing Winston’s attack.
Andrea raised her hand slightly, and just as quickly as it had appeared, the crystal barrier disappeared, and she spoke again, "Do you know why I have not attacked you yet?"
Winston’s expression now filled with resignation as his mind continued to search for any remaining possibility of escape.
"Because your death has already been reserved by him," Andrea said, pointing toward a radiant figure standing at a distance in the sky, and Winston followed her gaze to see William, who had now fused with his spirit.
As Winston looked at the figure, he realized that it was true, as no one had directly come to confront him in battle as they had with the others, and it was almost as if he had been deliberately left untouched for a specific purpose.
He did not concern himself too much with how the young man intended to fight him; he had seen many overconfident youths who invited death to themselves, and instead, his attention shifted toward the battle unfolding in the sky between Rah and Victor, as he waited for the right moment to act.
He had already formed a plan that might allow him to preserve his life while also eliminating the threatening beast in the sky, and all he needed was a single opportunity to execute it.