Daniel took a deep breath and channeled the power of Death Energy throughout his body and then into his sword. The same applied to the power of the Moon.
"It’s time to get serious," he muttered.
With one motion, he raised The Heaven’s Honor.
[Strike of Destruction]
The aura of destruction once again covered the blade, and like a meteor he charged toward the bishop.
The bishop gave a cold smile, lifted his staff, and stepped back.
[Corrupt Pulse]
From his staff, a dark wave erupted, like the beat of a heart tearing the sky apart. The wave of energy made every living creature rot from within.
Daniel immediately activated [Demonic Twilight Shield]. His shield trembled, absorbed part of the wave, and returned it as his own energy.
Feeling it might not be enough, he layered Death Energy on top and then activated [Royal Barrier].
With a shout, he poured the returned power into his sword and attacked.
The blade of destruction and the wave of corruption collided midair. A black and golden explosion tore through the space, causing the skies to roar.
"It seems you really are worthy of the [Infidel] curse. But if this is all you’ve got, you’ll die here today." The bishop stepped back, smirking.
He raised his other hand.
[Pestilent Spear]
Corrupt energy gathered at the tip of his staff, forming into a massive poisonous spear. It was thrown with savage speed.
Daniel used [Bloody Shadow Dance], sliding through the shadows. His body twisted like a phantom in the air and passed through the spear. But its tip left a deep mark across his armor.
Before he could react, his armor cracked completely, and a huge portion of his defense vanished. One more hit, and his armor would be gone.
That was too close... this man wasn’t leaving any room for mistakes.
Daniel gripped his sword with both hands.
[Eyes of Destruction]
Beams of destruction poured from his eyes.
The bishop slammed his staff into the ground.
[Withering Vortex]
A black-violet vortex appeared, swallowing the beams of destruction and spitting them back at Daniel with multiplied force.
Daniel raised his shield, but the impact blasted him dozens of meters away. His chest burned, forcing him to use [Mana Healing] to repair himself.
The bishop stepped further back, like a commander directing his army from afar.
"Have you ever wondered why we become Corruption Worshipers? Because corruption stands above all else. Every law is corrupted by it, and nothing can stop it." He laughed.
He raised his staff to the sky.
[Decay Meteor]
A massive piece tore from the heavens. Not stone, but a mass of rotten flesh and twisted metal, purple smoke boiling from within.
Daniel shouted immediately:
[Eternal Judgement]
From his blood, a crimson sword appeared in the sky, filled with the power of destruction, and fell against the meteor. Their collision split the sky apart.
Burning fragments of corruption scattered everywhere, and Daniel stood amidst the flames.
The bishop frowned slightly. This young man kept surprising him. And most importantly, he was only at peak Rank B—not even Rank A yet.
He truly understood the meaning of the word "monster." His eyes gleamed with killing intent. For the first time, he felt he had to kill this human.
If he survived, it would surely spell disaster for all Corruption Worshipers.
Without approaching, he attacked again.
[Corrosive Hymn]
His murmurs echoed in the sky. Each word was like acid poured onto Daniel’s soul. The white feathers of the sky’s birds blackened instantly and fell.
Daniel covered his ears, but it was useless. His mind shook, his soul felt freezing cold. If not for his power, it would have collapsed.
He punched his armor, focused, and unleashed [Death Roar], a dark scream. The two waves clashed, canceling each other out for a moment.
Panting, Daniel charged forward. The bishop retreated, but calmly countered every strike.
The sword of destruction and the staff of corruption clashed in the sky, each strike birthing a new explosion of light and darkness.
’We’re equal right now... but this won’t last. Either I fall... or he does.’ Daniel thought.
[Glass Domain]
The space trembled. The sky shattered, as if the world itself had cracked.
Thousands of glass-like fractures appeared, each reflecting the moon, death, and destruction.
Daniel felt his power double, while the bishop frowned as his own strength weakened.
"This... this domain is swallowing my laws?!" For the first time, the bishop’s brows knit. Yet the next moment, a contemptuous smirk returned to his face.
This kid really was underestimating the power of a False S-rank.
Daniel covered his sword with the aura of destruction.
[Strike of Destruction]
His strike shattered chains of corruption, broke the barrier of decay, and wounded the bishop’s arm. Black blood spilled from his robe.
The bishop ignored the wound, and it healed in an instant. He raised his staff.
[Corrupted Eclipse]
The sun and moon blackened in the sky, casting a dark light onto the earth. Each ray drained the life from living beings.
But Daniel shouted powerfully:
[Thunder of Lost Dreams]
A blue-violet thunderbolt shot from the sky, filled with regrets, sorrows, and anger turned into pure pain. It tore through the corrupted eclipse and struck the bishop’s chest directly.
The bishop staggered back a few steps.
Daniel didn’t give him a chance.
[Sun of Eternal Blaze]
Before him, a miniature sun formed—small but denser than a star. He hurled it forward.
The air grew hot, the world around seemed ready to ignite and melt.
The bishop, with all his strength, shouted another skill:
[Plague Crown]
A crown of black energy appeared on his head, spreading corruption everywhere. It created a shield, but the miniature sun pierced through it and burned half his body in flames.
The bishop screamed. His skin melted, the stench of burning flesh filled the sky.
With a desperate cry, he raised his staff.
[Unholy Baptism]
A rain of black, poisonous liquid poured from the heavens, each drop as lethal as venom.
But Daniel used [Demonic Twilight Shield], creating a barrier that absorbed the drops and infused that same energy into his blade.
The bishop, trembling and terrified, stepped back. For the first time, true fear surged in his eyes.
"It’s time to end this battle." Daniel gripped his sword with both hands.
The blade gleamed, not with light, but with quiet death.
[The Death Oath]
The innate skill of The Heaven’s Honor.
The sky turned black, countless clouds gathered, as if death itself had descended.
To ensure victory, he also summoned all his fallen Rank A beings, who appeared at his side. If he couldn’t kill a False S-rank alone, then with the power of his fallen, he would.
They lined up beside Daniel.
"What... what are those creatures?!" The bishop’s frown deepened, for the first time sensing overwhelming danger.
He activated his final skill.
[Abyssal Citadel]
A fortress of darkness and corruption surrounded him. Its walls moaned like thousands of monsters.
But it was useless.
Daniel roared and charged with the fallen.
Thousands of strikes rained down from the sky upon the Abyssal Citadel.
His sword, [The Death Oath], split the walls in an instant. The fallen stormed the fortress, the sound of bones breaking and flesh exploding echoed everywhere.
The bishop staggered back. His chest split open, black blood gushed out.
Without a moment’s pause, Daniel drove his blade through his heart. It looked like the bishop was dead.
Daniel let out a sigh and stepped back. Exhausted, but since he was being filmed, he couldn’t show weakness. He walked toward the camera and ended the recording.
His body was collapsing from fatigue, muscles failing him, but now wasn’t the time to rest. Even after killing the archbishop, he still felt danger. His instincts screamed that something bad could happen any moment.
He wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but first he had to deal with the bodies of the Corruption Worshipers.
He turned to dismiss his fallen summons, but suddenly his body froze with cold. His eyes widened, and the sense of danger reached its peak.
The temperature around plummeted. Cracks spread across the space, and even the sky itself seemed on the verge of splitting.
Before he could react, a sword made of corruption appeared and struck, killing all of his fallen in a single blow.
None of them even had the chance to respond—they were slain instantly.
"Not bad. I underestimated your abilities. But kid, did you really think defeating me would be that easy?"