Chapter 356: You Should

The 'Holy' Legion is a peculiar entity within the Church, as its members are not humans but Holy Spirit Angels, and its commander is the 'Holy' Angel.

Of course, many believe it to be a fictional existence—actually a manifestation of some deity—and Luna confirmed this: "Yes, it's fictional. One of us three Supreme Holy Spirits goes when we're free."

If the Supreme Holy Spirits are unavailable, the deputy commander of the Holy Legion is a fourth-rank four-winged angel—though that's under normal circumstances; these are not normal circumstances…

So now, the leader is a third-rank four-winged angel, accompanied by thirty second-rank two-winged angels. This force is already extremely lavish by the Church's current standards, showing how seriously Gulliani values Dai Sen.

Thirty-one angels of second rank or higher, plus the agents he planted beside Dai Sen, make arresting a traitorous Archbishop effortless.

Bi Mansen also believed this—he was the Knight guiding this Holy Legion, weak in power but deeply trusted by Gulliani, and he saw himself as the Legion's strategist, even its true commander.

It's well known that low-rank Holy Spirit Angels aren't very bright and cannot be sent on missions alone unless absolutely necessary. Sending them alone means preparing for their permanent loss.

Haven't you seen Anthony send one Holy Spirit out with two Black Knights trailing behind, just to collect its corpse?

Bi Mansen's role was to guide the Holy Spirits away from foolish actions—he had no command authority over them, but could influence them indirectly.

This role required deep knowledge of the Holy Scripture and Divine Laws, as well as familiarity with the Angels' habits, so he could earn their trust and explain the meaning of orders to them.

For example, arresting someone couldn't be ordered like this: "Go to X place, grab X's hands and feet, and bring them back alive and intact…"

If you don't give such detailed orders, what if they go to another place, grab another guy named X, and drag him back in pieces, blood and intestines streaming behind them?

It's not excessive worry—they've actually done this before. So a role was needed to interpret orders for them.

For Bi Mansen, this meant he held the final interpretive authority. Within this framework, he could freely deceive these dim-witted Holy Spirits.

So, theoretically, he believed he was the true commander of the Holy Legion.

Through the teleportation array, they arrived directly at Dai Sen's camp, their path illuminated by the Pope's personal order, and stormed the meeting room under the escort of thirty-one Holy Spirit Angels.

A knight stepped forward to block them: "The Archbishop is in session. Please wait—I'll notify him."

"Hmph, your Archbishop has committed crimes. We're here to arrest him. Stand aside!" Bi Mansen barked.

He turned to the third-rank four-winged angel: "Lord Saino, anyone who blocks us may be killed."

The angel named Saino immediately drew his sword and slashed downward.

The knight panicked, raised his shield to block—CLANG—the blade struck his shield.

The knight felt relief: Blocked? The thought had barely formed when holy flame erupted from the ground, engulfing him completely.

Others panicked—some drew swords, some were held back by companions, some sprinted inside.

Dai Sen had long cultivated loyalty in the Lands of Despair, but even his most faithful were powerless against Holy Spirit Angels.

To many devout souls, these beings embodied justice itself; the more devout, the less they dared to strike them.

Once, Anthony held back the Saint Blade Knights with just twelve first-rank angels. Here, there were thirty-one—including one four-winged.

Ordinary people couldn't discern an angel's rank by aura—they could only count wings.

First- and second-rank angels both had two wings; to them, no difference. But four wings meant at least third or fourth rank.

Second, Gulliani had planted many agents among Dai Sen's subordinates. They obeyed Dai Sen daily, but at critical moments, they wouldn't obey—they'd even stop others.

Anthony's own men had once been infiltrated too. Now, those traitors either lay in the lotus pond's mud or in the mass graves.

Third, thirty-one Holy Spirit Angels were immensely powerful. Even the most loyal couldn't stop them.

Saino led the charge, smashing open the meeting room door as a swarm of Holy Spirits surged inside.

Bi Mansen squeezed among the angels, unable to see the room's interior, only chanting his order: "Dai Sen, your crimes are exposed. You have betrayed the Light, your faith is weak, you've embezzled and taken bribes, you've harassed women. By the Pope's decree, you are hereby arrested to face divine punishment…"

As he spoke, Bi Mansen slammed into the back of the angel ahead—these angels had suddenly stopped.

"Go arrest him! Why stop?" Bi Mansen pushed and shoved, squeezing out from the crowd, then peered forward.

The meeting room, not very large, was packed—every inch filled with second-rank or higher Holy Spirit Angels, divided into two opposing groups.

Directly opposite Saino stood two four-winged angels. One, smaller, carried a great Angelic Staff, fuming as if ready to charge—but its collar was firmly gripped by a 'human'.

How bold—to grab the collar of a four-winged angel? Bi Mansen's gaze shifted, clearly seeing An's face, and he was suddenly startled: Ascetic An?

He turned his eyes to the man beside Ang smiling at him—another shock: Anthony?

Bi Mansen never imagined Anthony would be here—how dangerous! A full Archbishop venturing into another's territory—how much trust did he place in Dai Sen?

Didn't he fear this was a trap? That Dai Sen was playing along with Gulliani, waiting to detonate the teleportation array the moment he arrived?

Of course he didn't fear it—because 'Dai Sen' had been replaced.

No matter how much trust he had, it was unthinkable for an Archbishop to risk himself like this.

Thinking this, Bi Mansen rejoiced—what an opportunity! If he could kill Anthony here, wouldn't he earn a monumental deed?

If he did this, and then that—he could make it happen.

"By the Pope's decree, arrest Dai Sen. All angels, assist!" Bi Mansen raised his order, displaying it to the two front-line four-winged angels.

The two four-winged angels turned. One stared blankly at him; the other rolled her eyes and kept struggling: "Aow!"

Bi Mansen frowned—could the Pope's order not command these angels?

Never mind. The Pope's order might not command these angels, but it could command the soldiers outside. Once Gulliani's planted agents organized their forces and surrounded this place, he could arrest them all under the Pope's name.

If he captured the Ascetic An, Anthony, and Dai Sen, the Church's internal threat would be eliminated. His merit would be so immense that he could easily become an Archbishop himself.

As Bi Mansen dreamed, Ang slapped the small angel on the head: "Aow!"

"Aow~" The small angel stopped struggling, obediently raised the great Angelic Staff over her head, and handed it to Ang.

Ang gripped the great Angelic Staff, and his palm shimmered with holy light.

The flickering was rapid, but emitted almost no overflow—no visible glow. Only two who understood realized what Ang was doing.

Anthony and Dai Sen, of course, understood. Watching the flickering in Ang's hand, their hearts pounded as if about to burst.

A flicker rate of over ten per second, zero overflow—every ounce of power channeled into the great Angelic Staff, no waste.

Most Light divine arts pursued holiness and radiance, but wasted immense energy—because emitting light itself consumed power.

This meant at least one-third of a divine art's power was wasted.

Of course, radiant holiness had greater influence on believers and harvested faith more effectively—this was why the gods preferred to waste energy for the sake of 'appearance'.

Strength means nothing if you're not beautiful. Galaad's beauty was famed across the planes—who remembered she was a Dragon Hunter? The one who could duel dragons alone?

Ang's method of stripping away the 'light' from holy radiance demonstrated his immense control and his ability to redefine holy light.

As Ang's Soul Warrior, Anthony understood the meaning of this change: previously, Ang had always relied on others to define holy light.

The Cleansing Spell was defined by Lisa, the Spot Removal Spell by Lady Katie, the Resurrection Spell by the castrato singer Sandil—Ang had never defined a new Light divine art before.

But now, on Ang's hands, Light divine arts no longer emitted light at all.

Ang's divine arts gave no glow—but the great Angelic Staff glowed. At its tip, a blinding light illuminated the entire room.

The small angel excitedly took it, swung the great Angelic Staff, and spread her four wings…

No—not four. When the small angel's light merged with the Staff's, a fifth and sixth radiant wing slowly formed.

Six-winged Archangel—Supreme Holy Spirit!

Bi Mansen's eyes bulged—turning a four-winged angel into a six-winged Archangel? Could this even happen? How? What was this Ascetic An? A god?

This cannot be! Once an Archangel appears, the soldiers outside will never dare surround this place. It must not be revealed.

Thinking this, Bi Mansen shouted: "She's faking as a Supreme Holy Spirit! Saino! Kill her! Kill her!"

There are only three Supreme Holy Spirits: Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones. This one is artificially enhanced—it's fake.

Saino instantly spread his wings.

Bi Mansen sighed in relief—he'd feared Saino might hesitate to attack a six-winged Archangel. Good, good…

Just then, he felt emptiness ahead—Saino and all the Holy Spirit Angels under his command knelt on one knee, heads bowed, leaving only Bi Mansen standing.

Bi Mansen screamed internally: You spread your wings not to attack—but to kneel?! Damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier? Everyone kneel together!

Bi Mansen's legs buckled—he collapsed to his knees, sweat pouring.

The small angel raised her staff, ready to strike—then froze, seeing this.

"Aow?" She turned, confused, toward Ang.

"Aow." Ang replied.

The small angel scratched her head, bewildered. She hugged the great Angelic Staff back to her chest. Dealing with enemies was easy—just blast them with holy light. But what now?

Anthony stepped forward: "Let them kneel. Don't move."

"Aow!" The small angel barked at Saino and the others.

Then Anthony walked over, dragged Bi Mansen out, bound him, gagged him, and ordered the small angel to command Saino alone—to have him come forward.

Then Anthony began whispering into Saino's ear.

Negril and Du Luo, projected onto Ang, could barely contain themselves: "What's happening? What's going on? Why are the four-winged angels kneeling?"

"It's rank suppression. Fifth-rank Supreme Holy Spirits exert rank suppression over ordinary Holy Spirits," Du Luo said.

"Damn it, then call Luna over—won't all the Church's Holy Spirit Angels be rendered useless? Luna's seen the small angel too—why didn't she suppress it?"

"Damn it, your little angel is almost beyond Ang's control—and now rank suppression?!" Du Luo roared.

"That's right. No wonder Ang never gave it buffs before—turns out the great Angelic Staff's buff enhances its rank. Six-winged Archangel—this is the fourth one, right?" Negril said.

Du Luo's tone was strange: "Can this six-winged Archangel really be counted as Ang's creation? Has he taken over the gods' job?"

"Why not? He has the Scale Ring," Negril said firmly.

Though he lacks the God of Scales' divine essence, the Scale Ring alone is convincing enough—it could fool many.

Meanwhile, Anthony's whispering to Saino reached its end. Anthony placed one hand on Saino's temple, the other covering it, lips pressed to his ear—as if sharing a secret.

If not for the holy light glowing beneath the hand covering his temple…

Saino's eyes grew blank, then confused, then struggled—finally cleared.

Anthony whispered softly: "Gulliani has allied with a demon god. He sent you to attack the Supreme Holy Spirit and the Ascetic. This is a grave sin. He deceived you. Follow the Supreme Holy Spirit—arrest Gulliani."

"Yes!" Saino replied.

Done. Brainwashing dim-witted Holy Spirit Angels was something Anthony had done countless times—no difficulty. Under the small angel's rank suppression, Saino offered little resistance.

Outside, noise grew louder. The ground trembled faintly—the movement of a large army.

A distant cry rang out: "Archbishop, Boda Sha and Kelike were the Pope's men all along—they produced the Pope's imperial decree and seized control of the army; now they've surrounded this place with magic crystal cannons, Your Grace, run quickly!"

"What's the panic for?" Dai Sen calmly rebuked, stepping out first; only after leaving the room did he remember something, turning back to bow and defer: "After you, my lord."