Chapter 78: Chapter 59: Sedon’s Strength, New and Old Grudges

The air twisted, flowing like an unseen demon.

Reinhardt took a step forward, then froze in place!

His pupils shrank, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back and face!

His vision was empty, yet his combat instincts told him that in that one instant, a horrifying power capable of killing him had silently swept past.

A moment later, the traitorous Ash Guard watched in horror as their armor turned red and began to melt. Suffocating heat pierced their muscles and bones, boiling their blood and roasting their insides!

"AH—!"

"AAAAAH—!"

Their wretched, blood-curdling screams were unnerving.

Blisters from their boiling blood erupted across the skin of these Fallen Knights, who were clad in Anti-Magic Steel Armor. The boils burst, tearing their skin and exposing raw flesh!

And this was only the beginning! 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

At that moment, all the Loyalist Faction Knights, including Reinhardt, came to a stop. They watched as the Fallen Knights were reduced to stewed meat inside steel cans, their cooked tendons and fat peeling away from their skeletons.

One by one, they collapsed to the ground in an utterly wretched state, reduced to steaming piles of flesh and bone.

In just ten seconds, more than twenty elite Six-star Military Rank Knights, all formerly of the Ash Guard, were dead. Not a single one survived.

The architect of all this was Sedon.

He just stood there in silence, his molten body like that of a Demon. Half his face was lost in shadow, a single flame flickering in his pupils.

Heinrich watched from the side, and for some reason, the sight reminded him of their brawls at the training camp in their youth, filling him with a strange sense of nostalgia.

’Elementalization and Domain Power...’

’He could have killed every Knight here, himself excluded—even the Radiant Angel. But he still wasn’t willing to truly make a move. From start to finish, he was just following the Regent Council’s orders, going by the book.’

After all that, Sedon remained expressionless. He tilted his chin up slightly. The distant, crimson night sky reflected in his eyes, where countless Radiant Waymarks arriving in Grillers World streaked across the heavens like rain, trailing flames.

He strode past the traitors’ bodies—now nothing more than slush piles of flesh and bone—and stopped before Heinrich. His voice was grave as he demanded, "Heinrich, tell me exactly what happened in the Radiant Holy City."

Matthias had served in the Ash Guard for five years, but he was still considered a new recruit. The Champion Program candidate, who had just lost to Reinhardt, stared in utter disbelief at the traitors’ gruesome corpses, his heart filled with horror!

The Death Battle Group was the main combat unit of the Seventh Group Army’s third echelon. Although Sedon only held the position of second-in-command, he was, without a doubt, the Battle Group’s spiritual leader.

Even the current Battle Group Commander had to consult Sedon before making any major decisions.

He had heard rumors that Sedon was a descendant of the High Table Nobility, and he had always assumed the Battle Group’s veterans were merely in awe of the man’s background and noble bloodline...

As Heinrich gave a brief account, Sedon’s expression grew increasingly grim.

He took out a fist-sized metal cube, a construct of machinery and Magic, infused it with Knight Power, and handed it to Matthias.

"Notify the rest of the Battle Group. Everyone is to stand down and encamp where they are."

He turned to glance at the Radiant Angel behind him, his posture as ramrod straight as one of the true Upper Ranks who held power in the Regent Council. His tone was cold as he said, "You go with him. After you confirm the identities and number of the Fallen, tell your superior to hold their position and await reinforcements."

The Ash Guard, which he had built with his own hands, was disintegrating. The creed he had always lived by was being trampled by a conspiracy of traitors.

But Sedon remained calm and reserved. His cold eyes betrayed no emotion as he methodically issued one order after another.

Having dealt with the Battle Group’s internal affairs, he chose to stand with Heinrich, joining the Loyalist Faction... or rather, he had been a Loyalist Knight of the Empire from the very beginning.

Following the conversation between the two powerful Knights, the internal conflict between their forces came to a temporary ceasefire.

But Sedon did not stop.

His stride was steady and powerful. He walked swiftly to Fei Ning, shot his former subordinate a merciless glance, then looked down, his gaze falling upon Reinhardt.

"I never thought you would receive the blessing of Avernus after leaving Frostfire Fortress."

The Flame of Sanctity Albert was using was originally a powerful weapon granted by the Radiant Knights to fight Demons, but it could also be used to heal wounds.

Hearing this, he furrowed his brow and looked toward the young Knight kneeling beside Dietlinde.

Reinhardt gripped Dietlinde’s ice-cold right hand, remaining silent because he was afraid he couldn’t control his fists and his fury—afraid he would smash that bastard Sedon’s skull in.

Sedon’s gaze was exceptionally cold.

The aura of an Earth Knight, faint yet palpable, enveloped Reinhardt. The intense killing intent in Sedon’s voice was barely disguised.

’The Chosen One.’

’Perhaps the title has a certain romantic ring to it.’

’But in my eyes, they are nothing more than materials and consumables for Avernus to create a Venerable Great Demon.’

"Angel, tell me the extent of his soul’s corruption."

Albert was about to explain when Reinhardt suddenly shot to his feet. He strode right up to Sedon, his nose almost poking the other man in the face!

The short young boy who once had to look up to him was now Sedon’s equal in height—his physique even more powerful and imposing.