CHAPTER 427: 427

The four SS ranks struck, taking the lead to deflect the rain of bloody spears creating a loud impact.

"Argh!"

Kael groaned as he tried to lift his almost broken body. His arms trembled, and his vision blurred from exhaustion. Empty potion bottles surrounded him, some cracked, some still dripping with the faint scent of herbs and metal. He had already chugged ten recovery potions, and now he forced down the eleventh, grimacing at the bitter taste.

The liquid burned down his throat, spreading warmth through his veins as Creb cast a subtle healing spell beside him. Even with that, Kael could barely stand.

"That much just to keep me alive..." he muttered, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I managed to recover a bit, but still, it isn’t enough." He clicked his tongue in frustration.

Despite standing again, he didn’t move forward. His eyes lifted toward the battlefield, and what he saw made his stomach twist. The air was thick with blood and despair.

Fred, Hobins, Crebs, and Dominic—four SS-rank powerhouses—stood at the front, leading the vanguard. Behind them were Hans, Martina, their faces grim.

As for Roosevelt,sadly he was done for.

’That’s why I hate idiots.The SS rank can at least resist the telekinesis force but we can’t jump ahead like a clown will only to death.’

Above them floated the Archangel of War. Her wings spread wide, each feather dripping with crimson light. Her long silver hair was stained in blood, and her cold, empty eyes looked down at them like a god judging insects.

Fred roared and charged first, his greatsword blazing with holy light. Dominic raised his hand, summoning runes that burned the air itself. Crebs’ staff glowed with layered seals as he and Martina combined their magic into a blinding torrent of energy.

But before the attack could even reach her, a thick wall of blood appeared. It pulsed like a living thing, forming a dome around the Archangel. Every spell and blade strike slammed into it with a thunderous crack, only to dissolve as if swallowed by an endless void.

The ground shook as the energy flared. Yet the Archangel didn’t move an inch.

Then, she moved her hand.

With a lazy wave, a crimson shockwave burst forth, shattering the earth and sending everyone flying. Fred slammed into a broken mountain, blood spraying from his mouth.

Dominic’s body rolled across the dirt, her limbs twitching from the impact.

Hobins tried to counterattack, his spear glowing with golden light, but she appeared behind him in an instant. Her hand pierced straight through his chest.

"You mortals... are too fragile," she whispered coldly, then flung his body aside like trash.

The battlefield turned into chaos. Crebs yelled something and cast a domain of light, overlapping with Dominic’s shadow field.

Together, the two domains clashed and intertwined, pushing back the Archangel’s energy just enough for the others to move again.

The two then knelt, veins bulging on their faces from the strain. "Hold... hold the line!" Dominic shouted, sweat dripping from his chin.

For a brief moment, the others found space to breathe. Hans swung his twin blades, creating arcs of silver light that sliced through the air.

Mages fired a barrage of enchanted bullets, each one exploding like miniature suns.

Riley and Martina followed up, their combined attacks filling the air with fire and lightning.

But the Archangel simply walked forward.

The blood shield shifted into sharp tendrils, intercepting every attack. Each tendril sliced through steel and armor as if cutting through paper. Roman screamed as one pierced his shoulder. Martina cried out, throwing up a barrier that shattered instantly under the next blow.

Despair filled the air.

Kael clenched his fist, his knuckles bleeding. "Should I just step up to get beaten?" he muttered under his breath.

He knew the truth. Unless someone with SSS rank power was here, there was no chance.

Even then, that barrier made it impossible to reach her.What was frightening wasn’t her strength rather that barrier that separated her from outside space.

He had been beaten a lot in the past because of this troublesome ability and that’s the very reason he created Dimensional Slash that cut, ignoring everything.

However,it needed the Fourth form and he clearly can’t even use third form lest fourth.

"It needs someone with space ability that can pass through the shield..." he murmured. "I don’t think anyone here has that."

He could already see the outcome. With things going like this, they were all going to die. The Crown Games, the competition they fought for, might end in a draw because there would be no one left standing.

"Argh, whatever," Kael spat bitterly. "That bitch already died anyway."

He shrugged off the pain and looked back toward the fight.

"Whatever...I should sit back and watch..’’

The Archangel of War was like a storm of death. She grabbed Crebs by the throat and slammed him into the ground. When Fred tried to intervene, she kicked him aside, shattering his ribcage with a single blow.

Her movements were fluid, elegant, yet terrifyingly brutal. Every strike was precise, every attack filled with divine malice. The crimson aura around her flickered with strange symbols, ancient runes that seemed to hum with forbidden power. Wherever she stepped, the ground melted.

She spread her wings and rose higher into the air, her blood-stained feathers shedding droplets that turned into burning sigils upon touching the ground. Those sigils exploded seconds later, spreading waves of destruction that tore apart everything nearby.

The combined domains of Creb and Dominic barely managed to absorb part of the explosion. Their bodies trembled as blood ran from their eyes and ears.

"This is... impossible..." Creb gasped.

The Archangel laughed softly, her voice echoing in every direction, calm and cold. "Mortals,you should kneel if you don’t want to face my wrath," she said. "And you... you dare challenge me?"

A sudden screech pierced through the air. She stopped mid-attack and slowly turned her head. Her gaze locked onto someone at the far end of the battlefield. Everyone’s eyes followed the direction of her stare.

It was Michelle.

She froze the moment their eyes met. Her body shook as a chill ran through her veins. "Uncle Richard... let’s run," she whispered, her voice trembling. She turned, expecting to see him behind her, but her heart dropped.

He was gone.

"Uncle!" she screamed, her voice breaking. Panic took over her body as she looked around frantically. But before she could move again, a shadow fell over her.

The Archangel of War hovered right in front of her. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly, her face eerily calm.

"You..." Michelle stepped back, her legs trembling so badly she nearly fell.

The Archangel raised her hand and pointed directly at her. "I can sense it..."

Michelle’s voice quivered. "Sense what?"

"The presence of that woman," the Archangel said coldly. "Her blessing is with you."

Michelle’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t understand what she meant, but the way the Archangel said it made her blood freeze.

Then, a slow, twisted smile appeared on the woman’s face. Her lips curled unnaturally as a faint chuckle escaped her throat.

"Now that’s quite interesting," she whispered, and her voice turned into a chilling laugh. "Hehehe..."

The Archangel’s smile widened as she stared at Michelle like a predator that had finally found its prey.