Capin lay on the ground, itched and in agony, desperate to tear himself apart and escape this hellish torment. Then he saw the wave of crimson flame spreading instantly, and heard the thunderous roar of explosions. He had thought this final moment would stretch out, allowing him to recall all the cherished scenes of his wife and children beside him, and that he would feel a profound relief—no longer bearing this inhuman suffering. Yet at that very instant, deep within him, a great fear surged, a strong urge to survive, and before any memory could even flash through his mind, the overwhelming pain filled his thoughts, and he plunged into deep darkness. Boom! The windows of the restaurant shattered and flew outward, accompanied by countless fragments of brick and stone, and clearly curling tongues of flame. The guards who had just arrived at this spot were instantly knocked down, while even those who narrowly avoided direct impact experienced ringing ears, body tremors, and staggered, leaning, or falling. They saw the restaurant's outer wall collapse halfway, and observed the flames seemingly floating in midair. Simultaneously, residents along the street and police officers responsible for the surrounding areas heard the tremendous roar, momentarily bewildered and fearful. Inside the restaurant, Caine stood there, clad in black armor and crowned with a dark crown, bathed in the blazing red flames, enjoying the powerful gusts that surged around him, unshaken. Much of the surrounding black mist had been melted by the heat, and his ethereal form sustained some injury, though not severe. Beside the overturned tables, Parker and Capin were knocked against the corner of the wall, with crushed and ruptured heads, their bodies now blackened and scorched. Flames continued to burn steadily on their surfaces, similar to the condition of the other male and female servants. In the area opposite the fireplace, Kitty, who had failed to take timely shelter, was thrown hard against the wall and then slid to the ground, her body mangled and covered in extensive burn marks—she had not a single intact patch of skin. She had not yet died, but was severely injured and unconscious, yet even so, she continued to cough convulsively, drawing in vast amounts of suspended flames. The black whip had also sustained damage, showing numerous cracks and being partially ignited, while her extraordinary bullets were all destroyed in the explosion. Kaiti had no strength left. Heralas managed to roll in time, shielding his vital areas, though he still bore considerable bloodstains and scorched patches. He staggered to his feet, with bright red flames burning along his back, hairband, and legs. His breathing grew increasingly labored, and his body had suffered significant injuries. Yet this clearly demonstrated the strength and resilience of his physical frame—specifically, the solidity and robustness of his body now enhanced by the iron-black gauntlet. Indeed, this outcome was precisely what Kline had anticipated. Without a clear assessment of how much damage the opponent could endure, he always overestimated the target's physical condition when formulating his plans. At the periphery of his vision, he spotted Caine nearly unscathed. Heras's pupils constricted, and in a rush, she extended her left hand, pointing in that direction, her voice low and urgent: "Exiled!" Caine was once again violently pushed back, like a crumpled sheet carried away by a gale, drifting out of the restaurant. Outside, the grand hall, though briefly engulfed in flames during the explosion, now saw the fire subdued, gathering strength through the wooden staircases, poised for another wave of destruction. Yet, since the main force of the blast had been contained within the dining area, the damage here remained relatively minor. Seizing the moment, Heras spun around abruptly and rushed outward without turning back. Even as flames continued to burn across her body, she wasted no time attending to them. He knew his condition was extremely poor, with a high risk of losing control, and that the toxin's effects would soon reach their peak—combined, he no longer believed he had any chance of defeating the intruder, even with Beiris, a Sequence 7, at the entrance to the underground sector to assist. Should he continue fighting, Heralas was certain he would only face either the toxin's full effect or a severe injury leading to loss of control. Once he decided to flee, he paid no further attention to the still-living Kaiti. Upon witnessing this, Caine, who had just stabilized himself under the weight of exile, immediately lifted his head, opened his mouth, and emitted a high-pitched cry inhumanly loud—something humans could not hear. Whoosh! Heralas felt a sudden dizziness, his steps momentarily halted, and a dense layer of transparent blisters began forming across his otherwise intact skin—early signs of losing control. Yet he quickly recovered, resumed his full-speed sprint, and escaped beyond the lawn of the villa. Truly difficult to defeat... To avoid any mishaps, Caine didn't pursue. He remembered his purpose was to save lives, not to eliminate these fallen extraordinary beings. More importantly, he was now drained of energy and had sustained significant injuries; if he pursued, he might not withstand Heral's relentless counterattacks. Clack! Caine snapped his fingers, launching an air bullet that struck Ketty's head, ending her suffering. Immediately thereafter, he turned and flew toward the entrance to the underground area. Béris, with his beard, had been closely monitoring the outer events but remained cautious, fearing that the invaders' allies might exploit the moment to breach the dungeon. At that very instant, the sudden roar startled him, making him tense and alert. Then, he saw the majestic specter approaching and, without hesitation, raised his high-pressure steam rifle and fired. Bang! A plume of white mist erupted from the gun barrel, and a sharp, pale gold bullet sped forward with remarkable velocity. Cain had anticipated this move, instinctively anticipating the shot before Beris fired, and had already curved slightly out of the way. The bullet pierced through the hall and passed through the main entrance, landing outside. Meanwhile, Beris burst from the duty room, holding his high-pressure steam rifle with a threatening stance, and swiftly moved toward the entrance. He believed that if he could repel the combined assault of Hiras, Kait, and Parker, he could certainly handle himself as well—and given the commotion just now, attention would surely be drawn, possibly even prompting a delegation of penitents to investigate. Thus, his only option was to run. Cain released an invisible, piercing cry, as though struck by a hammer, causing countless golden specks to dance before Beris’s eyes and several drops of blood to trickle from his nostrils. But this did not prevent Beris from fleeing. After firing to block Caine, he had already surged into the hall, rolling and tumbling toward the entrance. Caine, after a brief consideration, decided against pursuing or fighting, turned off the main valve, and made his way to the entrance of the underground area, snapping his fingers repeatedly. Thump. Thump. Thump. Air bullets struck the invisible walls, gradually dissolving the "seclusion." This was one of the reasons Caine had dared to initiate the gas explosion and deploy biological toxins—thanks to Herlas's "seclusion" effect on the underground prison, as long as he didn't make direct contact, he need not fear injuring the unfortunate young women. He disabled the door locks and entered the dungeon, first locating Daisy's cell according to the earlier divination visions, then confirming that she had sustained only minor injuries and remained mobile. Next, he became intangible, merging with the iron door. Clang. Clang. Clang. The iron gates on one side opened swiftly in succession, as if ethereal spirits were running to unlock them. Clang! Clang! Clang! One side finished, and then the other began. Daisie and the other girls were first startled by the explosions outside, only to later find themselves in astonishment as the prison gates stood open yet no one had entered—seeming to be able to leave at any moment. The girls who had only recently arrived and still hadn't been fully trained stepped up with courage, rose, and began to move toward the underground exit, testing their way through the corridors. They passed through the slightly damaged hall, leaving the villa behind as the flames grew fiercer, and ran faster and faster toward freedom. Only when they reached the street did Daisie and the others remember to look back. There, in the straight silhouette of the guilty house's roof, they caught a glimpse of a dignified figure clad in all-black armor, crowned with a black diadem. Whoosh! The cloak behind the figure drifted silently. They remembered this scene and, with little trust in the police, began searching for churches nearby. Caine returned to the restaurant, where flames danced and smoke hung thick, and noticed early signs of the extraordinary qualities of Parker and Katie. He checked the items they were carrying and confirmed that most had been damaged—even the cash had turned black and brittle. Caine leapt upward, reaching the second and third floors, swiftly scanning for clues. —He hadn’t attempted spirit communication, as time was too tight, and the presence of a gray mist didn’t align with his upcoming "closing act." Even a minor officer had been asked to remain confidential; these key figures must also have certain restrictions that couldn’t simply be overcome by wishing to communicate with spirits. The previous method had been too cumbersome and inconvenient for the current situation. Caine concluded his exploration without significant findings, but casually took a set of tarot cards. After returning to the ruined, blackened restaurant, he removed all the major cards from the tarot deck and walked over to the side of Cardin's body. Then, he carefully drew out two specific cards, spilling the rest of them softly onto Cardin's shoulders. Once this was done, he placed the two specially drawn cards, face up, over Cardin's eyes. At this point, the extraordinary qualities of Parker and Katie had become clearly evident. ………… A few seconds later, a shimmering doorway suddenly appeared in the half-sky outside the villa, adorned with intricate symbols. The door opened silently, revealing a handsome man dressed in a crisp suit, in his forties, mature and elegant. He had golden eyes that immediately locked onto the restaurant, now resembling a scene of fire. At that very moment, a strong gust of wind swept through, and a figure sped past, flying swiftly. He was an elderly man wearing a soft black hat, with silver eyes unusually serious. Dressed in a black robe embroidered with storm symbols, he was the Cardinal of the Storm Church, the Archbishop of the Beckland Diocese, "The Singer of the Divine," Esneck. "Why have you come?" Esneck asked in a steady tone. The extraordinary events in the Joowood District fell under the jurisdiction of the Saint Wind Cathedral, so he had the right to ask that. The handsome man replied, his face looking rather pale: "I live nearby." This area is close to the western district. They said nothing more, and together descended to the ground, arriving at the scene of the explosion. A powerful hurricane surged forth, sweeping the flames away and carrying them directly to the artificial fountain outside. The wind seemed to possess its own life and intelligence. Two half-divine warriors immediately saw Kaiti, her head struck by a bullet, her flesh blackened and charred; they saw Parker, entangled with a human, his head crushed and fractured; they saw Kapin, covered in Tarot cards, with two major cards draped over his face—the "Judgment" card, depicting an angel sounding a horn, and the "Emperor" card, showing a figure in armor crowned with a regal diadem. Almost simultaneously, the Cardinal Snake and the handsome man became aware and swiftly turned toward the exit. They spotted a dignified figure on the roof of the house at the side of the villa, clad in black armor and wearing a dark crown. The figure nodded gently, and his cloak swayed in response. Then, without warning, he vanished—right before the eyes of the two high-tier warriors. PS: More updates coming soon—please support with double monthly tickets!