It wasn't until the Shadow of Order completely merged into the black mist and the Abyss of Ferrying fell silent once more that Azik Eggers, now the Regent of the Balam Empire, rushed over from the Haagenti Plains, the pale, eerie green flames in his eyes flickering as he bowed slightly and spoke steadily:
The war in West Balam has begun. The joint forces of the Balam Empire and the Highland Kingdom have followed your Divine Oracle, avoiding the Diocese of the Church of the Earth Mother, and are now fully assaulting the Feysac colonial regions in the Southern Plains under the leadership of His Excellency Varna.
Currently, the coastal shipping lanes of West Balam have all been cut off by Nast's Pirate Kingdom. The Feysac people in the colonial regions have no retreat. However, such aggressive action will inevitably shake the anchor of that person from the Church of the God of Combat. I worry...
Azik Eggers paused, looked at Aaron, who had stepped out of the Abyss of Ferrying, and added, his tone growing heavier:
"It might trigger a Divine Descent!"
Aaron, who had successfully completed the initial transformation of the mausoleum within the "City of the Dead" and was using it as an anchor point to feel the digestion of his potion, pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. At the same time, he lit up the Star of Faith symbolizing Varna within the Nation of Disorder:
"Losing a colony far from the mainland is certainly a huge loss for Feysac, but for the God of Combat, as long as the believers maintaining the anchor of faith and the high-ranking members of the Church of the God of Combat in the colony are preserved, it is not intolerable before the War of Gods fully erupts..."
West Balam, the Governor's Mansion of the Feysac colonial region.
Countless waves of the Army of the Undead crashed against this most important colonial city of Feysac on the Southern Continent. Noel Kam, the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat's West Balam Diocese and a Sequence 3 "Silver Knight," knelt weakly on the ground.
The silver full-body armor, materialized by his defensive power, was now tattered. The half-shattered horn in his hand, inscribed with unknown symbols, absorbed a large amount of the Silver Knight's blood and spirituality, and the desolate, echoing sound it sent forth helped him block the searing white spear that was about to pierce his glabella.
In the sky, shrouded by storms and dark clouds, illusory and indistinct figures emerged and converged, forming a terrifying giant whose face was blurred, seemingly composed entirely of flames.
Peter Einhorn I, who had descended using a Sealed Artifact and the Authority of the "Conqueror," looked grimly at Varna, who stood calmly opposite him, and spoke in a chilling tone:
"Two attacks in just one year! Do you truly believe we wouldn't dare settle the score just because Loen is tying up our hands in Midseashire and the Amanda Mountains?"
As the founder of Feysac, the Conqueror, and the initial Emperor, Peter Einhorn I absolutely refused to accept such provocation, especially after the demise of George III and the increasingly treacherous global situation. The God of Combat had abandoned the original idea of restraining him, helping to clear the corruption within the "Conqueror" Characteristic, truly removing the final obstacle to his own advancement to Sequence 1.
The genuine "Conqueror," Varna, keenly sensed the degree of control Peter Einhorn I's Power Projection had over the Authority of "Conquest." Having already made a judgment, he ignored the provocation, and Reinette Tinekerr, wrapped in sinister vines, quietly manifested behind him.
He had already received Aaron's reminder: the predetermined goal of conquering the Feysac West Balam colonial region to accelerate the digestion of his "Conqueror" potion was basically complete, so he had no intention of continuing to eliminate the remaining Feysac forces or the vast number of ordinary believers.
Otherwise, how could a Sequence 3 Saint who wasn't even an Angel, even the "Silver Knight" most renowned for defense, hold out against a Sequence 1 Great Angel long enough to use a Sealed Artifact to call for help?
Looking at Reinette Tinekerr, who had quietly descended and was coldly staring at him with blood-red eyes, Peter Einhorn I remained silent for two seconds, then threatened, emphasizing every word:
"Are you trying to trigger a Divine Descent here?"
The surroundings instantly became eerily quiet. Noel Kam, the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat, already severely wounded and barely holding up under the pressure of three Angels, instantly broke out in a cold sweat, his expression filled with humiliation and dread.
Varna, who had already silently recited the honorific name of the "Lord of Order" just in case, curled his lip after receiving Aaron's response. As a "Warlock," he slightly raised his hand, halting the waves of the undead and the Highland Kingdom army besieging Freyne, concentrating the entire legion's power onto himself. He looked at Peter Einhorn I, who had also sensed the shift in the battlefield, and spoke in an unquestionable tone:
"You now have two choices!"
"Either, as you suggested, you pray for a Divine Descent, and gamble on whether we can slaughter this place before the descent happens and leave safely under the protection of my Lord. You can try to see if you can withstand the combined attack of our two Angels."
Peter Einhorn I, whose true body was far away, instantly turned livid. He abruptly stood up from the Iron-Blooded Throne, his expression shifting before he sullenly sat back down.
Since the beginning of the war, the only Grade 0 Sealed Artifact in the West Balam colonial region had been recalled to the Dusk Great Hall. The attitude of the Church of the God of Combat—or rather, the God of Combat—towards the Southern Continent colonies was obvious.
As an ancient Angel who knew the secrets of the Second "blasphemy slate," He naturally understood the ultimate goal the God of Combat craved. Although He had used Divine Descent as a threat earlier, He did not truly believe that the supreme deity would be willing to risk breaking the current balance just to open a new battlefield on the Southern Continent.
Similar precedents existed as early as the Fourth Epoch, which led to the "Underworld Emperor" Salinger unifying the Southern Continent and establishing the Balam Empire during the War of Four Emperors.
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Peter Einhorn I took a deep breath and controlled the Projection to respond coldly:
"What is the other choice?"
Varna's smile widened upon hearing this. He raised a finger and pointed toward the primitive forest to the north; further north lay the Intis colonial region on the Western Continent:
"I can clear a path for the remaining Feysac military, the Church of the God of Combat clergy, and those believers willing to follow you, and return this land to the Highland Kingdom."
"You can receive decent treatment from the Intis people. After all, you secretly signed an alliance; although they won't dare to join the war, they won't drive you away."
"As for the grudges between us, heh, I believe the battlefield in the Amanda Mountains will be a better opportunity."
Noel Kam, the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat, who was about to say more, was interrupted by Peter Einhorn I raising his hand. The eyes of this Angel, who was about to advance to Sequence 1, no longer held hesitation or anger, and surging battle intent seemed to materialize:
"I believe that day is not far off!"
Having decided to cut losses promptly, the flame giant, formed by the convergence of the Power Projection, no longer hesitated and collapsed into a mass of reddish-purple light, surging into the broken horn in Noel Kam's hand.
The iron-blooded aura emanating like ripples assured everyone that, as long as the holder willed it, it could unleash power comparable to an Angel for a short time, blocking any force that prevented Noel Kam from praying to the God of Combat. This served equally as a warning, ensuring the safety of the retreat.