Extreme light and heat blanketed the world.
Deep within the fog, a second sun had risen over the sea, a massive golden sphere suspended in midair, burning, radiating a blinding light.
That light was scorching beyond measure, carrying heat that destroyed everything in its path along with a terrifying force of purification, blasting outward in every direction.
Holy. Merciless. Pure. Terrifying.
With a searing hiss, the miniature sun radiated a lethal heat so intense that the seawater below had no time to even begin boiling before it vaporized outright, rising up as steam carrying that same dreadful heat.
The wreckage of the Intis warships turned to ash in an instant, the heavy cannons melting within seconds into glowing molten liquid that evaporated before it even had a chance to hit the water.
The sea surface dropped rapidly, forming a depression of staggering scale.
Water from all around kept rushing in to fill it, only to be consumed just as quickly, and gradually a ring of violently swirling whirlpools formed around the outer edge.
The surviving sailors of the Fog Sea Fleet were struck down utterly.
There was no way for them to survive in such a hostile environment: some were boiled dry by the heat, some were burned to powder in that extreme light, and others were purified into complete nothingness.
Within that great depression in the sea, only two ships remained even remotely intact.
One was the modified steamship carrying Jean Pierre.
He had enveloped the vessel's exterior in light, shielding it and sparing it from the miniature sun's attack.
At that moment he held the black short staff high, the point of light at its center faintly resonating with the miniature sun overhead.
There came a sizzling sound.
The other surviving ship was, of course, the Black King, scorched by the light and continuously trailing smoke.
Its true form was a Sequence 2 angel, and while it wouldn't easily be destroyed when facing damage of an equivalent tier, it wasn't having an easy time of it either.
The chains clashed against each other with a rattling sound.
The woman in the long black dress had slumped down onto the deck.
Beneath the fierce sunlight, a few strands of hair clung to her fine features, damp with sweat. Looking at the great, radiant figure across from her, bathed in light like some embodiment of justice, a flicker of contempt passed through her eyes.
He was nothing more than a Sequence 3 Beyonder using a Sequence 2 sealed artifact. If not for the restraint of those chains, how could she possibly be losing to him?
"Remnant of Roselle's sin!"
Archbishop Pierre's voice boomed out, and he pointed the short staff at her as though pronouncing final judgment upon her. "In the name of justice, I will bring down punishment upon you!"
A low hum sounded as thick gold gathered on the surface of the miniature sun, gathering terrifying power.
At the same time, the moment the staff pointed at her, the woman in black felt her strength weaken further, some invisible law bearing down and interfering with her spirit.
The woman gave a haughty laugh, glancing down with disgust at the chains binding her, then slowly rose to her feet from the deck.
The chains coiled tightly around her, and even so simple a motion seemed to place an immense burden on her.
Without a trace of fear, she turned to face that golden light head on.
Meanwhile, on the other ship.
"Bishop Pierre!"
Hidden in the shadow of the steamship, Major General Francois saw the archbishop's fierce display and immediately cried out. "Hold back! Don't forget, our mission is to capture the Black King and bring it back to Intis intact!"
The men above wanted the ship itself, not for it to be destroyed outright like this!
Yet Pierre paid no attention whatsoever to Francois's shouting, and the priests crowding around the archbishop did nothing but keep praying.
Fervent emotion had gripped them all, and now they had only one thought in their minds: to utterly annihilate evil.
"Damn it..."
Francois's expression turned bitter.
The archbishop's hatred for Roselle, twisted together with his own unbending sense of justice, had warped his judgment.
It looked like he meant to unleash the full power of Sealed Artifact 0-15 without holding anything back.
The Fog Sea Fleet was already finished, and if their primary target was destroyed as well, there was no telling what kind of punishment would follow.
At that thought, a sudden surge of anger welled up inside Francois.
This was all that man's fault!
That lunatic from the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, that fanatic who couldn't be reasoned with at all... I really ought to kill him right now!
"So what are you waiting for?"
Someone spoke with a laugh, right beside his ear.
It was a young, lively voice, its tone carrying a powerful undertone of seduction, easily stirring up his emotions.
It was a kind of resonance rising from deep within his spirit, and Francois's eyes went hazy as the impulse buried deep in his heart burned up in an instant like a raging flame.
That's right, what am I waiting for?
I'm a hunter. Does a hunter need a reason to strike someone down?
Besides, this man's back is turned right toward you.
Not giving him a taste of pain would practically be an insult to him... Finding a weakness and striking from behind, isn't that exactly your specialty?
With a swift motion, he drew a short blade from within his coat, and the instant it touched the air it burst into pure blue flame.
Unlike the holy fire of the sun, what this flame displayed was, above all else, a destructive force built for ruin and slaughter.
Bishop Pierre had reached the most critical moment in gathering his light, and everyone's attention was fixed on that golden sphere. His back lay completely undefended, exposed before Francois.
There's the weakness... die!
A surging wave of emotion howled up from deep within his soul, and in that instant Francois burned through a massive amount of his own spirituality, lunging forward at incredible speed, driving the burning blade straight into Bishop Pierre's back.
Weakness Investigation, combined with Cull, and on top of that, a Sequence 4 marvel item!
There came a wet, piercing sound.
The next instant, a satisfying sensation of the blade running clean through traveled up from the hilt, and Francois's spirituality transformed into overwhelming destructive force, exploding within Bishop Pierre's body.
Serves him right, hah... wait, no!
Just as a wave of malicious pleasure surged up in Francois's mind, he suddenly snapped back to his senses.
No blood flowed from Pierre's body; instead it bloomed with golden light, and the moment that light touched him, his tangled, clouded thoughts abruptly cleared.
What am I doing?!
The priests around them stared at him in shock, and he too felt as though he had just woken from a dream, discovering in bewildered horror that he had actually struck down his own ally from behind.
I remember there was a voice, it seduced me... Francois's forward momentum hadn't yet come to a stop, and his eyes darted quickly toward the direction that voice had come from.
The next instant, his pupils shrank violently.
Off in the distance, standing on the surface of the sea, was a blood-red figure, there since who knew when.
In his hands he cradled a severed head (Francois felt a vague flicker of recognition: some minor officer from under his own fleet), and a strange shadow lay perched atop that head, its mouth pressed close to the head's ear.
"Heh heh..."
Sensing Francois's gaze upon him, the dark figure gave a light laugh, a sound that seemed steeped in mockery.
Only then did Francois finally regain full control of his own body, and only then did the priests' screams of shock finally begin to rise.