The silence that followed was chilling.

Dust and smoke lingered in the air. Ethan stepped out slowly, his boots echoing on the cracked floor. The faint orange glow from burning debris lit his sharp features. His cold eyes looked ahead, cutting through the gloom.

He walked through the broken corridor, each step heavy with tension. He bent down and picked up his greatsword that was still glowing faintly from the last clash.

His gaze shifted to Mureno. The Lich was a broken mess. Half of his skull was gone, and the flames in his hollow eyes flickered weakly like dying candles.

It tried to stand but stumbled. Its legs trembled, bones clattering as if struggling to remember how to move. It fell forward with a dull thud and lay there for a moment before crawling. The creature dragged itself toward the center of the ruined hall, where the statue of the Goddess of Light once stood.

Ethan followed slowly. The sound of his sword scraping the floor filled the silent air. Sparks flew behind him, leaving deep marks on the cracked stone.

"Do you have any more tricks?" he asked coldly. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with fury. "If you do, use them quickly. Otherwise…"

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't rush forward either. He knew better than to underestimate an undead like Mureno.

The Lich tilted its head. A broken, eerie laugh came from its fractured mouth.

"Kekeke… Hahaha…" The laughter echoed in the shattered hall, sharp and grating.

Mureno's cracked jaw opened wider, showing rows of golden teeth. The clacking sound was unnerving.

"Never… never have I thought I'd be pushed this far." The Lich's laughter grew louder, more deranged. "But it's okay. It's okay…"

Ethan's grip on his sword tightened. "What the hell are you planning?"

Mureno raised his hand and slammed it against the ground. "It's not over!" he screamed.

CRUNGGG!

The ground beneath the destroyed statue split open. Black light poured out, twisting and pulsing like living flesh.

An altar rose from the ground, made of red-black stone. Pulses of blood ran through its cracks like veins. Skulls were embedded along its base, their mouths open as if screaming. The air around it reeked of death and rot.

The altar glowed brighter, and a heavy presence spread across the ruined church.

"Blood Sacrifice!" Mureno roared.

Ethan's eyes widened. He could feel the immense mana gathering. Without wasting a second, he charged. He grabbed the insignia on his chest. Golden light burst from it, wrapping around him like living fire. His sword began to hum, and the crimson aura that surrounded it turned golden.

"Light…" Mureno hissed, his voice trembling. His burning eyes widened in disbelief.

But he didn't stop. Instead, he activated the altar's full power.

SWISH!

A crimson magic circle appeared behind him, large and pulsing. Strange runes twisted along its edges, spinning faster and faster.

Ethan's boots slammed into the ground, cracking it open. He leaped forward like a shooting star, closing the distance in an instant.

The air screamed as his greatsword came down with everything he had.

RUMBLE!

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The impact was deafening.

A blinding explosion erupted, swallowing the entire church in a storm of red and gold light. The blast ripped the walls apart and turned everything near the center into dust.

The shockwave tore through the ground, flattening what was left of the building. The crimson magic circle exploded, colliding with the golden lightning around Ethan's sword. The two powers clashed, entangled in a violent struggle.

The entire world seemed to shake.

Mureno screamed, unable to believe what he was witnessing. "Impossible! You… how are you still standing?"

Ethan's face was pale. The light of his sword flickered, his body trembling slightly. He felt the pressure in his chest tighten.

He realized something horrifying.

"FUCK! The magic circle is exploding!"

He turned and ran back with all his strength. "I need to run!"

The next instant, the world turned white.

BOOOOOOM!

A giant crater formed where the church had stood. The ground split open for dozens of meters, revealing scorched earth beneath. Golden lightning flashed across the area like hungry serpents, crackling violently as they searched for anything left to destroy.

The air was filled with dust, heat, and the stench of burning stone.

BANG!

The shockwave hit Ethan from behind. Even though he had already jumped away, it slammed into him with terrifying force. He stumbled, his body shaking from the impact. His chest ached, and he struggled to breathe.

"Damn it…" he muttered, coughing. He dared not stay there any longer.

A blinding flash illuminated everything, turning night into day.

Outside the church, Hall flinched in shock as the explosion erupted. "Wh-what the hell!?"

He turned to run, but an invisible shield blocked his way. He banged against it with both hands. "What the fuck is this?!"

The next moment, the barrier vanished. He fell forward and scrambled up, running for his life.

"This is bullshit!" he shouted, but before he could go far, a shockwave hit him hard.

CRASH!

He flew through the air and slammed into a nearby stone pillar. The wind from the explosion howled past him, scattering debris everywhere.

The noise broke the silence of the city. The barrier that had isolated the sound was gone.

People woke up, shouting in confusion. They ran from their houses and saw the night sky lit up by a massive golden blaze. The entire church area glowed like the sun had fallen to the ground.

Screams filled the air.

The explosion caused a small tremor that shook the nearby streets, but the damage didn't spread beyond the church grounds. The garden walls around it had absorbed most of the blast.

Smoke rose high into the sky. Flames burned across the rubble, licking everything that remained.

Amidst the fire, a faint greenish flame flickered above a broken altar. It trembled as if alive, trying to escape.

A shadow stepped out from behind the smoke.

A hand reached forward and grabbed the green flame.

"Where are you going?"

The voice was cold, deep, and filled with hatred.

"NOOO! Let me go!" the flame screamed.

But the hand tightened its grip. A wave of golden light surged from Ethan's palm.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

The flame shrieked as it was engulfed by the brilliance. Its voice echoed for a few seconds before fading completely.

The light swallowed everything.

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