Pirate Kingship-Chapter 668 - 463 Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire, The Civil War Begins (6400 Merge)_2

The group had collectively activated their 'Divine Sanction Seals,' significantly enhancing their combat ability. They were just looking for the right moment to break out of the hall and regroup with Marquis Neville and the others. At that moment, behind the patterned frosted glass in the hall, it seemed as if a short figure flickered momentarily. Immediately, a black mark appeared on the polished floor beneath their feet.

Had any members of the Earl's Party been there, they would have recognized that the mark was identical in structure to the 'Beast Seals' they possessed, except its form was completely inverted. As for its effects...

WHOOO...

A bone-chilling wind howled through, and suddenly, a pitch-black knight, so tall he almost reached the ceiling while mounted, appeared behind them. It was the third Painted Spirit, 'The Curse Spirit·Headless Knight,' whom Byron had supposedly seen the death lines of and utterly destroyed! A terrifying explosion of tainted spiritual light instantaneously enveloped the entire hall.

All six girls couldn't help but shiver. The youngest let out an involuntary cry of alarm, "It's the Headless Knight!"

The newcomer's killing intent was extremely decisive. It gave them no time to react or call for help before the Curse Spirit's killing rule was immediately triggered. The six distinctively charming girls, all panic-stricken, were helplessly compelled by the 'Headless Knight' to raise their swords, inch by inch, to their own necks. But unlike the straightforward terror in the eyes of the other girls, Anne's held an additional trace... of relief.

THUD! THUD! THUD!...

Six beautiful heads, propelled by the blood pressure in their necks, shot into the air. Their headless bodies collapsed limply to the ground. Even though several of them, including Anne, were Second Order Knights of Judgment, they were powerless against a Curse Spirit capable of felling the 'Sea Magician' Saranthe with a single strike. Crimson blood instantly flooded the floor, quietly dissolving the mark that seemed to serve as a locator.

A 'Death Stranding' incident was triggered in sync. The hall's floor expelled a tar-like black sea, thoroughly submerging all traces.

The next moment, the door was violently flung open. Although Byron was the fastest, it was [Devil Duke] Richard, who was closest to the hall, who stormed in first. He took in everything that had transpired and, in doing so, stepped into the range of the Headless Knight's killing rule.

Just as he was about to pick up a short sword and follow in the girls' footsteps, he bellowed, "Cast in Chains! Die!"

The Bankers of the Gold Sequence didn't create transcendent abilities themselves. However, through a combination of investing, saving, and lending powers, they became purveyors of such abilities. By capitalizing on the needs of other Transcendents, they ensured that those requiring transcendent abilities would rarely be left wanting. This was even more true for a high-ranking and powerful Fourth Order Banker.

HUMMM—!

A red wave of light instantly constructed a prison, using the four walls of the hall as its foundation. This was 'Cast in Chains,' a core ability of the Third Order 'Jailer' from the Tribunal Sequence! One could designate any place with walls as their own jurisdictional prison. Within this mystical 'prison,' they enjoyed all the privileges of a 'Jailer.'

Strength, speed, and stamina were greatly increased, while those who dared to defy were afflicted with varying negative effects: 'Forcefield Shackles,' 'Mental Numbness,' 'Aura of Fatigue,' 'Solitary Confinement Illusionary Barrier'...

The most insidious part was that attacking the 'Jailer' was tantamount to aggravating one's crimes. The more severe the attack, the heavier the suppression, even to the point where the law's retribution would cause self-injury.

It was unknown if Richard had stumbled upon it by chance, but he had immediately chosen an ability that perfectly countered the Headless Knight. When one was about to be beheaded under its killing rule, that rule would rebound, forcing the Headless Knight to bring its axe down upon its own non-existent neck.

The incessant rebounding caused the Headless Knight, axe in hand, to repeatedly swing at its own void-like neck, without harming Richard in the slightest. Then it dissipated on the spot, seemingly summoned back by its master, the Hell Painter, after realizing its attacks were futile.

[Devil Duke] Richard, looking at Anne Neville's decapitated body before him, couldn't help but kneel and wail mournfully, "Anne, I'm sorry I was late.

"I won't ask you to marry me anymore. Just please, come back to life... please come back to life..."

Those around witnessed it all. Despite Richard's repulsive dwarfish appearance, they couldn't help but be moved by the Duke's profound affection. Perhaps the rumors of him being vengeful were not entirely true. After all, Miss Anne had never shown him any kindness, yet he still wept so bitterly.

By the time Byron and Marquis Neville arrived, the room was already filled with Lost Ones from the Netherworld. The girls' bodies were swiftly engulfed by the rapidly rising black water. All three men were promptly shoved out of the room by countless Evil Spirits.

But no one noticed the troubled expression on Byron's face. As he swept his gaze through the mass of Evil Spirits, he subtly activated the Authorities of his first skull, 'Lord of the Celestial Kingdom,' and his thirteenth skull, 'Goddess of Suicide,' absconding with something in the process. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

After letting out a slight sigh of relief, his brows furrowed once more. Something's not right, definitely not right. Lancaster knows Warwick, his greatest enemy, all too well—he always plans before he acts. It was the same when he sent in the Tax Officer to audit the accounts, and when he organized the assassination attempt on me. If it weren't for his misjudgment of my capabilities, he would have succeeded long ago. I simply can't believe that he would make such a blunder, ruining what should have been a guaranteed victory, merely because of a mistake by his collaborator, the Hell Painter.