After that beam of sword light disappeared and the raging energies it released all over the city were gone, the damage that Heinz's onslaught provoked could be seen.
Saint City was completely wrecked. Every single building, except for the winged castle, was destroyed. The only thing that remained of them were pieces scattered for hundreds of kilometers.
The winged castle that once stood strong as the sign of Saint City's power was full of cracks. Most of its internal structures were fine, but the feathers that were the core of its offensive power were gone, and its energy reserves were depleted.
Everyone beneath Rank 4 had their bodies vaporized, and not a single trace was left from those weaker than Rank 3. The Soul Forging existences covered by the white mantle and that survived were sent flying away, and most of them were badly injured.
There was a pit five hundred meters wide and three thousand kilometers deep in the ruined city. Red and dangerous energy filled the deepest part of the hole, and even the atoms of oxygen were disintegrated.
Despite that level of destruction, there was something in there that remained standing, a black cocoon made of boiling asphalt. There were tears all over the cocoon, and you could see two Angelic Paragons, one covered by a thick layer of magma and the other by blue sword light, and a grey cocoon inside it.
Heinz's attack carried all the strength of a powerful Rank 5 life form. However, the grey humanoid was able to defend from it despite being an incarnation. This is a testament to the great and mysterious power of the Sage.
Tomas and Oliver dispersed their defensive spells, showing their bodies. Both had burns all over their skin, and their armors, which were artifacts, were cracked due to the great damage they withstood.
The duo was fighting to control their breathing, and although their bodies were filled with injuries, their condition was not grave. Thanks to the cocoon and their armors, the attack did not reach their consciousness nor True Souls.
With a couple of months of rest and enough medicines, they would be able to heal all the physical damage they received. There was one problem, however, and that was the red aura that had invaded their bodies. The aura had parasitic properties as it was able to consume their blood and grow stronger.
Both Angelic Paragons were forced to use their energy to contain that malicious aura, and until they purged it, they would not be able to fight with all their strength even if their bodies were completely healed.
Unlike Tomas and Oliver, the grey cocoon showed no damage at all. Zatiel, who was inside it, was unharmed. The Sage had left the Neo-Demon unconscious since he felt that only leaving him paralyzed was unwise.
"How are you?" Tomas was the first one to get hold of himself and asked Oliver about his condition before focusing on the grey cocoon.
"I will be fine. What the hell was that. Didn't Sain City was supposed to be unbreachable and the winged castle able to defeat any person inside the Beta Heavenly World!." Oliver's voice was filled with rage as he pictured the state of the city and the massive casualties.
Tomas heard the words of his comrade and chose not to comment. The Heavenly race was one of the most powerful races of the universe. In a World War, they would usually take the offensive, and it was weird for them to hide or depend on defensive structures.
Saint City was built a long time ago. It was meant to be a safe haven and headquarters for the Heavenly Race in case of a World War, but the truth was that no duke had ever focused too much on it or spent resources to improve it.
However, that did not mean that the city was not powerful. The feathers of the winged castle were able to harm a newly advanced Rank 5 life form and even destroy their bodies if all of them were used. Since the Beta Heavenly World was a Middle World and its power limit was Rank 4, Saint City should have been more than powerful enough to be unbeatable.
Unfortunately, some individuals defy logic, and Heinz was one of them. Due to his powerful laws, immense physical might, and highly destructive sword light, the Cultivator's offensive strength had reached the boundary of Rank 5 without the need of having fused with his Law Avatar a long time ago.
Heinz's power obtained a qualitative improvement once he became a Law Engraving existence and his Blood Demodand Technique reached the third level. Not only was his True Soul very powerful, but he also had a body that could equal the power of a Rank 5 life form.
By using the Demodand Inferno, he was able to infiltrate Saint City and get rid of the winged castle's feathers. Normal Rank 5 life forms would find it difficult to withstand the feathers, not to mention that once they enter the city, they had to face dozens of Soul Forging existences who were protected by the winged castle's white mantle.
Oliver understood all of that, but the hate on his heart did not allow him to accept that a being of a different race could do something impossible for any member of the Heavenly race he had ever met.
"We were fortunate that our ally was capable of protecting us." Tomas' eyes were full of gratitude as he spoke of their savior.
"Yes, his power is incredible. Unfortunately, he had to sacrifice his incarnation, and it will be a while before he can return to the world." There was praise in Oliver's voice. A positive view of a life form that was not a member of the Heavenly race was something impossible for the Angelic Paragon just a few years ago, but now he felt nothing odd with his new attitude.
The Sage had modified their memories before leaving. In their minds, the dukes had brought the Sage to see if he could handle Zatiel's interrogation, and they were attacked by Pipit, Finibus, Tina, and Samuel, who had been corrupted by the Neo-Demon.
It was during that battle that Heinz arrived, and they were unable to take control of the winged castle due to the fight. Finibus and the three Angelic Paragon were killed by the Cultivator's beam of sword light, and the duo was only able to survive thanks to the Sage's quick-thinking and powerful spells.
Oliver and Tomas focused on the grey cocoon, and the hate in their hearts was immense. There was nothing that would give them more pleasure than to destroy Zatiel's soul, but the black tendrils inside their brains would not allow them to do it.
Their desires were always second to the goal that the Sage established in their minds, and now they were tasked to secure Zatiel until he comes back.
"Let's regroup at my castle. The defenses are not that powerful as they were in Saint City, but it will be enough to handle the Magi invader force now that the swordsman is gone." Tomas spoke to Oliver as they flew out of the pit.
Tomas grabbed the grey cocoon and used the teleportation formation inside the winged castle to leave Saint City. Meanwhile, Oliver focused on helping the members of the Heavenly race that were injured.
......
On the shore of the Fornes continent, a massive battle had happened. Hundreds of bodies of magic creatures were covering the land, with a considerable number of them being Rank 3 life forms. In the center of this massacre landscape, there were two young people.
Sigrid and Aren were kneeling on the ground. Their bodies were full of injuries, and their energy pools were depleted. They were having a hard time catching their breath and coughed blood from time to time.
The power inside the duo was in a chaotic state, but there was a smile on their faces. The reason was the energy that was running through their bodies and changing their physiques. They reached Rank 3 two months ago, but it was only in this last fight that they were able to complete the first level of the Path Techniques that Zatiel gave them.
It was only now that they were able to relax as they looked at the giant that was standing in the sky above them. Ezequiel's killing intent had been growing with every passing hour the last couple of days, and they understood that they did not have much time left.
The threat of death, along with an unlimited amount of resources and continuous fights, enabled them to release all their potential.
The Supreme Neo-Demon's cold eyes focused on the Eye Holders. Zatiel, Heinz, and he had been sharing information, and they were all aware of the others' advance.
Ezequiel had been running out of patience, and the only reason he did not take care of the siblings once he knew Heinz had come back to the Magi World, was because they still had a few days left until the deadline.
