Samsara Space: They're all begging me to heal them one more time.

"Step back, Nero."

Credor's voice sounded like it was coming from a metal can, hoarse and pained, "This is the final warning."

"Are you crazy, Craig?"

Nero roared, his eyes blazing with fury, "That's Kyrie! Your own sister! And you actually helped that old bastard kidnap her?!"

"I did it to save her!"

Credo swung his light spear down sharply, carving a deep gash in the ground.

"Only by obeying His Majesty's orders, only by completing the 'Savior' ritual... can Kirie survive. This is the only way!"

"What a load of bull!"

Nero stomped the ground and shot out like a cannonball.

"If this is your idea of ​​justice, then I'll smash this bullshit justice to pieces!"

boom!

The Crimson Queen unleashed crimson flames, accompanied by the roar of an engine, and slammed into Credor's shield.

when--!!!

The massive shockwave shattered the glass in the corridor.

Credo remained motionless, his light spear thrusting out like a venomous snake, aimed directly at Nero's throat.

"How naive, Nero! I taught you swordsmanship; you can't beat me!"

The two instantly engaged in a fierce battle.

This is a tragic duel between master and disciple, and also a clash of beliefs.

Credor's every strike was powerful and heavy. His single wing granted him exceptional mobility, and the combination of his light spear and giant shield made him an insurmountable fortress.

While Nero possessed ferocious strength, he was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of skill.

He was knocked away by the shield time and time again, but he roared and charged forward again and again.

"Why...why did it have to go this far?!"

Nero brandished his greatsword, each strike carrying a question.

"Didn't you swear to protect her? Look at yourself now! What kind of knight are you?!"

"Shut up!"

Credo seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and his attacks became even more frenzied.

"You understand nothing! That's the power of God! It's an inescapable fate! I had no choice!"

boom!

The spear of light pierced Nero's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

"Cough..." Nero coughed up a mouthful of blood, looking at the man in front of him whose face was unrecognizable, a trace of sorrow flashed in his eyes.

"Since you've given up on thinking, let me make the choice for you."

Nero's right hand—the demonic arm he had always regarded as a curse—suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling blue light.

"Get moving...!"

With that monstrous force capable of crushing space, a gigantic, luminous blue phantom hand materialized out of thin air. It grabbed the spear of light that Credor had thrust at it and squeezed it tightly.

Click!

The seemingly indestructible spear of light was actually crushed.

"What?!" Credo exclaimed in shock.

Before he could react, the giant ghostly hand had already grabbed his body.

"Your so-called justice..."

Nero roared and slammed Credo to the ground like trash, then lifted the Scarlet Queen sword, its flame engine roaring to its maximum.

"...Too fragile!!!"

[Final Move: Buster]!

Boom! ...

This attack not only shattered Credor's giant shield, but also destroyed his last line of defense.

The one-winged angel's massive body crashed to the ground, its golden armor crumbling away to reveal the battered human body beneath.

"Cough cough..."

Kredo lay in a pool of blood, deactivated his transformation, and returned to his original form.

He had a huge wound on his chest, and his life force was rapidly slipping away.

"Nero..."

He looked at the white-haired youth standing in front of him, panting heavily. His previously ferocious expression finally returned to calm, and even showed a hint of relief.

"You've grown up...and are even stronger than I imagined."

Nero sheathed his sword, staggered over, and tried to help him up.

"Don't speak, I'll take you to a doctor..."

"It's no use." Credor shook his head, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "My soul has been corrupted by the core... This is the price of betraying my faith."

Just then...

A strange fluctuation suddenly appeared in the air.

Several dark shadows silently emerged from the shadows of the corridor.

That was the Pope's direct assassination unit—Mephisto.

Their sickle-like fingers were quietly reaching out towards the critically injured and dying Credo.

"For His Majesty's sake... the losers must be eliminated."

A chilling voice came from behind.

"Watch out!" Nero tried to swing his sword, but the intense battle had exhausted him, and his movements were a beat slower.

The scythe was about to pierce Credo's heart...

boom!!!

The ceiling suddenly exploded.

Gravel fell like raindrops, and a dazzling white-gold streak of light crashed down on Credo like a meteorite.

[Holy Light Protection]!

clang!clang!clang!

The moment the scythes touched the golden eggshell, they were all bounced away by the recoil.

The smoke and dust cleared.

A man wearing a platinum trench coat and with wings of light on his back slowly straightened up, holding a shotgun that emitted terrifying lightning in his hand.

He pushed up his dusty glasses, glanced at the dumbfounded Nero, then looked down at Credo, who was barely alive at his feet, and smiled slightly.

"Looks like I'm not too late after all?"

Immediately, Zhang Yuan raised the muzzle of the [Redeemer] gun in his hand, aiming it at the assassins who were being thrown back and trying to disappear again.

"die!"

The reggae shrieked, trying to use their ethereal abilities to disappear into the shadows.

"Trying to escape?"

Zhang Yuan sneered, and the shotgun in his hand instantly spat out a fan-shaped barrage of holy light bullets.

[Passive: Sinful Bombardment] + [Light's Vengeance]!

boom! boom! boom!

There are no fancy techniques, just the simplest and purest firepower coverage.

The ethereal reggae were instantly forced back into physical form upon contact with the holy light projectile, their bodies blasted open by the golden lightning descending from the sky.

"ah--!!"

A heart-wrenching scream rang out.

Before the three reggae could even land, Zhang Yuan smashed their cores with the butt of his rifle, turning them into wisps of black smoke and dissipating.

"Cleanup complete."

Zhang Yuan blew away the smoke from the muzzle of the gun, as if he had casually swatted a few flies.

He turned around, and only then did he have time to treat the wounded soldier who was about to die.

Raising his hand, a bright green [Rapid Healing] spell instantly struck Credo's forehead, forcibly reviving his last breath.

"Now……"

Zhang Yuan looked at the bewildered Nero and gave him a kind smile.

"We can discuss how to proceed with this deal."

"you……"

Nero looked at the mysterious man before him, then at Credo on the ground whose breathing was gradually stabilizing, and his tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Although he didn't know who this mysterious "Cardinal Zhang Yuan" was, at least... he saved Credo.

"Thanks." Nero turned his head away, his voice somewhat stiff.

"You're welcome, it's part of the investment."

Zhang Yuan straightened his sleeves and turned his gaze to the huge elevator door at the end of the corridor that led to the core area.

"Commander Credor has shown us the way."

Zhang Yuan pointed to the direction that Kredo had just desperately protected.

"That old, immortal pope, and your little girlfriend, are up there."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Nero gripped the Scarlet Queen tightly once more, his fighting spirit burning again in his eyes.

"let's go!"