The Devil’s Cage

“As you please.”

The elder nodded casually at the bishop’s question as though he was answering somthing trivial.

“Then I shall call you Duke Wayne. After all, since you plotted to set up the Knights of Dawn and the Church of Shadows, it would be a little awkward if I still addressed you as Your Excellency,” the bishop said.

Then he sighed as if he suddenly realized something.

“Before I saw you, I was angry, confused. I was angry because of your betrayal, I was confused because of your failure. But who would’ve thought that I would be so delighted after seeing you now? Although it was you who lead the priests from our church to ambush the Church of Shadows, they must have left an unhealable wound on you, am I right?”

“Your wounds didn’t just foil your plans to take over the world with a change of identity, it even forced you to fake your death, lingering on earth with such pathetic existence and not getting anything for all your efforts. To be honest, seeing you like this now, all I can feel is pity.”

As he spoke, the bishop showed compassion in his eyes.

“I know, accidents will always happen. The God’s plan that I devised succeeded but I was not the ultimate benefactor. All these years, whenever I thought about it I would feel very stupid, so stupid that I would choose to trust someone else. Am I right, my student?” The first generation Duke Wayne said.

“Yes. It’s all because of your skillful teaching and guidance,” the bishop nodded.

Then, everything went silent.

Both of them stared at each other as one was floated up high in the sky and the other lower in mid-air. Under the scorching sunlight and dazzling brightness, it made those who observed the battle further away squint their eyes at the scene.

Right at that moment, Duke Wayne vanished from his spot.

Instinctively, all the observers looked up high at the sky, a figure appeared behind the bishop instantaneously.

Silently, a long sword of light consisting of white, gray, and green was stabbed towards the bishop but before it could land, it was fended off by another golden long sword.

Chang!

Both light swords clashed and clunked like iron swords but it wasn’t sparks that came out from the clash but line after line of unusual energy streams. The energy streams fell fell down from the sky like fireworks, exploding repeatedly as they touched the ground, bombarding the place.

Gak Tsssss Tsssss!

Two light swords clashed, pushing back with all their might and obviously, the golden light sword had the upper hand as the one wielding it only relied on one hand to push back the other who wielded it with both.

“Teacher, you are old. How could you make such a shallow attack? Let me, your precious student to send you on your journey to hell!”

The moment the bishop’s words subsided, the other idle hand of his unleashed another light sword as the golden light overflowed from his palm and it thrust directly at Duke Wayne.

Puk!

The blade of the light sword pierced through the body but…

It was not Duke Wayne but the bishop instead! A light blade was thrust through the bishop’s chest, the white, gray, and green light blade tainted with the bishop’s blood was exceptionally eye-catching.

While the golden sword from the bishop was still a finger away from Duke Wayne.

The bishop looked down at the bulging light sword in his chest in astonishment.

“Back then you stabbed me in the back, now I am returning the favor. Surprised how I did it? Don’t worry, I won’t tell you!” Duke Wayne laughed.

The light sword that pierced through the bishop’s chest from the back started to burst but…

Nothing happened to the bishop, his chest was indeed pierced thoroughly from the back to front but the bishop was unharmed, not even a drop of blood came out from the hole. Only sparks of electricity and gears sticking inside.

A magical puppet?

A machine?

Many thoughts appeared in Duke Wayne’s head, the thoughts didn’t stop blooming despite his body being stabbed by the golden light sword, the scorching heat was burning him.

When the white, gray, and green light sword exploded, the golden light sword exploded at an unimaginable speed, perforating Duke Wayne’s chest.

“As expected of the “sun”.” Duke Wayne exclaimed.

This certainly wasn’t the bishop’s power. The bishop was Duke Wayne’s student, he was very clear on what his student was capable of and what kinds of abilities he possessed.

Even though many decades had passed, he wouldn’t grow towards such outrageous extent.

One needed to know, the true core mystical skills were still in the grasp of Duke Wayne.

“Yes! Without the “sun”, I don’t even dare appear before you, teacher. You are really too scary! In order to oppose you, I left my mortal body and now it seems like the effect is quite decent! I will fulfill your wish in my own way. So now, please DIE!”

As the bishop spoke, a stronger presence came out from the nearby airship.

Accompanying the presence was a high temperature.

It distorted the sky, dried the land, and even evaporated the sea!

The unparalleled high temperature turned into a light spot, gathering in the bishop’s hand.

Duke Wayne’s perforated body was dried up like a withered corpse under the high temperature but he didn’t die.

“A few improvements, seems like I need to praise you for real,” Duke Wayne said.

The bishop who was extremely familiar with his teacher’s manner felt his heart skip a beat. He instinctively wanted to hasten his action…

BUT!

Another darkness was even faster!

The bright sky was darkened within a breath, the sun was covered by a black veil and the clouds were blown away by the gloomy wind.

Duke Wayne who had a hole in his chest suddenly exploded, bursting into pieces of shattered blueish green gemstones in all directions, hitting the bishop and the airship together.

As the pieces of shattered gemstones hit the golden light with the extreme temperature that possessed devastating attacking capabilities, the golden light instantly disintegrated, forcing it out of form.

What followed after the disintegrated energy stream was the fall of the airship!

It fell out of the sky and crashed into the ground below it like a meteor. The giant crater was expanded even more by the crash but the shocking thing was, the airship was much sturdier than expected.

The airship didn’t break into pieces, only the edge was destroyed. Most parts of the airship remained intact except for it having lost its flying capabilities.

Compared to the airship, the bishop was not in good shape.

He was choked on the neck by Duke Wayne, lifting him up in mid-air.

“I once taught you that humans must always rely on themselves! Seems like you’ve forgotten all about it. Relying on external powers… How long can it last? More so, I am familiar with all these external things, do you think that I won’t save a card up my sleeves just in case?” Duke Wayne laughed.

“Then, you think that I wouldn’t know?” The bishop smiled even more delightedly.

The bishop suddenly grabbed Duke Wayne’s arm and shouted, “Got you!”

KABOOM!

The second his word subsided, a brilliant white light enveloped both of them.

Lines of electricity the thickness of an arm went rampant around the bursting light. Within a 10-meter radius, everything was buffeted by electricity as though an electric monster climbed out from the ground.

Duke Wayne slowly walked out from the shadows as he looked at the electric field before his eyes, he laughed and said, “It’s a magnificent view isn’t it, Sir 2567?”

As the electric field flickered, Duke Wayne was looking impressed at the scene. He was spotlessly clean as he laid his eyes on another shadowy spot.

The next moment, Kieran with an arrogant face slowly walked out, in reply to Duke Wayne’s gaze.