"Sorry I''mte."


    They all turned toward the source of the voice and saw a tall, well-built man emerging from the spatial crack.


    Like the Second and Fifth Apostles, he wore a ck cloak that concealed his entire appearance. However, one ring difference set him apart—his left hand was missing.


    The Fourth Apostle was pleased to see the arrival of the Second Apostle. Among the seven apostles, the First Apostle was renowned as the strongest, yet the Second Apostle''sbat prowess was nearly equal—perhaps even superior.


    In the past, however, the Second Apostle had shown little interest inpeting for the title of First Apostle, choosing instead to remain in his current rank.


    The Fourth Apostle never understood why he refused the highest title beneath the Son of God of the Temple of Twilight.


    "Second Apostle, what happened to your left hand?" The Fifth Apostle''s confused and astonished voice broke the silence.


    Everyone, including Velix, immediately turned their gaze to the Second Apostle''s left side—only to confirm that his hand was truly gone.


    "This..." The Fourth Apostle was stunned, only now realizing it.


    Noticing their curious and confused gazes, the Second Apostle''s expression beneath his hood remained calm and indifferent.


    "My hand was severed by the enemy while I was retrieving the Seventh Apostle''s corpse," he stated casually, stepping forward.


    "Your hand was cut off while retrieving the Seventh Apostle''s corpse?" The Fifth Apostle repeated, his expression hardening beneath his hood as a horrifying realization struck him.


    "Are you saying the enemy was the Fated One?"


    The moment that name was spoken, the Fourth Apostle, the Emissary of the First Apostle, and the two thousand elite members of the Temple of Twilight tensed.


    The Fated One was the greatest threat to them all—perhaps even to the Evil God they worshipped.


    Their n to infiltrate the Holy Empire of Elysium was closely tied to the threat of the Fated One.


    By establishing a foothold within the Holy Empire, they hoped to move more freely and eliminate the Fated One from the shadows.


    Therefore, they couldn''t afford for their cooperation with Velix to fail. If it did, the consequences would be devastating for all of them.


    The Second Apostle gave a slight nod and replied calmly, "Yes, it was because of the Fated One. To retrieve the Seventh Apostle''s body from his grasp, I had to endure his strongest attack. I managed to withstand it, but my left hand was the price I had to pay."


    Hisposed tone, devoid of anger, left the Fourth Apostle, the Fifth Apostle, the Emissary of the First Apostle, and all the elite members of the Temple of Twilight in silent admiration.


    Despite enduring such a loss, he remained calm and collected, a testament to his unwavering control over his emotions.


    However, the fact that even the formidable Second Apostle had suffered an injury at the hands of the Fated One heightened their vignce.


    They needed to be more cautious moving forward, lest they meet the same fate as the Second Apostle, who lost his left hand, or the Seventh Apostle, who perished at the hands of the Fated One.


    Meanwhile, Velix, listening to their conversation, couldn''t help but feel both puzzled and intrigued.


    "The Fated One? Who is he? Does he have a conflict with them and the Temple of Twilight?" Velix wondered, his curiosity piqued.


    His knowledge of the Temple of Twilight was limited. After all, the cult was shrouded in mystery, and he had only learned of its existence when they sought his cooperation.


    Just then, Velix''s heart began to race, and a deep fatigue crept over him.


    He recognized the signs—his mana was nearly depleted. If he didn''t cut off the flow of energy to the Seven Crystal Magic Staff at once, the consequences could be fatal.


    Gritting his teeth, he cast a sharp gaze at those standing below the throne stairs and dered, "I can no longer sustain the magic circles outside. The rest is up to you."


    Without waiting for their response, Velix swiftly severed the flow of his mana from the Seven Crystal Magic Staff in his right hand.


    At that moment, the protective barrier surrounding the capital and the pce flickered before gradually fading out of existence.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..." Velix copsed onto the throne, gasping for breath.


    His once dignified face had turned deathly pale, as though he had just lost a great amount of blood.


    Sustaining those magic circles had drained himpletely. After all, they were his and the Holy Empire of Elysium''s final trump card.


    Had it not been for the dire circumstances threatening both him and the capital, he would have never considered using them.


    The Fourth Apostle turned to Velix and gave a grateful nod.


    "Don''t worry, Velix Larrison. You can rest and recover your mana. We''ll handle the rest," he said with a sense of pride.


    No longer fearing the threat of the red dragon or the hundreds of thousands of rebel soldiers outside the pce walls, he felt a surge of confidence with the support of hisrades and the Temple of Twilight.


    The Second Apostle nodded in agreement, his gaze shifting to the ceiling of the throne room, as though he were staring at something beyond.


    "Then, let us prepare to face the enemy."


    ...


    Outside the pce, Leon and Athena floated in the air, waiting for the barrier magic protecting the Imperial Pce and the capital to fade on its own.


    Sure enough, momentster, the red barrier surrounding the pce began to dim.


    A few secondster, the massive magic circle above the pce, which had been glowing brightly, gradually weakened and then vanished entirely.


    "Velix has finally reached his limit," Leon said casually. "Now, let''s set our n into motion, Athena."


    "Yes, Leon," Athena replied with a slight nod.


    She brought her index and middle fingers together and raised her right hand high toward the sky.


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    A fiery red magic circle appeared above the pce, surrounded by twenty smaller circles.


    "Nature Magic: Falling Stars!" Athena called out coldly.


    *Whoosh!*


    Aet the size of a house shot out from thergest magic circle, followed by smallerets from the other circles.


    They plunged toward the Imperial Pce, crashing with a deafening explosion that sent shockwaves through the ground below.


    Fortunately, all the troops remaining in the pce had been sent to the four cities in the golden quadrangle. Had they been there, the st would have reduced them to ashes.


    The ck smoke from the explosion filled the sky, obscuring any view of the pce''s fate.


    Momentster, the smoke slowly began to clear, revealing a sight Leon and Athena had already anticipated—the once majestic Imperial Pce nowy in ruins.


    However, one room remained untouched by theet strikes—the throne room.


    Inside, countless figures in ck cloaks stood, with Velix seated on the throne, his face pale.


    When Leon, floating in the sky, locked eyes with him, a yful smile curved his lips.


    "After all this time, we finally meet, Velix Larrison..."