The atmosphere in the dining hall felt cold and tense. The guards' eyes remained fixed on Sebastian, full of suspicion. Their hands were already gripping their sword hilts, ready to strike at any moment. On the other hand, Sebastian struggled to hide his panic. He knew he stood no chance against these five men, especially Cain, who seemed to have extensive combat experience.

  Cain stared at Sebastian sharply before speaking. "You. State which order you belong to."

  "That's a secret. I have no obligation to tell you that."

  Cain drew his sword and placed its tip against Sebastian's neck. Then, he spoke again. "Say it if you want to live. Now."

  "ARE YOU INSANE, CAIN?! WE CAN’T TREAT A SAINT LIKE THIS!"

  "I don’t care if he’s a Saint. He’s not God. Our plan in this city must succeed. Failure is not an option."

  All the guards in the room unsheathed their weapons as well. Now, Sebastian was completely trapped, like a foolish rat. The tension in the air was suffocating. Valentinus looked bewildered, while Sebastian racked his brain, desperately searching for a way out. Cain’s sword pressed closer against his neck. He could see it—Cain was truly ready to behead him without a second thought.

  Sebastian was cornered. He had no choice but to fight back. In an instant, he kicked the table from underneath, sending food flying into the air. Without hesitation, Cain swung his sword at Sebastian’s neck. Fortunately, Sebastian managed to dodge in time. He could feel the cold, razor-sharp blade brushing against his skin. If he had been even a fraction of a second slower, his head would have already rolled to the floor.

  Sebastian sprinted toward the window, hoping to escape, but one of the guards immediately blocked his path. He needed a weapon—fast. Scanning the room, he searched for anything he could use. Then, he spotted a decorative sword and shield mounted on the wall.

  Leaping toward the replica weapons, Sebastian grabbed them just as Cain closed in behind him. Within moments, Cain swung his massive sword once more. Sebastian barely dodged, but not without consequence—his back was slashed, blood seeping from the fresh wound. He now had a weapon, but he knew its poor quality wouldn’t stand a chance against the guards’ armor, no matter how hard he swung.

  Sebastian stared at the sword in his hand. Even after all these years, he still felt uneasy holding a blade. He had suffered countless cuts over the past six years, but receiving a wound and wielding a sword were two entirely different things.

  Then, the dining hall doors suddenly burst open. City soldiers stormed into the room, immediately engaging in combat with Valentinus’ guards. Chaos erupted. No one knew what was happening anymore.

  "KILL EVERY MEMBER OF THE BISHOPRIC! LEAVE NONE ALIVE!"

  "W-WHAT IS GOING ON?! WHO LET YOU INTO THE HOUSE OF GOD?!" Valentinus shouted.

  Despite the overwhelming number of city soldiers pouring into the room, Sebastian doubted they were enough to defeat Cain and his men. Seizing the opportunity amid the chaos, he attempted to slip away. But he knew time was against him.

  The hallway was in complete disarray. Church soldiers clashed fiercely with the never-ending wave of city guards, seemingly ignoring the turmoil outside to focus entirely on this battle.

  Sebastian ran without stopping. He avoided every enemy in his path, prioritizing escape over combat. His thoughts raced to his mother, alone at home. She had no one to protect her. He needed to get back—now.

  "Where do you think you’re going?"

  A hand suddenly emerged from the chaos—Cain’s. Sebastian’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Cain had made his way through dozens of city soldiers and was now right in front of him. There was no room to escape. No way to fight back.

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  With terrifying strength, Cain slammed Sebastian into the ground. Then, he raised his sword high, ready to bring it down upon him.

  Desperate, Sebastian struck Cain’s face with everything he had. The sheer force of the impact sent a gust of air rippling outward. The move paid off—Cain’s sword barely missed, stabbing into the ground right next to Sebastian’s cheek.

  More city soldiers rushed in to attack from all sides. Cain had no choice but to release his grip to cut them down. A rain of gore and blood cover the walls and floor while other city guard froze in fear, even with just once swing of his blade, Cain managed to kill ten people instantly. None in this room would dare to approach Cain now, he’s the top predator, the strongest among strongest here.

  Once again, Sebastian seized the golden opportunity to flee. Fortune had smiled upon him time and time again today. He dove through a window, plummeting several stories before crashing to the ground and rolling across the dirt. Slowly, he struggled to his feet. His entire body ached—after all, he had just jumped from the third floor of a church. But there was no time to dwell on pain. He had to get home, he need to find and protect his mother.

  Before he could even fully regain his balance, Cain leaped through the window and landed not far away. Unlike Sebastian, he was completely unharmed. Sebastian forced every muscle in his body to move. He faced Cain, who approached with his sword glinting under the moonlight. Now there’s no one around Sebastian dan Cain, the air seems tense and Sebastian could feel the immense bloodlust Cain emit at this very moment.

  "You’re really dedicated," Sebastian muttered.

  "Thank you for the compliment. Now, go to the embrace of God."

  Cain swung his sword, and the sound of metal clashing echoed through the night. Sebastian had blocked the attack with his own blade—but now, his sword was glowing, radiating holy magic. Cain seems impressed seeing Sebastian resourcefulness, his blade would definitely break if he wasn’t infusing it with holy magic, this was a good play on Sebastian side.

  "Go to the embrace of God?! I still have a long way to go before that!"

  Fueled by anger, Sebastian counterattacked. A new surge of energy flooded his body. This feeling—it was familiar. He had felt it before, but his mind was clouded, as if he had forgotten something important. Cain looked slightly surprised by the sudden burst of power from Sebastian. But he wasn’t impressed. He noticed that Sebastian’s movements were reckless, filled with wasted motion. It was clear—Sebastian was fighting purely on instinct, without any real strategy or calculation.

  "Hey, Saint. Who taught you how to fight?"

  "THAT DOESN’T MATTER!"

  Sebastian continued his relentless assault. Cain, unfazed, parried each attack with an indifferent expression. Sparks flew as steel clashed against steel, their battle drawing the attention of monsters lurking in the city. From the shadows, the creatures began creeping closer, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  "How old are you?"

  "Eleven!"

  Sebastian struck with all his might, but Cain blocked effortlessly, standing firm. A look of disappointment crossed his face, fueling Sebastian’s frustration. His attacks became wilder, more aggressive—like a raging beast. Sebastian now didn’t use any martial arts he know, he just lauched attack after attack that he could think of, hoping it’ll at least wound Cain who seems unbothered by his attack.

  "Whoever trained you must be deeply disappointed by what they see now," Cain remarked. "But I must admit, the martial art you’re using is terrifying… If only you knew how to wield it properly."

  Cain suddenly shifted the battle’s rhythm. He went on the offensive, launching a series of strikes that forced Sebastian onto the defensive. Each blow rattled Sebastian’s body, but he refused to surrender. Cain’s relentless attacks began carving wounds into Sebastian’s flesh. Even with his enhanced healing abilities, he couldn’t keep up with the sheer damage he was taking. Desperately, he searched for a way to defeat Cain, but the man’s swordsmanship was flawless—without a single opening.

  "DIVINE HAMMER!"

  Sebastian unleashed his strongest attack, but Cain effortlessly dodged it. The ground trembled violently, leaving a massive crater where the strike had landed. For the first time, Cain showed a flicker of genuine admiration.

  "Impressive," he admitted. "But it’s still not enough."

  Cain kicked Sebastian into the trees before assuming a stance Sebastian had never seen before. A fiery orange aura gathered around him. His sword hummed with power, his muscles tensed ready to explode.

  Sebastian rushed toward him from the forest, but an overwhelming sense of dread crept into his heart, he felt like he just do a wrong thing, he should’ve run away before instead of coming towards Cain. However, that regret is useless now, Sebastian are in range of Cain special attack.

  "Light of Dawn."

  Cain unleashed a devastating surge of power—brilliant, holy energy exploded outward like the first light of sunrise. The sheer force sent Sebastian hurtling through the air, crashing through house after house before finally lying motionless on the ground.

  As he struggled to breathe, he saw Cain approaching, his sword still firmly in hand.