Cain discretely activated [Ancient Wisdom], granting his entire raid party and summons the [Existential Dread] Aura.
The old Dwarf had just announced the start of the match when the terrifying wave washed over everything within six hundred meters of Cain, including the entire Red Scorpion force, and even the Immortals began to look pale and frightened.
"Heavenly Host, to me. It is time for war." Cain shouted, letting the aura amplify his voice into a terrifying echo as twelve Spirit Rank Seraphim arrived on the battlefield, each calling their entire host.
Twelve thousand foot soldiers, six hundred Seraphim Warriors, and Sixty Seraphim Inquisitors joined the battle, all with looks of glee and bloodlust.
[Existential Dread] spread from every one of them, and most of the Red Scorpion force fell to their knees in terror, laying down their weapons without a fight.
"You fools, it is a trick, an illusion. Get up and fight." The Sect Leader demanded, reinforcing his command with a skill that blocked fear from his allies.
In seconds they were ready again, glaring at Cain for the dirty trick that he had played on them and only slightly feeling the aura coming off the army called by the Forbidden Treasure Sect.
Luna had called her army of Demons to her side, dozens of Lamia, Oath Breakers, and Wrath Bringers surrounding the Disciples as the second line of defense, should the enemy have the skill to get past the massed army of Seraphim.
A dozen horns blew in unison, and the army surged forward, spears and short swords meeting blades as the Red Scorpions learned that the army was no mere illusion but a very solid and deadly opponent.
Cain flew behind them, leaving the Disciples with the highest-ranked Seraphim, who served as Generals for the force that they had summoned.
The Inquisitors had surrounded the Immortals, lashing out with Holy Light repeatedly as the Immortals' barriers held strong. They didn't have the power to take them down so fast, but between them and the army on the ground, [Might of Many] was stacking up at an astronomical pace.
Cain charged the Sect Master, who could only glare at him as he held out his hands to channel energy into the barrier around himself, keeping it solid in the face of the Inquisitors' wrath.
The moment that Cain's spear met the barrier, it shattered in a puff of released power, letting the attack flow smoothly through at the Immortal's chest, only narrowly missing his heart as the Sect Master dodged and brought his barrier back up to fend off the next wave of Holy Light.
"Surrender now and forfeit your Sect. If you do, some might still live." Cain ordered, and the Sect Master looked down at the ground, where bodies littered the field, both in the black of his disciples and the white of the Seraphim force.
"You cheating coward. How dare you call for outside assistance in a Sect Duel? He screamed in desperation, drawing bitter laughter from the audience.
He had called another Sect to his own for reinforcements against six people, and he was losing. He had no place to be calling others out on dirty tricks.
"The might of a Sect Master has always been the backbone of their Sect. Where is your power? You should have known that my Disciples could summon allies. Why would you assume I could not? Now, are you going to surrender, or do more of your followers need to die?" Cain asked.
That was mostly an empty threat, as only a few Immortals were still fighting. Everyone else had set their weapons down and surrendered to the Seraphim Army. Even if the Sect Master wanted to duel it out with Cain, there wouldn't be much more collateral damage.
That seemed to be what he wanted, though, as the Red Scorpion Sect Master charged Cain, his blade flickering with incredible speed and forcing Cain to retreat as he parried, then summon a full group of Oath Breakers into [Merger] with him to regain the upper hand. The difference between Spirit Rank and Immortal was no joke, and even with the few Summons that Cain always kept merged, he hadn't been able to match the Sect Master.
Cain drew the Sect Master further into the air, where [Area Damage] wouldn't kill everyone below them every time a blow landed, and furiously clashed blades with the arrogant Sect Master, burning through mana with [Cloud Dancing] as the flying sword wasn't agile enough for the purpose.
Dozens of times a second, blades clashed as the battle turned back in Cain's favor, and the last of the Immortals below them surrendered, stopping their resistance to watch the battle that would truly determine this conflict.
Cain circled over the Immortal's head and activated [Ancient Resistance], choosing Seraphim for the agility that it granted in flight, gaining six softly glowing wings, black on one side, white on the other. That was different from what he was used to. Usually, the wings were white and just plain feathers. They were beautiful but not fancy and glowing like these.
With the added speed in flight, he could circle the Sect Master faster than he could turn, and a spear strike glanced across the Red Scorpion Sect Master's back, tearing him wide open thanks to [Might of Many], and the man suddenly went limp, his spine severed, then crashed to the ground.
A Seraphim Warrior caught him before he hit the ground and gently laid him in the grass, face down, to keep dirt out of the wound.
"Nobody else needs to die today. What says you, referee? Is the match settled?" Cain asked.
"I can't decide this match. They must all forfeit or die. Red Scorpion Sect Master. Do you forfeit?" The Dwarf asked.
The man gave a gurgling answer that Cain couldn't understand, then passed out, leaving the matter momentarily undecided. Then an Elder stepped forward and called out to the crowd.
"The Red Scorpion Sect has been defeated and is willing to face our punishment. But please, for the love of all that is holy, send the medics for our disciples." The Elder declared.
"Seraphim. The battle is over. Heal the survivors, and resurrect the others. Returning a single percent of their life should be a sufficient reminder of the mistake they made today. If they are lucky, some other Sect will take them in." Cain decided, and [Holy Light] Filled the battlefield.
The Seraphim army wasn't very pleased to have to resurrect enemies that they just finished killing, but mercy was in their nature, and they understood the logic behind giving a second chance.
"Your will is done." The Seraphim declared in eerie unison, and Cain deactivated [Ancient Wisdom] and dropped the [Existential Dread] aura.
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief out from under the oppressive weight of the aura that terrified everyone, even though it wasn't aimed at them.
The Red Scorpion Sect Master regained his feet with tears in his eyes, looking over the resurrected and defeated force of his Sect, then removed the badge from his robes and took out a ceremonial sword, placing both in the grass before flying away without a word to anyone.
They appeared to be the Sect's tokens of office, and the Sect was to be disbanded after his defeat. He had failed them all and cost them their home. Cain could see in his thoughts that he intended to disappear on a penance pilgrimage and never return until his shame had been forgiven, or he had ascended to the Divine.
Right behind him flew the Elder, who had started the altercation with Luna, both of them feeling the heavy weight of a thousand hateful eyes watching them flee.
"Elder, may we show mercy to the Red Scorpion Sect? The Sect Master and the instigator of the problem have both fled, and the Red Scorpion Disciples look sufficiently contrite. Perhaps a trip home to reconsider their life choices and some time in contemplation would be sufficient to set them on the right path?" Cain asked.
"Are you sure you wish to go that far? Many of them will harbor a grudge for a lifetime, even if they are dispersed to other Sects." The Dwarf asked.
"And that's why it's better to let them be and let them reorganize their Sect under new leadership. Perhaps they will learn a lesson in humility and not just that the strong can do what they want." Cain replied.
"My Divine Wrath Sect will supervise them for the next ten years. As head of the Alliance of Light Sects, it is our duty to oversee punishments. We will help them choose a suitable Sect Master and see that they learn a lesson from today's defeat. Most of their Disciples owe their lives to your kindness today, and it would be shameful for them to forget it." The Immortal from the Manuscript creation seminar mumbled around his pipe, his words somehow carrying to the entire area, and everyone in it.
That was an interesting Skill. Cain would have to learn it later, so he made sure that everyone he could see was recorded into his list of Summons.
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