Bruno’s battle started with a charge of the Paladins, and fires swallowed them.

Red Magic Rank 3: Flare

Flames swirled in the Montgomery’s camping ground by the will of the Sorceress. The roaring and twisting fire bathed the Paladin in the current of heat. Betty waved her hand and unleashed a burst of Blue Magic. 

Blue Magic Rank 4: Ocean

As fire reshaped the field into ash. The watery mist, created by a flood of Blue Mana, rose to obscure the Paladins basked in fire. Smoke and haze of opaque steam clouded Bruno’s vision as the visibility of the area tanked to nonexistence.

Betty then unleashed the last magic to reset the battlefield.

Red Magic Rank 4: Earth Strike

Around Bruno, a wall of towering earth — thick and powerful — rose, erecting to the sky as a pseudo arena for the coming battle.

Out from the mist, the Unity Lord emerged with his sword.

Bruno was fascinated by this development, “Aren’t you going to two-on-one me with Elizabeth?”

“No,” Ciel said. “That would ruin the purpose of the trip. If I can’t beat you man-to-man, I have no chance against Maximus.” Ciel also added another clue. “Plus, I need to collect some data from you.”

“Overconfidence is a peril,” Bruno lifted his axe.

…

In the front of the camp, Xia felt something charging at her from behind.

The battle was going in her favor when the sudden interruption occurred. Xia easily powered through Geneva’s Aura-boosted sonic attack when the familiar face riding a Pegasus charged at her. She must admit the move was an impressive combination of Strengthen, Aura, and Haste.

It even managed to bust the Sacred Gem’s mystical barrier.

Apolline, riding a Pegasus she borrowed from the air cavalry, joined the aerial battle. The Red Archangel wasted no time and went all out with the combination magic.

Red Magic Rank 5: Mana Burst

Red Magic Rank 6: Thunderstorm

The crimson lightning crashed down upon Xia from the sky. In Apolline’s imagination, the lightning should shove Xia on her back-foot. Her previous charge-attack had brought down that troublesome shield and it wouldn’t come up anytime soon.

Contrary to expectation, Xia easily brushed the lightning away with her bare-hand. Red Mana resistance from [White Blessing] and ample Aura amplification was too strong of a mixture for even Apolline to penetrate.

Apolline maneuvered the winged horse to Geneva. On her Divine Ox, Taurus, the Green Archangel wasn't having a good time.

“She can nullify Red Magic,” Geneva said. “And her artifact is too hard to pierce.”

“It is two on one,” Apolline said. “We have a number advantage.”

It was then that they saw the flames coming from their camp.

Apolline groaned, “Of course this is a surprise attack. That must be Elizabeth fighting Bruno.”

Observing the situation, Geneva came to a decision.

“Apolline, go and help Bruno,” Geneva gathered the Green Mana. “I will fight Xiahana alone.”

“Are you sure?” Apolline paused. “Xia isn’t a pushover.”

“I’m using my full-power,” Geneva warned. “I can’t guarantee I can keep you out of my attacks.”

Apolline paused. This was the rare time Geneva displayed why she was considered a No.2 of the Archangel. Truthfully, Apolline wanted to help, but with Xia’s artifact and nullification ability her involvement wouldn’t matter much.

Sometimes winning a war was more about selecting the match-up and less about winning the punch up.

“Take care,” Apolline said, flying to the flames and the rising earth on her Pegasus.

…

Xia let Apolline flew away without a hassle.

“You aren’t stopping her?” Geneva said, gathering the stockpile of Green Mana.

“Betty can handle her,” Xia said, confident in her sister's ability. “What about you? Our previous clash didn’t exactly inspire any confidence in your victory.”

“You’re right,” Geneva nodded. “Your abilities are superhuman. Even without your barrier, it was doubtful I could defeat you in normal circumstances.” She resolved herself. “Be warned. It was rare for me to enter this form.”

Green Magic Rank 5: Transmogrify.

Green Mana cocooned Geneva, sinking into her skin and transforming the very making of her body. Her peach white skin turned paler as the body departed from humanity. The pair of eyes became orbs of glowing green. Antler grew from her back strung with strings of ether. The human feet warped, condensed into emerald hooves. The chitin armor grew over her body, shedding away her clothes. Her long green hair illuminated with bioluminescence.

Geneva, an Apostle of Green Mana, turned her attention to Xia and said in her warped voice.

“You should be honored,” the Green Archangel’s voice sonorously echoed. “My transmogrification grants me the ability of the Divine Beast at the price of my lifespan. You won’t leave this place alive Xiahana La Louve.”

Geneva strummed the string of her antler, and Xia dodged on instinct.

The Aura-enhanced sonic attack cut across the land, blasting dust up a hundred-meter-high, and ripped the very earth.

Xia mused. It appeared this battle might be harder than she anticipated.

…

On the Pegasus, Apolline quickly confronted her latest problem.

Betty stood in the sky. Apolline knew the former princess of Curtis, but there was something different about Elizabeth. Maybe it was the air or possibly the scent, but the women in black, fluidly flowing cloak and a blue sash oozed danger.

Wait. Apolline hit upon the thought. When could Betty fly?

Betty turned her attention from the ground. “Don’t you mind looking at that?” She pointed to the floor. “Since when did Montgomery have a zombie army?” 

Apolline looked at where Betty was pointing.

Down on the ground were the bodies of Paladins in white armor stained in putrid blood. The elite knights of Montgomery had been ripped apart by Slaughter, blasted by Bolts, contorted by Puppetry, and annihilated with Thunderstorm.

But they were still alive. No one should survive the multitude of mystical punishments. Not even the best undead could take on such a combination, but the Paladin succeeded. They were in pieces crawling and trying to reattach their sever limbs, but they had survived multiple attacks from a Color Transcendence mage of Betty’s caliber.

Even a Necromancer couldn’t create such a resilient undead. Both women knew this must be the work of a highly untested and forbidden form of mystic. It was the picture-perfect image of an illegal, unethical experiment.

Apolline looked at the evidence she couldn’t refuse. Her mind numbed with disbelief.

“You don’t know?” Betty said. “Aren’t you the Red Archangel?”

“No!” Apolline tried to ignore the living corpses below her. “I have no idea what they are.”

“The Paladins,” Betty answered. “I’m no necromancer, but they are advanced.” She squinted with accusation. “Too advanced.”

“They are under Deluge and Bruno!” Apolline said. “They must be trying something behind the scenes.” Apolline sounded outrage. “Don’t worry I will be getting to the bottom of this.”

“Aren’t the Archangels under Maximus’ direct control?” Betty pushed the psychological button. “This is either a hell of an oversight for an immortal super-being or one massive collusion. Don’t you think so, Apolline?”

Apolline didn’t know how to respond. Compared to the Betty she knew, the current her was more cheery. She was actively playing mind games with Apolline. The Red Archangel was left wondering what happened to the previously shaken and lost Elizabeth.

“Look,” Apolline said. “I know Maximus is not a perfect leader, but he isn’t the type who starts a secret zombie experiment. I can vouch for it.”

Betty grimaced. The Worship Seed was one hell of an ability.

“Okay,” Betty abandoned tackling that angle. Instead, she went for the breach of trust. “What is his Authority then?”

Apolline paused. “What?”

Betty knew she hooked the fish.

“Etaceh is the Lord of Mechanical Magic. Borbonsi was the Lord of Commerce,” Betty listed. “Ciel, my hubby, is the Unity Lord. What is Maximus’ title; his claim to fame?” Betty cocked her head coyly. “Did he ever tell you?”

Apolline was silent, confirming the answer.

“You should go and ask him, Apolline,” the Sorceress of Athenaeum smiled. “It will blow your mind.”

Apolline swallowed her doubt and took out a folded spear.

“Betty,” Apolline warned, extending her weapon. “Leave.”

“Sorry,” Betty got ready for the fight. “I promise I will leave once everything settles.”

…

Inside the arena of rock, the two men tried to find an opening.

It was obviously Bruno who attacked first. Yes, he was aware his opponent was Lord, but every word of mouth couldn’t stop telling the tale of how green Ciel was in combat. It should be peachy. A rush followed by domineering blows should do the trick. Maybe he would throw in Black Magic for good measure.

Bruno was a Black Archangel of Montgomery; an elite who climbed his way to the top of the command structure. Even among his peers, he was the most ruthless.

A Harem gigolo shouldn’t have a ghost of a chance against these odds. Ciel didn’t even have many experiences at shedding blood.

Bruno’s sense of superiority changed the moment several metallic spiders disengaged its stealth technology. The artificial critters leap from the earth and onto his leg. One of them attached itself to his battle-ax. Several more hitched on his shoulder.

“What?” He tried to shake the spider off.

“Don’t bother,” Ciel said. “Those spider bots were made from hardened Mythril-Tungsten alloy. You won’t be able to dent it, when Xia couldn’t.”

“The hell,” Bruno screeched. “What do you think this little toy could do to me?”

“Not to you,” Ciel said. “Allow me to explain. Those spiders were designed to be treated as equipment artifacts, and they just equipped themselves on you. Truthfully, they didn’t do a lot except those spiders were loaded with so many useless runes outside the basic runic programming, each of them qualify as two artifacts.” Ciel asked the critical question. “Now, Mr. Black Archangels. What would happen if you equipped more than six artifacts?”

Bruno knew the answer. He felt the artifacts and secret weapons in his body deactivated from the runes overload. His beloved high-grade axe became nothing, but a hunk of iron.

“You are still a pipsqueak,” Bruno growled. “Do you think you can win just because you can disarm me? You aren’t a fighter!”

Ciel nodded, “You are completely right. Among my kind, I am a pretty shabby fighter. That is why I often ask myself how to beat other people above my league. I kept asking questions like how to deflect the meteor, or what-if Mandrake started flooding people with sand instead of water.” Rem chuckled derisively at himself. “Asking those what-if questions and thinking of ways around that hundred-what-if is what I am confident at.”

Ciel drew his blade.

“Trust me, Mr. Archangel,” Ciel said. “I am here because I already have every counter to beat you.”