Masked Knight

"Stand behind me," Master Autumn suddenly whispered. He then stepped forward and firmly stood in front of Rody. "They are going to attack… Be careful of the Pope."

Rody raised his eyebrows and arrogantly asked, "What is there to be afraid of? They are just some quacks."

Master Autumn showed a profound smile and replied, "What is there to be afraid of? Naturally, the answer is to be afraid of trouble. Do you want them to see the dragon on your chest? Or perhaps you want to get rid of all those in the God’s religion."

Rody’s expression changed as he was caught red-handed. After all, he had just said that he did not see the dragon.

Master Autumn laughed gently but his expression did not change. "Alright, we will speak more later. However, you better be careful… A dragon tattoo is rare on the Radiant continent."

After that, Master Autumn took off his robe and gave it to Rody.

Master Autumn was wearing a very ordinary warrior’s clothing. However, these simple clothes made him look tall and upright. More importantly, after Master Autumn took off his shirt, his body looked sharp, like a blade out of its sheath.

The originally calm and quiet Master Autumn had transformed so much that Rody was shocked.

As the two whispered to each other, the eastern side of the sky slowly turned bright. Patches of red cloud could be seen, and the sun looked like it was about to rise.

Corsica VI then whispered, "Accept God’s judgement!"

He raised the staff in his hands. At the same time, the other Elders took one step forward and closed in on Simao from five different directions.

"Pay attention. This is the ‘Radiant Binding Array’." Master Autumn sighed. "It is not every day that you get to see five Elder magicians working together to use this method."

Rody put on the robes Master Autumn had given him before asking, "What about it? This formation will only trap the vampire. Does this stupid Pope think this formation is effective against the Dracula Spear? What a joke…" Rody stopped himself in time. He almost stated that even the Mystic Dragon’s Purge was unable to kill Simao.

A white and holy light diffused from the ground. Simao was in the middle of the pentagram, and black smoke emitted from his feet. He started to scream.

The five Elders chanted at the same time. The pentagram also grew smaller, as if it was wrapping up Simao. Simao screamed as he thrust the Dracula Spear into the ground. After that, something that was blood-red in color emitted from his body and danced around him. It seemed to be scarlet blood.

The surrounding space seemed to tremble. The red and the white mists trembled as they continued to collide against each other. At the same time, the expression of the five Elders grew more serious and some started to sweat on their foreheads.

Master Autumn frowned. "Is a Prince ranked vampire really so powerful? He can’t even be defeated by five Bishops?"

Rody lightly replied, "That Prince ranked vampire himself is nothing much. It is the artifact in his hands that is too powerful… If he did not have that spear, he would have been turned to ashes a long time ago."

Master Autumn turned his head around to look at Rody and said, "I didn't think you’d actually know about these things."

Rody shook his head but did not say anything.

"Wait, the Pope has not yet acted." Master Autumn smile faintly.

Rody then looked at Master Autumn and suddenly asked, "Do you come here tonight for the dragon... For me, right? Do you want to capture me? Or…"

Master Autumn shook his head and gave a complicated expression. "I am just a palace warrior. My duty is to protect the Empire and ensure His Majesty’s safety. The other matters are not within my jurisdiction. As for the people of God and the vampires… Even the Pope have already appeared. They do not need to use people like me."

Sure enough, the moment Master Autumn finished speaking, the Pope, Corsica VI started to act.

However, the old man then looked at Master Autumn from afar and said loudly, "Master Autumn, the vampire is wreaking havoc within the Empire. Are you just going to watch from the side?"

Hearing that, Master Autumn pursed his lips and complained softly in a voice only Rody could hear. "Old fox! He is always trying to test me!"

Master Autumn smiled and then replied to the Pope. "Your Highness and the other Bishops are already here. Why do I need to act?"

Corsica VI gave a solemn expression and loudly said, "This vampire is an embodiment of evil. A few Bishops would not be enough to defeat him! We must eliminate him, together! If this high ranked vampire escapes, who knows how many lives would be endangered!"

Master Autumn grunted coldly and then muttered something under his breath. After that, he loudly said, "I do not dare defy Your Highness’ words."

Master Autumn then took a step forward. Rody could immediately sense the impact of this one step.

An extraordinary surge of pressure was emitted by Master Autumn’s body. It was as awe inspiring as if God had just dropped his sword onto the human world.

There was a kind of quiet yet penetrating chill. It was like the chill that comes with fine goosebumps from pinpricks on your skin.

Simao who was still standing in the pentagram formation felt the situation getting bad. He immediately looked towards Master Autumn and suddenly shouted, "Master Autumn, are you going to be shameless like these god's people as well?"

"Do not attack." After Master Autumn said that, he slowly walked forward.

As Master Autumn’s hands were empty, Rody suddenly whispered, "Use my sword."

Master Autumn did not turn around and simply replied, "No need."

The Elders were already sweating as the sun rose. The red fog protecting Simao trembled and seemed to have turned a bit faint. However, Simao firmly clenched his spear and the legendary artifact rang softly. Instead of diminishing, the fog then pushed away the pentagram.

The Bishops stepped back at the same time. Only the Pope stood calmly at a distance. It was difficult to see what was on the Pope’s mind.

Master Autumn calmly walked forward, step by step. He did not stop even when he reached the pentagram made by the the people of God and casually stepped inside. There was a bang, and it seemed like a silver firework exploded. Master Autumn had stepped into and broken the ‘Radiant Binding Array’.

"You!"

One of the Elders became angry and was about to shout. However, the Pope, Corsica VI coldly glanced at him.

Master Autumn looked calm and without turning his head, he simply replied, "When I am fighting, I do not need help."

Master Autumn finally stretched out his hand and a flame-like fighting energy appeared. The light in his hand then condensed and transformed into a shape that looked like a sword.

Form Condensation!

Master Autumn had actually reached the rank of a Sacred Swordsman.

The surrounding Elders all started whispering to one another. Master Autumn had reached the rank of a Sacred Swordsman but nobody had ever seen him fight. The very moment he started to act, he had confirmed all the speculations of his strength. Even Rody raised his eyebrows.

The first warrior in the Empire was well deserving of his reputation.

Nobody noticed that the Pope Corsica VI showed an expression of relief.

"He is just a Sacred Swordsman."

Simao laughed bitterly and said, "Master Autumn, do you think that your fighting energy is able to compete with my spear? Just now, that kid’s dragon…"

Simao wanted to continue but Master Autumn immediately interrupted him and shouted, "It’s meaningless to say too much. Fight!"

The lightsaber in his hand gleamed as he gently lashed out.

He seemed aloof and casual. It did not seem significant. He had assembled an unparalleled fighting energy that only a warrior at the apex could do. He had then also created a fighting energy lightsaber. Everybody expected him to use a very strong, earth-shattering attack next. However, Master Autumn had just casually lashed out.

"Hm?" Everybody was surprised.

Only Rody’s eyes flashed as if he had come to a realization.

Simao’s heart stopped. His opponent’s underwhelming attack suddenly made him feel powerless. It was as if the dazzling blade was becoming larger and larger such that he could neither block nor dodge.

The attack had seemingly cut off all of his escape route. The only way out was to fight it head-on, resolutely.

Simao instinctively moved his spear to clash against the sword. What condensed fighting energy sword... The demon weapon, Dracula Spear, would surely break it.

Finally, when Master Autumn lightsaber clashed against Simao’s spear, there was an immediate sound of something breaking. The black fog from the Dracula’s spear was swallowed up by the flaming sword. The flaming sword then scattered.

No way? That’s it?

Before the people could process what happened, Simao screamed. A strong and slender hand then firmly grabbed the spear.

Master Autumn gave a mocking gaze as Simao turned cold in fear.

Simao used both his hands to grab that spear from his opponent who held it with just one hand. But his body turned stiff. It was as if there were invisible chains that were binding him.

He blurted out. "Impossible. You…"

Master Autumn gazed murderously. He then suddenly kicked Simao away. Simao flew away and crashed into the ground. After that, he looked at Master Autumn in surprise. Master Autumn continued to hold the spear and stared at Simao with a mocking expression. Simao was so surprised that his eyes had almost rolled out.

How did he do that?

What did he do?

Why couldn’t I move my body at that moment? Why do I feel like all my strength is being drained?

Ignoring the surprised expressions of the Bishops, Master Autumn weighed the Dracula Spear in his hands. His mouth moved to quietly speak.

Simao immediately heard a subtle voice in his ear.

"Sorry. You know too much. I cannot let you live."

After that, Master Autumn raised his hand and threw the spear. The spear flew like a black light and mercilessly impaled Simao in the chest, nailing him to the ground.

Simao screamed. His body burned up immediately as he was engulfed by a black flame. Within a short moment, all that was left were only the ashes and the black Dracula Spear that had been stuck in the ground.

Master Autumn sighed softly and turned towards the Pope. "Your Highness. I have killed the vampire."

The Pope was stunned and had a complicated expression for a long time. He finally commented bitterly, "As expected from a Sacred Swordsman. Your reputation is well deserved."

Master Autumn nodded. He went to Rody’s side without looking at the other Bishops and whispered. "Let’s go. Quickly!"

Seeing that Master Autumn had started to pull away the young man, the Pope frowned and said, "Master Autumn. This young man…"

Master Autumn stopped and looked at the Pope. He lightly replied. "I only recognized him after he stood beside me. He is one of my old friends. I taught him a little when he was much younger. The Half Moon Slash was also something I taught him. I just could not recognize him earlier."

After that, Master Autumn looked at Rody and said, "You fought alone bravely against this sinister enemy. Very good! His Majesty will definitely reward you!"

When Master Autumn spoke these words, even the Pope could not say anything else. A single person ran out alone to fight against the vampire. What else could they say? Although Master Autumn had called the Pope ‘Your Highness’, the Pope was just a religious leader while Master Autumn was a warrior of the palace. He did not answer to the Pope. He may show respect but he did not take orders from the Pope.

What the Pope did not know was that the person Master Autumn had referred to as ‘sinister enemy’ was not the vampire.

Rody looked at the rubble of the Prince’s castle behind him. He then smiled and left with Master Autumn.