章 112: One move
The gray-haired man's voice sounded particularly hearty amidst the rain.
"Interesting, Raphael. How about we make a bet?"
Father Raphael raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
The gray-haired man let out a loud laugh, his tone resolute.
"If you can make me take a single step back in three moves, I'll give you the entire Celestoria Mountain Range.
But if you fail, you'll leave your entire army behind as a burial, along with the heads of the five of you. How about that?"
At this moment, the other four priests felt their hearts tighten, about to speak out in protest.
Father Raphael looked directly at the gray-haired man without a hint of hesitation, and slowly nodded.
"No need, one move will do."
Father Raphael's decisive agreement left the four priests utterly stunned, but soon they came to their senses, their faces filled with panic.
"Raphael, you've gone mad!"
Father Thomas was the first to speak, his tone filled with evident fury.
"This is suicide!" Father Weiss's face was ashen, his voice laced with anxiety.
"Raphael, you're being too impulsive!"
Father Phillips couldn't hold back either, his voice urgent, clearly unable to accept such a reckless decision.
"Have you lost your mind?
This is the life of the entire army!"
Father Carsey's eyes widened in disbelief, his body trembling in anger, completely unable to comprehend why Raphael would make such a decision.
All four priests harshly reprimanded him, their words intense.
"Excellent! You're brave," the gray-haired man remarked approvingly, nodding slightly with a hint of admiration in his voice.
Father Raphael remained calm, turning his head slightly and speaking softly to the four priests.
"Step back."
Before they could react, a wall of water surrounded them, gently pushing them back, far enough to witness the battle about to unfold.
The white-haired man, sensing the moment, also retreated a few steps, standing aside to observe.
The raindrops fell steadily by the lakeside, the wind howling, leaving only Father Raphael and the gray-haired man.
"Come," the gray-haired man said, his gray hair slick with rain, his figure standing firm like an immovable boulder.
Father Raphael inhaled slowly, narrowing his eyes.
A low, oppressive sound filled the air, like the shattering of a giant piece of glass.
In the sky above, a small crack appeared, as if the very fabric of space was being torn apart.
The crack spread rapidly like a spider web, as though the entire sky was beginning to collapse under its weight.
All four priests and the white-haired man looked up in shock at the sky.
The crack expanded quickly, seeming to devour the entire sky.
"What... what kind of power is this?"
Father Thomas whispered in disbelief, his face filled with shock.
The smile on the white-haired man's face froze instantly, his eyes widening as he stared at the anomaly above.
"I didn't expect... Raphael could do something like this..."
Rain poured down from the fractured sky, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.
The gray-haired man's expression grew more and more serious.
As the sky shattered like glass, the deafening sound of breaking filled the air, an unbearable noise reverberating through the world.
The rain grew heavier, drenching the earth.
Amidst the torrential downpour, Father Raphael's figure stood out clearly. He remained motionless, unaffected by the deluge.
With the sky collapsing, the pressure in the air intensified abruptly.
"What immense power..."
Father Carsey murmured, his eyes filled with awe.
The white-haired man took a few steps back, his gaze fixed intently on the crack in the sky.
At last, the gray-haired man raised his hand, releasing a wild surge of power, causing the raindrops in the air to momentarily freeze.
"Seems I've underestimated you, Raphael."
"Shattered," Father Raphael whispered softly.
In an instant, countless rain droplets fell from the sky like a torrent of arrows.
The sound of water striking the ground merged into a deafening roar, as the rain splashed violently upon impact, sending dirt and stone flying.
The raindrops fell on the trees, instantly shredding the leaves to pieces.
Broken rocks and soil were thrown into the air as the ground was torn apart by the downpour, creating countless deep ravines.
The gray-haired man stood in the storm, ready to unleash a powerful strike.
But in that moment, his body froze, his eyes flickering with a trace of surprise.
His pupils contracted sharply, and his expression twisted in pain, as if some invisible force was violently tearing him apart from the inside.
He clutched his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The excruciating pain spread from his heart throughout his body, his breathing growing erratic and labored.
The gray-haired man's body began to tremble, sweat and rain mixing as they dripped down his face.
Seeing this, Father Raphael gathered the rainwater, forming a violent whirlwind, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
The gray-haired man let out a deafening roar, shaking the heavens and the earth.
With his roar, the raindrops in the sky seemed to freeze, and the ground echoed with the terrifying sound.
Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared behind him.
It was a colossal ape, its gray fur covering its body, with eyes burning fiercely.
Its enormous form stood like a mountain, and with the gray-haired man's roar, the energy surrounding the shadow surged violently.
Trees, rainwater, stones, and dirt were instantly blown away by the ferocious power, leveling everything in its path.
Half of the lake was blasted into the sky, leaving only a fraction of it behind.
The whirlwind Father Raphael had conjured was shattered by the immense force, disintegrating into countless droplets and vanishing into the air.
The gray-haired man's roar echoed, the ape's shadow expanding with his movements, the surrounding air thick with pressure.
Had it not been for the protective water wall, the four priests would have been reduced to fragments under this overwhelming power.
Even so, they could feel the despair-inducing strength, their faces etched with terror and helplessness.
Each one of them stared in awe and fear at the enormous ape, feeling both dread and reverence.
Even the white-haired man standing nearby was affected by the power.
He covered his ears, gritting his teeth, clearly unable to fully withstand the terrifying roar.
But Father Raphael remained different from the others—he smiled.
The heavy rain had ceased, the dark clouds blown away by the roar, revealing a clear sky and warm sunlight over the lakeside.
The gray-haired man, breathing heavily, stared at Father Raphael, his brow furrowed.
He didn't understand why Father Raphael was smiling in such a situation.
Then his eyes narrowed, and he realized something.
Looking down, he saw that his right foot had unconsciously stepped back half a step.
Although it was only a small movement, it was enough to make his face change drastically, his brows knitting tighter.
He knew that, according to their wager, stepping back even once meant defeat.
The gray-haired man had only retreated half a step, but it was still a loss.
His expression turned grim. Despite only retreating slightly, he felt a deep sense of frustration.
No one expected Father Raphael to say the words that followed.
"I lost. You may take my head."
Behind the water wall, the four priests widened their eyes in disbelief.
Even the gray-haired man, who had been radiating such fierce power moments before, was taken aback.
His hand trembled slightly, as if he hadn't anticipated such a response.
The white-haired man stood to the side, his expression complicated, his mouth twitching slightly.
Clearly, even he was stunned by Raphael's sudden declaration and didn't know how to react.
"Raphael, are you insane?!"
Father Thomas was the first to respond, shouting in anger.
His face flushed red, his fists clenched tightly, as if he was ready to rush forward and stop Raphael's reckless behavior.
The other priests were equally shocked, unable to comprehend Raphael's decision.
Yet, Father Raphael remained calm, his eyes lowered, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he had fully accepted the outcome.
He looked at the gray-haired man, his expression free of fear or regret, and remained utterly composed.
The gray-haired man's expression grew more complex, his brows furrowing even deeper.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke.
"You may withdraw your forces.
I'll inform my subordinates not to pursue your army."
"Very well."
Raphael turned and began walking toward the four priests.
No one had anticipated it would end this way.
Moments earlier, Father Thomas had been seething with rage, yet now his expression had become one of conflicted confusion.
"It's... it's over just like that?"
Father Carsey muttered softly, as though he still couldn't fully accept the sudden change.
Father Phillips opened his mouth but said nothing in the end, only nodding silently.
They watched as Father Raphael walked away, and they hurried to follow him.
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