In the blink of an eye, three Level Nine experts around Brad fell to the ground, causing Brad's eyes to twitch. Damn, this is so fake!

It turned out that Brad's previous worries were correct. The Holy Rank was definitely not on the same level as the ordinary experts. If it wasn't for the Angel summoned by the Church with the power to stop Tiran on the day of the coup, he might not even have been able to seize control of the kingdom.

However, without a Holy Rank sitting in control, it was still difficult to handle. After all, Brad had never come into contact with that level and had never truly witnessed a Holy Rank battle. So, up until this moment, he was still planning how to avoid the influence of the Holy Rank on the situation with the few chips he had in his hands.

...However, the problem was not about planning, but rather that no matter how you planned, you would be crushed by a single hand.

The Prince was truly at a loss this time. If he had known it would be this terrifying, he would have shamelessly found a Holy Rank to support himself when he traveled around a few years ago.

"Come on, Brad, don't look like you're about to die. I purposely held back, they're all still alive." Star seemed to be very concerned about Brad and leaned in, asking with a concerned look.

"Thank you for your concern, I'm fine..." This is considered holding back? Well, after all, Brad didn't know how Star easily killed the powerful black Elf magician, Lucius, who was a Ninth Level practitioner of both magic and martial arts in Milte. Compared to that, the blow was indeed light.

Although he had a bad feeling, Brad forced a smile. "Senior... how should I address you?"

At this point, all he could do was hope for a glimmer of hope from his words.

"You can't just tell you my name randomly, so just call me Star."

"Okay, Sen... Star, may I impolitely ask, did my father tell you why he invited you to capture me?"

"He didn't say," Star blinked. She received Granzon's request through a spell triggered by a jade pendant, just a short message. But...

"From your appearance, I can guess that you caused a coup. You even drove Granzon away? Going against your own father, such a treacherous act would have cost you your life in the Eastern Continent. And with just a city in your hand, your father hasn't immediately sent a massive army to attack you, isn't that giving you face?"

Brad felt a little embarrassed by what was said. It seemed to be true. After all, after the failure of the plan to have Angel chase after Tiran, his strategy was already on the verge of collapse. At such a time, if Tiran were to make a long-distance rush and kill him with a single sword, all his previous efforts would be meaningless... Wait a minute.

During this time, he had been constantly worried, constantly thinking about how to avoid being decapitated, so nervous that he overlooked one thing.

The chase by Angel had happened almost three months ago, and in the meantime, the Kingdom's punitive force had already been reorganized. Why hadn't his father marched out? It couldn't be that he was really giving him face, just like Star had said. He had rebelled, and Granzon, both as a father and as a king, couldn't tolerate it.

In terms of power comparison, if the army arrived and surrounded the city, all Brad could do was defend the city. So why was his father hesitating?

And now, his father had invited a Holy Rank to capture him, but it wasn't Tiran. Could it be...

In Brad's heart, an inference emerged that was even hard for himself to believe.

His own sister, who single-handedly killed city-destroying behemoths and dragons, and even killed the Holy Rank Silver War Maiden, could it be that her power had a problem?

"Could it be true?" Brad momentarily ignored the presence of Seena, who had already arrived in front of him, and his face showed a bewildered expression.

"What could be true?"

"May I ask a question?" Brad's eyes lit up with a hint of expectation as he looked at Seena. "Miss... Tiran, why didn't she come to capture me? If she were there, my father wouldn't have bothered you, right?"

"...Your mind works fast, but I have nothing to say about that," Seena remained calm and didn't respond to Brad's question.

But this reaction was enough to confirm Brad's speculation. Indeed, there was no way Tiran, summoned by Heinrich using the Holy Punishment Codex, could have easily dealt with the blazing Angel without any harm. If Tiran had suffered some irreparable injuries, it would explain the inactivity of the loyalist army during this period.

"Alright, have you finished asking your questions? Now follow me. Since you are a friend's child, I won't need to tie you up. If you behave, I might even plead for leniency in front of Granzon."

Seena turned and walked to the balcony. With a casual swipe of his index finger, a crack appeared in the air in front of him. The Holy Rank, which understood the principles of magic, possessed the ability to alter the rules of time and space. However, tearing space apart and even traversing it was not something an ordinary Holy Rank could achieve. Brad, who was unable to retaliate even against a regular Holy Rank, seemed to have no choice but to accept his defeat obediently... Or did he?

Although he wasn't physically restrained, Brad deeply felt an invisible shackle tightly wrapping around him. Helplessness? Faced with someone so powerful, his failure was inevitable.

"Is this all my resolve amounts to? The so-called ideal nation is just an unrealistic fantasy."

"Right, isn't it...?"

The step that Brad had already taken came to a halt in mid-air.

"Idealism is not something you can easily give up on." Brad suddenly backhanded himself without warning, his hand striking his face forcefully. He clenched his teeth.

"Elder!"

Brad stood upright again, straightening his body, and shouted loudly at Seena's back. "I won't give up!"

Whether it was Brad's imagination or not, he heard Seena sigh softly, as if saying, "As expected."

"Resist, huh? In that case, I can't guarantee your safety."

"Of course, even though I may be insignificantly weak compared to your power, I'm not someone who gives up easily. I won't give up without a fight!"

Brad tightened his fists, unleashing his magical power without reservation. Objectively speaking, Prince Brad's strength was not bad at all. Even though he couldn't compare to his sister, he had reached the threshold of eighth level in both martial skills and magic. If evaluated, he would be a weaker version of Aya.

Ah... After saying that, it seems like Prince Brad is even more mediocre. But it had to be admitted that when his magical power erupted, it was quite impressive. Especially since Brad specialized in light magic, his radiant golden magical power made him look like a hero descending from the sky.

To be honest, Brad initially chose to practice light magic because he thought it had the coolest effects...

...Sadly, the script he obtained was not about saving the world, but a futile struggle.

"Holy light protection! Radiant blade! Aurora vortex! Sunlight! Burning battle spirit! Sacred horn!"

In the desperate situation, Brad's spirit was incredibly focused, using several spells that were almost beyond his highest level. But even with his extraordinary performance, he was after all just an ordinary human, unable to shorten the time it took to cast spells too much. If Xingjian really intended to knock him down forcefully, he could easily do it right now.

However, in that instant, Brad's gaze truly made her want to give him a chance to witness the power of his resolution.

The temporary study, not too big, was already in a mess. The books on the bookshelves were scattered on the ground from the recent battle, and the wool carpet on the floor started emitting smoke under the intense light, with a burning smell that made Xingjian furrow her brow.

"Such a foul smell. Are you not ready yet?"

Compared to the aurora vortex forming gravitational restraints beneath her feet, Xingjian seemed to be more concerned about the acrid burnt smell.

"I'm sorry, but I'm ready now!"

Brad's eyes, which were originally emerald green, were now reflecting a golden color in the light. Instead of using his weapon, the spear embedded with Magic gems that he usually relied on, Brad abandoned it and used most of his mana to reinforce himself with enchantment spells.

And then, Brad started his "struggle", not using any fancy combos and dazzling moves that a battle mage would excel in. He simply took a step forward and threw punches.

With a combination of martial arts and Magic, Brad had a decent physical condition. With the support of multiple powerful spells, he was able to catch up to the martial artist who specialized in Eastern continent body techniques. The Sun Flames attached to his fists added a burning effect upon impact, making his punches mighty.

"Yahhh!"

With his mana fully unleashed, Brad couldn't help but become excited, roaring loudly as he continuously threw punches that he had never used before.

"Your momentum is quite good. I thought there was rarely a person in your family who didn't like fighting, but it seems like you're not bad at it after all."

While saying this, Xingjian easily dealt with Brad's attacks—she didn't even use any spells, simply relying on moving her body and agile footwork to dodge most of the punches. For the ones she couldn't dodge, she directly blocked them with both hands in an extremely skilled manner, maintaining a composed and masterful posture.

Although she appeared to be a weak woman without any combat abilities, her close combat skills reached such a level? And she was purely relying on her skills to dodge under the control of the aurora vortex... I have completely underestimated her!

"Well... how about this then?!" After Brad's right hook was deflected multiple times, he forcefully clasped his palms together, a meaning of giving it his all evident in his eyes. "Holy Light - Blast!"

The light of the aurora vortex immediately became dazzling. The energy vortex that was originally slowly rotating suddenly became restless, exploding like a bomb.

Boom!

...

In the main tower of the palace, a group of patrolling soldiers had just finished inspecting the front yard and was preparing to return to their camp to rest when a violent explosion occurred at the top of the tower behind them. The bright light was exceptionally clear even in the daytime.

"What's that? Wait, isn't that His Highness's study?! Everyone, assemble! Send two people to get reinforcements!"

...

"Oh my, it seems like we've attracted attention. I didn't want to make such a scene. You're such a troublemaker, just as Granzon said. If it weren't for me, you would have blown yourself up, you know? And all your subordinates lying dead over there, not a single one will survive."

If it was just a mess in the room before, Brad's Holy Light Blast had completely blown up the room. The bookshelves, desks, and everything else were reduced to charred debris. The walls also had many areas where the blackened bricks were exposed.

If it weren't for the sturdy construction of the palace, the entire tower might have collapsed halfway.

*cough* *cough*... "I thought self-destructing would give me a chance, but it seems I'm still too weak."

Although Brad was the one who cast the spell, he looked much more miserable than Star. His originally exquisite attire became tattered and covered in soot, his face and hair blackened. After delivering a combo attack, he collapsed from exhaustion, his torn collar trailing behind him like a dragged cargo.

"Don't be discouraged. If your strength is weak, you can gradually improve. You're still young, after all."

Star dragged Brad once again, intending to leave quickly before the guards arrived.