Night Frost sensed the ribbon within her, nearly burned to ash, flare to life once again.

In that moment, she understood. Crimson, taken from the Second District by the Guardian of the Seventh District, was also in the Fourth District.

“Find Crimson first. Then return to the Twelfth District.”

Night Frost hadn’t been blinded by rage. Azure had indirectly killed her parents, but that didn’t mean Night Frost would charge in without thinking.

The safest move was to return to the Twelfth District and gather all its forces against the Fourth District.

Crimson’s appearance, however, had disrupted her plans. The original mission of returning to the Twelfth District now had one more objective:

Meet Crimson.

Night Frost discussed it with the head of Qian Corporation. Once the Third District Guardian and the Zone Fifteen Guardian woke up, the Third District Guardian and Moon Owl would escort them to the Twelfth District.

Night Frost and the Zone Fifteen Guardian, meanwhile, would search for Crimson.

Night Frost was certain Crimson wouldn’t leave the Fourth District. Azure was here.

In movies and dramas, red and blue often represented two people with opposing personalities. Audiences loved to ship them as a couple.

Reality was no different. Crimson and Azure, so different in temperament, were acting out a real-life tale of “love and mutual destruction.”

“I’m going out for a walk.”

Night Frost entered the bathroom, removed her clothes, and put on her Magic Armor.

After recovering for some time, she had accumulated a considerable amount of Mana. It was enough to maintain the Magic Armor for a long while.

With a single thought, Night Frost hovered above the Fourth District, dragon wings beating behind her.

At that moment, hidden Array Patterns had been carved across her body in flame. They blocked most forms of perception.

The Fourth District now resembled a holy religious site.

Every citizen within it was like a fanatical believer beneath a god’s throne. They knelt in unison, facing the Order Keeper’s tower.

Meanwhile, the believers on the outskirts were hunting and purging those who wore no sacred robes.

They were like unwelcome heretics in holy lands, driven out without mercy by the frenzied faithful.

Despair and helplessness covered the faces of those being hunted. They searched the crowd for even a trace of hope.

Instead, they faced believers surging like a tidal wave.

Their cries and pleas for help were pitifully faint amid the fanaticism, like pebbles tossed into the sea, unable to stir even a ripple.

“For the gods!”

The leading believer shouted. He aimed at the fleeing civilians ahead and pulled the trigger.

Every bullet that tore into flesh drew cheers and chanting from the believers behind him.

“For a moment, I can’t even tell whether they’re demons or civilians.”

A trace of mockery hung on Night Frost’s face.

“Most of them were still struggling to make a living a few days ago. They were flirting with their wives and caring for their children.”

“Now they can pull the trigger without blinking, taking the lives of these so-called ‘heretics.’”

Night Frost had no intention of going down to help them. The massacre had already ended.

Besides, she found it difficult to attack these controlled civilians. If she struck them down, how different would she be from the people below?

To solve this problem, she had to strike at its root.

Night Frost’s gaze fell upon the robes. They were likely the true cause of this transformation.

And the source of that power was the Guardian of the Seventh District.

Night Frost had never fought her before. But from her techniques and use of Mana, Night Frost could already tell.

She was the source of these robes.

As long as she was dealt with, everything would return to normal!

At that moment, an astonishing surge of Mana spread from within the Order Keeper’s tower.

A figure stood atop the tower.

The Guardian of the Seventh District wore ornate clothing as she looked down upon the civilians kneeling before her.

Her gaze seemed to pierce through time and space before landing on Night Frost.

It made Night Frost’s skin crawl.

If she fought with her life on the line, she was confident she could keep the Guardian of the Seventh District here.

But this wasn’t the time for such a battle.

The Guardian of the Seventh District had no intention of attacking either. She seemed to agree that now wasn’t the right moment.

There was even a trace of wariness in her eyes as she looked at Night Frost.

She allowed Night Frost to observe her from the sky.

She also allowed Night Frost to leave.

“Stop.”

The Guardian of the Seventh District raised a hand.

Every kneeling civilian below stopped at once, like a wave frozen in place.

They wore the Guardian of the Seventh District’s uniform and obeyed her commands without question.

Night Frost circled the sky several times.

Then she noticed Wang Wu among the crowd.

He must have been conducting a major deal when the radiance descending from the sky had enveloped him, turning him into one of the Guardian of the Seventh District’s faithful followers.

A firearm hung from his body.

Once the Guardian of the Seventh District finished speaking and rose, Wang Wu began patrolling the area.

During his patrol, he glanced toward the sky. When he saw Night Frost without sacred robes, he raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

Ordinary bullets were useless against Night Frost.

She blocked them with a Mana barrier.

The Guardian of the Seventh District heard the gunshot and glanced over.

Wang Wu instantly dropped to his knees.

“Please, calm your anger, my honored ladies.”

Wang Wu had clearly mistaken Night Frost for one of the Guardian’s companions.

“That’s actually a pretty good idea.”

The Guardian of the Seventh District calmly walked to Night Frost’s side.

She was elegant and straight-backed, like a blooming lily.

Unfortunately, Night Frost had no interest in appreciating it. She couldn’t help covering her nose.

The woman’s perfume was simply too strong.

Wang Wu’s words echoed through the air.

The Guardian of the Seventh District gave a slight nod, as though weighing every word.

Then she gently flicked her sleeve.

The gorgeous, elaborate Lolita dress covering her body vanished like an illusion. In its place appeared a layer of pure white clothing.

The garment was simple yet elegant, white as snow. It seemed capable of cleansing every speck of dust in the world.

A thin veil rested lightly over her shoulders, drifting with her movements and adding a touch of mystery and hazy beauty.

Her features appeared softer and more solemn beneath the white clothing. Wisdom and resolve shimmered in her deep eyes.

Her presence had undergone a subtle transformation.

She had gone from noble and extravagant to fresh and otherworldly, like a goddess descending from the heavens.

The surrounding believers stared at her transformation. Every one of them widened their eyes in amazement.

“My god!”

Someone shouted first.

The entire crowd fell to their knees.

Night Frost, however, sneered at the sight.

The woman had spent a huge amount of Mana creating special effects and used magic to change her appearance.

Was she trying to make herself into a god?

“Clothes really do make the person.”

“One change of clothing, and her entire presence changes that much.”

The Guardian of the Seventh District extended her hand toward Night Frost.

“I hope we can work together. I can sense power within you capable of rivaling a god.”

Night Frost froze for a moment.

Wasn’t this woman supposed to be on the opposing side?

Why was she trying to recruit someone from an enemy faction?

“Why? I want to know your purpose. Aren’t we supposed to be enemies?”

Night Frost didn’t say those words aloud.

Instead, she grew somewhat interested and asked a question of her own.

“The gods will eventually revive. The Twenty-Fourth District needs someone to lead it.”

“The leader must be neither a saint nor an executioner.”

Night Frost agreed with that point, so she gave a symbolic nod.

Having received Night Frost’s approval, the Guardian of the Seventh District continued.

“I chose the fastest method and bound the Fourth District together as one.”

“Then I’ll use the same method to rule the Twenty-Fourth District. If we gather everyone who remains, we can form a force capable of opposing the gods…”

“How laughable.”

Night Frost cut her off.

“If this had happened in the past, and you were an emperor, future generations would have cursed you for it.”

“If you’re truly on our side, yet you ally yourself with the enemy to crush our remaining forces for the sake of your so-called ‘grand cause,’ then you’re a fool!”

What was more, Night Frost sensed the same aura from her as she had from those hands and that brain.

Like Azure, this woman had borrowed the power of a god to attain the Ultimate.

“You think the power of the Ultimate is enough to oppose the gods.”

“You think the gods can still be killed if all twenty-four districts unite.”

“And yet you’re inviting people to join you while looking down on them from above. That’s arrogance!”

She was arrogant. Night Frost knew it clearly.

She didn’t even need to think hard to recognize that arrogance. It had practically delivered itself to her doorstep.

“You used this method to control the people of the Fourth District.”

“You made them obey your every command and worship you as a god.”

“And now you plan to spread this control across even greater territories.”

“In the end, everything you said just now is nothing but a one-sided story.”

“You simply want to become an emperor, don’t you?”

“No matter whose feet you kneel beneath, no matter whose boots you lick!”

“And your perfume is way too strong!”

“You…!”

Night Frost deliberately infused her voice with Mana, allowing it to reach the people below.

Some of the civilians wearing sacred robes now wore conflicted, pained expressions.

With so many flaws, was this woman really a god?

“Shut up!”

The Guardian of the Seventh District drew her weapon.

She had truly been blind.

She’d wanted to invite Night Frost to join her, never expecting Night Frost to have such a sharp tongue and such a vicious way with words.

“You’re thinking of attacking me now?”

Night Frost glanced below.

“Your believers don’t seem to have much faith in you anymore…”

Some believers on the ground covered their heads and ears. Confusion and unease appeared on their faces.

They seemed to be wondering whether their faith had begun to waver.

“If I hurt you, won’t everything you’ve done be wasted?”

The scissors the Guardian of the Seventh District had just formed vanished instantly.

She truly didn’t want to fight Night Frost.

Who knew what trump cards Night Frost possessed?

Even if she had nothing else, that Black Flame alone would be enough to give her a serious headache.

The Guardian of the Seventh District sensed the scorched flesh on her shoulder.

Although the power of the gods allowed her to heal quickly, she could still feel fear coming from the wound.

She didn’t know Night Frost’s identity, but she knew Night Frost had the power to kill her.

She didn’t dare clash with Night Frost head-on.

To be honest, she would rather fight Moon Owl than face Night Frost.

“Then I’ll be leaving first.”

The Guardian of the Seventh District forced down her anger.

Only after Night Frost had left did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But at that moment, Azure sent her a message.

“Crimson has escaped.”