Kaden knew he was in trouble. This Reverend was about as strong as Weils was at least by a quick look, but with his increased strength, he might have had chance to put a up a fight. Perhaps even win. Maybe not kill, but win.

Weils had died quite pathetically against the crazy boar, Ciner. It likely would not appear this time to help him.

Reverend was powering up. The book that had been unchained was probably an enchanted weapon. Not to mention the battle priest had powerful spells on top of it.

Kaden felt less and less like he could win.

"My only chance is to be able to wound him enough that I will be able to escape", Kaden quickly determined. Then quickly added another thought. "I have no idea how to do that."

Then Reverend started finally acting. He opened the book and recited some lines. Kaden didn't quite hear it, but another of those spells with geometric symbols appeared. This one was a floating circle in front of the man. It started to glow as he continued reading the book faster and faster. The symbols became more complex. Then he raised his head.

"Judgement", was the only thing he said.

The circle started moving forward towards Kaden with extreme speed. It was tearing a crevice along its path and the ground melted and if there was anything that could ignite, it did so.

Kaden leaped aside and only managed to do so barely. Even with his heat resistance and defenses, he could feel the force behind the spell. There was no way he could stop it in the slightest. It flew past him until it dissipated with an explosion.

"If he continues to telegraph his spells, I might be able to avoid them", Kaden thought to himself. "I can't be hit directly."

Yet, it was not to be so.

"You cannot run", Reverend interrupted Kaden's thoughts. Several more circles started to appear. Not just in front of the man, but above him too. A few grew in size, glowed and then flew towards Kaden.

Kaden could yet again only dodge. The ones from above slammed against the ground, like an enormous hammer struck it. Everything under it flattened and the geometric patterns were burned on the surface. This also included a corpse of Sacronan's soldier that turned into bloody mush giving clear image on just how powerful each of the spells was.

One after another the spells started to rain towards Kaden who could only keep running. He tried throwing a few spells to disrupt the continuous spell casting, but the the same shield still existed around Reverend.

"There has to be a weakness", Kaden thought. "He likely has to stand still. I don't think I have seen him move since he started to pray. Can I run afterall?"

Kaden attempted it, even if he doubted. It was unlikely the man was a fool and have reached his level.

"You cannot run", Reverend said calmly. "Kneel down and receive your judgement!"

The entire area glowed. Kaden quickly turned around as he realized the entire area had been enclosed in a similar bubble like shield like the man himself was using to protect himself. Just much larger.

"That book is probably the reason", Kaden thought. "It was sealed so that it could contain more mana most likely. Perhaps even spells directly."

Soon he noticed even worse effect. It seemed the entire 'arena' was powering up. Kaden noted that with each spell cast, the surrounding bubble became more visible.

"I have no choice", Kaden thought.

He then released his own power fully. His plume glowed and he overlapped his mana armor over the battle armor and rushed right towards Reverend. He wanted to see him cast those powerful circle spell on top of himself. His spells were not going to work, but at close range he would be able to bring down greatest amount of force upon the shield and perhaps break through. At the very least he wouldn't have to dodge the circles.

"Come forth then", Reverend said.

Instead of letting Kaden attack his shield, he released it. Kaden could see its mana expand and join in with the outer large one. Several patterns appeared on the external shield. They started to glow.

*CHOOOmmm*

A beam was shot inwards from the pattern burning a line across the area. Kaden, with having powered up, was able to avoid it. He frowned as he realized this was a more precise attack. Still it would be better to be at close range. More continued to be shot at Kaden one after another, just like the circles, but at least they had stopped. Still close range was best choice. In fact, Kaden expected this was what Reverend wanted. Should he step out, he could easily be target by the beams.

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Reverend pulled out an enormous hammer, yet he was easily wielding it with one hand.

Kaden was happy to find that he was indeed fast enough to be at close range and not be hit by the hammer. He had been right. He was barely strong enough to directly confront someone at early Condensation stage. If the Reverend wanted a close range fight, Kaden would give him one.

Kaden didn't hold back anything. He knew a single hit would likely result to in his doom. Each strike he delivered was carried along with a Flame Burst so that the Reverend would have to defend. Immediately after each, Kaden had to avoid the enormous hammer. Yet, each dodge had to keep him close, once he stepped too far, a beam would be shot at him.

As for his opponent, the Reverend. He seemed oddly calm. By external estimation, his behavior made him seem like the usual battle junkie that enjoyed the combat. Yet, on closer look, Kaden could see the man was completely calm. There was no joy or desire in his action. He likely felt his actions were his solemn duty. To go crazy with enjoyment would tarnish it. It was something to be done with calm precision.

Kaden knew such lunatics. Gods and church was all that mattered in their lives. Everything else was secondary. Should a higher priest ask him to kill himself, he would likely do so. It would merely mean, his duty was complete and it was time to go to realm of the gods. This behavior disgusted Kaden.

"Receive your judgement, heretic!" Reverend shouted suddenly. Instead of trying to hit Kaden, he slammed his hammer at the ground.

At first Kaden did not understand the act, but then the ground lit up. A glowing geometric pattern appeared on top of it. They connected between several other missed strikes that had hit the ground.

Its a trap!

"Crap!" Kaden cursed. Just how many tricks this guy had?

He didn't have time to think much else as the ground below him exploded with no time to dodge completely. An enormous force struck him from below and the lower portion of the battle armor cracked and then joints and the metal parts that Kaden had strengthened with formations, were shredded apart.

Perhaps it was enough as Kaden himself didn't receive debilitating injuries. The battle armor was quite busted, though.

"It is finished!" Reverend shouted as a one of the circles materialized above Kaden.

With quick movements, before the circle could smash him, Kaden leaped out of the battle armor's wreck. Just before the spell struck.

Then something odd happened. Something that clearly the battle priest didn't expect either. The circle kind of ... wrapped around something surrounding the remains of the armor. Something inside it let out cracking sounds as it glowed grayscale light.

Then the battle armor crumbled down like a piece of paper being crushed into a ball as it imploded. Then came a blast which blinded Kaden for a moment as he was next to it.

All was quiet. All was grayscale. All was still.

There was small area in which Kaden was which still seemed to move. Right in the middle of it there was the imploded battle armor. Outside of the small area, Kaden could see thin mist. He knew what it was. It was the mist he had seen inside the time rift. Now with better look, Kaden could see the mist was like tiny fragments of something. Like sand. Perhaps one could call it fittingly 'Sands of Time'.

This mist or sand was in form of the similarly familiar vortex. It was completely still this time, unlike the one in constant movement inside the time rift. It was also much thinner.

Things started to make sense finally.

"The crystal!" Kaden realized. "It was still full of time mana. With the armor's destruction, it also was destroyed and whatever time mana was inside it was released. I should be angry at the loss of such valuable thing, but my life is more valuable."

Kaden pondered for a moment longer exactly what was happening.

"There couldn't have been too much time mana in it to turn back time", Kaden decided finally. "The shield was better than expected since it slowed down things that tried to pass through it. This is why the armor lasted as long as it did. This clearly isn't just slow ... this is complete stop. How?" He pondered a bit longer. "The mana was in no one's control. It was pulled out of its natural location, which also collapsed. The time line is still as it should be according to this time mana. No one to control it, not enough mana to do anything. So it does nothing. It merely stopped time. I am inside a single moment."

Kaden felt his educated guess was at least roughly correct. It had encased a small bubble. There was not much reality to offset. The small amount of mana was enough.

"I think it will eventually have to run out", Kaden though to himself. "Yet, this gives me a chance. What can I do within the limits of offsetting current state of existence?"

Kaden could see the Revered float in midair as he was leaping backwards from the sudden reaction.

"Could I attack him?" Kaden pondered. Then he decided not to. "I think it would break this bubble of stopped time. If it didn't, I could shoot infinite amout of attacks on him, in an instant. No... whatever I do will have to happen inside and only involve what is inside here. Something that was going to happen anyway. I doubt there is too much mana available to offset the order."

There was something in Kaden's mind. Something a bit crazy, but it made sense the more he thought about it. It could technically be possible and it would also give Kaden ability to fight the Reverend.

"Ha .... ha ... hahahaahah", Kaden started to laugh. "To think I would get a chance such as this. I'm right at the edge of my current stage. All it would require to advance is to just take the step forward. I still have Weil's flesh with me. What if I will just advance and evolve within this stopped time? Then I will be strong enough to fight evenly!"

He was at the limit and had been for a while. Everything was ready. He had planned to advance right after getting away. All it would alter to do so in this stopped time that it happened at slightly earlier time. The risk that it is too big change and that the time bubble disapears while he was advancing did exist, but he had to take the risk. He was injured and would not be able to kill Reverend or run from him.

Even Emina wouldn't be able to help him not that she would. The area was still separated by the large shield. Not that he could even see Emina anywhere. It seemed she had taken her fight elsewhere and left Kaden to fend for himself. A right choice and Kaden didn't blame her for it. He would have done the same.

No, he would have to take this chance that presented itself.

"I will take the chance!" Kaden decided.