The fierce wind howled, and the blizzard danced almost maniacally beneath the sky, like frenzied ice spirits.

Viktor stood his ground, wooden sword in hand, facing off against the heavily armored knight before him.

This was Angus's second phase.

Angus now resembled a berserk snow wolf of the tundra, having lost all reason. His body emanated a powerful aura of blood essence, and his murderous intent instantly filled the entire space.

Surrounding his body were dozens of weapons, suspended in mid-air, connected to his armor by thin silver threads.

It was precisely because Angus was proficient in various weapons that he had countless disciples under his tutelage.

This was why he was revered as 'teacher' by many knights.

However, today, this title of Weapons Master was about to change hands.

Angus charged forward in an instant, his footwork several times more terrifying than before.

The snow-covered earth shattered under the immense impact, his entire body breaking through space like a massive cannonball.

This time, Viktor couldn't meet Angus head-on as he had done previously.

Angus's armor was forged from cold iron blessed by ice elementals, with his own blood used as a catalyst to create this magical armor.

Clad in this armor, Angus's defense had increased by an unknown factor. Ordinary attacks against this armor were like red-hot toothpicks scratching fur.

Not only did it enhance his defense, but it also elevated his offensive capabilities to a new level.

At this moment, Angus was unleashing an attack with his full might.

Viktor used his wooden sword to deflect Angus's knight's lance.

Although Viktor's strength, even with enhancements, was no match for Angus's, the interaction between their weapons was enough to cause a disturbance.

The lance's attack trajectory was slightly altered. Seizing this opening, Viktor extended his other hand,

Striking hard at Angus's chest.

Boom!

Intense heat instantly spread across the chest plate of the armor. The collision of the immense ice elemental magic and fire elemental magic triggered a massive shockwave. The surrounding snow, meters thick, was blown away, and the trajectory of the falling snow in the sky was disrupted by this single strike.

Warmth and cold intermingled, smoke rising, and several silver streaks, hidden in the snow's whiteness, shot towards Viktor.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In an instant, Viktor extended the wooden sword on his arm, swiftly deflecting the arrows.

Just as the three streaks were blocked, a massive axe suddenly cleaved down from the sky.

Its speed was extreme, instantly splitting the dry, cold air in two, raising a thousand-foot snow wave.

An ordinary person would never have been able to react to this attack.

But Viktor had sensed this attack long before.

Before Angus could land from the air, Viktor leapt several meters to the side, dodging to one side of the axe.

The sword in his right hand was instantly ignited, transforming into a giant, raging hammer of flame.

The flame hammer struck Angus's body head-on, the terrifying force sending him flying the moment it touched his hard armor.

His body, trailing slight flames, flew like a blue meteor towards the snowy ground.

The surrounding ice and snow vaporized into white smoke due to the sudden appearance of high-temperature flames.

Mid-air, Angus suddenly drew out two chain hooks, piercing them straight into the ground, propelling himself towards the earth.

As the billowing snow slowly settled, Angus stood firmly on the ground.

At this point in the confrontation, Viktor held the upper hand.

Angus found it difficult to comprehend.

It seemed as if Viktor had completely seen through his every move.

It was as if...

He had fought with Viktor hundreds, or even thousands of times before...

Angus could sense that Viktor's close combat skills were indeed extraordinary, but this level of close combat ability couldn't be described as exquisite.

In other words.

Viktor's every move seemed like...

It was specifically designed to counter him.

He narrowed his eyes.

A cold glint flashed in his gaze.

His voice resonated heavily within his armor:

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"If my brother were still alive, he would surely be delighted to have such an outstanding child."

"But I grieve for him."

The dozens of weapons around him seemed to merge into a large, irregular iron block, constantly surging like flowing mercury.

In an instant, the iron block began to extend towards both ends, transforming into a sword hilt and blade.

Without even the structure of a cross-guard on either side, a massive blade that seemed to pierce through heaven and earth suddenly appeared above Angus's head.

"I knew that child well, he was indeed a genius, and so are you, of course."

"But geniuses know how to be modest, while you do not."

As he grasped the sword hilt, time seemed to slow down, the falling snow becoming visible to the naked eye, its speed decreasing more and more.

"Whether you are him or not, it doesn't matter to me."

"Eliminating you now, to me."

"Is of utmost importance."

In Viktor's eyes, Angus seemed to transform into a barely perceptible phantom, several shadows beginning to shift around him.

As the long moment passed, Angus's speed gradually increased, until finally, the several shadows transformed into streaks of black light.

It seemed as if in the blink of an eye, he could appear before Viktor.

A voice, like a whisper, sounded by Viktor's ear:

"Die."

But the moment his words fell,

Instantly, countless iron cards began to revolve and fly around Viktor, the terrifying card wind completely enveloping him.

The airflow formed by the card wind caused the falling snow to continuously swirl.

Angus's attack was forcefully blocked by these strangely flying iron cards.

Viktor slowly raised his hand, holding two iron cards.

On those cards were engraved images of two jesters, with text and patterns that seemed to be flowing slightly.

'Joker'

That pair of differently colored iron cards instantly flew out, carrying terrifyingly powerful magic that completely engulfed the surroundings. A shrill, eerie laughter, like that of jesters, rang out all around.

Two jesters suddenly appeared in the midst of the wind and snow, vaguely visible.

Red and green colors appeared behind Angus, appearing extremely bizarre.

Like some kind of surprise, it left Angus stunned in place.

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee—"

The dual laughter of the jesters continuously rang out, like soul-comforting specters, or like horrifying puppets being pulled, slowly moving forward.

Everything around became incredibly hollow, as if invaded by an evil aura that had occupied their consciousness. Angus could no longer sense the domain not far away.

The two jesters played with a black sphere in their hands, constantly rotating it.

The sphere continuously absorbed and suppressed the surrounding space.

The darkness gradually collapsed, with only red and green colors dividing half the sky in the void.

The ice and snow world instantly began to collapse and be destroyed, the goose feather-like snow falling from the sky turning into red and green ribbons.

Everything around seemed to be constantly distorting, moving towards the sphere in the jesters' hands.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the earth and sky completely disappeared, and the two people around were thoroughly trapped in the differently colored void, incredibly psychedelic.

Angus stood in the void, feeling nothing, with not a trace of vitality existing around him.

And he himself,

It was as if he was completely trapped here.

Angus was slightly stunned. Suddenly, one red and one green, two jester cards, hovered in the air in front of him.

The 'joker' text on them was particularly eye-catching.

Finally, an incomparable sense of crisis spread throughout his body.

An intense white light burst forth from the two iron cards.

It was as if all the energy transformed from the domain was unleashed towards him at once. The dazzling white light instantly engulfed the red and green sky, everything completely submerged in the light.

[Trump Card]

When the void reappeared, the ice and snow world seemed to be restored like a puzzle.

But the knight was kneeling on the ground.

The eyes beneath the helmet became incredibly hollow.

In a mist of snow, a black crow's feather slowly fell, and the moment it touched the snowy ground, Viktor's form slowly appeared.

The two 'joker' cards on the ground, as if sensing a summons, returned to Viktor's waist.

He patted Angus's shoulder, his tone calm.

"I told you."

"You can't beat me."

Angus didn't move. He knelt on the spot, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse.

"Viktor, do you remember what you promised me?"

His hollow eyes watched Viktor's reaction.

But he could only see his expressionless face.

So, Angus laughed.

"Indeed, you are not Viktor."

Angus raised his head, exhaling, white breath escaping from his helmet, very noticeable amidst the ice and snow.

"Tell me."

"Your identity."

Viktor bent down, making a bowing gesture.

His head leaned close to Angus's ear, chuckling softly.

The mischievous crow flashed an arrogant light, the black feathers forming a rapidly rotating storm that covered Viktor's body in the explosive wind and snow. A faint black light made him appear incredibly mysterious.

"Uncle Angus, what is it that makes you want to protect Gwen at all costs?"

"Is it because of the divine power that exists within her?"

Angus suddenly widened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief.

"Don't be surprised."

He stood up, adjusting the inner lining of his coat.

"I know your god-making plan like the back of my hand."

"However..."

Viktor's eyes flashed with the same light as Vega's, and even his voice became cunning and mischievous.

It was no longer Viktor's voice, Angus knew clearly.

"Attempting to become a god? Hee hee hee hee hee hee—"

The crow stood on Viktor's shoulder, contorting every joint of its body almost beyond physiological limits.

At that moment, the fierce wind gradually calmed.

A terrifying aura, devoid of vitality, instantly covered everything.

As if inverted in the sky, a giant dead eye broke through the sky and clouds, staring at Angus on the snowy ground.

On the snow-covered ground, for some unknown reason, intense flames suddenly flickered, even the earth becoming an offering to the divine.

Angus felt the heaviness and stickiness in his throat, his gasping breath like the last straw of human rationality.

A strange, chaotic voice gathered from all directions of the world.

"Kid, you seem to be ignoring a true god."