The torches flared violently as the Bishop raised his hand, fingers trembling not with hesitation but sheer intensity.
A wave of compressed pressure rolled out from him like a silent bomb, expanding through the air and slamming into the walls. Shelves creaked under the stress, the tomes and dusty scrolls trembling as if the building itself feared what was to come.
Ren took a step back, eyes narrowing. He could feel it. The resonance loop, old and vast, unfolding from the Bishop's body like an unfurling scroll.
It wasn't just raw strength. It was a power that had been studied and was known both in and out. This wasn't the posture of a man fighting to defend himself.
It was the posture of a judge delivering execution.
Beside him, Lilith stood perfectly still, like a statue that had been carved out of stone. Her eyes never left the Bishop's.
When she spoke, her voice was low. "We fight." Just a statement of fact.
There was no countdown. No pause.
