With the crystals cladding him, the aura that the Guardian gave off was suffocating to all, even to the guys who already fought Syriong twice before. The strength he is showing is different from anything they felt before.

"Hey Aisa, isn't he cheating with this power? Aren't you going to come out and subdue him?" Alan asked nervously as the guys gathered side by side once again. They felt stared at by a powerful predator instead of a man.

Nooope, Alan, he is still a mortal. Aisa cannot help. Don't worry, Aisa will avenge you if you die.

The boy become speechless at the answer, he should be upset, but somehow it made him feel better. Though he was uncertain if the reason is Aisa's offer or just because of how ridiculous it sounded.

"Looks like it can't be helped" Kairos whispered to himself, already forming a decision in his mind.

Then, raising his hand, he beckoned, "Lightning prison!"

An accessory on his finger, the Thunder God's ring, shone brightly at his command. The divine artefact immediately surrounded the guys with a powerful barrier of red lightning.

The same prison the deities used to seal a devil in the Black Forest.

Syriong squinted his eyes looking at the protection Kairos summoned, and he walked towards them slowly studying it. As one of the 3 strongest practitioners of Silent Lambs Empire, and centuries of experience under his belt, he did not lose his calmness in his rage.

After a while, he became certain that though the Lightning Prison is a powerful shield that could harm anyone that attacked it, it would not be enough to defeat him. With this conclusion, he charged forward and struck it fearlessly with his Violet Violence crystal sword.

The shield fizzled briefly from the impact, but it quickly mended itself and counterattacked with a zap. Syriong leapt backwards in response, but the speed of the lightning still struck him numbing his sword-arm.

The Phantoms stayed at a distance and observed. They were given only two mission objectives. The first is to capture or kill Syriong, and the second is to recover Jones, alive. Currently, neither could be achieved until the guardian's technique runs out and the Lightning Prison fades. Therefore their leader decided the wisest strategy is now to wait.

Shaking off the numb in his hand, the Guardian once again repeated a powerful attack. The Lightning Prison fizzled once again, but this time, after repairing itself its brightness is slightly dimmer.

A delighted smile, like that of a young boy who received a present, appeared on Syriong's face. He estimates that just another 10 strikes of this strength would be enough to break this shield.

The barrier that Kairos created through the divine artefact ought not to be weak enough for a mortal practitioner to destroy. But it is splitting its power even now, to seal a devil within the Black Forest, and it also had been worn down after so many years that it is no longer as powerful as it once was. Additionally, with Kairos' cultivation, he could scarcely activate the effects of the Lightning Prison.

While Syriong is alternating between attacking and resting, the guys started planning to get out of this situation.

"Looks like we have to make a bet," Kairos whispered with a smile on his face. But in his eyes, this risk they will undertake is an assured victory.

When the others saw the confidence on his face, they were affected with his courage, and they also smiled.

"What's the plan?" Jim asked with a mischievous grin.

Kairos who was waiting for someone to ask, took out an item from his time-space ring.

A beautiful crystal horn of a ram that sparkled with an enchanting silvery glow. The very same one they took from the Phrixus royal treasury, and the artefact that Kairos wanted to place their stake on.

Then he said with a bit of cheer, "Shall we sent the Silent Lambs soldiers to heaven with their own national treasure?"

The others burst out into laughter. Kairos is too mean. After robbing their treasury, the stolen artefact would be used for striking them?

"Do you know how it works?" Vouno asked with sparkles in his eyes. An Empire's treasure should be something exceptionally powerful. And they had all seen how it could float on its own. A trait only belonging to Immortal or Divine artefacts.

In response Kairos turned his eyes turned golden, and replied with a nod, "I've read the runes formed within the artefact, it should do the trick."

If this is a celestial object like his Thunder God's ring, his eyes are still not at the level to penetrate through its surface, but for a weaker Immortal artefact like this one, it is still possible for him.

However, no matter how weak an Immortal artefact is, it is still incredibly powerful within the Mortal Realms. A fact proven by how an Empire considers this item as its national treasure.

The Guardian struck the lightning barrier once again and backed away, suppressing a howl of pain when he was zapped by another red electric snake.

All he needed now is 5 more strikes at this 'cage' to break it and get to his prey.

Ignoring Syriong's attempts, Kairos advised, "Guys, pool your Ki into the object."

The Guardian couldn't see what was hidden in the middle of the seven people, whose backs are facing him, but he suddenly felt an instinctive wariness and started gathering even more powerful for his next strike.

*Boom*

He was bounced backwards by yet another failed attack, but he could see the lightning visibly weakening faster than before.

"Another such blow would be enough," Having such a thought, he once again gathers his strength.

"It's almost ready," Kairos said, observing the runes within the artefact with his glowing eyes. He could see the energy flowing in, filling the object with power.

Syriong's instincts that are honed from numerous battlefields roared a warning at him. He felt an oppressive atmosphere from ones before him, and his face turned grimmer.

The Guardian's part during war times is as a Saboteur, the same role which Jim had chosen.

But unlike the boy who only knows how to set up explosives, he had completed countless tasks from destroying enemy siege weapons to assassinating high-ranking officials. Due to his job, he is often required to sneak into the enemy ranks to complete his objectives and then escape before anyone noticed.

It can be said that one of the most important ability that a Saboteur needs, is to sense danger.

Therefore, without doubting his gut feelings, Syriong hurtled himself towards the lightning shield at an unbelievable speed that even the Phantoms could not track him with their eyes.

Then he struck downwards with all his might, using a mixture of his secret art: Gaia's Embrace with his forbidden art, the Crystal Armor technique. He planned to destroy this infuriating lightning and kill all his target with a single stroke.

The weapon he pulled out for his attack is an item superior in force to his Violet Violence sword but also slower to use. Purple crystal shards revolve around his sword with the activation of his secret art, as he struck downwards.

The crystal shards disappeared as they shredded the lightning, but his sword continued to slash downwards in a great crescent arc.

But before his blow could connect, Kairos without needing to look at him, suddenly grabbed the Crystal Horn and pointed it accurately at his face.

The boy's soul perception told him exactly where and when to release the might of the crystal horn. And with a blast, a concentrated sound pillar erupted from the horn and fired mightily at Syriong.

Those that are not within the sound beam could not hear a thing or feel, but for the Guardian, he felt the blood vessels on his face rupture as it caused ruby red blood to pour out of his eyes nose and ears.

The physical force shot him backwards, hurling him into the midst of the Phantoms that were encircling them at a distance.

Those men that happened to be in line with Kairos' aim felt the power of the crystal horn and fell to the ground, either unconscious or dead.

Within the boy's hand, the Silent Lambs' national treasure crumbled to smaller fragments after just one use. The sound blast this artefact let off is supposed to affect a wide area, allowing their Empire to easily defeat a large hostile force in one go. It was this effect that they considered the horn as their national treasure.

However, Kairos who could read the runic letters within realised that it is possible to concentrate all of its force into a beam, and he used it to counter the Guardian's advances.

He knew that using the artefact this way would harm it, but hoped it could at least last another use. Ultimately, the treasure that was forced to unleash its power in a method it wasn't supposed to was destroyed by the strain.

"Looks like hoping to take down Syriong and then using it to defeat the Phantoms is a pipe dream after all," Kairos thought privately.

"Don't waste it!" he said, taking out his Swallow to gently touch the crystal pieces that had landed on the ground. The weapon devoured the pieces, quickly absorbing a significant amount almost instantly.

The others stared in wonder for a moment, then quickly copied his action, though they know that Kairos would take care of his brothers and leave enough pieces behind.

After assimilating a few large crystal chunks, Kairos observed the changes to his weapon. The Swallow has turned into a True Immortal weapon, he could feel that it has become weightless in his hands, and the spiritual power it now held is now three times stronger than before.

Because of the Crystal Horn, crystal bits now decorate everyone's weapons, and each eludes an unearthly aura.

Suddenly, interrupting everyone's cheer, a frenzied roar coming from among the Phantoms, shook the earth and everyone felt their blood chilled.

Kairos' group summoned their shields at once to negate the power behind the bellow. Their cultivation is too low, and if they did not protect themselves, this roar is powerful enough to hurt them.

Then, the seven of them turn petrified with alarm, as they noticed the source of that noise came from Syriong. And the Guardian is slowly picking himself up.

Using all of his strength to shield only his head from the blow, he had somehow survived, though all his clothes are ripped and tattered by the sound beam. However, the attack from an Immortal Rank artefact did not only damage him physically, but also targets his soul.

Fortunately, at SSS rank, his soul is also in the process of turning immortal, and the changes helped him to survive. Though, just barely.

After his soul was slashed three hundred times, and now nearly scattered by a powerful blast from an immortal artefact, Syriong could feel that he is already on his last legs.

Unwilling to roll over and die, he fumbled with a black coloured pill bottle he had pulled out of his robes. Then with trembling hands, he ate the drug within and roared out in pain and anger.

Syriong had done the unthinkable. He swallowed a pill forbidden by the inhabitants of their realm. An item thought to be utterly destroyed with none remaining. A Devil Turning Pill.