Chapter 171: Azure Fire Burning the Moon, bl**d Stained Royal City (Part Five)
At the end of the passage, the dark wall was ajar, and through the flickering flames, I could vaguely see the outside of the cellar.
So close… fifty meters… thirty meters… just a little more… I got this…
My calves felt numb from the pain.
I couldn’t feel my feet…
I wasn’t even sure if I was still running. Without the solid feeling of my feet hitting the ground, it felt like I was floating—one misstep and I could take a spectacular tumble, never to get back up.
But thankfully, the distance to the exit was still shrinking.
Fifteen meters… ten meters… five meters…
A hot wind brushed against my cheeks.
In the next moment, the narrow walls before me suddenly opened up, the searing temperature dropping drastically. I finally emerged from the dark passage, back to the original cellar.
The flames had yet to reach this place.
Sizzle…
The burnt greaves were tightly clinging to my skin, and the sounds coming from my legs were horrifying… I guess they really were messed up; the pain didn’t feel as intense as before.
But I could still move.
It wasn’t time to relax yet… only when we got out of the bell tower would Aili and the little boy be safe.
Boom, boom, boom—
Suddenly, the whole cellar started shaking, a series of muffled thuds echoing from behind me, making me stagger.
It’s gonna collapse…
Realizing this, I hurriedly scanned my surroundings, recalling the location of the cellar’s exit ladder, tightly holding the two kids and stumbling towards it, my knees slightly bent as I leapt up.
Bam—!
The wooden boards blocking the cellar’s exit were sent flying by my head. Dust and splinters scattered everywhere as I burst through, rolling into a pile of junk on the first floor of the bell tower.
As soon as I landed, I let go, placing Aili and the little boy amongst the wood planks, then used my momentum to roll a bit more, stabilizing myself and quickly sitting up, palm wide open to spray Ice Mist on my legs for some cooling relief.
Hiss, hiss, hiss—
In that instant, the steam rose, and agonizing pain tortured my nerves.
“Ugh—”
I threw my head back, biting down on my lip to stifle a scream. My trembling body twisted restlessly, seeking relief, but it didn’t help. The intense pain made everything go black for a moment, and I was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Boom, boom, boom…
The ground continued to tremble slightly.
My greaves were gradually cooling, wrapped in a thin layer of frost, securely stuck to my legs.
Inside, they must be all messed up… my legs kept shaking uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped down my cheeks, soaking a large patch of my back.
The pain eased a bit.
I slumped on the ground, a bit out of breath, glancing back to check on Aili… she seemed perfectly fine.
Thank goodness…
The ominous thudding from below became clearer, the entire bell tower beginning to sway, dust falling from above.
I couldn’t stay here for long; I had to get them to safety.
I propped myself up with my elbow on the uneven floor, struggling to get to my feet, trying again, and again…
I couldn’t get up. My legs were too weak to support me.
…I guess crawling it is.
I tossed Captain Gray’s blade back and bit my lip as I crawled through the mess of wooden planks, finally reaching the two kids… suddenly, my calves started itching.
Have I burned my leg nerves? Whatever, a good night’s sleep will fix this.
Not bothering with it, I reached down to pick Aili up, tilting my head for a moment… it seemed I couldn’t take the little boy along.
Let’s move Aili first… it itches… I really want to scratch…
Why are my legs so itchy…
Seconds later, the itchiness intensified, feeling like a million bugs crawling under my skin, driving me absolutely insane. I couldn’t resist putting Aili down, twisting my body to hug my legs and scratch fiercely.
So itchy… so itchy!!!
Now my whole body felt itchy.
My hands went wild, clawing at myself, nearly driven to madness by the unbearable sensation.
What’s wrong with me…
I looked down at my body.
From the rips in my black skirt, I could see several horrific burn wounds, the charred skin writhing slightly, visibly healing before my eyes.
This is…
After staring blankly for two seconds, I realized my legs seemed to be moving again.
Just flexing my ankles got me easily back on my feet.
I hopped in disbelief a couple of times, then quickly slid down a portion of my armored greaves to check the skin wrapped inside… my entire calf was as smooth as butter, looking like it had never been harmed at all. The injuries on my body were gradually peeling away the charred skin, revealing soft, new skin beneath, as if reborn.
The unbearable itchiness faded away, and I felt revitalized, full of energy.
The power of the Abyss… has grown again…
Boom, boom, boom…
The tower shook more violently.
…Whatever, this isn’t the time for daydreaming.
I shook my head, tossing aside the jumble of thoughts, bent down, picked up Aili and the little boy, and raced toward the tower’s exit.
As soon as I stepped outside the archway, I immediately sensed something was off.
Something changed… something was missing… what was it…
Boom—
A loud crash echoed from afar, and I quickly turned to look in that direction.
About fifty meters away on the lawn, under the faint moonlight, a silver-haired nun with a giant axe gripped in one hand swung it in a wide arc before smashing it down into the ground.
Boom!
Dirt flew everywhere.
In the next moment, Rect’s ghostly figure appeared from the shadows, leaping like the wind to Teresa’s head, a flash of cold light flickering as his short sword aimed for her neck.
Teresa reacted instantly, dodging his sneaky attack with barely a margin, raising her right leg to kick him away with a loud bang that sent Rect flying ten meters away, while simultaneously grabbing the struggling figure by her feet and slamming it down with great force—
Boom!
And lifted it back up, smashing it down again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a few hits, the figure had turned to goo, and Teresa tossed its head far away, where it twitched a couple of times before going still.
He’s dead… I saw a Sword of Kanli trying to sneak up to attack… no way, they can’t take Teresa…
Gently placing the two kids on the ground.
I stood up, detaching Captain Gray’s blade from my body and pulling the trigger.
Click, click, click—
A chilling scythe formed in my grasp, and with a quick pivot, I dashed forward using Moon Step.
The wind roared in my ears.
My tattered skirt flared, and in an instant, I was next to Teresa, raising the scythe for a swing.
“Ah—!”
Clang!
I struck against her axe.
She blocked it, that reaction time was crazy fast…
Even so, the surprise attack made her stumble back a bit. Without a backward glance, Teresa lunged forward, quickly creating distance between us.
“…As expected.”
It was as if she had predicted my move; the moment she turned around, a smile spread across her face.
I heightened my caution, eyes locked on her, yelling back at Rect, who was not far away: “Rect—! The two kids over there! Get them to safety!”
Teresa raised an eyebrow at my words.
“You actually brought people out? With that kind of fire… impressive, impressive!”
She adjusted her somewhat disheveled silver hair.
“This works well… indeed. Now we can both let loose… and have a grand battle.”
Boom—
The massive axe crashed to the ground, the dust quickly dissipating in the night breeze.
“Come now, Miss Silvya…”
A gentle yet resolute smile illuminated her face.
“Third Council Member of the Gate of Truth, the treacherous woman Teresa Anthony… requests your guidance.”
