Chapter 176: Azure Fire Burning the Moon, bl**d Stained Royal City (Part Ten)
A blinding scarlet light suddenly erupted a hundred meters away in the alley, lighting up the night sky.
Disaster struck before anyone could react. In an instant, countless lights extinguished at the booming sound, and fiery flames shot up into the sky, sending thick smoke swirling across the city with earth-shattering force.
With sounds rumbling like distant thunder, scenes from nearby shops, windmill towers, and a small square with scattered civilians became fragmented and twisted in the blink of an eye. The bustling street view crumbled into chaos, torn apart by the roaring inferno, all in an instant.
“Oh gods above…”
“Quick! Protect Her Majesty the Queen—!”
In the corner of my eye, the Swords of Kanli shouted and rushed in front of Victoria. A blazing whirlwind charged at us, whipping my long hair around and causing my pristine white cloak to flutter wildly in the wind. I stumbled back a couple of steps, steadying myself, raising my right arm to shield my face, tightly closing my mouth and eyes.
“Hold on tight—!”
A voice shouted, blending with the acrid smell that spread through the turbulent air.
My heart sank.
As the force of the wind lessened slightly, I immediately took a Moon Step toward the direction of the explosion.
This is bad… really bad…
I zipped between the rooftops, anxiously scanning my surroundings.
Gray sparks floated before my eyes, and the rising black smoke muddied my vision, while the deafening crashes of collapsing buildings filled my ears. The street below was unrecognizable, countless civilians with charred clothes were wailing and screaming as they struggled to escape the swirling dust and debris, while many others had already fallen, crushed under the rubble.
“The royal city is going to be destroyed… The gods no longer protect us…”
“Run—!”
“My grandpa is still inside! My grandpa—!”
Farther away, shrouded in dark red night, the unfortunate ones engulfed in infernal flames didn’t even have time to scream.
It was as if they were suddenly shattered by some terrible force, bursting into a mist of bl**d and flesh, transformed into streams of crimson goo flying upward, gradually collecting and writhing above the explosion’s epicenter, forming a massive cocoon floating ominously in the air, glowing with a fiery red light.
The cocoon pulsated like a heart.
What is that…
What on earth…
Thud.
I landed on the ruins of a collapsed tavern and, after steadying myself, glared at the night sky, gazing at the countless pieces of what were life just moments ago, watching as they were absorbed into the pulsating cocoon, becoming its sustenance.
My teeth bit into my lip.
“Grrrrrr…”
A strange sound emanated from the cocoon, clearly not something a human could make.
The crushing pressure was suffocating.
“Now… what do I do…”
Tonight was filled with incomprehensible, extraordinary events and horrifically shocking sights.
Do I really have to battle it…
But there are civilians… Captain Gray isn’t here… how can I fight… I’m so tired…
My body felt drained.
And that horrifying creature in the sky… I could feel that unnerving, uncanny power awakening…
“Marck—!”
“Garfield—!”
The Swords of Kanli rushed in behind me. They were anxiously peering around, loudly calling for their companions toward the flames, but no one answered.
“Give me the sword.”
Victoria’s icy voice cut through the chaos. I turned to see her face, illuminated by the flames, colder than ever.
“Your Majesty, leave this to us! The Swords of Kanli will d*e defending the royal city! For our honor!”
“Please leave here quickly…”
Victoria’s words stirred a strong reaction among the Swords of Kanli, but she remained unmoved, reiterating her demand to the nearest man, “I said, give me the sword.”
“Your Majesty! We can’t let you get hurt…”
“GIVE ME THE SWORD—!”
Her frosty face roared with anger. Finally, someone unsheathed their sword and handed it to her.
Victoria took it with a fierce grip and stepped forward two paces over the wreckage.
In the smoke-filled night, she slowly drew the longsword to her side, slightly bending her body, and a fierce whirlwind erupted around her, lifting her cloak like a tornado as she deftly gripped the sword’s hilt, closed her eyes, inhaled, and in the blink of an eye, swung it in a wide arc—
Whoooosh—!
A bizarre wind song echoed from the blade. In less than half a second, a massive gust formed into a formless razor-sharp edge, slicing towards the cocoon in the sky.
…She’s still in this.
We have a chance to win…
I focused, and my hands ignited with brilliant blue light, and with a crackling sound like shattering ice, nearly a hundred sharp ice spikes formed densely above me.
Breathe in, little hands wave down.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The ice spikes shot forth like bullets, piercing through the air with a shrill screech, racing after the massive wind blade heading toward the giant cocoon.
Suddenly, a bloody, skinny arm reached out from the cocoon, trailing fresh red bl**d.
My heart skipped a beat.
That’s not human… that is…
A bony arm ignited in roaring infernal fire. It casually swung in the direction of the incoming attack.
That seemingly casual swing, however, had an overwhelming force that scattered both the wind blade and the ice spikes into a shower of shards.
Victoria’s body floated gently.
Creeeak… creak, creak…
The sounds coming from the cocoon set my nerves on edge. Then, with a “poof,” another arm burst out, followed by claw-like limbs…
Boom—
The cocoon exploded.
bl**d rained down like fire.
I immediately summoned Ice Mist for protection while anxiously turning to the woman hovering not far away, shouting, “Victoria—!”
“Mind your own business.”
Whoooosh—
The winds howled, chaos swept through my vision, swirling dirt and debris formed an invisible barrier above, enveloping her and the Swords of Kanli.
The fiery rain was completely blocked.
“Grrrraaaaahhhh—”
An ancient, eerie roar came from above.
I raised my head with a grave expression.
In the pale moonlight, a gigantic monster, entirely bl**d-red, loomed in the night sky, merging ominously with the hazy crescent moon behind it.
It resembled a creature gnawed to pieces by a beast, still draped with scraps of flesh. Countless scarlet ribs jutted out like barbs all over its body, even on its back. Its enormous head was filled with what looked like flabby flesh, writhing and flailing. Its face had no features, just a myriad of deep, dark voids…
Even with such a face, I felt it gazing at us… or rather, at me.
“Oh my god… what is that…”
“I don’t get it…”
“A monster from the Abyss?”
“That’s not from the Abyss,” I said firmly.
I was certain this thing wasn’t from the Abyss.
If it were a fellow creature… I would have felt that connection immediately. That inexplicable sense of familiarity… the thing in the sky didn’t give me that feeling.
If anything, it was quite the opposite.
It instinctively made me deeply uncomfortable, even reaching the level of extreme disgust, making my stomach churn.
In the next moment, the monster moved.
A fetid, chilling wind blasted toward me as the beast twisted in the air, speeding toward me. Its massive body crashed to the ground, sending bricks and stones flying, and it pressed its terrifying head close to my tiny form.
“Silvya… you who have defiled the deities… shall be annihilated…”
I instantly recognized that voice.
“Teresa…”
