### Chapter 104: Light and Dark (Part One)
Whoosh—
The gale howled by my ears, my black hair danced wildly behind me, and the loose nun’s robe flapped loudly. The massive black wings stretched out wide, and I held the soft body of Victoria tightly in my arms.
Honestly, it felt a bit awkward.
Flying like this for the first time was not exactly something I was used to. In the past, the black flames would wrap around me like a protective blanket, so I wouldn’t even notice the resistance of the wind or feel my body swaying with the currents. I didn’t even realize I was technically “suspended.”
That kind of flying was cozy—no ups and downs, no unexpected swerves, just the leisurely drift through the air.
But now?
The dual thrill of physical and mental stimulation made my chest race, and the wind hitting my face stung like crazy.
At first, flapping my wings formed from black flames felt a bit clumsy, but I quickly got the hang of it. My wings, like they were an organic part of my back, thrashed with a thunderous crack, propelling me forward at breakneck speed.
After a few flaps, I had to fold my wings to my sides, using the residual energy to glide, trying my best to keep steady and avoid causing any more injury to the already weakened Victoria.
This was no walk in the park.
Holding her was awkward too.
Though Victoria was particularly light, she was tall. The classic princess carry involves one arm under the knees and the other supporting the back, but I couldn’t quite execute that. It had nothing to do with the length of my arms. Victoria was out cold, so she was slack in my grip. I had to support her head with one hand, or it would just flop down—and if I did that, my other arm couldn’t reach her legs, so I ended up cradling her bum, hugging her sideways against my chest.
This position was far from graceful or romantic; her hair flapped in my face, blocking my view.
I tilted my head down to push away a strand of hair that had landed on my nose. When I focused back down, I suddenly realized we had flown a bit too far.
Whoa, we’re going fast…
I had long left the palace gates behind. Below was a maze of streets, and soldiers in silver armor were rushing in all directions. A few groups caught sight of me and drew their swords, while many others surged toward the palace—not for long, though; soon, more and more soldiers stopped in their tracks.
From my vantage point, the silver armor down below looked sparse in some places and clustered in others. Their momentum, once like an unstoppable tide, suddenly stalled. The thunderous battle cries were choked off by an invisible hand, and in mere seconds, the brutal street fight paused. The soldiers invariably looked up.
And then, the flame wings unfurled again.
Whoosh—
My body jolted as the gliding speed decreased sharply.
Focus…
In the next moment, the flame wings billowed behind me, and I propelled upward, clutching Victoria, shooting back into the sky for several dozen meters against the fierce winds.
Focus…
The wings on my back flapped lightly a couple of times before spreading wide open. The black flames, glowing with a white brilliance, flared out from my sides like the breath of a dragon from the apocalypse, the tongues of fire dancing in the air.
I bent my body slightly, my legs curling up, then, after a second, the upward momentum suddenly halted. I turned to face the palace, slowly extending my legs downward and relaxing.
And then I straightened my back, hovering in the air at over a hundred meters high.
Below, the soldiers were shouting and clamoring. But the wind was so strong, and the distance too far, that I couldn’t quite make out what they were yelling.
I could, however, feel the panic radiating from them.
The atmosphere of fear spread like a virus through the crowd, with dread fermenting in each person’s heart, countless souls trembling below.
The blonde woman I held in my arms slept soundly.
With the roaring black flames supporting my body, I hovered in the air as if standing still. I took a gentle breath and tilted my body slightly back, letting Victoria lean against my right shoulder, her head nestled into the crook of my neck, our faces almost touching.
I gently released my left hand that had been cradling the back of her head, using my right arm to hold her tighter around her bum.
Good…
Then I lifted my left hand, raising it high over my head.
In the next moment, a brilliant blue light burst from my palm.
Crack!
My hair fluttered.
Tiny ice crystals began to float through the air, gleaming softly with ice blue, twinkling down in my line of sight.
Crack, crack, crack…
Frosty mist swirled above, gathering, condensing into countless shards of ice. The shards rushed together, expanding in a frenzy until a massive block of ice formed right above me.
I closed my fingers into a fist.
Whoosh—
The ice block shot up to the higher sky and exploded with a resounding boom several dozen meters away.
Boom!
I lifted my head, watching the frosty mist scatter in the air, shards large and small drifting down. I immediately flapped one wing, swirling the black mist overhead like an umbrella, shielding against the cold and hail.
The soldiers below were in a frenzy.
I lowered my head, glancing around the city’s buildings.
Margaret…
That’s my signal. Did you see it?
If you saw it, respond to me…
Let me know where you are…
The temperature in the air dropped a bit, and I felt Victoria shiver slightly.
“Cold?”
“Uncomfortable?”
Of course, she wouldn’t answer.
I tightened my embrace and gently nuzzled her cheek for comfort.
“It’s okay.”
“We’ll be done soon… Just hold on a little longer…”
I still didn’t see Margaret’s response.
Most of the soldiers and cavalry further from the palace, due to my appearance, had lifted their heads to look up at me, noticeably slowing their attack. But the battle near the palace remained fierce, with soldiers dropping left and right, bl**d splattering, flames raging.
The enemy’s onslaught was relentless, coming wave after wave, and those defending the square were starting to show signs of fatigue.
But those were all supporters of Victoria.
Come on, help me out…
Thinking that, I let the blue light in my raised hand fade.
In the next moment, black flames ignited, engulfing my palm.
Whoosh—
With the breath of the burning flames, countless black fireballs gathered around me, bursting forth in a brilliant white light, overpowering the dawn’s rays and casting a ghastly pallor across a good part of the sky.
Below, it seemed someone was covering their eyes. They were screaming. Riders on horned horses shouted at the soldiers, and some began to flee in the opposite direction of the palace.
One, two, three…
In that brief moment, I pinpointed the most densely packed streets below, identifying a few guys who looked like leaders, confirming they were the ones aiming for the palace.
Then I hesitated.
Just for half a second. I took a deep breath and waved my hand downwards.
The fireballs—symbols of d*ath—screamed down like a meteor shower, slicing through the air and reaching the ground in an instant, landing right among the soldiers charging toward the palace.
No one had the chance to escape.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—
Violent explosions erupted, the raging black flames consuming the crowd. Countless heart-wrenching screams rang out, but abruptly ceased the next moment. In my view, severed limbs flew from the explosions, turning to ashes, and wisps of white smoke ascended from the streets, drifting toward the royal city above.
Like a torrent, it surged into my chest.
“Ah…”
A sticky groan escaped my lips, my body trembled uncontrollably.
Haha…
This is the feeling…
So exhilarating!
My vision began to blur.
Then, from the far left side of my sight, a golden light soared from somewhere in the city, slowly rising into the sky.
