### Chapter 108: Light and Dark (5)
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black flames exploded below, igniting like a dramatic fireworks show gone wrong. The cobblestone road began to crack, and tongues of fire licked the sky, leaping several meters high. The panicked crowd shrieked and scattered, as in the distance, a figure engulfed in black fire was instantaneously reduced to ashes. Amidst the billowing smoke, a white light shot up rapidly, disappearing into my body in a flash.
Thud.
I landed on the shattered tiles below.
Hiding behind a small building on the street, I crouched down, my eyes darting around the fleeing crowd while I perked up my ears to catch any sounds of impending doom, staying alert for any sudden attacks.
Where’s the other guy?
I can’t find him.
This whole brawl was getting rather uncomfortable.
Holding the poisoned and unconscious Victoria made me too scared to loosen my grip, worried I might accidentally hurt her. I didn’t even dare use Moon Step. Too many civilian bystanders were running around, preventing me from launching a carefree area attack. I had to be careful with the black flames — finding opportunities to toss them where no one was around; otherwise, this fight wouldn’t be dragging on so long.
Those folks from The Gate of Truth… they’ve been lying in ambush for ages.
So far, only three had shown themselves, but all of them were Stage Two players. Who knows how many more were hiding in the shadows, waiting to ambush? Their target was obviously Victoria. These guys played rough, trying to exchange injuries one for one, and didn’t give a lick about their own lives. If it weren’t for their extreme caution around the black flames, I’d probably be feeling a lot worse than I was.
And where’s Sophia…
In my panic, I didn’t think much and recklessly decided to freeze the area around us, hoping the icy breath wouldn’t reach her. But I was in a pinch, so I likely overlooked something… She should be okay, right?
She saw me, and those black wings…
What should I do?
I shook my head, trying to push those ridiculous worries aside to stay vigilant.
The last remaining guy seemed to have hidden away…
He realized I wouldn’t attack recklessly with civilians around, so he wanted to play hide and seek…
Is he stalling for time?
Or has he already bailed?
“Silvya—”
Out of nowhere, I heard someone calling my name from afar. I instinctively turned to see none other than the Saint riding her handsome horned horse, galloping towards me from the right side of the street.
My eyes lit up.
“Margaret!”
You finally made it!
The joy in my heart was impossible to describe. Without thinking, I leaped down from the rooftop and hit the ground, immediately sprinting toward her.
“What are you doing?!”
From a good ten meters away, I heard Margaret’s reprimanding shout.
I froze in place.
“Why are you doing this?! Why won’t you listen to me?! You’re causing trouble for yourself and everyone! You…”
The horned horse galloped at lightning speed, and in less than two seconds, Margaret, along with a few nuns, skidded to a stop at least five meters away from me.
Oh?
So, she’s seen it too…
Well, she saw it, so whatever.
I watched the flustered expression on Margaret’s face as the smile I just had faded instantly.
What else was I supposed to do?
Are you going to help me or what…
I was a little annoyed.
But I couldn’t afford to argue with her now; I needed to stay calm.
I could tell the nuns behind her were looking at me with considerable wariness, their faces screaming, “Stay back!” They might have seen something, but Margaret must have warned them… or explained, since no one was making any drastic moves, though the atmosphere still had a tense vibe.
One wrong move, and we might be throwing punches.
This is just…
“The Gate of Truth!”
I shouted at Margaret.
“They’re the ones! I killed two of them, and there’s more!”
Margaret’s face stiffened at my shouting.
Her mouth opened slightly, and her gaze wandered anxiously, her brain likely racing, but I didn’t want to give her too much time to think. I glanced down at Victoria, then stepped forward.
The horned horse neighed, and the nuns began to retreat, crossing their arms in front of themselves defensively. I ignored them and walked straight up to Margaret, locking eyes.
“First, heal her.”
It was at that moment that Margaret finally noticed the figure in my arms.
She stared for a moment, then her eyes widened in shock. “That’s… Her Majesty the Queen?”
I nodded. “Please save her.”
“What happened…?”
“She’s poisoned.”
“…Who—”
Before she could finish her inquiry, I cut her off. “Please, just hurry and save her!”
Time was running out.
Victoria felt so hot… Her lips were turning blue…
But the Saint seemed incredibly hesitant.
She slowly dismounted the beast and walked two steps toward me, her brows furrowed deeply, seemingly choosing her words carefully. Then she softly said, “Silvya… you know I can’t—”
“Save her!” I shouted.
“But—”
“Margaret!”
“…I understand your feelings, it’s just that the Church can’t…”
Ahhhhhh!
It’s that d*mn stance again, right?!
I bit my lip.
Two seconds later, I compressed the swirling emotions inside me, trying to keep a calm facade as I stared into her beautiful aquamarine eyes, saying each word deliberately: “It’s The Gate of Truth. They did this.”
This was definitely related to the Heretics. I wasn’t sure if this counted as lying, but even if it was… so what?
“Save her. Otherwise, I don’t know what I might… do.”
Upon hearing this, Margaret’s fair face finally changed color.
She looked at me with a complicated expression.
And I held my head high, meeting the Saint’s gaze directly.
After a long pause, Margaret exhaled deeply.
“…Fine.”
She nodded…
At that moment, my tense shoulders sagged slightly.
“Come with me to the church.”
After she spoke, Margaret turned and walked toward the horned horse. I hurriedly followed.
“Tell me what happened; you should know…”
Just at that instant, a slight noise suddenly emanated from a crumbling building on my right.
!
d*mn, he’s still here!
“Watch out!”
My body reacted before my mind even processed it. I tightened my grip on Victoria and quickly took two steps back. At the same time, a roar and wind whipped toward me.
“Ahhhhh—”
Just as the screech drew near, a golden light burst forth in front of me. The next moment, a figure wreathed in scarlet flames shot toward me, the body rapidly swelling; its exposed skin already cracking, those bulging eyes piercingly fixed on me, countless dark red fissures glowing ominously.
My heart was racing.
“Margaret—”
Boom—!!!
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz…
My head was filled with a deafening hum.
I dared not use Moon Step; we were too close for me to build an ice wall. Instead, I instinctively turned around, tightly shielding Victoria and closed my eyes, bracing my back against the impending self-destruct blast.
Ouch, ouch, ouch… Wait?
It didn’t hurt…
I didn’t feel anything…
The roaring in my ears gradually faded, and I quickly cracked my eyes open a bit.
In my line of sight, a golden hemisphere shield kept the scarlet flames at bay, swirling radiance enveloping both me and Victoria, not a hint of heat penetrating our bubble.
This is Margaret’s…
I hurriedly turned around.
Inside the shield, I didn’t see the vibrant figure of the Saint.
She didn’t come in!
“Margaret!”
d*mn it…
There are flames everywhere!
“Margaret!”
“Marg…aret…”
Please don’t let anything happen…
“Ah—”
The Gate of Truth!!!
Buzz~
Suddenly, as I yelled at the top of my lungs, the barrier shimmered with undulating water-like effects. In the next instant, a figure dashed in from the flames.
It’s Margaret!
The Saint’s white nun’s robe was already charred black, a few flames still flickering on her, but in the next moment, those flames were snuffed out in a sudden explosion of golden light.
“I’m fine.”
She urgently said to me and then raised her hand, letting a shower of golden light rain down, with flecks of green magic swirling in my sight, healing her minor injuries.
“Silvya, put out the fire!”
Without her saying so, I had already raised my left arm.
Blue light blazed from my hand, and icy mist sprayed forth, swiftly enveloping our golden barrier and transmuting it into sparkling gold. The next moment, the freezing fog ruptured the golden light, slithering into the crimson flames, the “hiss, hiss, hiss” sound echoing nonstop as steam billowed skyward like a mushroom cloud.
In no time, that towering inferno was completely extinguished, leaving only a few smoldering embers at my feet.
The air was filled with the scent of charred flesh.
Two nuns had collapsed.
When the explosion occurred, they were closest to Margaret, caught in the unfortunate blast. Their clothes burned to cinders, their skin blackened beyond recognition, lying silently on the ground.
Even as the healing green lights swirled around them, constantly flowing into their skin, I could still vaguely sense their lives slipping away rapidly.
They probably won’t make it…
Margaret could sense that too.
“Kael!”
“Juliette—”
The nuns who had narrowly escaped wailed loudly. They scrambled off their mounts, rushing to the charred bodies with deep sorrow etched on their faces.
“Take them and go!”
Margaret gave a decisive command.
In the blink of an eye, her injuries had mostly healed, looking no worse for wear, though she did seem somewhat disheveled. Her nun’s robe was severely torn, her headscarf having long since burned, and her blue curls were somewhat messy, her vigilant eyes scanning the surroundings. Having shouted that order, she quickly moved away from the scattering golden light.
“The Gate of Truth…”
That phrase came out like she was gritting her teeth, softly reaching my ears as I followed behind her.
“No wonder… when I entered the city, those people rushed to escort me back to the church…”
I furrowed my brow, “What do you mean?”
“The Iron Guard, or someone in the city… has colluded with the Heretics. We finally have solid evidence now; the other side is opposing Her Majesty the Queen.”
“So?”
“So, the Church now has more than enough justification.”
More than enough justification…
Didn’t they already have that from the beginning?
That was just a convenient excuse.
Margaret…
Even her horned horse had been turned to charred remains.
She quickly walked to another brown-black beast, stroking its mane, mounting it, and told the nuns to “hurry up, follow me,” then extended her hand to me.
I shook my head.
The next moment, ice crystals erupted from beneath my feet.
I pointed my chin toward Sophia’s direction.
“That way, there’s a girl…”
“I’ve already taken her to the church.”
“Alright.”
A bit more settled in my heart.
Bang!
In the next moment, an ice pillar shot up from under me, launching me into the sky.
I’d better keep holding on to Victoria.
Feeling a bit more secure now…
I dashed along the rooftops, speeding toward the direction of the church. The sound of clattering hooves echoed alongside me as Margaret and the nuns ran closely behind. Two seemingly lifeless girls were carried upon the beast’s back, and we raced through two streets like that.
No one said a word.
Before long, the church came into view.
