Chapter 140: Red and Black (Part 2)
Not clear…
…no real sense of it, huh?
My head’s still a bit foggy.
With a hint of grogginess still lingering, I slowly took a couple of steps toward the broken exit, twisting my sore neck as I walked.
“Hmm…”
The previous uncontrollable fatigue was gone. The energy that was churning inside me had calmed down, and I could no longer feel that painful heat.
My eyes adjusted to the light, revealing the wreckage of a house tightly wrapped in vines — I had forgotten what it looked like before I dozed off. Clearly, something had changed… The ground was littered with ashes, and I remembered some tables and chairs being around, but now only scattered, blackened stumps remained, occasionally covered in dark gray.
The stumps were charred black, blending into the chaotic pile of stones and dirt, all turned pitch dark… Did it catch fire?
…Speaking of which, who was that person from before?
Where did they run off to?
While my mind was spiraling with chaotic thoughts, I stepped out from the shattered vines.
Thin sunlight spilled onto my face.
Ahead was that familiar street.
But I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, the road and buildings seemed even messier than before. Most of the structures had fallen apart, everywhere there were signs of destruction, thick smoke billowing up from various spots. To my left, there was a crack running across the whole road, as if some kind of terrifying power had ground it down, splitting the earth in two. That deep chasm extended all the way to the building across from me, cleaving it right in half.
A warm breeze swept over the desolate street, leaving a clear sensation against my cheeks and forehead.
Ah, my armor…
I lowered my head.
Before my eyes was pitch-black armor, its sleek form covered in countless dark red veins, like bl**d vessels, flowing with a sickly sweet liquid.
What is this… bl**d?
???
Suddenly, a strand of hair blew across my mouth.
I lifted my hand to tuck it behind my ear.
…Huh?
With a slight shift of thought, the Chaotic Power quietly started operating, transforming the helmet that had been encasing my head back into Abyss Mud, merging with my body. My long hair suddenly scattered in the wind; I grabbed a handful, pulled it in front of my face, and blinked.
…White.
My hair had turned a snowy silver.
Hmm?!
This change…
Whoosh—
Just as I was musing over this, a piercing howl of wind erupted from above on my left, and a fierce attack came hurtling toward me.
With no time to turn, I subconsciously released my hair, swinging my right arm across to meet the incoming screeching attack, using the armor on my forearm to block the sudden blow.
Bang bang bang bang….
A deafening crash exploded next to my ear, the sheer force echoing through my body. In the moment my feet left the ground, I realized, twisted my body, and spun half a turn to redirect the overwhelming force.
Whoosh——!
A sharp Holy Lance grazed my nose as it flew past, smashing into the wall on the other side of the street with a “boom,” sending bricks and dust flying everywhere.
“Ow ow ow!”
My arm felt numb…
But before I could steady myself, I caught a glimpse of brilliant white light glowing in midair.
“Ah ha…”
An unprecedented sense of crisis charged through me like an electric shock, a chill running from my spine to the top of my head, my heart racing as I thought not even for a moment before stepping into Moon Step.
Boom——
The fierce wind slapped my face, and I shot back twenty meters in an instant. The next moment, a blazing white light struck where I had just been standing, melting the ground and leaving two wide, deep craters, smoke wafting out from their mouths.
I looked up.
Above, a golden-glowing figure floated down slowly, their pure white cloak dancing in the wind — the style I knew all too well.
And in the figure’s hand, it looked like they were holding… a woman.
Who is that…
Immediately after, the deep-set eyes hidden beneath the oversized hood met mine for a brief moment.
The figure raised their right hand.
Buzz buzz buzz buzz…
In the next instant, dazzling golden light erupted from the sky, converging into countless orbs of light raining down on me like a storm.
“Interesting…”
I casually raised my right hand, dense Dead Smoke billowed from my body, morphing into several black smoke serpents that howled down the street, engulfing the airborne figure yet to land.
The clash of pitch black and blazing white powers collided above the shattered street.
Boom boom boom boom boom——!
A series of explosions unleashed a tempest, the whirlwind wreaking havoc across the fractured road. In an instant, the blinding radiance lit up the sky.
I couldn’t help but squint, patiently waiting for the golden glow to dissipate.
Tap… tap…
Solid footsteps echoed from ahead.
Whoosh——
With a soft breeze, a figure was flung from the light and landed with a thud, rolling to a stop less than ten meters in front of me, lying still.
…That’s Margaret.
I recognized her from the tattered nun outfit she wore.
Despite the outfit being filthy, out of shape, and drenched in bl**d, nearly a deep brown — I still recognized it, as the edges of the Saintess Class’s signature golden trim fluttered gently in the breeze.
It was definitely that annoying woman.
But right now, she could no longer wear her typical holier-than-thou facade in front of me.
She couldn’t even get up. Like a dirty dead dog, her face pressed against the ground. I couldn’t see her features, but I could clearly see bl**d continuously flowing down, mingling with dirt and dust, staining her trademark aqua hair an unpleasant color.
Tap… tap…
The halo of light gradually faded, and the footsteps grew closer.
Vaguely, that figure wrapped in a white cloak emerged from the dust swirling up from the street.
“Hey…”
I stepped up, walked over to Margaret, crouched down for a moment, then poked her on the head with my finger.
“Wake up.”
“Why is it that I just woke up, and you’re passed out here again…”
Margaret remained unresponsive.
“…Wake up, there’s chicken legs to eat.”
“Chicken… legs?”
A low, hoarse, somewhat eerie voice came from the front.
“She’s already… dead.”
“Shut up!”
I stood up, shifting my gaze away from the Saintess toward the front.
As the golden light faded, the storm calmed, and the dust settled.
A plump figure stood quietly in the middle of the street.
He had shed the cardinal robes, now donned in Milan’s heavy armor adorned with golden scales, the pure white Pope Knight’s cloak billowing softly in the remaining airflow. The hood was pulled back, revealing an unbelievably ugly face lurking beneath.
That couldn’t even be called a face anymore.
What used to be his nose and mouth had turned into blackened rotten flesh, blackened teeth and bones exposed to the air, all hair gone, his head looked like a lump of decayed meat. Remaining Dead Smoke slowly steamed from his face, emitting a nauseating hissing sound, creeping toward his one remaining eye, a faint golden glow flashing across his features as if it was his last struggle.
I certainly wouldn’t fail to recognize who he was.
“Nero.”
Watching him, a smirk crept across my face, and I nodded toward Margaret’s still form.
“Did you do this?”
“Indeed… surprisingly easy…”
Nero seemed to chuckle as well… or at least that’s what it looked like? His mouth opened, yet most of his lips were gone, leaving me uncertain.
“She fought me, knowing full well she couldn’t win… to save you. What a shame… only a monster was saved…”
“Can you keep the wind from leaking out of your mouth when you talk? I can’t hear you, stupid!”
