### Chapter 145: Red and Black (Seven)
“Ah…”
I slightly parted my lips.
“What’s with those fleeing soldiers outside the city? How did the Royal City turn into this? What the heck happened here? Where is the Saint…?”
He bombarded me with questions, then stroked his stubbly chin, pondering: “Well, as much as I’d love to get all the answers at once, clearly, this isn’t the right time… Huh? What happened to your hair… Whoa, you actually grew wings!”
I blinked.
Once the black flames burning before me were fully absorbed into my body, I suddenly pointed at him: “Kafski!”
“It’s Carlos.”
The man shrugged, his mouth curling into a somewhat helpless smirk. “You can’t be serious… You just recognized me now?”
“Uh-huh.”
I nodded and flashed him a smile.
I wanted to tease him with something witty.
But for some reason, staring at his wind-swept figure, the words seemed to get stuck in my throat.
“Sigh…” Carlos sighed softly.
“Why the cold shoulder, Little Shay… At a time like this, you should at least pretend to be thrilled, maybe throw in a shy, bashful look and timidly leap into my arms…”
Buzz—
A golden light erupted in the distance.
In the instant the blazing white beams surged towards us, the scruffy swordsman was still babbling, but his tone suddenly turned sharp: “Otherwise, I’ll be… so embarrassed—”
As he spoke, he bent slightly at the waist, his bright silver longsword swirling with energy, its blade glimmering like a dragon. Anticipating the attack, he slightly tilted his head to dodge the white light, slashing towards the side with a single stroke.
At almost the same moment, a golden light blossomed before me, and Cardinal Nero’s figure appeared where the sword was aimed.
Clang!
A resounding clash.
The swordlight, laden with countless electric arcs, struck Cardinal Nero, almost shattering the flowing golden aura around him. He stumbled mid-air, nearly losing his balance, and the white light bursting from his hand veered off, smashing through the half-collapsed wall below instead of hitting Carlos.
The wall began to crumble with a crash. As the blue bricks scattered, blue electric arcs danced over Carlos’s gleaming silver armor. He stepped on the bluestone, transforming into a bolt of soaring thunder, flitting through the air like swirling petals, darting around Nero’s descending figure. An astonishing vortex of thunder and lightning formed, with rapid sword strikes zipping in from all directions towards Nero, creating a series of metallic clinks.
So fast…
Cardinal Nero managed to block the initial few slashes with his arm but quickly fell behind Carlos’s speed, barely shielding his head as the sickle-like sword strikes rained down on him. He couldn’t hold out for even two seconds before the second gathering of white light exploded in a flash, vanishing into gold.
Sizzle.
As the Azure Thunder zipped past, Carlos’s back faced me, his grayish-white hair fluttering slightly in the electric light.
“Really tough…”
He muttered, gripping his sword downward, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Then, surprisingly, he picked up the earlier thread of conversation: “I’m not saying you’ve found a new sweetheart in the Royal City, have you? Actually, you’ve long lost feelings for this ‘old flame’ of mine…”
“Pfft.”
I couldn’t help but spit on him, my smile growing wider, suddenly swarming with mischief: “What if I said I did?”
“I’d be heartbroken… Tsk. I’ve been thinking about you all the time. Even in Winter City, I remembered to check in with Lady Catherine first… Didn’t think you were that kind of woman.”
Carlos turned his head, glancing at me through drooping eyelids, his grin fading. The playful expression gradually turned serious.
“Are you okay?”
“What do you think?” I shot back.
Then I noticed the golden light flaring up at the top of a high building across the street.
Cardinal Nero emerged from the brilliant glow, taking a couple of steps forward. He didn’t seem too damaged, though his armor bore even more severe wear and tear, and the Pope Knight cloak on his back was frayed with sword marks.
He stood poised on the edge of the roof, looking down at us, and then spoke: “Carlos Gonzalez. The Pope Knight renowned as the Silver Flash, who walks through the Abyss.”
“Lord Cardinal Nero.” Carlos stepped forward quickly, positioning himself in front of me. “Your use of divine miracles for punishment truly lives up to its reputation.”
“I know you; you are an honorable knight.”
Upon hearing this, Carlos bent lightly. “Receiving your praise is an honor.”
“Why are you blocking me?”
“Uh…”
Carlos scratched his head, looking quite puzzled by Nero’s question. After a moment of hesitation, he countered, “Do I really need a reason?”
“Not needed?”
Cardinal Nero’s voice was low. The radiant golden light surrounding him became increasingly bright, almost like a sacred and inviolable saint, his tone filled with unquestionable authority, laced with a hint of mockery: “Or are you content to be just another good dog raised by the Pope, like that poor Saint?”
“Ah… What do you mean by that?”
“Do you understand what’s behind you?”
“Hey, Nero…” I narrowed my eyes.
Seriously, this old man sure knows how to pick his words.
Dead Smoke gradually rose from beneath my feet. Just as I was about to step forward, Carlos reached out to stop me.
I frowned instantly. “Why are you wasting time with him?”
“Lord Nero.”
Carlos ignored my frustration, turned back to me with an inscrutable look, then gently shook his head and refocused on Cardinal Nero, his shoulders slightly shrugging: “I think I understand her better than you do.”
Cardinal Nero was silent for a moment.
“No, you don’t understand; you don’t know anything. She is a terrible disaster, a calamity that shouldn’t even exist… Carlos, I admire your integrity and don’t want to fight you. Someone like you should be on our side. Don’t let false feelings blind you… Please open your eyes and see what that monster really looks like.”
“What does it look like?”
Carlos turned back to give me a glance, then pretended to think, “Hmm… Cool wings, a strange but unexpectedly pretty armor… and a beautiful face?”
“Can’t you see the changes? Carlos, it’s constantly devouring, evolving, with abilities on par with, no, even surpassing those of other Abyss creatures; it can even absorb the power of Divine Reliquaries! You don’t grasp what that really means… Given time, you allow it to grow more, and what terrifying consequences could arise, do you understand?!”
Cardinal Nero’s tone grew slightly agitated but quickly calmed down.
“Carlos, while I haven’t changed my mind yet, you should leave. That monster will d*e today, and if you insist on blocking me, then I’ll just have to let you d*e here too… You get that. It’s not difficult for me at all.”
“Ah, I’ve heard about your abilities.” Carlos let out a slightly irritated breath, “If possible, I’d really prefer not to fight you… Tsk, what a hassle.”
“Then just leave.”
“…Fine, fine.”
Carlos thought for a moment and actually agreed.
I raised my eyebrows, surprised by him.
What the heck is this guy thinking…
As soon as the curse slipped to my lips, his next line choked me right back.
Pointing at me, the scruffy swordsman declared, “But I want to take this girl with me, or else she’s going to bang her head against the wall tomorrow. You probably don’t understand; it really hurts.”
Pfft, this guy…
“…Tomorrow? Hehe…” Cardinal Nero suddenly laughed, his voice harsh and grating. “You think you’ll even make it to tomorrow… Carlos, I know you’re stalling for time. You came here with the Pope, didn’t you? The one who just dispersed my divine miracles with that raven was him, right? What? Waiting for him to make a move? You think I’ll back down knowing he’s here?”
Carlos hurriedly waved his hands. “No, no, no, I think you’re misunderstanding…”
“Misunderstanding? Really?”
Cardinal Nero clearly didn’t believe him.
“Disappointingly so. You’re all willing to protect a monster… What the hell is wrong with this world… Carlos, as an honorable Pope Knight, after all these years, you’ve forgotten your own duties? The Abyss is your enemy!”
In the face of Cardinal Nero’s reproach, Carlos merely shrugged indifferently.
“Sorry, you know… I have my own standards when it comes to enemies. The purpose of a Pope Knight isn’t just to eliminate the Abyss; it’s to protect the people, to do what is in their power, to spare those innocents from disaster and suffering. To me, Little Shay doesn’t pose the threat you imagine. In fact, the real threat to the one million citizens of the Royal City is you, who plans to slaughter innocents without a second thought…”
He pulled his finger from his ear, gently blew on it, and flicked it.
Standing tall, his posture perfectly upright, he looked at Cardinal Nero with unprecedented sternness: “The terrifying monster you speak of… is actually you, Lord Nero.”
“…Hmph.”
After a moment of silence, Cardinal Nero snorted coldly.
“Looks like you’re set on dying with a monster…”
“Or you could change your mind.” Carlos shrugged.
In the next moment, that comforting aura once again spread from the golden light enveloping Cardinal Nero.
“Then as you wish, d*e…”
The ground began to tremble.
“Watch out for his Divine Reliquary!”
I shouted, and as that power was yet to be fully unleashed, I activated Moon Step.
Bang!
Suddenly, mid-air, I collided with an invisible barrier less than ten meters away from Cardinal Nero.
My head “buzzed”.
Moon Step’s speed was too fast; I slammed right into it, causing stars to explode in my vision, my mind going blank. The Dead Smoke I had released promptly dissipated, the Infernal Fire I had gathered in my palm flickering and gradually vanishing. In a daze, I felt myself falling rapidly, followed by a “thud” as I hit the ground.
“I told you to wait…”
Carlos’s voice faded behind me, sounding distant.
After a while, I finally came to my senses. Shaking my head, I picked myself up from the ground and immediately jumped back several meters, standing in the middle of the shattered street, staring blankly into the empty air ahead.
…What?
Pat.
bl**d from my nose flowed down my mouth, dripping onto the ground, which I quickly covered with my hand.
Almost immediately, that unbearable pain shot through my cheek, causing my eyes to water in an instant.
“Angel—!!!”
Cardinal Nero’s furious roar came from above the street, like a wounded beast, laced with a hint of agony.
