### Chapter 117: Bloodstorm (3)
“Jester—”
With a petite figure sparkling like blue ice, she shot through the air like a meteor, darting unseen into the enemy’s rear, where a faint mist lingered, not hampering visibility at all. Amidst the crowd, the face of the Black-clothed Man grew increasingly clear, a chilling smile curled at his lips.
He seemed to be waiting for me.
Whoosh—
Scarlet Infernal Fire suddenly erupted from the man’s upper body, momentarily engulfing his long sword. He stepped forward, and at the moment I charged at him, his blade zipped through the air with the speed of lightning, colliding noisily with Captain Gray’s sharp weapon—
Clang, clang, clang, cling!
Mud sprayed from the ground as a deafening roar filled the air. The shockwave from the clash of titans was visually striking, forcefully spreading outward, sending nearby heretics flying as they let out shrill screams. bl**d streamed from their ears and eyes, and they all collapsed.
My palms tingled from the impact. This guy’s Infernal Fire was terrifyingly potent; it felt like I’d struck solid steel. He merely bent his knees slightly and shrugged off the mud that obscured my view, twisting his wrist to deflect Captain Gray aside, then leaned in for a second strike that came crashing down.
Crack, crack, crack!
An icy scythe manifested in my left hand, blocking the furious blow from the Black-clothed Man with a thunderous clash. The searing current forced me to squint; my feet barely touched the ground, and with that slice, I stumbled back several steps, almost losing my balance.
He’s really strong…
My left hand felt a bit numb, and my ears were buzzing like crazy. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, only to hear him speak: “So, you’re Silvya? The rookie Pope Knight who single-handedly took down the Abyss? They say you’re only sixteen… Well, that much seems accurate. Heh…”
“You’re a little girl, aren’t you? Quite brave for your age.”
No sooner had he spoken, the Black-clothed Man surged forward, flames swirling around him, his form flickering like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he was upon me, blade raised high.
Clang—!!!
Captain Gray’s weapon was held high above my head, but the immense force crashed down again, flames raging before my eyes. The heretics had already scrambled far away. My feet dug into the mud half a foot deep from the impact. Gritting my teeth and looking up, I caught sight of the man’s rather relaxed grin.
“You’re so beautiful; it’d be a pity to k*ll you… How about joining us?”
Hiss, hiss, hiss—
The icy mist evaporated rapidly in the searing flames, shrouding the surroundings in a hazy fog. The swirling Infernal Fire spread beneath the Black-clothed Man, raising the temperature. Scarlet veins crawled across his face, his eyes glowing like red jewels. As he spoke, dark smoke billowed from his mouth.
“Join the Gate of Truth, and you’ll be free to do as you please! No laws or morals to bind you. If you fancy someone, take them. If someone gets on your nerves, just k*ll them! No more pesky dogma. Sounds great, right? Way more fun than dealing with those hypocritical knights all day long.”
The pressure on my hands suddenly eased as he lifted the burning long sword, crouched low, and once again swung from the left—
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The fierce duel erupted in an instant, blades moving so swiftly they nearly vanished from sight. Frost and flame churned violently within a ten-meter radius, and nearby boulders were shattered by the ricocheting blades, flames shooting out in every direction. The Black-clothed Man changed angles to strike again. I swung my great scythe to meet him, and with a resounding “clang,” his long sword was cleaved in two, Infernal Fire bursting before my eyes.
The pitch-black blade swung downwards towards the chest of the Black-clothed Heretic, who evaded narrowly. I stepped forward, my icy scythe poised to attack, but the next moment, he raised his hand, surging flames shot forth like a dragon’s breath, instantly obscuring my sight.
“Ugh…”
He’s really strong.
I swiftly jumped back several meters, putting some distance between us, scythe raised defensively. To my surprise, when the flames died down, he hadn’t pursued but stood there, holding the broken sword and watching me with a curious glint in his bl**d-red eyes, the embers of stars still twinkling in the air.
“Did you pay attention to what I just said? Little girl, wow, you’re really beautiful. It’s hard for me to continue fighting; what if I accidentally burn your lovely face…”
As he spoke, the broken blade in his hand slowly melted under the intense heat. Drops of molten iron dripped to the ground. He looked at it, casually tossed the shapeless remain aside, clapped his hands together, and chuckled again.
“Well, make your decision quickly… As you can see, I’m quite busy, and I don’t have much time to waste here with you. Will you join us, or d*e here, turned to crispy meat by Sin Fire, devoured by wild dogs, your rare beauty going to rot in a dog’s belly and become fertilizer, forever buried in this land? Little girl, make your choice; I’ll just count to three.”
…He’s really confident.
Though he is undeniably strong…
“Hey…”
The Black-clothed Man held up one finger: “One.”
“Do you know…”
“Two.”
“I really hate it when people call me little?”
“Thre—”
He never got to three.
At that moment, the power of Frost Order surged through me, and an explosion of icy mist burst forth from my feet, striking out like a chilly windstorm. Within a radius of several dozen meters, the burning Infernal Fire flickered wildly before being quenched by the drop in temperature. The nearby heretics were instantly frosted over; the wilderness became blanketed in silver and white.
The Black-clothed Man reacted quickly, using his arms to shield his face while bracing himself against the biting cold. His flames flickered dangerously, and just as that happened, I activated Moon Step and launched a kick, sending him flying backward like a shrimp.
“Little girl, little girl, still wet behind the ears… babbling on and on…”
He really is strong.
But…
He still trails behind Teresa just a bit.
Boom!
Upon activating Moon Step again, the scythe in my hand whirled with a fierce howl. The Black-clothed Man quickly flipped mid-air, adjusting his balance just in time. But before he could land, I had already chased down his figure, and Captain Gray sliced down with the speed of lightning, puncturing the heretic’s left shoulder with a satisfying “plop,” before tearing away—
Swish!
An arm flew off.
Thud.
As the Black-clothed Man hit the ground, he rolled and quickly sprang up, clutching his bleeding shoulder. An atrocious wound spewed blazing flames. He glared at me, his expression darkening with an edge of seriousness.
“I got careless… Little girl, not bad. Seems your solo k*ll of the Abyss wasn’t just the Church’s tall tale.”
“Heh.”
Not gonna lie, it stings a bit to admit I was underestimated…
“Pretty good. Not everyone’s got such talent. If you join the Gate of Truth and drink the bl**d of Sin, your power will ascend to new heights… Are you sure you don’t want to consider it? Mr. J would like you a lot; many would admire you. Who doesn’t love a strong and beautiful woman? In time, you could—”
“Aren’t you the Jester?”
He had mentioned Mr. J earlier…
Ah, I thought he was the Jester all along.
“Allow me to properly introduce myself.”
He laughed again.
He bowed slightly, performing a perfectly executed noble’s gesture from the Western Continent, even with just one arm: “Fog Hidden, Heber Min, Sixth Member of the Gate of Truth, former Pope Knight of the Holy Church.”
