Chapter 118: A Stinky Windstorm (Part Four)
“Are you the Pope Knight?”
“Ah, that was many years ago, wasn’t it?”
Hearing the Black-clothed Man’s response, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow slightly.
…This is the second member of the Gate of Truth I’ve encountered, and both of them… Teresa and this guy here… uh, a candidate Saint and a Pope Knight… have both spent time in the Church, yet ultimately decided to embrace the Gate of Truth.
Thoughts zipped through my mind like lightning. Holding my dual sickles, I instinctively asked, “Why?”
“Why? Oh, let me think…” The Black-clothed Man pretended to ponder deeply. bl**d began to ooze from his left shoulder wound, from which Infernal Fire started to spew out. Flesh grew and wriggled in the flames, accompanied by an extremely uncomfortable squelching sound, as a new arm sprouted out. “Ouch… uh, I can’t quite remember. I think I was really angry about something… What was it? Sorry, it’s been a while—I’ve forgotten…”
He shook his left arm, looking up with a bizarre grin. “Does it even matter? Not really, right? What matters is living in the now, keeping an eye on the present… So, about the question I asked earlier, you’re really not reconsidering? Little… ah no, a beautiful big-chested sister?”
“…Heh.”
d*mn it, I just had a moment where I thought—
What am I really talking to this guy about?
“One last question.”
“Oh? Seems like you’re not planning to reconsider.”
“In your captives, is there a knight named Barry?”
“…Are you a bit tongue-tied?”
“Answer my question.”
“Barry? Who’s Barry? Do I have to ask each and every captive their names? I mean, really—”
“Then there’s nothing more to say.”
Amidst the swirling frost mist, the Infernal Fire on the Black-clothed Man flickered like a candle in the wind, yet it never extinguished.
Behind him, a throng of people surged in the wilderness, their shouting akin to crashing tides as the knights charged forward, igniting a bloody storm of carnage amidst the crowd, advancing continually toward the city walls. Meanwhile, the Faith Organization unleashed powerful Divine Miracles, golden radiance exploding among the encroaching Heretics, sending human forms and shredded flesh tumbling through the air, transforming the battlefield into a colossal meat grinder.
To the west, Isaac’s battle with the Heretic warrior was coming to an end. The burly man, covered in bl**d, roared as he charged forward, waves of Infernal Fire burning and spreading across the wilderness, morphing into a blazing dragon that surged toward Isaac, whose eyes gleamed with ferocity.
The bald knight stood firm, the “Immortal” aura around him shimmering with brilliant light. Two formidable figures collided with a thunderous crash, stunning explosions throwing mud and stones backward, and the ground shook as it cracked open. Both of their palms locked together, unleashing savage roars like beasts, yet soon, the Heretic warrior was forced down, kneeling to the ground.
Not far off, the elite cavalry, surrounded and fighting for their lives, were gradually reducing the enemy numbers approaching from the west, due to Isaac’s skirmish; the surrounding bodies began to pile up, while assaults from the other three sides were also impeded, no longer as fierce as before.
“Breakthrough—”
Under the command of the Captain of Knights, the knights seized the opportunity to retaliate, shifting from defense to offense, charging toward the advancing infantry. As bl**d flew, a new wave of fighting commenced.
On the east side, less than eight hundred meters from the city wall, frost had already spread about a hundred meters out. On the ground coated in white frost, a few sparks flickered in the wind, gradually extinguishing. Countless Heretics were retreating from the frozen area, preparing to confront the knights charging from this direction.
In the center of the ice mist, the Black-clothed Man, engulfed in Infernal Fire, arched an eyebrow as a young woman’s voice fell. A bright scarlet flame gathered in his palm and suddenly launched forward! The next moment, the petite girl had already raised a gigantic black sickle, trailing icy blue stars, and charged ahead—
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!
The fierce sound of wind and flames intertwined in my ears and eyes. Faced with the oncoming Infernal Fire, I didn’t even flinch, charging directly toward it. In one second, the flames swept behind me, leaving an utterly shocked and incredulous expression on the Black-clothed Man’s face.
“You…”
Gentle Blade—Virtual Slash!
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
In that instant, I maximized my steps, leaping at unprecedented speeds around the Black-clothed Man, creating three afterimages around him. The dark blades sliced from three different angles, and the next moment, my petite body leaped to his back, spinning through the air like a butterfly, hand gripping Captain Gray’s handle, and with the force of my twist, I aimed straight down at his head!
Thud—
The three blade lights dissipated just as they reached the Black-clothed Man, the fourth arc came straight down, and there was simply no time for him to dodge or react. The blade pierced directly through his head, entering through the top and exiting through his jaw. At that moment, as bl**d and flames spurted forth, my feet landed, and I withdrew the blade. The entire process happened in the blink of an eye; the Black-clothed Man hadn’t even turned around before I sent him flying with a kick.
The Black-clothed Man rolled several times across the ground, bl**d spraying everywhere, filthy mud covering his body. After coming to a stop, he twitched a couple of times and then, in a grotesquely contorted position, managed to get back up.
“You are…”
A raspy voice came from ahead, crimson bl**d mingling with white viscous liquid poured from the gaping wound in his head. The burning Infernal Fire enveloped his entire face. The Black-clothed Man straightened up, one eyeball nearly popping out of its socket, and the bl**d-soaked corners of his mouth quivered: “You are… that old geezer’s… disciple…”
Old geezer?
Is he talking about Sword Saint Ryan? Does he somehow recognize this sword technique…
As I pondered that, my feet didn’t stop moving. I executed Moon Step and charged forward once more, the distance of over ten meters disappearing in an instant, his shocked gaze suddenly in front of me, and my right wrist suddenly twisted, slashing upward!
Crescent Moon—
“Ahhh!!!”
The moment his scream pierced the air, the pitch-black blade plunged down again, piercing through the Black-clothed Man’s head once more. His bl**d-red eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, my mind flashed back to the image of the Silent Fortress. Rage surged, never far from my heart. I stepped back, yanking back with one hand!
Thud!
The blade that penetrated the Black-clothed Man’s head tore out from his face, completely shredding what once could be considered a handsome visage. His nose, lips turned outward, tongue, bones, and bloody flesh burst forth as if an explosion had occurred, and torrents of blazing flames erupted from his body, instantly sweeping outward, so fiercely that even the ground beneath my feet turned soft in a moment.
“Ahhh—”
The man’s howls continued, his shapeless, bloodied mouth gaping wide as he spewed forth jets of bl**d, evaporating and disappearing amidst the raging Infernal Fire, producing a harsh ‘sizzle’ sound.
I stood amidst the flames, staring at his grotesquely disfigured face, unmoved, my gaze icy. The extreme cold short sickle in my left hand melted rapidly in the high temperature, and I tossed it aside, stepping forward to slap my palm against his bloodied face, pushing him forward with sudden force!
Whoosh—
Two figures burst forth from the burning inferno, the Black-clothed Man now a human torch in front of me, the heat so intense that any normal Pope Knight would struggle to get close. But for me, that temperature felt like a warm bath—totally ineffective.
I pushed him onward, and suddenly, I heard a loud “bang!” Steam erupted in front of my face, crashing against my skin and streaming into my eyes. Instinctively, I shut my eyes, my forward momentum halting for a moment, only to feel the sticky sensation slip away, and the Black-clothed Man fell silent.
He used mist…
My body reacted faster than my mind, so I dashed back using Moon Step. When I reopened my eyes, the thick mist enveloped everything, making it impossible to see even a silhouette.
What a pity…
This won’t work on me!
Boom!
Once steady, I channeled all my power from the Frost Order within, icy coldness bursting forth from my body. The mist instantly dissipated in the frigid winds, the white frost, which had been burning away, spread once more across the muddy ground. In less than a few seconds, visibility expanded to over ten meters.
Where is that guy…
I scanned my surroundings in the dissipating mist, searching for the Black-clothed Man. My ears perked up, keenly alert for an attack from behind. However, after a long wait, the mist slowly cleared to about twenty meters, yet still, I saw no sign of him.
…?
No way…
The sounds of battle still raged in the distance, gradually drawing closer, but everything around me was silent. Apart from the wind, not even the faintest footstep could be heard.
“……”
…He ran away?
The mist had cleared to over thirty meters, and around me, the Infernal Fire had ceased to burn.
He ran.
………
On the west side of the battlefield, massive thuds echoed through the air, the land transformed beyond recognition, as if bombarded by missiles, with dirt thrown up all around. In a pit nearly half a person’s height deep, Isaac ferociously pinned a bloodied and barely breathing Heretic warrior beneath him, hammering his fist down like a wrecking ball, smashing and pulverizing the enemy’s face and body, splattering bl**d everywhere, leaving the warrior convulsing and unable to make a sound.
Not long after, Isaac stood up from the now mushy corpse and trudged out of the pit with heavy steps.
He looked up to see the scattering Heretic crowd and the Golden Armored Knights charging in like wolves.
“Charge, charge! Feast on their flesh, drink their bl**d—!!!”
Safiros, bloodied and wielding his sword, cleaved an enemy trying to retreat and bellowed loudly to the knights behind him. In the crowd, the earth-shattering shouts rose again, as the infantry raised their shields and weapons, breaking through the faltering lines of Heretics. Bathed in the radiance of Divine Miracle, they charged through the inferno toward the city walls, joining forces with the elite cavalry, like an unstoppable spear, tearing through the Heretic formation.
“Isaac—”
I rode the ice platforms, executing Moon Step to swoop down onto the ravaged land, spotting the bald knight nearby. After wiping the bl**d from his face, I shouted at him. He turned back, and seeing him bloodier than me, his face smeared red, his fierce gaze and palpable killing intent sent a chill down my spine.
“Little one, you’re right on time! We’ve already crushed the rats here. Next, let’s storm the city wall and turn this place upside down!”
