Chapter 71: Baptism by Fire (Part Three)
No warning.
I was caught off guard, still in the position of leaning forward with my head tilted, gazing at Little Girl Betty. Out of the corner of my eye, that woman was still looking up at the starry sky, only raising her right hand slightly. No one could have predicted her move, nor did anyone prepare for it.
But the next moment, a sharp whistling of wind started howling.
In a daze, countless brown crystals flashed by, carried by the wind, shooting outwards at an astonishing speed in all directions.
I didn’t react quickly enough, either.
Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft—
The light sounds of sharp objects piercing flesh could be heard all around me, causing me to snap back to reality. As my heart sank, I instinctively turned to look at the woman, but what greeted my eyes first was the old mayor’s bl**d-soaked, disbelief-stricken face.
“Hehe, heh…”
His murky eyes were wide open, the whites now a ghastly red, as he clutched his throat, staring hard at Miss Ailna. He seemed to want to say something but couldn’t utter a word. bl**d gushed out from between his fingers, splattering on the woman’s hood and face. Meanwhile, Strong Man Mond, with a bloody hole in his head, had already begun to fall straight back.
Thud.
No screams.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
The ear-splitting sound of the wind erupted from around the woman, passing outward in all directions. Countless crystals pierced through the heads and bodies of people in blinks: kn*fe-wielding men, crying women, half-grown children, and old folks. In an instant, everyone visible on that dirt path had stiffened, falling down one after another.
They didn’t even have time to make a sound.
!!!
My heart twisted in an instant. I can’t even describe the explosion of feelings that surged forth; I felt like my scalp might explode. As I finally reacted, I lifted Little Girl Betty and took a Moon Step, flying back over ten meters with a whoosh.
What was she doing…
What did she do!!!
“Dammit…”
I gritted my teeth, muttering a curse as my head still spun. Looking at the fallen bodies around me, the dark red bl**d seeped out, soaking the ground.
Those people were just talking or crying a moment ago! Each one had their actions and thoughts! Faced with the sudden arrival of the Church Knights, some wanted to surrender, some advocated for resistance, and others were frozen and crying, unwilling to let their men go to battle…
But the knights hadn’t even arrived. All those countless thoughts and actions, all those lives that had been so vibrant just moments before, fell abruptly silent without a trace of warning.
It was as if the world itself had finally quieted down.
The air had thickened.
Only in the distance could I vaguely hear some confused voices.
I held Betty, my hands shaking violently.
That woman has gone mad…
She’s lost it! That d*mn lunatic!!!
“Betty, run—”
I stared fiercely at the woman, intending to put the little girl down and block the woman myself, hoping she would run away—her grandpa was dead, her mother lying in a pool of bl**d, and the baby she used to carry had stopped crying long ago—perhaps it was already dead. The little girl might not be able to handle such a blow, but she had to escape. Even alone, she had to be strong to survive.
“You need to…”
I set her down.
But Little Girl Betty couldn’t stand upright.
She plunged headfirst toward the ground.
!
I reacted quickly, scooping her back up, but this time, my hand landed on her abdomen, feeling a sticky, warm liquid covering my palm.
This is…
My head was buzzing as I instinctively looked down.
It’s bl**d…
So much bl**d…
Little Girl Betty hung her head in my arms, her silver hair disheveled, the tips swaying gently in the wind. Her body was limp against my side, as if she had lost all her bones and strength. The crimson bl**d oozed from her abdomen, dripping down her tattered robe, plip, plip, splattering onto the ground.
The girl was no longer chattering.
“Betty…”
My lips trembled as I gently shook her.
“Betty!”
“Sis… Sis…”
Hearing my voice, the little girl slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were half-lidded, and the beautiful blue irises had lost their luster, her small face now pale.
In her fading consciousness, the little girl moved her fingers as if wanting to raise her arm, but couldn’t lift it anymore. There was fear in her eyes, but even more was a confusion and bewilderment over what was happening.
Then, everything in her tiny eyes quickly dimmed.
What to do…
“Betty, don’t sleep… Betty!”
What to do, what to do, what to do…
How can I save her? What can I do to keep her alive…
Divine Miracle…
I don’t know how to use a Divine Miracle… but we can’t wait for the Church to arrive… she’s going to d*e… who can save her… who can—
That woman…
Miss Ailna, she can perform Divine Miracles…
She’s the only hope…
“Miss! Ail! Na—”
I yelled towards the woman, clutching Betty tightly, “You d*mn crazy woman! Hurry up! Use your Divine Miracle, save her—”
“Save them!”
“You crazy old hag!!!”
“I’ll do anything you want! Whatever you want, I promise!”
“Save her!”
“Why did you have to k*ll them!!!”
“Why did you—”
As I shouted, I saw that woman suddenly turn her head.
Whoosh—
The next moment, a gust of wind swept over me, accompanied by fierce flames. The woman leapt right in front of me, the fierce wind flipping her large hood back, revealing half of her burned, withered face, and an eye that was nothing but a blank white orb.
Her face, as cold as snow, devoid of any emotion, was only in my sight for a fleeting moment.
“Ugh!”
Boom—
The woman swung her right arm, whip-like, toward me. Instinctively, I raised my fist to strike back, my angry shout bursting forth as a violent explosion erupted in front of me, sending shockwaves that lifted me off the ground two or three meters. My hand slipped, and Little Betty’s limp body was flung away.
With a crash, she toppled onto a nearby cart, bamboo baskets flying everywhere, the old cart collapsing loudly, with a wheel deformed upon impact. Betty’s small body fell amongst the debris, going completely still.
d*mn it…
“Lunatic!!!”
My head felt like it had exploded, emotions igniting like fire with the shock. I stumbled and fell to the ground, my vision turning bl**d-red, wishing I could devour that woman alive. Just as that thought barely flickered in my mind, the woman’s figure burst from the explosion, her cloak swirling with frost and embers, not giving me a moment to breathe or think, leaping right in front of me.
“Ahhh—”
Boom!
The two figures collided again, a violent explosion erupting once more in the night sky above the town, yellow sand swirling, dust rampaging, as the scarlet infernal fire rose, with black dead smoke swirling in the flames. In the center of the shockwave stood the furious girl, gripping the woman’s neck, suddenly tightening her hold. With a snap, she broke the woman’s neck, her head twisting at an unnatural angle, yet the woman’s face showed no sign of reaction.
The next moment, accompanied by a faint sound of flesh tearing, a giant, dry, elongated, eerie bl**d hand reached out from the woman’s back, suddenly clawing toward the girl’s head!
