Chapter 95: Rebirth (Part Four)
The Young Bishop turned his head and gazed towards the gray sky in the south of the town while saying, “Not to mention, Mr. Ryan, as soon as he stepped into the town, got entangled with some mysteriously arising monsters and temporarily fell into quite a bit of trouble. When he can come back is anyone’s guess. And you—”
After just a glance at the sky without noticing anything out of the ordinary, the Old Man and that bl**d-red monster had already flown over to the other side of the mountain. With no sign of an imminent clash, Aresta’s heart steadied a bit, and he turned back to reveal a faint smirk.
“Mr. Carlos, you seem to have sustained some pretty serious injuries. And what about Lady Apheir… where is she now? Has she been caught up in the earlier explosion, rendered immobile? Still, you confidently tell me not to interfere with what’s to come… Truly admirable, a hero indeed.”
“But, you see, at this rate, things will only get worse, right? You don’t want it to deteriorate further, do you? That black sun… You can see it yourself. It seems to be getting more dangerous by the minute.”
“Mr. Carlos, if I may suggest, why don’t you go down and rest? I’ll arrange for someone to tend to your injuries, and about the rest, just leave it to me. It’s my duty, and it’s the honor of the First Knights Order. We can’t just stand idly by, can we?”
His words sounded like a negotiation, yet his attitude was more like that of a noble overseeing things. While talking to Carlos, he was giving hand signals to the people behind him, and soon enough, someone quietly slipped away.
“Bishop, so by your logic…”
Carlos’s expression shifted like a weather vane, and he unconsciously gripped his sword tighter, looking at the Young Bishop mounted on the beast. “Are you planning to disregard everyone’s lives?”
“Or perhaps,” Aresta retorted, “I’m fighting for everyone here, for these great warriors of the Church that I brought along, claiming the honor and courage they deserve. Mr. Carlos, I respect you, I admire your strength. I’ve heard of your deeds. But let’s be clear, even if you look down on us and think we’re weak and incapable of dealing with the situation ahead, our beliefs and resolve are not lacking compared to yours.”
“Furthermore…”
Aresta smiled wider, having noticed the man’s growing tension. “Furthermore, you’re just a Pope Knight… you don’t have the Pope’s decree in your hands. The business of the First Knights Order isn’t for you to judge, right? You better understand this: though we have an obligation to assist you in the Eastern Continent, should things go awry, I, as the direct person in charge of this operation, have the right to make my own decisions.”
“You know what that means, right?”
Carlos pointed to the sphere in the sky behind him.
“Is that so?”
The Young Bishop shrugged, “I have no clue.”
“You have no clue but insist on proceeding? You don’t think about the consequences?”
“I am considering the consequences, which is precisely why I must proceed.”
Aresta quickly countered, “You can no longer ensure anything; that’s my judgment. Mr. Carlos, you’re bleeding, and your wounds are likely more serious than you realize. If not treated promptly, you’ll soon lose your capacity to act due to bl**d loss. And add to that the mysterious disappearance of Lady Apheir…”
“And your teacher, that great Sword Saint, no one knows when he can get out of trouble. I believe that whatever the heretics want to do here, even if the enemy is just one, their goal has already been achieved… if we’re not here.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Faced with Carlos’s questioning, Aresta remained unfazed and continued, “Or do you, Mr. Carlos, have some other thoughts? After all, you and your teacher have been steadfast in your beliefs. Even with things this dire, you’re still doing everything possible to keep us away from that sphere… Heh, you just said I didn’t know what that sphere was. So what do you understand about it? What’s your better approach? Care to share?”
“…”
Carlos fell silent.
Not because he had been bested in argument, but he recognized the other’s resolute attitude and understood that continuing this dispute would just waste time.
“Hu—”
He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him, unable to resist the urge to turn around again.
He noticed the snowflakes that had been falling like confetti had inexplicably stopped.
The thunderous sound of beastly hooves accompanied by the wailing cold wind rushed from the ruins of the little town. In just a matter of ten minutes, many knights had already arrived at the outskirts of the town square. The towering remnants of walls blocked most of his view, making it hard for Carlos to see what was happening. He only felt a miraculous glow rising, mixed with a cacophony of voices, gradually shrouding half of the square.
Thud thud…
Thud thud—
That heartbeat-like sound still echoed in his ears.
Little Shay…
How much longer do you need…
His thoughts raced, and he turned back, his chest heaving, his gaze unwavering. He said in a deep voice, “Since you’re so obsessed—”
But the words never finished.
Thud thud! Thud thud! Thud thud—
Carlos heard the heartbeat from the gray sky in the distance suddenly growing stronger and accelerating. At this moment, he was momentarily frozen. He saw the Young Bishop across from him wearing a similarly dazed expression, their attention now directed upwards with widened eyes alongside a few clerics behind him.
!
Carlos’s heart raced; he sensed something ominous and turned back.
Thud thud—
Above in the gray sky, the drumming sound roared like thunder.
In his line of sight, the swirling black clouds rolled ominously, thickening as the flickering crimson light in the clouds faded into nothingness. Countless wisps of dark smoke twisted into nearly a hundred slender black tornadoes, racing away from the black sun in all directions, connecting to the thickening cloud sea, writhing and twisting, as if trying to pull into the sphere the immense power contained within.
Thud thud!
With the next heartbeat came a chilling gust of wind sweeping from the sphere, uprooting the already quiet little town once more, sending dust and debris flying. The strong impact almost knocked the weakened Carlos off his feet, forcing him to lift his hand to shield his face and staggering back a couple of steps.
Hiss—
The horned beast under Aresta raised its front hooves, letting out a long cry in the biting wind. He quickly steadied the giant creature and then saw the floating black sphere; its surface, once covered in darkness, began to become agitated.
“We’re out of time!”
At that moment, he realized the situation had become urgent, no longer able to consider what the man in front of him thought. He had no time to think of giving further commands. In an instant, the golden light on him shone brilliantly, intertwining with radiant strands as he raised his right hand on the beast’s back, the sound of “vroom” echoed, as the Light of MaFa’s dazzling golden glow shot into the sky, illuminating the dim sky in an instant.
“Everyone! Let’s move!”
