Chapter 97: Rebirth (6)
Oh no…
The Captain of Knights felt a jolt in his heart and hurriedly turned around.
In his line of sight, a brilliant blue flash of lightning erupted from behind him like a bomb, revealing a bl**d-smeared figure soaring through the electric currents towards the cleric who was casting a divine miracle.
“Watch your back!!”
As the light flickered, the Captain couldn’t catch a glimpse of the opponent’s movements in time. All he managed was a loud warning for everyone. Unfortunately, that figure moved too fast. By the time he reacted and prepared to rush in for a rescue, he saw through his helmet’s reflections that the cleric Ralix was already being yanked off the ground by his collar!
A knight…
No, a swordsman!?
“Ralix—”
The shocking turn of events happened in an instant. Around the Captain, a dozen elite warriors from the First Knights Order had just turned to pursue in the direction the lighting had shot through. Barely had they taken a single step before Ralix’s figure was flung away right in front of them.
Whoosh—!
The figure flew like a cannonball, probably paralyzed in that instant of being grabbed by the collar. Wrapped in golden light, the body flashed with electricity and could barely muster a reaction, soaring out of the Captain’s line of sight in a heartbeat.
The man felt a chill down his spine. It was only then he got a clearer look at the enemy—a young man with white hair and blue eyes, tattered clothes, burn marks all over his body and face, yet exuding an unstoppable aura.
After throwing Ralix away, he didn’t stop, his stunning electric speed crackling and flashing as he darted across the desolate ground, no one able to follow his movements. In less than a second, the remaining clerics in the Captain’s view were inexplicably sent flying.
And at that moment, all the fighters of the First Knights Order, including the Captain, had barely taken a step forward.
Too fast…
“Sin Barrier—!”
Way too fast!!!
Buzz—
The light of the divine miracle swirled around the Captain, shooting towards the approaching enemy as a transparent half-arc barrier descended from above the adversary’s head. The man attempted to ensnare him first, but his Sin Barrier formation couldn’t possibly keep up with the opponent’s speed. With another flash of electricity, the next moment, that figure had disappeared from the golden light’s coverage and reappeared right in front of the Captain.
“Uh…”
In the blink of an eye, the Captain saw that face suddenly appear before him. His brain scrambled to react at lightning speed as he abruptly halted his forward charge, stepping back instead. He swung his blade upward, sharp and swift, aiming for his foe—that was the plan.
But just as his body moved, his limbs suddenly stiffened. A tingling sensation spread throughout him, his ears buzzing as his mind went blank.
By the time he came to, he found his sword hand gripped tightly by the enemy, and his body already airborne, just like Ralix, tossed away like yesterday’s trash with a whoosh!
Electric order…
Bam! Buzz buzz buzz buzz—
After flying a few meters back, he crashed down heavily, sending dirt flying. The buzzing in his ears continued, although the numbness in his limbs began to fade.
“Cough!”
The Captain coughed and struggled to stand up. In his field of view, the clerics who had been thrown were just landing one by one, hitting the ground with loud thuds. Three to five knights rushed forward, yet the dazzling flashes, the attacks—they didn’t even get a chance to see what the enemy did before they were all sent flying back.
The enemy is holding back…
The Captain moved his sore wrist and bent down to pick up the sword from the ground.
He didn’t want to k*ll anyone; otherwise, he would’ve been dead already…
Realizing this, the man didn’t rush back into the fray but shouted at the top of his lungs, “You’re not a heretic! Who are you—!?”
Zzzz.
Electricity crackled across the ground, retreating to a distance of over ten meters before exploding into a brilliant display.
“Carlos.”
The young, injured swordsman stepped out from the shooting lightning, sword in one hand, speaking in a deep voice: “Pope Knight, Carlos Gonzalez.”
“Pope…”
“Pope Knight!?”
Though the opponent’s voice was low, every action around them froze at that moment.
The knights were dumbfounded, as if all their fight had just deflated. The charging knights suddenly halted, the clerics who had tumbled over were getting up, and Ralix, having already regained his feet, once murmured his prayers, paused upon hearing the name, his face shifting from shock to puzzlement.
“You mean… you’re Carlos? The famous Silver Flash, Mr. Carlos!?”
The Captain stared at the man, suddenly feeling at a loss, confused and bewildered.
He had thought it was just a simple enemy attack, a dying struggle from heretics. Little did he realize the one who came was a Pope Knight, one quite renowned—Silver Flash, Walker of the Abyss, the one who had slain countless demons, celebrated by many as one of humanity’s peak champions, Carlos Gonzalez.
He had, of course, heard of that name.
The First Knights Order revered strength; nearly everyone idolized the title of Pope Knight. In their hearts, it symbolized not just power, but also merit and glory.
To be conferred the title of Pope Knight, barring those who unceremoniously turned traitor, each one was regarded as a manifestation of the Deity’s benevolence in the world. Knights understood this well, and upon hearing the name of Pope Knight called out, their realization hit—this formidable young man before them, who made their hearts race, was not their enemy.
Although they didn’t understand why Mr. Carlos was suddenly here, looking wounded as if he’d been through a brutal battle, regardless, he was one of their own, a hero of humanity. When the title of Pope Knight was uttered, almost everyone sighed in relief, hastily lowering their aggressive stances.
“You really are Mr. Carlos?”
Yet, suspicion couldn’t be entirely shaken off. Even though his prowess and strength matched the legend, and his earlier attacks had been perfectly measured, resulting in no one getting hurt or knocked down, they thought a true enemy likely wouldn’t show such restraint.
But until the Iris emblem was in sight, the possibility of an unexpected twist remained.
Furthermore…
The Captain lowered his sword to his side, not in a hurry to sheathe it. He looked over at the nearby wounded swordsman and asked, “You disrupted the Faith Organization’s divine miracle to seal off the remnants of the demon. What’s that about?”
As he spoke, he cast his gaze around.
In the scenery, those clerics who had been thrown might have gotten up, looking just a bit dirty, but they seemed unscathed. However, the casting of the Chain of Divine Lock had been forcefully interrupted, the holy light that had lingered over the desolate ground gradually fading, as the earth’s tremors quickly subsided.
This was the starting point for the Chain of Divine Lock; with this break, the distant sources of light flickered out as well. Restarting would not only take time but also consume the clerics’ faith power, risking failure altogether.
The Captain couldn’t comprehend why this had happened.
He was deeply anxious, unable to figure out where things went wrong. He couldn’t help but say again, “Is there some misunderstanding here? The situation is urgent, and we must seal that thing in the air to prevent future disaster. That’s the knight’s duty! But danger could strike at any moment, so I ask you, Mr. Carlos—”
“I won’t let you do that.”
Before he could finish, Carlos interrupted him.
