Chapter 93: Gotcha!
“No, no way… you… cough, cough—”
The old guy could hardly get his words out, clearly struggling to handle the sensory overload from the rapid ascent. His frail, aged body flailed about as he tried to grab my arm but was too afraid of the black flames. bl**d gushed from his wound and splattered into the fire, making a faint sizzling sound as it was quickly consumed—none of it landed on my armor.
I tightened my grip on the collar of his robe, practically choking him. He let out a low growl, “Heh, heh, heh,” his eyes rolling back.
Time to find a spot…
As we soared higher, the shouts of the knights below became muffled, almost inaudible, while the stray light arrows they shot went wide. I adjusted my direction mid-air without caring which way was up or down, controlling the black flames to fly at full speed, putting distance between us and the Church Knights while subtly monitoring the old bishop’s condition. His complexion was shifting from red to blue under the glare of the white light. He seemed desperate to say something to me but couldn’t manage a single word, slowly sticking his tongue out.
Almost home free…
Just about to let him go.
Phew—
The black flames flickered in the rushing wind, gradually weakening as my flight speed slowed. I adjusted my form in the air, dived down toward the grasslands, and when I was close enough to the ground, I flung the old man out of my grasp, drifting softly before my toes touched the soft earth.
My flames flickered for a moment and then went out, wisps of black smoke rising from my armor and dissipating into the air.
“Ugh—”
A grunt came from the old man ahead.
I had dropped him pretty hard, and his body rolled uncontrollably across the grass for nearly ten meters before finally coming to a stop. He lay there face down, and sensing my approach, he started to struggle to get up, but despite all his effort, he could only manage to stay in a kneeling position, his left elbow pressed into the grass as he coughed violently, fresh red bl**d flowing from the severed stump of his right arm.
“Ugh… ugh…”
His body trembled. He was panting heavily, a mix of saliva and dirt dripping down from his mouth.
I walked up to him slowly and stopped, gripping the handle of Captain Gray, pointing the blade downwards at him.
“You…”
The old man’s voice trembled fiercely.
He struggled to lift his head, his bloodshot eyes wide with a complex expression as he gazed at me.
“You were hit by… cough, cough! The goddess’s judgment…”
He was in so much pain, his expression nearly slipping away as his facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.
At that moment, I noticed that the bishop’s right leg was wrapped in bandages and grotesquely swollen… but that wasn’t my doing; he had suffered some serious injuries in a previous battle. However, after that rough landing, bl**d seeped out from under the bandages, staining the hem of his robe crimson, which explained why he couldn’t stand up… no wonder he was left behind.
“Why… are you still alive?”
Hearing his broken words made me furrow my brows.
The goddess’s judgment?
What was that… was it the miraculous strike that hit me? Pretty impressive, I guess?
But what good does that do…
Ultimately, it failed to k*ll me. I’m still alive.
“You all threw me into Abyss Mud.” I whispered, “So, I came back.”
Of course, I was just bluffing, but maybe it would tick him off even more.
“Impossible, impossible…”
The old man’s pale, dirt-caked lips trembled uncontrollably, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He barely managed to sit up, his left hand gripping his right arm tightly, fingers whitening as he tried to staunch the bleeding, but it was futile.
It seemed like he was looking at me, or maybe somewhere behind me, muttering, “This is wrong… you were coughing, before falling into Abyss Mud… before that cough, you should… have been dead… you were dead… even if you’re from the Abyss…”
The old man was incredibly confused. He seemed convinced I was already dead… and I didn’t think he was lying.
So, have I actually… died once?
I looked at his aged and disheveled face, feeling a strange sense of discomfort, a wave of grievance washing over me, creeping throughout my body.
I couldn’t help but clench my tiny fists.
“You all…”
Ah, my voice is a bit hoarse…
I cleared my throat slightly.
“You all… really want me dead, don’t you?”
My softly spoken words drifted away in the night wind over the grasslands.
The old man suddenly jolted.
He seemed to snap back to reality, desperately trying to repress the agony twisting his face, and he frantically shouted at me, “No, no! I don’t want you dead! That was just Cardinal Nero’s idea… I cough, I’m just under his authority, I can’t go against his will, I had no choice, I’m powerless…”
“I’m just a diligent bishop… We don’t even know each other, how could I wish for your d*ath? That girl… Hil… Miss Hil Vido, I’ve heard of you… you’re a brave Pope Knight…”
How ugly…
“Nero said you were an Abyss Monster. I believed him… but he tricked me, you can’t possibly be a monster… monsters can’t be here talking to me, right? You have such beautiful, clean eyes, you must be a very kind girl… d*mn it, I’ve been deceived…”
… This kind of person was bestowed with divine favor?
I didn’t want to listen to him ramble anymore.
“Tell me, where’s Margaret? Where’s Nero?”
The bishop’s eyes lit up at my words.
“I know, cough, I know where they are, I can take you there, let me take you—”
“No need.”
I shook my head gently.
“Just tell me. I’ll go myself.”
The bishop paused, his expression shifting to one of panic.
“No, you won’t find them… let me take you… only I know where they are…”
I interrupted him, “They’re in a nearby town, right?”
Unfortunately, I had already heard the knights mention it. Just didn’t remember the name or how to get there.
“Uh… Miss, I need to stop the bleeding…”
The bishop tried to reach out to rip his robe, but I swiftly brought my scythe to his neck.
“Don’t move. Tell me where the town is. Otherwise… once you’re dead, I can just ask someone else.”
I stretched out my other hand, pointing towards the direction of the noise behind me, smiling as I glanced at him.
The bishop fell silent.
“You don’t have much time.”
Slowly, I lowered the scythe. Then I raised my left hand, concentrating.
Tiny black smoke serpents slithered out from my palm, entwining around my fingertips for a moment before darting towards the bishop’s face.
“Ah!”
He screamed, instinctively raising a hand to block, but the black smoke serpent dodged his arm, swirling above his head, twisting playfully… poised to devour its prey.
“You know what this is, right?”
The old man looked at me in sheer terror, his face as pale as a ghost, beads of cold sweat dripping down his cheeks, rendering him momentarily speechless.
I raised a finger, my expression unchanging as I started counting.
“One.”
Then I raised a second finger.
“Two…”
“Wait!” The old man couldn’t hold it anymore, “I’ll tell you… I’ll tell you… Cardinal Nero… he’s in Wanderm Town, I just got word, the Saint is hiding there, and Nero went after them, we need to regroup with him right away…”
He pointed with his left hand toward the southeast.
“Wanderm Town is over there—”
I instinctively looked in the direction he indicated.
Over there…
Suddenly, a golden light burst forth in the corner of my vision.
!
My heart sank abruptly, and before I could process anything, my body kicked into action.
Whew—
The wind whipped up black smoke, surging beneath me and swallowing everything nearby.
“Ah…”
“Ahhhhhh—”
The bishop’s cries were cut short in an instant.
Moments later, a wisp of white smoke entered my chest.
“Mm…”
The sensation of devouring surged through my brain. I clenched my fists in front of my chest, my body trembling slightly.
As the dead smoke gradually returned to my inner core, the space before me was empty, nothing left—only the black d*ath and scattered ashes.
He’s dead…
I devoured him…
I stood there, the words repeating in my mind.
This wasn’t…
Supposed to happen…
I meant to devour them; they dared to harm me…
But I really did eat him… why does it feel so uneasy inside… so painful…
It’s actually nothing…
Time to go.
The distant horizon behind me sparkled with countless flames. The shouts of the knights and the sound of clanging armor were eerily creeping into my hearing.
Let’s go…
Stop thinking, go find Margaret.
In the next moment, the black flames roiled beneath my feet, propelling me into the skies above.
Southeast…
I concentrated my energy, urging the black flames, flying at full throttle.
Don’t think about anything else…
But I still couldn’t help but glance back at the small patch of scorched black earth I had left behind.
… I had long made up my mind to devour them.
Carlos had told me I was a Pope Knight, not a wishy-washy fool who regrets things. I hadn’t done anything wrong… I can’t spare those who hurt me; otherwise, they’d harm me again.
If I hadn’t fought back earlier, I might’ve been ambushed… what I did was right.
Don’t overthink it…
The pale white moonlight hung delicately in the distant sky.
It cast a thin glow, illuminating the night, revealing the indistinct outlines of the fields below. I wrapped myself in flames as I flew low, immersing myself in the elegant night scenery, making my heart feel a bit lighter.
Although it was still out of sight, we should be very near to the Royal City… once I find Margaret and return with her, we can handle everything smoothly…
Then maybe… I should rest for a bit…
I’m kind of missing home…
Boom—boom—boom—
Suddenly, a massive thunderous roar echoed from afar.
!
What’s happening…
I was startled by the terrifying sound, and before I could comprehend what was going on, a blinding golden light suddenly illuminated the distant horizon. In an instant, the entire night was painted with radiant brilliance, as if a deity had descended; countless golden beams broke through the clouds, tearing apart the thin veil of moonlight, piercing through the earth, illuminating the plains and rivers below, showcasing the solitary windmill tower, the muddy fields beside it, and the countless tiny houses far away.
It was the town…
Someone was performing a divine miracle over there!
Who could it be?
Margaret… or Nero…
I adjusted my position and propelled myself toward the golden radiance.
Boom—boom—boom—
The ground-shaking sound of thunder continued unabated.
In my sights, countless bright white arcs of electricity flitted through the clouds, gathering in the night sky ahead, resembling serpentine shapes entwining with the golden light, dispelling the darkness that had taken over half the sky.
In the next moment, a colossal beam of light sliced through the heavens.
“Ugh…”
I instinctively shut my eyes.
The world seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Then, I was abruptly jolted back to reality by a horrific sound that felt like the ground was crumbling.
Boom—!!!
“Ah!”
I think I let out a scream, but I couldn’t hear my own voice.
I could barely force my eyes open.
The light ahead still hadn’t faded, but the terrifying beam that had descended from the sky transformed into a shower of white starlight; the overwhelming energy gradually dissipated as the starlight scattered. The once-bustling town, home to many people, was now completely engulfed in a tide of swirling dust and smoke, faintly revealing flames flickering within.
!!!
What horrifying power is this!
I was a bit frightened.
The shockwave hit me, the black flames swirling around me violently. I suppressed the thread of trembling rising within and summoned the Chaotic Power, pushing against the fierce wind as I flew at full speed.
Who could it be…
Before long, I spotted a rise outside the town, where the rolling dust clouds couldn’t reach—a loose formation of Church Knights riding Horned Horses, their mounts thrashing nervously, lifting their front hooves while they fidgeted.
In front of the knights, two old robed figures and Cardinal Nero himself were also riding Horned Horses, their bodies still glowing with golden light.
It was them…
They were the ones who performed that miracle… why attack the town… could Margaret be there… but aren’t you the Holy Church?
Why…
Could you do something so comparable to the Abyss…
There are people living in that town!
In that moment, an overwhelming rage consumed my awareness, and I swiftly dove toward Nero.
The distance wasn’t far, and my speed was incredible.
He hasn’t noticed me… hasn’t noticed me yet… closer… just a few dozen meters…
Someone turned back!
“What’s that…”
“Abyss…”
“It’s the Abyss!”
I’ve been spotted…
With a flick of my left hand, several black smoke serpents zipped forward.
Nero reacted quickly; as soon as the knights shouted, a golden light erupted from him again, forming a shimmering barrier that enveloped him. The dead smoke crashed into it but was entirely repelled, spiraling quickly around the barrier above. Then I saw him raise his hand.
!
Don’t think you can hit me with the same trick again!
I maneuvered swiftly, controlling the black flames as I slid to the side, a blinding beam barely grazing my shoulder as it shot past.
That was close…
Just thirty meters!
The flames swirled madly around me. I could feel the Chaotic Power’s hot energy stirring within me.
Buzz, buzz, buzz…
The golden light began to converge above the barrier, gradually forming the shape of a Golden Bell, half of the panicked knights below ensnared within its radiant glow.
Ding—
The bell chimed.
The two old robed figures who had been preparing to unleash their miracle instantly toppled from their beastly mounts, along with many other knights and Horned Horses, crashing in a chaotic heap.
Twenty meters…
With a gentle wave of my left hand, the dead smoke swirling around the barrier suddenly expanded to both sides, devouring the two downed old robed figures and the Horned Horses.
As the white smoke ensnared them, I conjured a black fireball in my hand.
Compressing… compressing even more…
Nearly all the black flames gathered into the fireball resting in my palm, the powerful wind pressure striking my face, even causing pain.
Then I swung my arm.
Whoosh—
The fireball howled through the air, aimed at the golden bell that wasn’t fully formed above.
BANG!
Not as explosive as I had imagined. The black fireball instantly pierced through the Golden Bell, leaving a hole the size of a head, dispersing into shimmering sparks.
Just as that happened, I raised Captain Gray high, her petite figure transforming into a streak of black meteor, crashing straight into the brittle light wall.
Boom!
The flames raged in my vision.
The powerful backlash caused Captain Gray to slip from my grasp, yet the golden barrier shattered upon that impact, and I even caught a glimpse of Nero’s slightly panicked face.
Gotcha!
“Ahhhh—”
In the moment I landed, I rolled to dissipate the remaining force, creating an explosion of dirt with the sudden impact before I swiftly used Moon Step to appear right in front of him.
Clenching my fist.
With a straight punch, I aimed for his soft cheek.
BAM!
Nero didn’t have time to react; his face twisted from the blow, the bones shifting shape as teeth flew out of his crooked mouth, just barely missing my ear as they whizzed past.
His body was sent flying back.
