Chapter 107: Light and Dark (Part Four)
Just at the moment the scarlet flames erupted, Sophia’s hair curled at the front, and she faintly smelled something burning. She couldn’t quite place it or react—her brain was still in a fog.
For Sophia, everything happening in front of her was too abrupt. It was like a demon appeared out of nowhere, effortlessly slicing through an enemy’s legs. In the flash of bl**d, the girl stepped onto her opponent’s face and began to speak. Sophia stared at the petite, familiar figure and heard that frail, heart-wrenching voice. Suddenly, it hit her—was that Peilo?
Before she could process her thoughts, she blurted out a question. The girl’s reaction was amusing; she denied it outright and turned her face away. This behavior was akin to covering one’s ears while stealing a bell. Combined with that breathtaking cute face she’d just glimpsed, Sophia was instantly convinced that the girl before her was indeed Peilo.
As this thought emerged, she abruptly noticed Peilo’s nearly jet-black hair blending with the flaming wings and the woman she was cradling.
That looked like…
Her Majesty the Queen…!!!
The convoluted information in front of Sophia made her brain go haywire. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening and felt completely overwhelmed. In the next moment, the black-robed man under Peilo’s foot burst into flames.
Sophia was so stunned she forgot to run.
Hot…
“Ah!”
She couldn’t help but cry out, half-covering her face that was scorched by hot air, while her mind was still circling around the fact that Peilo was holding Her Majesty the Queen. A stunning battle ignited in front of her at that very moment.
The petite girl seemed to have made up her mind. She clutched the blonde woman tightly, pivoted, and sent the flaming black-robed man flying with a kick, crashing him into a brick wall at the street’s end. As rubble flew, fierce flames leapt from the cracks of the fallen bricks, and the bricks quickly turned glowing red. Peilo raised her left hand high above her head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the instant the blue light burst forth, Sophia felt a chilling wave slam into her right after the heat. She couldn’t quite see what Peilo shot into the sky, as her ears rang from the three loud explosions. The abrupt drop in temperature made her shiver and step back, only to see Peilo turn her head with a fierce expression Sophia had never seen before, and say, “Run—”
In the next moment, the girl spread her wings and flapped backward.
Boom—
A wild wind whipped up in front of her, a massive shockwave sweeping through the street. Baskets were tossed into the air, wooden carts toppled, and cobblestones scattered like confetti. If this moment could be slowed down, Sophia’s eyes would widen in astonishment, her shocked expression barely concealed as her hair flew wildly behind her, her cheeks jiggled like waves, and her feet began to lift off the ground.
The astounding wind slammed her down onto the ground, dust and sand filling her mouth. Sophia coughed twice, unable to open her eyes fully due to the dust. From her peripheral vision, she saw Peilo darting across to the other side of the street, the black mist swirling in the air as if drawn by some unseen force, merging with Peilo’s figure.
In an instant, her wings folded back.
The black-robed man had just propped himself up from the ruins, the blue bricks glowing bright. It seemed he was shouting something, but Sophia couldn’t hear. Peilo was already in front of him. She turned her body to shield the woman in her arms from the flames, raising her other hand, aimed directly at the bewildered black-robed man’s face.
Crack crack boom—!
Countless towering icicles exploded forth, showering the area with icy shards like gigantic steel needles, skewering everything in front of the girl, encasing the man and half a nearby building in ice. The piercing ice spikes stabbed into the walls, and the bright flames vanished, replaced by a scene engulfed in frost.
It seemed Peilo, fearing for the woman who resembled Her Majesty the Queen, retreated without hesitation after unleashing such a terrifying attack, until she was out of the frosty zone. This all took place in less than two seconds—the black flames on the girl’s back quickly drew back into her body as she glanced at the woman with urgency, muttering, “Second phase… how can it… appear…”
What does that mean…
What is going on…
Sophia, huddled on the ground, felt her face hardening and teeth chattering. She struggled to stand, but fear and the daunting aura radiating from Peilo made her legs weak and her body tremble. Her hair felt stiff, and the icicles collected on her skirt fell off with every movement.
Then, Peilo’s gaze turned back towards her again.
“Pei—”
Sophia’s lips turned pale, words failing her.
Her usual sharp-tongued social skills seemed useless in this moment. She had no idea what to say or do, couldn’t stand, just stared blankly at Peilo, shock overpowering her fear, leaving her mind a blank slate.
What is she… who is she…
How could this be? What an overwhelming power! How could Peilo—no way… it shouldn’t be like this… but here she stood…
Thoughts swirling chaotically.
The girl ahead seemed to hesitate for a moment, then slowly approached her.
Sophia’s heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily shivered, instinctively dragging herself backward.
“You—”
Peilo had wanted to say something to her.
But upon seeing the reaction, her lively black eyes momentarily froze, and her steps halted.
Ah…
I shouldn’t be like this…
Just as this thought flickered in her mind, Sophia suddenly heard a sharp “whoosh” nearby. No sooner had she processed what it was than the girl in front suddenly turned around. In the next moment, with a loud crash, a towering ice wall shot up from the ground as a blue arc struck it from some unknown direction.
Lightning…
The blue arc spread like a net across the icy wall the moment it touched, distorting and rampaging through the limited space ahead, striking the road and carts, igniting them in a “boom” of furious flames, filling the air with a sense of dread, causing Sophia to scramble backward, oblivious to the tatters of her skirt.
Amidst the arc, the girl’s figure had already vanished.
She thought she saw a petite silhouette darting past on the roof to her left. Moments later, an explosive ice bloom erupted again as the girl clashed with two suddenly appearing figures on the distant rooftop.
Three figures zipped back and forth between the buildings and streets at dizzying speeds, fast enough to confuse the eyes. Sophia felt the arcs of electricity still brightening here when flames suddenly erupted over there, the explosions ringing out like incessant thunder, debris and dust swirling in a frenzy. In an instant, the entire street seemed on the verge of being torn apart by this display of power, with buildings collapsing and people rushing out in panic. The girl leaped from the dust, black flames gathering again in mid-air, transforming into a fireball aimed at the combatants.
Boom!
The explosion swallowed her silhouette.
Sophia’s mouth dropped open wide.
She had never witnessed such an intense battle before, almost forgetting the cold, with her heart and soul in panic.
Someone so strong…
Just like that, Peilo had finished them off.
Suddenly, she recalled stories from friends or things she had learned about renowned figures in Ethanbel. Most were teachers at the Royal Academy, possessing incredible skills, or were geniuses of the Power of Order, long known for many years—subjects of endless debates for those immature boys about who would win in a fight, who was stronger, sparking heated arguments.
While the boys were indeed immature, those they talked about were powerful and respected figures. Of course, Sophia had witnessed some of their powers, like Giant Ram, who could tear apart Fire Bear Beasts with bare hands and often showcased his strength in physical training classes.
That was impressive, no doubt.
But comparing that kind of power to the battle before her… it was simply…
Laughable.
It was like the gulf between a four-eared rabbit and a lion, entirely different leagues.
Such battles…
Sophia could only think of those “legends” standing at the pinnacle of humanity. But she simply couldn’t connect that dunderhead of a girl with any “legend”.
She’s Peilo…
The air temperature slightly rose once more. Shakily, Sophia managed to stand up, trembling as she took a glance at the now ice-encased black-robed man.
He was utterly silent.
Just one hit, and that guy who could melt bricks was dead…
He might have been stronger than many teachers at the Academy, but in front of Peilo, he hadn’t even lasted a few seconds… it seemed she was protecting Her Majesty the Queen, which made these people…
Suddenly, Sophia recalled something the girl had mentioned earlier.
The Gate of Truth.
Sophia had been engulfed in fear and shock, her mind hardly able to think at the time. It was only at this moment that she realized what that term meant.
Heretics…
Her father had told her they were a terrifying group, savage and possessing immense power, a plague the Church had been unable to eradicate for centuries.
She finally grasped the kind of dreadful demons Peilo was battling.
But then more questions flooded in.
Why were there heretics? They seemed to want to k*ll Her Majesty the Queen… why did Peilo suddenly appear, seemingly with a personal vendetta against these lunatics?
And…
Why…
Did that mysterious black power seem so similar to the Abyss monsters that Teacher Teresa spoke of…
What is she…
Boom!
A distant explosion interrupted Sophia’s thoughts.
“Silvya!”
Suddenly, from across the street, a voice called out. Shortly after, the sound of hooves followed.
Sophia turned to see a figure radiating a faint golden light, leading several nuns riding Horned Horses as they galloped around the corner, sweeping past her towards the other side of the battlefield. Behind them, a troop of cavalry watched from a distance, showing no intention of moving closer, some already turning to leave.
“Oh, God…”
One nun, upon seeing Sophia, reined in her steed and quickly approached her after dismounting, seemingly trying to say something loudly, but Sophia was in such a daze she couldn’t hear clearly.
Her mind was fixated on one thing.
Silvya…
The youngest Pope Knight in history…
If she remembered correctly, that was a… sixteen-year-old girl.
