Chapter 118: Light and Dark (Part 15)
The moment I heard those words, a chill ran through my body, my limbs went numb and floppy, and my head buzzed as if it were about to tip over. I was just staring blankly into the bright eyes of the girl.
In the distance, the city and sky blurred, right in front of me was a girl with black hair and eyes, her delicate and stunning face. Everything reflected in her crimson irises vanished in an instant, like a quick candle snuffed out.
Iliush’s eyes were no longer bright. It felt as if the last glimmer of her shining light had already vanished into thin air.
“I… Iliush…”
I trembled, wanting to grasp her hand, to save whatever was about to slip away, to let the little girl feel a trace of warmth from a living being.
My hand reached out.
Just before I touched her small arm, the little girl suddenly lifted her head.
My heart went thud! Before I could react, a blast of dead smoke surged forth from my eyes, devouring everything in sight. A gale slammed into me, knocking me back a few steps as I barely managed to steady myself.
“Ugh…”
I looked ahead, and the figure of Iliush was completely swallowed and wrapped in dead smoke, the thick mist swirling around like some gooey syrup. Tendrils of smoke slithered in all directions, transforming the area into a chilling d*ath zone.
Buildings collapsed in chunks, bricks and dust shooting up into the air like confetti, and countless clouds of dead smoke dropped onto the streets, invading houses. Nearby alleys sounded like they were being bombarded, with “rumble, rumble, rumble” echoing in my ears. In the chaos, the wind and dust swirled around, making it hard to see through my fluttering clothes. The howling gale forced my eyes shut.
Then suddenly, a scarlet glow pierced through the black mist, like a snake’s eye opening in the dark.
“Roar—”
An ancient and indescribably languid call emerged from the dense dead smoke.
The dead smoke around me boiled even more, shooting out like a horde of vengeful spirits rampaging in the daylight, annihilating the prosperous city and everything in front of me, devouring all life except mine. More wisps of pale light and smoke streamed from all around and floated toward me.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
The next moment, just as icy mist was forming in my hand, a massive, decrepit arm, muscle twitching as if alive, came crashing down toward me with the noise of an oncoming train.
Whoosh—
My hair flew wildly in the fierce winds.
In a flash, my body’s reflexes always managed to be a hair quicker than my thoughts. My back ignited with dark, flaming wings that suddenly spread wide. Just before the giant hand struck, I cocooned myself tightly, swirling tongues of flame and rolling black mist forming a vortex around me. A blinding white light ignited, and I gritted my teeth, bracing for impact.
Boom!
A resounding crash.
In that split second when the monstrous force hit, my most immediate sensation was akin to being rammed by a high-speed train going three hundred kilometers an hour. The ground beneath me felt like a soft cake, shattering into pieces as I was thrown back, spinning rapidly in the air, crashing through wall after wall before I landed with a thud on the ground, the stone pavement crumbling beneath me as I almost sank into it.
“Ugh… cough!”
I lay back in the suffocating black flames, struggling to catch my breath.
Even though the black flames protected me, this terrifying blow still rattled my head, leaving me dazed. My ears were ringing, my vision was blurry, and my throat tasted a bit sweet.
I managed to crawl up slightly, but as soon as my left hand braced against the ground, a wave of sharp pain shot through my elbow and wrist.
“Hiss—”
I couldn’t help but s*ck in a breath.
I wasn’t sure if I had sprained it or hurt it while blocking the impact. My wrist was slightly swollen, but it was nothing serious—it would heal quickly.
Grimacing, I moved my wrist and sprang to my feet, forcing the black flames wrapping around me to part. My flaming wings spread again, the gust dispersing the swirling dust around me. I combed my slightly tousled hair with my right hand and brushed the dust off my clothes, shaking my head as I lifted it.
Slashed and mangled bodies lay sprawled in the debris, a gruesome sight. Aside from the sounds of collapsing rubble, there was nothing else. The guards had either fled or perished; they were no longer a threat.
…Ah, the church!
I quickly turned my head toward the direction of the church.
In my line of sight, brilliant golden light shot into the sky, with the curved barriers enclosing the front hall rapidly expanding, gradually encasing the entire church. A few tendrils of low-hanging dead smoke tried to float that way but were repelled by the sturdy walls, unable to breach even a step. The people inside were temporarily safe, but the soldiers outside had already been devoured without a trace.
Just a glance. Confirming that the church was unharmed, I quickly turned back and scanned my surroundings.
A few dozen meters away, the tavern where I had been slammed down now had most of its walls collapsed, with the roof in pieces. From the distance, that strange cry echoed again, with the black dead smoke swirling in the air.
Moments later, a gigantic monster broke through the black smoke.
It spread its thin wings.
It resembled a bizarre and magnificent black-patterned butterfly entwined with dead smoke.
It loomed high, its long, dark legs piercing into the ground, supporting the creature wrapped in dead smoke. Its shadowy figure moved very little, its scarlet eyes peering through the mist, fixed on me.
“Iliush…”
I muttered, my voice perhaps only audible to myself.
It was over…
At the moment the monster appeared, Iliush… she was already…
What should I do?
Should I k*ll her, now that she’s become a monster?
I should…
Otherwise, the royal city would face an unparalleled disaster—a thousand-year-old city’s history might meet its end today, countless people would d*e, perhaps including Sarah, Sophia, Daisy… just like those villagers in Silgaya, with absolutely no power to resist.
I know… Silvya, you must k*ll her.
k*ll it…
…or maybe I can try talking to her one more time…
Maybe she still retains her awareness… just like I did back then. Right… if I could then, there’s no reason she couldn’t…
I clenched my fists, holding onto the last shred of hope as I took a step forward.
“‘Language of the Abyss’ We… powerful kin.”
The next moment, a cold, emotionless voice rang out, like a dreamy, airy sweet voice rising from the direction of the monster.
“‘Language of the Abyss’ Please join me in fulfilling the will of the divine, and correct the world’s order.”
I halted in my tracks, my heart racing as it plummeted to the depths.
That tone… the language of the abyss…
“You…”
I called out toward the monster, my voice trembling. My right hand, hidden behind my back, began to glow a brilliant blue.
“Iliush… is… is that you?”
The monster was silent for a moment.
“‘Language of the Abyss’ I am the Abyss of Oblivion. What you refer to as Iliush… what is that? I do not understand, please clarify… You… roar—”
Suddenly, the monster threw its head back and howled at the sky, its butterfly wings crashing open, stirring up a storm front that whipped the street clean of dust and debris. It seemed to be in discomfort, its massive body swayed, and I once again faintly heard the little girl’s voice.
“Sister… k*ll… me…”
Then, the monster’s figure gradually faded, disappearing from sight.
!
She really still has consciousness!
“Iliush!”
Boom—
The wings on my back suddenly struck the ground, launching my petite figure into the sky, scattering debris and swirling dust in my wake.
