Chapter 139: Red and Black (Part One)
“Hil…vya…”
“Hilvya—”
Margaret’s voice echoed like a dream from behind, hazy and distant.
I squeezed my shoulders tightly, curling up as my gaze passed through the veil of my silvery hair, staring at the increasingly blurry streets ahead. It was as if I could no longer grasp the reality around me.
“Ugh…”
So hot, so hot, so hot…
The thrill I imagined from ‘devouring’ didn’t come as expected; instead, there was an endless burning and unbearable pain.
What a rude awakening… haha…
The power I absorbed was too immense. The scattered scarlet flames were swiftly caught up in the torrent of dead smoke and, almost in a blink, devoured completely. The dark smoke rushed in with its blazing energy, mingling with Iliush’s red light, and I drew them all into my chest in a heartbeat.
The swirling energy coursed through my body, an indescribable shock flooded my mind, and I began to feel my consciousness blur. My body grew heavy and numb, and everything in front of me turned surreal and hazy, with only the ‘hiss hiss hiss’ of the sound in my ears remaining painfully clear.
This is really…
“Can’t… take it…”
My legs buckled, and I collapsed onto the ground.
It hurts… why…
Did they just pour too much in at once…?
No, it wasn’t that…
It was those flames.
The moment I inhaled the red smoke, that irresistible thrill indeed rushed over… I only felt the burning when the dead smoke wrapped around the flames. It was as if there was another calm force inside me, drawn out by these flames, clashing against the chaotic power of the Abyss. The two energies fought for domination over the flames… I could vaguely sense it.
I could vaguely feel…
That power came from the Teresa Monster I had devoured earlier, the Sin Fire of the Gate of Truth.
“Ha… interesting…”
My breathing grew heavier, each inhale becoming a struggle.
In my daze, I caught a glimmer of golden light, and two hands helped me sit up.
It’s that annoying woman…
I slowly lifted my head and saw Margaret’s face much too close for comfort.
Her features were a blur to me. I couldn’t make out the expression on the Saint’s face, but her disheveled hair looked somewhat ridiculous.
There seemed to be a lot of bl**d on Margaret’s face, and the hand supporting the back of my head trembled slightly. Her mouth moved as if she was trying to say something to me.
“Do you have… an answer…!”
“Hil…”
What kind of nonsense is that… I can’t hear a thing.
“You… ah!”
Suddenly, Margaret gasped, letting go of me. I fell back to the ground with a thud, the back of my head colliding with the hard stone road, but I felt no pain.
Just a bit annoyed.
Hey… what’s the idea?
I turned my head to see the Saint taking two steps back, her hands suddenly ignited with scarlet flames. In a panic, she invoked a miracle, golden light bursting forth as tiny green starlights enveloped her hand, extinguishing the burning red fire.
Huh?
What the…
I raised my right hand and held it up in front of my eyes.
The arm, encased in dark armor, seemed to be melting like Abyss Mud, flowing like water as bright red patterns emerged on it, glowing like bl**d, pulsing as if it were breathing.
Hiss hiss hiss—
Sparks flew from the patterns, drifting away.
What on earth…
My confusion deepened.
“Hilvya… concentrate… don’t get… or you’ll d*e…”
Margaret was still shouting something at me.
I couldn’t catch it, but I just wanted to strain and stand up. Yet my limbs felt as useless as wet noodles, completely unable to move an inch. The burning sensation grew stronger, my consciousness dimming further, waves of overwhelming drowsiness crashing over me.
I want to sleep…
Is this what happens every time I eat too much? What a nuisance…
My eyelids were fighting a losing battle, and it felt like I couldn’t hold on any longer. I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. I glanced at Margaret, extending a finger to point weakly toward the Old Duke lying in the distance.
I hope she gets my hint…
Suddenly, a blinding white light erupted from behind on the street.
That is…
Before my dazed mind could react, the light rushed toward me in an instant.
A miracle.
I opened my eyes wide.
cr*p…
Boom——!
The explosion sent waves of force, instantly swallowing Margaret, the Old Duke lying in the distance, and everything else on the street, leaving only brilliant white light behind.
The tremendous impact lifted me high into the air, arcing across the space.
Bang! Boom——
After smashing through a crumbling stone wall, I crash-landed into a house by the street.
Debris tumbled down from above, dust choking me like a shoehorn in my throat. A large rock pinned my leg. Thanks to my armor, I felt no pain, probably not hurt at all; I just felt my consciousness drifting further away.
Who’s the idiot making a racket and not letting me sleep…
I was a bit miffed.
After a moment, as the dust gradually settled, I took a deep breath, straightened up, and tried to see if I had the strength to move the stone slab off my leg, but then a whistling wind suddenly barreled in from the front.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh——
Ugh, so annoying!
My body instinctively reacted to dodge, but my limp limbs had no power. I couldn’t even release dead smoke.
In the next moment, three Holy Lances shot toward me, accompanied by a windstorm.
No way to dodge…
Boom boom boom!
In the blink of an eye, Margaret’s pure white figure flashed out from the gold light, standing in front of me. A thin light wall unfolded in front of her, and the three Holy Lances crashed into it, the massive impact making the Saint’s body lean back, nearly stumbling.
Right after, green vines began to spread and grow from beneath her, filling the collapsed house with petit silver flowers in an instant.
Margaret turned to say something to me.
But I couldn’t catch a single word.
In the next moment, she waved her arm, and thick thorny vines burst from the ground, writhing up the walls, intertwining into two-person-wide green ropes, spreading across the space in all directions, sealing it off completely…
Just as the last moment of light vanished, the Saint’s brilliant form shot out.
The surroundings plunged into complete darkness.
Only the blazing patterns on my armor reflected the crimson glow, flickering in the ruins.
That annoying woman wants to protect me…
I don’t need that…
I…
My consciousness fell into a haze.
…………
Bang——
Suddenly, a loud thud jolted me awake. Reflexively, I scrambled up from the ground, rubbing my sore eyes. It took a moment for my awareness to slowly return to my body.
“Haah~”
I yawned.
Bang!
In the darkness, the loud noise rang out again, as if something was violently crashing against the vine wall in front. The ground shook slightly beneath me, accompanied by a series of rustling sounds as green branches snapped, letting in beams of light.
So blinding…
I raised my hand to shield my eyes.
Bang! Bam!
The noises roared in my ears.
After a few crashes, with a boom, countless broken branches burst into the air before me, brushing my cheek as they flew behind me; a figure appeared in the glaring light.
I frowned impatiently.
“Who is it…”
Without thinking, I waved my right arm lightly, a surge of dead smoke gushing forth from beneath my feet and rushing toward the figure.
Buzz…
A flash of golden light, and the figure vanished.
…Huh?
The dead smoke returned empty-handed, merging back into my body. I raised my right hand in front of me, slowly curling my fingers in confusion, tilting my head slightly.
The chaotic power is usable now…
Did I… completely devour that power?
