Chapter 146: Red and Black (Part 8)
I was taken aback and quickly wiped my tears with the back of my hand, disregarding the bl**d flowing from my nose, and immediately looked up.
On the rooftop across the street stood Cardinal Nero, trembling all over. The air around him was oddly warped, and he clutched a necklace tightly against his chest, the dazzling white light radiating from it becoming increasingly blinding. That strange sense of reassurance still lingered in my heart, but… I wasn’t stuck in the mud.
It was as if… the power released by Nero had bound him instead, trapping him. He seemed unable to move, and soon he couldn’t even make a sound, completely stiff and frozen on the rooftop.
What on earth is happening…?
Confused, I looked at the empty street ahead and took a few steps forward, while the flaming wings behind me flickered, then withdrew into my body. I extended a finger, frost forming at the tip, ready to sh**t forward.
“Little Shay, step back.”
Crash!
To my right, a flicker of lightning appeared, and Carlos’s figure emerged in the corner of my vision. His hand, still crackling with thunder, landed on my shoulder, pulling me back two steps as he slowly shook his head.
“Don’t step forward.”
Then, he reached into his armor and pulled out a pristine white handkerchief, handing it to me. I took it and carelessly wiped my face, tossing the now-drenched item on the ground.
The bleeding stopped quickly, and the sharp pain on my face subsided, so my tears dried up. I sniffed, turned my head, and met Carlos’s gemstone-blue eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.
“What’s going on?”
Carlos shook his head, remaining silent, and instead gazed into the distance beside me.
Following his line of sight, I looked back.
At the end of the street on the right, a tall, slender figure was approaching us.
“Oh, Carlos~”
He was waving at us. His slightly frivolous voice reached me from afar; it sounded somewhat familiar.
The figure held his left hand in front of him, palm facing the sky, a faint golden light swirling around him like a long snake. A fist-sized golden orb floated above his head, making his disheveled golden hair appear even more vibrant.
And it seemed he also had a woman tucked under his right arm. The woman’s water-blue short hair spilled out from the shimmering golden light, obscuring her face.
“Ah ha! Little~ Black~ Charcoal~”
Buzz—
The figure vanished within the golden light.
The next moment, a ridiculously handsome, smiling face suddenly appeared right in front of me.
“Thank the Deity for letting me see my lovely and whole self again~”
He reached to pat my head.
Smack!
I instinctively slapped his hand away, ignoring his disappointed expression, my gaze fixed on the woman he carelessly tucked under his arm.
That was Margaret.
All the bl**d on her had somehow been cleaned off; although her white nun’s outfit was tattered, the fabric looked remarkably fresh. Even her hair was clean and smooth. At that moment, she was hanging limply around the guy’s waist, her head and legs sagging, still in an unconscious state.
I bent down, extending my two fingers toward her face, barely concealed by her hair, checking for a breath.
… Just like before, there was none.
“Don’t worry, she’s fine,” the golden-haired guy said to me.
I frowned at him.
“Little Margaret’s healing miracles are super impressive. Her understanding of life goes beyond your imagination; this isn’t the first time it’s happened. She won’t d*e, she won’t d*e~”
He waved his hand dismissively, a grin plastered on his face.
“Holy Pope, hurry up.”
Carlos, unable to resist, urged while watching the immobile Cardinal Nero.
“Don’t rush, Little Black Charcoal hasn’t even had a proper greeting with me yet… So, how are you doing, Little Black Charcoal? Are you happy lately? Any discomfort? Once I’m done with my chores, I’ll check on you~” Pope Angel said cheerfully.
Even though he was still in his pajamas, his hair was such a mess that it looked like it hadn’t been groomed since yesterday. His tone sounded just like those ruffians lurking in the alleys at night, yet undeniably he was the Pope of the Holy Church.
What a slob…
Even as the Pope, he managed to inspire not an ounce of respect.
I pouted, not wanting to engage with him.
That orb from just now had darted off, and I hadn’t even seen where it went… What was that thing?
“Angel!” Carlos said, emphasizing his tone next to me.
“Okay, okay, I know…” Angel raised his hands in surrender, giving me a slightly aggrieved look before handing Margaret over to Carlos.
Carlos caught her effortlessly across his waist. “Is this… Her Holiness the Saint?”
“Yep.”
Angel turned and walked towards the street across.
“What happened to her… Where are your accompanying clerics?”
“They’re waiting far away. I don’t want them coming over here to get killed…” Angel shrugged, the golden light flashing as he instantly moved to the rooftop across. “Seriously… each one of them could add up to a thousand years old, all stubborn old farts… Hey Nero, you can hear me, right? You guys ought to learn to keep up with the times…”
Cardinal Nero remained motionless, his wide-open eyes staring straight ahead as if unaware of the Pope’s proximity.
Carlos and I stood side by side in the center of the street, looking up at Angel approaching Nero. I thought of slapping his face but quickly withdrew my hand the moment after, looking totally disgusted.
“Wow, looking all gross like this… by the way, you can’t last long like this, right? Little Black Charcoal, you’re pretty dark-handed.”
“He wants to k*ll me.”
“Then why don’t you just get rid of him?”
“Margaret won’t allow it.”
“… Tsk.” Angel clicked his tongue, shaking his head lightly. “This little Margaret is so rigid… how many times have I told her? Still the same old thing.”
Oh~
Seems the Holy Pope isn’t that rule-abiding…
I chuckled, “So can I just k*ll him now? Would that be okay?”
“Nope.”
Before Angel could speak, Carlos interjected, “First, let’s lock him up in the underground prison. We still have questions to ask.”
I turned my head to meet Carlos’s somewhat astonished gaze.
“Little Shay, you…”
“What?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling slightly unhappy.
“… No, it’s nothing.” After hesitating, Carlos slowly shook his head and then changed the subject. “Are you really not injured? You look a bit off; kind of like you’re losing bl**d.”
“Do I?”
I instinctively touched my cheek.
Now that he mentioned it, a mild drowsiness suddenly washed over me… The energy inside me was still churning faintly, not intensely, just noticeably different from my usual state.
Earlier, I thought it was because I had swallowed the Infernal Fire, but I hadn’t fully adapted yet. With the urgency of the situation, I hadn’t paid much attention after that burning sensation faded. It was only at that moment that I felt that slight discomfort in my stomach… kind of like indigestion.
Ever since I arrived in this world, I hadn’t felt anything like this; my appetite was terrifyingly good.
But I guess there was some now.
The two energies inside me were still undergoing an unknown change, and it was this change that made me feel fatigued… Realizing this, I picked up my silver hair and waved it near my nose for a sniff.
Nothing unusual…
Was this change simply the absorption of Iliush’s power? Or was it due to some other reason…
I had no idea.
Forget it…
Let’s wait and see what Angel plans to do, then while they’re not paying attention, I’ll seize the opportunity to take that old guy out.
With that thought, I suddenly heard Carlos’s astonished voice: “Little Shay, your eyes…”
I looked up at him, tilting my head.
“My eyes?”
“Your eyes are turning red…”
Buzz—
In the next moment, a burst of golden light surged towards me.
