Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Three: Long Night Dark Fire (10)
I suddenly halted in my tracks.
…What on earth did this thing just say?
He knows…
My little brain went blank for a moment.
Accompanied by a series of dull, cracking bone sounds, the monster in front of me reconnected its spine and stood upright on two arms, its massive body casting a shadow over my petite frame.
“Interesting… this is quite… an unexpected surprise… I think I want to change my mind…”
“…What are you—”
After a brief blackout in my consciousness, a surge of killing intent erupted in my heart, stronger than before.
“What the heck!”
Before the last syllable left my mouth, my body shot forward like an arrow, and with my frost-covered fist, I smashed once more towards the monster. A cloud of white mist erupted in front of me, dispersing the infernal flames engulfing the beast, but as the punch whistled through the air, it narrowly evaded by springing high into the air.
Amidst the swirling ice crystals, I looked up, the hem of my skirt fluttering as I prepared to chase. But the monster spoke up again: “The power of the Abyss, a human… how interesting, how interesting, how interesting—”
“Shut up!”
A massive ice pillar shot up from under me, launching me into the air. My eyes glowed red for an instant before being replaced by a brilliant blue light. I closed the distance to the monster again, thrusting both palms forward. Boom, boom!, two thunderous sounds echoed as the extreme cold mist surged out, wrapping around that creepy body. Then, I dashed into the frost mist, leaping onto its back once more.
In an instant, that giant, eerie deer head, slightly covered in frost, twisted halfway around, its bl**d-red eyes locking onto my face.
“Twisted… pitiful life…”
The clown, transformed into a monster, stared at me with a gravelly voice that sounded like it was stuck with gravel, letting out words that felt like a sigh. Infernal fire dripped from its grotesque mouth like bl**d, small flames landing on my face—not burning, not painful.
But for some reason, my heart tightened at its words.
“I suddenly feel a bit sympathetic…”
“Shut up!”
After that heart-wrenching moment came an overwhelming pain, as if my very breath was stalling, mixed with an uncontrollable, deep-seated hatred.
This was all because of you…
“Aaaahhh—”
I ended up this way, crawling out from the abyss… a creature that can’t even be called human…
And all because of the Gate of Truth!!!
With fists imbued with the wild power of order, I unleashed a storm of blows against the monster’s ugly head, smashing its mouth, cracking its eye sockets. Terrifying freezing air covered its entire head, quickly thawed by extreme heat, just as the monster extended its giant hand, grabbing my waist.
In an instant, searing flames crawled up my body from its hand, turning my vision a deep red, then engulfed by steamy mist. I felt an immense force gripping my abdomen, as if all my organs were being squished together, and I couldn’t help but spit bl**d. The deeper my anger ran, the more frenzied my attacks became.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!—
You all can just d*e…
Things like you…
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A wild wind suddenly condensed ahead of me, the gathering infernal flames instantly dispersing the frost and mist. Through my blurred vision, I saw the monster open its massive bloody mouth; blazing fire gushed forth, forming a gigantic fireball. The next second, blinding light overwhelmed me, and before I could react, an unstoppable force sent me flying, leaving me with only the roar of the fire burning in my ears.
“Ugh…”
With my eyes and mouth tightly shut, being swept away in the hot blast felt like a piece of cloth caught in the eye of a hurricane. I struggled fiercely, trying to resist with frost power, my palms continuously spewing out ice mist. I don’t know how many seconds passed before I broke free from the scorching current, feeling the chill wash over me, and then I started to fall.
The wind roared, cold air twisted around me. I cracked one eye open. The astonishing fiery torrent shot down like a thick beam of light from above, crashing into the distant mountains, exploding with a bright flash for a second. A low, rumbling echo followed, and the gale intensified.
I desperately adjusted my position in the air, using ice mist to slow my descent. Soon, bang, I hit the ground, rolling several times to dissipate the impact. Finally, thud, I crashed against a stone.
Ouch…
That hit my lower back, sending a prickling sensation first, followed by a stabbing pain. I inhaled sharply, struggling to get up, one hand clutching my waist. Before I could steady myself, boom, a loud sound erupted, dust and debris flying as the clown, now a monster, descended from the sky into my vicinity.
“Your emotions are a bit out of control.”
He said, not immediately pursuing me, but rather lowering his head, seemingly intrigued as he looked at me, his ghastly wounds still mending.
“Your attack rhythm is also off. Why?”
“……”
I gritted my teeth, unwilling to answer him, too annoyed to hear another word from his mouth. The power of frost once more coalesced beneath my feet as I stepped towards him, and with each step, tiny ice spikes formed around me.
“I’ve come up with an interesting idea…”
Interesting, my foot!!!
“Ugh—”
That melody-like voice rang out across the land, bursting with fierce emotion. I took a moonlit leap, gripping my ice sickle once again, swinging down towards the monster’s head. It raised its enormous bl**d-red palm, glimmering with ferocious infernal fire, and in the next instant, the impact surged through the thickets around us.
Boom, boom, boom, boom…
…………
At the boundary of Stag Town, a young man in cleric robes with disheveled hair, once somewhat handsome, now sported a comical, charred face, his robe riddled with holes, revealing some noticeable but not severe burns.
He tossed aside the now-defeated heretic, who had nearly burned out and withered, looking down for a moment before kicking it far, where it rolled to the edge of an orchard. Then, dusting off his hands, he turned to a nearby woman and said, “All done.”
“All done, what?”
The woman glanced at him indifferently, pouting, seemingly unimpressed by his smugness, pointing toward the south side of the town. “Didn’t you hear the commotion over there?”
A dull sound continued to come from the south, where a fierce battle was taking place between a young girl and a powerful heretic. The intense clash of ice and fire had transformed nearly a kilometer around into a d*ath zone, with the vibrations of the impact reaching this far, leaving the clergy and knights standing farther back pale and tense, unable to relax for a second.
Hearing Olivia’s words, the man named Karl tilted his head in thought, leaping up to the roof of a nearby old building, crouching down and shielding his eyes as he looked toward the battlefield where the light was ablaze.
Bang—
In the distance, another enormous frost mist erupted, the monster wrapped in infernal fire bursting out of the mist into the night sky; its outline vaguely visible from here. A moment later, a gust of wind rushed by, and the man squinted, unable to hold back a gasp. “Whoa, whoa, whoa… no way… this is something else…”
Golden light flashed, and Olivia appeared at his side.
The woman’s expression was icy as she gazed into the distance, remaining silent after a long moment.
Bang! Bang! Boom!—
A dull sound, akin to an avalanche, reverberated continuously. The two of them sat in silence on the rooftop, until, after some time, Karl looked up at the woman, “Did you see that…?”
“See what?” she countered.
The man fixed his messy hair, his expression slightly excited. “I’ve heard of them for ages, but it’s truly my first time seeing such a thing…”
“…The Angel of the Goddess of Sin.”
The woman paused for a moment in silence.
“It must be an incomplete form, just like the one that appeared in the Royal City.”
“Even if it’s an incomplete form, it’s still an angel…” Karl’s voice trembled with mounting excitement.
The woman turned her head, glaring at him with icy eyes. “You can speak a little louder, you know.”
“Huh?”
“Let the clergy behind us hear that the ugly thing outside the town is actually called an angel, a messenger of the deities, the same kind that helped humans defeat the dragons a thousand years ago… You might as well run up to their ears and yell it out, just make sure to clarify, I’m afraid they won’t understand—or might not even believe you.”
“Oh…”
The man shrugged, glancing back hesitantly, mumbling his reply.
When this taciturn woman starts speaking more than usual, it means she’s quite angry. Karl knew this all too well and dared not say more.
“Regardless, she has kept that thing outside.” After a moment, the woman spoke again, “We’ve dealt with the two heretics here; now we just wait for that woman’s actions in town.”
“Tch…”
Karl clicked his tongue.
The woman glanced at him, her expression displeased. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
The man quickly raised both hands, smiling. “Just thinking… even if it’s an angel, it seems she still can’t get the upper hand against our Miss Silvya…”
“……”
“Do you remember what happened a few months ago? When the Royal City was attacked, that angel who suddenly appeared killed many people in town. At that time, Miss Silvya needed to collaborate with the Queen of Ethanbel just to barely defeat it… I heard both of them were injured badly, and now it hasn’t even been that long since then…”
“That’s only a half-angel.” The woman knitted her brows, her tone impatient. “What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing, nothing…” The man’s smile widened, a sparkle of curiosity in his eyes. “I’m just a bit curious about that angel in the Royal City… oh, half-angel, I wonder who it is… Olivia, have you caught wind of any gossip?”
“No.”
The woman stopped looking at him, refocusing on the battlefield. “And put away your d*mn curiosity; I don’t want to have to deal with the stench of your rotting corpse in some dark alley one day.”
“Got it, got it…”
Karl patted his knees, standing up to glance back again, then waved his hand. Moments later, a senior priest appeared before him in a flash of golden light.
Karl nodded and asked, “How’s the situation over by Daniel?”
The old priest quickly replied, “The town’s residents have stabilized for now. The knights have organized with the Faith Group and the Nuns to set up a few makeshift treatment points; emotion-soothing work is ongoing, and the performance has stopped. The residents heard the commotion over here…”
“Has the Pope arrived?” Without waiting for him to finish, Karl asked casually.
The old man paused, hesitating slightly. “I… haven’t received any news about that…”
“Hmm.”
The young man nodded again. “The battle outside isn’t over, so everything is still uncertain. Be prepared for action at any moment… Notify the Faith Group to assemble here when the woman in town takes action… No, let’s gather here now. Thank you for your hard work, Old Rochester.”
The old man gave a standard gentlemanly bow.
An immensely talented young man, yet still respectful and courteous— this was a quality he appreciated.
After the old man faded away, Karl felt the woman’s strange gaze on him. He turned his head and asked, puzzled, “Is something on my face?”
“You’re being too casual.”
“Huh?”
“Your attitude toward the townspeople should be more serious and solemn. We are members of the Holy Church, and everywhere we go, we carry that identity.”
Listening to the woman’s plain but serious words, Karl froze for a moment, then laughed. “You care about those people?”
“…Karl.” Olivia emphasized his name sternly.
“Alright, alright, my bad. I’ll pay more attention next time.”
Though he apologized, his expression remained nonchalant, which the woman could clearly see. Her face darkened, and just as she was about to reprimand him, a fiery red light suddenly streaked across the night sky, roaring past like a meteor toward the distant battlefield.
“…It’s coming!”
After a brief moment of dazed realization, Karl suddenly snapped back, “Olivia, let’s get ready.”
He straightened his tattered cleric robe, turning to jump down from the rooftop when suddenly his hand was grabbed. Bewildered, he turned back to see the woman’s bright eyes and serious expression.
“Tonight, you’re not allowed to d*e.” She said to Karl with utmost seriousness.
“…Okay.”
The young man’s gaze softened.
