Chapter 105: Rebirth (14)
“Barrier, release the barrier!” From the crowd, the Captain of Knights shouted loudly, “Lord Apheir has been consumed by the Abyss—”
“She’s gone mad!”
“Everyone, grab your weapons! Stay alert—”
A group of golden-armored warriors trembled in fear, cautiously narrowing their encirclement. In the background, a wildebeest bellowed, as teams three and eight rushed in from the sides, dozens of people shouting a cacophony while, in the midst of the chaos, Carlos could still hear the raspy but clear words of Old Wen ringing in his ears.
“To go this far for it… what on earth are you thinking, you little brat… I just can’t understand…”
“What are your feelings about something like the Abyss… you should know, right…”
Her words seemed directed at Carlos, yet they had a vibe of self-talk. At first, her enunciation was decent, but before long, it became pretty muddled. The hefty figure swayed, suddenly stumbling to the side, and then, with a hefty thud, she planted her hammer into the ground, barely steadying herself.
“Old lady can’t hold on much longer…”
Up ahead, the Captain of Knights pushed through the crowd, gripping his longsword tight, his gaze fixed on Apheir, engulfed in Dead Smoke and looking ready to kick the bucket. He waved his hand back suddenly.
Buzz—
A sound rang out, the glow of a Divine Miracle bursting forth from the crowd again.
With a clang, the ground under the old woman erupted, three golden chains shooting up and flying at her!
In the next moment, Apheir’s half-closed eyelids shot wide open, one eye turning black, wisps of dark smoke flooding from her eye socket and mouth. Yet, despite it all, she managed to lift her hammer and stepped forward, swinging it with such ferocity that two chains were sent flying away. The old woman sidestepped and raised her left foot, narrowly dodging the third, and then charged at the encircling knights like a dying beast.
“Kid, get out of here—”
Not looking back, she hollered at Carlos, “Leave! I’ll hold them off for you!”
“Senior—”
Carlos struggled to rise again from the ground but found it impossible. Through his blurred vision, the buzz of miracles continued from the crowd, and the Holy Lance came whizzing in from both sides. The old woman swung her hammer with a loud bang, smashing one Holy Lance to bits, while another whoosh pierced her side, embedding deeply in the soft ground nearby.
“Step back! Everyone, step back—”
“Hold the formation, then strike with everything you’ve got!”
“Faith Organization… ugh—”
The old woman’s dying figure rushed into the crowd, knights panicked, shouted, and began to retreat, her hammer swinging wildly causing some to go airborne. The third and fifth squads outside were filled with warriors mounting wildebeests, glaring angrily and trying to charge in, but were thwarted by the retreating knights, forced to dart around anxiously, turning the scene into utter chaos.
And further away, where nobody was paying attention, three particularly unique clerics exchanged glances, discreetly rejoining the other two outside the ruins, circling around the crowd, swiftly heading toward the dark egg in the sky.
Carlos caught sight of their actions as he finally managed to sit up.
“What are they…”
“Carlos, you still spaced out?!”
Bang—
The old woman smashed her hammer again, sending a few figures flying in the crowd with a thunderous roar. The knights, wary of the Dead Smoke wrapping around her, dared not approach too recklessly. She had ripped apart the encirclement for the man, clearing a large area, but hidden in the shadows, the Captain of Knights, with three knights, had unknowingly circled to the back of the two.
“Don’t even think about leaving!”
Carlos snapped to attention at the Captain’s shout, but his body was numb and in pain; he couldn’t react quickly. He hurriedly rolled on the ground, and just as he rolled a short distance, the light of a miracle suddenly flared from where he had just been, the thin Sin Barrier rising up, revealing the shadow of the Captain charging at him with a sword.
“Get him…”
“Seal him with the Sin Barrier; don’t give him any chance to escape!”
“Carlos—”
With a sharp ring of metal, the Captain shouted the man’s name, swinging down with his sword aimed at Carlos’s leg, seemingly intending to incapacitate him completely. Carlos rolled to avoid it, but his body slammed against the barrier, the thin Light Wall forming a circle around him, sealing him and the Captain inside together.
d*mn it…
“Aah!”
The Captain swung his sword wide, and in the blink of an eye, he dropped the blade and lunged straight for Carlos. Carlos attempted to twist away on the ground, but the movement tugged at his wound, causing him to gasp in pain and cough, the next moment, a hefty figure was already upon him.
“Just submit!”
The Captain pinned Carlos down. He didn’t plan to actually k*ll him or anything; a series of events had stoked the fires of his anger. To think this man would dare oppose the First Knights Order, making what should have been a simple matter into a right mess, and now that he was in such a state, he still wanted to resist! Fuming, the Captain raised his rock-solid right fist, pummeling Carlos’s face one punch after another.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Give me…”
Bang—
“Go unconscious already!”
The fierce fists showed no mercy, pummeling Pope Knight Carlos until bl**d seeped from his mouth, his eyes torn, and bl**d splattered from his already scorched cheek. Yet the man gritted his teeth and remained silent. The next moment, his eyes shot wide open as he suddenly caught the Captain’s incoming fist.
Crackle.
Blue lightning surged from Carlos’s body, a “crackling” sound echoing as it burst out, standing his hair on end. The Captain froze for a split second, arcs of lightning flickering across his body, a faint burnt smell wafting in the air.
But his freeze was momentary; the Captain quickly regained composure, his expression morphing into further rage, bl**d spilling from his mouth as he forced his way free of Carlos’s weakened grip, gripping his wrist, and with a hard twist—
Crack.
A crisp sound rang out as Carlos’s wrist snapped, twisted nearly 180 degrees. The surge of pain made his body tighten, forcing a muffled grunt from him, the lightning wrapping around him dissipating instantly. His broken hand fell limply, and the Captain landed two more punches into his chest, causing him to spew a mouthful of bl**d mist.
At this point, Carlos’s hands were useless; he could no longer raise them to fight back, and even breathing became exceedingly painful. Perhaps a few broken ribs were to blame; bl**d and foam spilled from his throat with every cough, leaving him looking as fragile as a wisp of smoke, his consciousness fading. But the furious knight was reluctant to let up.
“Why do you…”
He raised his bloodied right fist high above his head, the golden glow flickering once more, and this time, the Captain’s target was aimed straight at Carlos’s forehead.
“Why must it be like this—!”
With a howling wind, paired with an almost maddened roar, he swung it down.
