### Chapter 173: Pepé, Fool, Come Back!
Creak, creak, creak——
Chilling ice suddenly appeared beneath the Nun’s feet, countless ice spikes shooting up, poking at her faint golden light shield, making a “creak, creak” sound that could give anyone toothaches. Though it didn’t harm the shield at all, the surrounding temperature plummeted, making the already cold weather even more bone-chilling.
Bella’s eyes widened in surprise.
Seizing the Nun’s moment of distraction, she gritted her teeth and rolled sideways, awkwardly pushing off with her injured leg to perform a Moon Step, landing thirty meters away on a small path, crashing down and rolling a few times before bouncing up, half-kneeling on the ground, gasping heavily.
When the Nun regained focus, she didn’t continue the chase.
Both women turned to the ruins in the west, hearing the “rumble” of beast hooves approaching. From afar, they could see about twenty or thirty Hunters rushing over, splitting into two teams, circling around to surround them.
In the next moment, the Nun looked up suddenly.
With the last glimmer of dusk light, she saw a gigantic ice sword descending from the sky, smashing directly onto the shield!
With a loud “bang,” the shield trembled. The nearly five-meter-long, half-meter-wide heavy ice sword was promptly rebounded, followed by a “boom” as the sword exploded into ice mist, instantly enveloping her.
Skarlij…
With great effort, Bella stood up, her gaze astonished, a flicker of anger igniting in her eyes.
She turned to the sound of rushing wind overhead, spotting a robust figure slicing through the air, leaving a long trail of white mist as he thunderously landed not far from the crumbling ruins.
It was Duke Skarlij.
“You!”
In that instant of recognition, Bella was so furious she could hardly speak.
All wasted…
Was it not enough that both needed to d*e here?!!!
“I thought it over, and I just couldn’t leave you like this… cough, cough.”
The Duke slowly emerged from the gray mist, probably still suffering from the earlier violent movement that aggravated his wound, causing him to cough and turn pale. Yet, he smiled at Bella, who was about ten meters away: “Sorry.”
“What are you doing!!”
Bella yelled furiously. She had never yelled at Skarlij before, but yelling was also jostling at her wound—not from her leg. The female Hunter lifted her coat to examine her abdomen, where the tightly fitted, thick leather armor had been scorched in the recent explosion, several open wounds revealing charred, smoking skin, the ghastly burns covering most of her body. With the slightest breath, a piercing, numbing pain coursed through her.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
“Why aren’t you running—”
She shouted at Skarlij while once again seizing the opportunity when the Nun was completely engulfed in ice mist. With another Moon Step, she returned, her palms igniting with flames, pushing towards the center of the ice mist where fire and ice clashed with a sizzling “sizz, sizz, sizz” sound.
“Don’t be mad, I just suddenly realized something.”
Meanwhile, the Duke wasn’t idle either; blue light surged in his eyes as he conjured ice balls of varying sizes around him. With a wave of his hand, all the ice balls were hurled towards the Nun, exploding as they entered the fray, sending a series of muffled booms, with the cold mist growing denser.
Seeing this, Bella immediately ramped up her fiery output, her eyes turning crimson, the flames illuminating their surroundings in a bright red.
The power of ice and fire intertwined in view, the white mist and black smoke surged into the sky amidst the piercing sounds. In a moment, it felt as if the very air around them warped. This entire process from the Duke’s arrival had transpired in mere seconds, as they continued their furious assault while rapidly exchanging dialogue.
“We actually have a chance.”
“Your fire isn’t hot enough to burn through the Sin Barrier, but maybe I can freeze her with low temperatures.”
“You b*stard…”
“Let’s take a gamble.”
“If it doesn’t work, at least she’ll be severely frostbitten, and we can make our escape together.”
“…You’re dreaming.”
That last remark came from the tempest of ice and fire.
Buzzing—
With a shudder, the Nun’s solid figure broke free from the golden light fire and punched straight towards Bella’s chest. Bella hastily withdrew her flames, sidestepping the blow, but the incoming golden light grazed her back, sending her sprawling.
The Nun was about to pursue when, suddenly, she sensed something. Glancing over, a massive heavy sword came slicing through the air, smashing against the Sin Barrier with a “bang,” sending slight tremors, yet ultimately fruitless. The man holding the sword was none other than the Rebel Leader, Duke Skarlij.
“Did you really come to me willingly…”
The Nun seemed incredulous, first revealing a surprised expression.
The visibly wounded man was now staring intently at her face, as if pondering—Skarlij noticed subtle frost on the Nun’s complexion, a sheen of sweat, and her slightly flushed color—she was panting lightly, evidently in distress from the heat of fire and ice, feeling a bit out of breath, hence why she didn’t directly unleash her “mini-sun.”
Useful…
A smile of hope flickered in the man’s mind.
That unique Sin Barrier couldn’t be broken but didn’t obstruct air circulation—what a weakness! Just as he thought… if there were a Wind Order here, dealing with her would be so much easier, but alas, there was none…
No matter, ice and fire would suffice.
With that thought, the Nun threw a ferocious punch at the Duke. The golden light glimmered like fireworks, and without the need to touch the body, the explosive golden light surged out. Skarlij had seen this move before and quickly performed a Moon Step to retreat, narrowly avoiding the attack, while Bella charged in once more.
“Bella, use fire!”
“Got it.”
The female Hunter chose not to close in directly. From a few meters away, she unleashed flames toward the Nun once again, the searing fire roaring forth, consuming the shield along with its occupant. While continuously moving outside the fray, she increased the intensity of her fire.
Thud, thud, thud…
The battlefield around them was resonating with the pounding of hooves. The approaching Hunters had completely surrounded the area, some engaging with scattered Knights, while others began to tighten the encirclement. They dismounted their mounts and began swinging their chain sickles like they were roping cattle, rapidly drawing closer to the Nun.
“Trap her!”
Duke Skarlij shouted, raising his hand to conjure more ice balls aimed at the Nun, but just before the ice balls could explode, a flash of golden light appeared through the fire, and with a flicker of her eyes, the Nun had coldly teleported right in front of the Duke.
Skarlij swung his sword fiercely!
Clang, clang, clang—
The thunderous sound of impact echoed as the massive heavy sword struck the shield, sending wave after wave of ripples. The remarkable recoil made the man’s face change instantly, the pain from his wound buzzing painfully, yet he gritted his teeth, stepping back even as he released the heavy sword, which then “boom” exploded into mist.
“Now, Bella, retreat!”
With Skarlij’s command, the female Hunter wasted no time, immediately leaping backwards, her figure brushing past the Hunters charging in on their beasts.
In the next instant, several chains clanked as they were thrown out—iron chains long enough to be intimidating, like ropes connecting back-to-back. They twisted around the misty shield, the sickle blades clicking into place, effectively confining the shield and its occupant as if locking up a heavy criminal in an underground prison.
“Pull!”
The leading Hunter shouted, and everyone immediately turned their beasts, tugging the sickles in four directions. The Horned Horses neighed loudly, pulling each chain taut. The massive force yanked the shield and the Nun off the ground, swinging them in mid-air. The Nun stumbled, teetered, and then fell inside the shield, her previously bright golden light dimming.
A perfect chance!
“Bella, stay sharp—”
Skarlij barked, his eyes flashing with unprecedented blue light.
The incredible Frost Order was fully concentrated, and in an instant, the man was enveloped in white mist. The crackling sounds of ice breaking were incessant, the frigid air crying out!
With a wave of the Duke’s hand, countless ice orbs, the size of heads, relentlessly bombarded the shield in mid-air, icicles bursting from beneath, creeping up the golden light, quickly enveloping it. Amidst a series of ominous explosive sounds, the chilling white mist gradually obscured their vision. Skarlij desperately hurled his heavy sword into the mist, which detonated with a “boom.” He then continued to conjure and throw three more heavy swords, until the frosty air finally spread to the ground beneath Bella and the Hunters, the man panting heavily, halting his assault.
“Phew, phew, phew…”
This last wave of attacks had almost drained all his energy.
The Hunters all dropped their chains, staring at the area now shrouded in extreme cold. Bella skirted around the mist, approaching him. They exchanged wary glances, then looked toward the center of the white fog.
“Gulp.”
Someone couldn’t avoid swallowing.
After a long pause.
“Did it succeed…?” the Duke murmured.
However, as the mist began to dissipate, he saw that the golden glow within had not diminished but increased instead, suddenly accompanied by clear “crack, crack” sounds, as if something was desperately breaking free from the ice.
That sound was chilling.
Skarlij’s body involuntarily shook; he was exhausted, the pain from his wound gnawing at his will. His vision began to blur.
“…Retreat.”
The man’s face was grim as he clenched his teeth to say those words.
“Run!!”
At the command, the Hunters, unwilling but resolute, swiftly retreated.
The beast hooves thudded as they unhesitatingly fled toward the western edge of the town. Someone ran to Skarlij and Bella, pulling them onto a beast’s back. The Duke glanced back at the battlefield, where countless Hunters were still struggling with the Knights, and he slowly closed his eyes.
“The Holy Church…”
Boom—!!!!
Suddenly, a violent explosion thundered in his ears.
The mighty beast roared, bl**d spraying onto his face, the terrifying shockwave crashed into him as he ran, sending a sharp pain to his chest, as if a large stone had struck him, knocking him off the beast’s back.
Brightening his eyes in fury, he saw the Hunter carrying him half shredded, the bloody lower half dropping with a thud in front of him, and in the haze, the buzzing of the Divine Miracles and the screams of his subordinates filled his ears. The man quickly scrambled to his feet, looking forward.
A massive, ten-meter-high Holy Lance was wedged into the ground nearby, blocking everyone’s path, the elaborate scriptures on the lance flickering like a heartbeat, surrounded by a pool of bl**d from both men and Horned Horses.
Bella…
He frantically searched and soon spotted the female Hunter on the ground, covered in bl**d.
Skarlij staggered over, lifting the woman up.
“Bella!”
He shouted, the woman slowly opening her eyes in his arms.
“Why… why didn’t you run away…?”
Her voice carried a hint of regret and reproach.
“There’s something I forgot to tell you…” the Duke smiled, bl**d trickling down his forehead, dripping onto her lips, “I wanted to say, after this, you shouldn’t shy away from Catherine anymore… she’s already moved on after all these years…”
“Is that so?” Bella looked dazed and weak, murmuring.
“Did you know, just two months ago, one night… she suddenly told me that you should have a child of your own…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you; I was hesitating…”
“In the end, it’s all my fault…”
“I’m so sorry.”
As they spoke, Bella’s lips trembled, and her eyes suddenly glistened with tears.
Buzz—
A flash of golden light.
The Nun wrapped in the Sin Barrier began to descend from the sky.
Skarlij looked up, fatigue written all over him, yet his gaze was remarkably calm.
He saw that the Nun’s shield was different now, as thin as a gossamer, with an odd network of honeycomb-shaped light patterns pulsating behind the faint golden arc.
A gust of wind blew, making the patterns clearer, while the Nun inside looked unscathed, not a hair or hem of her garments swirling in the breeze.
“Your cleverness really annoys me.”
She stood before the Duke, arms crossed, looking down at him coldly like an irritating insect: “I could k*ll you in an instant. The only reason I haven’t is to ensure you remain whole for now… A person as guilty as you should have their head chopped off after d*ath, your corpse taken back to the Holy City, hung upside down on the Confession Stone, your head nailed to a cross and buried in the steps of the Holy Temple, for everyone to trample and spit upon.”
Caw—
Above the sky, a Raven cried out loudly.
The Nun waved her hand, withdrawing the Sin Barrier, standing tall with half her face lit by the last glow of dusk, the other side shadowed, her one golden eye shining bright.
“Now, say your last words.”
Whoosh, whoosh!
The Raven landed on the chuckling Skarlij’s shoulder.
“Hmph.”
Unperturbed, the Nun gave a cold huff, mocking him: “Even the crow can smell your stench of d*ath.”
“Pepé—”
Suddenly, the raven looked around and loudly called out.
The Nun was taken aback.
Then she seemed to sense something and turned in astonishment.
Boom…
In the distance of the town, accompanied by a sound like an earthquake, she spotted an enormous mass of ice crashing down into the town, so massive it couldn’t be described, sending a shiver through to the bones.
Boom—!
Before the Nun could react to what it was, a second ice mountain followed closely behind, this time landing not too far from her, seemingly in the center of the town—where she had just recently taken down the remaining Hunters with the Knights. Was this an assault aimed at them?
Who was it?
What was that!?
“Pepé!!”
The Nun was still in shock as the raven’s eerie cries echoed: “Fool—”
“Fool, Pepé, come back!”
That voice sounded like an omen of some terrible disaster.
