Chapter 45: A Swift Battle

Chapter 45: A Swift Battle

The instant Klein leaped out from within the flames, the golden glove on his left hand gleaming faintly, two points of light in his eyes swelled from small to large, from dim to bright, like lightning suddenly tearing across the sky.

After using a Paper Figurine Substitute to draw the attention of Steel Maviti’s group, he had already activated Creeping Hunger and switched to the soul of the Interrogator, preparing to use the Beyonder ability Mental Pierce.

“Ah!”

Steel Maviti suddenly released a miserable scream, as if someone had thrust a small knife into his head and was stirring his grayish-white brain. Pain erupted from the depths of his soul and, in an instant, occupied all his thoughts.

At the same time, his extraordinary power instinctively burst outward, turning into a hurricane that swept in every direction.

Dreamlike snowflakes immediately drifted through the air. On the ground, transparent crystalline layers of ice spread constantly outward. The trees lining both sides of the road were suddenly hung with white ridges of frost, then rapidly withered, revealing clear signs of decay.

Wandering resentful spirits were awakened one after another. They sobbed, whimpered, and screamed, staining the nearby area with a gray-white, oppressive color.

Klein naturally descended from midair. The glove on his left hand erupted with radiance as brilliant as direct sunlight.

He spread his arms, leaning backward as though embracing something.

The moment his heels touched the ground, which carried a bone-chilling cold, a pure, blazing, massive pillar of light descended from above.

That sacred radiance enveloped Steel Maviti, illuminating his dark skin, solid muscles, and curls that resembled individual steel balls.

Priest of Light—Holy Light!

Silently, Maviti’s expression grew increasingly distorted. Clear signs of melting appeared across the surface of his skin.

At that moment, he looked like a candle thrown into a burning fireplace.

Compared to Bishop Miller, who had only lost control after being corrupted, Maviti, as a Living Corpse, was even more restrained by this kind of attack, and the damage he suffered was far more severe.

The falling snowflakes stopped. The ice layer on the ground swiftly dissolved. The trees hung with white ridges revealed their original brown color once more.

The imposing pillar of light undoubtedly drew the attention of Bloodthorn Huntley and Scour. The former’s expression changed drastically. His hand reached toward a hidden pocket, about to take out casting materials and use his advantage of height to rescue Steel Maviti.

At that very moment, a crow made purely of flame suddenly leaped into his vision.

One, two, three… countless fire ravens, like scarlet stars, filled Huntley’s entire field of view. They flew toward him from every direction, flapping their wings, densely packed, scorching hot.

Huntley’s heart trembled. His gaze nearly froze. His palm immediately changed direction and grabbed a different kind of material.

Whoosh!

He scattered a small cluster of fine, pale-blue powder above himself, while chanting a word in ancient Hermes in a low voice:

“Waves!”

The powder instantly expanded, turning into deep-blue waves that swept outward in all directions.

They met the fire ravens and produced sizzling sounds, creating large amounts of white mist.

The previously exploded wave of fire had already calmed somewhat. Through the lingering crimson, Scour saw Steel Maviti, whose skin was melting like wax and whose flesh was dissolving inch by inch. He saw the unfamiliar man in the black cloak standing sideways before him.

He did not panic. Like a cold-blooded venomous snake that had lost the very emotion of panic, he calmly raised his arms and suddenly pressed both palms downward.

In an instant, he saw the thin-faced, cold young man’s body grow heavy. His movements slowed, as though the wings that allowed him to fly had been broken. Meanwhile, Steel Maviti began struggling to roll aside, trying to evade the second round of Holy Light.

Immediately afterward, Scour discovered that the other man lost both weight and thickness, once again transforming into a thin paper figurine that was pressed into the ground by an invisible force, sinking into the mud left behind by the melted ice and snow.

Klein emerged from another position. The thumb and middle finger of his right hand rubbed together repeatedly. As he rushed forward, he snapped his fingers three times in succession.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

The surface of the dark-golden brooch in the shape of a sunbird on his chest flashed again and again, infusing the air bullets with purifying power.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The three bullets flew in close sequence at extreme speed, striking Steel Maviti one after another while his movements were still rather sluggish. They hit his right chest, pierced through the half-melted skin and flesh, and created an exaggerated, hideous wound. Golden flames spread outward from the injury.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Scour threw one scalpel after another, but Klein dodged them all with nimble, acrobatic changes of direction.

By this time, Steel Maviti had recovered. Pressing one palm against the ground, he stood again and charged straight toward the enemy, intending to use the close-combat abilities he excelled at, along with his strange body that feared no beating.

Ice formed again beneath his feet. His fists carried the aura of rot.

Then he once more saw, within Klein’s deep-brown eyes, two streaks of lightning shoot out like bullets and pierce into his pupils.

Steel Maviti instinctively threw back his head and clenched his teeth. Blood seeped from his nostrils, mouth, and ears, mixed with the skin that had melted earlier.

Klein had changed the soul he was grazing the moment he fired the air bullets.

It was still the Interrogator. It was still Mental Pierce!

Against a Beyonder like a Living Corpse, whose body was as tough as steel, damage on the spirit-body level was far more effective.

The continuous strikes made Steel Maviti’s body stiffen briefly, and at the same time, caused him to lose the restraints of reason. Black, hard hairs grew one after another across his face. His teeth and fingernails lengthened continuously. His skin writhed, trying to merge back together, and its color faded from dark to pale, making him look like a true, crazed Living Corpse that thirsted for blood.

Seizing this opportunity, Klein had already closed in. Lowering his body, he brushed past Steel Maviti’s right side and, in passing, stuffed an object clenched in his palm into the hideous wound he had created—stuffed it into the other man’s body.

It was a glass bottle tied with several ordinary brass-colored bullets, filled with the large quantity of Sun holy water Klein had prepared in advance!

Pfft!

Klein did not linger, causing Scour’s attempt at control to fail once again.

His heel turned, and he pivoted behind Steel Maviti. The two stood back to back.

Snap! He raised his right hand, beating Steel Maviti by an instant before he could pull out that glass bottle, and snapped his fingers.

Bang!

A light explosion rang out. Scarlet firelight leaped up, shattering the already fragile glass bottle. A large amount of Sun holy water poured directly into Steel Maviti’s body.

This famous pirate, whose bounty reached 6,000 pounds, froze instantly where he stood. A hoarse, painful sound came from his throat.

Thud. He dropped to his knees. Black-green gas constantly spread from inside his body, vanishing into the air.

Seeing this, Scour’s gaze darkened. He immediately took out a black-iron-colored charm and recited a word in ancient Hermes in a low voice:

“Shriek!”

The charm suddenly shattered and disappeared, completing its sacrifice.

An invisible wave of sound surged outward like a tsunami, drilling into the ears of everyone nearby almost simultaneously.

Klein’s mind buzzed, and his nose felt faintly cold as blood seeped out. Bloodthorn Huntley on the flying carpet fared far worse: his face distorted, his body convulsing as he collapsed, unable even to scream. Only Blazing Danitz, on a distant rooftop, was not much affected. Delighted, he hurled a repeatedly compressed blazing-white fireball.

The fireball landed on the defenseless Huntley and exploded with a boom.

Flesh and blood violently sprayed outward. Fingers, calves, a head, and other things, all wrapped in flames, fell downward. The flying carpet, having lost control, slowly sank.

Scour seized the opportunity, turned, and ran without the slightest hesitation.

But he was shocked to discover that the terrifying man who had nearly finished Steel Maviti in ten seconds did not delay at all. The man turned back and chased him!

How? That was a Shriek Charm made by the Admiral! Scour had no time to consider why. He sprinted with all his strength toward another street.

Just then, his head was struck heavily by “someone.” A tearing pain made his entire body spasm.

The lightning in Klein’s eyes faded. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers again.

Bang!

An air bullet crossed more than ten meters and accurately burrowed into the back of Scour’s head.

Scour did not possess Steel’s inhuman endurance. His vision immediately blackened, and he slowly collapsed.

Klein closed the distance in a few steps and extended his left palm, allowing the overjoyed Creeping Hunger to begin enjoying its feast.

I have heard the True Creator’s voice and endured Mr. Door’s cry for help. My resistance in this area is very strong. Even the Wraith’s own shriek can be quickly recovered from, let alone a mere charm… Klein said soundlessly to himself, watching Scour’s body turn into flesh and blood and throw itself into the mouth that had split open on Creeping Hunger.

After only a few seconds, Creeping Hunger stopped in satisfaction. Klein quickly returned to Steel Maviti’s side.

This Living Corpse had been grievously purified. Although his head had not been broken, his life was already gone.

Klein took a few steps forward, picked up the peacock-blue flying carpet from the ground, wrapped it around Steel Maviti’s body, and lifted him.

Looking back toward the chaos around Number 15 Fragrant Tree Avenue, listening to the sounds of the living corpses and marionettes losing control, and sensing that the Mandated Punishers were drawing nearer, Klein tugged at the hood of the cloak and bowed slightly in that direction.

Snap!

Klein rubbed his fingers. All the scraps of paper around him ignited, raising a column of crimson flame.

In the firelight, his body became illusory. Together with the items he carried, he turned into a shadow and vanished from the spot.

As for the Beyonder characteristics of Scour and Huntley, which were slowly separating and condensing, he did not look at them, nor did he bother with them.

Greed would only make one fall into unnecessary danger. The present harvest was already enough!

After leaving part of the Mandated Punishers behind to handle the out-of-control living corpses and marionettes, the pirates injured by their “companions,” and the captured Beyonder adventurers, Cordova Royer led the remaining people and hurried over, only to see shredded corpses scattered across the ground, surgical knives fallen everywhere, and withered roadside trees. They could identify the fading Sun aura and the evil sensation originating from the depths of flesh and blood.