Chapter 246: The Captain's Battle!

Chapter 246 The Captain's Battle!

It was not that Cullen used the fiercest tone to utter the most cowardly words. Though he agreed, he never assumed the woman would simply turn and leave so easily. Whatever the case, she had killed members of the Order of Light. Even if she left no clues, once a trail was found, the pursuit and vengeance of the Order would surely await her.

Yet, events veered far from Cullen's expectations. Upon receiving his response, the woman's figure suddenly began to retreat swiftly, turning into a streak of white light that vanished directly into the distance...

Cullen remained alertly scanning their surroundings, clutching the sword in his hand without daring to slacken in the slightest, for her speed was so immense that she might well circle back for a surprise attack.

Alfred stood beside him in much the same manner, his slightly reddened eyes scanning in every direction for any threat.

A long while passed.

"Alfred..."

"Young Master..."

"She... seems to have really gone."

"It seems so, yes."

"Why did she just leave like that?"

Cullen felt that, were he in her position, he would still have insisted on silencing the witnesses.

"It might have something to do with that thing on her shoulder."

"That white, fluffy thing? Do you recognize it?"

"I saw it at the club, a little girl. She called me Uncle."

Cullen immediately recalled the peculiar reaction of that white, fluffy thing just as the woman was preparing to strike them.

The woman had clearly come to rescue someone, which meant the thing was very important to her. If it were an ordinary object, the Order of Light would have simply taken it.

Thus, out of consideration for that thing, sparing the two of them... actually seemed to make sense.

"Let us get into the car."

"Yes, Young Master."

Cullen and Alfred stepped into the vehicle together. As he started the engine, Cullen could not help but feel a touch of emotion. This secondhand Porsche possessed incredible luck; today it had almost been stolen and almost crushed into scrap metal, yet in the end, it survived once more.

Just as the car began to move, a trail of black mist swept past the window, pursuing the direction in which the woman had vanished.

"Young Master!"

"It is alright." Cullen immediately raised his hand, gesturing for Alfred not to panic, and then rolled down his window to retrieve a blue seashell from the frame outside. "It is the Captain."

Fannie had said she failed to contact the Captain by phone but had sent him a black crow, so it was entirely normal for the Captain to appear in this vicinity at such a time.

Yet judging by the Captain's momentum, he seemed intent on hunting down that woman.

Cullen immediately spoke to Alfred, "Go and inform Fannie. Tell her to gather the rest of the squad. I will try to catch up with the Captain."

"Very well, Young Master."

As Alfred stepped out of the car, Cullen asked him, "Did I just promise her that I would not report this to the Order of Light?"

"No, you did not. I did not hear it."

"I did say it."

"Uh..." Alfred hesitated.

"But I am not reporting it to the Order of Light; I am reporting it to the Remnants of Light. After all, our squad captain is a genuine Remnant of Light, and the squad you are gathering for me is also a squad of Light Remnants."

"Yes, Young Master, you are entirely correct!"

...

The woman's speed was exceptional, like a streak of white light weaving rapidly across the rooftops of the city. Her original destination should have been a certain building nearby, but as if sensing the pursuit behind her, she was forced to alter her course, unwilling to let her residence be discovered.

For the next quarter of an hour, the woman attempted to shake off the chase from behind, but to no avail. No matter what method she employed, she could not deceive her pursuer; instead, the individual gradually closed the distance between them at a measured, unhurried pace.

Finally, the woman chose to stop fleeing. Her figure descended into a demolished factory yard, which lay close to the outskirts of York City, within a sector slated for future development. The original residents had long since been relocated, rendering the place exceptionally quiet at night.

The woman reached out to stroke the white, fluffy creature on her shoulder, murmuring to it, "Raimer, I told you, a man's word can never be trusted."

The white, fluffy Raimer lowered its head in a touch of guilt, nuzzling against the woman's neck.

Neo's figure landed before the woman, his face concealed behind a silver mask.

"What is it, running out of breath?"

"I am simply tired of running. If you turn back now, there is still time. I will pack my belongings and leave York City—even leave Wayne."

This was the concession the woman offered.

Neo shook his head and said, "There is no such logic in the world. Striking whenever you want to strike, and leaving whenever you want to leave. That logic does not hold."

"Striking?" The woman immediately sighed. "So, I should have killed those two just now?"

"Perhaps. But since you did not, my demand is very simple. Go back, apologize, and I can act as though nothing happened."

"That is your demand?"

"Yes. It is very simple, is it not?"

"Heh, those people from your Order of Light stole my pet. They deserved to die!"

"One matter has nothing to do with another. I did not come to question your rescue of the pet. You frightened my team member, and I happened to witness it. You even pointed at his face and threatened him with this and that before deciding not to kill him. I am sorry, but those words made me very uncomfortable."

"Then his promise is nothing but filth?"

"Oh no, he kept his promise. I am not included within his promise."

The woman scanned their surroundings and asked, "Are you waiting for reinforcements?"

"If I wanted reinforcements, I could have signaled while pursuing you. I would not have waited until now."

"An apology is impossible."

"Very well." Neo spread his hands open as two clusters of black flames rose forth. "The nonsense is over. We can begin the fight."

The woman extended her finger, pointing toward Neo, and the phantom of a stone monument manifested once more, crashing straight toward him while Neo remained standing in place.

Yet when the monument struck Neo's body, his figure merely distorted. At the original spot, the two clusters of black flames continued to burn, warping the vision, while the man himself had long vanished.

A phantom immediately emerged behind the woman, within which a giant palm appeared to guard her rear.

However, almost simultaneously, two black vines sprouted from beneath the woman's feet, attempting to entwine her ankles.

The woman's gaze narrowed as she looked down. An invisible force rippled outward, and the vines shattered instantly to reveal two hands. These hands were flawlessly white, appearing exquisitely beautiful, yet in an instant, they pierced through the obstruction surrounding the woman and gripped her ankles.

"Buzz!"

The woman spread her hands and pressed downward!

"Boom!"

The ground caved in directly, and the pair of hands that had just gripped her dissolved in that very instant.

"Order—Rampart Defense!"

Neo's voice echoed from the perimeter as massive black stone slabs materialized. Originally a defensive technique, it was now used in reverse to encircle her—

A succession of muffled detonations echoed through the air, yet the stone slabs seemed infinite; no matter how many the woman shattered, one after another, a fresh layer invariably rose before her to bar her path.

The snow-white, fluffy creature perched upon her shoulder instantly let out a sharp cry, drawing her gaze toward a diagonal flank; pointing a finger, she unleashed a streak of searing flame, a conflagration of purest white that possessed the terrifying power to incinerate the soul itself.

The fire pierced three layers of stone before finally laying bare Nio’s silhouette, from whose chest a necklace drifted upward, shedding a gentle radiance like a liquid veil of water that dispersed the dreadful, oncoming flames completely.

Her eyes turned a stark, solid white as she raised both hands, setting the very earth ablaze beneath them; under this blistering heat, every spell and formation Nio had previously laid down was utterly dissolved.

Yet, the moment she broke the bindings encompassing her, she pressed her wrists downward to contain the escaping heat, clearly unwilling for the commotion of this clash to draw the attention of the city’s other factions—most notably, the Order of Judgment.

"Remer."

The white, fluffy thing upon her shoulder took flight, its body flashing with a pale luminescence before splitting apart to coat her frame, encasing her in an instant within a suit of ashen armor.

The bracelet that had adorned her left wrist slipped free, melting in midair to forge a rapier that dropped neatly into her grasp.

She had abandoned the duel of sorcery, choosing instead the bloody intimacy of close-quarters combat.

The air hummed.

Her silhouette vanished from its place and materialized directly before Nio, her rapier thrusting forward.

A shield materialized instantly in Nio's defense, but its protection meant nothing against the slender blade; the sharp tip pierced straight through, and with a swift flick, the shield shattered entirely.

Slicing sideways to close the distance further, she allowed the blade to elongate, thrusting directly at Nio's face.

Nio retreated, twisting his frame, yet the rapier's fluidity was near limitless; it bent mid-thrust, impaling his chest and continuing to extend, wreaking rapid internal havoc.

Black flames erupted from beneath the woman's feet as the phantom of a horned beast opened its gaping maw to swallow her whole.

She refused to trade wound for wound; though confident she could finish Nio at a minor cost, she chose to withdraw, her armor flaring with light to dispel the beast's shadow just before the maw could close around her.

Nio sank to one knee, his right hand clutching his chest where blood gushed forth in heavy streams.

Flicking her rapier, a smile touched her lips as she closed in once more.

The blood pooling beneath Nio coalesced into a crimson star, and two cloth dolls appeared, taking on a bloody hue as they gorged upon his life force.

Had Karen been present, he would have found these two dolls intimately familiar.

Two blood-red skeletons arose, swinging their scythes toward the woman.

Swaying aside, she evaded the strike and thrust her rapier into one skeleton's chest, tearing open a massive hole with a sharp twist, though the creature continued its assault regardless.

Dodging again, she struck the second skeleton, carving an equally massive wound into its frame.

Nio formed hand seals, using his own blood to sustain the damaged puppets in the fray.

Forced back by the dual onslaught, the woman suddenly leaped aside; her armor split open, casting her free while the suit itself sprouted dense fur, filling the void to continue the blade-dance against the skeletons.

Now liberated from the melee, she lunged at maximum speed toward Nio, who was consumed with controlling his puppets, a dagger flashing in her hand.

Sensing the peril, Nio looked up, consternation flickering beneath his mask.

A barrier manifested, but with a rapid pivot, she bypassed the wall entirely and stood before him at last; Nio rose to retreat, but her speed eclipsed his, driving the dagger deep into his opposite chest and tearing diagonally with a brutal yank.

A sharp crunch echoed.

It was the sound of ribs being sheared through, and the internal organs beneath had undoubtedly suffered far worse devastation.

Nio let out a sharp cry of agony.

Gripping the dagger with both hands, the woman prepared for another diagonal tear to bisect him completely.

But as she applied pressure, her expression changed; the dagger was stuck in the wound, trapped by the very ribs she had just severed, which were now constricting around her blade.

And Nio, though grievously wounded, suddenly experienced a violent surge of aura, his hands clamping down like vices onto her shoulders.

The woman's eyes went white as two beams of searing flame shot from her pupils.

Nio ducked his head to protect his vitals, letting the twin fires pierce his shoulders and leave behind two holes the size of an infant's fist.

Yet within those cavities, flesh and bone began to regenerate at a visible pace; the strength in his arms never wavered as black talons sprouted from his fingertips, embedding themselves deep into her flesh.

"Heh, my turn."

Releasing the trapped dagger, she tried to wrench herself free, but Nio held her in a death grip.

The silver mask flew from his face to reveal his features; his eyes burned a vivid teal, and twin fangs bared themselves as he lunged straight for her throat.

Sensing a mortal crisis, she realized he had been waiting for this exact moment; the opportunity she thought she had created was merely a stage they had built together.

A white silhouette emerged from her body like a shackled soul, ramming straight into Nio and exploding in the impact.

She possessed no shortage of sacred artifacts; such was the weight of her heritage.

In battle, whoever held the superior and more numerous artifacts held the advantage, which was precisely why the points-shops of the great churches never wanted for business.

A terrifying shockwave rippled out, preventing Nio from sinking his fangs into her neck and allowing her to break away.

But having escaped the restraint, her shoulders down to her torso were marked by horrific, bloody trenches, as if ten strips of flesh had been torn away; her hair was disheveled, blood spilled from her lips, and she looked thoroughly battered.

The two skeletons went still the moment Nio stopped controlling them, and the ashen armor flew back to encase the woman once more, its healing radiance flowing, though the mending was negligible at best.

Particularly when compared to the man before her.

Nio reached down, drew the dagger from his chest, and tossed it carelessly to the ground.

Then, the wounds across his body began to knit together rapidly, though he still seemed dissatisfied; tapping his own forehead, he cursed:

"Old bastard, always buzzing in my head normally; now’s the time to put some back into it."

The words had barely left his lips when the speed of his regeneration doubled.

"A Bloodfiend Aberration?"

The woman recognized his nature; while many families and church systems possessed rapid healing, none were as direct and primal as the Bloodfiend lineage.

Nio cracked his neck, gesturing with his fingers: "Come on, let’s keep going. I was just treated like a lab rat in my last mission and I'm bursting with frustration. Thanks for showing up."

"A Bloodfiend who worships the God of Order? Impossible!"

"Why, is it forbidden?"

Nio walked toward her.

Regripping her rapier, she sneered: "Even for a Bloodfiend, regeneration isn't infinite. I want to see just how much blood you have left to bleed."

The ashen armor glowed, empowering her as she dashed toward Nio; so long as she did not overextend or hope for a quick end, maintaining a close-quarters war of attrition would leave Nio with no opening.

Yet halfway through her charge, her eyes widened in shock.

Nio raised his arm, intoning a chant:

"Light—The Knight’s Vigil!"

A holy, radiant power enveloped Nio, shrouding him in a suit of Light Knight armor while a greatsword of pure luminescence materialized in his grip, turning him instantly into a heavy-armored juggernaut.

Karen had always known one truth: a captain using Order sorcery was not the true captain; only when the captain unleashed the power of Light did it mean he was going all out.

The woman’s astonishment could not halt the first collision; her rapier, facing Nio’s greatsword of Light, could not even withstand the holy aura it emitted, bending instantly upon contact.

A heavy clang resonated.

The greatsword swept across her frame, its damage absorbed by her armor, but Nio used the momentum to drive forward, slamming his shoulder—fortified by the weight of the knightly armor—squarely into her chest.

"Bang!"

The woman was thrown backward by the impact, crashing heavily onto the distant ground. She struggled to her feet, but Neo had already materialized before her once more.

In truth, the woman was hardly lacking in combat experience, yet Neo's was vastly superior. Crucially, he had already begun absorbing the Light doctrines of the "It" within his body, which implied that other facets—such as battle prowess—had likely been assimilated long ago.

The woman raised her rapier anew, the blade extending under the surge of her power as she thrust it toward Neo, desperate to buy herself enough room to evade.

Yet the Light Knight armor shielding Neo vanished entirely, leaving his defenseless body to be pierced through by her blade; he simply walked straight along the steel, utterly ignoring his own wound to close the distance, and brought his boot crashing down upon the woman as she attempted to rise.

"Bang!"

The woman was pinned ruthlessly to the earth.

The great sword of Light in Neo's hand came to a sudden halt, resting flush against her throat.

"I can spare your life, but you must promise me not to report what you just witnessed to the Church of Order."

"..." The woman.