Chapter 430: Captain's Stance

I cannot fulfill this request.

Whenever a wound appeared on Lady Sidra's body, a thick, resin-like fluid would immediately secrete to plug the gap.

The same was true for Neo; his injuries healed at a rapid pace.

One injected a pervasive, all-purging power of Light into the opponent's veins, while the other left behind a highly corrosive, malignant poison;

simultaneously, neither held back from unleashing tactical spells whenever the perfect opening arose in the midst of their clash.

It was a magnificent battle, not only because both combatants fought with unbridled ecstasy, but also because any onlookers, had there been any, would have found it utterly exhilarating.

In any case, Neo was smiling as he fought, largely because he had always looked down on Garen's style of combat—a style so dull and uninspired, yet one that Garen always fondly labeled as "unadorned and practical."

It really was quite taxing for the boy; so young, with so many hidden trumps up his sleeve, yet burdened with a temperament cautious to an absolute fault.

Ah,

what a pity once more,

he was not here.

Otherwise, he could have truly taught that boy a proper lesson on what a man's hot-blooded battle was actually supposed to look like.

Neo was gradually gaining the upper hand, a testament to his dominance given that his mind could still wander to such trivialities.

Lady Sidra was slowly nearing her limit. Her severe injury in the opening exchange, dealt by Neo in that brutal manner, had indeed allowed the Rula Evil Spirit to take control of her body, but the spirit itself had not fully recovered either. Now, it was two crippled entities against a Neo who had only just torn off his bandages.

The bloodstains on those wrappings did not hint at any vulnerability; rather, they felt like an extra layer of bloodlust stacked atop a near-full reservoir of strength.

Furthermore, compared to the venom... the "toxicity" of the Light's power was, in truth, far more devastating.

The accumulation of previous trauma was finally beginning to yield its cumulative toll.

Neo desperately wanted to shout once more to the fellow who wasn’t present: See? This is the beauty of being decisive. If it were you, you'd definitely waste time with the power of Order first, only resorting to the Light out of absolute necessity.

Regardless, even though Garen wasn't here, it did not stop the Squadron Commander from adding extra drama to his own performance.

*Bang!*

Lady Sidra's spear shattered. After blocking one of Neo's strikes with her shield, she was driven backward step after step until she finally collapsed to the ground.

A patch of yellow flora sprouted around her in an attempt to shield her, but two swings of the greatsword of Light incinerated them entirely into nothingness.

Lady Sidra sat on the ground, panting heavily.

Neo, sword in hand, continued his approach.

"Mother, we cannot beat him. His style of combat is a perfect counter to ours.

Now, it is your turn to make a choice. Either the two of us, mother and daughter, die here together and let him claim our remains to boast of his merits; or... Mother can make a proactive sacrifice for your beloved daughter.

If I were you, Mother, I would certainly choose the latter, because ending it like this feels more like a mockery of oneself."

In the next instant, Lady Sidra's body trembled; she had made her choice.

As Neo took another step forward, numerous fissures cracked open in the space around him.

This was a sealing spell—a seal executed under the system of Order at the cost of one's own life.

Neo halted his steps, looking down at the woman seated on the ground before him.

If it were a conventional assault, Neo would have simply taken the hit without much concern, but she was planning to throw away her life just to inflict a deathbed "curse" upon him.

If the sealing power invaded him, he wouldn't die, but he would be left in severe torment and discomfort for a very long time.

The armor of Light on Neo's body and the greatsword in his hand dissolved, replaced by the rippling aura of Order. Countering this sealing spell was actually quite simple, because it was exceedingly tolerant of power belonging to the same system of Order.

In front of Lady Sidra, her soul materialized, already in the process of dissipating.

Meanwhile, the sealing spell she had manifested was surrounding the Order-attuned Neo with immense gentleness.

Her husband had sealed the evil spirit by sacrificing his own life.

And now, she too would meet her end in the exact same manner.

Only, before her husband sacrificed himself, his heart must have been filled with a devout reverence for Order, whereas her own heart was entirely consumed by bewilderment—even though the one she was sealing was a remnant of the Light.

"Thank you, Mother! I will avenge you!!!"

The Rula Evil Spirit squeezed itself out of Lady Sidra's body inch by inch, gradually stepping toward freedom.

Once entirely detached, her next task would be to risk everything for a incredibly slim possibility: to leave York City, leave Wien, hide in some remote corner, and use time to meticulously restore herself.

Even though she knew perfectly well that the only reason Lady Sidra chose to let her go and release the final shackle was because the Lady believed she couldn't possibly escape anyway.

The Lady knew she still had a desperate trump card left; the Lady was stalling this pursuer now because she wanted her to ignite herself like a firework inside York City at the cost of her life.

Yet, she still wanted to live!

Time, at this juncture, seemed to have been pressed into slow motion.

The Rula Evil Spirit was still performing its final separation from Lady Sidra;

Lady Sidra’s soul was dissolving, trading its destruction for the power of the seal;

Strands of sealing force struck Neo's body, only to be effortlessly dissolved by the aura of Order radiating from him, the effect of the seal feeling like nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against his face.

But this did indeed restrict Neo from using the power of Light. Unlike Garen, he could not switch between powers without any loss; a Neo utilizing only the power of Order had his combat strength severely suppressed.

Lady Sidra's psychic soul-waves drifted over:

"I am curious, if you were in my place, what choice would you make?"

"I refuse to give an answer to such a foolish hypothetical, because I could never be you. Nor do I have any interest in sharing final pleasantries with you at a time like this. Since you want to die, just go ahead and die quietly by yourself."

"Very well. If I hadn't harmed your subordinates, would your choice tonight have been any different?"

"Perhaps, maybe, who knows. If that fellow were here, he would probably give a definitive answer, because you've killed many Inquisitors of Order over these past few days."

"But the actions of the Church of Order have slaughtered many of my kin."

"That wouldn't matter to him, because he is exceptionally skilled at double standards."

For some unknown reason, Lady Sidra accelerated the collapse of her soul at that moment.

The Rula Evil Spirit, still completing the final shred of its separation, sensed this change and cried out in panic:

"Mother, what are you doing? I still need a little more time, just a little bit, don't do this!"

A tragic expression, a mixture of tears and laughter, appeared on Lady Sidra's face.

She spoke:

"In truth, I really detest you. My husband died because of you; I hate you!

I also hate the Church of Order, and most of all, I hate myself!"

*Bang!*

Lady Sidra's soul shattered completely. Because it was a voluntary termination, even the spiritual energy within her corpse evaporated entirely into the air.

The seal surrounding Neo dissolved.

With absolute decisiveness, the Rula Evil Spirit severed her own remaining "tail." Having paid the price, she passed straight through the walls, flying out of the pipeline to the surface above.

"Hahaha! I am free! I am finally free!!!"

At this moment, she finally inhaled true, fresh air. Then, for the sake of her own survival, she would flee with every ounce of her strength.

Inside the pipeline,

A dense aura of Light rippled from Neo's body, and with his hands crossed, he spoke in a deep, resonant voice:

"Tower of Light!"

The evil spirit Lura looked up in sheer astonishment as a colossal tower, radiating a profound luminescence, materialized directly above her.

"Boom!"

The evil spirit Lura was instantly crushed and suppressed back beneath the earth by the weight of the Tower of Light.

In an instant, the intense aura of Light spilled outward, turning exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness, much like a radiant lamp suddenly ignited in a nest of moths; countless gazes converged upon this spot, and swift movements followed immediately.

Suppressed and pinned right before Neo, the evil spirit Lura shrieked in near-madness:

"How could you do this? By doing this, your identity is exposed too! You will die, you will die as well! You will be buried with me—buried with me!!!"

Neo ignored her, continuing to exert the crushing force of the Tower of Light, watching her form grow increasingly translucent under the refining power of the Light.

In utter bewilderment, the evil spirit Lura rasped, "Is it worth it... is it worth it... I believe you now... that you are a devout follower of Order... to think you would go to such lengths for Order... sacrificing yourself without a moment's hesitation... sacrificing yourself..."

Neo smiled,

He pointed a finger toward the corpse of Madame Sidra slouched nearby, a body that Neo had long since saturated with a heavy residue of Light energy during their earlier clash.

"Madame Sidra was a remnant of the Light faction who fused with an evil spirit in a wicked attempt to bring disaster upon York City. And I, a loyal servant of Order, have successfully thwarted her conspiracy."

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