Chapter 608

Chapter 230: Turning Against Each Other Part 2

“You…”

I instinctively wanted to pull back the scythe.

This thought only lingered for an instant before being overwhelmed by endless resentment. I gritted my teeth, and with a slight force from my right hand, pressed the scythe down further.

“Do you think I’m afraid?!”

Ssssss—

The blade embedded itself into the flesh, the burning sound becoming clearer. Angel’s palm gripping the blade and his entire neck were already red, the wound around him slowly turning black. He started trembling, sweat beads forming on his forehead, his facial muscles tightening as he clearly struggled to endure the pain.

“Hah…”

However, this young Pope smiled at me in the next moment: “Good, good… Just like that… Little Black Charcoal, come on, use more strength… My head is right here; all you need to do is pull the scythe lightly, and it’ll be easy to take off… isn’t it?”

“Why won’t you let me go—”

“Because something will happen if you leave. But now you don’t believe me, thinking I’m… someone who wants to harm you. If you don’t listen to me, you’ll end up harming yourself, and I can’t let you harm yourself.”

“You still want to deceive me!”

“I’m not deceiving you. I haven’t even resisted. Who dares to move!?”

The man’s smile suddenly turned sinister. The last sentence was shouted at the restless figures behind him. As he spoke, golden light burst from his eyes, and the unknown sphere floated above his head again, its dazzling light illuminating the figures trying to sneak closer.

The beak doctor, the woman in the black cloak, the petite swordswoman—I saw them get a bit closer. Flames flickered as people spoke, their voices chaotic and hurried. I couldn’t hear what they said; at this moment, these things didn’t matter. I simply couldn’t care less.

“Do you think I don’t know you’re deceiving me!?”

I could only roar in anguish at Angel, my voice hoarse, not for communication or understanding, but purely to vent my emotions. In the next moment, the man in front of me roared back at me in anger.

“I’ve already put my head here; how else do you want me to prove it!?”

He was no longer the lazy, carefree person he used to be, nor was he as calm as before. After shouting those words, the hand holding my scythe squeezed harder, pulling toward his neck in a suicidal manner. His five fingers were burned black, turning into charcoal.

“Do you dare deceive me! Why can you, with such audacity, deceive me! Angel! I hate you! I want to kill you so badly—”

“Your head is under your knife! What are you waiting for!”

“They can’t stop me! They can’t stop me—”

“Then do it!!!”

The man looked vicious and violent. Burns on his neck had spread to his chin and side face, making his lips pale from the pain. Sweat dripped uncontrollably, his eyes seemed ready to spout flames. He pulled the blade toward his neck without hesitation, and I was frightened by his appearance, immediately loosening my grip and pulling the scythe back subconsciously.

If I used more force, I would really kill him…

“Ahhhhh!!!”

Bang—

I raised my left hand and punched Angel hard in the chest.

“Cough…”

This punch was heavy. The man’s chest visibly caved in. He coughed up blood, his features twisted in pain. His hand released the scythe, and I quickly pulled it back to my side. As he retreated, I stepped forward and struck out with my left fist again.

“Do you really think I remember nothing—”

Bang!

This punch hit his face.

Blood splattered with a muffled thud. The man’s nose broke, the originally high bridge collapsing, his lips torn open, blood dripping down his chin, several teeth flying out. He continued to retreat, head tilted back, and I grabbed his arm, pulling him back just before he fell.

“I heard them talking! Patient! Dr. Romanie!!!”

Bang!

While shouting, I lifted my right leg and kneed Angel in the abdomen, lifting him off the ground and bending his body like a shrimp in mid-air.

“That wasn’t done by the Gate of Truth—”

Bang!

Our foreheads collided, the dull sound seeming to come from inside my head.

“That was your people—”

Angel’s forehead was cut by the sharp tip of my head, deep gashes oozing blood. The man landed again, his face covered in fresh red, swaying unsteadily, his body seemingly boneless. I held his hand to keep him from falling, ears buzzing, faintly hearing the increasingly chaotic shouts and Margaret’s desperate lamentation.

“Sylvia! Stop! Stop quickly… You’re forcing us to act against you…”

“Then come on—”

I raised my blood-red eyes and shouted at the countless menacing figures in the firelight: “Want to fight! Come! Ah!!!”

“Roar——!!!”

A sharp, cracked voice, the tail end carrying a dragon-like roar, wrapped in howling wind, rippled across the dark grassland like waves, reaching every face in the firelight, completely suppressing the noisy shouts.

Bang—

I kicked Angel away, sending him flying nearly ten meters.

Falling into a distant pile of grass, the man knelt and coughed uncontrollably, blood trailing from his mouth. Someone went over to help him, but I tightened my grip on the scythe in my hand, my chest heaving violently, eyes fixed unblinkingly.

Not far away, the slender female swordsman crouched, seemingly preparing to attack me. I immediately turned my head and glared at her. Thick, suffocating smoke surged from beneath my feet, crimson flames spouting from the blade of the scythe. In the next moment, the female swordsman was pulled back by the quick-handed beak-masked doctor, who shook his head slowly.

Apart from that female swordsman, no one else dared to take another step forward.

Time quietly passed for several seconds. Angel, having recovered, struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his face as he looked at me, suddenly bursting into laughter.

“Pepi, trust me.”

The man’s voice became gentle again.

But he quickly raised his right hand.

Buzz—

A halo of divine light abruptly blossomed from his fingertips. It was an instant thing; the halo became blinding in my eyes, almost filling my entire field of vision, while a faint tremor seemed to come from above.

I suddenly looked up.

Above my field of vision, the golden sphere hovered there, its brilliant light enveloping both me and the floating white branch. I instantly understood that Angel had activated “Apocalyptic Reflection” again, wanting to completely keep me here.

Buzz buzz buzz…

Divine power churned the surrounding air, causing an eerie pressure to surge once more. The white branches of the tree emitted even brighter white light. At the same time, Margaret’s pendant began to glow, and so did the female swordsman, the beak-masked doctor, the long-robed old man, and the woman in the cloak further away, as well as the black-robed figure. They all moved at this moment.

“Angel—”

I was almost beyond anger.

He was still deceiving me…

He deliberately provoked me to anger, making me lose control, then getting close to him, waiting for this opportunity, to have that sphere directly cover my head…

He was still tricking me!!!

I didn’t know what would happen if he succeeded in activating the divine relic again. I didn’t want to think about it anymore; I was already too tired…

Really, so tired…

I was so tired…

Emotions on the brink of collapse, my nose ached fiercely, tears blurred my vision. I wiped away the tears with my hand, looking at the man smiling at me not far away. Red light flickered rapidly in my pupils before turning a gem-like crimson.

…Illusion shattered.

The world fell silent for a moment.

Grass, starry sky, golden flames, chaotic shouts, figures charging at me, even the ground beneath my feet—all vanished from my sight in this instant.

Only that man standing in the darkness remained.

He was still smiling at me, not yet understanding what had happened, still keeping his hand raised. The illusion formed too quickly, only to crumble in the next instant when I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the illusion had disappeared, and the chaotic scene returned to my sight.

But in that brief moment, I pulled Angel into the illusion, interrupting his attempt to activate the divine relic. The buzzing sound from the sphere above stopped.

Thud—

I took advantage of the opportunity to use Moon Step.

Grass flew everywhere, mud splattered, and I managed to escape Margaret’s divine miracle before anyone could get close. I retreated thirty meters or so, creating distance between us, and suddenly spread my flame wings, flying toward the night sky.

I couldn’t handle so many people…

I was really too tired…

Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty meters—

The height of flight increased.

I tried desperately to fly faster, fast enough to leave this place immediately, to avoid being caught, to never see them again. I flapped my wings with all my might, but my body felt like it was filled with lead, so heavy that I could hardly breathe. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fly fast, only barely maintaining my flight, swaying in the air, as if I might fall at any moment.

Below my view, sparks of firelight and golden light gathered on the grassland. The frantic and anxious shouts could still be heard. Among the indistinct crowd, I saw Angel at a glance.

He was looking up at me, no longer smiling, his face dark and terrifying, like a lion suppressing its rage, his gaze piercing straight through me.

In a daze, I heard him giving orders to the crowd.

“Capture her… no matter the means.”

With these commands, two holy spears shot out from the flames, slicing through the night sky toward me. The spears were very fast, their whistling sound arriving in an instant. In mid-air, I twisted my body as much as possible, barely avoiding one, while the other grazed my chest, deflected by the cracked armor, sending me flying several rotations in the air, nearly crashing into the grass.

“Guh…”

I gritted my teeth to endure the dull pain, stabilizing myself after falling dozens of meters, not looking back at those people, and flying back into the night sky, dragging my exhausted body, flying toward some unknown distant place.

The cold wind, like a sharp knife, whistled past my ears, across my face, blowing my tears to the back of my head, wetting my hair. Above the night sky, stars and moon shone together, emitting a peaceful and harmonious aura, reminiscent of countless nights seen from Santel Castle. But such beautiful scenery was now far, far away from me.

“Aah—”

Unable to hold back, I opened my mouth and cried out loudly.