177 Sudden Entrance into the Battlefield!

Six o'clock in the morning, Dragon Clouds City, in the middle of Shield District.

The moon had set and the darkest moment of the day was upon them.

The Hydra Kilika seemed delirious. Its gigantic body resounded with a chilling flesh-grinding sound. It invoked scenes of a millstone grinding pork. Its limbs and tentacles frantically danced around, continuously releasing wave after wave of people that barricaded both Nicholas and Gleeward.

The two elite supreme class warriors wielded legendary anti-mystic equipment. They fought hand-in-hand among the masses of people controlled by the Mystic, strenuously advancing forward.

With great perseverance, they both endured the wails and screams of the residents as they slaughtered their way through a crowd of people; only to get a little closer to the Mystic after great difficulty.

However, the young lady with a bright smile just shook her head ever so slightly. A giant tentacle extended from behind her and sent her twenty meters back.

More people controlled by the Mystic wandered out from the rift created by her tentacles. They encircled the two supreme class humans and inadvertently blocked out all the space that the tentacles vacated.

Just ten meters away, under an unassuming low wall, Thales was attentively listening to Black Sword's explanation in shock and surprise.

"The Power of Eradication originates from an undeveloped potential in the human body. Through special methods for example, we can use specific wrestling methods and sword styles to ignite these available powers."

The words from Black Sword's mouth was laced with a slight authoritative tone, which would have caused anyone around to unconsciously perk up their ears. "It can increase one's ability, intrinsic qualities, or adaptability towards certain atmospheres in large or small degrees for any length of time."

He stared at Thales in a grave and intense manner.

"The form in which the Power of Eradication exists varies from person to person. There are many types. Some exist as visible light rays, some fuse with the organ tissues, some even circulate endlessly throughout the body around the clock; some target specific parts, whereas some pervade the entire body.

"Even if the Power of Eradication is of the same type, it is often varied and diverse when different people utilize it."

Thales frowned. 'If it's varied and diverse, then how is he going to "teach" me?'

Black Sword seemed to have heard his thoughts. As the hydra emitted a 'roaring' sound from within its flesh, he steadily said, "Still, there are common characteristics available for reference.

"A majority of the Powers of Eradication have specific forms and functions when awakened." Black Sword exhaled. All the muscles in his body trembled as if they were doing a final warm-up.

He said, "Just as Glory of the Stars prolongs mental excitement and the body's endurance substantially; just as Thawing of Glaciers persistently strengthens resistance against pressure and perspective; just as Pegasus' Music promotes resonance with the external environment on the largest extreme, and just as the Sword of Baptism's Death instantly collapses a human's self defense mechanism…

"For those who have awakened such Power of Eradication, their battle styles and usage of abilities naturally form into individual tendencies as well as habits, following the specific form of the Power of Eradication."

Then, Black Sword instantly switched their topic of discussion.

"But, the Sin of Hell's River is not the same."

Black Sword's expression began to turn cold.

"It is one of the least-recorded Power of Eradications. Based on the experience of some of our predecessors and myself, it originates from the most incredible potential of life," Black Sword said slowly.

"The will to survive."

Thales' heart tightened.

He recalled his bitter encounter in the birch tree forest when Serena strangled him while he was in the air.

"So, the existence of Sin of Hell's River is fundamentally to extend the life of someone dying." Black Sword inhaled slowly and regulated his breathing. "It is the ultimate struggle with everything at stake."

He gave the prince a meaningful glance. "This is also the premise needed before we awaken the Sin of Hell's River.

"It awakens during moments when we nearly die, stimulates all essence of life and exhausts all possibilities which will allow a person to live.

"It's because of this that makes it different from most Powers of Eradication. The Sin of Hell's River has no specific form.

"In other words, it can exist in any form…

"And exercise its function."

Thales narrowed his pupils. "Any? It can exist in any of the forms that the other Powers of Eradication can take?"

He began to understand what Black Sword meant.

"That's right…" Black Sword smiled. He nodded and looked at Kilika in the distance. "And for that…"

Black Sword narrowed his eyes, his pupils fixated on the battle afar.

"Sin of Hell's River…

"Can even be referred to as the universal Power of Eradication."

As the both of them talked, Nicholas and Gleeward were struggling to hold on.

"We can't go on like this anymore."

With a cold expression, Nicholas chopped off a woman's head with the Severing Souls Blade. The panic in her eyes before she died left the experienced warrior with a heavy weight in his heart as he faced the next confused-looking old man.

Nicholas exercised his sore shoulder lightly as he glanced at the corpses around them. He could not help but frown. "Although by relying on the legendary anti-mystic equipment, we can protect ourselves…

"We're eventually going to die by exhaustion!"

The Star Killer took a look at the frantic expression and burning fury in Gleeward's eyes. He silently pondered.

'Perhaps, after Gleeward manages to kill enough people and reach a critical point, he'll have an immediate mental breakdown?'

Gleeward roared furiously as he brandished his pike. The pike head slashed into three people but he was scratched on his left shoulder by a girl, who attacked him from the back.

The civilians of Shield District who were slashed fell to their deaths under the effects of Elimination. Gleeward tried his best to not look at their expressions before they died, but his entire body was already trembling violently.

"Do you have any idea on how to get through?!" Gleeward gritted his teeth and took a step back. He was very aggravated. "Don't tell me that you're actually Kingdom's Wrath!"

"We can't get through." Nicholas stared intently at the lady standing before the hydra. His sword flashed as he drew it from its sheath, and he said, "But we can make it impossible for her to retreat!"

Gleeward's expression changed.

The next moment, the Star Killer's demeanor changed!

Nicholas' pale face flushed red. He retrieved his arms and no longer attacked the dense crowd of people before his eyes.

His finger made contact with the Severing Souls Blade.

In a fraction of a second, a snapping sound was heard. The Severing Souls Blade with two curves broke into two halves from the protruding end of the blade's spine!

The Blood Mystic who saw all of this raised her brows as she instinctively felt something amiss. The bloody patches on her face quivered.

The blade's fracture seemed especially uniform. The Star Killer had the broken blade in one hand, and the remaining half of the Severing Souls Blade in his other. He revealed a mysterious smile.

"The border starts here," he lightly said.

In the next second, Nicholas' figure shifted. The Power of Eradication within him began to quake.

On one side of his body, he pushed through three civilians, who were controlled by the Mystic in an inconceivable motion. Amid the civilians' screams, he lightly stepped on their shoulders and leaped into the air!

If Aida had been there, she would have immediately recognized it as his perfect, nimble, and unavoidable footsteps, shuttling among the crowds when they first met.

Giza's expression changed. Immediately, a few controlled civilians bent their knees and demonstrated a monstrous single-legged bounce. They leaped towards Nicholas in the air.

The Soul Sayer Pike in Gleeward's hand drew a big, rarely seen circle at this moment and it swept across the sky!

*Swash!*

Enduring the injuries he sustained on his back from the siege, Gleeward roared as he swept aside the civilians who were trying to intercept Nicholas, turning them into lifeless corpses.

Nicholas then leaped into the air without any hindrance. At that very second, he stared deeply at Giza in the distance.

Across the dozens of densely packed people, the Star Killer extended his arm.

The broken blade emitted a swishing sound as it broke through the wind and launched itself directly at the Mystic's face!

Giza's expression changed drastically.

Amid the ear-piercing winds, she cautiously extended two tentacles from her body. They struck the ground and propelled her backwards.

*Thud!*

The blade firmly punctured the ground only a few meters away from the Blood Mystic.

Nicholas' face remained unchanged as he fell from the air. The broken blade deflected an opponent who was ready to attack him from behind.

Giza narrowed her eyes. She stared at the blade in the ground and said nothing.

However, just a second later, Nicholas lightly brandished his blade. His eyes were bursting with sharp rays as he coldly said, "And the border ends here."

The Mystic's expression remained unchanged. There were no traces of the slightest doubt.

But in that moment, Nicholas burst out with the most emotional bellow since the start of the battle, "Assault!"

As though receiving a supreme command, Gleeward opened his mouth and brandished his vibrating pike with a ferocious expression. He pierced through two innocent "opponents" in front of him and slaughtered his way through with tears in his eyes!

"Aaaahhh!"

Nicholas was not to be outdone by Gleeward's roar. The half-broken blade in his hands flashed with an unobservable light as it slit across the neck of a wailing teenager. He then dashed in the direction of the Mystic.

"You only have one chance! Break through!"

In the eyes of the Blood Mystic, these two supreme class warriors did not care about the consequences they suffered, the wounds they sustained, and the lack of defenses on their bodies, and they broke through the dense crowd of people with their assault!

With a slight tilt of her head, more people walked out of the tentacles and surrounded the two assaulters.

However, Nicholas and Gleeward's assault did not stop. Both of their bodies were riddled with scratches and cuts. Yet, they invariably brought forth their most ferocious state and fought hand-in-hand as they moved towards her!

They were getting closer to the Mystic.

Giza eventually closed her eyes. As quickly as before, Kilika extended a giant tentacle from behind. It latched onto her waist and curled backward.

However, the unexpected happened right then.

Not more than a dozen meters into the Mystic's retreat on the tentacle, the Severing Souls Blade that was thrusted into the ground suddenly shone!

The broken blade flashed with the most dazzling yellow rays.

The tentacle protecting Giza continued to drag her backwards, but the exact same yellow rays on the blade suddenly flashed behind her!

Giza's face changed.

The tentacle was still retreating, but Giza seemed to be held back by a huge, invisible hand as she was forcibly stopped before a barrier, which was formed by the yellow rays. 

The tentacle exerted force, but it had no way of dragging Giza out of the range of the yellow rays!

It seemed as if it was jammed into something.

Giza looked up sharply at the ground in front of her, at the blade that broke off from the Severing Souls Blade.

'It's that blade!

'That's the problematic one.'

Giza did not have much time to ponder. Moments later, the two supreme class warriors broke through the dense crowd. With bodies stained with blood, they ferociously went to attack the Mystic, who could not move an inch backwards!

Ten meters… Five meters… Four meters… Three meters… Both of them were getting closer and closer to Giza!

"Do it!" Nicholas roared as he elbowed away an opponent on the left. He turned with resolution and slashed with his blade. In the midst of the bloody whirlwind, he slaughtered three to four people while he covered Gleeward's back at all costs.

With moist tear tracks and a heart filled with resentment, Gleeward brandished the life-stealing Soul Slayer Pike as he stepped within three meters of the Mystic, and struck!

The flashing of the yellow rays behind the Blood Mystic grew more and more urgent.

They continued to hinder her from retreating to the back.

The pike was about to strike Giza between the eyes.

*Clank!*

In the nick of time, a veteran suddenly emerged next to her. Big Leather Belt firmly grasped the Soul Slayer Pike.

The head of the pike was only an inch away from Giza's face.

The difference from the previous time was that this time, the void behind Giza flashed with a strange light, blocking her from retreating even a little bit!

She could only stay stuck rigidly between the Soul Slayer Pike and the light rays.

She had no room to move, and her situation was incredibly dangerous.

"Chief Gleeward." Big Leather Belt grabbed the Soul Slayer Pike with a face full of tears. "I'm sorry."

Nicholas' figure shifted again. The broken blade whirled as metal clashed, and in a short period of time, Gleeward was protected all around.

"It's nothing." Gleeward gritted his teeth. With hatred in his eyes, he glared at Big Leather Belt, who could not help but stand between the Mystic and the Soul Slayer Pike. "Just another unfortunate battle."

The three of them stood in a deadlock.

The crowd of people surrounding the both of them seemed to have received some sort of order. They stopped abruptly and withdrew amid the terrified wailing of their controller.

Nicholas was finally given a chance to take a breather. He took a step back as he and Gleeward, who was pointing the Soul Slayer Pike at the Mystic stood back-to-back.

Giza bowed her head. Her lips moved slightly as her voice rang in the ears of the two supreme class warriors.

"What is this?" the Mystic plainly asked.

"The ability of Severing Souls Blade..." Nicholas clenched his chest as he glanced at the blade in the ground and then at Big Leather Belt, who was blocking the Soul Slayer Pike. His expression was unpleasant. "With the broken blade as the center, it completely separates an area from the outside world for a short amount of time.

"You can enter, but you can't exit." Nicholas exhaled a visibly warm breath.

Gleeward gritted his teeth, his eyes still filled with hatred. "Enough to trap you here, wh*re."

Giza squinted. The yellow rays behind her remained, firmly blocking her path of retreat. Yet, she seemed indifferent.

Her lips barely moved as she asked, "How rare, yet another piece of equipment I've never seen before."

"It's funny, now that it's being mentioned. This ability has a very upsetting name." Nicholas' face twitched. Eventually, he took a deep breath and said somewhat rigidly, "It's called 'You'll Never Escape'."

A cold wind blew past them. The hydra pulled Giza in vain as the latter was firmly bound by the yellow rays, unable to move.

"Hmph," the Blood Mystic snorted coldly. "Must be the work of that b*tch, Blood Spike."

Nicholas vigilantly monitored the crowd of people around them. Without batting an eyelid, he nudged his partner behind him. "Empress Blood Spike initially created this sword to resist the Virtual Mystic—that illusive, undetectable existence."

Kilika released an enraged howl from its flesh and blood, though the meaning was unknown.

"Just to defeat Zarkel?" the Blood Mystic shook her head slowly. "How sad that fool will be when he hears that you've said that."

Nicholas turned his head around and stared at Giza. "Of course, we only realized later that the Severing Souls Blade can be pretty useful against most calamities when paired with other equipment."

"Such as right now… You'll never be escape now."

The Blood Mystic fixed her gaze on them as her expression stiffened.

"Game over, wh*re." Gleeward looked formidable while holding up the Soul Slayer Pike. It looked like he wanted to just chop the Mystic up with his eyes.

"Let's attack." Nicholas coldly urged his partner. "Let's finish this."

"Are you ready, Big Leather Belt?" Gleeward nodded. Looking at his controlled former colleague, fury and oppression flashed across his eyes.

"Of course, chief." Big Leather Belt first smiled in distress, then his face stiffened as he said somehow sorrowfully, "I have a daughter…"

Gleeward furrowed his brows upon hearing those words.

'Shield District is almost completely ruined.

'Only a small percentage of residents living outside the city were evacuated.

'I'm afraid, his daughter may…'

Yet, Gleeward took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "I'll take care of her for you."

A translucent sparkle flashed across Big Leather Belt's eyes. At that moment, he had a serene smile on his face. "Thank you."

The next second, under Big Leather Belt's relieved gaze, Gleeward's body resounded with an explosive crack.

As if with great force, the Soul Slayer Pike in his hands vibrated as it was set free from Big Leather Belt's hands and stabbed straight forward!

*Rip!*

The Soul Slayer Pike pierced through Big Leather Belt's chest. It reverberated with the muffled sound of metal grinding against his sternum.

The smile of relief remained frozen on Big Leather Belt's face as he turned into a withered corpse.

The rays of light behind the Mystic flashed more and more urgently!

It still hindered her from retreating.

*Shick!*

The pike went deeper through Big Leather Belt's back.

Then, it pierced the Mystic, right between her eyes...

And through the back of her head.

In that moment, the Mystic hung her mouth wide open. She trembled, yet she could not utter a single word.

It seemed as though she was experiencing endless pain.

Behind her, Kilika emitted a terrifying squishing sound. Its gigantic body slowly slumped.

The crowd of people around them stopped moving.

Giza's face began to blacken and crisp up. Like a chapped, and cracked piece of dead wood, fragments fell off from her.

Nicholas exhaled.

He was gasping for breath as he staggered two steps forward. He picked up the blade that was stuck in the ground and slowly secured it on the broken end of the Severing Souls Blade.

The broken end flashed with a glaring yellow ray as the two pieces of metal seamlessly fused back together.

It was bright and as good as new, like it was never broken.

Gleeward closed his eyes. He propped his pike barrel on the ground and knelt on one knee in exhaustion.

It had ended.

Nicholas turned around and looked at the collapsing hydra.

"Wait a minute!"

Gleeward's explosive shout rang at this moment!

Nicholas immediately peered at him with a surprised look on his face.

'How can this be?'

"The Soul Slayer Pike… It's still vibrating!" The crippled veteran hung his mouth open in disbelief. He looked at Giza, who was shattered like pieces of pottery. He pulled the pike strenuously and yanked it out.

"This isn't her!" Gleeward exclaimed with grief. "It's not the wh*re!"

Nicholas was startled!

Under their shocked gazes, fragments fell from 'Giza''s face. It revealed a delicate face, which had long been silenced.

After the Mystic's outer appearance peeled off, an innocent girl materialized before their eyes.

Gleeward narrowed his pupils instantly!

'No.'

He shuddered along with the pike in his hand.

It was like looking at the world's most terrible tragedy.

'No.'

Tears spilled uncontrollably from the veteran's face.　

'No.

'This is…'

He stared blankly at the girl's face.

'This is…

'This is Big Leather Belt's daughter!

'That girl, who always had a smile on her face each and every day; that girl who went back and forth across Shield District, collecting old clothes to make new ones…'

"No!"

Gleeward's face twisted to the extreme. With absolute despair, he howled in devastation.

"Wh*re!"

The battle-seasoned Nicholas had a steely look on his face. He spread his arms out at the speed of a thunderbolt as he turned around to face the surrounding crowd of people!

But it was too late.

The countless crowd of people instantly moved and rushed towards Nicholas, who had let his guard down.

He was engulfed by a mass of humans.

The next moment, a tentacle quietly flew out from within the crowd in the twinkling of an eye.

*Bang!*

Reacting too slow, Gleeward was firmly hit by the tentacle!

Due to its boundless strength, the crippled veteran was flung dozens of meters away.

*Whump!*

Like a broken sack, Gleeward slammed into a pile of wreckage. His body rolled several times as earth and stone flew into the air before he lay motionlessly on the ground.

It seemed like he had lost all consciousness.

His Soul Slayer Pike flew in a different direction. It rolled across the ground as it made a dull clattering sound.

"No!"　

Nicholas' roar of indignation broke through the crowd.

Beaten black and blue, he fought through the crowd of people who possessed inexhaustible strength, speed and extraordinary reflexes. 

Blood splattered as the Star Killer rolled a few meters away. With his hand propped on the ground, he raised his head powerlessly and looked at Gleeward, not knowing if he was dead or alive.

Kilika, who had originally been swaying, leaped up with life again as a tentacle extended and split open. A gentle, bright and beautiful lady—the real Blood Mystic appeared atop the tentacle. She radiated with a pleasant smile.

With a dull expression, Nicholas looked at Giza, and then at the substitute who had fallen under the Soul Slayer Pike.

"No… You… When did you switch bodies?" Nicholas trembled in disbelief.

Giza just looked at him with a smile, as if she were looking at a mischievous child.

Nicholas closed his eyes as he punched the ground and shouted towards the sky in sorrow.

'It's my fault.

'I should have known.

'From the very beginning, that Mystic never smiled, moved her lips or made any exaggerated expressions!

'Thinking back now, she's been a substitute all along!'

The Blood Mystic's gentle voice came from afar.

"See, it's not that difficult to alter someone's appearance with a little dead skin, right?" Giza tilted her head mischievously. "It saved my cute, little creatures from being attacked by the Soul Slayer Pike, and saved me from being endangered as well…

"I even got to admire your exciting performance while you were both being deceived."

Giza giggled as she looked at Nicholas' resentful expression. She waved her hand.

"And all I had to do was stand in the same line as my substitute. Even the Soul Slayer Pike that can position a Mystic can't differentiate a substitute from the real person.

"The Soul Slayer Pike is now out of the game." The Mystic squinted as she looked at Gleeward in the distance. "Listen well now. This is a lesson from the wh*re."

At that instant, Giza's expression became incomparably icy. "Never ever let your guard down."

"Aargh!" Nicholas shouted in pain and grievance.

The next moment, like a turbulent flood breaking through the embankment, overwhelming the heavens and earth, countless tentacles and crowds of controlled people rushed towards the unconscious Gleeward, and Nicholas, who was riddled with wounds!

The two wielders of the legendary anti-mystic equipment had finally fallen at the hands of the Mystic.

Nicholas gritted his teeth, his hand gripping his blade as he trembled with fury.

He staggered up and watched his enemies come from all directions. He lifted his blade powerlessly.

The blade slashed into a tentacle, turning it into ashes.

Its hilt knocked away a wailing child, who pounced on him like a falcon hunting its prey. He fell to the ground.

'No, Gleeward.'

Nicholas felt the blood dripping from his forehead and pondered in despair.

'We...

'Lost.'

At this moment, the Blood Mystic's expression changed!

She turned her head suddenly and looked in another direction.

There, two of Kilika's gigantic tentacles shuddered almost at the same time!

They turned into billowing ashes one after the other.

A figure breached into the hydra's range, causing it to stir restlessly.

Giza narrowed her eyes and observed the ashy pieces of flesh billowing in the air.

'Legendary anti-mystic equipment?

'A third one?'

Very quickly, the Mystic recognized the incoming figure.

"You?" Giza's eyebrows twitched. It was an old acquaintance.

Less than twenty meters away from her, Black Sword's figure vaguely appeared amid the siege of dense tentacles.

But wherever he went, the Blood Mystic's flesh creations turned into billowing ash.

Black Sword advanced courageously towards Giza in a position of assault. He whispered to Thales, who had the Blade of Purification in his embrace, "Mark my words, we only have one chance.

"We are approaching it now."

Thales took a deep breath. With resolution in his eyes, he slowly nodded.　

At this moment, Black Sword and Thales burst into the battlefield.