Chapter 394: The Beginning Of The End
Even with Faceless’s appearance, Corbin remained completely unmoved. The gentle smile beneath the cloth covering his eyes never wavered. Instead, he slowly lowered his gaze toward the wrist being restrained before lifting it back toward the masked man standing before him.
"I always wondered about the identity of the Faceless Man running the Ministry of Love. I believed it was simply a more capable subordinate of the Prince. Only now do I realize it was you all along, Damian." Corbin said, his tone carrying faint amusement that unsettled Faceless more than outright hostility ever could.
The words alone caused his eyes to narrow.
The last person who had stood before him with this much confidence had nearly succeeded in stealing Clara away from him. That encounter still lingered at the back of his mind, a scar he had yet to completely move past. Ever since then, anyone who displayed that same composed certainty instinctively put him on guard.
Hmph!
Without another word, Faceless thrust his free palm forward. Dark violet demonic aura exploded around his arm, twisting violently before condensing into his hand. The surrounding space distorted beneath the sheer density of power as he struck directly toward Corbin’s chest.
Corbin answered just as calmly.
Golden ripples spread outward from his own palm like sunlight dancing across still water.
Boom!
The collision erupted into a violent explosion.
A massive shockwave blasted outward in every direction, flattening nearby trees and sending shattered stone spiraling across the estate grounds. Both men were hurled backward through the sky, their feet skidding across empty air as though invisible ground existed beneath them. Even while retreating, neither lost their balance.
Faceless tightened his hold around Rah with one arm while three pairs of enormous black angelic wings burst from his back, spreading wide and instantly arresting his momentum. The feathers rippled beneath the wind before folding slightly behind him.
His gaze briefly dropped toward his own palm. The bones inside his hand tingled faintly but he slowly clenched his fingers once before raising his head again.
Corbin floated exactly where he had been pushed, his robes fluttering peacefully as though the explosion had never happened. His hands were once again folded neatly behind his back and the same calm smile remained upon his face.
"The heavens now collude with demons freely." Faceless hissed coldly. "That’s new."
Corbin slowly shook his head.
"Fortunately, that is not the case. Believe it or not, your demise was orchestrated entirely by your brother. I’m simply capitalizing on the opportunity to reclaim what was stolen from me." " His voice remained friendly despite the accusation.
Corbin’s explanation only darkened Faceless’s expression.
"You bastard..." Faceless snarled, murderous intent surging around him. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Corbin appeared completely unaffected by the curses directed toward him.
"Today is the day you die and lose everything you’ve fought so hard to protect. I have already seen it with these eyes of mine. So tell me... don’t you think the power you’re wasting here is needed far more urgently by your real body?" He spoke as though reciting an inevitable truth rather than making a threat.
The words struck something deep within Faceless.
"I should’ve killed you when I had the chance." he hissed viciously.
Even then, Corbin’s smile never disappeared. Rah gently pressed a hand against Faceless’s chest, immediately drawing his attention away from Corbin.
"What’s going on?" she asked quietly.
Faceless kept his eyes fixed upon Corbin for another moment before answering.
"I’m not completely sure. But it seems Wrath has devised a plan to kill me. My real body is currently fighting one of his subordinates." His voice remained calm despite the growing tension.
The instant the name left his mouth, Rah’s complexion turned deathly pale. Every trace of confidence vanished from her face. The fear that surfaced within her eyes was so genuine that even Corbin’s smile faltered ever so slightly.
"If he’s the one after you we need to leave. Right now."
She whispered before suddenly grabbing his robes with both hands.
"We need to return to your real body and escape immediately... or everyone may die."
The desperation in her words stunned everyone present. This was not ordinary fear. It was the same kind of terror Damian had witnessed countless mortals display whenever Sol’s name surfaced in conversation.
"What do you mean?" Faceless asked, his brows knitting together. Unlike before, he didn’t dismiss her warning. Rah had never spoken like this.
She desperately tightened her grip around his clothes.
"Babe..." Her voice quivered. "I know we haven’t been together for very long... but please trust me."
"The resources Wrath has access to because of his allies are too vast and dangerous. It’s not something you can overcome through strength alone. You have to leave."
For several long seconds, Faceless simply stared at her. He could tell she wasn’t doubting him. She was speaking from experience.
"You know him personally?" Damian asked, his eyes narrowing.
Rah hesitated, her lips parted before slowly closing again. But eventually she nodded.
"My clan once attempted to form an alliance with Wrath’s faction through marriage. What we witnessed there terrified us so deeply that we abandoned the negotiations entirely and swore never to pursue any alliance with those monsters again."
Her voice had become noticeably quieter
"So please... trust me this once. We need to leave. We need to get out of here before it’s too late."
Faceless fell silent and his thoughts moved rapidly. He trusted Rah. She had no reason to fabricate something like this. At the same time abandoning everything here without understanding the situation didn’t sit well with him either.
"I believe you should listen to her." Corbin said calmly. "I truly don’t wish to watch you die for nothing."
Rage instantly surged through Faceless’s chest yet just as quickly as it appeared, the emotion vanished beneath the influence of his own authority. He calmly robbed himself of the anger before it could cloud his judgment.
Loth silently floated to his side.
"I agree with her." she said after briefly glancing toward Rah. "If Wrath himself is involved, then protecting your real body becomes our highest priority. We can always return later if necessary, but if something happens to you now..."
She left the sentence unfinished. Everyone already understood the implication. Faceless lowered his gaze for a brief moment before finally arriving at a decision.
"Prepare a gate to Lebanon. Get Clara and Linda along with everyone else and head there immediately. I’ll join you as soon as you’ve all arrived safely."
The moment those words left his mouth, relief flooded Rah’s face. Loth quietly released the breath she had been holding. Even several demons below visibly relaxed.
Before anyone could respond, Corbin spoke.
"I have no issue with that arrangement. On one condition. Linda and Clara leave with me. If your intention is to take them away from this world alongside you..." Corbin continued, his gentle smile finally fading. "...then I’m afraid you will die trying."
For the first time since arriving, every trace of warmth disappeared from his voice. The murderous intent Damian remembered so well finally resurfaced.
The patient priest had finally lost his patience.