Chapter 2148: Holding Hands
The rain and ice pellets battered against the glass, and the thunder rolled, causing one’s heart to tremble. The small tavern was devoid of lights, and during this season, there was no heating either. Amidst the complex night sounds, the voices of the men and women were gentle and warm, and Bella Belindel found it comforting.
"It’s about time, let’s head towards the shore."
Looking outside, Shard said, and the witch nodded, putting away the cards on the table:
"I’m also curious about what will happen tonight. The Dragon Feast Cult must be incredibly confident to engage in such a direct confrontation with the Church, don’t you think?"
"If what they’re after aligns with what I’m searching for, then the price is worth it."
He said, and this time, the Blonde Witch didn’t ask Shard what exactly he was looking for but grabbed his hand as they left the tavern together.
In an instant, it felt like cold water brushed past the skin, and the clothes soaked by the rain were quickly dried. No longer did the rain penetrate their clothes, and their figures seemed to dissolve into the darkness.
"The Illusionary Body Spell, originally for avoiding fire and toxic mists, suits well for rain avoidance... While I’m not as skilled in direct combat as the others, I have plenty of supportive abilities."
She continued to laugh to Shard in the dark night, her smile bright.
The atmosphere was just right; as they attempted to move closer to the coast together, two other figures, cloaked and masked, appeared in the rain on the other side of the street. Not ordinary people, the rain cascaded off the tops of their heads as if sliding down a slope, another arcane technique to ward off rain.
"Not Church people."
The Blonde Countess said, then blocked Shard’s way first, holding an amethyst pendant in hand:
"What are you doing here?"
Due to the Illusionary Body Spell, the two strangers hadn’t noticed them earlier. It was only after the witch spoke that they realized the presence of two people there and saw the amethyst pendant glowing in the night rain, recognizing who was in front of them:
"Lady Amethyst!"
The witch was highly renowned among the local Circle Sorcerers.
"We heard the rumors that the Church and the Dragon Feast Cult are about to clash in the Dock Area, so we came to take a look. After all, there’s the prophecy about the Dragon and the city’s destruction... Most people are in the nearby blocks now, and the Church’s defenses are effective. We originally intended to find a better vantage point..."
They stopped speaking, watching as the lady with the pendant disappeared into the rain.
As they said, the Church’s defenses were not just aimed at the coastal direction; they also guarded against any mishaps within the city when personnel had been dispatched to the dock. However, even so, Shard and Miss Belindel encountered little difficulty entering from the city’s direction into the Dock Area. What the witch said was true, for she wasn’t skilled in combat but excelled in reconnaissance, disarming traps, locating paths, and stealth, made even better with divinations, surpassing Shard’s capabilities.
From the previously empty tavern, Shard merely had to follow the witch who held his hand, watching her lead the way forward. At junctions, she tossed a coin to decide the direction, and, with her keen Sixth Sense, she used the Spirit Pendulum Divination to detect traces of Divine Rituals if things seemed off. If they encountered a Church Ring Sorcerer squad... they didn’t stumble upon any, the witch had already predicted which path to take to avoid unnecessary trouble.
If the Dock Area that night was likened to a massive maze filled with traps, then Bella Belindel was almost like an omnipotent maze breaker, far surpassing the Source of Chaos she carried on her shoulder. Thus, when they were just one street away from the coast, Shard had exerted little effort aside from the physical demands of walking.
The witch led him into an alley, beyond which they could see the shore and the pier. Shard was about to commend Miss Belindel, but a roar from afar entirely drowned out his voice.
"Roar!"
The sound was even louder than the next thunderclap that exploded in the sky. Shard could hear the shattering of glass not far from the street amidst the rain. Though he hadn’t seen the source of the roar, the pressure that made breathing difficult already indicated what the roar belonged to. More evident, the longsword with dragon scale patterns on Shard’s back trembled with a hum in response to the roar.
In the rain mixed with more snowflakes and ice pellets, several figures soared into the sky prepared to confront the enemy. Though the distance was considerable, Shard could confirm that none should be the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer. The torrential rain blurred everything around, yet the bursts of light from the night sky remained clear.
The Church had been preparing for this, ensuring the fight wouldn’t break out above the docks, so what Shard and Miss Belindel saw was merely the aftermath.
Both picked up their pace, for even if there were no immediate gains tonight, confirming the outcome of this battle would aid their future actions.
However, they didn’t manage to pass through the alley safely. Amidst the torrential black night, which was thick like ink, as a man in a black cloak hurriedly approached them, even Shard, with his strong perception, failed to notice him early on.
The stranger was thin, his steps swift, with a black hood covering the upper half of his face, gliding soundlessly as if floating. Because Shard and Bella had encountered strangers earlier and knew they weren’t the only ones there to watch the "commotion," Shard wasn’t surprised to meet someone here.
He merely looked curiously at the witch beside him, wondering if she hadn’t anticipated anyone else in the alley.
The stranger, upon noticing them, didn’t change course but instead hastened his pace towards them. The Blonde Witch raised her hand in a warning gesture, and Shard moved to shield her, reaching with his right hand for the two swords on his back.
Her heart warmed, and just as she saw the stranger seemingly sliding along the ground toward them, he suddenly transformed into a blood mist amidst the heavy rain. Accompanied by another mind-stirring roar akin to a dragon’s, the blood mist even turned the falling raindrops into toxins. The surrounding ground and walls suddenly melted like paper in these toxins, yet facing the surging blood mist, Shard didn’t retreat an inch:
"You dare to block me at a time like this?"
The Dragon Scale Sword, drawn by sorcery, was pulled out by Shard at just the right angle. The brilliant blood moon’s glow followed the sword’s trace, cutting down, causing the surging blood mist to roll back toward its source.
Amidst the blood mist, the figure in a black cloak vaguely reappeared, and then a second yellow sword trace slashed down.
"Roar~"
On the surface of the figure’s skin that could be faintly seen in the blood mist, scales appeared to withstand the sword, and then the mutated claw caught the ice chunk thrown by Shard:
"Passionate Ice!"
The ice exploded, though the power didn’t match the sword’s attack. But even as the evaporated mist and dust hadn’t yet descended, and the sword trace’s moonlight on the ground hadn’t dimmed, three identical sword lights appeared simultaneously.
The commotion caused by the sword light at the dock disturbed the Circle Sorcerers by the shore. In the alley, when the sword light vanished, not only was the figure in black cloak, with its clothes blown apart revealing scales and bat wings, but even Miss Belindel behind Shard showed a slightly incredulous expression.
Crack~
Thunder flashed, and the white light illuminated the small insignia on the mutated claws of the stranger:
"Black Moon Insignia!"
"How dare you catch my sword?"
Shard’s voice carried on the wind while the marked claw turned to white ash and scattered in the rain, causing the stranger’s entire arm to dissolve into white ash. But before the body could disintegrate, the stranger’s form exploded into a mass of blood mist, then flew straight into the sky.
The Church Circle Sorcerers had already noticed this side, and Shard and Miss Belindel dared not linger. The witch again took Shard’s hand, releasing an Illusion Technique and quickly choosing a direction to lead him away, though Shard still couldn’t understand:
"How is it possible? Once marked by the Black Moon Insignia, even if part of its body is discarded, the conceptual annihilation isn’t severed... that thing actually has resistance to ’instant death’ and ’annihilation’?"
"The scales on it are dragon scales. It appears to be of the Vampire Kind. Only a god might know what it truly is."
The blonde witch, running in the rainy night with Shard’s hand in hers, said, looking at Shard’s face from the side:
"What you used just now, was it really... the Black Moon Insignia?"
"Yes."
"Where did Vanessa find you anyway?"
"This isn’t the first time you’ve asked."
They stopped together, holding each other’s hands, holding their breath against the wall, waiting for the three hurried people to pass by before slipping into another nearby alley:
"The more I get to know you, the more magical you seem. The Black Moon Insignia, a conceptual annihilation Arcane Technique, the most complete ritual record should be in the Saint Byrons Library, though I can’t rule out you learned it through unknown means... did you actually come from the Saint Byrons Integrated Academy?"
She cautiously asked, walking hand in hand with Shard. Shard thought for a moment, remembering today was a Sunday, and smiled as he replied:
"Yes, that Red Moon Witch Danester gave me a private lesson just two days ago."
The witch thought he was joking.
Regarding that strange creature that attacked them earlier, Shard naturally had his suspicions about its identity. The "vampire beast" attacking citizens in the city at night had not yet been caught by the Church, with strong abilities to escape not surprising at all.
It’s just that Shard had other important matters tonight, so the escaped creature could be dealt with later;
"Perhaps tomorrow night or the day after would be suitable. So that thing was actually a hybrid of dragon and Vampire Kind?"
The battle earlier had drawn the attention of the Church Circle Sorcerers, but thanks to Miss Belindel’s assistance, they easily escaped the encirclement. By the time they braved the rain amidst flashes of lightning and finally reached the dockside, it was already eight o’clock that night.
The sea water churned up waves, repeatedly crashing against the shore with the gale. Ships anchored in the port swayed as if they might rush ashore with the next wave.
A Divine Ritual symbolizing Miracle Elements resisted something unclear on the pier, while higher in the night sky, three dragons spewing Dragon Breath, appearing like black dots, were entangled with dozens of Circle Sorcerers.