Lynch, having discovered the irregularities, could no longer bring himself to strike with a clear conscience.
I simply cannot bring myself to kill a friend who has been through life and death with me, even if she is about to blow my head off with a gun.
But if I don't strike first, I'm dead, and there is no time left to even activate divine authority.
Damn it, if I must die, so be it, but I will not compromise my conscience.
At the final moment, Lynch raised his wrist, letting the serrated sword pass over Miss Valente's shoulder. The serrations sliced the skin of her shoulder, and amidst the spraying blood, he thrust the blade straight toward the figure behind her.
Standing behind her was none other than the grinning fish-headed deep one, and the serrated sword pointed directly at the deep one's chest.
Take this.
The serrated sword suddenly transformed into a serrated whip, the tip snapping forward. Before the hideous smile could even turn into shock, the whip tip had already pierced the deep one's chest, drawing foul, tainted blood.
At the same time, Lynch felt the folding fan pressed against his forehead, the icy touch making him squeeze his eyes shut.
"Boom."
The gunshot rang out again, the acrid smell of gunpowder rushing to his head.
Lynch's heart tightened into a knot. Before he could even realize he felt no pain, he felt a soft back crash into his chest from the recoil.
Opening his eyes, he saw that Miss Valente, the suspected copy, had suddenly turned around at the very last moment and fired a shot at the deep one behind her as well.
She, too, had been keeping her eyes tightly shut, only just cracking them open.
A sword strike and a gunshot at close range, both hitting their targets.
At this very moment, the entire world seemed to freeze, and then shattered with a boom like a cracked mirror.
Lynch discovered that everything before his eyes had changed.
Miss Valente, blood still trickling from her shoulder, was still leaning against his chest, but she was no longer wearing the goose-yellow gown from yesterday, but today's lake-blue lady's dress.
Is this real? The sudden change left Lynch feeling a lingering sense of terror.
The deep one leader opposite them, having taken two hits, was clutching its bleeding wound, roaring loudly as it staggered backward, and the surrounding environment had also undergone subtle changes.
Their current position was actually not far from the reef. The other eight deep ones were not closing in, just circling from a distance. Most importantly, the four reporters—Maya had not hidden on the reef at all, and the other three had not killed themselves either. All four were lying straight on the ground, eyes tightly shut, motionless.
【Congratulations on escaping the dream and returning to reality, Lynch.】
The familiar female voice made cold sweat bead on Lynch's back. Looking at the suddenly changed scenery before him, he finally realized that if not for his split-second hesitation, he might have personally stabbed the real Miss Valente to death.
Damn it, I almost made a terrible mistake.
What just happened?
Why did you suddenly appear here?
What on earth is going on?
However, there was no time to ponder these questions; resolving the immediate problem was key. The deep ones' reactions made it clear that everything was the work of this leader causing trouble right in front of them.
What kind of thing thinks it can step on me, and with such vicious methods, assuming I am weak and easily bullied?
"Parchment, maximum firepower."
Lynch pulled Miss Valente behind him while simultaneously throwing out the prepared flame oil.
In an instant, continuous explosions filled the entire beach. Sand and gravel flew, and roaring fires surged into the sky, appearing exceptionally clear in the pitch-black night.
"Ah, ah..."
From the darkness beyond the flames came the terrified screams of the deep ones. These aquatic creatures faced fire as if facing a natural predator; even their leader was running around frantically outside the flames, unable to advance or retreat.
It works!
Lynch did not hesitate for a moment, throwing out all the remaining bottles of flame oil, then sank a portion of his consciousness into his soul, reawakening the supreme will dormant within.
"Move aside."
Feeling a surge of immense power behind him, Lynch instinctively dodged to the side. Then, seven stars in the sky lit up in sequence, forming a cross shape. A stream of stellar power piercing through the heavens descended, shining upon the parchment floating in front of Miss Valente.
The stellar power of the Great Cross constellation descended upon the world.
【Authority, Stars, Ability, Starlight Burst.】
Miss Valente stretched out her hands, her long hair dancing without wind. Under the dazzling starlight, she recited a prayer aloud. The next moment, a beam of starlight erupted from the parchment, sweeping across the area in front of them in a fan shape.
A rank six ability, its power was astonishing.
The violent impact not only extinguished the flames on the beach, but the raging power washed over the sand repeatedly. The nine deep ones were huddled together, with the deep one leader standing in front, hands spread wide, a massive bubble enveloping them.
【Authority, Deep Sea, Ability, Abyssal Bubble】
Pop.
As the starlight dissipated, the bubble shattered. The group of ordinary deep ones stumbled backward, then fell to the ground in a sorry state. However, the deep one leader merely shook its hands, completely unscathed.
The power of a rank six authority was indeed astonishing, but when faced with a higher-level ability, it could only return empty-handed. The deep one leader just kept shaking its hands, a hideous grin still on its face, and through the yet-to-dissipate starlight, it cast a vicious gaze toward Lynch and Miss Valente.
But it saw a pair of eyes filled with rage—they were Lynch's eyes.
The resentment of being targeted and attacked for no reason, mixed with the lingering fear of almost killing Miss Valente by mistake, caused Lynch's anger to boil within his heart.
If rank six authority is ineffective, then let me show you the divine authority of the Red Moon.
Using such vicious methods, do you really think my goddess and I are afraid of a group of thieves like you who stole divine authority?
Then taste the wrath of the supreme, you believers of false gods. Only then will you understand how to remain humble before the supreme, you ants.
Thus, a crimson moon rose slowly behind him.
Lynch clenched his right fist, slowly pulling his right arm back. The phantom of the red moon behind him perfectly overlapped with his fist, as if he were grasping the moonlight, or as if the red moon had transformed into his fist.
The moonlight was like water, as if a gentle gaze from the mythological era had traveled through time and space, through dreams and reality, condensing upon Lynch's fist.
At this very moment, the stars faded, the silver moon dimmed, and beneath the pitch-black firmament, only the crimson full moon hung high in the center of the sky, radiating incomparable brilliance.
The next moment, Lynch moved.
Under the crimson moonlight, space seemed to lose its meaning before him. With one step, his body bypassed the process and appeared directly in front of the deep one leader.
"Hi, greetings to your master who loves to sleep in, on behalf of the Red Moon lineage."
Amidst a gentle, elegant smile, the fist condensed with moonlight descended from the sky, landing heavily upon the ground.
Silent and soundless.
Crimson light erupted from the point of contact, suddenly sweeping across the entire beach. Half of Rhine City seemed able to see this blood-colored moonlight.
Amidst the shimmering brilliance, the nine deep ones only had time to raise their hands in defense before they were completely swallowed by the moonlight.
June 11, 1399.
The crimson light of the fallen god, Lady Red Moon, shone once again in the night sky.
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