At that moment, the entire Duke's mansion fell into dead silence. Everyone forgot to cry out, forgot to breathe, forgot to blink, staring blankly at this once-in-a-lifetime wonder.
Farther away, half of Rhine City witnessed the sunlight descending from the heavens and the moonlight surging against the sky. Equivalent to the full-force strikes of two rank six Soul Severers, the sunlight and moonlight carried the power of heaven and earth.
The irresistible force of heaven and earth stirred an urge to prostrate and worship in everyone's hearts, yet they had no time to do anything, left only to watch helplessly as everything unfolded.
Watching the sun and moon collide in that single moment.
The golden sunlight was proactive, brimming with violent, scorching power. Carrying the aggressive momentum of a celestial descent, it seized the upper hand at the first touch, bearing down with unreasonable force to rapidly devour the moonlight's domain.
The crimson moonlight was reactive, filled with a serene, mysterious aura. Gentle as water yet unyielding and unbreakable, it was compressed from the instant of contact; nevertheless, like a tightly wound spring, it possessed boundless resilience. No matter how many times it was pushed down, the moment the sunlight eased even slightly, the moonlight rebounded instantly, reclaiming every inch of lost ground in the blink of an eye.
All of this happened in less than a second, yet the powers of sun and moon had already exchanged countless offensive and defensive clashes.
The two beams of light were locked in a stalemate.
So too were the two men. Behind the brilliance, their gazes clashed across the void, as though striking fierce sparks.
The assassin's gaze was resolute and fanatical, as if ready to sacrifice anything for his objective. In that instant, the blazing sunlight in his hand surged to its peak, like a morning sun rising in the dead of night.
Lynch remained equally expressionless. His eyes locked onto his opponent's without hesitation, his right hand bracing his left wrist as he aimed directly at the assassin's face.
The pressure was immense; the power of a mid-tier rank six expert was truly terrifying.
Even after unleashing a rank six ability through the fully charged ring, Lynch was still at a disadvantage, like a tiny boat rocking amidst a storm, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.
Yet facing such a formidable foe, Lynch did not yield half a step, his eyes brimming with madness and resolve. The ring on his middle finger grew brighter and brighter. In that moment, suppleness and strength unified, standing as they always had against the sunlight's aggression to protect the tranquility of the night.
Behind me are the people and things I want to protect. Since I'm standing right here, how could I ever bow my head to you?
I'm no longer the ordinary man who was easily manipulated and schemed against when I first awoke, nor the rookie whose knees went weak at the sight of a few spiders.
If I wouldn't bow my head back then, I certainly won't take half a step back now.
The red moon hangs in the sky.
In my hand is the fully charged Crimson Lady's Compassion.
I am a Soul Severer of the Red Moon.
This is my home turf now—you cannot stop what I want to do!
A fierce ruthlessness flared in Lynch's eyes. As though sensing the determination in his heart, the ring at the base of his finger—bearing the world's memories of the Crimson Lady—grew scalding hot. Even the moonlight in the sky seemed to dim, with all radiance converging into Lynch's ring.
Confronting the mounting pressure, Lynch advanced instead of retreating. Even as his facial muscles contorted from pushing past his limits, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, flashing a reckless, manic smile.
I am the renowned Great Detective of Rhine, Lynch Levive.
I don't care whose believer you are, or what rank of Soul Severer you may be. Under the watchful gaze of my neighbor, this is my home turf.
If you want to kill the person I want to protect right in front of me, then even if you're a descending god, get the fuck out of my way!
At this moment, Lynch's will was unshakeable. Nothing could make him back down. The power of his soul surged once more, erupting with crimson brilliance across his entire being. The ring did the same, its gentle glow shining so brightly that it became impossible to look upon directly.
“A mere rank six—die!”
A flicker of terror and disbelief finally crept into the assassin's resolute eyes. He madly pushed his soul power higher, wanting to obliterate the moonlight barring his path just as he had crushed those pathetic evils in the past.
I'm just one step away—how could I let you stop my plan?
I don't care who I partnered with, and I don't care about their motives. As long as I can take one more step forward, as long as I publicly execute this woman using the Church's power, war between parliament and the kingdom won't erupt, and a global war can be postponed.
I am the one fighting for justice! For the loftiest of ideals, you cowards who ignore the bigger picture should willingly sacrifice yourselves!
I'm about to succeed—you are not allowed to obstruct my grand plan!
The panic in the assassin's eyes lasted only a heartbeat before returning to calm. His conviction had not wavered; rather, it had hardened.
Yet it was already too late.
In the world of the soul, will and conviction were everything. Even the slightest hesitation in thought manifested as an enormous disparity in the mortal world. What was more, it was currently nighttime, and moonlight was the true master of this domain.
As one waned, the other waxed. The crimson moonlight surged again, instantly reversing the tide. Sweeping upward with overwhelming force, it pushed the sunlight all the way back, thoroughly engulfing the assassin amidst his shocked, indignant gaze. Lynch seized the momentum to leap forward, cloaked in moonlight as he Flashed right in front of the man. Raising his fist high, he smashed it directly into that loathsome face.
“For the Valente family's book collection.”
Thud.
“For the library.”
Thud.
“For... whoever.”
Thud.
The power of the three punches detonated alongside the moonlight. With a wretched shriek, the assassin was hurled backward. Still unwilling to accept defeat, he tried to launch another attack, but sometimes in life, one doesn't get a second chance.
The four guarding high-tier experts were far from idle either. Not to mention, President Olei and President Gulman had already sensed the anomaly earlier. Once the initial strike was intercepted in the blink of an eye, the assassin had already lost any hope of success.
Right as the assassin flew backward, a white-haired elderly man materialized, levitating before him. Reaching out a hand, he locked the assassin in midair as if gripped by an invisible force, then clutched his hand tight—
Boom! Invisible forces collided in midair as three wills from the enemy side converged around the assassin simultaneously, deflecting President Olei's blow on his behalf. At the same time, a figure materialized out of thin air beside the assassin, striking him with an open palm.
“Go.”
With that, both men flashed in unison, vanishing entirely from the night sky.
Yet the president merely smiled. “Teleportation? Followers of the Ancient Flicker, I see. But having done something on such a grand scale, leaving so heavy a mark in history, can you teleport him out of the history books? As recorded in history...”
With that, the old man waved his finger:
“On the night of June 30, 1399 of the Fifth Age, he died.”
And so, the assassin who had just vanished abruptly reappeared in midair, completely devoid of all life, plunging limply downward.
However, this was no longer Lynch's battle. Landing steadily back on the ground, he took off his top hat and bowed elegantly to the princess, who had just regained her senses from shock. A brilliant smile spread across his face:
“The knight once said, when everything is over, he would stand beside the princess, walking out of the fallen castle to welcome the cheers and blessings of her people. And so...”
“Long live Her Highness the Princess! God bless the Princess!”
The old Duke's voice was the first to ring out. Like a signal, it led the audience throughout the grounds, who were snapping out of their stupor, into a unified chorus of cheers and blessings.
Glistening light flashed in Princess Sophia's eyes. Her expression shifted several times before settling into an indescribable smile.
In the hall behind them, Officer Natalie sheathed her rapier, standing over the decapitated corpse of the final enemy.
Below the balcony, Miss Diana looked up, gazing at that familiar figure on the balcony.
Thud. The corpse hit the ground, while the crimson moonlight remained gentle as ever.
Rate on N.U.
