The Captain's Battle!

It wasn't that Karen had spoken the meekest words with the fiercest demeanor. Giving his word was one thing, but he never took for granted that the woman would simply turn and walk away so easily. Regardless, she had killed members of the Church of Order; if she left no clues behind, fine, but once any traces remained, pursuit and vengeance from the Church of Order would inevitably await her. Yet events unfolded beyond Karen's expectations. Upon receiving Karen's answer, the woman actually began retreating rapidly, transforming into a streak of white light that sped into the distance... Karen kept staring warily at their surroundings, not daring to slacken his grip on his sword in the slightest. The woman was so fast that she could easily circle back for an ambush. Alfred did the same, standing slightly in front of Karen, his reddish gaze maintaining an all-around vigilance. After a long while, "Alfred..." "Young Master..." "She... really seems to have left." "It seems... yes." "Why did she just leave like that?" Karen felt that if it had been him, he would still have insisted on silencing the witnesses. "It might have to do with that thing on her shoulder." "That fluffy white thing? Do you know it?" "I saw it in the club—a young girl. She called me Uncle." Karen immediately recalled the peculiar reaction of that fluffy white creature when the woman had been about to strike at them. The woman had clearly come to rescue someone, which meant the creature was very important to her. If it were something ordinary, she would have let the Church of Order take it. So, sparing the two of them out of consideration for that creature... seemed plausible after all. "Let's get in the car." "Yes, Young Master." Karen and Alfred got in the car together. As Karen started the engine, he couldn't help marveling at the good fortune of this second-hand Ponce. Today it had nearly been stolen, and then nearly crushed into sheet metal, yet in the end it had still survived. The car had just pulled away when a streak of black mist swept past the window, giving chase in the direction the woman had fled. "Young Master!" "It's fine." Karen immediately raised a hand, signaling Alfred not to panic. Then he rolled down his window and retrieved a blue seashell from outside. "It's the Captain." Fanny had mentioned that she couldn't reach the Captain by phone, but she had sent out a black crow to him. It was quite natural, then, for the Captain to appear in the vicinity at this moment. Yet judging by his momentum, he seemed intent on pursuing that woman. Karen immediately said to Alfred, "Go notify Fanny and have her gather the squad here. I'll try to catch up with the Captain." "Understood, Young Master." As Alfred stepped out of the car, Karen asked him, "Did I promise her just now that I wouldn't report this to the Church of Order?" "No, you did not. I heard nothing of the sort." "I did say it." "Uh..." Alfred stammered. "However, I'm not reporting it to the Church of Order. I'm reporting it to Light remnants. After all, our squad captain happens to be a genuine Light remnant, and the squad you're helping me summon is a squad of Light remnants as well." "Indeed, Young Master! You are entirely correct!" ... The woman was extremely fast, streaking over the city like a ray of white light. Her original destination was likely a building nearby, but sensing the pursuit behind her, she was forced to change direction; she had no wish to expose her residence. For the next fifteen minutes or so, the woman tried to shake off her pursuer, but failed. No matter what trick she employed, she could not confound him. Instead, he unhurriedly closed the distance between them. At last, the woman decided not to run any longer. She descended into a demolition factory district. Close to the outskirts of York City and slated for the next phase of development, its original residents had long been relocated, leaving it exceptionally quiet at night. Caressing the fluffy white creature on her shoulder, the woman said to it, "Remer, I told you, a man's word can never be trusted." The fluffy white Remer lowered its head in guilt and rubbed against her neck. Neo landed before the woman, wearing a silver mask on his face. "What, not running anymore?" "Can't be bothered. It's not too late for you to turn around and leave right now. I'll pack my things and leave York City—even Wien." This was the concession she offered. Neo shook his head. "That's not how it works. Hitting people when you want, walking away when you want—that logic doesn't hold." "Hitting people?" The woman sighed at once. "So, I should have killed the two of them first?" "Perhaps. But because you didn't, my demand is simple: go back, apologize, and I can pretend nothing happened." "That is your demand?" "Yes. Quite simple, isn't it?" "Heh. Your Church of Order took my pet. They deserved to die!" "One thing at a time. I'm not here to hold you accountable for rescuing your pet. You frightened my subordinate, and I just happened to see it. You even pointed at his face and threatened him, saying 'do this and that or I'll kill you.' Sorry, but those words made me very uncomfortable." "So his promise was dogshit, then?" "Oh, no. He kept his promise. I'm just not covered under it." The woman glanced around and asked, "Are you waiting for reinforcements?" "If I wanted reinforcements, I could have sent a signal while chasing you. No need to wait until now." "An apology is out of the question." "Fine." Neo spread his hands, and two plumes of black flame rose up. "Enough nonsense. Let's fight." The woman pointed a finger at Neo. The phantom image of a stone stele manifested once more and slammed straight down toward him, while Neo remained where he stood. Yet the moment the stele struck Neo's body, his form distorted; the two plumes of black flame continued to burn and warp the air in place, but the man himself was already gone. A phantom image immediately appeared behind the woman, from which a giant palm emerged to guard her rear. At almost the same time, however, two black vines sprouted from beneath her feet, attempting to wrap around her ankles. Her gaze narrowed as she looked down. An invisible force rippled outward, instantly shattering the vines to reveal two hands. Pristine white and exquisitely shaped, these hands bypassed the ward around her body in an instant and seized her ankles. *Wuuuuum!* The woman spread her hands and thrust them downward! *Boom!* The ground caved in directly, and the hands gripping her dissolved in that split second. "Order: Rampart Defense!" Neo's voice rang out from the perimeter. Massive black slabs materialized one after another. Originally a defensive technique, it was now used in reverse—surrounding her to protect, which also meant penning her in. The woman clenched her fists and punched straight into the stone wall in front of her. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* A series of explosive crashes rang out. Yet the stone slabs seemed endless; no matter how many she punched through, a fresh one would always appear before her to block her path. The fluffy white creature on her shoulder quickly made a sound. The woman snapped her gaze toward a diagonal direction and pointed her finger. A scorching jet of flame shot out—pure white, bearing the terrifying power to incinerate souls. The flame pierced through three layers of stone slabs, finally exposing Neo's form. A necklace on Neo's chest flew out and gave off a gentle glow, resembling a liquid curtain of water that dispersed all of the terrifying flame she had projected. White overtook the woman's eyes. Raising her hands, she set the ground ablaze beneath them. Under this scorching heat, all the techniques and arrays Neo had previously laid down were destroyed. Having cleared away everything surrounding her, however, the woman quickly lowered her wrists to rein in the leaking heat. She clearly did not want the commotion of their battle to draw the attention of other factions in the city—especially... the Church of Order. "Remer." The fluffy white creature on her shoulder took flight. White light flashed across its body before it divided and wrapped itself around the woman. A moment later, a suit of gray armor materialized on her. The bracelet originally worn on her left wrist slipped off, melted in midair, and transformed into a rapier that dropped into her hand. She was no longer planning to trade spells; she was going for close-quarters combat. *Buzz!* The woman vanished from where she stood, reappearing directly before Neo with her rapier thrusting forward. A shield instantly sprang up in front of Neo, but its defense offered no resistance before the rapier. The sharp blade punctured it directly, and with a flick of her wrist, the shield shattered completely. Sidestepping, the woman closed the distance to Neo once more. The rapier lengthened directly, aiming for Neo's face. Neo retreated while twisting his body, but the rapier's flexibility seemed limitless; it even curved mid-thrust, directly piercing Neo's chest and continuing to extend, wreaking rapid destruction inside his body. Black flames surged from beneath the woman's feet as the phantom image of a horned beast opened its bloody maw, poised to swallow her whole. The woman chose not to trade injury for injury. Even though she believed she could finish Neo off at some cost to herself, she pulled back instead. Before the beast's maw could engulf her, the armor on her body flashed with light, scattering the beast's phantom in one blow. Neo sank to one knee, clutching his chest with his right hand as blood gushed from the wound. The woman flicked her rapier, a faint smile touching her lips, and closed in again. The blood dripping beneath Neo coalesced into a crimson starlight diagram. Two rag dolls appeared, turning crimson after absorbing his blood. Had Karen been here right now, he would have found these two dolls very familiar. Two blood-red skeletons emerged, raising scythes to slash at the woman. The woman leaned aside to evade the attack, her rapier striking straight into one skeleton. Its ribcage was pierced through, and with a sweep of the blade, she tore open a gaping hole, yet the skeleton kept attacking. Dodging once more, she struck the other skeleton, carving another massive breach into it. Forming hand seals, Neo used his own blood to keep controlling the damaged skeletons in combat. Forced back by the two skeletons, the woman suddenly flickered. Her armor opened up, and she flew out, while dense fur instantly grew from the armor to fill its interior, continuing to wield the sword against the two skeletons. Having successfully extricated herself from the fray, the woman darted at top speed toward Neo, who was busy controlling the puppets. A dagger appeared in her hand. Sensing danger, Neo looked up, astonishment showing in his eyes beneath the mask. A barrier appeared, but with a swift shift of momentum, the woman bypassed it completely and arrived before Neo. Neo rose and tried to step back, but she was faster. Her dagger plunged into the other side of his chest and dragged diagonally across! *Craaaack...* It was the sound of ribs being severed cleanly. As for the internal organs, they surely suffered far more severe damage. "Aaaagh!" Neo let out a scream of agony. The woman gripped the dagger with both hands, preparing another diagonal slice to cut Neo in two. Yet the moment she exerted force, her expression changed drastically. Her dagger was stuck in the gash she had just made. More precisely, the ribs she had severed were now wrapping tightly around her blade. Meanwhile, Neo, who was gravely wounded, saw his aura surge abruptly. His hands clamped down on her shoulders. White flooded the woman's eyes, and two beams of scorching flame shot out from them. Neo dipped his body to protect his vitals; the two flames merely punched through his shoulders, leaving holes the size of an infant's fist. Yet within those holes, flesh and bone were actually regenerating and knitting back together at a speed visible to the naked eye. The strength in Neo's arms did not diminish in the slightest. Black claws grew from his fingertips, digging straight into her flesh. "Heh. My turn." The woman let go of the dagger wedged inside Neo's body and tried to pull away, but Neo kept a death grip on her. The silver mask flew off his face, revealing Neo's features. His eyes glowed a teal green, and two fangs poked from the corners of his mouth as he bit straight toward her neck. The woman sensed mortal danger. She realized he had been waiting for this very moment all along; the opening she had actively created was something he had been orchestrating alongside her! A white figure emerged from within the woman—like an imprisoned soul—and crashed straight into Neo, detonating upon impact! The woman possessed quite a few sacred relics; such was the depth of her foundation. In combat, whoever had better or more sacred relics often held the advantage, which was why the point coupon shops of the major churches never lacked business. *Boom!* A terrifying blast wave swept outward. In the end, Neo failed to sink his fangs into her neck, allowing her to break free. Yet though she had broken free, horrific bloody gouges were torn down below her shoulders, as if ten strips of flesh had been carved out. Her hair was disheveled, blood oozed from her lips, and she looked thoroughly disheveled. The two skeletons ground to a halt once Neo stopped controlling them. The gray armor flew back to the woman, shielding her once more as healing light swirled over it, though at this point the healing was better than nothing at best. Especially when compared to the man before her. Neo reached out, pulled the dagger from his chest, and casually tossed it onto the ground. Then all the wounds across his body began healing rapidly. Still seemingly unsatisfied, he tapped his forehead with a hand and cursed: "You old bastard. Usually you buzz endlessly in my head; now's the time for you to pull some weight." No sooner had he spoken than the healing rate of his wounds accelerated considerably. "A bloodthirsty aberrant demon?" The woman clearly recognized Neo's identity. In this world, there were plenty of clans and church lineages with rapid regenerative abilities, but only the bloodline of a bloodthirsty aberrant demon could display it in such a blatant fashion! Neo cracked his neck and crooked a finger at her. "Come on, let's keep going. I was just treated like a lab rat on my last mission, and I've been suffocating with rage. Thanks for showing up." "A bloodthirsty aberrant demon who worships the God of Order? How is that possible?!" "Why, is that not allowed?" Neo walked toward her. Grasping her rapier once more, the woman sneered. "Even with the bloodline of a bloodthirsty aberrant demon, regeneration isn't limitless. Let's see just how long your blood can keep flowing." The gray armor glowed, augmenting the woman as she charged proactively at Neo. As long as she didn't overextend or expect a quick finish, sticking to close-quarters combat would leave Neo with no chance. Yet halfway through her charge, shock showed in her eyes. For Neo raised his arm and chanted: "Light: Knight's Protection!" Sacred power of Light manifested upon Neo. A layer of Light Knight armor enveloped him, while a greatsword of Light formed in his hands, instantly transforming him into a heavily armored knight. Karen had always known one thing: a captain using Order techniques was not the true captain. Only when he drew upon the power of Light did it mean he was going all out. The woman's shock came too late to stop their first collision. Before Neo's greatsword of Light, her rapier could not even withstand the holy light it radiated and bent instantly. *Clang!* The greatsword of Light slashed across her body, its damage blocked by her armor. Capitalizing on the momentum, Neo pressed further in, channeling the force of his knight's armor into his shoulder and slamming hard straight into her chest! *Thud!* The woman was thrown backward, crashing into the ground in the distance. She struggled to her feet, but Neo was already before her once more. In truth, the woman's combat experience was not lacking, but Neo's was even richer. Most importantly, he had already begun absorbing the Light doctrines from the "it" inside him, which meant other aspects might have been assimilated long ago—such as... battle experience. The woman raised her rapier horizontally once more. Empowered by her strength, the blade lengthened and thrust toward Neo, seeking to buy herself room to dodge. Yet the Light Knight armor on Neo's front dissolved completely. His defenseless body took the thrust of her rapier directly as he strode forward along the blade, ignoring his injury to close the distance, and stomped down on the woman just as she attempted to rise. *Thud!* The woman was pinned heavily to the ground. The greatsword of Light in Neo's hand came to a halt right across her neck. "I can spare your life, but you need to promise me that you won't report what you just saw to the Church of Order." "..." the woman.