Storm

Bang! The musket roared as gunsmoke billowed, hurtling a lead bullet through the air. Although the already short barrel of the firearm had been sawed down further to conceal it beneath clothing, Xier was less than ten meters from his target. The shot flew straight toward the bare chest exposed by the bald man's unbuttoned shirt. Yet the moment before the bullet struck, crimson flames flared across the man's skin, washing over his entire body like running water until he dissolved into a fireball that barely kept the shape of a man. The lead bullet passed clean through without resistance, but the fireball surged forward in an instant, exploding violently right in front of Xier. The blast was not particularly powerful. Relying on his precise bodily control, the Clown backpedaled rapidly through the flare of fire, barely managing to keep his footing. Amid the scattering embers, the bald man's tall frame reformed. Raising his right hand, he caught a lingering cluster of flames and drew it out into a blade over a meter long, its red fire churning continuously. He brought it slashing down toward the retreating Xier. He can actually turn into fire to move at high speed, evading physical attacks and closing the distance at once... Xialuote tightened her grip on the Dagger of Verdict, preparing to pronounce his guilt again. Before she could speak, a flat object gleaming with silver-white light flew at the bald man from the side. It was the Sealed Artifact Shield of the Guardian, which Aidemeng had stripped of its cloth wrap and hurled barehanded! The bald man glanced at the flying shield. Seemingly believing that this Sealed Artifact had no power without someone actively wielding it, a contemptuous sneer touched his lips. His right hand continued driving the flame sword down toward Xier, while his left hand rose casually to swat the shield aside. Yet the instant his palm touched the shield's face, his expression twisted in shock. He was forced to abandon his pursuit, ducking back in retreat. The glow cast by the flame sword illuminated the motif of the two-headed giant. A gentle, pale gold dawn immediately welled from the silver-white face of the shield, and its weight escalated rapidly in flight until it resembled an artillery shell that no mortal flesh could withstand. Boom— The sharp bottom edge of the shield slammed heavily into the ground, lodging halfway upright between the bald man and Xier to cut them off from each other entirely. At the same time, Duonowan closed in from the flank. He now held a short metal baton drawn from beneath his coat, wrapped in a faint aura of holy light. Amid the night and gunsmoke, it resembled an edgeless blade of golden light. Unable to turn into a fireball again in time, the bald man could only swing his fiery sword to parry. The two weapons collided, throwing off a shower of fierce sparks. Capitalizing on the momentum of his charge, Duonowan struck again and again, pinning the man in place in a close-quarters struggle. Behind them, Aidemeng did not move to retrieve the shield at once. Instead, he clasped his hands before his chest and began to chant a hymn praising the Sun at the top of his lungs. His deep, resonant voice carried swiftly across the area. Except for the bald man, everyone felt the faint dread lurking in their hearts melt away, replaced by courage and hope. Xialuote felt the pain from the earlier blast subside once more, and her limbs felt noticeably lighter. Gripping the Dagger of Verdict, she rushed toward the struggling pair, looking for a chance to pronounce judgment again. She was not certain whether consecutive convictions on the same target within a short window would diminish in effect, but she could only place her faith in this dagger—forged from Aidian's Extraordinary power and bolstered by Zhuli'an's remaining strength after his death, it had most likely reached the level of Sequence 7. As for the bald man before them, he was likely a Sequence 6 Beyonder; Sequence 5 was improbable, and a high-Sequence was out of the question. She had no proof, only hope. Otherwise, a Beyonder who could transform into flame without fearing the power of the Sun was far beyond what the four of them could handle. As long as the conviction takes effect, paired with Duonowan's frontal assault, we'll have a chance to take him down quickly... Before the thought could finish forming in Xialuote's mind, the bald man parried the metal baton, using the opening to back away from the Sun Priest, and thrust his flame sword high overhead. His fingers clenched abruptly, and the crimson blade flared into an incandescent, blinding white. The next second, the entire sword detonated in midair. Dazzling fire expanded outwards, its searing shockwave sweeping across the area. Xialuote, having just closed in, had no time to dodge. She could only raise her arms to shield her face before being hurled back through the air by the explosion once more. She rolled several times across the ground, only coming to a halt when she slammed into a stone. Her cheeks and the backs of her hands burned, and sharp pain radiated from every corner of her body. Fortunately, the Purifiers' blessing is still holding, and because I wanted to secretly convict him, I didn't get too close... Otherwise, that blast would have knocked me out of the fight entirely... Xialuote touched her cheek stealthily to confirm she had not suffered severe burns, then looked toward the center of the battlefield, where the flames were swiftly dissipating. The instant the sword detonated, Xier had ducked behind the half-lodged Shield of the Guardian and emerged unharmed. Aidemeng had originally stood far from the epicenter, merely forced back several paces by the shockwave. Duonowan, who had been closest, looked in far worse shape. Flames clung to several patches on his sleeves and coat, and he was forced to slap them out while shifting positions to evade firebirds forming in the air and swooping down at him from different angles. The bald man at the center of the blast was a Beyonder skilled in manipulating flame, naturally possessing far higher resistance to fire and heat than anyone else. He showed almost no sign of injury. Even so, he did not immediately conjure a second sword, focusing instead on directing the firebirds pursuing Duonowan, his eyes fixed on the Purifier captain—the only one present who posed a genuine threat to him. Just then, Xialuote noticed Xier, the Clown, gripping the edge of the Shield of the Guardian with both hands, peering over its rim to track the bald man's position. Right, that Sealed Artifact has another ability... She immediately glanced toward Aidemeng and saw that the burly Light Suppliant had ceased his singing and was running swiftly toward the shield. Xialuote hesitated no longer. Drawing a metal flask from inside her coat, she twisted the stopper off and swallowed the Sun Water in a single gulp. The warm liquid flowed down her throat, radiating a soothing warmth akin to sunlight soaking into her flesh. The tightness in her chest and the aching in her limbs rapidly ebbed, and the burning sensation on her face and hands faded away. Tossing the empty flask aside, Xialuote gripped her dagger once more and bolted toward the bald man, whose back was turned as he directed the firebirds after Duonowan. Yet before she could get close enough to pronounce her conviction, the man—as though anticipating her approach all along—dissolved once more into a giant fireball and hurtled straight toward her. The gap closed in a flash. The scorching heat forced Xialuote to squint, and it was already too late to dodge. Right then, Duonowan, his body flashing with radiance, surged in from the flank. Gripping his metal baton with both hands, he brought it crashing down onto the fireball in a brilliant blaze of holy light. The fireball was forced to stop, reforming into solid human shape as crimson embers burst from his skin, driving Duonowan back. Now's my chance... Having already witnessed this trick, Xialuote charged forward instead of retreating. Shielding her eyes with one hand, she held the Dagger of Verdict in the other and plunged straight through the dying wash of flame. The prior blessing was still active, the Sun Water had mended her injuries, and the relentless surge of confidence from the Dagger of Verdict assured her that these faint embers could not stop her. Without hesitation, she drove the dagger toward the chest of the newly reformed bald man. Crack! The bald man's left arm swept across with blinding speed, striking Xialuote's forearm dead-on. The terrifying force felt like a blow from an iron bar; her bones groaned with a sickening crunch, and her fingers instantly lost their grip. The Dagger of Verdict slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground several meters away. Such strength... Isn't his forte manipulating fire? He didn't even have the upper hand against Duonowan earlier... Thoughts flashed through Xialuote's mind. She had never expected his physical power to exceed her own so drastically; what was meant to be a lethal strike had turned into leaping straight into a trap. Before she could pull back, the bald man reached out with his right hand, seized her other arm, and hoisted her bodily into the air. His freed left hand clenched and opened, conjuring an incandescent white flame in his palm and thrusting it straight toward Xialuote's head. The stench of singed hair filled her nostrils at once. Gritting her teeth, she cocked her right leg, preparing to drive a kick between his thighs. Just then, from the corner of her eye, Xialuote caught sight of Xier and Aidemeng bracing the shield, slowly adjusting its angle. She changed her move immediately, contracting her core with all her might to bring both feet up together. Almost at the same moment, Duonowan's voice rang out from nearby, edged with urgency: "Guilty of murder!" Behind the bald man, the Sun Priest, his clothes scorched in multiple places, had picked up the dropped Sealed Artifact 3-1452. Clasping the Sun Holy Emblem at his chest with one hand, a look of profound inner struggle etched onto his face, he pointed the dagger from afar with the other, completing the pronouncement. The criminal who had just detonated the gunpowder store and murdered multiple people froze instantly. The sneer on his face and the venomous gaze fixed on Xialuote solidified into rigid stillness. The conviction took effect! Xialuote's raised feet slammed squarely into the man's chest. Using the recoil, she tore free of his grip and vaulted backward, putting distance between them. The very next instant, Aidemeng, bathed in the sunlight he had summoned, shouted at the top of his lungs in the Fusake language: "Dawn!" Over the equally radiant face of the Shield of the Guardian, an ethereal silhouette composed of pure light manifested, then shattered into countless golden shards. They whipped into a roaring tempest, sweeping forward in a broad arc, swallowing the rubble, the flames, and the bald man whole.