Chapter 291 [Event] [The Fallen Prophetess] [17] Amael VS Manuel
"You fought well, but it's over!" The burly man rushed toward John with a yell, his hand crackling with the embedded power of Ruah.
"Tch!" John pushed Victor away and crossed his arms. At that moment, a massive burst of water emerged, creating a barrier between them and shielding John from the oncoming fist.
It was the Behemoth general, Pierre, if memory serves me right.
Pierre scowled as his fist collided with the watery wall. Hands of water grabbed his arm, applying pressure.
With a smirk, Pierre glanced to his left, where Amelia stood with her hands stretched out. Taking a powerful step back, he freed his hand, then stomped the ground, heading straight for Amelia.
But before he could reach her, Cylien drew a circle, conjuring a powerful gust of wind. Pierre resisted, destroying the wind with a series of punches that generated a shockwave strong enough to knock back Cylien.
"You aren't going anywhere," Elizabeth's chilling voice echoed. Floating above a red mana circle, she pointed her rapier at Pierre. Yet, she soon shifted her sword to her left, parrying a sudden attack.
-BOOOOM!
My eyes widened at the sight of Elizabeth being thrown away.
We were talking about Elizabeth here.
"Not bad for a kid of Duncan," a hearty laugh, filled with mockery, echoed through the air. A middle-aged man with flowing black hair and crimson eyes stood there.
Seriously?
"It's over!" Pierre closed in on Amelia, his fist radiating power.
Amelia swiftly drew a larger circle above Pierre. "Anuket Art!"
Pressurized water fell like meteorites on Pierre.
He raised his damaged arm as a shield and swung his other fist at the defenseless Amelia.
-Bam!
At that moment, a burning fist struck Pierre's cheek, causing his head to tilt back.
"Where were you going, bastard?" John spat, wiping blood from his mouth. His body burned in a deep red fire as he glared at Pierre.
"J-John…are you…stupid?! You are half-dead already?!" Amelia's voice turned frantic.
"Shut up and stay behind," John grunted.
"W-What?!"
-BOOOOM!
Emerging from the rubble, Elizabeth's figure appeared. Bleeding from the head, she was shaken but still standing. She stared silently at the man who bore a striking resemblance to her.
The man was from Behemoth, an Executive named Nikolas Tepes.
This is bad. I am not strong enough to handle all of this.
"Manuel Hylkren," Nikolas spoke. "You have two minutes before Melfina Zestella and others arrive. If you don't want to die, take the girl right now. I'm not here to fight. Ante-Eden has surely fallen since Brandon's death."
Manuel didn't reply. His casual demeanor shifted to a cold one. He took a step forward and vanished.
"Celeste-!"
Victor reacted swiftly, appearing in front of Celeste. But Manuel's kick, cloaked in blades, followed.
Victor's eyes widened in alarm. He was on the verge of losing his arms if he didn't act fast. "Elaryon Storm!" Cylien intervened just in time, knocking Victor out of Manuel's lethal kick, which effortlessly sliced through the swirling wind.
"GAH!" Victor coughed up blood as he crashed through the wall.
"Victor!" Celeste rushed toward him, but Manuel was already closing in.
"Leave her!!"
-BOOOOM!
Once again, Cylien positioned herself in front of Celeste and swung her sword. Her green eyes glowed with pure intensity, and mana trembled around her. "I call upon you, Blade of Zephyr. Cut through!"
The ground split apart, slicing deeply into Manuel's arm. Blood spattered, but Manuel's arm swiftly healed as the mark of Nemes on his hand glowed.
He glared coldly at Cylien and raised his hand. A dark blue glow escaped, swirling around his blades.
[<Amael. It's really dangerous for her…>]
Ignoring Cleenah, I waited.
Manuel's blades, infused with dark blue energy, shot toward Cylien, cutting through the air itself. Cylien raised her sword hastily, knowing she couldn't parry such an attack with a simple blade.
"C-Cylien!"
What impeccable timing.
I smiled as Victor appeared out of nowhere, shielding Cylien with a wave of his sword. Blood exploded in front of him, his face turning as pale as a vampire's. His brown eyes flickered into crimson.
"Enough!" Manuel materialized next to Victor and kicked him in the stomach. Both Victor and Cylien were flung away.
"N-NO!!" Celeste molded her ice to soften their impact, but it was still a harsh landing. She immediately retrieved healing vials, but—
"Come with me if you don't want your friends to die," Manuel stood in front of her.
"...!" Trembling, Celeste faced the man who had murdered her mother.
"I don't care about them. Come with me, and they will be spared," Manuel smiled, extending his hand.
"N-No…!" Victor grunted on the floor, trying to rise, but Manuel's foot pinned him down. It was the first time Victor had showcased such a display of his vampire abilities so it might be the drawback.
It was a scene, a moment unfolding before my eyes. Celeste, torn and teary-eyed, hesitated to reach out for Manuel's hand.
In the Game, Victor had managed to fend off Manuel in the game until reinforcements arrived. But this time, unexpected people were present in the restaurant — Pierre and Nikolas Tepes. They shouldn't have been here, but the recent near death of Nora, an integral member of Behemoth, had drawn them. Their suspicions, aligning with Victor's as he knew the trio from the shopping mall — Cylien, Celeste, and Amelia — brought them to Manuel's aid.
They just wanted to find the one who nearly killed Nora.
I sighed, strolling slowly with a wry smile. I was clearly the one destroying the narrative, so it was my responsibility to fix the unintended chaos.
So be it.
"..."
Silence enveloped us as Manuel's gaze turned frigid, looking down at my hand on his arm.
Celeste, on the verge of intervening, shot me a look of shock. "A-Amael, don't-"
-Bam!
Before Celeste could urge me to flee, Manuel's fingers found their way around my neck, a vice-like grip taking hold.
"W-Wait! I will come!" Celeste's desperate plea echoed, but Manuel's focus remained on me.
My gaze met his, devoid of any hints of pain as his grip tightened. Slowly, I lifted my hand, closed it into a fist against his arm.
"...!" Manuel's eyes widened as the pressure on my neck intensified. "Who are you?" His narrowed eyes exuded danger, the aura of murder palpable.
"Please, can you leave? The reinforcements are arriving," I requested in a strained tone, feeling the discomfort escalating.
Manuel's gaze, far from relenting, intensified, his Mark of Nemes glowing. He desired my death without doubts.
In response, my expression turned frosty, and a wisp of purple fire emanated from my hand.
"...!" Manuel, witnessing that, stomped the ground and hurled me out of the restaurant with full force.
In that fleeting moment, a smirk played on my lips. "Anathemas Fire."
"What are you doing?" Manuel's urgent voice followed as he expelled me from the restaurant.
-BAM!
In a swift effort, I seized Manuel's shirt, yanking him along as we burst through the ceiling, suspended several meters in the air.
He maintained his grip on my neck, and I reciprocated, but this alliance was brief.
Strengthening my hold on his arm, I slowly wrested his grip away from my neck.
"What?!" The look of astonishment on Manuel's face was unmistakable.
"You're not in Brandon's league, Manu," I sneered, summoning the blazing flames of Vysindra to engulf his entire arm.
"You... are!" Manuel's widened eyes and gritted teeth betrayed his anger. "Edward Falkrona..."
"Yeah, the one who handed your boss a beating. Now, leave before I change my mind," I said.
"No. I will kill you right here for the year-long affront," Manuel seemed even more determined to end me. His blades thrust into my chest, but I deftly maneuvered, evading a fatal strike to my heart.
This wasn't the place for a decisive showdown. I gazed down at the gathering crowd, their eyes fixed on the unfolding spectacle. We were hurtling towards the ground.
Manuel needed to vanish before then.
"Samara."
-BOOOOM!
With a powerful axe-kick, Samara materialized above us. Catching Manuel off guard, she sent him hurtling down, crashing forcefully and creating a crater upon impact.
"Samara," I grinned and called her again, feeling her power guiding me towards the ground, though with a gentler descent. "Anathemas Fire." A mana circle materialized around my right arm as I clenched my fists. "Ruah."
"...!" Manuel, attempting to rise from the ground, froze as he noticed me hurtling towards him with alarming speed.
Samara, with a wave of her hands, momentarily immobilized Manuel—just a mere second but it was enough.
"Nevia, lend me your strength," I muttered, shutting my eyes as white sand swirled around my Ruah-infused, burning fist.
-Crack!
"...!" Eyes now open, I winced as the bones in my right arm snapped, but I clenched my teeth and delivered a forceful punch downward. "Burning Claws of Vysindra!"
"BUARGH!!!"
My fist connected squarely with Manuel's solar plexus which was protected by his mortal blades but I broke through them.
"Eat that!" I yelled loudly and drove his body into the ground once more. The earth fractured, and the crater deepened.
-BAM!!
-KYAAAA!
Terrified screams emanated from the onlookers as a resounding explosion followed.
-BOOOOOOOOM!
The impact was so intense that I was propelled away at bullet speed. However, I wore a triumphant smile as I witnessed Manuel succumbing to unconsciousness, his form disintegrating into particles of light—most likely a teleportation maneuver orchestrated by his allies.
"That's right," I wiped the blood from my lips while Manuel vanished. "Go back home."
And tell your friends that I will erase their organization of the world.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶