[Vol. 5] Chapter 86: Interruption! The Scythe of Death!

 

The place where Leila and Rene were was not the bustling area of the 【Star Bear】 district but rather the exact opposite—a secluded spot.

 

Of course, it wasn’t a slum. Such a place could hardly be considered secretive. The area with the least foot traffic is the independent villa district, where only the wealthy have the financial power—or rather, the qualifications—to reside, where the land prices are extremely high.

 

According to the Holy Empire’s belief in “equality”, no matter how poor a citizen might be, as long as they are recognized as children of the Goddess, they are at least guaranteed the basic necessities of life under the temple’s relief. But even for a true god, it’s difficult to ensure that all citizens of the Holy Empire have equal wealth.

 

So, naturally, a gap between the rich and the poor exists.

 

The population density in a regular residential area might be ten times or even a hundred times that of this area of equal size. In contrast, grandiose villa districts like these are actually the most suitable places to hide something dark.

 

Violet had once told them that the group they were searching for was different from ordinary beings, easily recognizable by those with intent. They couldn’t possibly have frequent contact with the outside world, so if they were hiding, it would be in areas with relatively sparse populations.

 

So, from the moment they left in the morning, the sisters deliberately avoided crowded places, especially those near temples, knight orders, plazas, churches, and busy marketplaces, as they conducted their investigation in secret.

 

With their strength and efficiency as exceptional warriors, they had managed to investigate nearly the entire 【Star Bear】 district in just one morning, and this area was one of the last few left.

 

In the end, they encountered something unexpected.

 

The two girls hid behind a courtyard wall, using their peripheral vision to secretly observe the figure walking in the distance.

 

【This woman… she definitely just killed someone, and not just one person. The foul stench of blood is so strong it’s almost overwhelming. What’s she doing here…?】

 

【Hey, Sister, look, look! The mask she’s wearing is so ugly and kinda scary. How could anyone like such weird stuff? Compared to Lady Violet’s cute tastes, this is totally blown away~】

 

【That mask is indeed strange… It gives off a kind of ominous and eerie vibe. Be careful. No matter what, there’s definitely something wrong with this person. Let’s follow her and see what happens.】

 

【Got it.】

 

Using the special abilities unique to angels and their close blood connection, the two sisters continued to monitor the situation while engaging in encrypted communication.

 

The strange woman, who wore a black-and-white, smiling mask and walked with light, casual steps, seemed completely unaware of their presence. After passing by the villa where Leila and Rene were hiding, she continued walking straight ahead.

 

Having made up their minds, the two white-winged girls quietly followed her.

 

The woman walked openly along the path, seemingly without any concern for secrecy. However, this was a sparsely populated villa district, so there were rarely any passersby, let alone anyone who might approach and question her odd behavior.

 

Leila silently observed the figure ahead.

 

From the white armor she wore and the holy sword in her hand, which still had traces of blood on it, this person appeared to be a Holy Knight.

 

But honestly, with Leila’s heightened senses as someone who had reached a transcendent level, the figure didn’t exude any of the holy, solemn aura expected of a religious warrior. Instead, she gave off an eerie and dangerous feeling, which sparked a subtle sense of danger.

 

Yes, this woman definitely had the ability to pose a threat to her and her sister. Although her aura suggested that she was at most at the Earth level, the instincts rooted in their special bloodline were rarely wrong.

 

The danger… didn’t come from the woman herself but from something else that was elusive.

 

As the two sides continued their chase, they had already been moving through the villa district for about ten minutes, but the woman’s steps showed no sign of stopping.

 

It was unclear where she intended to go. Just as Leila was considering whether to change their approach…

 

“That’s far enough.”

 

A new figure appeared from ahead, blocking the Holy Knight woman’s path.

 

【Hmm? That person is…】

 

【Huh? Sister, isn’t that… that scythe guy or whatever?】

 

【That’s the 【Reaper’s Scythe】, right? He was part of the adventurer team accompanying Princess Menna in Demon Suppression City. He should be their leader, the legendary-level adventurer codenamed 【Dead Soul】. I remember him a bit. Strange… What’s he doing here in the western capital of the Holy Empire?】

 

The sudden appearance of the young man not only caught the attention of the two girls following behind, but also made the masked woman stop in her tracks, silently observing him.

 

A cold wind swept up the fallen leaves by the roadside, producing a rustling sound.

 

The swordsman, dressed in a fitted gray robe, seemed to be studying his opponent as he placed his hand on the seven swords at his waist.

 

“You must be Karina Brett, the 【Fearless Knight】 who killed three ‘Knight Templars’ last night and then disappeared without a trace. Or rather, you’re something else using her body… a faceless evil spirit. By my master’s order, I’ve been waiting here for you. I advise you to surrender and stop resisting pointlessly.”

 

Upon hearing the young man’s words, the masked woman tilted her head slightly, as if she couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.

 

The interaction seemed ordinary, but what was particularly eerie was that her movements had clearly surpassed the limits of what normal joints could endure.

 

Her head almost appeared as if it had detached from her neck, bending at a bizarre 90-degree angle, accompanied by a “crack” of bones.

 

But in the next moment, as if nothing had happened, she returned to her original state, her throat producing a laugh that was crisp and pleasant yet eerily unsettling.

 

“Hehehe…”

 

As if understanding her intent, the young man sighed softly.

 

“Is that so? It seems you’re unwilling to surrender, so… there’s no other choice.”

 

【Dead Soul】 suddenly gripped the hilt of the ancient sword at his waist, drawing it from its sheath in a flash of lethal intent.

 

“The first sword, Piercing Rainbow!”

 

“Heh!”

 

As the unstoppable sword energy rushed toward her, the woman didn’t block it. Instead, she twisted her body into an unnatural curve as if her bones had vanished, dodging the fierce attack aimed at her face in a posture reminiscent of a backbend.

 

The sword energy cut through the air, leaving a deep, sharp mark on the ground and slashing into the wall of a building behind her, kicking up a cloud of dust.

 

Taking advantage of the cover, the eerie woman finally made her move!

 

She leaped onto a rooftop and immediately fled!

 

Due to her earlier bizarre behavior, both 【Dead Soul】 and Leila, who were watching from a distance, had expected her to use some strange technique to launch an attack, and were bracing themselves to defend or observe.

 

Therefore, when faced with this unexpected sight, they were momentarily stunned.

 

The female Holy Knight’s movements were swift and agile, and in just a short moment, she had already put several villas between herself and her pursuers, quickly vanishing into the distance.

 

“Wh… where are you running to!”

 

Mr. 【Dead Soul】, who had been thoroughly toyed with, turned visibly red with anger. He quickly sheathed his sword and leaped onto the roof to pursue the woman.

 

It wasn’t until both figures had vanished from sight that the two white-feathered girls finally emerged from their hiding spot behind the wall.

 

“Hey, hey, sister! They’re getting away! Why are you just standing there? Hurry and chase them!”

 

However, unlike her anxious sister, Leila pondered for a moment before shaking her head.

 

“No, our mission for today ends here.”

 

“Oh!… Wait?”

 

Miss Rene, with her wings already spread and about to take off, was momentarily stunned. She turned to look at her sister, who remained unmoved, and appeared surprised.

 

“What do you mean, letting them go?”

 

“Well, didn’t I say? Lady Violet only tasked us with investigating the 【Eternal Throne】 information in this area, not with exterminating, fighting, or tracking down fugitives.”

 

Leila scanned the surroundings with her calm, light-golden eyes. The commotion caused by 【Dead Soul】’s sword had already attracted the attention of many local residents, and the bustling noise was gathering, making further investigation impossible.

 

“Let’s go back first… Whatever happened here, we need to report it to that important person as soon as possible.”