Chapter 309: Deathmatch
Melissa, who was supposed to report to the Intelligence Division, is actually taking part in this operation?!
Upon learning this fact, Vivian instantly understood that someone within Secret Rite Tower was messing around!
Anyone would immediately realize the severity of this issue upon taking a moment to think about it. Melissa’s presence on the battlefield was now like a ticking time bomb, and if no precautions were taken, it could set off the conflict between Wilde and Joseph, which had been dormant for the past two years but was now like a taut string on the verge of snapping.
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Moreover, the fight between the Corpse Devouring Sect and Secret Rite Tower was about to commence…
This was a battle that was bound to happen, just that it was now being brought forward.
But the ones behind the scenes surely had an ulterior motive. Perhaps they wanted to take advantage of the chaos to do certain things, just like the Magic Ovum Mirror.
These were uncontrollable factors and had to be stopped.
However, the top of Vivian’s current worries was fear for Melissa’s life.
After all, Melissa had already become something like family to her.
“Melissa, return immediately!”
Vivan couldn’t be bothered about the battlefield command as she immediately used the emergency channel to issue instructions to Melissa in a strict manner.
As this mission was still mainly about clearing the middle and lower level members of the Corpse Devouring Sect gathered here and the opposing Pandemonium-ranks had yet to appear, Vivan currently only had a subdued role to play and was in a safer spot at the backline for the time being.
Melissa was stunned on her end but still replied, “Alright… I’ll head back at once.”
Unconditional obedience to superiors on the battlefield was one of the compulsory precepts for knights of Secret Rite Tower.
Even when in doubt, one must carry out one’s orders first and wait till the battle was concluded before clarifying them with the superiors.
However, it was uncertain whether a superior would answer and there was also the risk of being punished for transgression of authority.
Vivian exhaled in relief when she heard Melissa’s reply.
Thank goodness… The situation hasn’t become too troublesome yet.
When Melissa returned, asking about who had sent her over was a must. Someone had definitely played a part here. Melissa would have been diligently doing the transfer paperwork back in the tower otherwise and not shown up here.
Moreover, the higher-ups had already approved Melissa not needing to take part in this operation some time ago.
Vivian's face slightly darkened at the thought of this, but chaotic sounds broke out over the comms, breaking her thoughts. She heard shouting, footsteps, fighting, and explosions.
There was a break in sound on Melissa’s end before the young knight said, “I might be unable to return for the time being…”
With a sinking feeling in her heart, Vivian looked up into the distance and sensed a rising aura among the crowd of transcendent beings along with the dissipation of the aetheric fluctuations of space-time disturbance.
Clearly, it must have been Wilde's contracted dream beast, Sky Wolf Grady, that had opened the rift in space-time and brought over a certain follower of Wilde’s.
Compared to the two somewhat inferior Pandemonium-ranks, the source of this aura was a true ‘Pandemonium’ rank.
A transcendent being capable of causing panic in more than a thousand people was loosely defined as a Pandemonium-rank.
Yet a thousand ordinary mortals were also considered a thousand, whereas a thousand transcendent beings were a thousand as well.
While this comparison was somewhat exaggerated, it was evident that the person this aura came from was no longer a Pandemonium-rank in the universal definition.
At least the power level of a Great Radiant Knight and not any weaker than me.
Vivian had already weighed it in her mind.
Their worst fears had come true… What had arrived was unfortunately what they had prepared for—one of Wilde’s four followers, a hunter that went by the moniker ‘Night Falcon.’
“Huuu…”
Vivian exhaled and ordered, “Melissa, try your utmost to protect yourself. Ensuring your safety is the utmost priority.”
Then, without waiting for Melissa’s response, Vivan sat up straighter in her saddle. With one hand, she faced her three-meter-long spear in the direction of that aura while flicking her other wrist to tighten the reins, making both the woman and horse tense up like an arrow on a drawn bowstring.
Rumble!
An astonishing aura gathered like a whirlpool picking up steam around the female knight in scarlet armor atop her black stallion, brewing with enough power to crush everything standing in its way.
The stallion neighed, a wild red glint flashed in its eyes. At the moment its raised front hooves started to descend, an absolute power ripped through the air, causing the ground all around to crack and dent before it even hit the ground.
A circular wave of air blasted out all around, fragmenting the ground in a ten-meter radius and spreading dust in all directions. The remaining dissipating force still caused all other buildings around to collapse.
And at the same time, both the stallion and rider had vanished from the spot.
The two transformed into a rapier, a black and scarlet phantom that whistled with unimaginable speed and plowed an exaggerated furrow straight into the middle of the battlefield, cutting across everything as it hurtled toward the burial ground.
The burial ground of her enemies.
The Scarlet Lancer. That figure in red was the very nightmare of the enemies on the battlefield.
——
Night Falcon set his sights on Melissa the moment he was warped into position.
He had come for this very purpose.
Wilde had made it clear to him that this was Joseph's daughter and only weakness. As long as they could seize this opportunity, they would essentially be able to disrupt Joseph’s position.
While it was unclear how this well-protected gem had made her way to the front lines, it was the perfect once-in-a-lifetime breakthrough for them.
Night Falcon extended his arms as if spreading his wings. Black feathers sprouted and he weaved into a cloak of darkness.
Like a falcon using the night as cover, the hunter, with a blade in hand, slayed several Secret Rite Tower knights as a warm-up in several leaps, his body dancing like it was an artform of killing as split blood traced intermittent lines in the air.
Slash slash slash…
With one last flash, the image of Melissa's somewhat panicked figure reflected in his pupils as Night Falcon whirled and twisted in the air, about to make his strike with his bitingly cold blade.
Clang!
A spear in the hand of a scarlet rider bursting forth from nowhere collided with it.
BOOM!
Ripples of wind spread out from the epicenter, shattering the ground around.
The tall, spear-wielding female saw the unharmed Melissa out of the corner of her eye and let out a huge sigh of relief. Then, she glared at the hunter before her with a burning gaze.
She announced loudly, “Cruel evil-doers of the Corpse Devouring Sect, justice has come, and your end is now here!”
Night Falcon sneered. “The light of the Lord is like the moon in the sky, and you are like mere fireflies. Those who dare go against the Corpse Devouring Sect are the ones who are really in trouble and don't know it!"
The eyes of these two adversaries met, just like their weapons.
A deadly fight between the two representatives had formally begun.