Chapter 50

Could it be that the second prince was strangled to death by this invisible thing?

Something had crawled out of the book—an indistinct entity gliding across the floor, scythe in hand. At its core, it was pure flame; nothing but burning fire made up its form.

After the armor-type demon, the wing-swarm demon, and the wolf-skeleton demon… was it time for a flame-bat demon now? That scythe gave it a real "Grim Reaper" vibe.

Leon tightened his grip on his sword, ready to strike at any moment.

“This won’t be easy. Don’t get careless,” Vanessa warned.

Leon understood. Compared to the Archdruid possessed by the wolf-skeleton demon, this demon’s true form was far more dangerous. Take the Obsidian Armor, for example—its tentacles pierced through any defense.

Just as Leon and Vanessa braced to attack, the burning Reaper let out a roar and spoke in human tongue—

“Hate… loathe… hate… Sorcerers…”

“First time I’ve seen a demon that talks,” Leon muttered, surprised.

“They’re Sorcerers!! Their whole damn family are Sorcerers!!” Benjamin yelled. Vanessa’s elbow slammed into his ribs instantly, knocking him unconscious.

The Burning Reaper understood Benjamin’s words. It flapped its wings and glided toward them—

Leon swung his sword—missed. His blade passed through empty air. The scythe swept through its body as if it were smoke! Was it not even solid!?

Before he could react, the Reaper’s scythe aimed straight at him! Leon blocked with his Mystic Silver Sword in his other hand—the blade passed through the scythe again. What? Even parrying was useless? The next instant, the falling scythe struck him!

His bloodied Mystic Silver Sword clattered to the ground. Leon backflipped several meters, clutching his bleeding shoulder—pain seared through him. That arm was useless for swinging now.

“It can hit us, but we can’t hit it!” Leon gritted his teeth.

Vanessa slashed horizontally with her crimson demon blade across the Reaper’s head, then downward through its torso, then diagonally at its wings—no effect at all.

The Burning Reaper spun and slashed back at her. Vanessa chose to leap backward instead of blocking.

“No matter where we strike, it’s pointless,” she said. “Try the Twin Blades Secret Art?”

“Catch!” Leon tossed the Light Roar Sword to her.

The Burning Reaper skimmed the ground! It lunged at her, scythe raised high. Vanessa caught the Light Roar Sword and instantly unleashed the Twin Blades Secret Art: Forty Six Nights! An attack with no blind spots! Forty-six consecutive strikes rained down in an instant, weaving a storm of blades across the Burning Reaper’s body!

Alas—all useless!

The Burning Reaper ignored her flurry and slashed at her. Vanessa dodged backward but swung her sword at the same time! As the scythe sliced open the buttons of her coat, she felt a faint resistance against her blade.

“Aha?” Her razor-sharp combat instinct clicked instantly.

The next moment, as the Burning Reaper raised its scythe to strike again, Vanessa didn’t move.

Leon watched in horror as the scythe pierced straight through Vanessa’s body… The world seemed to fall silent. Only two soft *drip… drip…* sounds echoed as blood hit the floor…

The Burning Reaper tried to yank its scythe free—Vanessa grabbed its wrist! “Heh… Got you,” she spat blood.

“You…” Leon’s face paled with terror.

“It only becomes solid when it attacks me,” Vanessa gasped. The dragon-slaying greatsword “Kassadin” crashed down before Leon! “While its scythe’s still in me—strike!”

Leon’s left arm was injured. He tried to pull Kassadin one-handed but nearly staggered—the sword was absurdly heavy! No wonder Vanessa had been a monster to wield it all this time…

Straining with a deep breath, he yanked it free. Not a second to waste. Seeing Vanessa’s blood flow from the scythe wound, rage drowned his reason! Leon swung Kassadin with all his might using one arm—SMASH! The Burning Reaper flipped over, the floor cracking beneath it!

The Burning Reaper stood again!

Teeth clenched, Leon hefted Kassadin and smashed it down once more—a shallow crater formed in the floor!

Still not dead. Flames surged, coalescing into its shape again!

Leon swung mechanically four more times—only stopping when his shoulder dislocated on the fourth strike! The Burning Reaper finally fell silent…

The battle was over.

As Vanessa collapsed, Leon rushed to support her… His left arm dislocated, his right slashed open—he could only kneel, holding her against his chest.

“Worse… than three years ago,” Vanessa coughed blood.

“Don’t talk,” Leon whispered, tears in his eyes. Her blood soaked through his clothes.

“Look… into my eyes,” Vanessa said, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “Even if I’m a bounty bandit… a criminal, a villain, a bad person… unworthy to be your master… can you forgive me?”

“I forgive you.”

For the first time before Leon, tears streamed down Vanessa’s face.

“You look like my little brother.”

“What brother?”

“My real brother. Ten years ago, during the Calamity… he was right where the Skyward City fell…”

“!?”

“I… searched every corner of the ruins. Five days and nights. In the end… all I found was Ruri…”

“I hate Sorcerers! Why did they have to take my brother’s life when they perished?”

“So… you hate Ruri too?”

“Yes. She lives… while my brother died. But if I hadn’t hidden her… do you think she’d have survived until today?” Vanessa fell silent, her voice growing weaker.

“I won’t deny it—I am a bad person.” Vanessa raised her bloodstained hand, trembling as it brushed Leon’s cheek—“You’re so alike… my foolish apprentice… my foolish brother… heh…”

“So this was why you took me as your disciple?”

“Yes.” Vanessa’s hand fell limp.

“Let… me die alone in peace,” she sighed. “If only we hadn’t parted ways back then…”

Leon stayed silent, glancing toward the corridor at the entrance of the Hall of Midsummer.

“You won’t die.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Usually, anyone who heard “You won’t die” never survived.

But this time—a Priestess who knew the Healing Art—Naya—sprinted to Leon’s side. Like a white cloud, she descended softly into Vanessa’s blurred vision.

“Leon, your arm—”

“Naya! Save her! No matter what—please!!!”

Vanessa’s emotions at that moment defied description!

“Can I take back what I just said????”

Obviously not.

To be continued.