In the raging tornado, Viscount
In that state, he could not react at all, let alone speak. He could only rely on the robust constitution of a Punisher to hold on, hoping that the terrifying hurricane would not tear off an arm or his head.
He had initially thought the hunt was a success, that he was about to capture Triss, and was absolutely certain she had no accomplices, so he focused entirely on Shermaine. But all of a sudden, he became the prey, falling into a trap with no warning signs at all.
Seeing the whirlwind begin to subside and that he had only suffered minor injuries from the impacts, with no fatal wounds, Viscount Stratford quickly tried to regain control of his body, preparing for the battle that might follow.
Just then, a sharp pain pierced his head, as if a dagger had been thrust into it and stirred.
This feeling was both familiar and unfamiliar to Viscount Stratford. Though he had never experienced it firsthand, he had "tried" it on many targets and observed their reactions.
It was a Beyonder power he had once been most adept at:
"Spirit Needle!"
Bang!
Unable to adjust his body after the attack, Viscount Stratford crashed heavily to the ground, and the copper-green cross clattered several meters away.
Clomp, clomp, clomp. Xio, wielding the Gloomy Blade, strode forward and charged toward the dazed Viscount Stratford, who was struggling to stand.
Before Xio even rushed out, Fors had already flipped through Lehmano's Travel Notes and opened it to a page with a parchment-like texture.
As she slid her finger, the shadows that had reappeared around Viscount Stratford came to life, coalescing into black chains that wound around the target, binding him tightly.
Having just recovered and regained some clarity, Viscount Stratford had no time to select a punishment target or restrict certain phenomena before he lost his freedom again, even his mouth bound by a shadow chain.
"Chains of the Abyss!"
A power originating from vampires or Sequence progressors on the Moon pathway, Chains of the Abyss!
Fors had taken a liking to this ability after using it once, finding it very practical. Later, after spending some pounds, she asked Mr. Moon, now a viscount, to record it accordingly.
Bang!
At that moment, Viscount Stratford suddenly erupted with a strength surpassing his earlier power and shattered the shadow chains link by link.
He had chosen the "bonds" around him as the target of punishment!
But at that moment, Xio, like a steam locomotive racing at full speed, reached him and thrust out the transparent three-edged stiletto.
With a squelching sound, the Gloomy Blade pierced the target's abdomen.
Viscount Stratford's body stiffened again, his eyes turning glassy, as if he had turned into an ice sculpture.
Xio released her grip, leaving the Gloomy Blade stuck in the Royal Guard Captain's belly, as if wanting any malicious spirit that might exist on the weapon to continue possessing the target and forcibly control it.
Immediately afterward, she swung her arm, clenched her fist, and struck Viscount Stratford below the ear with a thud.
Under the combined assault, Viscount Stratford did not even let out a groan before falling unconscious, his body stiffly collapsing again.
After this strike, Xio left her back to Fors and jumped over Viscount Stratford, who had the Gloomy Blade wobbling in his stomach, and rushed toward Shermaine, still sitting on the wooden crate.
Fors, on the other hand, flipped through Lehmano's Travel Notes again and added another layer of restraint to Viscount Stratford using a different ability. Then she stepped out from the row of crates she was hiding behind and moved closer to the ancient, copper-green cross.
The scene she had just witnessed made her suspect this was a demigod-level item, or as official Beyonders called it, a "Level 1 sealed artifact."
And the way Viscount Stratford carried and used it made her believe the cross's negative effects were not so direct, so she could try to pick it up.
Of course, being a former Astrologer, Fors took out her pure crystal ball as she walked and quickly performed a divination.
"No issues..." Fors glanced at the result and sped up.
By then, Xio had already reached Shermaine. Looking at her now stunningly beautiful friend, she was momentarily speechless.
In her eyes, Shermaine's state was extremely abnormal.
The witch's hair was all floating, each strand becoming thick, like a mass of tiny snakes.
At the tips of the "tiny snakes," some had eyes, some had split mouths, making them look incredibly eerie and horrifying.
On Shermaine's face, mysterious black patterns like oil paint emerged from the texture of the skin, spreading rapidly across her face and body.
Her somewhat hollow eyes soon reflected Xio's form and gradually regained a bit of life, adding confusion and pain.
Then she opened her mouth and said haltingly:
"Xio... I'm in so much pain..."
Xio's vision blurred immediately.
Although she still had much to learn about the detailed facts of the mystical world—since the
So, Xio knew Shermaine was losing control, that it was irreversible and would only worsen.
Shermaine seemed to have realized her own condition. After catching her breath, she forced a bittersweet smile and said with difficulty:
"Kill me... I've done... so many things I need to repent for... I also got... what I wanted..."
Xio's tears fell one by one. Without hesitation, she drew her backup weapon—a very ordinary revolver.
She then pressed the revolver against Shermaine's forehead.
Shermaine smiled, a charming light returning to her eyes:
"Call me, call me Shermaine..."
"Shermaine." Xio's face twisted uncontrollably, her eyes blurred by tears.
Bang! Bang! Bang!