Chapter 28 Breathtaking Power (1/2)
The Bloodsoaked Queen had a cavalier attitude about her, as though she had done nothing more than catch a butterfly that was flying within her flower garden. It seemed like such a casual action, but it instantly froze the long knife despite the shocking amount of power that had been poured into it.
All momentum had been lost. All of the murderous intent within it had been dispelled. The mental energy, willpower, strength, and soul that had been poured into that knife were of no avail; it seemed like it was trapped in a steel vise, with no way to withdraw it at all. The snow-bright blade quickly began to turn red from heat, like a piece of iron in a furnace.
The Bloodsoaked Queen’s grip tightened, and the red-hot knife began to break apart. A spiderweb of cracks had appeared on its surface, as though the knife was a fragile piece of glass that was on the verge of shattering.
“You-” The mysterious man’s deep, hooded gaze was now filled with shock and awe. He was only able to get this single word out, because in the next instant a seal suddenly lit up on the Queen’s gloves as she unleashed an even greater amount of force through her palms.
The knife exploded! A terrifying, beautiful ball of fire erupted between the two as the energy-filled knife blew up like a bomb that had been ignited. Countless metal shards sprayed in every direction. The mysterious man was blasted away by the force of the explosion, with his face, chest, and arms all punctured by the flying metal shards while the blazing flames caused his entire body to be covered with horrendous burns. By the time he crashed down on the ground, he looked like a hole-riddled rag doll that had been in a fire.
Cloudhawk furiously rubbed at his eyes. What the hell had just happened? All he had seen was the mysterious man charge towards the Queen. Moments later, there had been a sudden explosion! This had all happened far too quickly, and so he hadn’t been able to make out all the details… but when the Bloodsoaked Queen had made her move, Cloudhawk had sensed a ripple of power emerge.
Such incredible power! The mysterious leader of the sweeper battalion was already a top-notch expert of the wastelands, but in the face of the Bloodsoaked Queen he was absolutely nothing at all. He had just suffered a disastrous defeat!
The mysterious man himself hadn’t imagined that the difference in power between them would be so great. There was simply no way to bridge the chasm between the two of them. Moments later, a tendril of fear suddenly snaked its way out from the depths of his soul, then spread like wildfire throughout his mind. He only had one thought left – flee!
He had been a fool. A complete fool! This woman was someone from that legendary place; even his master was slightly wary of her. How could a mere wastelander like himself possibly contend against her?
When Cloudhawk noticed that the man was about to flee, he immediately called out, “Hey, commander! He’s gonna run for it!”
“Shut your fucking mouth! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Slyfox immediately clamped his hands around Cloudhawk’s mouth as beads of sweat appeared on his pudgy face. The power which the Bloodsoaked Queen had just displayed caused him to feel a sense of terror as well. “Don’t ya know how the Bloodsoaked Queen got her nickname? D’ya really think yer in a position to be givin’ her orders?”
The Bloodsoaked Queen had only been in the outpost for roughly a year, and for the vast majority of that time she was absent or hidden. And yet, her fame and prestige resoundingly eclipsed that of any captain. The Tartarus mercenaries were forced to humble themselves, while the members of the elite squad had all chosen to serve her and die for her! Why? Because of the overwhelming, crushing amount of power she possessed… as well as her absolutely cruel and dominating nature!
Anyone who had lived in Blackflag Outpost for more than a year would never be able to forget that horrifying battle from roughly a year ago.
The Queen was in no mood to pay any attention to trash like Cloudhawk, but she also completely ignored the terrified, fleeing sweeper leader. She silently unclipped the cross from her necklace, then gently lifted it up with her two hands. Moments later, she did something which caused everyone to feel completely astonished.
She went down to one knee.
She clasped the cross tightly in her hands, and she began to pray softly in an extremely sincere, devout voice. “O almighty gods of radiant light, I pray to thee with all my soul, with all my life, with all my heart. Please bestow your power upon thy child…” This prayer was filled with such sincerity and piety, but when it came out in that hoarse, sinister voice it truly sounded strange to the extreme.
The cross suddenly began to glow, and with each passing second it grew brighter and brighter! Cloudhawk’s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. “What the hell is this?”
The Bloodsoaked Queen rose to her feet once more, then lifted the glowing cross high into the air. She looked almost like a holy paladin lifting up a blade which cast out demons… and when she brought the ‘sword’ down, the light completely disappeared into her palms, transforming into a blade-like arc of light that shot out dozens of meters, carving out a deep gouge in the earth as it shot off after the fleeing man.
The light washed over him, and it cut through him as though he was just a piece of paper. His body was cut in half from his right shoulder to his left flank. Momentum carried the two halves of his body forward by three meters, with the flesh around his terrifying wounds having turned completely black, as though charred by fire. This was perhaps the reason why he didn’t immediately die, and he struggled to claw forwards with his one remaining arm.
A pair of boots appeared in front of him. He lifted up his head, only to see that woman once more… but the fear actually began to slowly vanish from his eyes. Now that he knew he was going to die, that look of wild fervor began to fill his gaze once more. “I’m impressed, demonhunter!”
The Bloodsoaked Queen asked coldly, “Where is he?”
The dying, bisected man began to roar with laughter, but his laughter sounded like the bleating of a dying mountain goat. The Bloodsoaked Queen narrowed her eyes. She remained as cold and distant as ever, but her words were filled with menace. “Where. Is. He.”
“Are you afraid?” The dying man didn’t seem to understand the situation he was in. He roared in a hoarse and brash voice, “I’ll never tell you. Keep living in fear and pain. You will never be able to get your revenge. You-” But his voice suddenly cut off as a booted foot crushed his head into pulp.
The Queen turned towards the outpost warriors, her cloak fluttering in the air behind her. She seemed to move in a leisurely manner, but she actually moved with incredible speed. Moments later she vanished from everyone’s field of vision, leaving behind only three words.
“Kill them all.”
The outpost warriors immediately let out excited roars and howls. This was the might of their commander, the commander of Blackflag Outpost – she was invincible, unfathomable, and unbelievable! This was the second time the Queen had fought ever since she had taken over the outpost, and her power was absolutely stunning!