Chapter 176

A hearty, unrestrained leap, gathering the northern chill and the tempestuous lightning, carrying a sense of release, Vanna soared high, an ice blade materializing in her empty hands, slashing down under the world-wound's cold radiance.

The air tore, the surrounding currents twisting with heat in the violent impact, the blade even taking on a plasma-like quality halfway down, like raging flames entwined around frozen edges – a bizarre and magnificent sight that visibly stunned the demonic cultist.

For this Annihilation Godkin, it should have been a successful ambush. He'd discovered the uninvited guest early and concealed himself with magic, his highly symbiotic demon-body even allowing him to briefly stop breathing and his heartbeat – yet this seemingly perfect concealment had somehow failed, alerting his target.

Now the would-be prey had become a fiercely retaliating beast – and one far stronger than he'd anticipated.

The giant blade slammed down with immense force, leaving the Annihilation Godkin no time to counter. He could only emit a strange, shrill shriek, compressing a powerful spell within. Layers of black bone-plates and rock-like shields instantly blocked Vanna's descent from all sides. Simultaneously, the abyss demon formed from jagged bone fragments stepped in front of its master, opening its jaws towards Vanna, ready to unleash a potent corrosive breath.

Only then did the skeletal demon's form fully solidify from the shadows – a Darksome Hound, larger than Agou.

Vanna showed no intention of slowing down or dodging.

"Boom!"

The silence of the night shattered with a deafening roar, laced with a series of grating, ear-piercing tearing noises.

In a single leap, Vanna smashed through the energy barrier and rock shields summoned by the Darksome Godkin, along with the Darksome Hound's corrosive breath and half of the demon's head, reducing them all to a rain of fragments.

The shockwave swept through the alley like a gale, instantly clearing away dust and smoke, leaving only a half-headed Darksome Hound howling as it flew backward. The symbiotic chain yanked the Annihilation Godkin with it for dozens of meters. They rolled across the ground before struggling to their feet.

The异端 Godkin, his body twisted and mutated, trembled violently. The shock from his symbiotic demon's injuries overwhelmed his mind. His deformed body hunched over in the dim light, making it hard to tell which was the demon and which had once been human.

Beside him, the Darksome Hound also swayed as it rose. Despite losing half its head, the demon's powerful life force kept it alive. It snarled at Vanna, damaged bone fragments constantly falling from its body.

Vanna expressionlessly walked forward, casually discarding the shattered ice blade.

It had been a disposable weapon anyway, created for a perfect full-score leap. Its mission was complete.

The Annihilation Godkin struggled to raise his head, desperately trying to regain his senses, muttering obscure demonic words.

The power of the spell solidified, a mass of twisted matter composed of bone and rock, riddled with decay, emerging from the air before him and hurtling towards Vanna like a cannonball.

Vanna reached out and caught the "cannonball" head-on. Ignoring the wisps of smoke quickly rising from her palm, she strode forward without slowing down, grabbing the half-stunned Darksome Hound's severed head with her other hand, and shoving the "decay missile" into the demon's exposed neck cavity.

The abyss demon thrashed violently, driven by instinct, but its strength, capable of overturning a steam tank, couldn't budge Vanna's arm. The remaining half of its head was torn off by its own struggles, and the "decay missile," summoned by its own power, was forced into its stomach – the layers of bone inside the demon's body crackled and exploded in quick succession, then rapidly filled with a blinding flash.

Vanna kicked the self-destructing demon away and grabbed the Annihilation Godkin beside her, using him as a shield.

The latter hadn't even registered what was happening in the lightning-fast exchange.

With a roar, the kicked Darksome Hound exploded violently in mid-air, bone shards raining down the alley like shrapnel. The Annihilation Godkin in Vanna's grasp was instantly riddled with holes.

He wasn't dead yet, merely convulsing in intense, rapid agony.

The entire exchange had been incredibly brief.

"Your symbiotic demon is dead. Based on the level of mutation in your body, you have about six minutes left to live," Vanna said, casually throwing the cultist to the ground and stepping on what might have been his head. "I know you guys never say a word even when you're spared, but I've decided to try anyway – you have three minutes to give your last words. That will determine how you spend the other three."

Meanwhile, Alice, who had remained at the alley entrance, was even more bewildered – she'd only seen Vanna suddenly fighting an enemy, smashing a grotesque thing that looked like a distant relative of Agou, and now the attacker seemed to be on his last legs.

Though she didn't know what had happened, it was clear that Vanna was strong.

The doll girl was delighted and clapped her hands enthusiastically, "Miss Vanna, you're amazing!"

In that moment of distraction, she seemed to forget that there were still a few "lines" drifting under the lamppost diagonally across from her. The air near the alley entrance distorted slightly.

A second attacker lurked in the shadows.

Vanna's clash with the Annihilation Godkin had been too fast. Events in the alley had outpaced the attacker's calculations, and the Annihilation Godkin's accomplice hadn't had time to intervene – now, the hidden cultist had just arrived, but at a very inopportune moment.

As the air distorted, a short but sturdy figure appeared near Alice. He'd hurried as fast as he could, only to see Vanna standing in the depths of the alley, her foot on the Annihilation Godkin's head.

The cultist paused, glancing at the brutal scene inside and then at the blonde woman beside him, who had just noticed him and was looking at him with curiosity.

The next moment, the short, sturdy man turned and ran without hesitation.

But he'd only taken two steps when he heard a voice behind him, "Hey! Wait up!"

He suddenly felt like something had tugged at him – the pulling force acted on all his joints, as if a giant hand had stopped him.

The cultist turned around in surprise and terror, seeing black smoke rising in the air beside him. His symbiotic Darksome demon seemed to struggle to materialize and retaliate, but was somehow pinned down in the shadows, unable to take shape. He turned again and saw the long-haired, blonde woman in the long dress looking at him, her hand outstretched, as if she were holding something invisible.

"Don't leave yet," Alice said, clutching the "lines," trying to make her expression look intimidating. "The captain said you guys are bad people and can't be let go – you'll hurt others."

Not far away, the Annihilation cultist who had run out of the alley was suspended in mid-air in a bizarre and comical pose, his head twisted back at an unnatural angle. He looked at the blonde woman at the alley entrance in terror. Driven by a primal instinct to survive, he seemed to slightly break free of the "pulling" sensation, and immediately flicked his wrist with all his might.

A prepared paper talisman slipped from his sleeve.

"Choose… life… and devour…"

He spoke with difficulty, his throat also uttering obscure demonic words. The pre-prepared spell was activated, the paper talisman bursting into flames before it hit the ground, seeking out a target according to its master's commands.

Any living person within range.

The paper talisman was quickly consumed by the flames. Nothing happened.

The cultist stared wide-eyed, looking at the scene in horror and disbelief.

Alice also widened her eyes, looking at the scene in confusion.

She neither breathed nor had a heartbeat.

And she didn't know what was going on. But she soon realized – the cultist had seemed to want to kill her.

A little frightened, she tugged hard at the "lines" in her hand, "The captain said, when you're out, you have to protect yourself."

The cultist's body instantly stiffened completely. The little "freedom" he had just gained was completely stripped away, leaving him unable to move his wrists or lips. A strange numbness began to spread, he felt his body rapidly hardening, becoming cold, becoming... no longer flesh and blood.

The world went dark before his eyes.

But the next moment, something seemed to emerge from the darkness.

A hollow, deep voice, as if coming directly from his chest, entered his ears –

"Ah, a new servant has arrived."