Chapter : 69
+++
Chapter : 69
The massive wave of holy energy pressing against Sayma’s barrier suddenly stuttered and completely vanished, sucking back into the malfunctioning sword like a vacuum.
The overwhelming pressure in the hallway disappeared instantly. Sayma gasped for air, dropping her cracked golden barrier before it completely shattered. She fell to one knee, exhausted but safe.
Naomi didn't waste a single millisecond.
The moment the blinding light vanished and the pressure dropped, Naomi saw her opening. Her green eyes locked onto Francis, who was currently staring at his sputtering, failing weapon in total panic.
"Now!" Naomi yelled.
She kicked off the floor, moving faster than the wind. She crossed the distance between them in a blur of green magic. Francis looked up just in time to see the red-haired girl flying right at him. He tried to raise the broken Gospel sword to block, but the weapon was too heavy and completely unresponsive.
Naomi spun her body, bringing her sharp dagger down in a flawless, lightning-fast arc.
Slash!
The steel blade cut cleanly across Francis's right arm, right through the fabric of his spotless white suit.
"Gah!" Francis cried out in sharp pain. He stumbled backward, dropping the heavy, malfunctioning hilt of the Gospel sword. The weapon hit the floor, letting out one final pathetic spark before turning completely off.
Francis clutched his bleeding arm. His pristine white sleeve was quickly turning a dark, messy red. He looked at Naomi, who was standing over the dropped weapon with her daggers ready, and then he looked at the rest of the 13th Unit. His arrogant, superior attitude was completely shattered. He looked genuinely shocked and furious.
"This is impossible!" Francis cursed loudly, his face twisting in anger. He completely lost his refined, polite scientist persona. "The calculations were perfect! The holy energy matrix should have easily vaporized you! It must be the ambient interference in these filthy slums! The weapon is not yet mature enough for field testing!"
Ken sat up on the floor, rubbing his fake bruised nose. "Maybe you just forgot to charge the batteries, buddy! Happens to my game console all the time!"
Francis glared at Ken with pure hatred, but he didn't try to pick the sword back up. He knew he was beaten. Without his experimental weapon, he was no match for a fully trained Royal vanguard. He was a researcher, not a frontline soldier.
"You got lucky today, Princess," Francis sneered, holding his bleeding arm tightly. He reached into his left pocket with his good hand. "The Holy Sword Gospel needs more tuning. I need a cleaner environment to perfect the runes. But do not think this is over. Once my research is complete, I promise you, I will hunt you down and finish this experiment."
Francis pulled a small, black sphere out of his pocket and slammed it hard against the floor.
POOF!
A massive cloud of thick, gray smoke exploded outward, instantly filling the entire hallway. The smoke was heavy and smelled like burning chemicals. It completely blinded the team.
"Cough! Cough! Don't let him get away!" Naomi shouted, waving her hands to clear the air. She dashed forward, swinging her dagger blindly into the smoke.
But she only hit empty air.
By the time the thick gray smoke finally began to clear, the hallway was completely empty. Francis was gone. He had retreated down a hidden side stairwell, leaving only the deactivated, heavy metal hilt of his broken sword lying on the floor.
Princess Iris stepped forward, coughing softly into her sleeve. "Is everyone alright?"
"I am fine, Princess," Sayma said, slowly standing up and fixing her glasses. "That weapon was terrifying. If it hadn't malfunctioned right at that exact moment, my barrier would have failed. We were incredibly lucky."
Naomi kicked the wall in frustration. "He got away. I should have aimed for his legs."
Ken slowly pushed himself off the floor, dusting off his messy blue uniform. He gave them a bright, goofy smile, acting like he had absolutely nothing to do with the miracle that had just saved their lives.
"Well, look on the bright side," Ken said cheerfully. "The crazy scientist left his shiny flashlight behind! And nobody got melted! I consider that a massive win. Now, can we please go beat up Vane? I am seriously craving a cheeseburger, and standing around here is not helping."
Naomi rolled her eyes, but for once, she didn't yell at him. She just let out a tired sigh. "Get up, farm boy. The penthouse is just a few flights up."
The team gathered themselves, stepping over the scorch marks left by the holy energy. They turned their eyes toward the final staircase at the end of the hall. The researcher was gone, but the real target was still waiting for them at the very top.
----
Naomi did not bother looking for a door handle. She just lifted her heavy combat boot, wrapped her leg in a tight swirl of green wind magic, and kicked the heavy double doors as hard as she could.
BANG!
The thick wooden doors of the penthouse exploded inward. They smashed loudly against the walls, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Princess Iris, Sayma, Naomi, and Ken stepped into the room, their weapons drawn and their bodies tense, completely ready for the fight of their lives.
They expected to see a terrifying mastermind sitting on a dark throne. They expected an evil villain surrounded by dark magic, laughing at them.
Instead, what they saw was completely pathetic.
Standing in the center of the dusty, ruined penthouse was Vane. He did not look like a powerful gang boss. He looked like a tired, broken old man. He was in his late fifties, and he was wearing tattered, dirty clothes that looked more like beggar’s rags than a villain's uniform. His messy gray hair was sticking to his sweaty forehead.
But the most surprising thing was his chest. Vane was heavily wrapped in thick, bloody medical bandages across the entire right side of his torso. The thick white bandages were soaked with dark, fresh blood. He was hunched over, clutching his injured chest with one hand, violently coughing up blood onto the concrete floor.
Ken Eliot peeked out from behind Sayma’s shoulder, blinked his sleepy eyes, and let out a loud, confused sigh.
"Wait, hold on a second," Ken complained loudly, completely ruining the serious tension in the room. He pointed a finger at the coughing old man. "Is this the guy? Are we in the right room? Because he doesn't look like a final boss at all. He looks like a homeless guy who really needs a cough drop and a long nap. Did we accidentally break into a hospital ward?"
"Shut up, Ken!" Naomi snapped, keeping her sharp daggers pointed directly at the man. "Do not let his appearance fool you. That is Vane. He is a master of Curse magic."
"He is a master of needing a doctor," Ken mumbled, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "I feel kind of bad fighting him. It feels like we are bullying a sick grandpa. Do you want me to go get him a glass of water?"