by Feng Yue
An illusionary laugh sounded amongst the ripples. It was light like a dream.
Endless snow and hallucinations came through the dream.
291 You Hurt My Hear
Above the endless snowy plain, Malpas transformed into a black eagle and broke through the blizzard. He flew into the sky, angrily chewing the sun. However, the sun hung high in the air like a taunt.
Lola’s gentle voice sang amidst the endless wind and snow. “I see three suns in the sky. I stare at them and they stare back as if they don’t wish to leave me…”
“Come out, b*tch! Come out!” Malpas roared. His feathers stood straight up and godly light shot from his eyes. It broke the hallucination but then he fell into another one.
Endless black crows poured out of thin air, brashly attacking the lone eagle. Black feathers scattered in the wind. They ate hungrily and chewed up the steel-like eagle feathers. It was Die Krähe of Wintereisse—the crow!
Crows brought the sign of death and emerged continuously. Angered, Malpas shot out his feathers, ripping through the flock of crows, shaking them away, and flying high into the sky. But no matter how he flew, he could not escape the d*mn hallucination.
Seemingly familiar scenes appeared before him; he was going in circles but the tide of crows was catching up. He was lost… It was Der Wegweiser of Wintereisse—the signpost!
Next, it was Der greise Kopf, the gray head which eroded determination; and Täuschung, the deception of countless changing illusions. Finally, amidst the hoarse singing of a seemingly-ancient musician, the power brewing in him started fading quickly. It was Der Leiermann, the hurdy-gurdy man that could force one to a lower level!
“You f*cking clown!” Malpas roared in anger. “You maniacs playing with illusions! You dare…you dare!”
The power around him shook. With a limitless explosion of strength, he tore through the hallucinations one after another and fell into another one.
Once all twenty-four movements of Winterreise were cast, it would turn into an endless hellish loop. Last time, Lola had just done it casually and the dark musician was practically dazed. He had assimilated into the illusion and disappeared!
The Blue Moon was born on the night of the full moon. It was the peak of Lola’s strength. All knew that Illusion musicians would definitely die when forced to fight face to face. However, once the enemy fell into an illusion, he would be the one to die.
After days of detailed arranging, she and Ye Qingxuan had left an immense amount of mediums. Once illuminated by the Blue Moon, the hallucination’s power would be at its max.
The Distortion level music theory wrapped around Malpas tightly, forcing him to fly around like a headless fly, unable to escape. Because she had all the Deva’s blood she needed, Lola was able to throw away her worries and put her all in! The terrifying illusion ability inherited from “Moon Chant” was deep in her bones. Lola was able to toy with the big demon after her detailed calculations. It was difficult to maintain for long but she could temporarily trap this godly demon in her illusion.
Between layers of shadows, Lola sneered. She guided the deathly rays of the Blue Moon, blurred the difference between hallucination and reality, and used all her power!
“Are big demons scary?” She chuckled. “I was like that before…”
-
In the Elizabeth Tower, Naberius was at the brink of defeat. His right hand was completely hacked off by the bone saw. He was failing.
Six new wounds opened on his body instantly. He was practically cut apart. Roaring, he tore off the face on the back of his head and hurled it at the Butcher. It flew through the air and stuck onto the Butcher’s damaged armor.
Whistling, it exploded. A giant bloody vortex appeared in thin air. Like the mouth of the abyss, it closed abruptly and chewed.
Crack! Steel cracked apart and the armor shattered. A giant gaping hole opened in the Butcher’s abdomen. Hot blood poured out. This was a fatal hit but the Butcher did not care. He forced his bone saw out—boom! He pierced through Naberius’ chest. The flesh exploded and Naberius could not mend the hole.
The youth passed the Butcher. Moonlight covered his cane and he pierced into the chest. Naberius’ body shook with the explosion that followed. He fell out of his demonic state and returned to his original appearance. He fell to the ground pathetically, four limbs up.
Ye Qingxuan stepped onto his shattered chest, prodding his face with the cane. He said coldly, “Naberius, your side lost.”
In the pool of blood, Naberius was a mess of flesh. He forced his remaining eye open and squinted at the youth, trying to see clearly. When he heard the youth’s words, he could not help but laugh.
His shattered lungs writhed and he spat out fresh blood. In comparison, his laugh was pathetic and mournful, but also mocking. “You still…don’t understand…”
His throat was sliced. One could see his vocal chords shaking as strands of blood flew out. “I’m just a clown to Hyakume, Mr. Holmes. Who would gamble everything on a clown? Did you forget something?”
Bone stuck out of his face but he still managed a smile, mocking both himself and Ye Qingxuan. “The true winner has already reached the top. The Royal Musician Division that you put all your hope on…they’ve probably been massacred.”
Ye Qingxuan blanched but quickly grew furious.
Seeing his anger, Naberius laughed loudly, bloody spittle flying out. “We already have the power in our hands… Ha! Ha! Ha!” Amidst the maniacal laughter, his heart shattered. Blood poured out, melting his body and taking his laughter into the cracks of the tiles.
Ye Qingxuan could not stop the sudden change—this *sshole still had a backup plan! But Ye Qingxuan did not care anymore. He threw down most of his medicine and bandages; he did not even have time to care for the fatally wounded Butcher. His nerves were on fire.
The Butcher waved his hand, motioning for Ye Qingxuan to leave. He tore apart his broken armor and expertly gave himself emergency first aid.
Ye Qingxuan had already sprinted out the door. The entire way, he could only see charred black ruins. The bodies of dark musicians and royal musicians were everywhere. Every room was covered in blood, looking menacing and sad.
No, no, no, no! Gritting his teeth, Ye Qingxuan’s expression darkened. He kicked down door after door, flipping through the bodies.
It’ll be okay if there’s no body. No news is good news. He comforted himself again and again but he could not push down the feeling of anger and failure. Crazed, he kicked aside all obstacles and sped up. God help you, Bench Guy, please be okay!
Boom! Ye Qingxuan kicked down the last door and found…it was a dead end. He had reached the end—the top of the Elizabeth Tower.
In the coldness and gales of the high elevation, cold moonlight illuminated the ghastly blood at the top of the tower. Corpses lay scattered around the sacrificial altar in the center. They had been fighting even to their death. He could find signs of suicide and the dark red stains of evaporated blood. They had…all died.
He was too late.
Ye Qingxuan lost all strength and practically collapsed.
“F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! F*ck!”
Naberius’ maniacal laughter sounded in his mind. Roaring, Ye Qingxuan flipped through the corpses, looking through the unfamiliar faces over and over again.
Finally, he stopped and froze.
“Bench Guy…”
Gavin lay in a pool of blood under two bodies. His chest was dyed red; his steel gray eyes were blank and reflected the moonlight.
Ye Qingxuan touched his neck. He could still feel some warmth. Gavin was still alive!
Overjoyed, Ye Qingxuan almost cheered. He pulled out all his medicine and began injecting them into Gavin’s veins.
“You have to live!” he muttered frantically. Drenched in sweat, he pressed onto Gavin’s chest again and again. He cast electricity with his hands to give the weak heart some strength.
Finally, Gavin’s blank eyes trembled. His body conv
ulsed as he was shocked awake.
“Don’t come over!” As if finally breaking free from a nightmare, he stared at Ye Qingxuan in sheer terror and screamed, “Don’t come over!”
“Bench Guy, it’s okay, it’s me!”
Ye Qingxuan grabbed his hand but then it loosened. The arm fell from Gavin’s sleeves. The blood on the wound was already dry. He gaped; Gavin’s right hand had been broken long ago.
“Ye…zi?” Gavin seemed to finally recognize Ye Qingxuan. Unrestrainable terror appeared in his eyes and he enveloped Ye Qingxuan. “Natural catastrophe! Yezi, you gotta go! It’s the natural catastrophe! It’s here!”
Natural catastrophe? Ye Qingxuan froze but his expressions changed quickly. Then a crisp sound came from his arms.
Snick!
Ye Qingxuan stiffened. Looking down in confusion, he saw the dagger sticking out of his chest. Gavin was holding the handle with his unharmed right hand. The blade had been pushed through all the defenses and flesh. Now, he finally felt the cold pain of his heart being cut apart. It felt unrealistic.
“Bench Guy?” Ye Qingxuan looked up in confusion. “What…are you doing?”
“Yezi, I told you not to come. Why didn’t you listen?” The fear and terror disappeared from Gavin’s face. His gray eyes recovered its coldness as he studied the youth. His voice was gentle and clear, elegant as always as he said, “Mr. Holmes, you hurt my heart.”
Ye Qingxuan flinched. Finally understanding, he chuckled bitterly. “It’s you…” When it dawned on him, he uttered, “Robin.”
292 Friend
“It’s you…Robin.” Ye Qingxuan saw the truth that he had ‘overlooked.’“So it’s you, Gavin.” He had been looking for the Robin for such a long time but he had never thought that the Robin would be hidden so close to him. So close they had become such good friends.
He should have known that no place in Avalon would have a musician so well-versed in Summoning and Modifications other than the School of Royalty. Why did Gavin, from the School of Royalty, only show his attainment in Modifications and never Summoning?
Other than the royal musicians who had Galahad’s help, who else would be able to escape from Moonlight that night in the asylum? This was how it was…
It was so natural yet felt so sudden when he realized the truth. It was so sudden that Ye Qingxuan…wanted to cry.
“When?” the youth asked tiredly, “When did you discover me?”
“The school anniversary day. You used Bolero the first time we met. That was your only flaw.”
“As expected, showing off isn’t a good habit.” Ye Qingxuan laughed at himself. “So you didn’t approach me because you liked me?”
“Yeah.” Gavin nodded and lowered his eyes. “But I was telling the truth when I said I’m jealous of you.”
He let go and Ye Qingxuan collapsed. Blood flowed out soundlessly. Ye Qingxuan looked up at the moonlight from the pool of blood. He just wanted to laugh. Laugh at himself, laugh at his naivety…
“I thought…we were friends.”
“We are but why wouldn’t you listen?” Gavin’s eyes were upset. “I already warned you, didn’t I? We would still be friends if you stayed in the academy, Yezi. As long as you didn’t come, we’d be friends forever.”
“That’s great.” The youth panted weakly. “I didn’t die in the hands of a friend.”
“Yes, how can the Robin and the Vengeful Spirit be friends?” Gavin closed his eyes sadly. When he opened them again, only coldness remained. He yanked the dagger out. Blood poured out onto him. They dyed the steel gray eyes red.
“Farewell, Yezi,” Gavin said quietly as he walked across the youth. “Someone as naïve as you doesn’t suit this dirty world.”
The youth lay in the spreading blood and sank into darkness. However, Gavin—no, Robin—changed into his blood-colored ceremonial robe. He climbed the corpses to reach the highest point.
The crystal eye in his hand caught the moonlight and shone with cold light. The light fell upon the enchantment of Avalon. When it fell on the tip of the Elizabeth Tower, the enormous white tower boomed and shook. Above the sacrificial altar at the tip, a huge hole opened up. The entire tower trembled and whined as if it was about to break apart. Darkness poured from the hole.
The container held down by layers of metal chains lifted, escaping the restrictions. Finally, it emerged from the darkness to see the moonlight. The cold song sounded once again.
“The king and helpers kidnapped the queen, imprisoning her in dreams…” Something was singing softly inside the small metal coffin. It carried centuries of hate and desolate; its voice was gentle yet lonely.
Gavin’s dagger flashed. He brought it down, hacking away the seal covered in metallic paste. The coffin shattered. Clear fluid shook inside the glass beaker within. The moonlight illuminated the charred oddly-shaped infant.
The wounds on its ruined face slowly opened and closed, singing the chilling song. Gavin stared enthusiastically at it. He pressed against the glass, feeling the power within.
“After all these centuries, you’re still alive. What kind of power did Arthur give you?”
As if sensing the living organism close to it, the infant cracked its eyes open. The eyes were empty and cold with the natural arrogance and eeriness of demons.
“Drink and enjoy the fountain of life!”
Gavin cracked the seal open. Cackling, he slit his wrist. Fresh blood flowed into the crack. It diffused and drowned Mordred’s body. All that remained was a faint shadow.
In the blood, the strange shadow began to distort and grow. It absorbed the blood and grew rapidly. After waiting for hundreds of years, it finally came to this cold world.
The lycoris flower fluid bubbled and the cracks of the container extended quickly before finally shattering. The song grew clearer and clearer. It echoed in all directions, making anyone pale. It grew from a weak man’s voice to the roars of countless demons. The song resounded in the darkness, transforming into a majestic ode and the frenzied song of revenge!
“…its key has been inserted in the case. The demon will realize our dreams. The bell has already rung in the cemetery. Did you hear the eerie song? Respond to our calls, the blood debt will be paid… Oh ho, raise the sails, we’ll return home. Pull, the thieves and beggars, we will be immortal in death!”
Be immortal in death.
Under the cold moonlight, the ball of boiling blood suddenly shattered, evaporated, and disappeared. In mid-air, the cold and handsome boy slowly opened his eyes. The orbs seemed to contain endless thunder and fire. One could not meet his eyes.
Within a few snaps of the finger, he had recovered from his burned state. He grew quickly and already looked to be seven or eight years old. His gold hair danced under the cold moonlight. He was ineffably strange and majestic. The rebellious child who had been sealed away for centuries had finally arrived to the world from death!
Mordred looked up slowly. He gazed at the moonlight and smiled with malice. Reaching out, he clenched a fist. Gold light flashed in his hand and countless demonic apparitions appeared!
It was the Chapter of the Golden Victory!
Boom! Waves crashed in the sea of aether! Mournful cracks appeared on the Elizabeth Tower. Its core shattered abruptly. The entire Avalon’s Shadow began to quake violently. The enchantment was collapsing!
The enchantment that had enveloped this golden city for centuries was now like a candle in the wind. It quickly died away in Mordred’s hand. The collapse quickly moved from the shadow to reality.
Everyone felt the ocean’s cry, the earthquake, and the cracks on the Elizabeth Tower. The faint glow enveloping the night sky extinguished rapidly; the aether rippled wildly, signaling the coming of darkness.
Avalon had lost all protection.
However, deep inside Avalon’s Shadow, darkness was quickly dissipating along with the thick and endless fog. The bell rang and echoed through the city of darkness.
At the highest point of the c
ity, the gate chained by layers of darkness and fog suddenly opened! The gate of the palace had opened!
And in the endless darkness deep inside the layers of doors, the throne was burning. A pair of sleeping eyes slowly opened a crack within the flames.
The sleeper was about to awaken.
-
“Yezi?” For a moment, Lola felt a sudden heart palpitation. Deep inside the hallucination, she spun around. The marker she had put on Ye Qingxuan suddenly disappeared—the resonance was over and the heart of sound had dissipated. What had happened?
The angry Blue Moon lit up inside her eyes. She scanned the dark city, seeing layers of corpses and demons dancing within the blood and ruins. And the youth awaiting death at the top of the tower.
“Ye…zi?” She froze. The surrounding moonlight went out of control and flashed. Immense hatred and gloominess appeared in her eyes. Darkness surged and the demonic blood within her roared.
Who did it?
The moonlight burned like the sun. It became tangible outside the hallucination and the blade swept across Avalon’s Shadow. In its path, demons were split apart, their blood absorbed by the moonlight, and transformed into cold dust.
Who did it?!
She screamed and her broken scepter appeared around her. She performed her symphony of predestination again and transformed into a towering shadow. This was the god that the moon spirits worshipped—the physical incarnation of the Blue Moon.
Her scepter was the Dark Side of the Moon!
The insubstantial shadow shook and dissipated. The broken scepter broke once again. A crack appeared across Lola’s face. She spun around and looked inside the hallucination.
Malpas was no longer flying. He had stopped in mid-air, allowing the hallucinations to eat away at him and drag him in. Countless eagle feathers floated above the thousands of black feathers. It all transformed into a black vortex. He was going to…give up!
The moment he felt the Avalonian enchantment end, his restrained power suddenly shot to the peak of the Distortion level. He distorted the hallucination and rays of light as if they were real. However, this guy did not think of turning the tides when he recovered his ability. Instead, he chose to…give up?!