Chapter 110: We Meet Again, Weapon
“You almost succeeded…”
A low voice echoed in Bai’s ear. She leaped back, her gaze fixed on the source of the voice.
…The captain’s corpse, which they had just been lamenting, was now standing, its limbs contorted at an unnatural angle, yet somehow balanced.
It had been this corpse that had shut off the device, and now, it was speaking, its voice a garbled, guttural sound.
“Hehehe…”
A cruel, grotesque smile stretched across the corpse’s face, its voice becoming clearer. “We meet again, little girl…”
“Azakana…”
Bai stared at the corpse, recognizing him instantly.
But the scene before her defied her understanding of Heart Demons.
Normally, a Heart Demon needed to attach itself to a living soul. But this captain was dead, his soul gone. And Azakana’s Authority wasn’t like Isabelle’s. How could he control a corpse?
“Strange, isn’t it?” the corpse’s eyes rolled in their sockets as Azakana familiarized himself with the new body, its movements stiff and mechanical. “The power bestowed upon me by the Abyssal Lord… it has truly elevated my own Authority…”
“The Abyssal Lord again?”
Bai had heard her name mentioned many times recently, especially from Isabelle.
But this was the first time she had encountered someone who claimed to have received power from her.
And Azakana’s Authority was indeed stronger now, even allowing him to control a soulless body.
But…
Bai glanced at Lin Yan, who was also looking at her. A silent understanding passed between them.
—They had to strike now, before Azakana fully accustomed himself to his new body, and reactivate the detector!
Without another word, they acted.
“Back!” Bai hissed, pulling Ara back.
Lin Yan charged forward, her two-handed sword held high, swinging it with all her might.
At the same time, she activated the Authority of [Time Stop]!
Although she had only recently inherited it, and her control was still rudimentary, it was enough to freeze Azakana for a moment, leaving him defenseless.
From his appearance to their coordinated attack, only a few seconds had passed, a swift, decisive move.
“Hehehehe…” A low, raspy laugh, like a broken windpipe, escaped the corpse’s throat. Azakana’s gaze was fixed on the retreating Bai, a mocking look in his eyes.
Lin Yan’s [Time Stop] had frozen the corpse, but not his consciousness.
And a Heart Demon’s true strength lay in his mind, not his physical body.
Lin Yan’s sword, halfway through its swing, suddenly stopped, as if hitting an invisible barrier.
And in that brief moment, Azakana broke free from the time stop, his body contorting unnaturally, narrowly avoiding her renewed attack.
As her sword missed, a deafening shot echoed, and a blinding flash of light pierced through Azakana’s heart.
“Damn, I missed…” Bai muttered, handing the pulse pistol back to Ara, then drawing her dagger and charging forward.
Lin Yan, with a grunt, redirected her attack, her greatsword swinging back around, a second attack following close behind.
“A suffocating offensive rhythm. A truly impressive display of teamwork,” Azakana commented, even as their enemy, he had to admire their timing and coordination.
“But if this is all you have, it’s not enough.”
The wound in his heart meant nothing. Even if Bai had blown his head off, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Azakana’s consciousness resided in the Demonic Runes, and he only needed the body’s limbs and torso to fight.
Unless they dismembered him, his combat effectiveness wouldn’t be affected.
Under the combined pressure of their attack, Azakana finally gained full control of the corpse, and with a swift movement, he dodged their pincer attack.
“That’s enough,” he said, raising a hand. As they were recovering from their attack, he unleashed his own: a psychic blast, a mental tremor.
Like an invisible hammer, it struck their minds, a deafening roar echoing in their ears, their thoughts momentarily blank.
Ara was also affected, her consciousness wavering, and the Authority storm she had been suppressing erupted, a whirlwind of power in the small underground chamber.
This was something Azakana hadn’t anticipated. He quickly created a psychic shield, protecting himself and the detector from the storm.
He needed the detector intact. If it was destroyed, the main system might automatically activate, a far more troublesome outcome.
Bai and Lin Yan, however, were caught in the blast, unprotected, and were severely injured.
Bai, with her Vampire bloodline, recovered quickly, but Lin Yan was in a bad state, struggling to even stand.
Ara’s powers were immense, but as had been said before, all powers came with a price.
Her mind was fragile, her control over her powers tenuous.
And when her consciousness faltered, the Authority storm she wielded became an indiscriminate force of destruction.
“Bai, Bai… are you hurt?”
Ara, recovering, didn’t realize she was the cause of the chaos. Seeing the blood trickling from Bai’s lips, her consciousness threatened to spiral out of control again.
“I’m fine,” Bai said, waving her hand, not blaming Ara, her gaze fixed on Azakana, her mind racing, trying to find a way out of this situation.
Just then, Azakana’s gaze shifted from Bai to Ara.
“Well, well, if it isn’t you… we meet again, Weapon.”
