Chapter 33: Purple Hair, Golden Eyes
Rolof wasn’t weak, and years of fighting demons had honed his combat skills.
Moreover, the Crown Guards under his command were his trusted veterans. Together, they could hold their own against the four beastkin, especially since the beastkin were also dealing with Sugg’s remaining mercenaries.
However, injuries were mounting on both sides, some knights even succumbing to their wounds.
It was only a matter of time before their defenses crumbled.
Diana, seemingly holding back, hadn’t unleashed her full power, even after partially activating her bloodline, and the other beastkin weren’t strong enough to gain a decisive advantage.
Meanwhile, Isabelle, her attention drawn to the little girl, Ara, watched her intently from the shadows.
“Where have I seen her before…? A missing memory? Could she be… connected to the Abyssal Lord?”
A flicker of excitement crossed Isabelle’s face. A being like her wouldn’t forget a face without reason.
And the only memory she had ever lost was the one erased by the Order of the Abyss, the memory of the Abyssal Lord’s appearance.
“If she is the Abyssal Lord… no, that’s too much of a coincidence. But it’s not entirely impossible…”
Isabelle hesitated.
Ara, sensing her gaze, looked towards the shadows, her large eyes filled with confusion.
Why was this strange woman staring at her…? And hiding in the darkness… was she one of the “bad people” Bai had mentioned?
But it was this innocent glance that made Isabelle’s mind up.
“She detected me, hidden within the shadows… even if she’s not the Abyssal Lord, she must be connected to her!”
“Regardless, taking her won’t be a mistake.”
Hidden in the shadows, to avoid detection by the humans and beastkin, Isabelle couldn’t approach directly.
But as the Shadow Demon Commander, with her soul-based powers, she had other ways of making Ara “willingly” follow her.
She met Ara’s gaze, her eyes turning completely black, reflecting Ara’s soul.
Ara’s small face froze, her expression vacant.
“Come with me, little sister…” Isabelle whispered, her voice soft and seductive.
But Ara remained motionless.
“Hmm?” Isabelle frowned. Was this level of control insufficient?
“It seems I have to use my Authority…”
Dark runes spread across her face, and she unleashed her Authority—[Soul Shadow], targeting Ara.
[Soul Shadow] could completely destroy a target’s soul, replacing it with her own shadow, turning them into a puppet.
Of course, she wouldn’t use its full power on Ara. She only needed to enhance her control over her soul.
Ara’s face contorted slightly, as if struggling, then she slowly stood up.
Isabelle nodded with satisfaction, but then a soft sob, chilling and drawn out, echoed through the air.
“Bai…”
What was that?
Isabelle was startled. It was just a whimper, yet it sent shivers down her spine.
She looked towards Ara, but saw only darkness.
No, something was wrong. She looked around frantically, but everything was shrouded in darkness.
“Did… she use her Authority on me?”
“No, there’s no Authority capable of affecting a Calamity Class being without being detected…”
The fighting at the execution ground stopped abruptly, the beastkin, the Crown Guard, and Sugg’s remaining mercenaries all freezing mid-motion.
The sounds of battle vanished, replaced by the soft thud of small feet on the ground.
Isabelle’s soul control worked by amplifying a target’s deepest desires, planting suggestions and commands within their soul, turning them into obedient puppets.
But she had chosen the wrong target. Ara’s soul was different from any she had encountered before.
The backlash was immediate and severe, pulling Isabelle into a silent abyss of despair.
And due to her loss of control, everyone on the battlefield was also affected.
Ara walked slowly towards Isabelle’s hiding place, her purple eyes shifting, turning dark gold.
“Ara… Ara thinks… she sees… Bai…”
“But Bai looks… different… Bai doesn’t recognize Ara…”
“Is she… still Bai…?”
A silver-haired figure released her hand, her receding figure growing smaller, until it vanished completely.
Ara reached out, but couldn’t grasp the small, pale hand.
Isabelle’s power, now unchecked, amplified Ara’s deepest fear, replaying it over and over in her mind, an endless loop of despair.
And Ara’s despair spread, infecting everyone present, amplifying their own fears, dragging them deeper into the abyss.
Several of Sugg’s men, their minds unable to bear the torment, raised their weapons and plunged them into their own hearts, ending their suffering.
Even the strongest among them, Rolof, Diana, Isabelle, struggled against the overwhelming despair, their faces contorted in agony.
If this continued, they would all die.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached, accompanied by a girl’s slightly ragged breathing.
“I’m late, I’m late! It’s all that strange woman’s fault… huh? What’s going on here?”
Bai, arriving late, having been delayed by Nimora, looked at the frozen scene, confused.
She had been less than fifteen minutes late, but the sight that greeted her was chilling.
But her arrival seemed to break the spell. The oppressive atmosphere instantly lifted.
Ara’s eyes regained their focus, and she turned to Bai, her despair turning to joy.
“Bai… it’s really Bai…”
She ran towards Bai, her arms outstretched.
“Bai! Ara missed you so much!”
Bai raised her pulse pistol, aiming it at the ecstatic Ara.
“Purple hair, golden eyes.”
