Chapter 16
…
Her reddened eyes from anger turned black fully, as Melyra activated the secret art of the Raven Clan…
(Art of Nirvana: Call of the Decay)
Black Feathers Circulation Method clearly said that the practitioners could control the feathers around them to attack or distract the enemies while fighting using their weapons.
But the truth was, not every one of the Raven Clan members had that much mastery, even if they had a genuine connection to the blood lineage of the Raven Clan like her.
There were twenty feathers they had to control and divide their mind, while at the battle, they also needed to be focused enough on the fight itself.
Only those who were exceptionally talented could do so in battle without ending up being distracted and carelessly killed.
Unfortunately, Melyra wasn't talented at all.
She could even be called below mediocre.
And she had already accepted that fact from long time ago when she was still a child, taken by the Head Clan from the life of beggars in the street.
All she had was a will and hard work, which eventually paid off, as she became a reserve member of the best squad in the Raven Clan.
And this technique was one of the results of her painstaking effort.
All the black feathers around her started to leak out black mist, and so did her daggers.
Her movement was getting even faster by the second.
Her strike felt heavier to her opponent.
The white robed man suddenly found it more and more difficult to actually deflect her attacks, even though he had the upper hand just moments before.
Clang, clang, clang―
Their blades clashed in a series of dazzling sparks and glints of dancing steel.
On the other hand, Kyren and Veyra who saw the fight felt extremely dizzy, as they couldn't follow their movement at all, due to the two fighter was at the Realm of Foundation.
They were so fast, all they perceived was blurry shapes, movement from the air currents, shadows, and flashes of light.
Eventually, a slash from Melyra managed to injure her opponent.
Soon, the wound was gradually infested by rot.
Not only did it cause excruciating pain for the white robed man, but it was also unbearably itchy, like something was currently wiggling inside his flesh.
Another of his concerns that made it worse was how the black mist surrounding Melyra made him feel lightheaded and difficult to breathe.
Just a little whiff, it immediately made him feel sick and slowly decrease his strength.
Slash―
Now, there were two more on his shoulder and the side of his stomach that were injured by Melyra's attacks.
A moment later, he made a fatal mistake that surely wouldn't be missed by Melyra.
While he lost his balance from the relentless onslaught, Melyra moved and reversed her grip.
A hand whipped fast, as her dagger drawing an arc of silvery light, ready to stab the opponent in his heart.
Clang―
Suddenly, another white robed man materialized beside the two of them, intercepting Melyra's deadly strike just before it could land and successfully killing the man.
However, instead of retreating, Melyra showed her grin upon seeing him.
"Finally, you are here…"
Abruptly, all of the black feathers around her glinted. The soft vane of the feathers sharpened, morphing into a real blade.
They moved simultaneously.
The end of the sharp edges faces toward her enemies, and it flew fast like bullets toward the direction she controlled them too.
"Die…"
Clang―
But all of the feathers stopped by a light barrier.
Meanwhile, Melyra was blown away by an unknown force.
She spat blood mid-air, as her attack was deflected back to herself.
Melyra and Chriselda, who saw what had blocked the former earlier attacks, opened their eyes wide, as the two knew and were familiar with what that art actually was.
Chriselda shivered in the spot. Cold sweat trickling down her back.
"Is this… my fault?!!" Chriselda muttered under her breath, eyes desperately turned left and right in search of the last enemy.
This was a dire situation for them, as that art was known as the Light Reflection Shield. And it was something used only by the people from the Church of Light.
Clap, clap, clap―
A middle-aged man quietly materialized, clapping his hands, with the edge of his lips lifted to form a warmhearted smile.
He looked at Melyra, nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"Truly a marvelous fight. As expected from the Hidden Blade of the Raven Squad. You almost killed my two precious underlings. You make me want to tear you to pieces…"
His voice was soft and comforting. His expression was that of a kind grandpa.
Yet, what he said was sinister and chilling in its own way.
He relaxedly sat on the log, just before the already prepared campfire.
The day had almost closed its period, but even then, the light reflected in their eyes was enough to know and recognize who the man was.
He wears a white robe with thin golden piping along the edges.
A modest golden pendant is worn around the neck, with his index finger sporting a golden ring.
That person clearly was one hundred percent Deacon Adhavan.
The one who tested the Aptitude and Talent of all the kids in the House of Valentine, including Kyren himself.
On the other hand, the two white robed men also revealed themselves as the Acolytes that day.
It was Acolyte Johan and Acolyte Francis.
'Wha… even I'm not expecting this…' Kyren thought to himself, genuinely shocked.
When he was still 6 months old, he had a good feeling toward this man.
The way he gently patted his head and how he showed his concern toward his mother, afraid that Chriselda would treat her son horribly after the examination, made him rather touched.
Though he actually had a little bit of suspicion and doubt about this man, especially with how he was the one his mother frequently kept exchanging messages about, as Chriselda wanted to get a chance to meet a Priest from the Church of Light.
Nevertheless, who knows that little bit of intuition turning out to be the right one.
"Why???"
The puzzled Chriselda couldn't help but utter that brief question toward him.
"Why? Of course, it's because it's my job to make sure there will be no birth of another Kyren Hril Raven any longer."
Just from that answer alone, Chriselda gained enough conclusion to glimpse upon the real problem at hand.
As it means, the weird, unusual talent from Kyren, who had 1 Star Aptitude, but still could advance himself that fast, had successfully roused the wariness of these people.
'It's my fault. I'm the one who told him about it…'
Chriselda agonizingly blamed herself.
She drew a dagger from her waist.
Leaving the kids, she walked to face him and was ready with a stance.
"So, you are a demon?"
"Took you long enough, Madam…" Deacon Adhavan raised his eyebrows in amusement.
Chriselda gritted her teeth, then shouted toward Melyra, who was holding her broken arm, while a dangling glass bottle was bitten by her teeth.
It was a healing potion.
"Melyra, leave with the kids. Go now!!?"
"What? No miss, you can't fight…"
"Don't worry. I have a last resort to stall them long enough. Go!!!"
She cut her off. Determination glinted in her eyes.
Promptly realizing what she meant by that last resort, Melyra teared up as she shouted back in defiance.
"No!!? Never!!? You'll die if you use that miss!!?"
"It's now or never. Go!!? Do you want us all to die together here???"
Chriselda hurled back the reply.
Her throat moved up and down, muscles tightened, ready to use whatever means necessary to keep her son alive.
Even if it means giving up her life.
Deacon Adhavan…