Although she found it hard to believe, Liv did not lose her fighting spirit like she did in Casablanca. Countless life-and-death trials allowed her to regain her reason almost instantly, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
Her ankle joint made cracking sounds, but Liv did not struggle blindly. Her opponent was stronger than her, and since he had seized this opening, he would not let go easily. However, this might also be an opportunity to break the deadlock. While Grant was holding her, his previously well-guarded body was now wide open, with vital points exposed before Liv.
The red cloak behind Liv suddenly extended like a snake. With a bang, it tightly wrapped around the arm Grant used to grab her ankle. Meanwhile, the broad blade of the Death Scythe silently became covered in a blood-red glow. In the darkness, a blood-colored afterimage flashed, like a crimson moon hanging upside down, gently moving to kiss Grant’s neck.
At the same time, a layer of intense golden light also appeared all over Grant’s body, rapidly gathering on his free right fist. He threw a fierce uppercut towards Liv, and in an instant, the two reached a situation where both would be severely injured.
“We won!” A joyful light bloomed on Liv’s face, and she looked down at the tall man beneath her with a hint of mockery in her eyes. “I’m not fighting alone!”
Whoosh! Just as Grant threw his right punch, a nimble black shadow suddenly emerged from under his armpit. It instantly coiled several times around his shoulder and arm, like a bandage wrapping a wound, completely enveloping his right shoulder and right arm together.
The sharp curved hooks at the edge of the “bandage” deeply embedded into his muscles, preventing him from moving it forward any further. Another Fairy Tale Maiden, Black Queen Mira, stood not far behind Grant, firmly holding onto the black Blade Whip in her hands.
“Roar…” As if sensing the life-and-death crisis, a vein bulged on Grant’s forehead. He exerted force with his left arm gripping Liv’s ankle and violently swung Little Red Riding Hood towards the ground. His right arm, bound by the Blade Whip, had muscles knotting and bulging high; the entire arm instantly thickened by half, forcibly pulling Mira off balance. She stumbled and fell towards him.
Thud! Liv’s back slammed hard onto the ground. She couldn’t help but taste sweetness in her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. However, her grip on the scythe remained firm, and the downward slash of the Death Scythe did not deviate in the slightest. Amid the splattering blood, the curved blade hacked into Grant’s neck, nearly cutting halfway through the Joker’s thick neck.
Seeing this, Mira’s eyes flashed. She no longer resisted Grant’s pull and, tapping the ground lightly with her toes, leaped into the air above the Joker’s body. A cold glint shone from the edge of the thick scabbard, which transformed into a thick-backed, short straight knife. She viciously chopped down at the huge wound on his neck.
“Die!” A trace of distortion finally appeared on Liv’s beautiful face, filled with a liberating pleasure. But her smile soon froze on her face. Her pupils rapidly dilated, and she stared in horror and desperation at behind Mira, screaming frantically.
“Watch out!”
“Watch out? Watch out for what?” Before Liv’s voice could reach Mira’s ears, she had already subconsciously read the lip movement from her companion’s mouth.
Whoosh! From the gradually thickening fog behind Mira, a black shadow rapidly grew in size. A figure over two meters tall suddenly burst out of the dense mist. Its violent aura, like that of an ancient giant beast, swept away the nearby fog like a typhoon.
“What is this?” The creature suddenly appearing from the fog gave the fallen Liv an eerie feeling of both strangeness and familiarity. Suddenly, she felt as if her thoughts had been interrupted for a moment.
This creature, over two meters tall, had a fit physique. Its body showed a translucent azure hue, with mysterious emerald green patterns mixed inside. Although its face was human-like, its right eye pupil was a familiar silver-white clock dial, while the left eye displayed a Yin-Yang Fish Pattern, intertwined in blue and green.
Most bizarrely, a pair of curved horns grew on its head, inlaid with spiral vine patterns. Between the two horns, a cluster of fiercely burning azure ice flames was held aloft.
“A… a demon?!”
Among the older generation of Fairy Tale Maidens, each had their own distinct personality, and Mira was the most intelligent. Although unaware of the situation behind her, she cleverly looked at Liv’s maximally dilated pupils and saw the image of the enemy reflected within.
Perhaps because she didn’t face the visual impact directly, Mira’s reaction at the critical moment was surprisingly swift. Her slender waist twisted in the air; the straight knife originally aimed at Grant drew an arc, slashing towards the demon behind her. Simultaneously, the tailcoat of the black tuxedo vest made from evil spirit material on her body suddenly lengthened, shielding in front of her like a leather shield.
However, Mira immediately felt a tightness on her right side. Her body twisted involuntarily in the opposite direction, not only wasting her effort but also causing her to lose her balance.
“Damn it!” With just a glance from the corner of her eye at the Blade Whip in her right hand, Black Queen remembered that this weapon was still connected to another enemy.
“Too late for that, isn’t it?” Grant, covered in blood, tilted his half-severed neck and showed a ferocious smile. “You two foolish women, even you have coordination. Did you really think I was fighting alone?”
Rip! The tailcoat of the vest Mira held in front of her chest made a sound like tearing cloth. The Iceflame Demon before her held a black-and-red pair of scissors, almost effortlessly tearing through the protection of the leather vest.
Thud! At the same time, a fist the size of a monk’s bowl squarely impacted her abdomen.
Worse still, Mira felt an icy-cold chill invade her body from the point of impact, causing her whole body to go numb. A patch of frost formed on her abdomen and spread rapidly across her body.
However, Mira’s ordeal was just beginning. Grant, beneath her, raised his golden-glowing fist, changing it into a claw. With a cruel laugh, he grabbed towards her back. Five fingers, like five sharp daggers, deeply plunged into Black Queen’s spine, down to the knuckles.
Gush! Mira’s pupils instantly dilated. Her face turned as white as snow, and blood gushed out from her mouth like a fountain. She trembled slightly all over, going limp and powerless, hanging from Grant’s hand like a rabbit in an eagle’s talons.
“Mira…” Liv let out a shrill scream and jumped up from the ground.
However, Little Red Riding Hood still had her reason. With a few leaps, she quickly put distance between herself and the enemies, glaring at Qin Lun and the other with reddened eyes. The red cloak tangled around Grant’s left arm was also released by her initiative. In the current situation, it was clearly unsuitable to continue grappling with the enemies.
“Are you alright?” Qin Lun glanced at Grant and asked softly.
He had already deactivated his Demon Transformation. The transformation consumed too much; since the sneak attack had succeeded, there was no need to maintain that state. Although they had captured Mira and achieved the intended goal, his face remained expressionless.
“I need some time to recover!” Grant glanced at the thick fog behind Qin Lun and said gravely, “Let’s go!”
The dazzlingly fast series of fights between them had taken only a moment. Not far away, Lieutenant Luke, who had been fighting Mira, suddenly felt like he had become a mere spectator. Earlier, after dispelling one of Mira’s afterimages, he realized the enemy had already disengaged from their fight and was joining Liv to attack Grant together.
By the time he was about to intervene, Grant was already severely wounded. Just as he thought the situation had deteriorated beyond repair, Qin Lun suddenly charged into the battle circle in the formidable form of the Iceflame Demon. With seamless coordination with Grant, they captured Black Queen Mira alive.
“Hmm.” Qin Lun nodded lightly and vanished into the thick fog again. Grant turned his head and gave Liv a ferocious grin. He lifted the barely breathing Mira in his hand as if showing off, then turned and followed Qin Lun with Luke close behind.
Liv gritted her teeth, producing an irritating grating sound. She raised her Death Scythe and chased into the fog without hesitation, though she also wore a red goggle for reconnaissance.
“Roar…” Just as the fight on their side concluded, an angry roar also came from the center of the thick fog. Clearly, White Giant Leo, who had been tricked by Qin Lun, had finally noticed something was wrong.
“Sorry, Gerthard, I’m here now!” A swirl of sand descended from the sky and coalesced into Madame Monica beside Qin Lun.
“Are you hurt?” Looking at the pale-faced Queen of Sandstorm, Qin Lun frowned slightly.
“I just expended some vitality. I ran into a task force of priests from The Church earlier!” Monica shook her head calmly.
Superhumans like the Queen of Sandstorm were not unkillable. Just as Apostles like Qin Lun and Grant had Law Bodies with Health Points and Stamina Points, natural-element Superhumans also followed the principle of energy conservation.
When they used their Superpowers, they also consumed energy within their bodies. Lacking specific counter-items or objects didn’t matter much; with enough persistent effort, natural-element Superhumans could also be killed.
“You seem to have pursuers behind you. Do you need me to cover the rear?” Monica glanced back and asked with a slight frown.
Qin Lun’s eyes flashed. He looked at Monica’s somewhat pale face and said, somewhat hesitantly, “Then… alright. Be careful. No need to engage for too long, about ten minutes is enough.”
Monica was slightly taken aback, then a smile appeared on her face. She turned into sand and rose into the sky, sweeping towards the White Giant and Little Red Riding Hood behind them.
“It’s rare to see you hesitate. Do you really not plan to bring her into Star Void?” Grant’s bantering, sarcastic voice came through the Team Channel. “Actually, she’d be quite suitable as our companion.”
Superhumans like the Queen of Sandstorm lived long enough to be accustomed to the deceit and intrigues of human society; their sense of good and evil was faint. However, because they often lived in seclusion, their emotions grew lonely, and once they developed feelings, they would commit deeply and were not easily prone to betrayal, making them suitable as members for a Murderer Team.
“With her bloodline, the Star Void evaluation would be at least Second Order peak. My Soul Life Limit isn’t high enough; it’s impossible this time.” Qin Lun fell silent for a moment before finally responding. “Let’s not talk about this. How is your injury? Are you ready for the final preparations?”