Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
—
For some reason, Mu Bai had not hesitated to perform the autopsy on Blue Bat, even though she was only one of Salan’s nine disciples in the Black Vatican.
But now, after learning Blue Bat was actually a spy of the Enforcement Union, his hands were trembling as he was removing Blue Bat’s eye.
His heart was full of respect and guilt when he recalled her sacrificial act, just like a bee.
Mo Fan had the same feeling.
Why did he not realize Blue Bat’s true identity earlier? Even if she did a great job disguising herself so she could infiltrate deeper into the Black Vatican, he could still have guessed her true identity from the things she had done!…
“It’s indeed a Chaos Element crystal orb. It must contain some important information!” Zhu Meng was struggling to control his voice.
“I’ll take a look at what’s inside,” Mu Bai said, turning to leave the room.
“I’ll go with you,” Zhu Meng followed Mu Bai.
—
Mo Fan did not go with them.
He looked at the operating table in front of him. The table was normally used by the school to dissect Hillmen, yet a woman whom Mo Fan had complicated feelings for was now lying on it.
The crystal orb had to contain some important information. Mo Fan was sure of it.
Yet Mo Fan still had an urge to take a closer look at Blue Bat.
Mo Fan was ashamed that he did not even know her true name. Both Blue Bat and Bee String were only codenames.
Mo Fan sat beside Blue Bat’s corpse and mumbled, “I know it’s no use telling you I’m sorry now, but I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done, and thank you for trusting me.”
He clearly remembered the first time he had seen Blue Bat. He was disguising himself as a dying Blue Deacon in order to infiltrate the Cold Prince’s faction.
The condors were pecking at his face back then.
Perhaps she was long aware of his real identity, and decided to trust him when she saw his determination to take down the Black Vatican.
“I know there are traitors among the high-rank people in the Enforcement Union. Don’t you worry, I’ll find them!”
“The sting you’ve left on the enemy’s body… We’ll find it too!”
Mo Fan did not believe in God, since he only wished to become a devil after the things he had been through, a devil that would send every scum in the Black Vatican to Hell!
It was the first time that Mo Fan wished he was a god, if only to have the ability to send the soul of a departed to Heaven.
He might be able to send the bad guys to Hell. However, he was unable to guide someone whom he respected and was impressed by to Heaven.
Mo Fan stayed behind to talk to Blue Bat, hoping that she would receive his peace, even though it was a little too late. He hoped she could relieve herself from the burdens in this world. She no longer had to drift between the Black Vatican and the Enforcement Union by herself.
At the same time, Blue Bat’s death also proved how ridiculous the Black Vatican’s goal of brainwashing people with their beliefs was.
If someone was determined enough, they would remain pure until the very end!
Blue Bat had even become one of Salan’s disciples, yet her heart was never tainted. Her determination to crush the Black Vatican had never swayed in the slightest!
It was Mo Fan’s first time being so impressed by a woman. He swore he would never let her sacrifice and efforts be in vain!
——
The clouds were slowly gathering toward the center of the sky, like a painter putting colors on their work.
A huge waterway called the Scorched River served as a clear boundary line across the vast land. On one side were wilted old trees, dusty roads, and little factories filled with trash.
On the other side were green rainforests with railways and highways weaving through them, leading straight to Banlo City.
The clouds were growing thicker. A man who looked like a tramp stood on the shore overlooking the strong current in the river. He was staring at the flowery world on the other side.
A huge hole appeared in the clouds above him.
The clouds had shrouded the sky above the entire Scorched River. The clear white sky had turned gray.
The gray clouds and haze had driven away the sunlight. Even the river turned dark and cloudy, as if a truck had poured a tank of oil into it.
The hole was now right above the man’s head. The oval hole was the only gap between the sky and the ground, as if a pair of eyes was watching whatever was going to happen soon.
Today was the day of the open tournament in the Americas being held by the Aorus Sacred Institute!
———
The tournament was taking place in Banlo City. The bustling city was a little gloomy and icy because of the sudden change in the weather.
People had gathered outside the arena to enjoy the spectacular magic duels. In addition to people from all over the Andes Federation, people from other cities and countries had come too.
A public Magic Tournament with participants above the Advanced Level. Its scale was almost comparable to the World Cup!
People were rushing into Banlo City excitedly, yet not only did Banlo City fail to welcome these visitors warmly, they were greeted by terrible weather.
Strong winds were blowing in the city, sweeping dust and trash into the air. Many trees and billboards were shaking vigorously.
An empty can hit a sedan that was parked by the road and triggered its alarm. The owner came rushing out yelling angrily, as he thought someone was trying to steal his car.
Meanwhile, a group of high-school students from Brazil was heading for the arena in an orderly fashion under their teacher’s lead.
They were one of the schools invited by the Aorus Sacred Institute as spectators. The strong winds kept blowing up the girls’ skirts. The boys kept turning their heads around in laughter while the girls tried to hold their skirts with their legs while walking on the street.
Someone stuck their head out of a newspaper stand by the road and remarked, “It’s about to rain. I bet it’s coming from the Pacific Ocean. I can’t believe it had made its way through the Andes Mountains.”
“It’ll be troublesome if it rains. People will be looking for shelter while the vehicles keep honking as they make their way to the venue in the middle of a traffic jam.”
——
Cloudy raindrops started falling densely across the sky.
When the first wave of raindrops fell, the sky looked like a kaleidoscope, followed by the rapid taps on the ground, like the sizzling of something being deep-fried.
The smell of moisture spread and lingered in the air.
—
In the arena…
Mo Fan, Zhao Manyan, and Mu Bai were leading the nine students who were representing their faction onto the stage. Boleyn, wearing a grand dress, was first in the line with a smile. She was waving a Chinese flag, too.
The heavy rain was knocking on the awnings with reinforced glass like arrows.
The crowd was overwhelmed with excitement. After all, they were watching a public Magic Tournament live, something that recording devices could not capture effectively.
Watching a Magic Tournament on the television or the Internet was no different from watching a bunch of idiots in a sci-fi film without special effects.
Mo Fan had a stern look on his face. He could feel his soul shivering in the rain.
He had the same feeling twice in the past. Every raindrop was equal to a human life!
