Chapter 71: A Valkyrie’s Stand

“What… what is this?”

The scene, so bizarre and horrifying, nearly made Liyang retch.

Though a chill snaked through her heart, her actions remained remarkably decisive.

A frigid aura erupted from her, akin to a raging blizzard, instantly condensing the moisture in the air as a swirling white storm enveloped Liyang.

In a flash, frost rapidly snaked across the ground, encasing every tentacle that surged forward like a black tide, sealing them within towering walls of ice.

Ice crystals proliferated at an astonishing rate, dozens of tentacles becoming ensnared within each crystalline pillar. In mere seconds, the narrow alley was utterly choked with ice, forming an impenetrable, towering cage several tens of meters high.

A ragged breath escaped her lips.

Liyang exhaled sharply, a visible cloud of cold air escaping her lips, her face etched with profound weariness.

Having learned from her previous encounters, she had unleashed her full power without hesitation.

The cost, however, was considerable; the strain of overexerting her abilities caused Liyang’s body to tremble visibly.

“I can’t hold this for much longer. We need to go, now!”

Liyang seized Celeste’s wrist, knowing with a chilling certainty that these abominations were far too sinister for them to contend with.

Celeste, however, shook her head, her expression grim. “No, we won’t be able to escape.”

“What are you talking about? Are you actually planning to fight her?” Liyang exclaimed, her voice laced with desperation.

Even if Celeste possessed extraordinary strength, it would be impossible for her to confront such a monstrous entity alone.

Suddenly, the ice pillars began to vibrate violently, sending countless shards of ice raining down.

Liyang felt her chest constrict, each breath becoming a struggle.

She could distinctly feel her magical energy rapidly ebbing away, utterly unable to hold back the twisted onslaught of tentacles any longer.

Liyang’s face contorted into a grimace. While she knew her hold wouldn’t last indefinitely, she had at least anticipated being able to delay them for several minutes.

Yet, to her dismay, she hadn’t even managed to endure for a mere few dozen seconds.

“Unforgivable… truly unforgivable!!”

From behind the ice wall, a shriek of profound fury erupted.

The voice itself was laced with an indescribable blend of madness and virulent hatred.

“You! How dare you commit such an atrocity! You wretched, foul woman!”

“I will kill you! I swear, I will utterly destroy you!!!”

The hysterical roars sent a sharp pang through Liyang’s heart, causing her to grip Celeste’s hand even tighter.

“Hurry! There’s truly no time left!”

Celeste shook her head, releasing Liyang’s hand. She took a decisive step forward, pressing a hand against her chest.

‘As expected, there was no other choice but to resort to that technique…’

“Liyang, I fear she’s coming for you. I’ll hold her off; you must escape, quickly.”

Celeste stated, her face utterly devoid of emotion.

“What are you saying? You’ll genuinely die here!”

Liyang, whose voice was typically soft, was now so frantic she was on the verge of screaming.

“No, I won’t die.”

Despite her clothes being tattered and stained with blood from the battle, and her face marred by fresh wounds, Celeste’s expression remained eerily serene.

Liyang was stunned. She suddenly perceived a strange power, one that seemed to transcend the very fabric of their reality, slowly converging around Celeste.

Celeste’s pupils brightened progressively, as if something within them had ignited, shimmering with a pure, incandescent golden light.

The air itself vibrated in response, giving birth to several wisps of small, golden flames.

These were unequivocally no ordinary flames; the merest overflow of their energy was enough to instantly melt the surrounding ice.

“Celeste, what have you…?”

Liyang gazed, utterly mesmerized, at those eyes now imbued with an aura of both divinity and overwhelming power.

A sudden realization struck her: her friend before her had become utterly unfamiliar, as if… an entirely new persona had manifested within her.

CRACK!

The formidable ice could no longer endure the strain, and cracks spread rapidly across the pillars on both sides, resembling an intricate spiderweb.

The next instant, the ice shattered, crashing to the ground with a resounding roar.

Accompanying the destruction was Carol’s maniacal laughter.

“Hahahaha! All of you, just die!”

The previously restrained tentacles surged forth in a relentless torrent, pouring mercilessly into the space before them.

Just as the two women were on the verge of being utterly consumed, a brilliant golden blaze erupted skyward.

The moment they brushed against that radiant aura, the tentacles began to writhe frantically, emitting a cacophony of piercing hisses, as if instinctively recoiling in terror from such potent power.

“Go, now. Trust me.”

Celeste, shielding Liyang, spoke in a low, firm voice.

Enveloped entirely in golden flames, she wielded a long sword forged of pure fire, a majestic figure who appeared to have descended from the heavens as a true Valkyrie.

Liyang bit her lip, a surge of defiant reluctance burning within her.

First, Yalin had come to her rescue, and now Celeste was doing the same.

It seemed she was utterly useless, condemned to be perpetually protected by others.

Yet, she also understood with painful clarity that in her current state, she would only prove to be a hindrance to Celeste.

“Please, just… be careful.”

Those were the only words she could utter.

The writhing tentacles continuously recoiled, most retreating back into the void, with only a small portion remaining exposed, trembling slightly, as though paralyzed by fear of Celeste.

Carol, however, betrayed no hint of fear. Dragging her scythe, she slowly emerged from the shadows, the blade scraping against the ground with a grating, ear-splitting shriek.

Her demeanor shifted with alarming speed; the maniacal laughter from moments ago vanished without a trace, replaced by a chilling calm, as if she were an entirely different person.

“So that’s it. You’re one of *them*, too… Truly befitting a genius mage, so favored, aren’t we?”

Carol licked her lips, a sinister smile creeping across her face.

“Let me guess, whose power is this now? Heh, no need to even think… it must be that wretched b*tch Azer’s. Just catching a whiff of that stench makes me want to vomit!”

Celeste paid no heed to Carol’s taunts, her cold, golden pupils betraying not the slightest flicker of emotion.

Slowly, she raised her long sword, its flaming tip pointing directly at Carol.

“Though I do not know who you are, I will ensure you pay for this.”

“Haha! Now that’s more like it! Come on, let us fight! Let me feel more pain, more *love*!”

Carol, her excitement palpable, raised her scythe aloft.

In a secluded, rarely-trodden corner, a young couple nestled close, their voices hushed in intimate whispers.

The air thrummed with an undeniable, amorous tension.

“Oh, are we really doing this here?” The woman’s voice was tinged with a shy demureness.

“Heh heh, darling, that’s what makes it exciting!” the man chuckled, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

“You’re awful! You make me so incredibly shy!”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. No one’s watching us here, anyway…”

The man’s hand, far from idle, slipped beneath her clothes. The woman, half-resisting, half-inviting, leaned into him. Just as their lips were about to meet.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion ripped through the alley behind them, as a pillar of fire, choked with billowing smoke and dust, erupted skyward.