Chapter 81: The Fury of a Madman

Shuster offered no rebuttal, entirely disregarding Thirteen’s protests and furious shouts.

He merely stood there, as if his soul had fled, ceaselessly murmuring his sister’s name.

Thirteen let out a soft sigh.

Having only recently ascended to the rank of Executor, her lack of experience made it difficult to keep her emotions in check.

Whether her actions were right or wrong, it was all irrelevant.

Her sole imperative was to execute the tasks assigned by her superiors, much like an automaton.

Nothing more, nothing less.

As for individuals like Shuster, there was no need for extensive explanations.

Even if some hidden circumstances existed, they could never justify his abduction and murder of over two hundred children.

Her form dissolved like a phantom, and in the very next instant, Thirteen materialized before Shuster, her Seven-Heads dagger cleanly thrusting towards his neck.

Yet, Shuster managed to block it with his bare hand.

The keen blade tore through flesh and scraped against bone, but Shuster’s face remained utterly devoid of expression.

“I won’t… forgive you…”

A guttural sob escaped his throat, and his eyes suddenly blazed with a crimson glow.

“I won’t forgive you!”

A sudden, sharp throbbing seized Thirteen’s brain, compelling her to squint her eyes.

This was the first time she had encountered such potent mental magic.

He was, after all, a high-ranking member of the Church; even if not a dedicated combatant, he evidently possessed some inherent abilities.

As a heavy punch hurtled towards her, Thirteen swiftly released Seven-Heads, tightly shut her eyes, and crossed her arms to shield herself from the blow.

Despite her defense, the immense force sent her flying back several meters, where she tumbled once on the ground before regaining her footing.

The patterns on her trench coat suddenly flared to life as Thirteen murmured a few incantations, then cast a purifying white magic upon herself, finally dispelling the unsettling sensation.

Shuster’s body began to swell, his muscles covered in dark red patterns, as though the very flesh within him might explode at any moment.

He gaped, viscous saliva constantly dripping, and his eyes were now utterly devoid of any human emotion.

‘Self-hypnosis, and overdrawing his life force to enhance his physical body—he truly is a madman.’

A hint of revulsion laced Thirteen’s voice.

Not only had Shuster employed mental magic against her, but he had also subjected himself to powerful self-suggestion.

He had now devolved into a monster utterly bereft of reason, incapable of feeling pain or fearing death; even with only a second of life remaining, he would continue to fight.

“Roar!”

A bestial roar, laden with a stench of blood, assailed her as Shuster’s body, swollen to its absolute limit, launched towards Thirteen like a cannonball.

Devoid of any technique, he was now nothing more than raw, unadulterated violence.

Though crude, it proved remarkably effective.

Thirteen braced herself, raising the cuff of her trench coat to parry a devastating horizontal sweep.

The golden patterns on her sleeve instantly erupted with a shield-like radiance, yet the impact still left her arm trembling and numb.

Shaking her reddened arm, she began to calmly assess the unfolding situation.

Shuster’s strength was formidable, and his speed was astonishing, even rivaling her own.

However, he could not sustain this berserk state for much longer.

Nevertheless, the walls of the underground passage had already developed several cracks from the recent impacts.

If the fight dragged on, it would likely collapse before long.

Therefore, she needed to end this as swiftly as possible.

Shuster frantically propelled his body forward, his fists tearing through the air, causing it to wail under the strain.

Stone pillars were ripped asunder, and fragments of rock, mixed with dust, flew wildly, plunging the already dim environment into even greater chaos.

Thirteen’s form never paused, weaving nimbly through the relentless, storm-like onslaught.

While she appeared to move with effortless grace, such high-intensity combat rapidly depleted her stamina.

Inevitably, during another series of evasions, a suddenly falling broken stone beam disrupted her rhythm ever so slightly.

‘Now!’

Although stripped of his sanity, Shuster’s combat instincts were honed to an extreme degree, allowing him to swiftly seize this fleeting chance.

He roared and lunged, his massive shadow instantly engulfing Thirteen.

There was no escape.

Thirteen looked up, watching Shuster’s clasped fists rapidly grow larger in her vision.

The dark red patterns on his skin pulsed like flowing magma, imbued with terrifying energy capable of pulverizing steel.

She could even detect the faint scent of death.

Boom—!

Shuster’s iron fists slammed squarely into the ground.

The deafening roar caused the entire space to shudder, sending dust cascading down from the ceiling.

A massive crater formed at the point of impact, with cracks radiating across the floor and extending up both walls.

“Hah… hah…”

Shuster panted raggedly, his gaze fixed on the crater he had just created.

In such a confined space, Thirteen had nowhere to hide; even in his maddened state, he was keenly aware of this fact.

Yet, something was amiss.

As the dust settled, Thirteen’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

Not only that, but not even a scrap of her clothing or a speck of blood-stained flesh could be found.

“Where… did she go?”

Shuster frantically darted his eyes about, desperately hoping to find some clue, never imagining that Thirteen was lurking in the shadows on the ceiling.

She hadn’t been standing there initially; rather, she was slowly emerging from the shadows themselves.

A glint of cold steel flashed as Thirteen’s small body darted behind Shuster, plunging her dagger into his head.

Shuster let out a pained shriek, attempting to struggle, but Thirteen clearly had no intention of granting him that opportunity.

With a forceful twist, she instantly obliterated his brain tissue.

Shuster, losing his balance, swayed twice before collapsing to the ground with a thud, the crimson glow in his eyes fading.

“Mia, I’m sorry.”

Even in his final moments, he was still murmuring his sister’s name.

Thirteen withdrew her dagger, wiping the blood from her face.

After confirming Shuster’s absolute demise, she extended her hand, and a small flame flickered to life in her palm.

The flame descended upon Shuster’s body, and in moments, it erupted into a roaring blaze.

Soon, his colossal form vanished completely, leaving behind only a pile of black ash on the ground.

Only after completing these grim tasks did she slowly approach Mia’s body.

Mia’s corpse had been somewhat disfigured by the lingering shockwaves of the battle, yet her beautiful, tragic face remained perfectly intact.

Her large, tear-filled eyes were fixed directly upon Thirteen, as if staring intently at her.

As Thirteen gazed into those chaotic, lifeless pupils, her heart suddenly gave a violent lurch.

The next moment, she could no longer contain herself.

Rushing to the wall, she knelt on the ground and wretched violently.

Mr. Sangkes had advised her not to eat lunch, and now, it seemed his words had proven prophetic.

After a prolonged spell of dry heaving, Thirteen finally pushed herself up, steadying herself against the wall.

Striving to compose her expression, she hesitated for a moment before gently lifting Mia’s body.