Chapter 97: The Arrival of the Witch

Years of combat experience had honed Jeanne Decker’s instincts. She abandoned her offensive stance, choosing to retreat instead, and as she rapidly created distance, she once again invoked Divine Sanctuary.

With all her might, she summoned a colossal holy shield, large enough to completely obscure her form.

This desperate measure barely saved her life.

The flames in the Killer’s hands erupted with immense power, gushing outwards in all directions from their center, spreading like an engulfing tide.

The four maidens the Killer had previously slain had all, without exception, had their souls extracted and transmuted into infernal currency.

The Corrosive Flames summoned by a “Sorcerer” were abyssal fires, fueled by souls.

If the spellcaster, after summoning the Corrosive Flames, added their self-made infernal currency as fuel, the flames would be vastly amplified. Crucially, the sorcerer, as the master of the flames, would remain immune to their corrosive effects.

Jeanne Decker could only desperately shield herself with the holy barrier. Under the impact of the Corrosive Flames, the shield’s radiance quickly dimmed. Fortunately, while the flame’s assault was fierce and widespread, its duration was remarkably brief.

Two seconds later, just as the holy shield was on the verge of collapsing, the surging tide of Corrosive Flames finally subsided.

However, in that very moment, the Killer, using the flames as cover, surged forward, closing the distance to Jeanne Decker. Their demonic claws blurred into a swift strike, smashing into the still-dimmed holy shield, tearing through it with almost no resistance.

In a moment of desperation, Jeanne Decker could only manage to awkwardly parry, bracing her longsword to block with the flat of its blade.

The force of the demonic claw numbed Jeanne Decker’s wrist. She stumbled back two steps, her stance completely broken.

The Killer seized the advantage, giving their opponent no chance to recover. Their left and right demonic claws attacked ferociously, forcing Jeanne Decker into a frantic defense. As she dodged, the demonic claws relentlessly pressed their assault.

Jeanne Decker found it difficult to regain her footing. Though she barely managed to hold on, her right elbow finally gave out, causing her longsword to fly from her grasp.

“It’s over!” the Killer shrieked, swinging their claws fiercely once more.

This time, Jeanne Decker had no weapon to block with, nor enough time to summon her holy shield. She could only raise her arms, simultaneously using her ability to reinforce the strength of her uniform. The sleeve, now tougher than chainmail, stopped the tearing claws, but it couldn’t dissipate the terrifying force.

Jeanne Decker felt her arm on the verge of breaking. She lost her balance, twisting and then tumbling hard to the ground, rolling several times.

“Hehehehe, the saint who was so prim and proper in the carriage is now rolling on the ground. How does it feel to fall from the heavens into the mud, Saintess?”

The Killer did not pursue further, instead bursting into mocking laughter.

After all, their fundamental purpose in fighting and killing was to revel in such moments.

Jeanne Decker gritted her teeth, enduring the pain as she struggled to her feet, clutching her arm.

Her bones weren’t broken, and once the pain subsided, her left arm should still be usable. However, that last blow seemed to have left a deep gash on her left hand from the claws’ sharp talons, bleeding profusely.

Jeanne Decker covered her left hand with her right, attempting to heal it with holy light, but suddenly, an uncontrollable shiver ran through her.

The mental corrosion of the demonic claws had taken effect, and an indescribable terror instantly surged through her.

The Killer happily sharpened their claws, striding purposefully towards Jeanne Decker.

At this point, the outcome was decided. The Church’s Saintess was destined to die here!

“Jack Cage, you will pay for what you’ve done!” A strangled shout suddenly echoed from the bridgehead.

The shout made the Killer stiffen. They immediately looked up, their gaze sweeping past Jeanne Decker towards the distant bridgehead.

Jack Cage was the Killer’s name, not their true name as a Redlands person, but an alias their mentor had given them during the Tea Party. It was an imperial name, used to impersonate a naturalized Redlands individual. After all, the Tea Party was a clandestine organization, and members occasionally needed one or two false identities.

When they had executed that noble, their enemy, they had introduced themselves as Jack Cage, the Swordsman.

Now, having gained notoriety as the Ripper Killer, they had even considered sending a letter challenging the Inquisition under the moniker “Jack the Ripper” after killing the Church’s Saintess.

But at this moment, only those within the Tea Party knew that name!

They had to be wary. After all, they had killed the various department heads of the Tea Party in the Imperial City, and the Tea Party’s purgers would eventually come for them. They had heard from their mentor that the Tea Party’s leader, the Mad Hatter, was a formidable powerhouse, suggesting the Tea Party would not lack individuals capable of hunting them down.

Jeanne Decker realized someone else had appeared behind her, but she dared not turn around carelessly. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the Killer.

Her body tensed like a bowstring. She wasn’t sure if the person who had appeared behind her was friend or foe.

The Killer saw a lantern’s glow and a figure emerging from the white mist at the bridgehead. The person was rapidly approaching through the fog.

Keeping their gaze fixed on this uninvited guest, the Killer finally managed to make out the approaching figure when they were about a dozen paces away. It was a woman clad in a long robe, her face veiled. Bat-like wings sprouted from her back, and a pair of horns seemed to emerge from her temples.

Alice Liddell, the witch, had arrived just in time.

The moment their eyes met, the Killer froze. They suddenly felt an irresistible charm emanating from her, completely captivating their gaze.

Alice Liddell, having arrived, poured all her strength into casting the Bewitching Demonic Form on the Killer, aiming to halt their actions. The reason she had called out their Tea Party alias was to divert their attention from Jeanne Decker to herself, allowing her to unleash her charm.

Confirming that Jeanne Decker was still alive brought a sigh of relief. She lowered her voice, yelling to Jeanne Decker in a tone entirely different from her usual one: “Hurry, Saintess! Keep your head down, and don’t look into my eyes!”

Only then did Jeanne Decker realize the newcomer was there to help her. She struggled to overcome the fear rising within her, lowered her head as instructed, turned, and fled.

Alice Liddell kept her eyes on the Killer. With the charm taking effect, the Killer was temporarily immobilized.

However, she still dared not approach the Killer to use her “Voodoo Doll” ability, for she knew this charm likely wouldn’t fully restrain them.

And indeed, her prediction proved true. In less than two seconds, the Killer suddenly threw their arms wide, tilted their head back, and let out a frenzied roar.

The demonic black carapace on their body grew further, covering their back, shoulders, and neck. The spikes of the carapace tore their cloak to shreds.

The Eighth-Tier “Executioner’s” madness, a sacrifice of reason, not only deepened their demonization but also served to break free from mental attacks, including the charm Alice Liddell had cast.

Upon realizing they were under a mental assault, the Killer immediately played this trump card.

Now, they felt as if a hand had plunged into their head and violently stirred, tossing their sanity directly into a forgotten corner.

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