Ghost Exorciser: Is Loved By All
Chapter 617: Stab

Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Stab

Bruno stepped forward, his voice booming with authority.

"Celestial Master Huo, stand down! You’re under arrest for the illegal use of dark magic and attempted murder!"

Celestial Master Huo’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a snarl.

"You think you can stop me?" she spat, her hands weaving a series of complex gestures as she prepared another attack.

"Fools! You have no idea who you’re dealing with!"

Aunt Mila’s heart pounded as she stood frozen, caught between her allegiance to the celestial master and her fear of Bruno and her colleagues.

If Celestial Master Huo didn’t stop, the situation would spiral out of control—and Mila would be dragged down with her.

Desperate, Aunt Mila stepped forward, raising her hands in a placating gesture.

"Bruno, wait! Please, don’t do this! We can resolve this without violence."

Bruno’s sharp gaze pinned her in place. "You’ve already chosen your side, Mila. Don’t make this worse for yourself."

Before Mila could respond, Celestial Master Huo unleashed another wave of energy, this time targeting the entire team.

The force collided with their shields, sending sparks flying and shaking the room.

The agents retaliated, their weapons firing bursts of concentrated energy that lit up the chamber like a storm of lightning.

Amid the chaos, Vivian screamed, clinging to Qiao Jun’s limp body.

Aunt Mila’s eyes darted to her daughter, then to Yu Holea, who remained unconscious in the secondary circle.

Her carefully laid plans were crumbling before her eyes, and for the first time, she felt truly powerless.

"Master Huo, stop!" Aunt Mila shouted, her voice cracking with desperation.

"You don’t understand—these people—"

"I understand perfectly," the celestial master interrupted, her voice dripping with disdain. "They’re nuisances. And nuisances must be eliminated."

"You’re wasting time, Mila," she hissed. "Choose now: your son, or these people. Fight them, hold them back, and I will finish the ritual. The boy will live, and the rest will be irrelevant."

Aunt Mila’s heart clenched as her gaze shifted from Bruno and the advancing special forces to her daughter, who was sobbing beside Qiao Jun’s unconscious form.

The room spun, each second weighing heavier than the last.

Bruno stepped forward, his voice firm but tinged with sadness.

"Mila, don’t do this. Think about what you’re sacrificing. Is your son worth this madness? Worth all the lives you’re destroying, including your own?"

Tears welled in Aunt Mila’s eyes as she turned to face her superior. Her voice cracked with raw emotion.

"He’s my son, Bruno. My only son. Everything I’ve done—everything—has been for him. And yes, he’s worth it. He’s worth everything."

As she spoke, her hand trembled as it reached into her coat.

She pulled out a small, nondescript square of cardboard, the edges fraying slightly with age.

At first glance, it seemed insignificant—until Bruno’s eyes widened in shock.

His face paled, and his expression darkened with understanding

"Mila..." he began, his voice low and warning. "You wouldn’t. You can’t mean—"

She held the cardboard tighter, her knuckles white, as she gave him a bitter smile.

"I have no choice, Bruno. You know that. I swore to my master I’d never use this, not lightly. But for my son, I’ll break that vow."

The special forces behind Bruno exchanged confused glances. One of the agents murmured,

"What’s so special about a piece of cardboard?"

But Bruno silenced them with a raised hand, his gaze locked on Mila.

"That’s not just any cardboard," he said grimly.

"It’s his shield. Your dead master’s final creation, isn’t it? A defensive artifact unlike any other. Once activated, it can block every attack for 20 minutes—no exceptions."

Mila’s smile faltered, and her voice softened with nostalgia.

"He gave it to me on his deathbed. Told me it was my gift for my loyalty, my dedication. And now I’ll use it—to protect the one person I love more than anything else."

Bruno’s voice broke slightly as he took a step forward.

"Mila, please. Don’t do this. Your son wouldn’t want you to destroy everything for him."

She hesitated, her eyes glazing over as memories flooded her mind. Her master’s kind smile.

The trust he’d placed in her.

Her son’s laughter, his smile, the light in his eyes before he was taken from her.

"I’m sorry," she whispered.

With a deep breath, Mila closed her eyes and injected her energy into the cardboard.

It glowed faintly at first, then erupted with golden light, expanding into a shimmering, translucent barrier around her, Celestial Master Huo, Yu Holea, her daughter, and Qiao Jun.

She moved it in such a manner that Celestial master Huo could touch Yu Holea and Vivian could touch Qiao Jun.

The special forces braced themselves, but Bruno clenched his fists in frustration.

He knew the shield’s capabilities—no weapon, no spell, no force could breach it for the next 20 minutes.

"We can’t break the shield," one of them muttered.

Bruno’s eyes hardened as he watched the ritual unfold.

"Then we wait. The moment that shield drops, we end this."

Mila turned to Celestial Master Huo, her voice steady now, resolute.

"You have your time. Finish the ritual."

Celestial Master Huo grinned, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Good choice," she said, her tone mocking.

She raised her arms and resumed the chant, her voice echoing through the chamber like a storm.

The symbols on the floor reignited, and the energy in the room surged to new heights.

Meanwhile, Vivian, trembling with anticipation and desperation, moved closer to Qiao Jun.

Her hands fumbled as she tugged at his clothes, her obsession driving her forward.

"It’s time," she murmured, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We’ll finally be together."

Aunt Mila turned her head away, her expression hardening as she blocked out her daughter’s actions, focusing on holding the line.

Celestial Master Huo’s chanting reached a fever pitch.

From beneath her robes, she withdrew a ceremonial dagger, its blade blackened as if it had been forged in shadow itself.

She approached Yu Holea, who remained unconscious in the secondary circle, her chest rising and falling faintly.

Bruno shouted from beyond the shield, his voice desperate.

"Mila, stop this madness! You know what will happen if you go through with this!"

Mila closed her eyes, tears streaking her face.

"I’m sorry," she whispered again, more to herself than anyone else.

Celestial Master Huo loomed over Yu Holea, the dagger glinting ominously in the candlelight.

"Your life ends now," she intoned, her voice resonating with power.

With a swift motion, she drove the blade into Yu Holea’s heart.

The chamber was deathly silent for a moment, the tension so thick it felt as though the air itself had turned solid.

Celestial Master Huo’s triumphant smirk faltered as she stared at the motionless body of "Yu Holea" beneath her.

No blood pooled on the floor, and no energy surged from the supposed sacrifice.

Instead, the "body" began to shimmer unnaturally, its surface undulating like liquid glass.

Celestial Master Huo’s expression twisted in confusion and anger as she pressed a hand to the gelatinous substance.

"This... isn’t her," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. Her sharp eyes scanned the "body," probing for an explanation.

"This is a decoy. Some kind of construct."

Aunt Mila’s heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. "What?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"That’s impossible. I saw her—"

Before she could finish, Vivian’s frantic voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Mother!" Vivian cried, her hands trembling as she pointed at Qiao Jun’s limp body. "Is... is he even real? Look at him!"

Aunt Mila turned, her blood running cold as she took in her daughter’s horrified expression.

Vivian’s hands were hovering over Qiao Jun’s exposed body, her fingers trembling as if she was afraid to touch him again.

"His skin..." Vivian stammered, her voice cracking. "It’s wrong. It’s soft, like—like jelly. And he... he doesn’t even have a...private area" Her voice trailed off, her face contorting with a mix of rage and despair.

"Mother! What is this? Is he even human?"

Vivian’s words hit Aunt Mila like a hammer, shattering the fragile confidence she had clung to.

"What are you saying?" Mila’s voice cracked, her eyes darting between Vivian and Qiao Jun’s inert form.

"Of course he’s real! I... I made sure—"

But before Mila could finish, Bruno’s cold, disappointed voice cut in from outside the shimmering barrier.

"No, Mila. He isn’t real. None of this is. You’ve been deceived."

Mila froze, her heart pounding as she turned to face him, her mind racing to comprehend his words.

"What... what do you mean, deceived?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bruno’s face was a mask of grim resolve as he met her gaze.

"I warned you, Mila. I begged you to stop before it was too late. But now, not even I can protect you from the consequences of your choices."

Before she could demand answers, a voice—a familiar, mocking voice—echoed through the chamber.

"Did you enjoy my little surprise, Mother?"

The words were calm, laced with cruel amusement.

Aunt Mila’s breath hitched as she spun around to face the door.