Mage Manual
Chapter 425 - 355: The Black Witch and the Black Knight

Chapter 425: Chapter 355: The Black Witch and the Black Knight

Boom!

The entire 58th floor collapsed in an instant, and Igula’s voice on the 57th floor was drowned out by the roaring of steel and rubble.

Although there was chaos above, Ash’s gaze was firmly captured by the pile of debris that was heaving.

Suddenly his sleeve was tugged, and when he looked down, he saw his daughter with a troubled expression, her big eyes blurred with tears.

"Don’t, don’t go," Diya managed to get out a few words, "you can’t win..."

"At this time, all you need to say is ’Thank you, brother Ash,’" Ash reached out to wipe the tear stains from her face, but only smeared her face dirtier, making her look like a little flower cat: "And we can’t run now, if I don’t go, do you?"

A smile appeared on Ash’s lips as he knelt down to gently touch the back of Diya’s head: "Don’t worry, I am the number one on the ’Art Ranking,’ and Hanna hasn’t painted for me yet."

A warm joy quickly swept over Diya’s body, clearing the gloom in her heart and stopping the tears on her face. At the same time, Diya felt an itch all over her body and looked down to find all her wounds healing at an accelerated rate.

Miracle·Favoritism·Joyful Sword.

"And I have a secret weapon."

Secret weapon?

Diya was slightly startled, about to ask more, but she felt a hot warmth on her cheeks. Her gaze was deeply captured by the tenderness in Ash’s eyes, and her soul seemed to melt into those eyes, dazing her for a moment.

They had seen that kind of gaze.

In Banjee’s eyes.

In the Sword Maiden’s eyes.

But they had never thought that someone would look at them like that.

For a moment, not just Diya, but the White Empress, the Black Butler, and even the Red Death Cultists who harbored a death wish couldn’t help but feel jealous of the youngest sister.

What they didn’t see was that when Ash turned and walked towards the pile of rubble, the burning passion in his eyes had turned into his strength.

Miracle·Favoritism·Love Sword.

After strengthening himself, Ash did not feel the sensation of ’power surging up.’ He just felt a firmer grip on his sword, quicker steps, and fewer distractions in his mind. He felt as if he was back in his senior high school days, with only one firm goal in his heart—

Winning, and then surviving with Liss and Igula!

Miracle·Sword Painting!

Miracle·Angry Sword!

The moment the Secret Guard burst out of the rubble, Ash attacked with three swords, like a dark red meteor charging at the Black Knight!

Clang!

A transparent Miracle barrier blocked all the blades’ charge, the dark red meteor stopping a yard away, as the Black Knight leisurely took out the Gospel Book and gave Ash a calm glance.

At that moment, Diya suddenly realized.

Ash’s secret weapon, could it be...

...

Hiding under the table in the safety triangle zone, managing to survive the collapsing building, Igula used all his strength to open the Resonance Chamber, attempting to let his voice penetrate the layers of rubble:

"Ash, don’t count on the demonic windcoat! The Secret Guard can resist healing suggestions with Gospel Points!"

...

Evil demon windcoat, twisted mask.

Ash was simply like something that had walked straight out of the number one work on the "Art List", his figure wholly imprinted in the pupils of the Secret Guard.

The dark red paint of the windcoat spread into a Blood Sea, the collapsing corridor twisted into the intestines of a Monster, and the lights refracted into a colorful decay before everything utterly collapsed and fell downwards.

In a daze, the Secret Guard found itself standing on a beach by the sea.

Before its eyes, rose a murky tsunami dozens of feet high. A huge Floating Boat, woven from fingernails, charged through the wind and waves. Ash stood at the bow, sounding the horn—the skies heard it and thunder serpents surged forward, the earth heard it and moaned tremblingly, the black sea followed in a Festivity of high song, and the whole world plunged into unstoppable destruction!

"This is the evil demon windcoat’s mind detection..." The Secret Guard was very calm in its heart, "My Spirit Faction also has a Golden Level, but I didn’t expect Ash Heath’s Spirit Faction to be even higher than mine, to the point of pulling me into this Illusion Realm."

"But this is as far as it goes."

A black and silver Gospel Book appeared in front of the Secret Guard, its hand raised lightly to pat the cover.

Ding-ding-ding...

As the pleasant sounds of the Gospel descended, the cloud-covered sky gradually cleared for miles, sunlight shone down, blue as the sea; the trembling, breaking earth now became stable and still, warmed by spring, the trees lush and shaded.

The sounds of the horn were gradually replaced by the sacred sounds of the Gospel; the tsunami smoothed down, the black sea purified. Even Ash’s Phantom kneeled in confession, dissolving and seeking redemption in the solemn and sacred Gospel.

The Secret Guard was not surprised by this; it was the Empress Yisu’s walker, a Favored of the All-Knowing Weaver. Under the great Gospel’s protection, no being in the world could counter it.

All sin would be dissolved by the Gospel, all hurt would be negated by the Gospel.

Because, at this very moment, it represented the will of the Gospel... Hm?

The Secret Guard realized that it had not escaped this Illusion Realm.

And although Ash’s Phantom had already shattered, the Floating Boat he had boarded still lingered on the sea.

Aboard the Floating Boat was another slender figure.

As the Floating Boat gradually approached the beach, the Secret Guard increasingly struggled to maintain its calm and indifferent demeanor, its armor even beginning to tremble. By the time the Floating Boat ran aground on the beach, the Secret Guard had even forgotten its oath of secrecy, tremblingly speaking:

"Her Majesty?"

However, it quickly shook its head and hastily stepped back, "No, you’re not Her Majesty. Who are you?"

"Of course, I’m not that old witch."

The Black Witch stepped off the Floating Boat, her bare feet on the soft sand, "As for who I am, can’t you guess? Weren’t you looking for me?"

The Secret Guard gripped the Gospel Book tightly, as if it would make its words more persuasive, "But you can’t be Princess Lissdia. The Armored Saint ceremony isn’t over, she wouldn’t... I understand now, you are one of the Technique Spirits of the Enchanting Princess!"

"Enchanting Princess... heh..."

The Black Witch laughed, "Did the old witch tell you that, or are you just trying to deceive yourself? Forget it, let’s not talk about that unlucky old woman. But I’ve laid my cards on the table, yet you still don’t want to take off your helmet? —"

"—My dear aunt."

The Secret Guard subconsciously touched its face.

That Black Knight helmet, which had concealed its looks since adulthood, that mask which had not been removed for decades, was now nowhere to be seen. When the sunlight directly hit the face, when the wind brushed against the skin, it felt so unfamiliar.

When you’ve been hidden within a suit of armor for over a decade, you only feel like the sunlight is the sun licking with its tongue, the wind is the demon in the air caressing.

Black Witch, Black Knight, they were different in age, identity, and relation, yet they shared exactly the same features.

"No wonder the old witch made you all wear helmets."

The Black Witch looked at the Secret Guard’s face, identical to her own, her tone tinged with both mockery and pity, "Seeing a bunch of people who look exactly like oneself must be truly disgusting."