That mysterious, unpredictable ability to “force” a Blood Pillar to self-destruct had appeared again!
And this time, the “suspect” capable of doing such a thing was obvious—it was Yize, who had been fighting two Blood Pillars alone on the city wall!
Sarah felt as if all her lingering doubts, guesses, and fragmented clues were being ignited and linked together by this massive blood-red explosion!
The unfathomable mana capacity and casting speed, the physical reactions that even a Sword Saint found “wrong,” and now this method of “forcing” a self-destruction that was identical to before…
Every sign pointed to one answer: the junior student who was brought back by Headmaster Kleya six years ago, whose Elemental Affinity was pitifully low, and who always tried to hide behind everyone looking like he needed protection—Yize.
He was the mysterious Black Shadow who had saved them back then and crushed Horn with absolute power!
Even though she had been about seventy or eighty percent certain in her heart, having the truth “confirmed” in such a shocking way still left Sarah feeling dizzy.
How many secrets was that junior, whom she once thought had mediocre talent and needed care, actually hiding? How did he obtain such terrifying power? What had he gone through over these years?
After the shock, an indescribable wave of complex emotions welled up within her—there was joy and pride that her junior was so strong, a faint resentment that he had kept the truth from her, but more than anything, a sense of relief followed by an even stronger surge of worry!
She turned her head sharply, her urgent gaze scanning past the chaotic battlefield toward the city wall.
The dust had settled. She saw the three Blood Race figures gathered together, seemingly talking. She saw the marks of battle on the wall. But… Yize was not there!
‘Where is Yize?’
Sarah’s heart instantly leaped into her throat as a sense of panic seized her.
Ignoring the danger, she channeled her vision to its limit and even spread out her temporarily boosted mental perception, searching frantically on the wall, nearby, and in every corner of the battlefield… but she found nothing!
The junior who had just displayed world-shaking power and dealt with two Blood Pillars had vanished into thin air?
Dio’s heart was likewise churning with massive waves. He stared fixedly at the energy remnants in the sky that had yet to fully dissipate, then at the empty wall. The shock on his face refused to fade.
‘Number Two… the second Blood Pillar who harvested the lives of countless experts like a nightmare in my previous life… and who ultimately gave me my death… is he really dead?’
‘Killed by Yize?’
The impact of this realization far exceeded any talent Yize had shown before.
Dio had trained bitterly for six years, armed with the memories and experience of a past life.
He had thought he was ahead of everyone, that he had the power to change destiny. Yet, facing Horn, he still had to struggle, and he had been helpless once the enemy used Blood Awakening.
However, this junior, Yize—someone who shouldn’t have even existed in his memory—had achieved something Dio had failed to do across two lifetimes.
He had personally slain one of his sworn enemies from his past life!
An indescribable bitterness and complex emotion rose in Dio’s heart. Was it relief that such a great enemy was gone? Was it a slight sense of loss regarding the results of his own training? Or was it a deep-seated wariness and curiosity about Yize’s bottomless strength?
Perhaps it was all of the above.
Luke, however, didn’t think that much. Covered in dust, he grinned widely at the pale Emma and the worried Swan. “See that? Senior Emma, Swan! Didn’t I say my Senior Ize is invincible under the heavens?”
“Some Blood Pillar? They can’t even take a hit from my Senior Ize!”
His laughter seemed somewhat out of place on the oppressive battlefield, yet it was filled with a blind, unshakeable trust in Yize.
Swan and Emma felt their tense hearts relax slightly upon hearing this.
Especially Swan. Within her mind, Iguneel muttered in surprise, ‘Tsk, this kid… he’s better at hiding than I thought! He actually managed to take out that annoying Blood Race member… Wait, where did he go?’
Swan finally reacted, quickly looking around. Like Sarah, she couldn’t find any sign of Yize. The heart she had just let down was pulled tight once more.
Sarah, Dio, Emma, and Swan—their gazes met in the air, each seeing the suspicion and unease in the others’ eyes.
Laura had also returned to the front of the human line. She stood holding her sword, her aura still steady, but the shock in her azure eyes had not faded.
Her intuition had been right! The secrets hidden within that young man named Yize exceeded her imagination!
One had to understand that the Number Three she had been fighting was a magical beast at the Demon King Seed level. Although she was confident she could deal with Number Three, it would certainly have been a grueling battle.
Yize not only had the mysterious movement techniques to dodge her sword, but he also possessed the power to kill Number Two in a direct confrontation. How on earth did he do it?
Just as the human camp was filled with uncertainty, searching everywhere for Yize, the three Blood Pillars on the wall finished their conversation.
Number Three, Chise, and the propped-up Bart transformed into three streaks of blood-red light. They returned to the very front of the battlefield, facing the human experts who were standing ready.
Number Three’s gaze slowly swept over Sarah, Dio, and Laura. That cynical yet icy smile returned to his face.
He raised his hand and clapped a few times, his voice carrying clearly across the battlefield. “Impressive, truly impressive. I didn’t expect that such an… interesting figure could be born among you humans. Not only did he deal with a fool like Bart, but even our Number Two fell at his hands.”
As soon as he said this, it was like throwing a massive boulder into an already churning lake!
“What?! Senior Yize… he dealt with Number Two? The second-ranked Blood Pillar?!” Emma covered her mouth, her eyes rounding into circles.
Though Sarah and Dio had already guessed as much, hearing the enemy admit it still caused a massive upheaval in their hearts.
Especially for Dio; having the death of Number Two confirmed erased the last bit of doubt, causing his evaluation of Yize to skyrocket.
Luke even pumped his fist excitedly, as if he were the one who had won.
Li En’s face, however, turned incredibly ugly, as if he had swallowed a fly.
‘Ize again!’
‘It’s always him!’
‘Why does he always get to show off and steal everyone’s attention? He even… dealt with such a powerful Blood Pillar?’
Jealousy flooded his reason.
Laura’s eyes remained sharp as she stared at Number Three, her vigilance increasing.
Number Three took in everyone’s reactions, the corner of his mouth curling into a sneer. “However… your ‘Hero’s’ methods don’t seem particularly honorable.”
“Poisoning? Sneak attacks? Heh, as expected of the habitual tricks of a weak race.”
Upon hearing this, Li En’s heart suddenly felt a wave of relief!
‘So that’s it! He used cowardly methods!’
‘How could Yize have won in a fair fight? He must have used some scheme or trick!’
Thinking this, his jealousy and sense of loss lightened significantly. He even felt a delusional thought: ‘If it were me, and I used my Dragonification for a sneak attack, I could do the same.’
However, Luke immediately barked back, his voice full of disdain, “Bullshit! What sneak attack? In a fight, you use everything you’ve got! My Senior won because of his wisdom and strength—that’s his talent! If you want to blame someone, blame that Number Two of yours for being stupid and careless! He got what he deserved!”
Number Three raised an eyebrow. He didn’t get angry at Luke’s words; instead, he nodded. “There is some truth to that. The winner takes all, and the methods aren’t important. That’s why I praised him as ‘impressive,’ wasn’t it?”
His attitude was impossible to read.
Then, his tone shifted as a meaningful smile appeared on his face. His gaze swept over Sarah and the others who were anxiously searching for Yize.
“But… are you all looking for that black-haired kid right now?”
He paused deliberately, enjoying the immediate tension in the human ranks. Then, he spoke slowly in a tone like he was announcing a verdict.
“There’s no need to search anymore.”
“If I had to guess…”
“He is likely already dead.”
“And even if he luckily survived, falling into the hands of the ‘Chief’ will only lead to a fate… worse than death.”