IRM Chapter 20

Ji Chi thought of this and suddenly his eyes flashed coldly. Something was wrong… there was something strange about the subsequent developments.

 

After killing the fallen angel, Ji Chi had been moved for a moment by the fallen angel’s sorrowful eyes, and for this reason he had specifically gone to explore the follow-up to the mission.

 

The follow-up was announced by the Angel Kingdom. The announcement stated that the fallen angel, dissatisfied with his flawed bloodline, wanted to become a pure-blooded angel. He chose to touch forbidden magic, but unfortunately failed. The excessive light elements were twisted into dark elements, causing the entire village to fall into an undead tomb.

 

This explanation, combined with the fallen angel’s apology before death, seemed very reasonable, but Ji Chi’s heart pounded heavily.

 

He had figured out those angels’ plan: there should be a source in Bien Village that was continuously creating dark magic. This source was placed by those angels, with the purpose of forcing Reize to personally absorb it to protect the villagers, while also making him gradually fall into a dark angel, and finally clean up the traces and frame everything on Reize.

 

So, where was this source now? Ji Chi’s pupils contracted as he suddenly looked toward the divine statue with a compassionate expression beside Reize.

Ji Chi stepped past Reize and approached the divine statue step by step.

 

Reize noticed his movement, his eyes flashing coldly, desperately struggling to prop up his body and roaring, “Don’t touch it!”

 

Ji Chi stopped, slightly turning his head. “Why? If I break it, won’t everything be over soon?”

 

Reize’s purple pupils showed a faint red tinge, and he gritted his teeth. “I know! How could I not know!”

 

Despair and madness showed on his face. “I know I can smash it to directly solve that source, I know I can request help from the Church, but…” He turned to look toward the direction outside the church, “The villagers have already been corrupted into lower undead. Once so much dark element escapes, they won’t even have souls left…”

 

“I’ve already harmed them for one lifetime, how could I possibly cut off their hope for the next life!” Reize collapsed and shouted.

 

Ji Chi looked at him calmly. “But do you think those angels will be satisfied with your current state?”

 

Reize raised his head and stared at him viciously. “Why not! I’ve already given up! The villagers are all dead! What more do they want!”

 

Ji Chi felt somewhat reluctant but still sighed. “You’ve persisted for several months, right? Absorbing dark magic while maintaining a barrier – could you really do this without being discovered by anyone just by yourself? Especially without being discovered by the Angel Kingdom above?”

 

“What do you mean?” Reize broke free from his angry emotions. His muddled thinking cleared for a moment, as if realizing something, his pale thin lips trembling slightly.

 

Ji Chi looked up at the high arched dome of the church. “They’ve been watching you all along.”

 

After Ji Chi finished speaking, he looked at Reize again. “They’ve been monitoring, in case any variables occur – like us.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud noise came from outside the church, accompanied by a burst of blinding flash.

 

“Get away!” Reize realized this was the buildup before an angel’s attack. His half-black, half-white wings suddenly spread out, pushing the three of them away while protecting the statue of the God of Light behind him!

 

Boom— 

 

A dazzling white beam burst through the solid wooden door at the front of the church, striking Reize’s wings fiercely amid flying wood chips!

 

Reize was knocked back several steps by the fierce impact, half-kneeling on the ground, a trace of bright red blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. Black and white feathers mixed together, flying around the divine statue.

 

He stared viciously at the breach in the church door, his gaze filled with ultimate hatred.

 

Two four-winged angels in white battle robes held long staffs, magic power flowing from the staff tips, condensing into a complex magic array.

 

They assumed a judgment posture, staff tips pointing directly at Reize kneeling on the ground.

 

These two angels looked extremely similar, appearing to be twins. One held a golden staff, the other a silver staff. Both had deep blue eyes with identical disdain and disgust, gazing at Reize through their spreading feathers.

 

“It’s you…” Reize trembled as he propped up his body, broken laughter escaping from his throat, “So it was you.”

 

The angel holding the silver staff saw Reize’s miserable state, a flash of smugness and satisfaction in his eyes. He raised his chin. “You can only blame yourself for this! Stay quietly in your little village with a mongrel’s fate! Don’t fantasize about things you don’t deserve!”

 

The other angel, who seemed like the older brother, was more composed. He frowned and said, “Stop wasting words, quickly finish him off. He can’t escape this crime.”

 

“What crime? What crime could he commit!” Evan, who had been pushed into the corner, couldn’t help but stand up and angrily question them.

 

The composed angel glanced lightly at Evan, then swept over Ji Chi and Saintess Coralie, and smiled lightly. “Reize fell due to touching forbidden magic and slaughtered the entire village and three unfortunate Magic Academy students who wandered in. Is this crime enough?”

 

As expected, Ji Chi took a deep breath.

 

Evan hadn’t expected anyone to be so shameless. He was furious and shouted, “Shameless! Are you worthy of being angels! Aren’t you afraid the God of Light will punish you!”

 

The two angels looked at each other and were amused by his naivety. A silver staff was raised and aimed at Evan. “Then let us send you to ask the God of Light.”

 

Light chanting began, and a light arrow shot from the staff tip toward Evan!

 

Whoosh— 

 

At the same time, a cold metallic gleam attacked from the direction of the rose window, colliding with the light arrow and exploding in the center of the church!

 

“Stop! What are you doing!” A snow-white magic tiger carrying Kael jumped in through the broken window, standing in the center of the chaotic church and letting out a deafening roar.

 

Following into the church were Locke, his hand still on the bowstring, and Vanessa holding a great sword.

 

They had put away their relaxed and playful attitude from the camp, standing beside Kael with cold, solemn faces, sizing up both sides.

 

Vanessa’s gaze swept over the figures standing in the corner, and she said coldly, “Saintess Coralie, come out and give an explanation.”

 

Except for Ji Chi and Evan, everyone looked at Saintess Coralie in shock, including Kael and Locke from the same Holy Knight Order.

 

Saintess Coralie was silent for a moment, then lowered her head to remove the concealing hood, walking from the corner shadows into the soft light, solemn and magnificent.

 

The twin angels were stunned, then sneered coldly, “Is the Church of the Saint Trilley Empire blind? The Saintess they chose actually conspires with a fallen angel?”

 

Saintess Coralie had been holding back her anger for a long time. She also raised a cold smile and mockingly retorted, “Is the Angel Kingdom about to be destroyed? Two wastes who can’t even compare to a half-blood angel dare to come out and bark?”

 

One sentence pulled the mockery value to its peak. The twin angels suddenly darkened their faces, scanning the Holy Knight Order with sinister gazes, apparently not wanting to entangle anymore. “Today Reize must die without doubt. As for you, blame being implicated by him!”

 

This meant they would kill even the Holy Knight Order!

 

However, the twin angels had that ability. Among these people, the most threatening was Reize, but he was in the midst of semi-fallen torment, at his weakest moment. As for the rest – some junior mages, human knights, etc. – the angels didn’t take them seriously!

 

“Let’s finish this early. We’ve delayed too long.” The composed angel gripped the golden staff with both hands, slowly raising it above his head. He closed his eyes and chanted deeply, his feet gradually floating in the air, with elemental storms gathering around his body.

 

Almost ready, he suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils turning bright gold. The pressure from high-level magic was about to destroy the entire church—

 

“Too late.” Kael suddenly smiled coldly, “Our Holy Knight Order may not have high combat power, but what we’re best at is preparing in advance!”

 

“You two despicable scoundrels! How dare you do such things!” A voice like a great bell came from above in thunderous anger, and the small church turned to ash in an instant.

 

Without the church’s shelter, the group was exposed under the early morning sunlight, and under five angels overlooking the village.

 

It was an angel squad, led by an old angel with a weathered face and golden-white hair. Behind him, six pure white wings slowly flapped – the best proof of powerful strength.

 

When the twins saw those figures in the sky, their faces turned deathly pale. Their previously arrogant and disdainful expressions transformed into deep bewilderment. They hurriedly stopped their attack and lowered their staffs. “No, no, listen to our explanation, the situation is like this…”

 

The old angel glared at the twins with disappointment. “What are you still arguing about! We heard everything! Oh no, wait, thanks to the Holy Knight Order, now the entire Angel Kingdom knows about your good deeds!”

 

Hearing the resentful voice full of anger, Kael wasn’t angry either. He smiled and put away the flashing communication magic array in his hand, winking toward Ji Chi’s direction.

 

Ji Chi slightly curved up the corners of his lips.

 

“Hah, and then?” Reize wasn’t happy about their appearance. He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and struggled to prop up his body, raising his eyes. His gaze full of disgust and hatred stared coldly at the old angel, “So what if you know? How will you deal with them?”

 

The old angel frowned and glanced lightly at Reize. “This matter will be handed over to the Angel Kingdom for judgment. As for you, you’re not truly fallen yet. We’ll handle this village properly and help you return to your original appearance.”

 

“Hahahaha!” Reize heard this and laughed wildly in extreme anger, “You think I don’t know! Hand it over to the Angel Kingdom for judgment? Judge what? Confine them for two years or two months? What exactly are they worth! Not even worth the lives of one hundred and thirty-two people?!”

 

The old angel wasn’t angry at his furious questioning, just quietly looking at him. “This is the best result for everyone. We’ll properly handle the pollution source and pray for the people of Bien Village who suffered. They’ll have a bright afterlife.”

 

This promise of an afterlife instantly silenced Reize. This was what he cared about most and was most unable to achieve. The explosive anger in his chest gradually subsided, transforming into overwhelming sorrow.

 

Reize bent over, clutching his collar and gasping roughly, letting out sorrowful sobs from his chest. “Is this it… is this it? What did they do wrong? Just because I have half angel blood? I… I’m not willing…”

 

The extremely suppressed inquiry made all the humans present clench their fists. Saintess Coralie, not knowing what she was thinking of, slightly turned her head and fiercely wiped the corner of her eyes.

 

“Alright, let’s leave it at that.” The old angel also felt guilty and irritably pinched his brow, waving his hand for the angels behind him to take the twins back.

 

The villagers’ wrongful deaths, Reize’s months of struggle between light and abyss – everything seemed about to settle into dust, with the real culprits ultimately returning to the world. No one was willing to accept this, no one was willing!

 

Ji Chi’s black pupils were as dark and lightless as if soaked in the night. He stared at Reize’s helpless and painful back, as if seeing his former self from the original world.

 

While everyone was immersed in their own thoughts, Ji Chi stepped closer to Reize step by step, leaning down to stare into his eyes, asking in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Are you willing to trust me?”

 

Reize looked up through his sobs. He saw those deep, dark pupils filled with determination and calmness, magically soothing the grief and turmoil in his heart.

 

He was attracted by such determination, like a drowning person finally waiting for the straw to save him, unconsciously murmuring, “I trust you…”

 

Ji Chi slowly curved his eyebrows into a smile, and behind everyone’s sight, handed him a bottle flowing with light. “Drink it, then do what you want to do, even if it costs everything—”

 

“I promise you, everything will get better.”