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Chapter 391  Amael Vs Ruglis

It won\'t be easy. Not at all.

"Celes… I\'ll handle him. Stay with Randor," I said, my gaze never leaving the figure ahead of us.

"Amael... he\'s dangerous..." Celeste\'s voice trembled with concern as she looked at me, her worry evident in the way her eyes darted between the two of us.

She was right to be concerned. The man before us exuded an unnatural strength, something far beyond the ordinary.

"I know," I replied. "But I can\'t deal with him while Randor is here. Get him out of here, Celeste. And call August. Tell him to evacuate the perimeter around this place. I doubt I\'ll be able to hold back in your capital," I added, clenching my left fist.

The amber emblem on my hand pulsed with energy, and in a flash, Perseus materialized—a magnificent amber sword gleaming with an otherworldly light.

"Lord Ruglis," one of the leader\'s men called out, drawing my attention.

Ruglis? The name was unfamiliar, and yet, it carried an ominous weight. He wasn\'t a figure I had encountered in the Second Game. Perhaps he appeared in the Third, but I hadn\'t played it enough to know for sure.

"Kill the girl and capture Randor. Alive," Ruglis commanded coldly.

"Yes, my lord," the man responded, and the few dozen men behind him surged forward, their intent clear.

"Stay behind me, Uncle!" Celeste positioned herself in front of Randor protectively.

"C-Celeste! You must run! Don\'t worry about me!" Randor pleaded, his voice shaking with fear. The memories of what had happened to her mother weighed heavily on him, and the thought of losing Celeste was unbearable. My earlier words had struck deeper than I had intended.

"Anna."

"Edward?" Annabelle materialized beside me, her presence immediately setting our enemies on edge.

"Hold them off with Celeste," I said.

"As you wish, Edward," Annabelle responded with a calm voice. She raised her hand, and the ground around us began to shift and mold as if alive.

Out of the earth rose several figures, humanoid in shape but devoid of any expression or life. Puppets. Dozens upon dozens of them surrounded Celeste and Randor, forming a protective barrier.

"They\'re just puppets. Destroy them," Ruglis ordered dismissively.

One of his men charged forward, a blur of motion, but one of the puppets intercepted him, conjuring a sword out of thin air and bringing it down in a swift arc.

The man was fast, though. He slashed through the puppet\'s arm and drove his blade deep into its core. For a moment, the puppet stood motionless, and a smirk of triumph crossed the man\'s face.

But then, the puppet erupted in a blinding flash of light, and—

—BOOOOM!

"AGHH!" The man screamed in agony, collapsing to his knees. Blood poured from his eyes, ears, and mouth, his face contorted in sheer horror before he crumbled lifelessly to the ground.

Silence fell over the room.

Ruglis narrowed his eyes, his expression hardening as he took in the scene. He had certainly never witnessed anything like this before.

Annabelle had unintentionally acquired a Legacy from Baphomet when he had attempted to possess her. My intervention had driven Baphomet\'s influence out of Annabelle\'s body, but his power had lingered within her. It was no surprise that the last time I encountered him, he had been completely unhinged.

With a smile, I swung Perseus toward the men whom Celeste had just immobilized. They struggled to break free, but my blade was already in motion. Their bodies shattered into bloody, icy fragments, staining the ground red.

Ruglis chuckled softly before extending his hand. His right arm turned a deep crimson, morphing into a sticky, blade-like appendage.

The moment his twisted smile widened at the sight of his weapon, I stepped forward, closing the distance between us in an instant.

—BAM!

"Agh!" Ruglis grunted as his body was sent hurtling backward at bullet speed, disappearing into the tunnel that led outside.

"Kill him!" One of his men shouted as they lunged toward me with their weapons. But an icy wave surged around me, freezing them all into statues of frost.

"Please, Amael!" Celeste called out.

"There\'s nothing to worry about," I assured her, readying myself to pursue Ruglis.

"I am worried about the city! Don\'t destroy Zestel again!"

"I will do my best..."

Before she could respond, I dashed into the tunnel.

Not like I have much of a choice! How am I supposed to hold back against that freak without leveling Zestel?

As I burst out of the tunnel, my vision dimmed for a split second, just in time to see a red blade slicing toward my eyes.

My amber eyes widened in surprise as I realized I couldn\'t stop in time. Instinctively, I raised my arm, coating it with Ruah.

—BAM!

The impact sent shockwaves through my body as I felt the bones in my arm creak despite the protection of Ruah. My body was flung sideways, crashing through the wall of a nearby house.

"Ugh..." I groaned, finding myself embedded in the wall of a living room. Blood dripped from my mouth as I coughed, trying to regain my bearings.

Monsters really are everywhere these days.

Even though I knew I was strong, it was becoming painfully clear that I wasn\'t strong enough for this world. Countless people out there were as strong, if not stronger than me. That\'s why I was constantly pushing myself, learning new techniques, expanding my capabilities.

"Kyaaa!" A woman\'s scream snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Step back, dear!" A man\'s voice followed.

I looked up to see a couple who had been peacefully watching TV just moments ago. Now, they were standing, horrified, as they stared at the wreckage I had caused.

"Sorry about that," I said, standing up and brushing the dust off my clothes.

—BOOM!

"Give me a break," I muttered, glaring as I parried Ruglis\'s red blade with Perseus.

Ruglis smiled at me, the scars on his face stretching grotesquely as if his wounds were reopening.

"Now I know who you are. Amael Olphean."

"It\'s good that you know the name of the person who\'s going to kill you."

"You can\'t kill me."

"I beg to differ."

Ruglis\'s smirk persisted, but his eyes grew cold as they shifted toward the couple.

"Taking hostages, are we? You really are a true villain," I said, activating Perseus\'s ability. Ruglis\'s arm began to glow amber as the freezing power of Perseus took hold, slowing his attack.

"Raven Art. Blood Rush," I muttered and Ruglis flinched.

As I activated the technique, my face paled, and my senses sharpened to a razor\'s edge.

Is this how vampires feel? I thought, feeling a pang of envy at the heightened awareness.

—BAM!

In a blur of lightning speed, I delivered a powerful punch to Ruglis\'s chin, sending him spiraling into the air.

I knew the effects wouldn\'t last long—I had only recently learned this technique from my Master James Raven—but it was a perfect opportunity to strike.

I glanced at the elderly couple.

"Kyaa!" The woman screamed again.

"Sorry about that, again," I said with a half-smile before igniting myself in purple fire, launching into the air after Ruglis. ***

"..."

From her secluded dimension, Cleenah watched Amael\'s battle against Ruglis with a rare expression of calm on her usually teasing face. The chaotic clash of purple fire and deadly steel played out before her, high above the ground where innocent lives were at stake. Amael was struggling in the air—an arena where he wasn\'t at his best. His inability to sustain long periods in the sky was evident, yet he had no choice but to continue the fight up there, as Celeste had asked him to avoid further destruction below.

Suddenly, a presence materialized behind her, but Cleenah didn\'t shift her focus from Amael.

"How long do you plan to keep this up, Harivel?" A tense silence followed until the sharp sound of a blade slicing through the air shattered the quiet. The blade moved with unreal speed, tearing through the sound barrier and creating an explosion that threatened to ripple outward—only for it to abruptly vanish, as if it had never existed.

"You\'re a nuisance," Cleenah\'s voice turned icy, her calm demeanor slipping into something more menacing.

She finally turned to face the intruder, a humanoid figure glowing with an intense white light.

"I told you not to call me that ever again," she hissed, her green eyes darkening ominously.

"Nihil."