As it cracked, it slowly released strands of black sludge that spread within the surging light like a spiderweb across Huai Shi's chest.
So familiar. Is that… Koshchey's Source Substance? Back when I was still a vampire, although I could sense the malice swirling within it, I had never personally experienced its corrupting nature. No matter what, we were all considered kin among Dark Creatures. But after my transformation into an Authority Angel, Koshchey's residual Source Substance revealed its terrifying infectivity. It felt like a nail embedded in my core, constantly causing trouble.
For a moment, Huai Shi even felt a dizzying, feverish sensation.
He struggled to pull the Bone Dagger from his chest. Lifting his hand, he used the red-hot Axe Blade to burn away the sludge flowing over his chest. Unfortunately, the poison within him remained.
Panting, the wing-impaired Authority Angel rose from the ground and stared at the Chimera slowly emerging from the ruins.
"You predicted even this?"
"I told you, Huai Shi," Old Xiao said, opening his mouth to vomit a metal weapon coated with thick gel and copious amounts of stomach acid. "I made many preparations, very, very many… After all, KP has been on my side from the very start, haha, HAHAHAHA!!!"
Amid his triumphant laughter, he reached out and tore the gel from the weapon, revealing an ancient weapon underneath, tinged with verdigris.
It was a curved Sickle Sword.
Faintly visible on the blade's surface was an engraved gold emblem: unmistakably the open Eye of Horus.
The last legacy of that worthless Pharaoh, Old Xiao thought.
"Turning on me so easily," Huai Shi sneered indifferently, once again lifting his heavy silver axe from the ground. "Just because I couldn't carry you to a higher rank, you get all arrogant, my friend?"
Even if I can no longer fly with just one wing, if it's merely about acceleration, I can still manage that!
In an instant, the wooden deck beneath Huai Shi's feet splintered.
Within the flare of the vector thrusters, the last illusion enveloping the cruise ship was shredded, revealing the true form of a battered, mast-and-sail ship riddled with holes.
The last hanging sail was torn apart by the Authority Angel's sudden charge.
The Steel Angel lunged, slashing down!
Sword met axe.
But immediately after, Huai Shi pulled a Short Knife from behind him and thrust it mercilessly into the gaping maw of the Sphinx, spraying Plasma.
The runes of the Eye of Horus on the Sickle Sword shuddered abruptly. The bronze Sickle Sword seemed to lose its solidity in an instant, transforming into a rift in space.
From that rift, amidst endless light and heat, the eagle-headed God cast an indifferent glance upon the mortal realm.
Just one look.
Then, uninterested, it averted its gaze.
Huai Shi felt as if struck by lightning. His vision went dark, and he was barely able to maintain his Authority Angel form.
The counterfeit divine emissary had encountered authentic divine power; it was a miracle he hadn't exploded on the spot.
In Huai Shi's moment of weakness, the Sphinx snapped its jaws wide, shattering the Short Knife in its mouth and lunging for his throat. Instantly, the harsh screech of metal scraping against metal exploded.
Under the closing Teeth, the Authority Angel's Iron Armor cracked. Dim light seeped out like blood. Just as the Sphinx, with its ferocious bites, was about to completely sever his neck, Huai Shi quietly asked, "What is your father's father called?"
The Sphinx froze, seemingly pondering.
No matter how distant the lineage or how feeble its power compared to the original, no Sphinx could resist the lure of a riddle. It was instinct.
In some historical records, many learned Sphinxes even served as wise advisors to the Pharaoh, offering shrewd counsel on matters of state.
Unfortunately for this particular brainless head, even such a simple question required considerable thought. By the time Old Xiao tried to forcibly regain control, it was a beat too late.
The Axe Blade, dangling from Huai Shi's hand, swept behind him in an arc. With a flick of his wrist, it cleaved across the Sphinx's face.
Deep cracks spiderwebbed across its features, and blood gushed.
The Sickle Sword vibrated again, but this time Huai Shi released his axe, clenching his fists. His genuine Iron Fist let out a metallic cry, thundering with his swing.
"Eat my Babylon Iron Fist!"
The silver axe had yet to hit the ground.
A left hook, a Right Hook Punch, an uppercut… After a fluid set of Rome Boxing Technique, augmented by a blast of light from his remaining wing, a Holy Light Iron Fist smashed into Old Xiao's face. A sickening crunch echoed from Old Xiao's neck, hinting at a fractured skull.
Huai Shi had already caught the descending axe. He swept it horizontally, deflecting the delayed flare of light from the Sickle Sword's blade. The Eye of Horus opened, saw nothing, and closed again.
Meanwhile, Huai Shi charged forward, his steps shattering the deck. He slammed his shoulder into the Chimera, pushing it back a step.
The silver axe was lifted, erupting with Holy Light.
Then, it slashed down towards the Sphinx's forehead!