Neuvillette felt a suffocating pressure in his chest. The creature's plea for death struck him with unimaginable force.
Just then, a loudspeaker crackled to life in the area.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, have you seen it? This is my masterpiece."
"I've been so troubled lately, you see. After all, our esteemed Chief Justice has always favored the Melusine race over humans."
"But the differences between the Melusine race and humans are simply too vast. They can never truly integrate into human society."
"So I kept thinking about what method could finally allow the Melusine race to assimilate into humankind."
"Finally, I've completed my masterpiece."
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I wonder if you're satisfied with it?"
"I bet you're speechless with excitement! From today onward, your beloved Melusines will finally be able to live among humans."
"What a glorious day!"
"My child, go give Monsieur Neuvillette, who loves you so dearly, a loving hug."
"No. 6!"
Neuvillette was utterly enraged. He longed to unleash his fury, to obliterate everything around him. But with so many innocent people nearby, he had to suppress his barely restrained rage.
As the man finished speaking, the stitched-together body began to slowly move toward Neuvillette.
Though her face was contorted with agony and reluctance, she was utterly unable to control her actions.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, please... kill me," she begged through sobs, causing Neuvillette's heart to clench painfully. He closed his eyes in anguish.
Her movements were agonizingly slow, as if she didn't care if the four might seize an opportunity to slip past her and delve deeper into the secret base. Yet their bodies felt impossibly heavy, utterly immobile.
They couldn't do it. They couldn't just abandon her here and leave.
She had calculated this perfectly, deliberately moving at such a glacial pace, as if granting them time to consider. In reality, she was merely savoring the tormented expressions on their faces.
"Kill me, Monsieur Neuvillette. Please... I beg you."
Two streams of tears traced paths down her cheeks. Neuvillette's body shuddered again, then his eyes slowly opened.
Now his gaze had returned to its usual calm—a calm so terrifyingly serene that it chilled the soul.
The three watched Neuvillette, who appeared no different from usual, yet sensed an unpredictable change within him.
"Monsieur Neuvillette..."
Charlotte stepped forward, intending to speak, but Lyney stopped her with a gentle shake of his head. She sighed and retreated.
"Monsieur Neuvillette..."
The person was now very close to Neuvillette, even extending their arms.
Neuvillette simply whispered, "Sleep, child."
In the next instant, a torrent of water pierced through the person's chest. Their movements froze, and they collapsed limply to the ground.
But just as they were about to hit the ground, a mass of water caught them.
A relieved smile spread across the person's face as they whispered, barely audible:
"Thank you, Monsieur... Neuvillette."
"Good night..."
The expression on their face froze completely, and the life force gradually faded from their body.
Clap, clap, clap, clap...
A series of applause erupted from the loudspeaker.
"Bravo, you did it, Neuvillette!"
"Oh my, a fusion of human and Melusine, falling into a deep slumber in the arms of the Chief Justice—what a heartwarming scene!"
"My esteemed Chief Justice, I wonder if you can now treat humans and Melusines equally?"
"Stand back a little," Neuvillette said calmly to Lyney and the others.
Before Charlotte could react, Lynette urgently pulled her backward.
Lyney, his expression grave, pressed down the brim of his hat and followed Lynette, simultaneously launching a fan of playing cards.
The cards arced gracefully through the air, embedding themselves deeply into the tunnel walls. Just as the trio retreated along the path they'd come from, the cards detonated with a thunderous roar.
The tunnel collapsed, blocking the passage between Lyney's group and Neuvillette, creating a reliable shield.
Despite this, Lyney felt no sense of security. He grabbed Lynette and Charlotte and sprinted toward the exit.
"Hey, why are you running away?"
"How boring! Play with me a little longer. I'm not finished yet!"
"Such distinguished guests are rare! I haven't even had a chance to properly entertain you!"
Sensing the others had moved far enough away, Neuvillette ignored the jeers and taunts blaring from the loudspeaker. Leaning on his cane, he strode toward the center of the area, one deliberate step at a time.
Soon, Neuvillette stood roughly at the area's midpoint. He slammed his cane against the ground, the sharp crack echoing through the space.
A deep azure aura enveloped Neuvillette, his hair glowing with particular intensity.
Gradually, his feet lifted off the ground, suspending him in mid-air. An unimaginable pressure radiated outward from his body with astonishing speed.
Neuvillette's eyes, as fathomless as the sea, narrowed as he murmured,
"The tide... I have returned!"
-
The trio, now far from the secret base, sensed something and couldn't help but glance back.
That single glance spurred them to push themselves harder, effortlessly exceeding their limits.
For behind them, countless water pillars pierced through the bedrock, and a brilliant blue curtain descended from the sky. Each ray of light that struck the ground left a bottomless crater in its wake.
Even an Archon's power couldn't match this!
Lyney mentally cursed, dragging Lynette as they fled desperately.
The destruction of the secret base unfolded with remarkable quietude. Had they not looked back, they might never have imagined the apocalyptic scene unfolding behind them.
Once they had fled a safe distance, they collapsed, panting heavily as they stared back at the site of the base.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, followed by a series of thunderous booms. Before their astonished eyes, roughly a thousand square meters of land around the secret base collapsed inward, forming a colossal pit dozens of meters deep.
The three stood speechless, the scene before them utterly defying their psychological understanding.
In the forest, not far from the colossal crater, a blood-soaked fist suddenly smashed through the ground. A figure, utterly wretched, clawed its way out of the earth.
The figure was covered in blood and grime, yet its physique clearly resembled the man who had appeared at their rendezvous point earlier.
Clutching a tree trunk for support, the man pulled himself to his feet. He casually wiped the blood from his hand onto the tree trunk before limping toward a distant river.
Despite his grievous injuries, the man seemed utterly unconcerned, occasionally letting out bursts of manic laughter.
As he approached the river, poised to leap in, he suddenly sensed something. Glancing up, he saw Neuvillette standing calmly on the opposite bank, his cane planted firmly in the ground as he watched him with unnerving composure.
Seeing Neuvillette appear, the man knew he had no chance of escape. He plopped down on the ground, spat a mouthful of clotted blood to the side, and sneered, "Ah, if it isn't the esteemed Chief Justice himself? What a coincidence to run into you here! By the way, did you enjoy the 'hospitality' I prepared earlier? I'd been preparing it meticulously for ages, intending to deliver it to you soon. But you've come here on your own! Hehehe, you must have been too impatient to wait, which is why you're here. It's like fate itself has guided us, Neuvillette! Now you've been elevated to a higher state of being! You'll be my ultimate masterpiece!"
Neuvillette ignored the man's words. He floated across the river, landing lightly before him. With a flick of his wrist, a sphere of water materialized around the man's neck, constricting his throat.
Even as he struggled for breath, the man's face remained twisted in manic fervor. His eyes locked fearlessly with Neuvillette's, as if daring him: Go ahead, do it!
Come, make your move!
"Monsieur Neuvillette!"
Hearing the distant shout, Neuvillette relaxed his grip, allowing the water sphere to engulf the man completely. It bound his movements while slowly healing his injuries, preventing him from dying from excessive blood loss.
"You, and the rest of your organization, will face my final Judgment."
Neuvillette delivered this declaration with the weight of unquestionable authority, then directed the water to carry the man's body as he moved toward the source of the voice.
The man paused for a moment, then erupted into a series of deranged laughter.
"Neuvillette, after all this time, why do you still not understand?"
"I've told you before: everything you do is meaningless."
"I hope you realize this soon."
The man's body suddenly began to dissolve, catching even Neuvillette off guard.
"The game has only just begun, Neuvillette."
"I eagerly await your performance."
"Hahahaha..."
The man dissolved completely into water amidst his laughter. Neuvillette stared blankly at the spot where he had vanished, momentarily stunned.
"Monsieur Neuvillette!"
Having finally located Neuvillette, the trio hurried over. Seeing his dazed expression, Charlotte asked with concern, "Monsieur Neuvillette, are you alright?"
Charlotte's words snapped Neuvillette out of his reverie. He slowly shook his head.
"Don't worry about me. Let's go."
Without waiting for their reaction, Neuvillette strode ahead.
Charlotte paused, then gazed curiously at his retreating figure.
He's just... leaving?
What about the murderer?
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Charlotte immediately hurried after him.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, please wait for me—!"
Lynette watched Charlotte chase after Neuvillette, then turned to look at Lyney. She noticed he was staring intently at something, his expression unusually grave.
Lynette followed Lyney's gaze to the ground, where she noticed a damp patch that looked freshly soaked.
What made it particularly conspicuous was that this was the only wet area, drawing attention to itself.
Realizing the significance, Lynette's expression mirrored Lyney's, growing grave.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the young woman opened her eyes, pushed herself up from the boulder she'd been leaning against, and stood.
"Miss Kelly, have you rested enough?"
The two Court of Justice officials, alerted by her movement, turned around and asked with a hint of relief.
"Yes, thank you both," she replied sincerely. "Your vigilance allowed me to rest properly."
Seeing the color return to her cheeks, the two men waved their hands dismissively.
"Nonsense, Miss Kelly. You risked your life to help us find the true culprit. Our simple guard duty is nothing compared to that."
"Yes, yes, Miss Kelly forced herself to pinpoint the Murderer's location earlier. We should be the ones thanking her."
Hearing their words, the girl smiled sweetly, instantly captivating both men.
When they snapped out of their daze, they blushed and turned away, embarrassed. The girl simply chuckled before asking,
"Did anything unusual happen while I was resting?"
"Nothing stirred nearby, but Monsieur Neuvillette seems to be facing a major crisis. The battle's intensity was so great it felt like an earthquake."
"Indeed, the commotion was tremendous earlier. I'm surprised it didn't wake you, Miss Kelly. You must have been utterly exhausted."
"Yes, I was a little tired earlier," the girl murmured, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.
"I can no longer sense the Murderer's presence. It seems Monsieur Neuvillette and his team have dealt with him. Let's hurry and check the situation—there might be injured individuals who need our care."
Hearing the young woman's words, the two men wore expressions of triumphant relief, as if a long-awaited vengeance had been achieved. Without questioning her further, they quickly gathered their belongings and escorted her protectively toward Neuvillette.
"Miss Kelly, your smile is truly beautiful," one of them blurted out impulsively, glancing sideways at her repeatedly during the journey.
The young woman paused briefly, then smiled warmly as she replied, "Thank you."
That smile left the man utterly mesmerized. Mom, I'm in love!
The other man regretted not saying it first. Eager to bond with the young woman, he quickly added, "Miss Kelly, are you happy because the murderer has been dealt with?"
"No, I was just thinking about something pleasant," she replied with a gentle smile, her voice softening to a whisper...