With a faint golden glint in his eyes, Leon dazedly raised his large-caliber revolver and, to the stunned gazes of the others, pulled the trigger at Ms. Daly's back.
He was hypnotized!
Caesar's body jolted. He rushed forward, thrusting out his hand.
Bang!
The bullet grazed Daly's shoulder and struck the floor, carving out a deep gash. Her fair arm now bore a bloody indentation, and she trembled in pain. Yet she didn't stop her spirit channeling — her eyes remained fixed on Ms. M.
Finally, Daly's ritual succeeded. Countless pitch-black vines emerged from the void, wrapping tightly around Ms. M's body. A yellowish-black liquid dripped from the vines, corrosive and sizzling. Ms. M's body twisted and crumpled, transforming into a paper doll that shattered into countless pieces and scattered across the ground.
She disappeared again!
Flames suddenly ignited at the center of the room, and from within the fire stepped the white-robed Ms. M. She raised her hand like a blade, gathering a terrifying surge of power, and thrust it toward Daly's back.
"Look out!"
Caesar shouted, about to raise his gun — but a pair of strong arms clamped around his throat from behind. He turned and saw Leon, still entranced. His expression was blank, but his strength was monstrous. One hand crushed Caesar's throat, the other wrestled for his gun.
"Get lost!"
Seeing that Daly was about to be impaled through the heart, Edward charged forward. His black staff whistled through the air as he brought it down on Ms. M.
Crack!
Ms. M's arm snapped mid-strike — but instead of retreating, she pivoted and darted into Edward's embrace, pressing her remaining hand against his chest.
She was going to create a Blood and Flesh bomb — inside Edward's body!
Edward glared at her, defiant even as his momentum faltered. Ripples of illusory water shimmered around him — he was trying to drag her into a dream.
But Ms. M only smiled faintly, mocking him. From the void came the crisp sound of shattering glass — the dream collapsed before it could form.
Her hand remained firmly pressed against his chest.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted. A gaping hole tore through Edward's chest, the blast punching straight through him. His face froze in anger and disbelief as his body crumpled. The black Staff of Chaos slipped from his limp hand and clattered to the ground.
"Edward!"
Daly's anguished cry filled the room. Before she could react further, Ms. M's phantom-like figure appeared before her and struck her throat with a light, precise blow.
Crunch!
A chilling sound echoed. Daly clutched her neck and slowly collapsed, her fate uncertain.
And Caesar — he still hadn't broken free from Leon's control!
In horror, he felt the pressure on his neck ease. Looking back, he saw Leon stumbling backward, his face twisted with fear — yet his hands, trembling, raised the revolver and pressed it beneath his own chin.
"Captain! Ms. Daly! Brother!"
"… save me!"
Leon's voice cracked as his finger tightened on the trigger.
Caesar lunged forward to stop him — but before he could move, a pair of soft arms wrapped around him from behind, holding him gently. The arms were smooth and pale, adorned with a blood-red Rose ring. The rose gleamed, vibrant and alive.
He froze — like a mouse caught in the coils of a serpent.
Bang!
The gunshot thundered through the room. Then came the dull thud of a body hitting the floor.
Around Caesar and Ms. M, three figures lay fallen. The Nighthawks of Enmat Harbor — far from holding out for reinforcements — had been wiped out in mere minutes.
Despair — cold, suffocating despair — washed over Caesar.
Is this the true power of a Shepherd?
Ms. M's soft body pressed lightly against his back, her fragrance faint yet suffocating.
"Soul Calming, Spirit Channeling — such marvelous abilities," she whispered beside his ear. "Caesar, which one do you think I should pasture?"
Her warm breath brushed against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine.
At the sound of her voice, Caesar stiffened. Then his eyes widened in shock.
She… she knows me!
"Surprised?"
Ms. M released him, stepped in front, and smiled. "You probably don't realize this, but it was I who arranged for Sirius and Hanass of Tingen to find you and protect you."
Actually… I knew.
Caesar recalled the letter, his heart sinking.
"It's just a pity," she continued softly, "that the lambs of Tingen were later wiped out by the pawns of the false god — and you vanished as well. I thought you were lost forever. But by the Lord's grace, you've returned at this most crucial moment. Truly, it must be the Lord's will."
Her golden eyes gleamed with a strange tenderness as she shook her head. "But I didn't expect you to become a Nighthawk of the Night. How… disappointing."
Caesar's thoughts were in chaos. So it was true — Ms. M had coveted him all along. His escape from Sirius had severed their link, but fate had brought him right back into her hands.
"Why?" he forced out hoarsely. "Why are you so obsessed with me?"
He wanted — needed — to understand.
"Because you carry the aura of the Lord," Ms. M said, her gaze locking on his. "So pure, so intoxicating… it's almost like a reflection of the Lord Himself within a human vessel."
Her eyes glowed with fanaticism. Caesar instinctively stepped back.
Ms. M sighed. "It's such a shame. Your body mirrors the Lord's sanctity — yet your soul is filthy. Still, that won't matter soon."
She snapped her fingers.
Caesar's body froze. Against his will, he began walking beside her — toward the great red-glowing Door.
The closer they came, the stronger the light grew — thick and suffocating, like blood turned to mist. The air vibrated with faint squelches, whispers, and distant, inhuman screams leaking from beyond the Door.
Finally, Ms. M reached out and pushed it open.
A surge of blood-red light engulfed his vision. Everywhere he looked — flesh.
Behind the Door was a warehouse-sized chamber, but instead of goods, it held a grotesque, pulsating mass of flesh. Its surface glistened red and slick like raw muscle, oozing mucus as it writhed. The floor beneath it was etched with a corrupted, twisting sigil. The flesh had spread up the walls, merging with the ceiling.
And within that monstrous mass were people — countless men, women, and children, fused together, their bodies distorted, their faces frozen in pain as they chanted praises to some unseen abomination.
Caesar's scalp prickled. His stomach churned. His potion memories screamed the answer at him.
He clenched his teeth and whispered its name:
"Blood and Flesh Abyss."