"BOOM!"
Fire and shockwaves instantly filled the entire house.
All the windows shattered under the violent impact, and the blast and airflow mixed together, erupting from the windows and spraying shattered bricks, glass shards, and window frames into the garden outside and onto the street.
Thick smoke filled the interior of the house, which had been completely destroyed by the explosion.
The shockwave and flames engulfed and swept up Silas at close range. He lost consciousness for a period of time.
His clothes were tattered beyond recognition.
His entire body was burned, the bones in his arms and thighs fractured by the impact, and his internal organs jumbled like a mess of paste.
But even as he lay unconscious, the flesh at his wounds had already begun writhing and regenerating.
After about ten seconds, he regained consciousness.
As he came to, Silas couldn't help but convulse violently. Every part of his body was sending pain signals to his chaotic brain.
Every nerve was filled with intense shock, and overwhelming stimulation flowed along his spine into his spiritual world.
"Kah, kah..."
Silas convulsed on the ground, struggling. His vocal cords hadn't recovered yet. He could only make hoarse, muffled cries of pain.
Overdid it!
The pain is killing me!
It hurts so much!
No, I still don't know what happened to Ma'am M. I have to get up quickly...
Thinking this, Silas focused his consciousness on the various wounds, healing them with all his might.
Finally, after spending about ten seconds, he barely managed to heal the most critical injuries.
Then, covered in scorched red skin, he knelt upright. His lungs felt much better now. The explosion seemed to have blown out all the disease toxins from inside the room.
He scanned the room with his remaining eye, then couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh.
"Ha ha..."
The laugh was weak and feeble, yet carried intense hatred and satisfaction.
Because Silas saw that Ma'am M, once so arrogant and the source of countless troubles for him, was now standing on the floor in the center of the room, looking extremely miserable.
Her white robe was already in tatters, her body covered in wounds. Half of her delicate face had been destroyed by the flames, presenting a kind of cruel beauty.
"Silas Londor."
She looked at Silas and murmured. Though her face was severely injured, those golden eyes still gleamed with fierce light.
"Ha ha ha, right here, right here."
Silas had regained some strength. He stood up, leaning against the wall, and said, "You're really tough. Still not dead even like this."
Ma'am M's body had long since reached the brink of collapse, yet after so many of Silas's attacks, she was still barely maintaining bodily integrity.
"Please, give me your body."
She stretched out her hand toward Silas, the rose ring on her finger as red as fresh blood.
"The Lord who created everything..."
The damaged ritual formation beneath them glowed again.
Ma'am M began reciting the True Creator's honorific name in a low voice. Invisible power gathered in the air, and the light in her eyes grew even more dazzling.
"No way!"
Silas shouted. His movement was a bit too vigorous, and he accidentally sat back down on the ground.
His revolver had fallen from its holster during the explosion. He picked it up and pulled the trigger, firing the last bullet at Ma'am M.
"Bang!"
"...The fallen nature of all living beings..."
The bullet pierced through Ma'am M's chest. She paused briefly, then continued reciting the prayer as she walked toward him.
Damn it!
The Clown's time limit had long passed, and he had no idea where it had flown during the impact.
Silas struggled to get up and picked up the silver dagger from the ground.
But then Ma'am M made a gun shape with her fingers, and an air bullet struck his arm, breaking his right hand again. The silver dagger fell to the ground.
He endured the pain, bent down, and used his remaining left hand to pick up the silver dagger.
But by the time he finished this series of movements, Ma'am M was already upon him.
"Praise You, my Lord."
The familiar fragrance mixed with a burnt smell entered Silas's nostrils. Ma'am M said gently, reaching her hand toward him.
"Pfft!"
At that moment, a gleaming blade tip suddenly pierced through her chest from behind.
A figure slowly materialized behind her, black-haired and blue-eyed, face full of anger. It was Cecilia, finally arriving at the scene!
"Whoosh!"
Black flames surged from the blade tip, scorching Ma'am M's body. Her body trembled, but she still didn't stop reciting. With a wave of her arm, she easily sent Cecilia flying.
Cecilia's body crashed into the wall on one side and didn't get up again.
"Cecilia!"
Silas shouted anxiously. Before he finished speaking, he saw Ma'am M approaching.
He rolled on the ground and staggered behind her, grabbing the dagger Cecilia had dropped.
"The Lord's will shall be done on earth, as it is in His kingdom."
He heard Ma'am M reciting somewhat familiar phrases.
Isn't this from that human-skin scripture?
In this critical moment, Silas had no time to think about Ma'am M's purpose in saying these things.
This had nothing to do with the prayer needed for the ritual. He assumed she'd simply gone mad.
Just as he picked up the Beyonder item dagger, Ma'am M had already turned around to face him.
"Die already!"
Silas gritted his teeth and tightly gripped the dagger fused with Demoness characteristics, viciously stabbing it into Ma'am M's abdomen.
An extremely cold aura emanated from his hand. Ma'am M's wound was covered by dark blue ice, cutting off her life force.
"Pfft!"
Blood gushed from Ma'am M's mouth, but she still didn't stop her actions. She gently embraced Silas's neck, looking directly at him with golden eyes.
"The Lord gave us truth and kept the filth for Himself, accomplishing the fallen sacrifice with mercy and grace."
The warm fragrance enveloped him. Even injured to this degree, her body remained soft, its touch inviting imagination.
"Get away!"
For some reason, looking at the completely unresisting Ma'am M, a strong sense of unease suddenly surged in Silas's heart.
He roughly pushed away Ma'am M's arms, making her fall backward onto the floor.
Ma'am M could no longer get up, but her eyes still gazed directly into Silas's, as if trying to deeply imprint her existence into his mind.
The light in her eyes grew ever more brilliant.
"We will truly carry out Your will, anointing our sins with the blood of the Lamb."
Ma'am M's prayer voice kept echoing in Silas's mind, layer upon layer, without rest, making him feel irritated and restless, as if something unknown deep within his consciousness was being changed.
Stop reciting!
Stop reciting!
Your plan has already failed. Your life is about to end. Struggle more uglily for me!
Strong unease surged in Silas's heart.
Like a man gone mad, he straddled Ma'am M's body, gripped the dagger with both hands, and raised it high.
She's just a crazy person with a broken mind. Just finish her off!
"Stop your wailing. Your lord won't hear you."
He roared, stabbing down with all his strength!
"Pfft!"
Black flames ignited on the dagger blade, easily severing Ma'am M's ribs until it pierced through her heart, burning it to nothing.
"May the Lord be with you always."
Ma'am M didn't struggle. Using her last bit of strength, she said gently to Silas.
A few seconds later, the light in her golden eyes gradually extinguished, and she lost all signs of life.
She was dead.
"Huff, huff..."
Silas's hands trembled as they gripped the dagger. He panted continuously, his heart full of lingering absurdity.
Dead just like that?
But why does it feel like everything isn't over yet...
He panted silently, gathering his strength.
After a few seconds, he finally climbed off the corpse and stumbled toward his sister.
"Cecilia!"
He helped his sister up and checked her, confirming she had only temporarily passed out. His heart settled considerably.
"I'm sorry, Silas. I didn't help much..."
The first thing Cecilia said upon waking was an apology.
"Don't talk about that now. Get up quickly. We need to leave here immediately!"
Silas said.
The commotion from the gas explosion was far too loud.
The police would arrive soon, and in a little while, the Nighthawks or other official Beyonders would come too. They had to leave before that!
Next, we need to quickly clean up the scene, then find a hidden escape route...
Silas was thinking about the next course of action when suddenly, as if sensing something, he jerked his head up.
On the street outside the house, several people wearing black coats had already hurried over.
When they saw clearly that the person inside was him, they all looked extremely surprised.
And Dunn Smith, who was leading them, looked at Silas with iron-gray eyes that revealed profound complexity and regret.