Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Executed on the Spot
The fiery beams of light refracted from the flames swept across the ground, instantly reducing the earth to ash, leaving behind only a scorched area. Nicholas William and the others couldn't help but gasp at the sight.
If those flames had hit them, they would have had no way to defend themselves!
Even more terrifying was that the flame orb, growing larger by the second, was accumulating an increasingly fearsome amount of power.
Dean Bruce also noticed the transformation, but rather than interrupt the magic being cast, he controlled his clone to activate Blood for Blood.
At the same time, Thousand Mountains Fortress and Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain were cast, causing his clone's physical strength to increase significantly.
"Interesting!"
Phyllis DeLange remarked with a hint of amusement, "Most people try to disrupt my spell when they encounter something like this, but little do they know that doing so would trigger an even stronger trap! You're the first to dare let me finish casting my magic."
"But no matter what you choose, your fate is sealed. You're walking a dead-end path!"
"Roar!"
As her chilling words faded, the green flame orb transformed into a massive tiger, its body engulfed in flames. The beast roared into the sky before charging at Dean Bruce's clone with ferocious speed.
Meanwhile, Dean Bruce's real body had stealthily approached the courtyard, observing the surroundings and assessing the area.
Clop, clop, clop—
Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves echoed in the air. Dean Bruce immediately sensed something was off. He leaped onto the wall, scanning for the source of the noise, but saw no visible signs of any riders.
[This isn't right... There's no sign of anything, yet I can clearly hear hooves. Even with low visibility at night, I should at least see some shadows with such loud noises!]
[There's only one explanation: this courtyard must be under some illusion magic, obscuring my vision.]
Realizing this, Dean Bruce didn't react rashly. Instead, he continued controlling his clone in the battle with Phyllis DeLange, while his true body remained hidden in the corner, maintaining his invisibility.
He knew there was no need to break the illusion.
In fact, if they were all within the illusion, it would only make the mastermind feel more secure.
Besides, the illusion magic only affected his sight and didn't hinder anything else. If he could use Blood for Blood to injure the puppet controlled by the mastermind, it would be a win.
Ideally, it would even result in the mastermind's true body suffering backlash!
With this thought in mind, Dean Bruce took it a step further. He glanced at his clone and secretly cast another Thousand Mountains Fortress on it.
Buzz—
In an instant, the physical strength of Dean Bruce's clone surged, becoming immensely powerful.
Phyllis DeLange's eyes narrowed slightly, but her confidence in her magic remained unshaken. Without hesitation, she continued controlling the green flame tiger, commanding it to slash its claws down onto Dean Bruce's clone.
The next moment, flames erupted, engulfing the clone like a furnace, burning so intensely that its body turned bright red from the heat.
As Phyllis realized that Dean Bruce's clone wasn't retaliating but instead absorbing all the damage, her smile grew even more smug.
"I thought your magic was something special, but it turns out all it does is absorb damage?"
"I'm curious to see if that body of yours can handle absorbing all of my power!"
"Hahaha."
Her laughter rang out, full of malice. Under her control, the green flame tiger launched attack after attack. Each strike only made the fire's intensity within Dean Bruce's clone grow stronger.
Though the magic was holding up, the clone's body began to show signs of cracking under the pressure.
Nicholas William and Apollon Joy watched in horror, their faces pale with fear, as the clone's form started to deteriorate. Their panic was palpable, and it certainly didn't seem like they were faking it.
Phyllis DeLange, sensing their genuine fear, only laughed more maniacally. "You two have been quite fortunate, slipping away from me twice before. But if you're willing to surrender, I might just spare your lives."
"So, what will it be? Surrender or die now?"
"Bullshit!"
Before Nicholas William could reply, Apollon Joy, who Dean Bruce had been keeping a close eye on, suddenly exploded with anger. "You wretched creature! You've caused chaos in my Pur-cloud Imperial Capital. I'd love nothing more than to skin you alive and rip your guts out. Surrender? Never!"
"Even if I die, I won't surrender!"
Hearing this, Dean Bruce raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise.
Phyllis DeLange's expression remained unchanged. Calmly, she said, "Don't worry. If you're so eager for death, I'll gladly send you to hell soon enough."
Turning her attention to the others, she asked, "And what about the rest of you? You're not even from the Empire of Lane Cloud. Why throw your lives away for this?"
Nicholas William blinked and chuckled softly, "True, I'm not from the Empire of Lane Cloud. But you hurt my fiancée, and for that, I'll stop at nothing to save her!"
"Your fiancée?"
Phyllis DeLange tilted her head slightly, then asked, "Who is your fiancée?"
"Linda Quirell!" Dean Bruce grinned. "The very first family you targeted!"
"It turns out to be the Quirell family." Phyllis DeLange sighed, "There was no other way. The Quirell family is a staunch supporter of the royal family. If I didn't take them down, my plans would never move forward."
"However, things have progressed to the point where the Quirell family is no longer of any use to me. If you surrender, I can release your fiancée. As for the entire Quirell family... that may take a bit more time."
"What?"
Nicholas William's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected the mastermind to actually offer terms for negotiation.
His mind racing, Nicholas William still shook his head and said, "Then release my fiancée first!"
"Courting death!"
Phyllis DeLange snarled. "I offered you a way out, and you still dare to be so arrogant? Then you can all die together!"
As her words fell, the green flame tiger swirled in midair, its claws relentlessly striking down on Dean Bruce's clone.
Crack—crack—
The sound of breaking echoed as Dean Bruce's clone began to shatter, causing Nicholas William and Apollon Joy's faces to pale in terror.
Phyllis DeLange's grin grew more twisted.
But as the clone shattered, the Blood for Blood spell unleashed its full power.
Boom!
In an instant, an enormous burst of energy erupted from where Dean Bruce's clone had been, sending green flames surging back, engulfing the tiger entirely. The overwhelming force shot forward, far too quick for Phyllis DeLange to react, tearing through her body and even ripping through the sky above.
Crack—crack—
The night sky seemed to shatter like glass, and faint moonlight poured through the cracks.
Everyone was stunned by what they saw.
Even Dean Bruce hadn't anticipated that the illusion magic would be so fragile, broken by the rebound effect of his spell.
Luckily, his true body was still in hiding, remaining invisible. Now, he had fully taken on the role of the unseen force.
Clop, clop, clop—
At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps reached Nicholas William and the others. They turned around to see a fully armed battalion of soldiers forming ranks, completely surrounding the palace.
Buzz—
The faint green aura dissipated, revealing Phyllis DeLange lying on the ground, severely wounded from the blow.
"So, it was you behind all this!" a sharp voice called out.
"Seize them all!"
As the commanding voice echoed, Apollon Joy blinked, suddenly breaking into an excited grin. He turned around and shouted, "Third sister! Third sister, save me! Finally, I've found..."
Apollon Joy's voice cut off abruptly as he stared in disbelief at the armored Miranda Joy, his brow furrowing. "Third sister... what... what's with that look in your eyes?" he muttered, clearly shaken.
"Third sister?"
Miranda Joy's voice was icy. "Terrynas, these criminals are not only behind the mysterious disappearances in the city, but they've also impersonated my brother. They clearly have ulterior motives. Execute them on the spot!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Terrynas Gold replied, his gaze sweeping across the scene before landing on the unbroken clone of Dean Bruce. He let out a cold laugh. "So, it's you. As expected of a Magic Guild elder, managing to snatch someone right in front of me. But it won't matter! I've brought over a thousand men with me today, along with powerful artifacts.
Let's see how you manage to escape this time!"
In that moment, everything became clear.
The "Your Highness" that Terrynas Gold referred to wasn't either of the princes—it was Miranda Joy!
Though Dean Bruce was surprised by how Miranda, a woman, had managed to command the loyalty of the empire's most powerful forces, the truth was undeniable.
Miranda Joy's tone was frigid as she continued, "There's no need for more words. These criminals were caught red-handed, and within the courtyard are both the missing daughter of the DeLange family and the daughter of the Quirell family! That alone proves everything!"
"Execute them!"
"Yes!"
With Terrynas Gold's order, thousands of soldiers raised their bows, and even siege crossbows were brought into position.
It was clear that Miranda Joy had planned this well in advance. .
Under normal circumstances, these weapons would be difficult for any empire to deploy so easily.
"No! Something's wrong!"
Apollon Joy suddenly shouted. "Mr. Dean, she's not my third sister. The way she speaks—it's all wrong!"