CA - Chapter 135
Chapter 135
After clashing with Tang Qiu, Claire regretted it. He wasn't like the Brujah Clan, whose fighting spirit would only grow stronger when facing an enemy that overpowered them. Against a werewolf superior to him in both strength and speed, he had no other thought but to escape as quickly as possible.
He had entered the castle from outside, wondering why Delia hadn't used the scroll yet. Now that he knew Delia had betrayed Elder Evan, Claire was certainly not foolish enough to stay here and continue wasting time with Tang Qiu.
The thought of retreat took root in Claire's mind. As he dodged Tang Qiu's attacks in a sorry state, he discreetly searched for an opportunity to flee.
Tang Qiu saw through his intentions. Her sky-blue eyes darkened slightly as she chuckled lowly, "A thief? Hmm?"
The contempt in her tone made Claire's face sink. He snorted coldly and said hatefully, "Don't get cocky too soon."
Claire turned sideways and grabbed Tang Qiu's arm. Sharp nails raked across her shoulder, leaving a wound so deep the bone was visible. Enduring the pain, Claire gripped Tang Qiu's arm and flung her away with great force, then used the opening to turn and dash toward the balcony.
He pushed his speed to the absolute limit, reaching the edge of the balcony in the blink of an eye. The window opened automatically. Claire's lips curled into a smirk, and just as he was about to leap out, a flame of light appeared without warning. The burning fire nearly filled the entire balcony, and Claire, who had just stepped into it, let out a miserable scream and hastily retreated from its range.
Claire's legs were corroded by the flames, exposing stark white bone. He propped himself up against the wall with one hand, glancing down at his self-healing legs as fury burned in his eyes. Once a werewolf learned light magic, they were truly more annoying than anyone from the Holy See.
Tang Qiu glanced at Lucille, who was drowsy from weakness within the light barrier. The hand hanging at her side clenched and unclenched a few times, and a silvery-white staff materialized in her palm. She raised the staff, aimed it at Claire, and began to chant in a low voice, her sky-blue eyes looking somewhat profound.
To completely suppress a vampire, one had to rely on light magic. The corrosion from the Power of Light could destroy their self-healing abilities.
Out of concern for Lucille nearby, Tang Qiu didn't use any wide-range light spells. White light elements, shimmering with a faint golden glow, gathered at the tip of her staff. One by one, sharp arrows flew toward Claire, completely pinning him in the corner.
Claire cursed as he dodged pathetically, but his movements were sluggish. Arrows pierced through his shoulder and thigh, igniting small flames on his body.
The flames spread quickly. Sensing the threat, Claire's expression changed. His right leg could no longer support his body, and his knee, which had already turned to bone, buckled, forcing him to the ground. Claire swallowed nervously and pleaded with Tang Qiu, "Don't-don't kill me. I'll do anything."
His gaze flickered to Lucille, and he said in a panic, "I can undo her chains and send you out."
Tang Qiu frowned, voluntarily stopping her spell and even making the staff in her hand disappear.
Gritting his teeth, Claire reached down and forcibly tore off his right leg, which had been completely consumed by the flames. He leaned weakly against the wall, watching Tang Qiu walk toward him. His eyes held a pleading look, but the hand behind his back was clutching a Space Gem.
Tang Qiu stopped three steps away from Claire. He hung his head as if he had given up, remaining motionless. Tang Qiu looked down at him for a moment, then, as if sensing something, raised her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Her gaze finally settled on the stone chamber.
She flashed into the stone chamber. A dark figure was trying to smash through the wall to escape. He was propped against the wall with one hand, his body already halfway through, but a sudden, sharp pain in his chest made him curl up and fall back into the room.
Delia had used her clan's innate talent to escape from Lucille's grasp at the temple last time, so Tang Qiu had been on guard against it when facing Claire.
Claire, who had used the Tzimisce Clan's talent to switch bodies and was about to sneak away, never expected to be caught red-handed by Tang Qiu. With his fatal weakness in her grasp, he clutched her wrist, his face contorted in pain.
Tang Qiu's hand plunged an inch deeper into Claire's chest, her fingertips touching his heart. She gripped Claire's heart, leaned forward slightly, and tightened her fingers, crushing it bit by bit.
Claire struggled violently for a moment, then went completely still.
Tang Qiu pulled her hand out and turned to leave the stone chamber. She didn't tend to her own wounds first. Instead, she walked over to Claire's corpse and bent down, searching his body for a Space Gem or something like a key.
Footsteps sounded from behind, and Delia's voice reached Tang Qiu's ears. "Are you looking for this?"
Tang Qiu's movements paused. She turned her head and looked at Delia calmly.
Delia tossed the key in her hand to her.
Tang Qiu caught the key, stood up, and walked over to Lucille, unlocking the chains that bound her.
Once the chains were off, Lucille regained some of her strength. However, because Evan had taken so much of her blood and she hadn't fed since, she was still in a weakened state.
Tang Qiu helped Lucille up and led her toward the balcony.
Delia was stunned for a moment, then couldn't resist flashing over to block their path. After confirming that Tang Qiu would come to the rescue, she had been imagining what Tang Qiu's reaction would be when they finally met face-to-face.
Would she be furious that Delia had revealed Lucille's identity to Evan? Or would she be grateful for the information that helped her save Lucille?
Or would it be somewhere in between, a wary relationship?
Delia had considered every possibility, except that Tang Qiu would completely ignore her.
"...Wait." Delia composed herself and said calmly under Tang Qiu's gaze, "Elder Evan could be back at any moment. Have you found a safe place to go?"
"She's a hybrid. Elder Evan will definitely not let her go just like that."
Tang Qiu wrapped an arm around Lucille's waist, tilting her head slightly to feel the temperature of her forehead with her lips. It was unpleasantly cold. She frowned and said flatly to Delia, "Move."
Lucille needed to feed. Every extra minute they spent in the castle increased the danger. Until they were out of here, the stone hanging in Tang Qiu's heart could not be put down.
Delia bit her lip and said again, unwilling to give up, "If you don't take her somewhere safe, it's only a matter of time before Elder Evan finds her."
"When you're being hunted by a third-generation vampire, there's no truly safe place on the Statu Continent."
"If you want her to live, the only way is to kill Evan."
Delia knew that playing innocent with them was no longer an option, so she laid her cards on the table. She was fifty percent certain that Tang Qiu would agree to cooperate with her.
Just as she said, Evan would absolutely never let Lucille go. Right now, not even the Holy See was a safe place. Where could they possibly hide from the pursuit of a third-generation vampire?
To save Lucille's life, killing Evan was the only path.
And they couldn't delay. If Evan became aware and had time to prepare, killing him would become much more difficult.
Delia spoke for a long time but saw that Tang Qiu remained unmoved. She paused, and just as she was about to say more, Tang Qiu cut her off.
"Enough." Tang Qiu's expression was placid, her tone devoid of emotion. "I know what you're after."
Delia's breath hitched. She bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Then you..."
"If there were more time, I would love to crush your heart too." Tang Qiu silently recited a spell, and a flame of light appeared at Delia's feet.
Delia dodged out of the flame's range. Watching Tang Qiu's departing back as she supported Lucille, she couldn't help but try to explain, "Grace, I never meant to hurt her. I had no choice."
"Elder Evan, he..." Before she could finish, a jet of flame shot toward her, forcing her to halt her steps toward Tang Qiu.
Tang Qiu bent down and swept Lucille up into her arms. Before leaping from the balcony, she glanced sideways at Delia. Though the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, her eyes held no trace of a smile. "As for you scheming against me... we'll settle that score next time."
Without waiting for Delia's response, she leaped from the balcony with Lucille.
Delia rushed forward a few steps, grabbing the railing and leaning over to look down. Tang Qiu and Lucille's figures had already vanished. Only the werewolves and vampires were still fighting fiercely.
"...Damn it." Delia slammed her clenched right fist against the railing. She took a deep breath, her eyes flickering with a complex and unreadable emotion.
Ever since "Grace" had been replaced by a new soul, she had become truly inscrutable.
Because Jemma and the others were nearby, Tang Qiu quickly moved away after jumping out of the castle with Lucille, lest the other werewolves notice something was amiss with her.
Rescuing Lucille had gone more smoothly than expected. Tang Qiu's figure darted between dilapidated houses, heading straight for the rendezvous point she had arranged with Lola and Erin.
Tavis Town was very small. Tang Qiu carried Lucille out of the town's limits. She paused to get her bearings, and just as she was about to continue, she suddenly felt an icy chill on her back. A sense of danger made her scalp tingle. Without even turning her head, she threw herself to the right, still holding Lucille.
But a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. Tang Qiu's arm went numb, and Lucille was thrown to the ground. Lucille, who had been in a deep sleep, opened her eyes slightly. The next second, her expression changed. She pushed herself up with her arms, shielding Tang Qiu with her body.
A white shadow flashed before Tang Qiu's eyes. She heard Lucille let out a muffled grunt, and the faint scent of blood reached her nose.
Tang Qiu froze for a second, then slowly raised a hand to touch Lucille's back. The wet sensation made her clench her fist. Her eyes slowly darkened.
The white shadow stopped where Tang Qiu had just been standing. She flicked the blood from her hand, staring expressionlessly at Tang Qiu as she said coldly, "Grace... you're still alive."
Tang Qiu looked up, sizing up the speaker. She recognized her and calmly spoke her name, "Ophelia."
Ever since seeing that memory from the original owner of her body, Tang Qiu had deeply etched the name Ophelia into her mind. She had tried to investigate Ophelia before but had found nothing.
Not even Jemma and the others had heard the name, which had once made Tang Qiu doubt whether Ophelia truly existed.
"You were the one following me recently, weren't you?"
Ophelia didn't deny it. She looked down at Lucille, who was being held in Tang Qiu's arms, her eyes narrowing slightly as she said coldly, "Is she your lover?"
"A vampire?" Ophelia seemed to think of something, and her anger suddenly flared. "Was she the one who killed Dini?"
Dini again... Tang Qiu frowned. Was it a coincidence, or...?
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