Seeing the black mist bombs flying towards him, and having no time to dodge, Xia De simply stopped.
He extended his left hand forward, and the Red Butterfly gathered into a crimson shield, blocking the first wave of attacks.
Then, with his right hand, he swiftly swung his Moonlight Greatsword forward, and as the silver light splashed out, the Night Watchman precisely shattered each black mist orb.
When the last sword strike was unleashed, the dark sword light pierced through the white mist, dissolved the black mist, and was finally caught by Count Dar Lark with one hand.
The sword light and the Count remained in a stalemate for a brief two seconds before the sword light dissipated, and the Count's right hand completely melted, only to quickly regrow.
This, of course, was not without cost; his body became increasingly transparent.
"If you become completely transparent, will you completely lose your mind? Since that's the case, I won't waste any more time."
Xia De said, and as he lowered the longsword in his hand, a loud bell chime and whistle sounded from the white mist behind him.
The scorching steam mist merged with the surrounding white mist, but the huge brass ring within the white mist became increasingly clear, as if drifting from afar.
Four-colored spiritual light shone, and as Xia De moved forward, the enormous Destiny Ring followed closely:
"Count, then we don't need to waste time. Please leave!"
As if responding to Xia De's words, the bloated, ghoul-like Count let out another tragic roar.
The black mist swirling around him swept towards Xia De like tentacles, but as the runes of Great Sin flashed with spiritual light, the 【Great Sin Chains】 flew out from his sleeve and swept through, severing the black mist.
Ghostly black mist bombs were launched again, and this time, 54 rhode cards automatically flew out of Xia De's pocket like throwing knives.
Empowered by the Red Butterfly, the sky-full of cards collided with the incoming black mist bombs, and with the Red Butterfly's help, the cards' hardness could temporarily resist the black mist, which possessed the power of the Gap.
Chains, black mist, cards, Red Butterfly, and dark energy intersected in the air, and the spiritual light above the Destiny Ring dispelled the thick white mist.
Seeing Xia De approaching step by step, Count Dar Lark, floating in the air, finally couldn't hold back.
Enveloped in black mist, he charged at Xia De from above, sword in hand.
A downward attack naturally possessed considerable deterrent power, but Xia De remained calm.
He watched the approaching Count, accumulated vast spirit within himself, raised his sword-wielding right hand, and pressed his index finger against the sword blade:
"Silver."
His brow furrowed as inspiration suddenly struck; the Silver Moon, which had been flashing with extreme spiritual light, dimmed, while the inspiration of The Witch's Light suddenly flickered:
"Sunlight Ray!"
A rich, warm light representing the midday sun gathered at his fingertip, but that positive energy light did not shoot from his fingertip; instead, it spread to the Night Watchman.
The excellent compatibility of the demon-slaying sword with sunlight caused the silver sword to emit a scorching light like the sun.
The light gathered at the tip of the sword, and as Xia De thrust forward with both hands on the sword, a massive pillar of Sunlight Ray shot out like a light cannon.
The light cannon directly struck the black mist enveloping the Count; the black mist rapidly melted in the sunlight as if encountering a natural enemy, revealing Count Dar Lark, who had almost completely transformed into a ghoul.
His skin rapidly melted, but only death could overcome death; relying on his formidable immortality, the Count, though gasping for breath, merely landed on the ground and could still get up when Xia De lowered the longsword in his hand.
"The Night Watchman's amplification of Sunlight is much stronger than its amplification of Moonlight, isn't it?"
The consumption of that "Sunlight cannon" just now was a bit too much even for Xia De.
The Night Watchman, as an angel-level relic comparable to Grace and Helen, its greatest characteristic is actually serving as a spellcasting medium to amplify extraordinary power.
But as a sword to combat evil, its amplification effect on different Miracles is clearly different.
It's not that the concept of "Silver Moon" isn't righteous, but rather that the concept of "Sunlight" itself is too righteous.
Count Dar Lark, now severely burned, had already struggled to his feet, holding the almost broken rapier, and charged at Xia De again.
Having been hit head-on by "Sunlight Ray," under his melted skin, his original human appearance was surprisingly revealed again.
His sanity seemed to have recovered somewhat, but he still chose to continue the duel.
The rapier thrust accurately and fiercely at Xia De's chest; Xia De raised his sword to parry it.
The Great Sin Chains had already been retracted, and his free left hand made a sweeping motion, and as his arm fell, a bright yellow longsword severed Count Dar Lark's right hand, which was holding the rapier.
Clang! The rapier fell to the ground, and the Count retreated, clutching his severed hand, which quickly recovered to normal.
Xia De did not stop there; the yellow Moonlight Greatsword in his left hand scattered into points of light and vanished.
He took a step and inhaled deeply, all the power belonging to primeval death gathered in his left hand.
"Soul Echo."
The Mind Crystal Ring on his left hand was instantly stained black:
"Directing Death."
The spiritual light of the Destiny Ring behind him burst forth to its extreme; this strike would be the final one:
"Mind Blast!"
His swinging left fist created a sonic boom in the air, but it did not travel far due to the white mist.
Spiritual and mental power poured out, causing a phantom afterimage of Xia De's fist.
This punch directly struck Count Dar Lark's chest, and with an explosive sound, the Count flew backward, landing motionless on the ground.
He lay there on his back, and white ash continuously drifted upwards from his ethereal body.
Gasping for breath, Xia De rested for a moment, leaning on his sword, before walking over:
"Priest Augustus and I, together, are still very powerful."
The Destiny Ring slowly disappeared into the surrounding white mist; aside from the depressions in the ground, the shattered bricks, the dead trees, and the almost flattened lawn, no one would know what had happened here.
Xia De walked to the Count's side, carrying the Night Watchman.
Due to the effect of the combined Miracle, before completely dissipating, the Count reverted to his living appearance.
He stared at the sky with bulging eyes, showing no reaction even when he heard footsteps.
"Still unwilling?"
Xia De asked softly.
"If you suddenly died of illness and then got a chance to live again, would you be willing to leave again?"
The Count asked, his voice weak and hoarse.
Xia De shook his head, but the lying Count could not see this gesture.
He bent down and reached out, grasping the Count's cold arm.
White ash flowed from his palm, drifting towards the endless sky.
Xia De pulled the Count up:
"Let's finish the final card game. This is the second round, total score one to zero, second round score two to one."
"I'm about to die, and you're talking about this with me?"
The Count looked as if he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, but he saw that Xia De's expression was very serious, not like he was joking.
Xia De looked into his eyes and asked very seriously:
"Don't you want to play rhode cards? Finish this round before you leave?"
The Count froze for a moment, then surprisingly nodded with some relief:
"Yes, this round should be finished."
He seemed to have truly understood at that moment.
Xia De wanted to lend his spare deck to the Count, but footsteps came from the direction of the building behind him; it was Priest Augustus, supporting the Old Butler, who looked younger than him, walking out of the mist.
"Young Master Lawrence, your deck is here."
The sobbing Old Butler handed the deck to the Count.
Xia De also sat down, waving his hand to make the cards flying everywhere return to his hand one by one like lingering shadows.
The two sat on the ground; there was no need to shuffle, nor to pick out other cards that had already been used in this round.
Both drew their first face-down card, and then the Count, whose body was already becoming transparent, was the first to get his second card.
Seeing that it was Flowers 13, he flipped his face-down card and took a look, a weak smile appearing on his face:
"I stand, I have 21 points."
He did not reveal his face-down card.
"Count, are you trying to bluff me? I noticed you didn't reveal your face-down card."
"Why should I reveal it? I chose to stand, but until you choose to continue or stand, I have the right not to reveal my face-down card."
This indeed conformed to the rules, but players who did this were usually employing the technique of "bluffing."
"No, you must reveal your face-down card."
Xia De, who had already received his second card, avoided the Old Butler's direction and showed the card face to Count Dar Lark of Campbell.
The Count looked at the card face, his expression froze.
Then a smile appeared on his face, a truly heartfelt smile:
"So it was you. My wish actually came true."
【the city player · 1853 tobesk champion】, Suit: star 12.
When this card is drawn, you have the right to check one of the opponent's unrevealed face-down cards.
When he threw the cards just now, he threw a deck with special cards.
Xia De flipped over the face-down card for the Count, who was almost unable to move, but the face-down card was not 8 points, but Moon 5, totaling only 18 points.
"It really was a bluff."
Xia De said softly, then checked his own face-down card, which was surprisingly Sun 9.
"Total 21 points, John Watson wins three rounds first, winning the second game.
Score two to zero, Mr. Watson wins."
The Priest announced.
Count Dar Lark shook his head slightly, looking at the young man, whose face seemed somewhat blurry in the white mist.
He had reached the limit of his life, even his soul was about to leave.
And in this final moment, he actually felt vaguely that the person sitting in front of him did not seem like a person, but some indescribable terrifying existence:
"Another 21 points, are you really blessed by the God of Gambling... I admit defeat. That 【Ancient Fairy Tale · sleeping princess】 belongs to you. This won't bury its worth either."
He extended his hand to Xia De, who then helped him up.
The Count's current weight was probably that of five or six Mia.
"Mr. Hans, you've worked hard all these years."
The Count said to the Old Butler:
"After I'm gone, don't trouble these two guests.
The family's property and title should be distributed according to the will; fortunately, I still have illegitimate children.
Thank you for your care all these years."
His voice grew softer and softer, and Xia De also felt the weight leaning on him almost completely disappear.
"I understand, I understand. You should have left this spring, and to be able to return briefly now, this is already a blessing from God."
The Old Butler lowered his head, wiping away tears.
Xia De watched this scene, then suddenly frowned.
He turned to Priest Augustus, subtly shaking his head at him:
"You do it."
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
The Priest actually understood lip-reading; although he didn't know why Xia De wanted him to do this, he subtly moved behind the Count, lightly patted the Count's back, and the outline of the Count's transparent body completely dispersed, white ash drifting towards the sky, towards that distant place.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
May God bless your soul."
The Old Butler hung his head, large drops of tears falling at his feet; Priest Augustus drew a holy emblem on his chest, closed his eyes, and quietly prayed; Xia De plunged his sword into the mud in front of him, put his hands in his pockets, and looked up at the mist-shrouded sky.
Sister Devlin burned the first nail Xia De brought, and Joey Barton took away the second nail, which Xia De had defeated, on the ice lake.
Now the third nail, also thanks to Xia De's efforts, had been successfully removed by Priest Augustus.
