Chapter 128 Cassel Team
"What is going on?" Moreno asked in a low voice.
Hornlohe's body twitched, his chest heaving violently, as if every breath was tearing the remnants of life from his lungs. His golden pupils were now dull, his eye sockets were sunken, and his cracked skin revealed a rotten blue-black color.
"Two days ago..." His voice was as hoarse as broken sandpaper, "Someone... gave me a message... saying that guy... was no longer here..."
His breathing was heavy and rapid, like the final operation of an old steam engine. His fingers trembled slightly as they grasped Moreno's sleeve, as if he was trying to grab the last life-saving rope from the abyss.
"Then what? You went to the bedroom?" Moreno frowned and his voice sounded lower than usual.
Hornlohe nodded, a trace of dark blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, "...Yes...He is really not here...We were deceived by him...Those old guys...after I noticed it...took the opportunity to attack me, and then dug something out of my head..."
Having said this, he suddenly started coughing violently, and each cough seemed to tear his lungs apart. His body curled up on the ground like a dying beast.
"Who is the person who gave you the message!" Moreno almost growled, his tone sounding a bit more anxious and uneasy.
Hornlohe shook his head and said, "I don't know... but the message said... that guy... reorganized an organization called the Holy Palace Medical Society... they are looking for... the kingdom of God in the Arctic Ocean..."
"Ragnarok is about to begin... Moreno... We are all the people who have not got the ticket to the new era..." Hornlohe said the last sentence almost with a hoarse smile. His golden eyes gradually lost the last light, like a lantern that was blown out, and the embers of life were completely extinguished.
"Elder Moreno! Go!" The Elder Council member who had just left suddenly rushed back, his robe soaked in blood, his breathing rapid, his eyes full of fear.
At the end of the corridor not far away, several figures in black robes slowly approached. Their pace was neither fast nor slow, and every step was announcing the impending death. The wide hoods completely covered their faces in shadows, revealing only the crow-beak masks worn by doctors during the outbreak of the Black Death in the Middle Ages.
"Moreno." The leading man in black robe stood in the shadows. His voice was low and cold, as if it came from the depths of hell. There was a hint of contempt and sarcasm in his tone.
"You have done a lot for the Elders Council over the years. You should have lived a few more years. But a new era has come. Traitors like you... It's better to deal with them as soon as possible."
Moreno's eyes turned cold instantly, and his deep yellow vertical pupils flashed with cold anger. He slowly straightened up, and his hunched body made a "creaking" sound of bone friction. His skinny arms began to swell rapidly, and the muscles rolled under the skin, as if a sleeping beast was waking up.
"Are you so sure you can kill me?" His voice was dangerously low, like thunder slowly gathering in the sky. His fists clenched slightly, and his joints made crisp popping sounds.
"I am in this position today... not by luck!"
Claws as sharp as blades grew from the fingertips of Moreno's hands at a speed visible to the naked eye. The tips of the claws flashed a cold green light, with tiny flames wrapped around them. As he breathed, the flames spread along the claws, igniting blazes in the air.
His skin was quickly covered with a layer of fine scales, which gleamed with a metallic luster, and each scale fit tightly together like armor.
A scarlet light faintly shone through the lines between the cracks, as if magma was flowing in his blood vessels, the temperature rose, and the surrounding air became distorted.
"New Era? Ha..." Moreno sneered, his eyes like knives, his voice low and fierce, "Want to cleanse me? You are still too naive."
The men in black robes did not say anything else. They stood there and exchanged a tacit glance. Then their figures flashed and they pounced on Moreno from all directions at the same time. Their movements were as swift as lightning. Their robes cast shadows in the air and sharp blades flashed out from their sleeves.
"Looking for death!" Moreno growled and stomped his feet on the ground. The entire floor cracked instantly. His body was like a burning meteor, rushing straight towards the attack of the man in black robe.
"Boom!" He swung out with a claw, and the blazing flame exploded like an explosion, directly knocking away a black-robed man in the front. The man was smashed heavily against the wall, and a huge dent was made on the wall. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and his body twitched and slid down.
The other men in black robes showed no fear at all. They nimbly moved around Moreno's side and stabbed out with the sharp blades in their hands as swiftly as poisonous snakes, accurately attacking the gaps between his scales.
"Ding——" The sharp blade collided with the scales with a crisp metallic sound, and a stinging pain was felt, but Moreno's reaction was not slow at all. He spun around suddenly and punched the nearest man in black robe hard. The wind from his fist was whistling, and the man had no time to dodge. He was knocked flying backwards, his chest sunken, and blood gushing from his mouth.
"A mere trifle!" Moreno growled, his body shook violently, flames exploded from his body, instantly blowing away the two black-robed men approaching him.
But just when he thought he had the upper hand, the black-robed man who was leading the group suddenly sneered, raised his hands, and a large number of black runes emerged from his sleeves, spreading in the air like a spider web. The runes flashed with a dark light and quickly wrapped around Moreno's limbs and torso.
"Alchemy!" Moreno's body stiffened instantly. He growled and tried to break free, but the runes entangled his movements like snakes and gradually tightened.
"As expected, you are still old, Moreno." The black-robed leader said coldly, his voice full of sarcasm. "We have been preparing for many years, just for this day. No matter how powerful the force is, it will be swallowed by decay and time."
Moreno's eyes were bloodshot, his muscles expanded desperately, and his scales were vibrating slightly, trying to break free from the constraints of the runes, but the runes of the black-robed man were like an invisible net. The more he struggled, the tighter he was bound.
“You... dare...!” Moreno roared, flames bursting out from his claws.
However, the black-robed man who was leading the group drew out a long sword without haste. The blade flashed with cold light and was engraved with ancient spells that seemed to be able to devour all life.
"This is your own choice." The black-robed man sneered and raised his long sword. "The first drop of blood dedicated to the new era starts with you!"
However, just as the blade was about to fall, a sharp silver light cut through the darkness.
"Whoosh!"
Before the man in black robe could react, his arm was cut off and the broken arm flew out. He widened his eyes and looked behind him in horror.
Hohenlohe stood not far away, his body completely twisted, bones protruding at unnatural angles, scales covering his body like cracked armor, the dagger trembled slightly in his hand, black blood dripping from the blade. The blood was emitting white smoke on the ground as if it was cursed.
The fourth blood explosion!
"Moreno, hurry up and leave... go to Japan... find that monster William Hans..." Hornlohe looked crazy, using up his last bit of rationality to say these words, then looked bloodthirstily at the black-robed men who were rushing around again.
"Kill them..." The man in black robe covered his broken arm, and an invisible field unfolded.
The people in black robes reacted quickly, and one by one they expanded their own domains. Flames, lightning, and wind blades surged out of their bodies, covering the entire room. The collision of energy made the air emit sharp sounds, the walls cracked in an instant, and the ground collapsed like a mirror that had been hit hard.
Hornlohe grinned, the scales on his body expanded wildly, his body began to twist uncontrollably, his bones creaked under his skin, like a wild beast about to explode, his golden eyes flashed with completely out-of-control frenzy at the last moment.
"Come on... let's go to hell together!" Hornlohe roared, waving his arms as if tearing through space, rolling up a blood-red storm. Flames and lightning intertwined on his body, and violent energy tore through the air, like a trapped beast with no where to go making a final counterattack.
"boom--!"
The blood-red storm collided with the black-robed man's domain power, instantly turning the entire palace into a Shura field. Flames burned, lightning raged, and wind blades tore through walls and pillars like sharp blades. For a moment, stones flew everywhere and huge explosions were heard in the ears.
Moreno took advantage of the chaos to retreat quickly, while Hornlohe chose to burn out his last bit of vitality and drag all enemies into the abyss.
"Hornlohe..." A complex look flashed in Moreno's eyes. He did not stop. He knew that he had to survive. Only by surviving could he avenge Hornlohe.
"Stop him!" The black-robed leader roared, struggling to stifle Hornlohe's counterattack. At the same time, he waved the rune with his other hand, trying to restrain Moreno again. However, Hornlohe's fourth blood explosion brought almost crazy power, and the rune was as fragile as paper in front of him.
"Bang!" Hornlohe threw a punch, smashing a black-robed man to pieces. Blood mixed with flames splattered all over the hall. Even though his body was on the verge of collapse, Hornlohe was still fighting with wild laughter, and every punch was filled with despair and ferocity.
"Go...Moreno...find that monster...believe it or not...William Hans is the only way to survive..." Hornlohe murmured in a low voice, his voice becoming unclear.
Moreno didn't hesitate any longer. He turned and rushed towards the exit of the hall. Flames and lightning roared behind him, but he moved through the ruins like a green phantom.
"Kill him! Don't let him escape!" The black-robed man's roar echoed behind him, but Moreno's speed was like the wind, and everything in front of him turned into an afterimage.
Moreno knew that if he didn't leave quickly, he would have no chance of survival.
Boom!!! With another violent explosion, Hornlohe's body finally collapsed under the attack of the fourth blood explosion and the powerful words of the man in black. His final roar turned into a sea of fire, completely engulfing the entire palace.
The moment the fire was extinguished, Moreno leaped out of the palace and rushed into the night. His heart was beating like a war drum, his breathing was rapid, but his eyes were extremely calm.
"Japan... William Hans... Don't worry, I will avenge you in Hohenlohe." He murmured to himself. In the ruins in the distance, the firelight reflected his back.
…………
Kassel College President's Office
The atmosphere in the principal's office was depressing and tense. The only sound that could be heard in the huge room was the faint hum of the projector. Outside the window, dark clouds loomed, as if an ominous omen was shrouding the entire college.
Ange stood in front of the projection with his hands behind his back, staring deeply at the red dots on the projection. They went out one after another. Those were signals representing the members of the Japanese branch. Every time one disappeared, it meant that they had lost contact with one person.
His expression was more solemn than ever before, and his slightly furrowed brows were engraved with the fatigue and majesty left by the years. The tension in the air was like a taut string, and no one dared to make a sound easily.
"Report to the principal, we are losing contact with the Japanese branch."
Norma's projection was suspended in the center of the room, and her cold voice echoed around.
Angers stared solemnly as the last few flashing red dots went out. Norma was responsible for global intelligence management and monitoring, and the Japanese branch, as the base of Kassel Academy, actually lost contact with them, which meant that the situation in Japan was completely out of their control.
"So they defected?"
Vice-Principal Flamel lazily leaned against his desk, shaking a bottle of Aglaonema in his hand. The wine created golden ripples as he moved. He looked casual and relaxed, but his deep blue eyes hid a complex emotion.
"It seems that you are really old, Ange, and can't suppress those guys with wolfish ambitions."
Flamel said sarcastically, with a hint of teasing in his tone.
Ange did not respond to his ridicule, but just glanced at him lightly. Flamel was slightly startled, then he shut his mouth tactfully and put the bottle back on the table.
"It is very likely that they did not defect, but that someone else cut off our connection with the Japanese branch."
Norma's voice rang out again.
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a sudden silence in the room and everyone's faces changed suddenly. This possibility was more terrifying than defection. Norma was the world's top artificial intelligence, responsible for all the intelligence systems and communication hubs of the academy. Being able to cut off contact with the branch under her monitoring meant that some unknown and powerful force was controlling everything behind the scenes.
"what?!"
Caesar raised his eyebrows, his golden eyes narrowed slightly, sharp as an eagle. He stood aside with his arms folded across his chest. His golden hair gleamed faintly in the dim light, and his expression was grim.
Chu Zihang also frowned slightly, his eyes as calm as water. He stood there straight, his black hair hanging in front of his forehead, his face expressionless, but his restrained aura revealed alertness.
Finkel, who was standing next to him, had already started to tremble, clutching the corner of the clothes of the person next to him tightly with both hands.
"A few hours ago, the supercomputer 'Kaguya-sama' in Japan sent some information."
Norma's image shook slightly, and then a document appeared in the projection.
The image was a blurry photo of a man holding two wooden swords, standing alone on the street, with gangsters swarming in front of him. The man stood in the center of the battlefield like a lone wolf, his posture was as aloof and arrogant as a god, but no matter how much it was zoomed in, the man's face could not be seen clearly, as if some invisible force had wiped out his features.
"There are rumors in Japan that this person is the new 'strongest swordsman', and he is launching a comprehensive purge of the Eight Snake Families."
Norma added, her voice as calm and objective as ever.
Caesar raised his eyebrows and said, "The strongest swordsman? Tsk, it sounds like the myths that the Japanese people like to brag about."
"Not only that," Norma continued, "except for the information sent by 'Kaguya-sama', I can't find any information related to this incident on the Internet in any country in the world."
This sentence made everyone's face change again. Norma's intelligence system was almost omniscient. Even the databases of intelligence departments of various countries could not escape her monitoring. However, this event with such a huge impact did not leave any trace.
Ange pondered for a moment, tapping the table lightly with his fingers.
"We lost contact with Kaguya shortly after she sent out this report. Based on my speculation, her core system is likely to have been hacked."
Norma's tone was still cold, but there was a hint of vigilance.
"Then have you found out the identity of this person?" Angé raised his eyes and said in a calm tone.
"I'm sorry, Principal, I can't find any information about him." Norma's voice paused slightly, as if she was apologizing for her incompetence.
The atmosphere in the office became heavier. Caesar and Chu Zihang looked at each other, and they both saw a vague sense of crisis in each other's eyes.
"It seems that we can only send people to Japan for an on-site investigation."
Angers spoke slowly, his tone was calm, but it contained a determination that could not be ignored.
Caesar raised his eyebrows and gave a confident and dangerous smile: "So this is why you called us here?"
Chu Zihang next to him remained silent, just nodded slightly to indicate that he accepted the task.
"Yes," Anger nodded, his eyes swept over them calmly, "You and Chu Zihang are both elites of the academy. Currently, most of the executive department's specialists are in China investigating the movements of the 'King of Bronze and Fire' and cannot be freed. This mission is handed over to you."
Caesar smiled excitedly, like a beast that had smelled its prey: "I like this kind of challenge."
But he soon frowned and his eyes fell on Finkel, who was standing aside with his legs trembling slightly.
"What about this guy? Is he going with us too?"
Caesar said with a hint of disgust as he pointed at Finkel, who looked like he might collapse at any moment.
Ange sighed helplessly: "Although Finkel may not seem reliable, he is the Minister of Information and has unique talents in intelligence gathering. Also, don't forget, he was also an A-level hybrid before."
"No, Principal! I don't want to go to Japan! There are only perverts there!"
Finkel rushed towards Angers with a look of horror, hugged the principal's legs with tears and snot, looking extremely embarrassed.
Caesar took a step back with a look of disgust, as if he was afraid of being infected by Finger's emotions: "I really don't know how you became an A-level before."
Chu Zihang stood aside, watching the scene silently, with no expression on his face, but a barely perceptible hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.
Ange ignored Finkel's pleading and patted him on the shoulder gently: "Fingkel, Japan is indeed dangerous, but that is why we need smart intelligence experts like you. Once this mission is successful, I will approve your graduation. Believe me, I am the principal and I have the right to do so."
Finkel wanted to cry but had no tears. He could only let go of Ange and muttered softly, "I really did something wrong in my previous life..."
Caesar sneered: "Whether you are willing or not, there is no way out now."
Chu Zihang patted Finkel on the shoulder and said calmly: "The mission requires everyone to contribute."
Finkel sighed helplessly: "Okay...but I want to make it clear, I'm in charge of intelligence, don't count on me for fighting."
"Don't worry, Chu Zihang and I will be there to support you in the fight."
(End of this chapter)
