Chapter 90: Regicide and Rebirth
"Aren't you afraid of an Admiral's wrath... Ugh!"
Saint Charlos's threat was cut short as the illusion of Teach's hand closed around his neck. The Celestial Dragon's face turned a blotchy red, his breath completely cut off. He flailed weakly, slapping at Teach's arm, but it was useless. His fate had been sealed the moment he had inwardly cursed Jock Ian.
CRACK!
The sickening sound of breaking bone echoed in the silent street. Teach's illusion easily snapped Saintlos's neck.
The World Noble, who treated Sabaody Archipelago as his personal playground, a lawless land for his amusement, was dead. Killed in the street by a "dead man."
BOOM!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
It all happened too fast, too shockingly. The Marines maintaining the cordon had no time to process the event, let alone react. Their belated counter-fire against the illusion of Teach began only seconds after the tragedy.
The figure of Teach did not linger. It dissolved into a cloud of black mist and vanished into the distance.
The moment the figure disappeared, the [Dream World] illusion was lifted. Everyone who had been under its sway returned to reality simultaneously. The transition was seamless.
"It's over... we're finished... our doom is upon us..."
"Saint Charlos... has been murdered!"
"Quick, notify the Holy Land! Alert Marine Headquarters!"
"Wait... if we report this, are we... truly without hope?"
"We have families in the outside world! If we don't report it... they'll be implicated too!"
"Damn it! Why did this have to happen to us?!"
The CP0 agents on the scene descended into utter chaos. They knew a heavy price would be exacted, but they dared not conceal the truth. A Celestial Dragon, killed. Such a shocking event hadn't occurred in a long, long time.
The nearby Marines looked at each other, their faces pale with anxiety.
"Captain, what do we do? Maintain the cordon, or give chase?"
"My god, someone actually dared to attack a Celestial Dragon!"
"Does this mean an Admiral is coming?"
"Will we... will we be held responsible too?"
The Marine Captain, forcing himself to remain calm, addressed his men. "Our orders were to evacuate civilians and maintain the perimeter. Protecting the Celestial Dragons was the CP0's responsibility. We received no orders to intervene. Besides, we provided supporting fire immediately. Even if there's an inquiry, it shouldn't fall on us." He made a decision. "First, notify Adjutant Peacock. Let her decide how to proceed!"
Having served under Ian for some time, the captain had learned a thing or two. When faced with an unresolvable emergency, report it up the chain immediately!
…
Simultaneously, Holy Land Mary Geoise
In a hall where the life records of all Celestial Dragons were kept, the sound of burning paper echoed.
Hiss...
Hiss...
Several agents in distinctive uniforms moved urgently through the rows of filing cabinets, checking them repeatedly.
"Here! Found it!" one agent called out.
"It's Saint Charlos's Life Card. It's... it's burning away completely!"
"Something happened to Saint Charlos? But he's so young..." another agent muttered, staring in disbelief at the card turning to ash.
The surrounding agents reacted with alarm.
"Could it be... someone murdered Saint Charlos?"
"We must quickly ascertain Saint Charlos's whereabouts today!"
"And, sir... should we report this to the God's Knights?"
It had been years since a Celestial Dragon had met an untimely end. How to handle the situation suddenly became a pressing, and terrifying, problem.
…
Back at the Battlefield
Another system chime rang in Ian's mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for the successful defeat of the Celestial Dragon, Saint Charlos!]
[Enhancement Points Obtained: 1 point!]
[Current Accumulated Enhancement Points: 9266 points!]
[Friendly Reminder: You can perform one enhancement for every 1000 points...]
Jock Ian: "..."
Today had not only set a new record for the highest single points reward but also for the lowest. A single point. Trash like Charlos truly redefined the meaning of weakness. Ian hadn't expected many points from him anyway.
Right now, he was more concerned with other matters.
"Skylark!" he called out softly.
"You're very obedient. You didn't go far."
Ian emerged from the thick foliage. Skylark was crouched under a large, inconspicuous root, maintaining her vigilant hiding spot. Before the mission to capture the Blackbeard Pirates, Ian had given her a special task. After the general retreat, she alone was to remain nearby, finding a safe spot to hide. Unless under direct, fatal threat, she was not to move too far away.
The little skylark had been very obedient, telling Peacock and the others to go on ahead. No matter how intense the battle sounds became, she had not strayed.
"Major General Ian!" Her tense expression melted into one of immense relief the moment she saw him. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Her large eyes scanned him up and down, searching for any sign of injury. She had likely imagined how tough the opponent would be. Hearing the battlefield fall silent for so long had filled her with unbearable anxiety. She had even used her sniper scope to observe from a distance for a long time, but couldn't see the actual fight, which had only made her more nervous.
"Don't worry. When have I ever lost?" Ian reassured her with a faint smile. "What about the things I asked you to prepare? Do you have them with you?"
This was what he cared about most now.
Skylark nodded repeatedly and took off the backpack she was carrying.