Chapter 88: Colorless
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Colorless
On the other side of the battlefield, a group of Northern Lords had gathered, deep in somber reflection.
"Tell me, what is going on? Why are more and more of our people defecting to the other side lately?"
"What else could it be? Those soldiers of the Unified Army are like monsters. You kill them, and they just resurrect. Their organization and coordination are leagues beyond ours. This war is simply unwinnable."
"That’s not even the worst part. The rank-and-file aren't that different from us, really. The real problem is the two generals holding their line. The moment one of us Lords shows our face, they step in and wipe us out. They’re like two gods of slaughter."
"Forget the common folk of the North—half of us Lords are already dead or gone. Only the twelve of us are left to keep up the resistance."
"We finally broke through to the Demigod realm only for things to turn this miserable. Maybe we should just defect too."
"Hey, Black Wind. You’re the commander of the army. Aren't you going to say something?"
The Lord of Black Wind stood apart from the group, looking around with a frustrated expression. "I am currently contacting the Alliance Leader. Please, everyone, stay calm."
Seeing the Lord of Black Wind dodge the subject, several Northern Lords stood up to leave.
"Then take your time contacting him. As far as I’m concerned, White Robe abandoned us and ran a long time ago."
"If you ask me, Elise’s suspicion was right. White Robe hooked up with the Chaos Church. If I’d known, I would have run off with Elise too."
"Seriously. The situation is this dire, and White Robe probably doesn't even have the guts to show his face."
Watching the Northern Lords leave one by one, the Lord of Black Wind turned his gaze back toward the distance.
As White Robe’s closest friend, the Lord of Black Wind understood the man’s dream of unifying the North better than anyone. If the North could be unified, they could finally escape the cycle of endless civil war. With a massive reserve of powerful experts, the North could truly take its place in the world and change the global perception of the Northern Continent as a barren, chaotic wasteland.
To that end, even if the one who ultimately unified the North wasn't White Robe himself—as long as the North remained the land of its own people—White Robe would have accepted it gladly.
Based on his observations over the past few days, the Lord of Black Wind had begun to realize that the Unified Army was not being commanded by humans. At the very least, he had never seen a single human among them.
As for the leader behind the scenes, the Lord of Black Wind could only confirm the presence of the Lord of White Peak. However, the prevailing stereotype in the North was that the Lord of White Peak was a traitor who had sided with the humans. Seeing him leading the Unified Army, combined with the airships floating in the sky, naturally led others to believe that the Unified Army was an invading force led by humanity.
"But if it’s not led by humans, then who is leading the Unified Army?"
He recalled that the Unified Army claimed they wanted to establish an Empire. If an Empire was to be built, there had to be an Emperor. Yet, from beginning to end, he had heard nothing regarding an Emperor from the opposing side.
"Perhaps this war never needed to be fought. As long as the leader behind the Unified Army is a person of the North, a peaceful unification is possible."
Just as the Lord of Black Wind was pondering how to investigate further, a sudden burst of chaotic power erupted in the distance.
"The Chaos Church?"
That chaotic energy stirred unpleasant memories. The young lady, Elise, had chosen to leave precisely because she suspected White Robe of shielding the Chaos Church.
As White Robe’s best friend, the Lord of Black Wind knew the man’s character. He was certain White Robe would never accept the power of Chaos. In his mind, White Robe had been framed by the cult.
"Those rats in the gutter... of all the places to crawl out of, they had to pick my territory."
Having detected the traces of the Chaos Church, the Lord of Black Wind instantly transformed into a gust of dark wind and charged toward the site.
BOOM!
As the swirling snow cleared, the Lord of Black Wind saw who was fighting the cultists.
"Miss Elise? What are you doing here? I thought you had already left."
Upon seeing him, Elise immediately retreated to the Lord of Black Wind’s side. "I accidentally ran into the Chaos Church. This one is a bit difficult to handle. I need your help."
The Lord of Black Wind blinked in surprise. "Miss Elise, your strength is on par with the Alliance Leader’s—perhaps even a step above. There’s actually an enemy you can’t defeat?"
"Stop talking and tell me: are you helping or not?"
"Well... for the Alliance Leader’s sake, I’ll fight alongside you. But afterward, I hope you’ll go back and have a proper talk with him. He must have a reason for what he did."
"Hmph... who wants to talk to him? He’s like a man of stone; he won't explain a thing to me."
While the two were bickering, a black figure stepped forward from the distance.
"You two certainly are leisurely. It seems I’m not very welcome here."
As the figure approached, Elise gripped her staff tightly. "Black Wind, watch out for this one. His abilities are strange—it’s like he can use almost any type of attack."
"He can use any attack?"
The Lord of Black Wind looked at the newcomer. The figure was shrouded in darkness, his physical outline almost impossible to discern.
The dark shadow chuckled playfully. "Miss Elise, don't be so nervous. And you, my friend—you likely don't know me yet. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the founder of the Chaos Church. I am what you commonly refer to as... the Cult Leader of Chaos."
The Lord of Black Wind’s pupils constricted instantly. "Miss Elise, exactly what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into...?"
"Shut up. Just tell me if you're helping..."
"I... fine..."
The Cult Leader of Chaos spoke to Elise once more. "My lady, the fact that I had to step onto the field personally proves that you are indeed very strong. I would prefer to avoid any further accidents. If you are willing to share your Witch bloodline with me, I will take all the forces of the Chaos Church and leave the North immediately. This won't cost you your life, and it will rid the North of danger. A fair trade, wouldn't you say?"
Elise immediately spat back, "You bastard, you really don't think much of me, do you? The bloodline of a Witch isn't something a person like you can lay a finger on!"
"Oh? And what if this concerns your precious Mr. White Robe?"
With those words, the Cult Leader of Chaos pulled a limp figure from the darkness. It was indeed White Robe, his status unknown.
The moment he saw who was in the enemy's hands, the Lord of Black Wind moved.
But faster than him was the power of the wind.
[Windless Zone Lv.13]
Instantly, the space around the Cult Leader of Chaos was isolated, forming a unique spatial cage.
"Fine. I wanted to have a nice chat, as I’ve always been reluctant to get my own hands dirty."
The Cult Leader of Chaos showed no panic at being trapped. Within the circular cage, he gently raised a finger. In the next heartbeat, Elise sensed a massive, looming danger.
[Colorless Lv.1]
In less than a second, the color was stripped away from everything surrounding Elise, leaving behind only a dull, monochrome world of black and white.
Seeing Elise lose the light in her eyes and stand frozen in place, the Lord of Black Wind flew into a rage. "You bastard! What did you do to her?!"
As the Windless Zone dissipated, the Cult Leader of Chaos calmly watched the Lord of Black Wind charge at him. "It’s simple. I merely stripped away the colors that symbolize life. Don't worry, I’ll return them later."
"You!"
As the Lord of Black Wind was about to reach him, the Cult Leader of Chaos casually placed a hand behind his back.
[Diffusion Lv.13]
In the next instant, the monochrome void around Elise expanded rapidly, stripping the color from the Lord of Black Wind as well.
Looking at the silent, monotonous world of black and white, the Cult Leader walked up to Elise. "Don't worry. I’m just taking a little blood. It won't be life-threatening."
Just as the Cult Leader of Chaos produced a pitch-black dagger and aimed it at Elise’s forehead, two figures—vibrant and full of color—abruptly intruded into this colorless zone.
"Sigh... I was planning on a decapitation strike to end the battle quickly. I didn't expect to run into an 'unexpected presence' here."
"Big Brother, is this the 'Cult Leader of Chaos' you mentioned? Is he actually strong?"