Chapter 909 Above the Battlefield

With the arrival of the Emperor’s Order members, the scene on the battlefield subtly changed.

The eleven Top-Tier Train Conductors Utopia City had left here were certainly no weaklings, and they had the advantage in numbers.

But their opponents were the Emperor’s Order.

A group of powerful beings with long-standing renown.

Wu Yuanshan, in particular, was terrifyingly strong.

She had no legion and used no flashy effects.

Yet the strength she displayed was fearsome.

Wu Yuanshan possessed a full twelve Zodiac Cards.

With just one more, she would become a thirteen-card holder, just like Zhu Xingshu and Mr. Order had before.

Each Zodiac Card was different.

She summoned the twelve Zodiacs and fused them with herself into a variety of forms.

The ornaments on her head and the patterns of light constantly shifting across her bare back revealed which Zodiac she was using.

Mouse ears, ox horns, tiger ears, rabbit ears, dragon horns...

With every change, her aura grew stronger than before.

Alone, she had managed to face four other Top-Tier Train Conductors in succession without falling behind. In fact, she even seemed to have the upper hand.

“Come on, all of you. Together.”

Wu Yuanshan looked quite excited.

She loved fighting strong opponents, especially the moment she won.

Stacia and another of the Twelve Fortunes, who used magic from ancient scrolls, were locked in a clash of Magic Power. The entire area where they fought had become an elemental no-go zone.

Lin You rode his dragon legion against an opponent controlling armored puppets, the two sides tearing at each other across all of Utopia City!

Menrojina’s magic formation covered the Execution Platform. Ritual spells rained down without pause, relentlessly bombarding it.

The balance of the war was quietly tipping.

Anyone with eyes could see that it wouldn’t be long before the Execution Platform gave way, and Fan Huo, pinned beneath it, was sure to be rescued.

Heinris knew that if Fan Huo slipped out of their control, if he escaped before the countdown ended, then everything they had done would be for nothing.

Because the performance on that Execution Platform had never been a show. It was a ritual.

A ritual meant to negate [War].

[“Are we really left with no choice but to activate that plan?”]

[“No, we can’t! We haven’t lost. This is only the beginning. So what if they’re the Emperor’s Order? We have more people, and besides...”]

A chill flashed in Heinris’s eyes.

He entrusted the task of guarding the Execution Platform to his subordinates, then controlled a combination of advanced items to fend off Menrojina’s attacks.

As for himself, he put another recessed knuckle-duster on his left hand.

Creak!

The knuckle-duster’s sharp points dug into his flesh.

But the blood that flowed from it formed new spikes at its tip.

“Altos, this is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone forcibly turn an entire city into a Station World. You’re impressive, and so are the people of the Emperor’s Order.

“But so what if you’ve entered this place? We’re all Top-Tier. Even without those Card Sequences, we’re every bit as strong as you!”

Heinris’s speed suddenly increased.

In an instant, he slipped past Red Tears, who was blocking his way, and Blinking behind Ye Qiyan before throwing a punch at him.

[Silence!]

The punch came down.

The Hunt let out an angry roar.

The Cloud Pattern Barrier spread at once, stopping the blow.

But even greater excitement appeared on Heinris’s face.

He gave a loud shout!

[Noise!]

His other fist came down immediately, actually piercing through The Hunt’s Cloud Pattern Barrier and smashing toward Ye Qiyan’s chest.

It was so fast that there seemed to be no way to react.

And yet...

At the very moment the fist was about to land,

Heinris suddenly saw a gaze.

A gaze full of arrogance.

Wait, he was clearly behind Altos. At this speed, even Altos shouldn’t be able to react in time.

Clang!!!

A golden-red sun blazed into view!

The Wandering Star Holy Sigil unfolded at once!

[Courage! Hero!]

With a third of his Stamina drained, Ye Qiyan crossed Moon Veil and Black Ebony to form an Inverted Cross, blocking Heinris’s fist squarely in front of him.

Malice from the Inverted Cross gleamed in his eyes.

The world seemed to have stopped.

But it hadn’t.

His speed had simply reached an unbelievable level at that moment.

[Time Acceleration] × [Surpass the Stars]

Tick...

The second hand of the clock moved forward one step.

Heinris’s pupils contracted as he stared at the black muzzle just inches from his face.

There was no time to dodge, because a bullet had already shot from the muzzle.

[Judgment of Gunfire]

Bang!!

The crisp gunshot echoed through space.

Heinris’s body fell from the sky into Utopia City in the Inner World.

High above, The Hunt switched to Hunt Mode. Its beam-breath and machine guns poured fire toward the spot where Heinris had fallen.

The roar of explosions rose, and dust billowed.

Behind Ye Qiyan,

Lisette smiled gently at him.

“Master~ Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just keep using it.”

Ye Qiyan’s body was slightly hot, an overload caused by moving too fast.

He simply tossed aside his cloak, and the Inverted Cross sounded the opening notes of its first lament.

Many people’s attention was drawn over.

That shot just now wasn’t important.

What mattered was—

That acceleration ability...

“Surpass the Stars?!”

Menrojina’s pupils contracted, then she gave a wry laugh.

“As expected of him. He even managed to get his hands on that. So that means that Charlatan has already recovered to thirteen cards? Tsk... If that’s the case... I’ll kill her sooner or later.”

Among those watching the livestream, some people also recognized the acceleration ability.

For example, Lu Jiayun, leader of the Homeward-bound Souls.

“How can this be? That’s Surpass the Stars, Zhou Shangqing’s talent! But wasn’t Zhou Shangqing dead? Besides, a top-tier talent like that shouldn’t be duplicated. Unless...

“Zhou Shangqing isn’t dead?

“And Altos got the talent from him?

“No, that can’t be right!

“If Zhou Shangqing is alive, why would he...”

In a corner of Suoluo City, Zhou Shangqing was eating noodles in a noodle shop. He still hadn’t swallowed the noodles in his mouth.

He stared blankly at the scene on the livestream screen.

“Stronger... He’s gotten stronger? How is that possible? He only traded away a little. How did he do it? And isn’t he afraid? Why would he use it in front of everyone? Why...?”

Some were shocked, while others were delighted.

But on the battlefield,

As the dust cleared,

Heinris rose to his feet and lifted his head to gaze up at the arrogant figure high in the sky.

“As expected of Mr. Altos. But why did you hold back? An attack this weak couldn’t kill me.”

Ye Qiyan gave a mysterious smile and blew the smoke from his gun muzzle.

“As expected of a Top-Tier Train Conductor. You really are harder to kill than ordinary people.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“I misspoke. I was telling the truth.”

“Then thank you, Mr. Altos. You truly are merciful. Though you are the Demon Overlord, you possess such compassion. What a shame that we’re enemies.”

Ye Qiyan gave Heinris, whose blood was gradually starting to boil, a strange look.

Although he had no idea what sort of bizarre thoughts were going through the man’s head,

so what?