Roy unleashed the full power of his holy light, channeling it into Miss Jay's body in an attempt to expel Alma's consciousness. But Alma's ntal strength was formidable, capable of resisting the holy light of a ten-winged angel and even faintly overpowering Roy.
Fortunately, after Adrian used his music to deal with the surrounding clones, he flew to the ship to assist Roy. With the healing angel's musical buff, Roy's holy light grew stronger, but it still couldn't drive out Alma's consciousness. They were only able to hold her at bay temporarily.
Realizing she couldn't overpower Miss Jay quickly, Alma decided to retreat. But not without leaving a parting ssage.
"Roy Black, you're truly special! Co find —I'll be waiting!"
With that, Alma's consciousness left Miss Jay's body, leaving her unconscious from the severe ntal strain.
"She's finally gone! I didn't expect her ntal power to be that terrifying," Adrian said, wiping sweat from his brow. Alma's ntal strength exceeded anything he'd imagined.
As a healing angel who relied on ntal attributes, Adrian's ntal prowess was likely even greater than Roy's. Yet, even with their combined efforts, they only managed a stalemate against Alma. Roy couldn't help but wonder if her ntal attribute had already reached 300.
"No matter how terrifying, so things still have to be done," Roy said. "Adrian, let's get this ship moving first, then plan our next steps."
Though fifty or sixty people on the ship were still alive, they'd been knocked out by Alma's overwhelming ntal power and couldn't operate the vessel. Roy started the ship and activated its distress signal. Once they sailed out of the signal-jamming zone, the Pacific Fleet should be able to locate them.
Back on shore, Roy, Adrian, and Vanguard discussed their next move. Alma's ntal strength made them wary of confronting her directly in the lab. They needed a better plan.
"Vanguard, does your mother have any weaknesses?" Roy asked bluntly.
Vanguard hesitated before answering. "Her ntal power is incredibly strong, but her body is just as frail. After giving birth to and Paxton, an accident during childbirth left her reliant on life-support equipnt to survive."
Roy and Adrian's eyes lit up. If Alma's body was truly that weak, they had a chance.
"Roy, find the location of the energy facilities in the Armacham Research Park!" Adrian said.
Roy pulled up the military terminal Miss Jay had given him and quickly located the energy facilities. A massive research park like Armacham, filled with cutting-edge equipnt and even a clone production line, required substantial energy and specialized substations to handle high-voltage experints.
"Wait! Are you planning to destroy the energy facilities?" Vanguard asked, realizing their intent. His face showed a mix of conflict and hesitation.
If the energy facilities were destroyed, Alma would likely die.
"Vanguard, don't you see how serious this is?" Roy said, looking at him. "Alma's completely out of control. She's already destroyed a city, and she could destroy more in the future!"
Killing millions in one go? Even a demon lord from hell would have Alma's na tattooed on their back—most of them hadn't done anything that extre. Soone with her dangerous abilities couldn't be allowed to live.
Vanguard fell silent. Knowing the truth was one thing; accepting it emotionally was another.
"You two go to the energy facilities," Vanguard finally said. "I'll head to the lab alone. I want to talk to my mother one last ti."
Since Vanguard had made his decision, Roy and Adrian didn't stop him.
"Alright, it's your call," Roy said.
Following the terminal's map, Roy and Adrian headed toward the energy facilities, located at the highest point in the Armacham Research Park. Armacham had even built wind turbines there for power generation.
But as they approached, Adrian sensed sothing off. "Roy, sothing's wrong. I'm picking up the aura of hell!"
"Hell's aura?" Roy asked, puzzled.
Then, a familiar voice rang out. "Well, well, Mr. Roy Black! Didn't expect to see you here!"
The voice belonged to the blonde news anchor, but her tone was strangely off.
"Marian gan?" Roy asked.
"That's !" she replied.
"Oh, co on, Mr. Black, why ntion only Marian and not ?" Another familiar voice chid in, this one belonging to another anchor who'd once interviewed Roy. Her tone was equally strange.
"Gretchen Henderson?" Roy said.
Two scantily clad anchorwon stepped forward, their beauty almost blinding. These were no ordinary won—played by Hollywood icons Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman, no less. After being altered by Adra, their bodies were practically succubus-like, radiating an allure that made Roy swallow hard.
"Roy, you know these won?" Adrian asked, unaffected by their charm. He noticed Roy's reaction and, recalling the lustful aura he'd seen on Roy at the Ti Bar, realized Roy's weakness was being exploited.
No one's perfect, and Roy's only real flaw was his susceptibility to beauty. Adrian could understand—after all, a truly flawless human would practically be a saint. The last perfect human was nad Jesus, God's own son.
"Yeah, I know them," Roy admitted, a trace of guilt on his face. "It's probably because of that they ended up like this."
He knew the succubus from hell was targeting him, and he suspected Marian and Gretchen had been caught up in it because of him. Transford into hellish creatures, they were beyond saving.
"Mr. Black, we've missed you so much!" Marian cooed.
"Yeah, why don't you co join us for so bliss?" Gretchen added, striking provocative poses that sent waves of allure toward Roy.
Guilt and desire clashed in Roy's mind, leaving him dazed. Adrian began playing his music, the soothing lody snapping Roy out of the seductive haze.
"Roy, I'll handle things here. Go destroy the power facilities," Adrian said, recognizing Roy's struggle without judgnt.
Roy knew he couldn't bring himself to fight the two won. "Alright, Adrian, be careful. There might be a high-ranking succubus lurking around!"
"I've got this," Adrian replied confidently. Once he started playing his music, it was like activating a domain—Marian and Gretchen were montarily frozen in place.
Roy nodded, transford into his ghost wolf form, and used his explosive speed to dart between the two won, breaking through their "double team." Adrian kept playing, holding them at bay.
But the anchorwon soon broke free from Adrian's control, their expressions darkening. "Since you let Mr. Black go, you'll have to play with us instead!" Marian snapped.
Adrian gave a faint smile. "Want to play? Then watch my performance!"
Roy, anwhile, raced through a pitch-black corridor. Even with his ghost wolf's dark vision, the area felt unnaturally dark, and he sensed soone watching him.
Who could it be?
Heightening his senses, Roy spotted a figure with two heads. No, this wasn't human—it looked like two bodies forcibly stitched together, one head higher than the other, one side larger than the other.
Roy recognized them instantly: Henry and Claire, fused into one grotesque being.
"Roy Black, it's you!" Henry-Claire's eyes burned with rage as they spotted him.
Puzzled by their bizarre state, Roy didn't have ti to react before they charged. "Roy Black, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be like this!"
With a cold smirk, Roy felt no guilt for this father-daughter duo. He threw a punch, his terrifying strength sending Henry-Claire flying, their neck snapping with a crisp crack.
"Why don't you save your complaints for the innocent people killed by the dark web?" Roy said.
Though their neck was broken, Henry reached up and twisted it back into place. Clearly, they were no longer normal beings.
"Roy Black, don't act so high and mighty!" Henry-Claire snarled. "This world is dog-eat-dog! If I didn't consu them, soone else would've! You think you're justice itself?"
Roy drew his Leviathan Axe, activating its acid rune. For creatures with such resilient vitality, total destruction was the answer. "I never said I was justice. Everything I do is for one reason: a clear conscience!"
Henry-Claire let out a chilling laugh, sprawled on the ground. "It's pointless. Everything you do is aningless. This world won't change because of you—it's sliding into the abyss, and no one can stop it!"
Roy closed his eyes, reflecting for a mont, then swung his axe. "Better than helping scum like you make it worse!"
Two swings severed both heads, the acid rune corroding their body into a puddle of foul sludge. The oppressive feeling of being watched vanished, and the surroundings brightened.
"Now, ti to blow up those power facilities," Roy muttered. He pulled C4 from his inventory, planting it on the high-tech equipnt and setting the tirs.
As he ran back, the explosives detonated, destroying the power facilities. Most of the research park's electronics went offline, leaving only ergency lights flickering.
At the substation entrance, Roy found Adrian collapsed, a gaping hole in his chest, his heart gone.
"Adrian, what happened? Where are those won?" Roy asked, stunned that things had gone south in just ten minutes.
"I was holding off those two when soone ambushed from behind and ripped out my heart," Adrian gasped.
Roy imdiately channeled holy light into Adrian, activating his vitality aura. "Hang on!"
Adrian grabbed Roy's hand. "It's no use. They cursed the wound. If this were my true body, I might've held on, but this vessel…"
This body wasn't fully compatible with Raphael, Adrian's true form, just a temporary host, which limited his strength.
"Raphael, Iris is still waiting for us. You can't give up here!" Roy shouted, using Adrian's true na in his panic.
Adrian shook his head. "The rest is up to you. I can't go on. But before I go, I'll give you a blessing."
He placed his hand on Roy's forehead, unleashing a blinding burst of holy light, like a sun crashing to Earth.
[You've received a Mysterious Blessing: mory 50 (temporary), ntal 50 (temporary)!]
Roy staggered, the world shifting around him. He could now sense the thoughts of nearby lifeforms, but it was overwhelming—everything around him scread hunger, making him clutch his head in pain.
"Roy, don't worry about Adrian," Raphael's voice echoed. "He was already dying of cancer, which is why he agreed to be my vessel. Now, it's ti to end this. Save Iris, and watch out for that succubus—she's up to sothing!"
With his final words, Adrian died. Roy, enduring the ntal strain, watched as Raphael and Adrian's souls ascended to paradise. With Raphael guiding him, Adrian's soul was safe from the soul torch.
"Raphael, why the hell did you give this blessing? I can't handle this!" Roy groaned. His perception had been finely balanced to avoid environntal overload, but the boost pushed him over the edge, flooding his mind with chaotic psychic waves.
"Tch, tch, tch! Such touching friendship," a voice mocked. "Mr. Black, want to cry in my arms?"
Marian and Gretchen erged from the shadows, but Roy's blood-red eyes t them with fury.
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