Chapter 84: Chapter 83: The Dust Settles

The moment the pillar of light descended, time seemed to freeze for an instant.

Then, from the depths of the vortex, an inhuman shriek erupted—one sharp enough to pierce eardrums, filled with endless pain, shock, and fury!

"SCREEE—!!!"

The shriek was filled with the excruciating pain of being seared by Divine Power, and the monstrous fury of prey slipping from its grasp!

The entity behind the vortex had clearly suffered a devastating blow!

It was indignant! It was furious! But more than that, it was terrified!

This descending light stemmed from the will of a supreme being it could never hope to defy, or even look upon directly—the will of the Sun God Poao!

The gray-white mist surging toward Jon and Reya was enveloped in the pure beam of sunlight that stretched from heaven to earth. It let out a sharp SIZZLE, like hot water poured on snow, and great swathes of it instantly evaporated, melting away!

The filthy gray was washed away by the pure light, vanishing without a trace!

The core of the expanding, twisting vortex was like a block of ice thrown into a furnace, letting out a tortured CREAK as if it couldn’t bear the strain.

Under this immense power, the profane Energy that formed its very being boiled and churned violently before being mercilessly broken down, purified, and annihilated!

"ROAR—!!!"

A roar filled with endless venom and indignation exploded deep within their souls, like the final struggle of a dying beast.

But the roar quickly weakened, fading into the distance.

Like a popped balloon, the expanding vortex rapidly collapsed and dimmed under the pillar of sunlight’s continuous searing heat, the change visible to the naked eye!

Finally, with a soft pop like a sigh, the gray vortex that had threatened to devour everything was utterly annihilated, leaving not a single trace behind.

Having lost its source, the gushing gray mist was like water without a spring, rapidly dissipating into the air.

The lingering stench of sulfur was also completely purged by the sacred light and heat.

And as the mist vanished, the heaven-piercing pillar of sunlight, as if its mission were complete, began to retract. Its light dimmed, finally dissolving into specks of golden dust that silently merged into the swirling snow.

It was as if the apocalyptic scene from moments before had been nothing more than an all-too-real dream.

Only the scorched ground and the lingering warmth in the air bore witness to the reality of the miracle.

The moment she confirmed the enemy had truly vanished, it was as if all the strength had been drained from Reya.

The brilliant Saint Flame surrounding her flickered a few times before abruptly extinguishing, like a guttering candle. The burning solar light in her eyes faded completely, and like a puppet with its strings cut, she collapsed forward—directly into Jon’s chest.

Jon, who had recovered a bit of his strength, instinctively caught her, preventing her from falling to the ground.

The young woman’s body was impossibly light.

Her fiery hair had lost its luster and lay strewn across his arm. The aura of Divinity around her was gone, leaving only an exhausted, unconscious, and incredibly fragile eighteen-year-old girl.

"Reya? Reya!"

Jon murmured her name, a tension in his voice that he himself didn’t even notice.

There was no response.

Only her faint but steady breathing brushed against the skin of his neck.

Just then, Evans and Joyina staggered over to them.

Seeing Reya in Jon’s arms, Evans’s usually stern face grew grim.

Joyina immediately knelt, her hands emitting a soft, healing Holy Light that she carefully cast over Reya.

"Her Power is exhausted and her Spirit is severely depleted... but there are no signs of her Life force weakening."

Joyina sighed in relief, her tone filled with deep awe.

"My Lord above..."

"She was protected by divine grace... It’s also fortunate that her will is so pure and tenacious. Otherwise, after an outburst of that magnitude..."

She trailed off, but her meaning was clear.

Evans looked at the golden Sun insignia on Reya’s forehead. It had been faint, but now seemed slightly more distinct. He then glanced at Jon, who held Reya with an unreadable, complex expression. After a moment of silence, Evans spoke in a low, serious voice.

"You two, go. Escort the young lady back to the Trading House immediately!"

The wind and snow seemed to pick up, falling softly on the scorched earth and covering the traces of the battle. It dusted Jon’s cold Shoulder Armor and the pale cheeks of the young woman in his arms.

Jon lowered his head and looked at Reya. Her brow was still slightly furrowed, even as she lay unconscious.

An unprecedented emotion, mixed with an indescribable stirring, quietly took root in his heart.

He took off his thick surcoat and carefully wrapped it snugly around the young woman in his arms, leaving only her pale little face exposed.

Then, he lifted her securely, as if cradling a fragile treasure.

"Let’s go."

Jon’s voice was low and firm. He took the lead, striding through the swirling snow toward the carriage.

In his arms, Reya seemed to sense the warmth and safety. Her tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly, and she unconsciously nuzzled deeper into his embrace.

The dust settled.

The battle had been undeniably perilous.

If Jon hadn’t broken free of his restraints to decisively kill the Evil Mage, and if Reya hadn’t called upon the Sun Miracle to banish the vile creature, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

But thankfully, the two young people had ultimately resolved everything.

While everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, they couldn’t help but marvel.

’Kids these days are really something else...’

Meanwhile, the earth-shattering commotion had naturally attracted the town guard.

A few minutes after Jon, Joyina, and Ivory had escorted Reya away, and while the Trade Hall Guards were beginning to clean up the scene, a cavalry squad was the first to arrive. They were followed by over thirty fully armed foot soldiers, who came at a run.

To be fair, for the security force of a major economic town, their response was remarkably swift—a far cry from the perpetually late police forces of some major cities.

Unfortunately, the attack was over so quickly that by the time the guards arrived, all they could do was stare helplessly at the mess.

After Guard Captain Yadri arrived and took a quick survey of the scene, he discreetly ordered his men to help the people from the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House clean up. He then approached Evans, whom he knew, to inquire about the situation.

"Sir Dean, what in the world happened here? Who were these people? Do you have any idea?"

"I can’t be certain yet, but after this, I expect we’ll have some answers soon."

Evans sheathed his sword, his tone as steady as ever.

But his next words made Yadri’s heart clench.

"Also, one of them escaped. He’s over two meters tall, bald, with one eye. I suggest you launch a city-wide manhunt immediately."

Upon hearing this, the guard captain immediately summoned one of his men and gave the order, then made a solemn promise.

"Rest assured, if he’s still in the city, we’ll find him!"

But after saying that, he didn’t leave right away. Instead, he glanced discreetly toward the now-empty carriage and lowered his voice.

"By the way... Miss Xavier... is she unharmed?"

Evans didn’t answer right away. Instead, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and frowned, retorting,

"What if she is safe? And what if she isn’t?"

He practically had the word "suspicion" written all over his face, leaving no doubt that an improper answer would see his Heavy Sword drawn once more!

Yadri rubbed his hands together awkwardly but steeled himself and continued in a low voice.

"Sir Dean, I know the kind of man you are, so there’s something I think you have a right to know."

A hint of unease crossed the middle-aged man’s face.

"My lord, Viscount Paris... he left Birch Town three days ago, but there has been no news from him since!"

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