Chapter 59: Jiyun Never Leaves His Hand

The barrier blocking perception dissipated, and the priest, who seemed readily soluble in the air, had long since faded into the background.

Although both the Angel and the Machine inside the carriage could easily perceive him, superficial appearances still had to be maintained. Otherwise, it would amount to an act of provocation—though such matters were perhaps better left to the Red Angel.

Bonavoy paused his thoughts, his emotionless eyes locking once again with Screwllum. "Mr. Screwllum, we will be arriving at the cathedral shortly. May I ask what kind of energy source you require for the banquet?"

Upon receiving Screwllum, Bonavoy had immediately contacted the personnel stationed at the cathedral to prepare a banquet.

"As for food, you may arrange whatever you see fit. I am equally capable of consuming the nourishment of organic lifeforms," Screwllum's reply caught Bonavoy off guard. "Explanation: What I require is merely energy, and the form in which that energy is derived differs in no way from yours. I certainly would not abandon the pleasure of dining merely for the sake of efficiency. Of course, a small amount of lubrication might still be necessary."

"Then, what specific kind of lubrication would that be?" Bonavoy inquired further.

Screwllum produced a bottle from thin air, bearing a label written in a language Bonavoy had never seen before: "This."

***

The Dragon Bar, underground black market.

Klein used his meager funds to purchase a portion of the materials he needed.

Arriving at the exit of the black market, just as he was about to leave, he spotted two figures whose attire stood out sharply from the surroundings.

Old Neil, dressed in a classic black robe, and Stelle, clad in a white shirt, black skirt, and black coat.

Old Neil was always like this, completely indifferent to the gazes of others. Stelle, on the other hand, was unaccustomed to the local fashion style. She had initially tried to adapt for over a month, but simply could not get used to it.

As for whether wearing eccentric clothing would have any consequences? She was a Trailblazer! The freest woman in the entire universe! She could do whatever she pleased! The fact that she hadn't yet unleashed a Crescent Moon Skypiercing Slash from a rooftop was already a testament to her excellent self-restraint!

Klein looked at Stelle's outfit, wanting to say something, but ultimately keeping it to himself.

Sister, aren't you even going to salt that fish?

A while ago, Stelle had frequently visited to play games with Rozanne, and through such comings and goings, she had grown quite familiar with the people of the Blackthorn Security Company.

She had never once thought of keeping her identity as a Trailblazer a secret, directly introducing herself to them as an alien under a year old. However, due to her frequent nonsense, not a single person—save for Klein and a thoughtful Leonard—was willing to believe her words.

This had once caused Stelle to feel a chill in her heart. When telling the truth, nobody believed it; the malice of this world toward women was simply too great. It made her tremble with rage and feel chilled to the bone. When on earth would women ever stand up?

"Bought everything you need?" Old Neil greeted them cheerfully, having brought Stelle along to experience the black market.

"Yes." Klein exchanged casual pleasantries with Old Neil.

Entering the black market, Old Neil turned his head to caution Stelle, "Once we go in, don't go messing with the items on other people's stalls."

Stelle indicated that there was no problem, as the entire universe knew she was a notoriously socially anxious young maiden.

Seeing that both Old Neil and Stelle were present, Klein decided to simply accompany them for another stroll around the market, intending to leave together with them afterward.

After the three of them had wandered for a short while, Klein looked with a hesitant expression as Stelle and Old Neil earnestly discussed the styles of garbage cans found in this place.

Swain, the owner of the Dragon Bar dressed in naval officer attire, walked in from outside. With a solemn expression, he approached the three of them, lowered his voice, and said, "Friends, I need your help."

Stelle instantly perked up. True to her trailblazing nature, she could run into a sudden quest even while browsing a roadside stall.

"What has happened?" Old Neil instantly turned serious, and Klein couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat. Only Stelle appeared thoroughly excited.

"Time for a quest, time for a quest."

Swain, with his messy brown hair and reeking strongly of alcohol, glanced at the hyperactive Stelle and replied in a deep voice, "A member of the 'Mandated Punishers' squad has lost control nearby. We must deal with him... before he causes harm to ordinary people!"

The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive, with only Stelle rapidly gesturing and clicking at the empty air in front of her.

Though startled by the mention of someone losing control, Klein couldn't help himself. While Old Neil and Swain were discussing the quest details, he crept over to Stelle's side and whispered to ask what she was doing.

"I'm skipping the dialogue to jump straight into the cutscene," Stelle explained.

Once Old Neil and Swain finished their discussion, Swain strode rapidly toward the exit.

Unnoticed by anyone, a flash of purple fire flickered as Klein quietly swapped the shoes on his feet.

He was falling a bit behind; it would be too embarrassing if he were actually left in the dust.

The three of them followed Swain across the road and ran into the actual dock area.

Swain slowed his pace, pointing toward an inland cargo ship docked not far away, and indicated that Old Neil and the others should help him influence and control the out-of-control individual. After that, he would handle the rest himself.

Though he had already experienced quite a few life-or-death battles, Klein still felt somewhat nervous.

After all, this was his first time confronting someone who had lost control; you could call it Klein's initiation ritual.

Listening to the sounds of combat echoing from above, Old Neil glanced at the slightly tense Klein, handed him a charm, and instructed him on its usage.

Old Neil then reached out to give one to Stelle as well, but when he turned his head, he found that Stelle had already vanished.

Looking back, he saw that Stelle had somehow already charged forward.

Holding a wooden stick picked up from god knows where, Stelle assumed a javelin-throwing posture and hurled it forward fiercely, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Taste my spear—[Cloud-Piercing Spear, Never Leaves My Hand]!"

The wooden stick, wreathed in the Path energy of [Destruction], struck the out-of-control Beyonder and pinned him straight against the wall.

By this time, that Beyonder had already mutated into a monster after losing control. Standing over one meter eighty tall, wearing tattered remnants of a shirt and trousers, his exposed skin was covered in dark green scales. Webbing grew between the gaps of his fingers and toes, resembling the toes of aquatic creatures. He possessed a wrinkled head where human features could still vaguely be discerned, and slimy mucus dripped continuously from his scales.

Pinned to the wall, he let out a shrill, piercing screech. The ordinary wooden stick, already unstable after being infused with the energy of Destruction, shattered under his struggle, blasting a horrific, flesh-and-blood crater right into the monster's chest.

The monster collapsed to the ground in agony, white, blue, and red electric arcs dancing back and forth across its body.

Seizing the opportunity, Swain closed in, twisting his waist and swinging his arms to rain a continuous barrage of punches onto the monster's head. The electrical currents on the monster seemed to recognize it exclusively; even when Swain struck the electricity directly, the currents did not spread onto his body.

Before Klein even had time to use his charm, he watched as Swain leaped high into the air, the muscles bulging across his entire frame, and brought his weight crashing down with tremendous force.

The monster's head shattered into pieces, dark red blood and grayish-white brain matter splashing everywhere across the ground, accompanied by dark green mucus.

Confirming that the monster was dead, Swain let out a long breath, straightened his posture, and stood silently, gazing deeply at the lifeless monster lying at his feet.

From somewhere, he produced a flattened metal hip flask, ripped off the cap, and took a large gulp. Then, tilting the bottle toward the monster, he poured the remaining fiery liquor all over its body.

Having finished, Swain seemed to age even further all at once, his back hunching significantly.

Klein and Old Neil stepped forward, standing quietly behind Swain without a word. The atmosphere was heavy—so heavy that even Stelle maintained her silence.

PS: Someone asked me, why didn't Ceryus come to save this out-of-control person?

Let me emphasize this here: do not mistake the protagonist for being Lawful Good just because he is easygoing. He is Chaotic Neutral.

Besides, he is a Masked Fool, not a masked babysitter.

With so many people losing control every single day, surely no one expects the protagonist to fly around saving everyone everywhere, right?