Chapter 209: Protagonist vs. Protagonist (Two-in-One, Alliance Update)
Fisher and Jasmine had just calmed down, but Blake in front of them wasted no time. He dragged a giant sword forward with his right hand and lifted his firearm, aiming it at Fisher and Jasmine.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
As Blake unceremoniously opened fire, Fisher grabbed Jasmine’s shoulder and pulled her back.
A large amount of underground water was seeping through the walls of the treasury. Although the floor had cracked significantly due to the monster that had just emerged from the ground, the water soon reached Fisher’s knees. If things continued like this, it wouldn’t be surprising if the entire treasury were completely submerged.
Although Jasmine’s consciousness had recovered considerably, her pupils still visibly showed streams of black water surging. Her once beautiful blue hair had not returned to normal but remained as dark as ink.
She was still angry, but this time, the avenger had to be herself.
In the flowing water, Jasmine twisted her body furiously and rushed towards Blake, while Fisher raised his fluid sword and followed Jasmine.
“What great courage, Fisher Benavides! Let me see how the favored one by Elizabeth differs from me back in the day!”
Lightning flickered across Blake’s aging face. As Jasmine attacked, he braced himself against the heavy sword, absorbing all of Jasmine’s strikes with the rusted iron sword, and with a mighty shout, he performed an elegant step to shift the force of Jasmine’s assault into a new attack directed at Fisher.
Strangely enough, as Blake attacked Jasmine, the lightning on his body slowly dimmed, and when it reached Fisher, it unleashed with reckless abandon.
Fisher stood bare-chested. Although he was in excruciating pain from Jasmine’s siphoning of life force, it was this very pain that seemed to invigorate his body, making him feel lighter and more elated.
Noticing the change in the lightning, Fisher’s expression shifted subtly as his gaze fell upon the serene face of Muxi, who lay asleep on Blake’s chest.
The Whale Folk’s blessings and curses were driven by their emotions, just like flowing water. Even if Blake had implanted Muxi’s flesh and blood, it should have been ineffective.
But now, the lightning automatically weakened when aiming at Jasmine?
This indicated that Muxi’s consciousness still existed within Blake?
And at this moment, she was still willingly providing blessings to protect Blake?
Fisher swiftly maneuvered around Blake to reach Jasmine’s side. Jasmine gritted her teeth, eager to continue forward, but Fisher stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.
“Jasmine, your aunt still has her consciousness; otherwise, her blessings wouldn’t manifest on Blake. She is willingly protecting him.”
“Why?! He’s just a damned demon!”
“Jasmine, calm down. Blake will receive his due punishment, but before that, we need to make Muxi abandon her protection of Blake so that his defenses will fail. Leave it to me, I need your help.”
Jasmine clenched her jaw, stared at Fisher, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
After this round of exchanges, Blake looked at the flickering lightning behind him and smiled knowingly. His piercing eyes fixed firmly on Jasmine.
“Your aunt rarely mentions the situation under the sea to me, not even when I discovered her true identity long after. If it hadn’t been for your letter, I wouldn’t have known there were other Whale Folk onshore.”
“Only now do I realize how little you resemble your aunt. Muxi is cheerful and passionate, kind and courageous, while you are just a coward hiding behind a man.”
The black water surged in Jasmine’s eyes again, and she angrily pointed at Blake, shouting,
“Shut up!”
Fisher’s gaze shifted slightly, and just as Jasmine was about to move, he rushed toward Blake. After this time of cooperation, Fisher and the fluid sword were in perfect harmony. That weapon from the ocean was like an extra hand under his control.
“Do you think you have the right to mention her aunt in front of Jasmine?”
The fluid sword met the giant sword, and in the next moment, it transformed into a circular loop that tightly gripped Blake’s massive sword. His giant sword was a relic, but its only effect was to reduce its weight. As Fisher manipulated the fluid sword to control Blake’s weapon, he found the sword’s weight surprisingly light.
“I lack the right?”
Blake’s aging face, like two eyes in a deep cave, ignited with fury from this very statement.
“I lack the right? I devoted my life to Muxi, giving her everything without reservation! I was able to forsake all worldly rights, despite the Exploration Company inviting me multiple times to join the board. I once had countless opportunities to lead many human ships to explore further. Not like when I was young, sailing on a wooden boat that often stalled in unknown dangers with nothing but fervor!”
“For Muxi, I was willing to live incognito in Saint Nali, to live in obscurity without socializing while dreading that she might be discovered. As long as she could be happy, I would meet all her wishes, where she wanted to go, whatever she wanted! I even turned down a princess’s invitation for her!”
He grew more animated as he spoke, and with a sudden jolt, he wrenched the fluid sword from Fisher’s grasp, filled with rage as he brought the sword down towards Fisher.
“What do you understand? Do you think you can stand here and spout lofty words to prove how noble you are? Fisher Benavides, you like me can love the Subhuman without fear of societal judgment, just as I did in my youth, equally loving lives that are not human.”
“But have you ever considered what differences exist between humans and other races?”
“Have you ever felt how much Muxi desires a child? Have you ever seen the disappointment in her eyes, turning into calmness again?”
“Have you ever endured society’s ridicule? Do you have the courage to confront the entire human society for her sake?”
Blake’s blade swung with increasing ferocity, and lightning from Muxi followed the water, striking Fisher’s body with numbing pain, but Fisher remained resolute, locking eyes with the hysterical Blake.
He questioned himself, if the young Fisher had met a beautiful subhuman without the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, would they have forever been unable to have a child because of life’s ranks and been forced to hide their identities due to lifespan and appearance?
He wondered if there was not another human, including a pioneer like Blake, who could accept a subhuman?
Did he not possess the same courage as Blake to devote his life to a subhuman woman?
Fisher was greedy and fond of ladies; even in his youth, he could never be as loyal as Blake. The bolts of lightning that surged with Blake’s emotions continuously slanted, as if it were not pain but a cleansing and questioning of Fisher’s soul.
Blake roared but did not swing again, for Jasmine had suddenly punched him hard in the face. He received the blow without avoiding it, but his body remained still, only catching his breath in place.
“Fisher Benavides, as time passes, as the years wear on, when you’re too old to walk, too old for your memories to be clear, but the person you love still remains young and beautiful, and there’s a long road yet to tread, how do you feel?”
He silently extended his hand, looking at his muscular form, inside which his life force was nearly depleted, leaving only Muxi’s life force sustaining him forward.
“I’ve tried to persuade myself to accept death peacefully, but I suffer every day, especially when Muxi is by my side. Every time she looks at me with her youthful face, I dare not lift my withered hand to touch her. She has dozens of years ahead of her, yet I have reached the end of my life.”
“I still deeply remember the look she had when she looked down at my dying self, as if the superior life were mocking my impotence!”
Fisher slightly raised his head, fiercely staring at the still and calm Blake and the Muxi behind him.
“So, you just killed her? Defiling her beauty into the twisted and terrifying appearance she has today?”
“I will always remember her at her most beautiful! I recall every inch of her skin! But do you still remain as she remembers you? Are you still the Blake Vasily she once loved?”
Fisher abruptly raised his fluid sword, the mercury-like blade reflecting Blake’s current appearance, that grotesque, terrifying humanoid form completely mirrored before the sleeping Muxi.
“Muxi! Don’t you realize? He has descended into madness, becoming a monster without boundaries!”
Perhaps the monstrous visage was something Blake could no longer accept. His aging face suddenly twisted into a snarl as he lifted his giant sword, aiming it at Fisher. But just as he was about to swing down, Jasmine gritted her teeth and pressed down on his arm, seizing the moment he was immobilized, and the lightning behind Blake grew exceedingly dim.
Fisher seized this opportunity, his fluid sword rapidly transforming into a spiral weapon like a drill. He aimed for a fierce attack, the only possibility to break the protection surrounding Blake!
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
The fluid sword spun rapidly towards Blake’s neck. In his astonished gaze, the blue water shield and the fluid sword erupted with a sharp sound.
“Ahhhhh!”
Fisher raised his fluid sword forward, while Blake refused to sit idly by. His right hand was firmly gripped by Jasmine, but his left hand abruptly struck towards Fisher’s abdomen. Fisher grit his teeth and endured the blow, watching as Blake’s large finger punctured into his abdomen.
Blood and pressure flooded his muscles, but Fisher no longer cared.
He pushed back with both legs, forcing the fluid drill forward.
“Crack!”
In the next second, the shield in front of Blake was pierced by Fisher’s attack, creating a crisp shattering sound like glass. The tip of the fluid sword touched Blake’s flesh, but it just wouldn’t penetrate, blood dripped down the fluid sword’s drill tip, yet Fisher had no more strength left.
Blake’s hand thrust through Fisher’s skin, droplets of blood flowing down his pants. His vision blurred, but the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans on his chest began to heat up.
“Buzz.”
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, but the next second, a cool sea breeze swept around, and in that moment, his world spun wildly, as if time had stalled, changing the flow.
“There seems to be a subhuman ahead! Oh my, it’s a half-human, half-centaur subhuman!”
Unidentified voices continuously echoed, and when Fisher opened his eyes again, he was now within someone else’s perspective.
He found himself standing on a broad coastline, where unique giant trees and vibrant birdsong and flowers existed, and a flustered half-human, half-centaur subhuman stared at “him.”
This was the Southern Continent?
And beside “him,” two excited sailors were raising firearms, aimed at the startled centaur.
“My God, this is a groundbreaking discovery! Let’s make him a specimen to take back!”
“Quick! Quick! He’s about to flee!”
“Before “himself” could stretch out to stop them, a large hand had already covered the firearm before “him,” pushing it away just as it fired, rendering the sailors’ attempts in vain.
The centaur darted off in panic, and the two sailors looked terrified at the person who had thwarted their actions.
From this angle, a handsome Nali man in a disheveled white shirt and black captain’s hat stood next to the two sailors.
He had slightly curly golden hair, and his strong arms firmly gripped the gun-wielding sailor. After waiting a second or two, he lowered his gun, looking displeased.
“Captain Blake.”
“Mr. Captain.”
“We’re here to document new sea routes and discoveries, not to act as butchers. Let the accompanying scholars record this subhuman to take back; it’s already a worthwhile endeavor for you. Now, follow me to see what’s new in this continent. And…”
The young Blake turned to “him” and gently tossed a firearm that hung at his waist.
“You should have a means of defense too, just in case something goes awry.”
“Thank you, Blake.”
“Not at all. Just call me Captain.”
Fisher suddenly realized he was experiencing Muxi’s perspective!
But now that the situation was urgent, there was no time to dive into Muxi’s story. He wanted to return to the reality of the battle, but the perspective would not obey his commands and kept changing.
Here, he saw the entire story of Muxi and Blake unfold through her eyes.
They set off from exploring the Southern Continent, navigating various sea routes, and throughout the process, Blake had always proven to be a competent captain.
He was kind yet had an undeniable authority, leading by example. He loved life, willingly sharing the meager fruits on board with the other crew members, resulting in his own gums bleeding and a pale complexion due to the lack of fruit.
Muxi was well protected by him and never sustained any injuries, thus never revealing her identity as a Whale Folk.
During the lengthy voyage, they developed feelings for each other. Muxi was deeply moved by his courage and decisiveness, even deciding to stay onshore for the adventure with Blake.
His gaze turned again, and soon Fisher found himself seeing a dark region shrouded in black clouds from Muxi’s perspective. She and a group of sailors were evacuating.
This was Stormy Seas.
“Boom!”
“The storm is expanding! If this continues, none of us will escape! Muxi, you take the crew away first!”
Just as Muxi turned back, she saw Blake at the rear suddenly being weighed down by countless dark clouds that sought to drag him back.
Watching all the sailors attempting to return to save him, he yelled to them, shaking his head in anger, urging them to abandon him decisively.
In that situation, Muxi chose to go back and rescue Blake alone, and at that moment, she revealed her identity as a Whale Folk for the first time in front of Blake.
Thinking he would feel disgust towards an unknown subhuman being like others did, Blake was somewhat surprised, and then, upon seeing Muxi’s whale tail behind her, he chuckled.
“I should have guessed from the sheer amount you eat compared to other crew members that something was off with you.”
“Huh? You find this objectionable?”
“Not at all. In fact, I’m quite pleased. By the way, can you hurry up and take me out of here?”
Blake shone like the sun.
He is unselfish, enthusiastic, and kind, embodying all the best qualities of humanity. After countless adventures, he and Muxi finally decided to return to Blake’s homeland to marry and settle there.
Although Muxi could only conceal her identity in human society, she occasionally became jealous of Blake’s romantic interests, yet Blake truly did well.
He refused the king’s marriage proposals and turned down every woman who pursued him, marrying Muxi within an inconspicuous church and exchanging vows to symbolize their promises, completing the monumental feat of marrying a subhuman, pledging their marital vows there.
Humanity and the Whale Folk had their first deep connection; that time was the happiest and most beautiful period of Muxi’s life.
But time passed, and everything began to change.
Blake gradually aged from a handsome youth to an old man who could barely walk. Although Muxi’s beauty remained unchanged, in her eyes, he was still that imposing, handsome captain of before.
He meticulously cared for Muxi, ensuring she remained as happy as she had been in past years.
Muxi established the Healing Room to help extend Blake’s life, hoping that human scholars could discover methods to treat humans, but obviously, in the end, it was all in vain.
Even with countless healing spells and remedies, they were futile; Blake, over a hundred years old, had reached the end of life, his lifespan had reached the human limit.
Yet on this suffocating, doomed path, Blake, feeling hopeless about life, seemed to go insane, mad enough to wish to extend his life using his own life, desperate enough to conduct evil experiments using the lives of others.
Muxi could not help but question herself,
Could this really be the true nature of the person she admired for so many years?
Could time truly destroy a human’s strongest will so easily?
Even if he was Captain Blake, the once brilliant man.
Fisher’s vision quickly rewound; everything Muxi saw was as if it had been compressed into a second. But when he came back to his senses, Blake had already flung him and Jasmine away, and the blue water shield coalesced once more.
The water flow splashed in midair, and from Fisher’s perspective, كل شيء seemed to slow in that instant, blood continuously gushing from his abdomen like flowers colliding with the surrounding water.
His eyes flickered, but through each droplet, he glimpsed countless complex faces of living beings, an eerie scene where faces and lives mingled surged into Fisher’s mind like a chill.
That was the gaze of the God of All Forms!
In that moment, Fisher finally understood why Ramastia had given him the fluid sword through Rena. He could actually see Muxi’s past experiences through the fluid sword.
The next second, he abruptly twisted his body and landed on the ground.
“Hahaha.”
Blood flowed continuously from Blake’s neck; he had evidently been injured by the fluid sword, and Muxi’s blood flowed down that sword.
Though Fisher’s arms and abdomen bore multiple wounds, he still held tightly to the fluid sword.
“Fisher, I’ll help you.”
Jasmine looked at Fisher’s pale face and hurried over to treat him, but there was little life energy left in her, and to heal him, she would have to use her own life force. Thus, Fisher shook his head, refusing her.
“Jasmine, help me hold the sword.”
Jasmine hesitated for a moment, looking at Fisher’s bent arm, and then reached out to grip the fluid sword. Fisher bit down on his pain and clutched Jasmine’s hand.
“Blake, you’re too old; you’ve misremembered many things.”
Fisher and Jasmine held the fluid sword with both hands. He panted, memories of Muxi swirling through his mind, also looking at Blake, who held his body.
“You devoted your life to Muxi, so it’s only natural for you to feel entitled to demand something from her at life’s end. But don’t forget, it was you both who made promises to love each other for a lifetime in that church!”
“You only remember how she gazed at you, misunderstanding that she mocks and despises how fleeting your life is, yet you forget how she looked at you when you lifted her onto the operating table.”
“She didn’t resist, watching as you plunged the blade into her body to seize her flesh and blood so that you could extend your life through such twisted means! You regretted the promise before dying, while she upheld her wedding vows until the very end, loving you until her last breath!”
Blake’s pupils contracted. Did he not see the look in Muxi’s eyes as she lay on the operating table? Why then did he hide his ugly, twisted features with a cloak?
He always knew; he always remembered, but everyone tended to evade this. What right did he have to criticize Jasmine on this point?
“Shut up!”
The lightning behind him surged to its peak, seemingly angered by Fisher’s simple words. He disregarded his wounds and charged furiously at Fisher and Jasmine.
But Fisher glanced at Jasmine and took a deep breath; the airflow seemed to take form as it entered his body and awakened his internal potential again.
“You’re right, Blake; I, Fisher Benavides, indeed can’t compare to the young you. But if the young you saw your current grotesque form, he too would disdainfully kill you!”
“Shut up! Benavides!”
Now!
Fisher and Jasmine tightly gripped the fluid sword. When Blake reached in front of them, their eyes narrowed as they seized the opportunity, suddenly swinging the sword’s blade toward his neck.
Though the motion was not quick, in Blake’s peripheral vision, amidst the reflection of the mercury-like fluid sword, he vaguely saw a young gentleman in a captain’s hat glaring at him with fierce anger.
The expression in those eyes was filled with disdain and hatred, as if mocking the ugly figure he had become.
In that moment, Fisher and Jasmine seemed to have transformed into their former selves from decades ago, their silhouettes fully merging, executing actions exactly as they once did.
Seeing their figures align with the past, Blake lost himself for a moment, his actions slightly halting, missing the best moment for counterattack.
Not good!
By the time Blake reacted, the young “Blake and Muxi” had already pressed the blade against his neck. In the fierce collision that felt metallic, he suddenly felt a chill at his neck.
“Buzz!”
The sharp blade represented the most resilient will of Fisher and Jasmine at that moment, easily shattering the will of both the current him and Muxi.
The fluid sword glided up Blake’s giant sword, accompanied by fierce friction and sparks, diving straight into that streaming shield.
“Crack!”
With a combined effort from Jasmine and Fisher, the shield could no longer hold and shattered. The fluid sword swiftly pierced through Blake’s neck, not collecting a single drop of blood, causing his head to fly back.
“I…”
Blake’s eyes filled with astonishment as his head spun in the air. Only when his still-standing body and massive whale tail reappeared in his line of sight did he seem to awaken, as if freed from a chain.
Endless darkness and silence surged into his vision, but he felt no fear, just as he had in his youth facing the vast ocean.
He was left puzzled, wondering why, despite still holding love for Muxi, he had descended into madness.
“Muxi…”
After that weak, repentant murmur, his head fell into the water without obstruction, the sound of a broken chain resonating in his dying consciousness.
The initial pioneer, thus met his demise.
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(End of this chapter)
