Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 501 Ascension
When Ethan and Bazalian arrived at the downtown square in the upper city, the trial had already been underway for some time. Mary stood solemnly on the execution platform. After three days of physical and mental torture, the officials' eyes were no longer filled with fear, but only with numbness.

Ethan did not find Leon, Grave, and Suliman on the execution platform; they seemed to have been assigned to another mission.

The people in the square were completely absorbed, and with the added effect of the magic trick, no one noticed the arrival of the two.

"We made it in time; we're not too late."

He found the most important person in the line of prisoners waiting to be interrogated—Mayor Hakimi.

Mary somehow transformed him back into a human, ensuring he could ascend the guillotine in his own dignified form. Ethan also noticed that the audience in the front row had prepared rotten eggs, pebbles, and other hidden weapons. They seemed to be die-hard fans of Mayor Hakimi, and when Hakimi took the stage, they would throw rotten eggs and stones at him like fans waving glow sticks, expressing their support for his work over the years through their actions.

"Anzi, can you tell me what secret weapon Larry and his team have prepared?"

Ethan asked in a low voice beside Bazalian.

After saving Anzi from danger twice, he believed that Bazalian's affection for him had increased dramatically, and he should be able to rank in Bazalian's Top 10 friends.

Bazalian glanced at him sideways.

Ethan is indeed special.

After all, even her former friends had never seen this side of her.

"Air."

Her answer left Ethan stunned for a long time. This was the same answer he had received from two different people in one day. However, he quickly realized that unlike the blissful society that the Messiah had promised to the Holy City, Laris had no intention of doing anything good with air.

What they crave is destruction and death, to drag everyone in Oasis City down with them the moment before they achieve their ideal.

"A good plan. Poisoning is a safer approach than confronting Mary head-on. They made full use of the trial; the virus will spread immediately in densely populated areas, and even those who did not participate in the trial for various reasons will soon be infected."

Ethan said, "And they also know Mary well. Her reputation is known because of the Scarlet Plague of the Third Age. On the surface, she seems to have a lot of experience in dealing with plagues, but this is precisely what makes her most painful memories deep in her heart."

"that's it?"

Bazalian silently observed Ethan, listening to his logical analysis.

After expressing his views, he simply crossed his arms and continued to stand at the end of the crowd, watching the commotion on the execution platform.

This, in turn, piqued Bazalian's curiosity.

This time it was her turn to remind Ethan, "If you want to end this farce, you can start now. They should be in the sewers right now, and soon they will reach City Hall Square through the secret passages and use the sewers to spread the plague throughout the city."

Stop Larry and his cronies, nip the threat in the bud.

The trial has concluded successfully, and everyone will have a happy ending.

“Go ahead and do it. For your sake, I can withdraw from this election.”

Bazalian lowered her eyes. In the end, this election was just a diversion in her boring life. Even she knew how to repay kindness.

The young man in front of her had helped her twice, and he would return to the Empire after the events in Oasis City were over. She didn't want to keep owing him favors.

There is also a more carefree state of being all alone and without any worries.

Bazalian reminded herself of this.

“Anzi, there’s an old saying in my hometown.”

Upon hearing this, Bazalian stared intently at Ethan, ignoring the noise from the crowd.

She was curious to see what this interesting man would say.

She experienced the darkest era before the arrival of the First Age, and also glimpsed the departure of the Old Gods from the memories of "another her," as well as how the human beings of this world gradually arrived at this day, a long and corrupt kingdom where people live in pain every moment, yet such a world has been able to exist in a twisted way for thousands of years.

Perhaps she overlooked something; she knew very well that with eyes filled with hatred, one could not view things objectively, just like... Larry.

When she first arrived in Oasis City, she saw the flame burning in Laris's heart, and for a moment she even felt a resonance with a human.

Larry wanted to burn down this city, which appeared glamorous on the surface but was actually utterly corrupt.

But what she wanted to burn was something much larger.

However, when she actually devoted herself to the project, she was instead overwhelmed by confusion.

Who is her enemy?

Is it Mary?

Those who are closest to the Goddess of Life in the eyes of believers are human beings who are seen as His reincarnation.
A mere immature girl is not worthy of being regarded as an enemy.

So, could it be Ethan?

He was indeed a worthy adversary, an enemy capable of bearing her hatred. However, after several encounters, she discovered that she and Ethan were not enemies at all, and she was even inexplicably helped by this man twice.

Bazalian was forced to confront a harsh reality—she had woken up far too late.

Those who had strong ideological conflicts with her and were mortal enemies had long since died in the First Era.

The moment she left the downtown area with Ethan, she made a concession in her heart.

Even if Ethan could come up with a barely plausible theory, she would be willing to withdraw from the election and turn the page on her feelings for Oasis City and the entire Far West.

What will Ethan say to her at this moment?

She encountered someone who was impossible to fathom or understand; let alone predict the future, she couldn't even guess what this person would say next.

Bazalian watched as Ethan's Adam's apple bobbed. His expression was resolute, and he uttered only four words.

"Since we're already here..."

The unexpected reply shocked Bazalian so much that she forgot the passage of time.

"Is there something wrong with you?"

Several seconds later, Bazalian suddenly raised her eyebrows and her expression turned fierce.

"what?"

"Don't breathe so heavily when you speak!"

What does "since we're already here" mean?
It really infuriated her! She had been hoping that Ethan could say something that would help her let go of her obsession.

Bazalian defiantly turned her gaze to the judge's bench. Although she didn't know what Ethan was up to, since he didn't require her to compromise, she would witness the election to the very end!

Meanwhile, people in the underground sewers were rushing toward the exit of the upper city.

Heavy footsteps followed closely behind, each step taken by the pursuers causing a tremor beneath their feet. For Laris and the others, this was undoubtedly the worst day ever.

The poison gas bomb they had been developing for so long was stolen, and even more unexpected was Salman's change in attitude. They hadn't taken Salman seriously at all.

As a resident of the Lower City, he took over the job of the former warden after the warden was arrested and imprisoned due to his seniority. Before that, he had no faith and had nothing to do with the identity of a superhuman. He only survived the prison riot because of luck.

How can such a marginal character, whose name is not even worthy of being remembered, undergo any changes in just three days?

However, the actual situation was beyond everyone's expectations.

Their companions who remained were unable to deal with this troublesome fellow who had walked right into their trap, nor could they hold off Salman for long.

Salman donned a dark blue metallic armor unlike anything he had ever seen before, which concealed his face. The armor made him over three meters tall, and he simply stood there like a high wall forged from steel and conviction. The helmet was the most awe-inspiring part, a blank metallic face with a simple yet efficient design, making him resemble a ruthless judge, bringing final judgment upon them, the rats of the gutter.

The giant hand, covered in dark blue armor, gripped the mutant's neck tightly, and the monster's flesh, covered in sticky secretions, made an unpleasant creaking sound as the knuckles squeezed it.

The companions who had successfully mutated after swallowing the fruit were dragged along the ground by Salman like rags. Upon seeing them, Salman threw their broken bodies at them as if they were trash.

This scene greatly shocked Larry and the others, so much so that for a moment only one thought remained in their minds—retreat.

They had to retreat to City Hall Square to complete the final step of their plan before the trial ended.

Even if they can't defeat this dark blue steel giant by force, they still have the plague bomb as their last resort.

This was never a one-on-one duel. They didn't need to defeat anyone in a direct battle. Once the bomb was activated, it would set off a countdown for Oasis City and even the entire far west. At that time, the Holy Maiden of the Church would have to face a choice.

Eliminating the source of infection, nipping the plague in the bud, or perhaps out of a momentary reluctance to let the plague spread in the far west.

Whatever choice she makes, she will betray the residents of the downtown area who trusted her.

They knew about the Scarlet Plague just as much as Mary did.

"Laris, you know what you have to do."

The man, dressed in a filthy doctor's uniform with half his face covered by a mask, stopped in his tracks. "Even if they stole our experimental results, there's still one last way. We prepared for the worst from the beginning, didn't we?"

The only difference is how they will witness the arrival of the new era.

In history, it was a plague that quietly ushered in the Fourth Age, causing the Third Age to dissolve in death and disease.

They still hold the key to unlock the gates of the Seventh Age.

"You witnessed the process of the seed germinating, using your body as soil to allow the seeds of plague to blossom and bear fruit."

"The doctor" said urgently, confident that Larry's conviction would not waver.

They were the most steadfast believers of the goddess, who bestowed the fruit upon their hands, making them the sowers of a new era, even if it would destroy their bodies and twist their souls.

"Boss, we'll cover your retreat!"

The tall, fat young man who had been accompanying Larry stopped. He had reached his physical limit. He held the fruit in his hand, a simple, silly grin on his face. "Boss, you never complain about how much I eat. Today it's finally my turn to help you! I ate two extra baskets of hard bread before I left today, so I have more energy than usual!"

Larry also stopped, a rare look of hesitation on his face.

But he suppressed the strange emotions in his heart.

A firm belief filled the emotional void, and a voice quickly emerged from the depths of his heart.

Death will bring them true peace.

A smile quickly returned to Larry's face. "We'll see you in hell."

After saying that, he turned around, no longer looking at them, and ran headlong toward the end of the passage.

This secret passage made full use of the Oasis City's underground waterways. They opened up such a secret passage without the pampered officials being aware of it. They gathered in the underground tavern and talked about many things. They thought about setting fires and using explosives, but they always felt that they could not wipe out the bureaucrats in one fell swoop.

Now, he will use the air.

It is fair.

Regardless of status or wealth, everyone needs air to survive, and therefore air will equally grant everyone death.

The noise behind him faded into the distance. He couldn't remember how long he had been running through the dark tunnel until the moonlight streaming in from above indicated his destination.

He had very little strength left, so he took a few more steps forward and let himself bask in the bright moonlight.

The city hall square was packed with people, but no one noticed his arrival.

Through the partition above his head, he saw many familiar faces, who were solemnly witnessing the trial. He also saw Mary standing on the platform, her figure stretched long by the torches, like a sword trying to pierce the night sky.

A cold smile curved at the corners of Larry's lips. He felt a pulsating sensation on his fingertips as the heart-shaped fruit throbbed in his palm. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed the beating "heart," his mind now focused on a single thought.

At first it was warm, like a frozen person approaching a fire. Then the warmth turned into scalding heat, and the blood seemed to scream in the veins. Every note was a burst of breaking and rebuilding. His bones made a faint creaking sound, and the muscles under his skin no longer obeyed commands. They were like living things with independent lives, beginning to wriggle and stretch.

There was no pain, only a chilling sensation. He felt himself expanding and dissipating. His senses were freed from the shackles of his body, and his thoughts were thrown into the air at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

This was the first time Larry had seen Oasis City from this perspective.

Everything became insignificant; every familiar face turned into a blurry black dot, becoming unimportant.

Oasis City welcomed its second snowfall.

This time, however, the snowflakes were not cold ice crystals, but warm, scarlet snowflakes.

It drifted slowly down into the crowd and landed on their shoulders.

A short while later, a man in winter clothes in the crowd sneezed.

He instinctively wiped away the liquid that had spurted from his nostrils and mouth with a handkerchief.

His movements quickly froze.

He stood there, stunned, staring at the handkerchief soaked with liquid—the color of blood.

The man's eyes were filled with confusion.

More sneezes began, as if Oasis City had entered an allergy season, with the sounds rising and falling in unison.

The trial is still ongoing.

The man's attention was drawn to Mary on the platform, and he also noticed the new city hall members accompanying Mary on her trial.

"Ah!"

Some of those people also sneezed.

The blood that spurted from his mouth splattered onto the high platform, melting into the falling snowflakes.

(End of this chapter)