Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

He popped up twice more, each time just as he appeared, before he could even swing his sword, when he was simultaneously targeted by three sniper rifles. He learned his lesson and, as soon as the killing intent was released, he would immediately stop his intrusion without a second thought and obediently retreat amidst the noisy music.

"This is Hinata. We have discovered traces of an angel. Should we stop them?"

The situation finally took a turn, but it was still not the turn they had hoped for. The original student council president had appeared, but what about the new student council? Why hadn't they appeared yet? At this moment when Dark Spirit had accomplished nothing, how could that lurking guy be so patient?

"Call Hinata, let her in first, and see how she behaves."

Yuri was losing her temper. Every appearance of the Dark Spirit meant that a student who had died but had not been discovered by them had been poisoned. It was like playing Chinese chess. They thought their own formation was pretty good, but when they flipped over the opponent's pieces, they found that they were surrounded.

Two figures stepped into the cafeteria. The girl with dark eyes pulled the girl with long silver hair, squeezed through the enthusiastic crowd, ignored the noisy music, and ran towards the ordering machine with a clear goal.

"They just came here to eat?"

Yuri rubbed her eyes hard, somewhat unable to believe that the angel who had fought with them for so long would completely ignore the noisy scene and just come to eat like an ordinary student.

Normal students wouldn't just come here to eat at a time like this!

"Calling Yuri! Something's wrong with the corrupted member!"

Another grand feast after a 24-hour break

"I'll repeat myself, the situation of the corrupted members... something's wrong!"

The golden-white magic eyes closed slightly, and in the dim staircase in front of the weaver, where the spotlight couldn't reach, there were now specks of red light.

The banquet has begun.

Just as the electronic music of a guitar heralded the start of the concert, this inhuman feast was a grand event where the servants only picked up their bowls and chopsticks after the VIPs had taken their seats.

When she opened her eyes again, the golden-white dazzling light had disappeared. She no longer needed the magic pupils to distinguish this group of bloodthirsty kin—blood filled their eye sockets, sharp teeth pierced their upper lips, and even with her eyes closed, the putrid, bloody smell would frantically seep into everyone's pores.

Under this terrifying atmosphere, the normal members of the group had already trembled and raised their pistols, but the familiar faces of the past prevented them from pulling the trigger on their former comrades.

She casually pushed aside the group members blocking her path, and the gleaming blade, long unsheathed, was about to be drawn. The renowned katana, Ash, slashed into the blood-soaked darkness, single-handedly opening the bloody feast with its sheath. However, while she could use her aura as a blade to cut through fear, the katana that truly craved blood could only remain firmly in its sheath.

"It has been confirmed that all those who have been corrupted are under control. Yuri, what are your plans for dealing with them?"

With each step they took, the group members consciously made way for the sharp blade. The inferior scum faced the burning ashes directly. The master's will and the threat of the blade clashed in their already withered minds. They trembled like puppets on strings, wanting to move forward and backward, but ending up neither forward nor backward, emitting hoarse roars in disarray.

Equally confused was the team leader, Yuli, who couldn't answer. She knew what Ash was expecting, but it wasn't the answer she was hoping for. But if she didn't order their elimination, was she supposed to wait for the plague to completely infect the team she had poured her heart and soul into?

"Ugh, do you still want to eat Mapo Tofu? Won't it feel like you're on fire after eating it?"

No one had the energy to pay attention to the former angel anymore. She and her friends ignored the loud music and the murderous intent lurking beneath the noise, and went about their own business, choosing their favorite food.

"Mapo tofu is fine, Sha Zi, what would you like to eat?"

The silver-haired girl got the meal voucher she wanted, and the girl with dark eyes could sense a fleeting moment of happiness beneath her expressionless face.

That's wonderful, such simple happiness, a happiness revealed only to her.

"As for me, of course, I'd say I'm red, warm, and sweet..."

With her hands behind her back and her toes pointed, her dark pupils, almost filling her entire eye sockets, shifted her gaze away from the silver-haired girl's face. She spun around, scanning the bustling world that was isolated from the two of them. As she spun and talked, the imagined delicacies, the delicacies that were about to flow here, seemed to be about to be uttered by her.

"Would you like Mapo Tofu too?"

Her spinning body stopped, and the angel, oblivious to her feelings, handed her a meal ticket exactly the same as the one in her hand.

Somewhat unsure how to react, she stared blankly at the angel in front of her. The angel tilted his head slightly, grabbed her hand, and handed her the meal ticket. Then, somewhat excitedly, he continued to hold her hand and led her to the meal collection window.

Well, Mapo Tofu it is. Anyway, I can start eating now.

The tangled marionettes were completely under the steady control of a large hand.

Ash awaits the leader's decision, while the Familia has already received their master's orders.

Overestimating their abilities, they charged towards the sharp blade.

Far exceeding human speed and reaction time, with a body identical to a human's, except that its heart no longer beats, and its eating utensils have changed from bowls and chopsticks to sharp teeth.

They opened their mouths wide, their fangs reflecting the spotlight, ready to devour her blade as their dinner and crush her to pieces.

"If you don't answer, I'll just do what I want."

The blades were still sheathed, so they would not be bitten by the sharp teeth. They had only surpassed humanity, but were still far from the realm of the Ashes.

The first ghoul to bite, focused only on the ashes in the earphones, casually flicked his wrist, which was holding the scabbard, and in an instant, the scabbard thrust straight into his chin, forcibly shutting his mouthparts, breaking his teeth, and the afterimage before his eyes blurred again, and the scabbard with a whistling sound smashed heavily into his cervical spine.

"At least, I promise I won't kill them."

Her cheerful voice continued to report, the katana and scabbard flying in her hand. Ash strolled among the ghouls, echoing the rock drumbeats, striking out the sound of bones shattering; tiny golden currents occasionally flickered, turning the drumheads she struck into tattered puppets that reeked of burnt wood.

boom--!

Ghouls are not mindless zombies; they retain the thoughts they had in life. Since their sharp teeth can't bite people, surely firearms can cause harm?

The ghouls that didn't charge forward drew the pistols issued to them by the SSS regiment and unleashed a barrage of fire at the Ashes, who seemed to be moving through an empty field.

The explosion of gunpowder blasted out bullets, but what did it matter? Ash's scabbard flashed with impenetrable speed. If ghouls could dodge bullets faster than a gunman pulling the trigger, then Ash could deflect them with the speed of his sword swings.

The intense firepower only doubled the speed at which she struck. Whether she knocked down a ghoul or knocked down a bullet, it was still striking; it was just that the intermittent gunfire had long transcended the rhythm of rock and roll, making the fervent fans aware of the battle hidden beneath the noise.

"Turn up the volume!"

The leader finally gave the order, but the target of her order was not Ash, who had already taken action.

Upon receiving the instruction, the operator increased the power of the speakers, causing the rock music to drown out the faint gunshots once again.

The frequency of Dark Spirits appearing has decreased, and Little Flame on the roof beam has some free time to observe the captain's actions.

As the order was given, Yuri, amidst the exclamations of the foolish guards, leaped off the third-floor railing, using the second-floor stair railing as a springboard, and slid at incredible speed towards the shadows on the first floor.

It seems the leader intends to deal with his own members personally.

Then let her finish this quickly too. After all, this isn't whack-a-mole, where the winner can be determined by the final score.

The battle among the ashes can only end with the death of one side.

The mole has surfaced again. Dark Spirit no longer even raises his straight sword. As soon as he appears, he places his shield above his head, waiting for the bullets to fall. If the bullets don't fall, he can complete his mission and gain some more good tongues.

This time, the bullet didn't fall. It might be a trap, but it didn't matter. The unguarded back in front of him made his needle-like straight sword thirsty for fire.

However, tonight, the needle-piercing straight sword is destined to fail in its backstab, simply because the sniper on the roof beam has now become a swordsman.

The rapid descent transformed the rock music that had been whistling past her ears into a strange melody. Deep purple outlines were drawn on her silhouette. The children of the pseudo-street, together with their master, were about to complete this fatal falling slash.

The thrusting straight sword stopped, and Kirk raised his shield. It was an instinctive action. His combat experience told him that the person in front of him was not the swordsman with the demonic eyes who could cut through any obstacle, but a sniper who had hastily picked up a longsword and had amazing marksmanship. Her longsword could not break through his shield. He could survive this falling blow and then launch a counterattack!

Xiaoyan's longsword certainly couldn't cut through the shield, but she didn't need to.

Medieval knights knew that if a longsword couldn't cut through armor, a hammer would do the trick.

A spiked hammer replaced the longsword and suddenly appeared in her hand. Kirk caught this sight and knew he had been tricked. His best option just now was indeed to roll over without a care in the world.

But he no longer had a chance. Deep purple flames enveloped the hammer, and a low chant told its story. The miracle of time amplified the ferocious weapon. Little Flame, arrogance, and stubbornness swung the hammer and spear together. The howling sound that tore through the air at that moment was even sharper than the chords of an electric guitar.

Under the spotlight, the lead singer witnessed the figure of the ashes in the air, took a deep breath, and prepared to sing the high note at the end of the song.

The hammer and spear made contact with the shield, instantly crushing it. A shockwave, accompanied by a heavy roar, rippled through the air, and the lead singer, with a powerful vocal, belted out a high note.

The high-pitched sounds and roars resonated as the Needle Knight was pressed to the ground inch by inch. This was the slowed-down physical time before death. He could see his armor and spirit body shattering piece by piece, while the surrounding crowd only felt a storm blowing around them.

boom--!

The ground was smashed, just as the high note at the end of the song finished. The rumble that spread out was like the drumbeat that ended the whole song. The fans caught in the crossfire were knocked down by the impact, but their cries of pain were drowned out by the applause and cheers after the song ended. Only the band members on the stage watched the smoke and dust erupt, their eyes twitching.

The Dark Spirit was crushed beyond recognition. Nearby fans rushed over in fear to see what had happened, but apart from a large crater that looked like it had been created by an explosion, they couldn't see anything inside.

The band gritted their teeth and moved on to the next song, managing to keep the concert going. Xiao Yan retraced her steps to the roof beam, looked at the bewildered crowd, avoided the pit, and plunged back into the hustle and bustle of the concert.

After all, they are NPCs. Even though they are almost indistinguishable from humans, they will still spontaneously steer certain special events onto the mainstream.

The Dark Spirit issue is temporarily resolved; now it depends on the situation on Zhi's side.

"Calling Hinata! Have the task force enter the cafeteria and locate the target—Frontline Staff Officer Takamatsu!"

This is a message from Yuri, and the situation is probably not good.

P.S.: Just asking for votes as usual~

Intermittent 25-day dinner gathering in progress

For the baby-faced Da Shan, the battle before him was beyond his imagination. The figure wielding the ashes from the scabbard, easily deflecting bullets, made him tremble.

As a member of the execution team, he had participated in all the battles against angels and witnessed countless times the horror of angels surviving their bullets. However, that horror was shrouded in various auras of turning the impossible into possible under the name of "angel." They firmly believed that it was something related to God, so it was normal that they could not resist it.

However, what is Ash? They had never had a precise understanding of this unfamiliar term. They only learned from Yuri's fragmented words that they possessed the combat power to fight against the Dark Spirits, who, although terrifying and capable of wiping them out, were enemies that could still be defeated by artillery fire.

But at this moment, he couldn't believe that the usually cheerful guy could be killed by artillery fire. That was a slashing attack that could catch up with bullets! It was a monster. Even angels survived their firepower by using skills that could distort bullet trajectories. This ability to accurately see the trajectory of a bullet and then cleanly deflect it was beyond his comprehension.

The ashes, refined through skill, now possess the potential to rival the pinnacle of modern warfare.

But his trembling wasn't just due to the monstrous strength of the ash monsters; what terrified him even more were the ghouls baring their sharp fangs and rushing towards the ash like moths to a flame.

They were all his former companions. No, they had always been his companions before the feast began, until those sharp fangs seemed to pierce some of his sealed memories, causing him to unconsciously touch his neck, while feeling the deep chill that had frozen his blood vessels and heart in the nightmare surge up again.

He instinctively wanted to get away from these guys, and if possible, he wanted to escape this cafeteria filled with noisy rock music.

"Calm down. That guy called Liangyi should be able to solve the problem here."

The calm voice belonged to his most familiar companion, the strategist on the front lines, Gao Song, a seemingly thin man who, beneath his refined exterior, had developed a muscular physique.

He was also one of his unfortunate buddies who was attacked by something resembling a vampire and ended up lying in the infirmary together.

That's right, they were attacked by something that looked like a vampire...

A dim scene flashed by, seemingly set in a similarly dim environment, where another familiar person revealed fangs that terrified him. Those fangs gleamed in the moonlight, sending chills down his spine just by looking at them.

Yes, just like now, except that the fangs are now reflecting the spotlight of a concert, and the attacker has a pair of glasses on his face that also reflect white light.

"Like this, calm down, calm down... calm down."

Takamatsu was attacked along with him, but he didn't die like him. Takamatsu was confirmed by the ashes to have become inhuman. Now Takamatsu is baring his fangs at him. Now Takamatsu is going to... turn him into one of his own!

His thoughts were instantly linked together, helping him to sort out the situation in the noisy and chaotic environment. However, this did nothing to help the current situation. He had already fallen into the hands of the ghoul, and this ghoul was his most trusted companion. He couldn't even draw the pistol from his waist and could only tremble as his advisor put his hands on his shoulders.

It was as if we were really trying to calm him down, if we ignored the sharp teeth showing under his mouth.

"Dashan! Run away!"

That's Yuri's voice. Yuri has come to save him, but how can she save him? Yuri has a pistol; if she pulls the trigger, she can save him. But why hasn't she pulled the trigger yet?

Because her hand holding the gun was also trembling, because she knew that those who were corrupted would disappear after death, and because she was even more afraid than them to shoot her corrupted comrades, because that would be a real "murder"!