Re: In My Bloody Hit Novel - Chapter 665

Chapter 665: Barak’s Sin Of Wrath
The moment Lorath unleashed his attack, Thalus turned sharply in his direction. His gaze, cold and calculating, locked onto the incoming strike. His glasses gleamed briefly in the faint light as his voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

“Ignite!”

Instantly, an explosion tore through the battlefield, but this was no ordinary blast. It wasn’t wild or expansive; it was impossibly precise, a searing horizontal line of fire that blazed in a perfect path across the battlefield.

The firestorm’s heat was intense, yet its path was so exact that it looked as if the earth had been meticulously carved and burned at the same time.

As the flames dissipated, the ground revealed a razor-thin trench, glowing red-hot, stretching across the battlefield. Lorath frowned, his jaw tightening as he studied the aftermath. He knew this ability all too well. Thalus’s power was terrifyingly unique—his spiritual energy allowed him to burn anything he deemed an ‘imperfection’. To Thalus, even a ripple in the air caused by spiritual energy was an offense worthy of annihilation.

Lorath realized what had happened. His blade’s earlier swing had been so precise, infused with such potent spiritual energy, that it sliced through the very fabric of the air, perhaps even cutting into the edges of space itself. But Thalus, considering the sheer force and chaos of the attack as an imperfection, had burned it away with frightening precision.

However, Thalus hadn’t stopped the entire assault. A portion of Lorath’s attack had slipped past, and its devastating force found its mark. The energy crashed into the Holy Church’s army. Soldiers scrambled to defend themselves, raising shields and weapons to block the incoming force, but it was futile. The energy was merciless.

Where it struck, it left devastation. Those fortunate enough only lost an arm or a leg, their screams filling the air as blood pooled around them. But for the less fortunate, the strike was absolute—cutting them cleanly in half, leaving mutilated bodies strewn across the battlefield. For many, this was their end.

Lorath’s eyes darkened with anger as he realized he hadn’t reached his intended targets: neither the Seer nor Thalus had been harmed. Frustration boiled within him, and his hand moved instinctively to unsheathe his blade once more. This time, he would make sure nothing survived his strike.

But before he could act, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder. “Enough, Lorath,” Barak said, his voice calm but weighted with authority.

Lorath turned to protest, but the look on Barak’s face made him pause. His master wore a smile, but it was a twisted, trembling expression that didn’t reach his eyes. The edges of his mouth twitched as if barely holding back the fury simmering beneath. Lorath immediately understood. Barak’s terrifying restraint meant that his anger had reached its peak. Any further provocation could result in an eruption far worse than anything Lorath could unleash.

Barak turned his gaze toward the Seer, his voice measured yet menacing. “The war has only just begun. Nevertheless, my offer still stands. Refuse it…” His smile widened unnervingly. “…and you will force my hand to explore other…means.”

Without waiting for a response, Barak pivoted and strode away. His heavy robes flowed behind him as he headed back toward his airship. Lorath glanced once more at the battlefield, then followed, his grip on his sword still tight, his frustration simmering beneath the surface.

The airship’s engines hummed in the distance, signaling their departure, but the tension lingering over the battlefield was far from dissipated.

Thalus’s fists clenched at his sides as he followed the Seer to the chariot, his rage bubbling beneath his composed exterior. He wanted to strike, to unleash his power and erase the abomination that dared stand against the Holy Church. But the Seer’s graceful steps toward her shimmering chariot made it clear—she had no intention of continuing this confrontation. The matter was settled, at least for now.

Once aboard the chariot, Thalus walked beside her in silence, adjusting his glasses in irritation as the golden beasts lifted the vehicle into the air. Below, the battlefield of death and destruction shrank away, replaced by endless skies. But Thalus’s mind refused to quiet. He turned to the Seer, his tone sharp.

“Why did you stop me? That… *thing* should not exist. It was an affront to balance and perfection. I could have burned him away, erased his imperfection from existence.”

The Seer did not answer immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the horizon as the chariot ascended, the winds pulling gently at her flowing robes. Her stillness only deepened Thalus’s frustration, but he held his tongue. Finally, as the chariot leveled and they soared through the clouds, she turned her gaze toward Barak’s distant airship.

“That is an incredible man,” she said, her tone carrying an unexpected hint of admiration.

Thalus’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Incredible? You compliment him? After all he has done—his desecration, his arrogance—you call him *incredible*?”

She smiled faintly but did not look at him. “Yes, incredible. Let me explain, Thalus. With power comes pride and often an inability to restrain oneself. Most men, especially those who wield such strength, succumb to the hunger to display and indulge in their power. Yet Barak… he is different.”

Her voice softened, thoughtful. “Even in front of an entire army, he held back… News of his wrath has reached even my ears. A man that suffers from the Cardinal Sin of Wrath.

Stories of how his anger tears through his enemies, quite literally, ripping them apart with his bare hands. A beast driven by wrath, they say. And yet, today, after my provocations, after everything I said and did, he maintained a calm, composed front. He smiled in the face of fury and declared he would find another way to achieve his goals. That restraint, Thalus, is terrifying.”

Thalus remained silent, her words sinking in.

“That level of control,” the Seer continued, “is why he has conquered the other Zodiac families. It is why he was able to unite those proud and powerful clans under his banner. He is not just a man of strength but of strategy and patience. And that,” she said, her voice dropping into a grim whisper, “makes him an incredible threat to MY Holy Church.”

***

Back aboard Barak’s airship, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Lorath, still brimming with anger, couldn’t hold back any longer. He turned to Barak, his voice sharp, cutting through the hum of the airship’s engines.

“Why did you stop me? Thalus was right there. I could have cut him down where he stood!”

Barak stood near the viewport, his massive frame outlined by the golden glow of the setting sun. His hands were clasped tightly behind his back, the faint tremor in them betraying the storm he was holding back. He took a deep breath, his broad shoulders rising and falling slowly, before finally turning to Lorath.

“The war,” Barak said, his voice measured but heavy with authority, “has not yet reached the point where the Ten Fingers of Solitude should get involved. I am not ready to reveal the cards in my hand.”

Lorath opened his mouth to argue, but Barak raised a hand to silence him. “Not every victory is won on the battlefield of blood and sand, Lorath. There are other battlegrounds—ones of the mind and wits. Sometimes, restraint is the greatest weapon of all.”

Barak’s tusked face twitched as he forced a smile, but the fury in his eyes betrayed the effort it took to remain composed. “We will fight, Lorath,” he continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “But not today. Today, we let them believe they’ve won. Let them walk away with their pride intact. It will make their fall all the more satisfying when we strike.”

Barak turned back to the viewport, his gaze fixed on the clouds ahead, his breathing steadying. Lorath nodded reluctantly, gripping the hilt of his blade. Though he didn’t fully agree, he trusted his master. For now, he would wait…