The dungeon was quiet for a long time, until Belicia spoke again:
"So, what happened that night when you and Black Sword had a decisive battle?"
Lausanne II's eyes moved.
"They said you joined the Black Street Brotherhood. Why, Black Sword didn't tell you?"
"Black Sword is tight-lipped about that battle," Belicia snorted. "As for other channels, Lancer's minions almost blew him up, except for the 'Leader of the Formation Killing Blood Bottle Gang'."
All the blood bottles are in the formation."
At this point, the woman was worried.
What's more, after that battle, Black Sword rarely showed up again.
It was as if he understood life overnight and drifted away, turning into a hidden legend who only lives in legends.
He allowed the Black Street Brotherhood to expand wildly, add jealousy to his deeds, and worship him.
Lausanne II frowned.
"So, is this what the big man outside the door wants you to ask, or is it something you want to ask yourself?"
Belicia fiddled with the unlit cigarette in her hand and glanced at the wooden door.
"No," she was silent for a moment, "In fact, this is what you want to ask."
Lausanne II's eyes moved slightly, sharp but confused.
The woman released a mysterious but helpless smile: "If you ask me to guess, the biggest variable that night was neither the black sword nor you, right?"
Lausanne II's eyes changed.
"You're not guessing—what do you know?"
"Depends on what you've been through."
Under the dim light, Lausanne II was still in jail, unable to move, while Belicia was sitting sideways with her hands on her knees, lost in thought.
In the dull atmosphere, the two of them faced each other silently, which lasted for several seconds.
"That rainy night..."
Finally, Lausanne II spoke softly, making Belicia's eyes light up.
"Black Sword has been prepared for a long time, waiting for work, and its strength has greatly increased, far beyond expectations," the killer narrowed his eyes, "Turnbull was the first to be hit, and he fell."
The battle turned into a one-on-one battle between him and Black Sword.
Belicia curled her lips:
"But the odds of winning are still in your hands."
Lausanne II glanced at her with profound meaning.
certainly.
"At that time, I was at my peak, still in full strength, my heart was colder than ever, and my hands were steadier than ever."
The sword is also more ruthless than ever.
Even now, this is the case.
Even facing the desperate Black Sword, facing such a rare opponent, he gained a lot from that battle, made more progress, and made breakthroughs in the way of swordsmanship.
"Although it took more trouble than before, I still won." The killer said quietly.
Just like the previous times, it was unscathed.
No, almost unscathed.
almost.
Thinking of this, Lausanne II's voice dimmed:
"I killed him."
Following the "Triumph Strike" move taught by Joaquín, he slashed into the skull of Black Sword.
Belicia didn't speak, she just looked at the cigarette in her hand quietly with a complicated expression.
Lausanne II gently closed his eyes.
"Then he took action."
"he?"
"He, Turnbull."
It's him.
The vampire killer spoke hoarsely, and his words contained unnoticeable sadness and regret.
"Turnbull, who should have been down for a long time and unconscious, stood up again."
[The bottle is not wine, but the blood of the people.]
Behind him, the legendary old gang leader quietly picked up the strange black sword dropped by his opponent.
Swinging towards the best killer he's ever had.
"I guess he just pretended to be invincible before, just to wait for me and Black Sword to lose."
Lausanne II sneered:
"Or according to old Turnbull: I should 'die together' with the Black Sword."
Belicia lowered her head and let out a sigh of relief.
"With your ability, you won't just let it go like this, right?"
of course not.
"Because of your secret poisoning, I know that he doesn't trust me, and I have been wary of him for a long time," Lausanne II sneered, "He failed in the first attack."
The chains on Lausanne II's body made a slight sound.
"I tried to tell him that no matter why he did it, he was old and no longer... at least no longer my opponent."
The killer has a sad expression.
Even the most extreme choices will be weighed down by age and defeated by aging.
Or even scarier...
Surrender to fate.
Belicia said nothing.
"But he didn't listen and just continued to attack, so I started to fight back."
The vampire killer opened his eyes, his gaze dead.
"And I underestimated...his determination to kill me."
He also underestimated how well Turnbull knew him.
Underestimating the price the old gang leader is willing to pay.
Even more underestimated... is the alchemy ball in the opponent's hand.
I don’t know which big force I got that precious alchemy ball from.
"So I lost."
The killer's eyes were distracted.
He protected his head, but the countless sharp fragments exploded by the alchemy ball almost shattered all his internal organs.
Lausanne II clenched his fists.
But he was unwilling to do so.
Really unwilling.
Belicia sighed softly:
"Then naturally, you used that source blood."
Unexpectedly, Lausanne II denied it.
"No, half of my body was blown to pieces at that time, and I couldn't even move a finger."
He was already helpless.
Not to mention drinking the blood of the source and reversing the outcome.
He could only lie helplessly in the mud, feeling his life and internal organs disappear with the torrential rain, never to return.
The killer's distracted gaze refocused on Belicia.
"On the contrary, it was Turnbull, as the victor, who searched out the source of blood from my wrist guard - as if he already knew where it should be."
The vampire killer stared at the opponent.
Turnbull’s words still seem to echo in my ears:
[I will let you know, kid... getting old is no reason... I will let you know who your opponent is... I will let you know who can stand in the end...]
Belicia smiled unsurprisingly.
"Then what? You stood up and bit the source blood from his hand?"
Lausanne II kept staring at the woman for a long, long time.
"Turnbull thinks he's got me."
The killer said quietly:
"But he forgot about the other person."
Lausanne II narrowed his eyes and breathed quickly.
At that moment, the killer seemed to hear the gurgling rain that night again.
【Hey, uncle, that’s my sword.】
He seemed to see Old Turnbull holding the strange black sword that did not belong to him again. He turned back in disbelief and happened to see that scene:
With his face covered in blood and his body covered with black sword bruises, he climbed up weakly and with difficulty from the muddy and putrid ditch of the abandoned house filled with dead bodies.
He leaned on the sword of Lausanne II - the sword that should have been embedded in his skull. He stood up again unsteadily but still unstoppably.
[This Lausanne II’s sword is not very handy.]
Just like Black Sword had done countless times when he was chasing him.
Belicia was thoughtful, showing a little surprise.
"Turnbull and Blacksword, they said something I didn't understand."
[I told you, little bastard, I have been with those traitors in the Tower of Termination... The effect of the sin of the Hell River is not to make you unable to die, but to make it impossible for you to live... Why can't you be like you?
Like my stupid companions, how about early death and early relief?】
Lausanne II gritted his teeth to resist the severe pain from the wound that penetrated into his bone marrow.
Or the phantom pain of memories.
[Because they don't allow me to die...at least not so early...can't...just die...meaninglessly...]
"It seems that they are old acquaintances. They knew each other when Turnbull was still working as a mercenary in the desert and fought through life and death in a certain hundred-man regiment."
Lausanne II sneered, trying to numb the pain with laughter.
"But they fell through."
So the bloody battle resumed.
One old and one strong.
The Brotherhood and the Blood Bottle Gang.
The showdown between past and tomorrow.
Recalling this battle, Lausanne II's eyes flashed.
As a long-established master, Turnbull is very experienced.
But all he has left is Lao Chi.
As the loser at the end of the crossbow, Black Sword is resolute and decisive.
Because all he has left is determination.
"Both of them lost," Lausanne II recounted the past, recounting the miracles he had witnessed, "but in the end, the Black Sword completed his work."
Under Belicia's surprised eyes, the killer spoke calmly.
The black sword pierced Turnbull's chest in a manner that was almost fatal.
To end the confrontation that ended in an anticlimactic manner.
Having said this, Lausanne II suddenly sneered.
The laughter is faint, heavy and sad,
"Perhaps the sword of the black sword struck the right place... After Turnbull fell, he seemed to wake up for a moment and realized something. He laughed."
Lausanne II's smile slowly disappeared.
[I understand... you are right, kid, I shouldn't... shouldn't think I can play their games...]
In Belicia's increasingly confused expression, the killer's eyes returned to deathly silence.
"On his deathbed, old Turnbull crawled to my side and used up his last strength."
[Live on, child, see clearly the ugly face of this world...live on...]
"He stuffed the original blood... into my wound."
Lausanne II finished speaking softly.
As his words fell, the once all-powerful former overlord of the Blood Bottle Gang also fell silently in the story.
"he?"
After a long while, Belicia recovered from her disbelief and asked loudly.
"Impossible," the woman said with surprise on her face, "that insidious old bastard who is afraid of death, he? He gave his source blood and the only chance of escape to you? You?"
Lausanne II did not answer the other party's doubts. He just took a deep breath and struggled to speak out amid endless contradictions and confusion.
"that's all……"
Lausanne II's eyes were cold.
"With the second chance you gave me..."
This is also the second chance given by Turnbull.
He gave in.
In the freezing rain, surrender to fate.
"I cheated and got back on my feet."
The source blood melts when it meets blood, and they spread in his blood vessels, grow in his tissues, transport energy, and make up for deficiencies.
From the dying body, arouse strong energy and blood, full of vitality.
They allowed him to ignore the call of the Hell River Ferryman, completely escape dangerous and fatal injuries, and return to his prime again.
The living dead, flesh and bones.
Lausanne II gritted his teeth and said:
"I will face the Black Sword again."
Restart the war.
He was distracted, as if Black Sword's sad and helpless words were echoing in his ears again:
[Come on, killer, let’s fight and complete our unfinished business in front of your gang leader.]
[No matter what these senseless fights and killings are for, what is their meaning...]
【This is the only thing people like us can do for the deceased.】
"This time, he became stronger, right?"
Belicia crossed her arms with an indifferent expression.
Lausanne II looked blankly.
"There are rumors that every time he dies, the ancient magic sword will reward him and give him more power," Belicia turned her head and snorted disdainfully, "It's really unfair."
Every time I die...
Ancient magic sword?
More power?
"Yes, it's the strange sword that gave him this nickname... I believe you must be deeply impressed... Many people have tried to use it over the years, and it is said that some have succeeded... But what happened..."
Lausanne II paused.
His expression was dazed, and he recalled the destined enemy in his second life.
Recall every confrontation and every detail.
Black sword.
A mediocre and weak black sword.
The scarred black sword.
The crumbling black sword.
The black sword at the end of the crossbow.
The indomitable black sword.
The black sword that regards death as home.
The all-consuming black sword.
Unique black sword.
The unrivaled black sword.
Black sword.
And his...sword?
"No!"
In rapid breathing, Lausanne II returned to reality, his eyes refocused, and his tone was firm and conclusive:
"Not that sword."
Nor is it his unique finishing power.
It's not even a treasure skill in some knight novels that can reshape one's body and change one's fate against the will of heaven.
Lausanne II’s attitude became more and more certain:
he knows.
Because he had fought with that man with swords, risked his life, and fought to the death.
That's why he knew and was convinced.
Compared to external objects and external forces...
"That's who he is."
The ultimate killer is categorical and unquestionable.
Just himself.
Only the black sword.
Just a black sword.
That's all.
"What? What yourself?" Belicia didn't understand.
But Lausanne II did not answer. He just stared at the dark ceiling.
Others won't understand.
Even people who are also extreme masters will not understand.
Lausanne II has a determined look.
But he can understand.
The killer suddenly laughed.
"I don't know if he got stronger because of it."
Lausanne II continued.
His expression returned to calmness and his tone returned to calmness, as if he was recounting an experience that had nothing to do with him.
"But what's different from before is that when we fight again this time, my hands are shaking and my sword is wailing."
His heart was once again withered, broken, chaotic, and confused.
and eventually extinguished.
Belicia frowned: "Why?"
Lausanne II slowly raised his eyes.
"No reason."
He did not answer directly, but just looked at Belicia in front of him and the reflection in her pupils.
"A long, long time later, when I picked up the sword again after losing everything, I finally understood."
The Extreme Killer is extremely calm:
"That night, I was destined to lose."
"No matter whether you poisoned or not, whether there was Little Knife and Fogg's betrayal on the outside, whether there was Red Viper's escape, whether there was Turnbull's fierce betrayal, whether there was Black Sword's breakthrough, extraordinary
Performance, no matter whether there is the tremor when I stabbed the last sword, whether there is the rain hitting my face, no matter how many excuses other than the so-called 'real strength'..."
Belicia's eyebrows moved.
"I'm always going to lose."
Lausanne II closed his eyes.
"I just feel hesitant in my heart and am no longer decisive..."
"The moment I took that drop of blood and thought about how to use this second chance..."
The moment a swordsman begins to consider his retreat...
But the moment he had the privilege of "cheating"...
Compared to his opponents...
Lausanne II raised the corners of his mouth, showing a relieved and helpless smile:
"I just lost."
He is destined to fall from the peak, to be defeated by the indomitable Black Sword, and to become a stepping stone for his opponent to reach the extreme realm.
"So I died."
Lausanne II said quietly.
the second time.
Or...more than the second time?
That night, among the three people who rushed to the decisive battle, Turnbull was thinking about life.
And he, Lausanne II himself, was not willing to die.
Only the third person is heading towards death from beginning to end.
Only death.
Seek life from death.
Belicia was silent as she listened, while the killer himself, who witnessed the incident, had no expression on his face.
So Black Sword won.
To win that match, all three parties were pitted one against two. It was a back-and-forth duel with all their cards drawn. It was a bloody battle that not only tested willpower and technology, but also tested spirit and endurance.
Even if the win is very risky.
Even if the price is heavy.
He killed all his competitors and conquered his own people.
Became the only survivor standing to the end.
Witness the end of the rainy night.
Witness the dawn of the abandoned house.
Witness the decline of the Blood Bottle Gang.
and the rise of the Black Street Brotherhood.
The lights flickered, and after an unknown amount of time, Belicia sighed quietly, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I guess what's bothering you is Old Turnbull's puzzling betrayal that night?"
The woman rubbed the cigarette in her hand and looked at the captive on the ground.
"I would definitely be very curious. The ambush of the Black Sword and the annihilation of the Brotherhood were supposed to be initiated and led by Turnbull and were in line with the interests of the Blood Bottle Gang. However, as the leader of the gang, he was the first to rebel..."
"That night."
Lausanne II, who was lost in thought, suddenly spoke and interrupted her:
"That night, before setting out to kill the Black Street Brotherhood, he told all of us the story of 'no wine in the bottle' for no reason."
There is no wine in the bottle.
There is no king in the country.
Every story has its moral.
"I think, given Turnbull's character, he must have planned it a long time ago, and he may even have seen through it a long time ago."
Belicia was slightly startled.
Lausanne II has sharp eyes.
That night, he had already seen through the people present: Little Knife, Fogg, Red Viper, Balta... including many people who are now dead...
He saw through how many of his subordinates had betrayed him, and how many were ready to betray him, or at least might betray him...
but……
The killer spoke quietly:
"He expected that to be the last time most of us saw him."
Belicia frowned at her old friend and tentatively said:
"Then the reason why he did this is..."
Lausanne II paused and spoke in a deep voice:
"Kongming Palace."
The killer's eyes were dark.
In other words, it is represented by Kongming Palace, or, it is represented by Kongming Palace...
Behemoths.
Belicia was not surprised at all.
On the contrary, she was silent for a long time, and then sighed:
"So, you already knew this?"
Lausanne II was lost in thought for a while, shaking his head hard in the shackles.
"What I found out later - that battle...after I woke up."
The killer paused unnaturally for a while, as if he wanted to use this blank space to omit some unpleasant memories.
"After waking up, I fled all the way to the South Coast Territory, fled to Gonghai City, and found the rebellious little Kevin Dill - by then he was about to go to the high seas to feed the fish."
"Federico?"
Lausanne II snorted lightly.
"Like most nobles, the young master is an incurable fool," the killer said with a gloomy expression, "but he learned to work under his father very early, so he knows a lot of inside stories."
It is precisely because of this
He allowed him to see certain truths clearly.
Certain truths would be extremely ridiculous once revealed.
Belicia woke up and smiled coldly.
"Then you shouldn't be surprised by the old gang leader's choice."
She gently threw away the cigarette that had been rubbed into pieces and the tobacco was scattered.
"Just like you said just now, you were destined to lose to Black Sword that night..."
Belicia looked at the killer with cold eyes.
"From the moment he got involved in the internal strife of Iris, no, I should say, from the moment he pledged his allegiance to Sona Kevin Deere, and even from the moment he made his fortune, old Turnbull's fate was already doomed." ()