"Old bastard..."
Blood kept spilling from the corner of Redmond's mouth, drifting in the air before being drowned out by the surging soundwaves, swirling irregularly like raindrops.
Strings of tadpole-like runes began crawling up Redmond's body, channeling through the Spectral Halberd.
"Triune Unity? Heh, kid, your power is interesting, but it's not fully matured yet. Do you know why you lost? It's the gap in experience."
Judge Bane laughed heartily, then suddenly separated his clasped hands. The tadpole-like red runes split into two streams.
"Now, I will cast you back into Abyssal Hell, and you will never be reborn."
Redmond fought back desperately. The runes crawling over his arms tried to invade his body, while the Spectral Halberd lodged in his chest threatened to pierce him through.
The scattered red runes gradually converged toward Redmond. Judge Bane closed his eyes, muttering rapidly, as a string of harsh, guttural incantations echoed across the realm.
Redmond gritted his teeth, gripping the Spectral Halberd tightly. As the runes gathered, Judge Bane's eyes snapped open—the red runes plunged into Redmond's body all at once. He screamed, releasing his grip.
With a tearing sound, the Spectral Halberd pierced straight through Redmond. Tadpole-like red runes crawled across his cheeks, twisting the halberd's center—and his body along with it.
With a whoosh, Redmond was sucked entirely into the Spectral Halberd. Everything fell silent. Judge Bane burst out laughing and shot forward.
Black smoke billowed out. The Spectral Halberd, once faintly red, now bore a streak of black on its surface.
"Violet Realm, Spatial Rift Slash..."
A sharp, clear female voice rang out. Judge Bane's outstretched hand was sliced by a streak of violet light. With a clang, he instantly raised his left hand and drew a long spike. Another clang—the violet glow spilled outward, scattering purple particles as Vivian Maple materialized.
Vivian Maple crouched like a beast, gripping a short blade in reverse with her right hand. Judge Bane clutched the Spectral Halberd, glaring at her viciously.
"Hmph. Little girl, to pull off a slash like that—no one in the ghost world could match it. Too bad you're facing me."
Vivian Maple stared coldly at Judge Bane.
"You're wrong. I wasn't aiming for your hand."
With a roar, Judge Bane, enraged, swept his hand—red ghost aura transformed into a beam, surging toward Vivian Maple. With a whoosh, she dissolved into violet particles and vanished.
A crunching sound. Judge Bane's Spectral Halberd split in two with a clang, and a streak of black flame shot out from within.
"Old bastard, that hurt."
The moment Redmond reappeared, he kicked at Judge Bane. Judge Bane caught his foot with his right hand, and for a moment, the two floated in midair.
"You're asking for death."
With a roar like a landslide and tsunami, Judge Bane's voice shattered Redmond's clothing into scraps. His flesh burst and collapsed under the pressure, his outer skin peeled away in an instant, exposing bare bone.
A volley of cracks sounded. With an angry sweep, Judge Bane's attack blasted Redmond's flesh away, leaving only bone. Redmond vanished as a wisp of black flame.
A short distance away, Redmond reappeared. Judge Bane's gaze flickered, as if searching for something.
"Don't bother. You'll never find Vivian."
Staring at the neatly split Spectral Halberd in his hand, Judge Bane, frustrated, charged at Redmond.
"Now it's my turn to attack. That last move of yours really hurt, old bastard."
As he spoke, Redmond's gaze sharpened. With a whoosh, he flashed before Judge Bane.
"So strong."
I couldn't help but gasp. In an instant, dozens of violet blades flashed by, ringing out with endless clangs. Judge Bane braced himself defensively, curling up with his arms wrapped around him.
As the barrage ended, Redmond raised one hand, thumb and fingers extended. Behind him appeared a massive violet blade.
With a snap of his fingers, a streak of violet light sliced through Judge Bane, and a violet barrier stretched for miles, as if splitting the world in two.
A crunch sounded as Judge Bane glared angrily at Redmond, who had drifted far away. His armor cracked and began to fall apart.
"Brat."
Judge Bane lowered his voice in rage. As he straightened up, his armor instantly vanished.
"Impressive. No wonder you're a Judge Bane. Not even that move could touch you."
Redmond's words dripped with mockery. Judge Bane grew even more furious, still searching for Vivian Maple. For a moment, the battle paused.
I quickly glanced around. The wraith children had gathered again, eyes glued to the scene, dancing excitedly and babbling. I pointed at the image.
"Can you understand what you're seeing?"
A small wraith child raised its hands, babbling excitedly, eyes filled with admiration.
Though I couldn't understand what they were saying, they seemed to understand me.
"So, did your king leave you any instructions before leaving? I'm a guest in Wronged Souls City. Will you let me out?"
As soon as I finished speaking, the wraith children glared at me with hostility, forming fists and giving me a thumbs-down. I understood immediately—they weren't as gullible as I'd hoped.
Suddenly, I realized the wraith children had gathered around because of the shotgun on my back. I cocked it, and their interest grew. I set it on the ground, connecting it with ghost thread so it wouldn't disappear.
I raised my hands and conjured a revolver, placing it on the ground. That caught their attention too.
I used baleful energy to create various guns, miming their use and firing. Black bullets shot out but exploded against the cell bars.
So? You want to try them, don't you? They're pretty neat. Bet you've never seen guns from the living world before.
The wraith children knelt outside the cell like grade-schoolers, clutching the bars and staring longingly at the pile of guns before me.
I held up a Desert Eagle, set it before them, removed the magazine, and popped out a bullet, waving it in front of the wraith children, who bobbed their heads like mischievous kittens following my hand.
Then I loaded the bullet into the magazine, chambered a round with a click, and fired. The bullet exploded. I pointed at the screaming ghost nearby.
Try shooting with this.
Clearly, the wraith children took a crazed delight in tormenting the ghosts.
Suddenly, one wraith child reached inside. Surprised, I handed him the baleful Desert Eagle. He took it out, but I still couldn't leave.
I glanced at the image—Redmond and Judge Bane were at a temporary truce.
The wraith children outside grew rowdy, crowding around the one with the gun, trying to snatch it from him.
Bang! The wraith child pulled the trigger—a bullet pierced another's body, who wailed, clutching his green-bleeding shoulder. The others grew even more excited.
The scene reminded me of kindergarten kids playing with toy guns. I shook my head, broke the ghost thread connection, and the gun in the wraith child's hand vanished into baleful energy.
The wraith children stared at the air in surprise, disappointment in their eyes, then looked at me in unison. I put away all the guns—it was too dangerous to let them play like this.
The wounded wraith child stood up, spat out yellow-green saliva, and smeared it on his wound, which quickly healed. They crowded the cage again, gazing at me with longing.
These creatures were just like the wraith children I'd seen in the Yin-Yang Realm—beggars who died unnoticed in the living world, sent to the realm where by day they were scorched by the sun and by night chilled by cold, gradually losing their humanity and ghostliness, turning into monkey-like beings. I sighed helplessly.
"What's wrong? Not going to try?"
Redmond spoke, but Judge Bane remained motionless, as if stunned, eyes darting as he searched for Vivian Maple. Redmond didn't move either—he shoved his hands into his pockets and sat down, conjuring a chair from fire.
Suddenly, I thought of an idea, looking at the wraith children.
Let me out and I'll show you more fun things!
A rattling sound echoed as a rattle-drum appeared in my hand. I shook it, the drum beating, and the wraith children perked up, reaching for the drum.