Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 531 Riot

"Times have changed, old chimney."

Hawke's voice was not loud, but it was like a heavy hammer striking an anvil, each word clear and carrying a unique penetrating power.

"The 'Pure Circle' project of the omnics is shrinking our living space, and the ideological purification of the Church of the Era is castrating our souls. Hiding in your underground kingdom, relying on selling this scrap metal and transporting a few exiles, how long do you think you can hide? Can't you smell the sulfur in the air?" "Do we really have souls?"

The old chimney slowly exhaled a thick smoke ring, a sneer emanating from his withered chest, like an old bellows, muffled and phlegmy. "Captain Hawke...cough cough...I'm sick of your idealistic speeches." He flicked his cigarette ash with his withered fingers, his yellow eyes glancing sideways at Hawke. "Overthrow the Omnics? Overthrow the Church? With your few broken guns and a few hotheads?" "Cough cough...it's good for young people to have passion, but don't let passion feed you. If it were that easy, you wouldn't be here. This old body of mine just wants to...cough cough, do some small business, earn a living. Your grand ideals are too hot to handle; this old body can't, and doesn't want to."

"Peace of mind?" Hawke took a step forward, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a chilling undertone. "When the omnic patrols raze every transit point you pass through, when the inquisitors of the Church of the Ages label your 'small business' as heresy and bind you to the purification pillar, can you still be at peace?"

"Old Chimney, this isn't a choice. Either join us and become part of the torrent, or..."

Hawke's gaze sharpened, like a drawn blade, sweeping over the old chimney and his menacing-looking subordinates behind him, finally settling on the mountain of munitions.

"...Before we officially begin cleaning up the scourge of the inner city, let's eliminate you...this unstable element!"

A blatant threat is like a drop of water falling into boiling oil.

The lazy, fake smile on the old chimney's face vanished instantly, and a sinister, vicious light flashed in his yellow eyes as he stared intently at Hawke.

A commotion arose among his men behind him, a cacophony of heavy breathing and the soft clicks of weapons being released. Several red dots instantly appeared on the chests and foreheads of Hawke and his two companions. A clearer metallic scraping sound came from the shadows, as if heavy weapons were being repositioned. "Heh heh heh..." Old Chimney let out a chilling dry laugh, leaning forward slightly to reveal a mouthful of rotten, yellowed teeth, his voice like the hiss of a viper.

"Hawk... are you threatening me on my turf?"

"You've probably forgotten who provided intelligence and footholds to your rat-like resistance fighters in the inner city, cough cough... who crossed the river and burned the bridge? Without me, you wouldn't even be able to get into the inner city."

His withered finger suddenly pointed at Hawke, with a mocking tone.

"Clear me? Just the three of you? Look around you, look at those... cough cough... things pointing at your heads. You think you can mess with me? Let's see who gets riddled with holes first."

The atmosphere at the scene instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The air was thick with the suffocating smell of gunpowder and murderous intent. Hawke and his two companions were tense to the extreme, their fingers twitching slightly, clearly prepared for a sudden, all-or-nothing counterattack. Old Chimney's men's eyes gleamed with bloodlust, awaiting only their boss's command. Caught in the middle, Rayson felt his composure about to explode.

Damn it... I came here to buy a "ticket," not to be a scapegoat for these two mad bulls butting heads. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the old chimney's henchmen quietly aiming the muzzle of his shoulder-fired energy cannon at Hawke's direction, while the burly man next to Hawke had already reached for the grip of his shotgun. On the ceiling, through several gaps in the disguised cover plates, the cold barrels of multi-barreled lasers were already protruding slightly.

Tu

Leisen's heart skipped a beat. This was like sitting on an armory and lighting a cigarette. If either side moved a finger or someone sneezed, this place would immediately turn into a living hell.

Forget about going south, it's questionable whether he'll even have a whole corpse left in three seconds. He tensed all his muscles, his brain working frantically, searching for any opening that would allow him to avoid being instantly turned into mincemeat.

This situation was a million times worse than he had anticipated!

On the other side, in the cold shadow of the pipes.

Tang Zijun stood frozen like a sculpture, her senses like the most sophisticated radar, silently scanning the tightly closed, heavy iron door of the "Old Chimney" nest ahead, and the deathly silent surroundings.

He needs to monitor Resson's negotiations and be vigilant against any potential threats.

suddenly!

A cold, orderly, and absolutely exclusive voice, like an invisible wave, pierced Tang Zijun's senses without warning. It was not the chaos and greed common in the wasteland, but a highly unified group, exuding a fanatical and cold sense of judgment, its source rapidly approaching from all directions.

"Lie down," Tang Zijun suddenly ordered.

Before Yedi and Suolin could fully react, Tang Zijun's body had already moved. He was no longer a ghost blending into the shadows, but had instantly transformed into a shadow himself.

The wide robe, like outstretched bat wings, completely covered the petite Yedi and the mechanical head Zolin beneath her.

Yedi only had time to let out a short gasp before Tang Zijun's heavy and cold body shielded her tightly. Her small face was buried in the dirty ground and the shadow of Tang Zijun's robe, and her vision was instantly shrouded in darkness.

She could sense the unusual energy emanating from Tang Zijun's body, and a sense of crisis immediately arose in her heart.

Suolin's mechanical eye camera instantly zoomed out to its maximum focal length, capturing the direction of the iron gate behind Tang Zijun.

The next second

Boom!!

A deafening, terrifying explosion, like a mountain splitting open, rang out without warning at the heavy alloy iron door.

The blinding flames and violent shockwaves instantly engulfed the entire door. The hard metal was torn apart and melted like paper, turning into deadly fragments and scorching streams of metal, accompanied by thick smoke and flames, violently erupting in and out like a volcanic eruption.

The violent shockwave, carrying scorching metal shavings and gravel, slammed into the shadow barrier erected by Tang Zijun like a heavy hammer. Tang Zijun's body did not move at all under the impact.

Holding the card, the dark shadow instantly shielded him from most of the impact and deadly shrapnel.

The enormous sound and vibration caused Yedi excruciating pain in her eardrums. The world went silent for a moment, leaving only a buzzing in her ears and the thunderous pounding of her heart. She was so dizzy from the shock that she instinctively closed her eyes tightly and curled up.

As the flames and smoke subsided, through the gaps in Tang Zijun's robe and the lingering dust, Yedi and Suolin witnessed a chilling sight. A group of figures dressed in pure white robes, like pale phantoms born from the flames, strode in with perfectly synchronized steps across the blasted, still-burning and smoking metal ruins and the scorching ground.

Their white robes were spotless, standing out starkly against the backdrop of firelight and smoke, like shrouds.

The hem of their robes was embroidered with the iconic scarlet emblem of the Church of the Ages. Each person's face was hidden in the deep shadow of the hood, making it impossible to see their features. All that could be felt was the cold, emotionless glow of scarlet electronic prosthetic eyes gleaming deep within the hood.

They were well-equipped and far from ordinary believers; they carried pulse rifles and shotguns that shimmered with dangerous energy, and the church's emblem was also etched on the guns.

The two people at the front of the group held up a strangely shaped, buzzing device with both hands—a mental suppression field generator that was emitting irritating low-frequency mental waves.

They gave no warning, let alone any alert.

White figures moved and spread out rapidly amidst the firelight and thick smoke, gun barrels raised in unison, pointing towards the depths of the passage, forming a tight battle formation, their movements as clean and efficient as cold machines.

The synchronized movements, the cold and ruthless scanning with prosthetic eyes, and the poised weapon stance all proclaimed a chilling intent: slaughter.

In the eyes of the Church of the Epoch, everyone in the lair, whether they are snakeheads, rebels, or anything else, is nothing more than "filth" that needs to be completely eradicated.

"By the Epoch Above, purify the filth, eradicate heresy, leave no one alive!"

A cold, monotone voice, as if synthesized electronically, rang out through a loudspeaker in the deathly silence following the explosion.

In the shadow of Tang Zijun, Yedi's teeth chattered with fear. She could smell the strong smell of gunpowder, the burnt smell of molten metal, and a strange, cold incense scent.

"See, what did I tell you?" Tang Zijun glanced at Suolin, her expression somewhat strange.

Suolin did not respond to Tang Zijun. Her gaze was fixed on the white-robed men, her brows furrowed, and her eyes flashed with anger and confusion about this anger.

Inside the lair, the standoff between Old Chimney and Hawke was already on the verge of erupting, and they also heard the explosion outside.

Leisen reacted the most strongly. Having spent years roaming the wasteland, he could identify firepower and weaponry simply by the sound of explosions and roars. Upon noticing the extraordinary explosion, his expression changed drastically. "It's the Church of the Epoch's antimatter cannon!!"

Upon hearing this, Hawke and the men and women behind him changed their expressions drastically, looking at the man sitting on the throne in disbelief.

"Old Chimney! You!! You've actually sided with the Church of the Epoch!?"

"Cough cough! I, cough cough, I vote for you XXX!!"

The old chimney was clearly bewildered by the scene. He couldn't help but curse, and then immediately addressed the people around him.

"What are you all standing there for! Hold the line!!"

Battle is imminent.