Chapter 352: Ch 352 – The Priests of the Black Orchid
"You're good," Zeke grumbled, wiping the blood from his lip. His eyes were full of murderous hate, but he was also surprised.
He had struck at Alex with the power of a god, and still, Alex remained unharmed. It was unbelievable and, the priest couldn't help but note, that it was something that hadn't happened in years.
The other three priests consulted with each other. "We've fought hard today. Let's take him on together." They rolled up their sleeves, revealing their snow-white skin, and faced Alex.
In turn, Alex cautiously climbed out of the pit. Zeke may have gone down easily, but Alex knew he shouldn't underestimate the others.
The priests had all trained vigorously in various styles. They surrounded Alex, walling him off from the other bystanders in the room. A dark presence hung around them, so evil and frightful that it suffocated the onlookers and made their hair stand on the back of their necks.
"Attack!" Suddenly all four priests held a Crescent sword in their hands. Each blade dazzled under the cold moonlight. Their sharp tips twinkled as the priests stepped toward Alex.
Neo leapt several feet in the air and aimed his sword down at Alex's head. Zeke rejoined the fight, making a thunderous howl and pointing his sword at Alex's throat. Jax attacked Alex from the back, and Orion attacked his legs.
The attacks of the four priests were fast, and their swords were powerful and heavy, strong enough to crack the stone.
They stood like four road blockades, and Alex became aware of how much danger he was in. No matter where he turned, he could be fatally hit.
Even so, he didn't feel like he was in danger or needed to be worried. If he could get out from amongst the priests, he would be out of danger. He folded his arms and jumped straight up, the blade of Zeke's sword grazing his hands as he rose.
The Crescent sword was made of the hardest material in the world. It was a sharp sword that could cut through any material, or so it was thought. Instead of hurting his hand, Alex's body withstood the sword's cut. A sound like a bell rang out, strong and clear, and Zeke's sword broke into two pieces against Alex's skin.
"Wha—" Zeke was shocked. He couldn't help but stare at the broken sword in his hand. Alex took advantage of this hesitation and knocked the hilt away. Before Zeke had time to register what had happened, Alex swung his fist. Zeke flew back and fell heavily to the ground.
"Zeke!" The other three priests' faces went red with fury, and they angrily turned back to Alex. The second attack had begun. Using the sharp half of Zeke's sword, Alex and the elusive Jax exchanged blows, resulting in Alex successfully knocking Jax's shoulder. Jax groaned, holding his shoulder as he escaped from Alex's reach.
Now only Neo and Orion remained, blind with rage. They fought Alex together, alternating in their attacks to try and defeat him. It was more difficult for Alex to dodge this onslaught, and the priests were getting close enough to tear and rip his clothes. Alex ferociously kicked Orion, who let out a strange cry as he doubled over in pain.
Hoping to catch him off guard, Neo swung at Alex, the sharp blade just missing his nose. Alex clamped the sword between his hands, bringing the two of them face to face, which gave him a moment to observe his opponent.
He stared into Neo's wolf-like eyes. He looked like he could tear another man into pieces. He had bulging arm muscles, and his face was sweating. He held the hilt tightly, so Alex was unable to twist the sword out of his grip. If he pulled in one direction, Neo pulled in another, and they struggled, each pulling and pushing with all their might.
Suddenly, Alex released the sword. Neo was caught off guard and lost his balance, allowing Alex to step forward and swipe Neo's legs. Neo was able to dodge it, but Alex was quick and threw himself into Neo's chest. He slammed into the priest like a cannonball, and Neo collapsed to the ground and rolled over. He covered his injury, struggling to catch his breath.
"Where's Debbie?" a voice called out. Alex turned toward the hallway, but it was empty. Looking around the hall, he noticed that Jax and Orion were no longer there. The battle had been so intense that no one had noticed the priests had escaped and taken Debbie with them.
Alex rushed out and jumped on the roof. He looked out everywhere, but there was no sign of Debbie or the priests.
The situation was so urgent, but even though Alex felt a burning pain in his chest, all he could do was return to the hall. Only by pressing the two remaining priests would he be able to find where Debbie had been taken.
The priests lay in the hall for a long time, seriously injured. The members of the Clifton family hugged each other and cried, then checked on their injured relatives. There were more than three hundred people in the Clifton family, and many were still unconscious or suffering from their injuries. The Cliftons were frightened as the enormity of the attack his them. They felt great anger toward the priests but still took turns to thank Alex for saving them.
"Thank you, Mr. Alex," and "Bless you, Mr. Alex," filled the hall, but Alex could hear the grief and sadness in their voices. He struggled to accept their praise, lost in his misery. Because he had been caught up in the fight, he hadn't been able to save Debbie.
The crowd in the hall was growing excited now, imagining all the tortuous ways they could punish the two priests. They had wounded many of the Cliftons and had attempted to kill Rufus. Everyone hated them and looked at them coldly.
Zeke was extremely pale, but he still had a smile on his face. He laughed miserably. "Young man, you won. Never in a million years could I have imagined a day like this would come."
"You devil, you scum!" A woman ran out with a knife in her hands. She aimed for Zeke's face, but she was stopped before she could get close enough. "Back up!" Alex yelled, stepping forward to block her path.
With Alex's back to them, Zeke and Neo used the last bit of their strength to carry out one final act. Quickly reaching into their pockets, they each pulled out a cyanide pill and bit into them, grimacing momentarily before becoming still.
Alex sighed inwardly. The two men didn't want to face the consequences of their actions, so they committed suicide. He had wanted to force the priests to tell him everything about the incident and, most importantly, what they wanted with Debbie. Now, his chance was gone.
Jessop was in tears. Rufus looked ready to keel over. Chelsea soon arrived with her fellow officers. She made a point of approaching Alex to offer her sympathy. Soon afterwards, heavily armed police officers arrived at the scene. They were completely shocked by the damage and tragedy in front of them.
"Alex," Jessop called. "I know what you're thinking and that you want to find Debbie. Don't worry, she's not in danger yet. I'll tell you everything I know."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone