Chapter 188 Die in front of her - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

When Tia finally reached the old factory, what first caught her eye was a scene of utter chaos. The ground was marred with countless craters, the already dilapidated walls were in various states of collapse, and the entire factory looked as if it could come down at any moment. It was hard to imagine what kind of fierce battle had taken place here. However, that wasn't the main issue. The main point of concern was the group of supernaturals, dressed in the official attire of various influential factions, lying on the ground, half dead or seriously injured. Prince Joshua, the fourth son, was tied to a chair, his face deathly pale, his neck hanging limply. It was unclear whether he was alive or dead. Strangely enough, the only person standing unharmed amidst this scene was the black-haired young man who had occupied her thoughts night and day. Lynn Bart Leon! Not far in front of him, a member of the Church of the Celestial Order was pinned to the wall by a black spear, his clothes tattered, blood oozing from his mouth, clearly not long for this world. It seemed that their group's timely arrival had only momentarily startled the young man. But upon realizing what was happening, the wanted young man not only showed no intention of surrendering, but even raised his right hand, seemingly ready to deliver a final blow! "Stop!!!" At this moment, Tia felt her mind filled with intense anger and disappointment. Before coming here, despite any promises she and Louise had made about personally killing the monstrous murderer, a part of her still clung to some hope. Tia's memory flashed back to a few days prior. Every time she recalled the events on the rooftop, she couldn't reconcile the young man before her with the murderer described in rumors. Even though she didn't believe his words about the past twelve years, hypothetically speaking... If there really had been such a past between them, with her personality, how could she have formed a close relationship with someone exhibiting such significant moral and personal deficiencies? Therefore, even though Lynn had publicly admitted to being the Reassembler, Tia still didn't believe it in her heart. Leaving other factors aside, considering motive and timing alone, Lynn, who had always been at the border, had no opportunity to commit these crimes. But now, the mountain of evidence was before her. At this moment, whether he was the Reassembler or not was no longer important. Just the fact that he had killed enforcers and possibly killed the fourth prince, Joshua, meant that even if he wasn't the Reassembler, people would find a way to label him as such. Moreover, if it wasn't true, why would he do all this? Tia took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the chaotic emotions within her. Ignoring the myriad emotions conveyed through the young man's azure eyes, as the Silent Saint, she knew there was only one thing she needed to do at this moment. "Capture him." In the next instant, moonlight poured into the old factory like a stream, invisible and intangible, yet quietly illuminating every dark corner. It was a scene both serene and harmonious, yet seemingly laced with an undertone of lethal intent! The nine battle nuns standing behind Tia vanished in a flash, drawing massive executioner blades that gleamed coldly, their eyes filled with a moonlit whiteness, entering some mysterious and powerful battle state. "Swish—!!!" The crescent-shaped blades silently cut through the air, leaving barely a moment to react, drawing thin lines of blood across Lynn's body. Accompanied by a sharp sting, blood splattered onto the ground. Lynn's figure flickered, evading several attacks aimed at his vital spots, passing by the lithe forms of the nuns. Actually, when the Reassembler, Burt Shuman, said those words, Lynn was aware of his true intentions. Nonetheless, he remained unflustered. As it was said, this was part of the Reassembler's plan. In the grand scheme of things, it seemed as if he had been tricked. But who could say whether this was also a part of Lynn's own scheme? Once again evading the silent assassinations of the nuns, Lynn retreated to a corner shrouded in darkness, his entire form hidden in shadows, his expression unreadable. "Vea," Lynn's voice revealed no hint of emotion, "I didn't expect that when we met again, it would still be under such circumstances." "You, the lofty Silent Saint, and I, still unable to escape the identity of a prisoner." He finished with a self-deprecating smile. Tia's heart skipped a beat. Though her exterior remained icy and furious, harboring countless questions to demand answers for, inexplicably... When she opened her mouth, what came out was entirely different. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Clearly, capturing him on the spot was the most correct choice. Such a reaction even drew a hint of surprise from the nine battle nuns. They never expected that the typically cold and indifferent Saint would have any connection with the perpetrator of a serial murder case. From afar, Louise witnessed this scene and hurriedly called out, "Tia, don't believe this murderer’s lies! Kill him! Avenge Sister Trina!!!" Saying that, she sent another swift slash of moonlight toward Lynn, silently slicing a distant wall in two. This strike left a deep gash on Lynn’s shoulder, exposing bone, blood gushing forth. The young man staggered and fell to the ground, his face pale. A golden opportunity! Seeing him suddenly vulnerable, the nuns' bodies instantly glowed with the divine endowment of the "Silence" faith, their speed and power surging several tiers, appearing instantly before Lynn. In this fleeting moment, six long blades surrounded him from all directions, locking him tightly within their net, poised to execute the criminal responsible for all these crimes on the spot! Actually, at this moment, Lynn had at least three methods to escape the perilous situation. The simplest would be to use the Temporal Veil and slip into a temporal rift. However, Tia, who was observing him closely, was well aware of his abilities. She knew that this man had used an extraordinary ability related to time fields earlier in the day and had brought an item capable of temporarily halting time within a small area. She was holding off, waiting for this moment. She couldn’t allow Lynn to escape again, to bring more suffering upon others. In truth, back on the rooftop, or even in the interrogation room, she had all the opportunities to kill him. But it was her momentary softness that had led to these subsequent events. She had to stop him. Tia took a deep breath and slowly retrieved the sealing item from her pocket. Yet, to her surprise, feeling the approaching moonlit blades from all directions, the young man, seemingly cornered with no route of escape, didn’t appear to be using that final move. On the contrary, he slowly closed his eyes. No, this isn’t right! Though she couldn’t pinpoint the source of the unease, seeing this scene, a voice suddenly arose within Tia’s heart. She couldn’t just watch him be killed! In the next second, the tranquil moonlight suddenly intensified, rising several levels in brightness, causing everyone present to squint. Was the Saint acting? The nuns couldn’t help manifesting looks of surprise. Only Louise understood what had happened, her expression darkened. Moments later, the moonlight quietly faded, plunging the old factory back into darkness. Through the dim light, everyone looked down. The bloodied young murderer was now shackled to the ground by several moonlight-forged chains. He attempted to flex his muscles to break free, only to discover that this seemingly gentle shackle was as unyielding as steel forged in extreme fire. From a human perspective, there was no possible way to escape it. Seeing this, Sister Louise stepped forward, her high-heeled boots pressing against his chest, flipping him onto the ground. Then she coldly observed the mastermind behind all this. "Why?" Louise's voice was icy. "We agreed to personally avenge Sister Trina, but missing this opportunity means that once the Empire Council gets hold of him, there won’t be any more chances." Hearing this, Tia paused for a moment before softly offering an explanation, "The church has issued orders to capture him alive and take him back for interrogation. Besides, he no longer has the strength to fight back, does he?" Staring at the black-haired young man shackled by chains of moonlight, Tia's gaze flickered momentarily, then hardened into an icy, severe expression. "Lynn Bart Leon, don’t waste your energy thinking about escaping. I won’t give you any chance. Just like now, stay here and don’t move." "As the culprit behind the Reassembler series of serial murders, your end is already destined, but until the final judgment comes, save your strength." "It’s better for both of us that way, don’t you think?" Feeling the extreme coldness in her gaze, Lynn abandoned any intention of struggle. In truth, proving his innocence wasn't difficult. But then he recalled a task set by a certain witch. After a long silence, Lynn finally spoke. "Fine, I won’t move." He offered a faint smile. Seeing this, Tia’s glossy pink lips moved as if to say something, but she ultimately restrained the impulse. Louise, standing nearby, wasn’t pleased with this resolution. However, reminding herself that this guy's eventual fate was likely to involve a hangman’s noose, she temporarily set aside her objections. The group began to clear the battlefield. Several nuns busied themselves with tending to the wounded supernaturals still clinging to life. Even so, the situation was extremely grave. Beyond those individuals, the fourth prince, Joshua, was the most critical. Although showing signs of life, for some reason, he remained unconscious. If he truly died here, the repercussions would be severe. Thinking of this, Tia glanced again at Lynn, who sat quietly on the ground, and drew a deep breath. A charge of royal murder was a heavy burden to bear. Any fewer charges would help. Wait, what am I thinking? Tia snapped herself out of it, horrified that she had been considering the situation from the perspective of a shameless murderer. Driven by this realization, she pushed away her chaotic thoughts and took out a mana-infused stone carved with location coordinates, gently crushing it. This was a tool meant for contacting other teams of supernaturals. Once crushed, everyone would receive her location and arrive as quickly as possible to assist. Though prior to their arrival, three teams of supernaturals had supposedly reached the site, it was strange that none had used this device. Ten minutes later, team members from various churches, as well as Retributors and Night Sentinels, began to arrive. Due to the gravity of the operation, those dispatched were all at least third rank. Counting those first on the scene, now undergoing treatment, an estimate pointed to over thirty individuals at the fourth rank alone. Under normal circumstances, such a force would be formidable no matter where it appeared. Seeing this, the last trace of unease in Tia's heart vanished. Caught red-handed with the evidence, the Reassembler's arrest seemed irreversible. While contemplating the potential aftermath, a voice suddenly reached her ears. "True to her reputation as a saint, eh? As Sia's girl, your decisiveness mirrors his. Now, with this great first victory, you’re likely to receive commendations from His Majesty. Envy comes naturally." The voice was familiar, perhaps an acquaintance of her brother Sia from the military. However, Tia harbored an uncontrollable disdain and aversion to all men except for one individual. Thus, she responded icily to the speaker, showing no inclination for pleasantries, "The fourth prince is not yet out of danger and needs hands." After delivering her message, Tia prepared to ignore him. But unexpectedly, a sudden change of events sent the situation spiraling downward. "No rush," the voice said languidly, the figure moving like a serpent through darkness and shadow, approaching Lynn rapidly. "A new order just came in, requiring a change in the Reassembler's strategic handling." "Change the strategy?!" Tia found the idea absurd. The capture had already occurred; what needed changing? For some reason, a terrible suspicion flashed through her mind. In the next second, a military assassin lurking in the shadows revealed himself, hovering mid-air. "Correct," he said, looking down from above at the black-haired youth bound by the moonlit shackles. "Change 'capture alive' to 'execute on the spot,' verbatim from higher-ups." "As soldiers, we must obey orders,” he continued. In disbelief, Tia watched as the military supernatural raised a long, pointed pike. Everyone was still at some distance, unfamiliar with any new directives this figure purportedly received. They were eager for Saint Roland VI’s reward, fervently wishing to capture Lynn alive. Why change course due to a single military command? Something was amiss here! Some forces didn’t want Lynn to survive, didn’t even want him to reach judgment day! With a whistling sound, the sharp military pike, imbued with extraordinary power, shot toward Lynn’s chest. In that intense moment, realizing aid wasn’t possible, Tia’s heart skipped a beat. But then she remembered––he had a life-saving ace up his sleeve. That temporal supernatural ability. However, her sealing item rendered it unusable. Driven by this realization, Tia promptly nullified the effects of the sealing item, dispersing the moonlight chains to lift all restraints on Lynn. Dodge quickly! If it’s you, you’ll make it... But before the thought fully formed, the chilling sound of a sharp object piercing flesh reached her ears. Different from the shallow wound left on his chest before. This time, the blade completely impaled the youth’s body, emerging blood-streaked from his back. Blood gushed forth like a relentless stream. The military assassin gazed at the now glassy-eyed black-haired boy. In that instant, he recognized Tia’s actions. This perplexed him greatly. "You had a chance to dodge, didn't you?" He questioned offhandedly while pulling the spike free, flicking away the blood. However, the boy in the blood pool offered no response. Tia gazed dumbfounded at the scene before her. He could have dodged that blow. That should have been the case––undoubtedly. Yet what prompted him, even when faced with mortal peril, to remain still as a stone? Ah. I remember now. It was me. I had coldly commanded him to save his strength and stay still. And this fool had taken it as a pact, stupidly and profoundly enacting it to the end. It was truly-- For some reason, Tia, as the Silent Saint, suddenly felt the world was absurdly ridiculous. Her heart seemed to be clenched by some invisible force, making her feel "suffocation" for the first time in her life. Meanwhile, in a corner no one was watching, rustling sounds began emerging from all directions, like countless limbs scrabbling over the floor and walls.