Chapter 43: The Final Battle

Giving up the Scythe of Death Squad filled Rod with reluctance upon hearing these words. Although he had prepared for this when he first founded the squad, over time deep bonds had formed, and now bringing up this topic caused him some pain.
Rod understood what Hori said—it was all true. Though he had developed feelings, others might not share them. After all, the members of the Scythe of Death Squad came from all directions and, though they appeared united, they weren’t truly so. Especially the second and third squads—these members had little in-depth interaction with him. In case of emergencies, they might choose to leave! All of this were variables.
“Hey, fine. Just like that. I’ll be back here at the same time tomorrow. I’ll take care of everything in this one day!” After considering everything, Rod sighed and said with a bitter smile.
“Hmm, that’s good! Bring as few people as possible. Too many people will cause chaos. Also, avoid dealing with the demons—it’s not in your interest. If your identity is revealed, it could be troublesome!” Seeing Rod’s response, Hori nodded in satisfaction and gave further instructions. Apparently, he also knew about Rod’s battle against the demons that day, which surprised Rod once again. It seemed there must be someone they had planted around him, otherwise they wouldn’t know every move he made.
With a sigh, Rod bid farewell to Hori and headed outside. After glancing back at the large mansion one last time, he transformed into a red light and rushed toward the barracks.
Unbeknownst to him, Hori, still inside the courtyard, sighed with complex emotions.
“Lord, do we really have to do this? It seems… excessive…” Hori murmured to himself, staring at nothingness.
“What, have you softened?” A cold voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere, its source impossible to determine. It seemed to come from all directions, giving an indistinct sense of direction.
“L-Lord, I… I wouldn’t dare! Since you’ve decided to do this, there must be a reason—there’s no mistake!” Hearing this voice, Hori’s expression changed drastically. He quickly knelt on the ground, staring at the empty courtyard anxiously. In just an instant, his face turned pale, sweat poured from his forehead, and fear appeared in his eyes.

“Well, you’ve spent quite some time with him, so this is inevitable. But remember, you are a killer, a top-tier killer, and now also a key member of our organization—my trusted ally. You cannot have feelings, nor can you show mercy. This time it’s okay, but if it happens again…” The man in black didn’t continue, but the message was clear: there would be no second chance.
“Thank you, sir!” Hearing these words, Hori immediately felt relieved, letting out a long sigh in gratitude.
“This situation only benefits him; it does no harm. You can’t see the rainbow without going through the storm. He isn’t an ordinary person—he will bear a heavy burden in the future, one beyond your imagination. So these trials are preparing him for that future! You needn’t show mercy. Showing pity now isn’t helping him—it’s harming him. You’ll understand this sooner or later!
Leave at the same time tomorrow. Bring back Numbers One, Two, and Three. There’s no need to stay in Tielan Town any longer. We’ll leave completely after tomorrow, as new orders have come from above!” Seeing Hori’s reaction, the man in black seemed reluctant as well. With a sigh, he gave him some further explanation.
“Yes, sir. I will never make such a mistake again. Thank you, sir. I’ll arrange everything and get it started by tomorrow!”
With that, Hori bowed respectfully to the void before retreating solemnly. In a flash, he disappeared without a trace. Anyone who witnessed this would be stunned—this was clearly something only someone who had reached the later stages of the Saint level could do. In fact, this person might already be at the quasi-divine level. For someone in their thirties or early forties to achieve such things was truly remarkable!
Back in the barracks, surrounded by familiar faces and surroundings, the thought of leaving tomorrow filled him with sadness.
There were still matters to handle. Aside from arranging for the Death Scythe Squad and explaining the situation to Nightingale and Jem, he had nothing else to worry about.
As for Tielan Town—if Hori said it was fine, then it definitely was fine. He had no doubts about that. He knew very well the strength and capabilities of the man in black, who would never speak rashly without solid evidence.
Sitting in his room, Rod pondered how to handle this situation properly. Under the dark night sky, his figure appeared somewhat lonely.

Hory’s sudden appearance seemed to disrupt Rod’s entire life all at once, but it also had its advantages—Rod no longer had to worry about making choices. Leaving this place might be a good thing.

In the middle of the night, sharp sounds of battle came from beyond the city walls! Hearing this, Rod’s expression changed instantly—the urgent horn signals made it clear just how dangerous Iron Bar Town was at that moment.

Without thinking further, he rushed out of the barracks and onto the open ground. The other members of the Reaper Scythe Squad, clearly having heard the horn signals as well, gathered there as well!

Watching this scene, Rod took a deep breath. “A great battle is imminent. No more talk—let’s fight! Let our scythes slice through the enemies’ throats and drench their blood with our blades!”

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Filled with fighting spirit, everyone shouted loudly.

Immediately, the three squads, led by their respective leaders, rushed toward the city walls.

“Why do you still want to go?” As they ran, Nightingale asked in a soft voice beside him. He had made his feelings clear that night—why wouldn’t she listen? The battle ahead was unnecessary for him; those killed now might become comrades in the future, and those he helped now might turn into enemies.

“The last battle. After this, tomorrow, we’ll leave this place and stay away from this conflict. Who’s right or wrong, who wins or loses—none of it matters to us. Let’s leave!” With a sigh, he glanced at Nightingale, lowering his voice to a whisper before conveying his words to her through his combat energy.

Nightingale stopped in her tracks, almost falling behind the main group. Her face showed shock, but soon it turned to joy. He had finally made a choice—to leave. It seemed he really didn’t intend to get involved in worldly conflicts. That was actually the best thing. Leaving such a place for a quiet and peaceful one to live a good life was the ideal outcome. Hadn’t he always thought that? He just hadn’t said it out loud!

Before, he hadn’t wanted to leave because he couldn’t let go of his hatred toward Silverwing and the others. Later, it was because of Rod—he was here, and he wasn’t the kind of man who would settle for a simple life. So, for his own sake, he couldn’t leave. Now that he had chosen to leave, what more could she say?

The final battle—thinking of this, Nightingale felt excited and happy. For Rod, for a peaceful life, she could give up her hatred toward Big Brother Silverwing and the others. When would this cycle of revenge ever end? She had come to understand that truth over time!

Since they chose this path in the first place, they should have been prepared for such a day to come sooner or later. They once shone brightly and had glorious moments; just being able to live to this day is enough! There are no regrets in this life! Clearly, retiring from the world is also an option.

If you go, I will follow; if you stay, I will stay too. I only wish to share life and death with you, growing gray hair together! With such thoughts, the Nightingale was full of anticipation for tomorrow’s life.

But the Nightingale didn’t realize that she had misunderstood Rod’s intentions! What’s more, she had no idea that today’s battle would indeed be their last—yet the outcome was completely the opposite. What happened after this battle was beyond their imagination.

Soon, everyone gathered on the city walls. There seemed to be no particularly dangerous areas here; the situation was similar to yesterday, seemingly without the danger they had imagined. Seeing this, Rod couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Since they were already here, they might as well join the battle. However, as the battle continued, Rod’s doubts grew. He noticed that many people seemed somewhat abnormal today.

But with the great battle approaching, he didn’t pay much attention to this matter.

Half a night passed without any major incidents. It was hard to figure out what the demons and vampires were up to! There was no pursuit after victory that night, even a hint of relaxation, as if giving them a chance to catch their breath. What was their purpose and intention? With a sigh, unable to figure it out, Rod stopped thinking about it. Anyway, after tomorrow, Iron Bar Town would have nothing to do with him anymore. He didn’t need to worry about things here—as long as nothing happened here, that was fine.

After half a night of fighting, the group retreated to the camp. The unusual atmosphere today made everyone aware that something significant was about to happen.

Previously, the others would greet them warmly, but today, there was a hint of avoidance, which made everyone feel even more strange. The atmosphere along the way was odd. When they returned to the camp, it was even more subdued. An inexplicable feeling arose in Rod’s heart. He sensed something bad was coming—a foreboding feeling.

“Who! Come out all of you!” Suddenly, amid everyone’s confused looks, Rod shouted angrily. At the same time, he drew his Dark Dragon sword, holding it tightly and scanning the surroundings warily, as if facing a great enemy.