Assassination Enigma

In an instant, the entire area was shrouded in black fog so thick one could not see a hand before one's face. Amid terrified shouts and cries came countless faint sounds of rapid movement, along with occasional sharp, brief clashes of metal and the crash of buildings breaking apart. The flickering flashes of light could not tear through that suffocating darkness; they were swiftly buried and swallowed.

Within the endless darkness, a blaze of light ignited overhead. Inside the flame was a slender hand, its gentle radiance illuminating the delicate face of a young girl. Her large eyes had turned silver, and an awe-inspiring presence radiated from her entire body.

Beneath the blaze, several ghostlike figures wrapped in curling black mist could be seen darting closer. Elisa's clear cry rang out: "Light Burst!"

That gentle blaze abruptly became incomparably dazzling, then exploded with a violent boom. The ghostlike figures seemed to have been struck by lightning, each one flung backward. Their misty bodies thinned greatly, and some of the black fog even ignited with white flames amid shrill screams.

The strike blazed with brilliant light. The dense black fog around them was like snow meeting fire, rapidly dissipating under the force field of the Light Burst. The shadowy figures had nowhere left to hide and scattered in all directions.

The black fog completely vanished, and the nearby lamps gradually resumed their illumination. Yet chaos still reigned everywhere. Collapsed structures could be seen all around, while the ground was covered in bloodstains and cracks. Only after a long while was the situation brought under control.

"Damn Dark Canopy! Miss, are you all right?" Wesley, who was in charge of guarding Elisa, now held a greatsword in his hand, blood dripping from its blade.

Elisa slowly descended to the ground and shook