Kiro and his team watched with mounting anxiety as the black-clad specter floated in front of the young man. They exchanged worried glances, trying to think of a way to save him.
Despite their disdain for the young man's recklessness, they didn't want to see him die in front of them. They were also concerned about the possibility that they might be next.
As they fumbled for their high-tech weapons, the black-clad ghost, inhaling deeply, greedily inquired, "You're a living person, right?"
"Yes," the young man replied, his gaze fixated on the ghost with a peculiar intensity.
The specter's eyes widened in delight. "You're mine!" he exclaimed, before leaping at the young man.
Kiro and his team were horrified. This was it—the young man was about to be snatched away by the ghost. They could scarcely look as they braced for the inevitable.
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted.
The ghost, upon touching the light, began to dissolve like snow in the sun. Within moments, the greedy specter vanished under the radiance.
The remaining three ghosts, including the newcomers—a man, a woman, and an elderly lady—stared in shock. Kiro and his team were equally bewildered.
What just happened? The young man was supposed to be screaming in agony, not… disappearing the ghost.
Isabella, the female agent, suddenly went pale, realization dawning on her. "You're the Messiah?"
The other two agents were equally startled. "What? The Messiah?"
They looked at the young man again, and the fear they felt was palpable. The light, the power—it all pointed to one thing: the Messiah.
Kiro, who had thought the young man was doomed, now realized how foolish that assumption was. Even if they died, the Messiah was unlikely to fall.
Their initial disdain for the young man now seemed misplaced. The Messiah was expected to act with such confidence.
As they reflected on this, the remaining three ghosts recoiled in fear. They looked like the ones in peril, their faces filled with terror, especially the elderly lady who was now shouting.
"What kind of person are you? An exorcist?" she demanded. "You've killed the passengers on this ghost bus. The bus and its driver will not spare you!"
Almost as if answering her words, the bus began to emanate a green glow. The interior turned ominously dark, exuding a chilling aura.
A cold energy surged towards the young man sitting at the back, and the driver at the front of the bus staggered to his feet.
Kiro and his team's faces turned ashen. The ghosts, on the other hand, wore wicked smiles, eagerly anticipating the young man's demise. They imagined feasting on his flesh and soul.
Just as the ghosts were savoring their thoughts, a blue beam of light flashed.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the ghost bus split in two. The eerie and sinister aura dissipated instantly.
The ghostly driver froze in his tracks, and the other ghosts' anticipatory expressions turned to disbelief.
"What's happening?" the elderly ghost stammered, her voice filled with confusion.
"Is he human or are we?" another ghost wondered, equally stunned.
The bus swayed and began to tilt, causing Kiro and his team to grip their seats tightly to stabilize themselves.
The young man floated in the air, releasing an immense amount of light energy.
It was as if the sun itself had descended upon the bus.
"Ah…"
A scream pierced the air. The ghosts, including the elderly one, melted away in the sunlight, their forms disintegrating like snow under the sun's warmth.
Even the bus itself began to vanish, turning into greenish mist and dispersing into the air.
"Please, spare us!" the ghosts cried out in desperation. "We didn't realize it was you, great one. Please forgive us!"
Their pleas went unanswered. Within seconds, both the ghosts and the bus completely evaporated in the light.
Kiro and his team, now lying on the road, stared in stunned silence at the floating Messiah. The fear they felt was palpable.
The power of the Messiah was as formidable as ever, instilling terror in all who witnessed it.
Syd scanned the area, noting the peculiar surroundings. The old-fashioned bus station nearby seemed out of place, almost as if it belonged to a bygone era.
He surmised that this place might not be real or was shrouded in an illusion.
Without hesitation, Syd decided to use his light energy rather than invoking the full extent of sunlight.
He ascended slightly and released his light energy.
A boundless radiance enveloped the strange area.
It was as if a sun had taken its place in the sky.
(End of Chapter)