Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1279

The moment the berserker potion mixed with his blood, Michael's eyes took on a slight crimson glow as his muscles bulged under his armor. His pupils contracted, and he grew a few inches taller and more robust. Michael had never needed the potion while he had access to celestial energy, but with Mugashuku's void effect nullifying celestial energy, he resorted to the berserker potion.

Michael typically avoided using the berserker potion because, after its effects wore off, his body would be weakened for a period. However, in this dire situation, he needed the potion's boost to contend with the mysterious energy powering Harriet.

Noah, an alchemist himself, immediately recognized the potion. Deep down, he was shocked that Michael had managed to brew this notoriously difficult concoction.

"I didn't want to do this in front of his mother, but if you insist, then so be it," Michael growled, slowly advancing toward Noah and Harriet.

Noah tightened his grip on the ropes tied to his swords, bracing for another confrontation. Meanwhile, Mugashuku and Vedora continued their aerial battle, slowly drifting toward the city of Icefair. As the titanic creatures approached, panic spread among the soldiers.

"Go help with the evacuations!" Noah barked at his men, who quickly moved toward the city. Meanwhile, Salesi's soul army, disguised in the heavy armor and weaponry of Nagaland's forces, stood their ground, encircling Noah, Michael, and Harriet.

Now enhanced by the berserker potion, Michael exuded an intimidating presence, his every move more forceful and deliberate. Aware of the stakes, Noah remained vigilant, his eyes darting between his mother and brother, trying to anticipate their next moves.

As Harriet launched herself towards Michael, Noah's frustration boiled over. "I don't need you fighting my battles, Mother!" he roared, surging forward. He swung the ropes, propelling his sword through the air towards Michael. With a swift motion, Michael dodged the incoming blade, severing the rope with a quick slash of his own sword, and simultaneously landed a forceful kick on Harriet, sending her reeling backward through the air.

"You'll pay for that!" Noah bellowed, his voice thick with rage. Light flames enveloped his fists, casting a radiant glow that flickered violently as he charged toward Michael. With a powerful swing, he struck Michael squarely in the chest. The impact resounded with a crack as Michael's dark armor fissured under the combined force and intense heat of the light flames.

But Michael was quick to counter. Summoning the dark flames that danced menacingly around his fists, he retaliated with a devastating punch. The dark flames collided with Noah, overwhelming the light with an eerie sizzle and sending Noah stumbling backward, his footing uncertain from the sheer force of Michael's blow.

Meanwhile, Harriet, having recovered from her unexpected flight, landed gracefully despite the chaos. She dusted herself off and stared in dismay at the ongoing conflict between her sons. Harriet knew the loss of Eve made Michael enraged, and she wouldn't be able to talk him down from killing his brother. On the other hand, she also knew talking down Noah wasn't an option either since Michael killed Noah's wife Alicia. Faced with no viable options to negotiate peace between them, Harriet decided the only feasible solution, however daunting, was to physically intervene and prevent the brothers from killing each other. The void effect, which stripped them of their powers, was a small advantage she could exploit.

With a half baked plan to defeat not one but two gods, Harriet dashed at them once again to stop them from killing each other. She couldnt even imagine what would happen if one of them died. The death of Rainar, the God of Rain, had already robbed the mortal realm of rain; the death of Noah, the God of Light, or Michael, the God of Darkness, could provoke even more catastrophic repercussions.

But watching from the sidelines, Salesi grew increasingly frustrated with the stalemate. She understood all too well that the longer a battle dragged on, the more unpredictable the outcome could become. Eager to accelerate the conflict, Salesi issued a command to her disguised soul army.

"Go attack him," she ordered, pointing at Michael. She knew that Noah, in his righteous indignation, would believe these undead, soul-infused warriors were soldiers from Nagaland. Seeing his brother slaughtering what appeared to be human soldiers would likely enrage him further, escalating the battle—a catalyst Salesi deemed necessary.

"And keep her out of their fight," she added, directing her second command at Harriet. Her strategy was clear: isolate Michael and Noah from Harriet's moderating influence, deepening the chaos and pushing the brothers toward a deadly confrontation.

As the disguised soul army charged, Michael's anger flared to the next level. "Get out of my way!" he roared, cutting through the undead with ruthless efficiency. His dark flames enveloped the dark sword, scorching and dismembering the reanimated soldiers with each swing. He didn't pause to consider the implications of his actions, focused solely on his path of vengeance.

"Stop this madness!" Noah, witnessing the carnage roared before lunging at Michael in an attempt to intervene. To him, it appeared as if Michael was slaughtering helpless soldiers of Nagaland, which only fueled his rage and despair.

Meanwhile, another portion of the army engaged Harriet, attempting to restrain her without causing harm. From a distance, Salesi raised her voice, trying to manipulate the chaotic scene to her advantage. "Noah, we're only trying to prevent further bloodshed!" she called out, feigning concern. "My army will not harm Diana. We're just keeping her from getting hurt or interfering!"

Harriet struggled against the soldiers, her frustration mounting as she realized they were not there to harm her but merely to keep her from intervening in Michael and Noah's fight.

"Trust me, I'm doing this for a good reason!" Salesi's voice carried a feigned tone of concern and urgency, masking her true intentions to provoke Noah and Michael into a fatal confrontation.

"Noah, you need to stop. Do not trust her!" Harriet shouted, straining against the soldiers trying to restrain her. She was cautious not to seriously harm what she believed were Nagaland soldiers merely following orders.

"You stupid idiot, you always get manipulated and end up fighting the wrong fight. But this time, you messed up," Michael roared as he viciously slaughtered the soldiers, his fury unabated.

Ignoring Michael's words, Noah turned to his mother. "Mother, you don't understand. This is the only way!"

"There is always another way, a better way," Harriet retorted, her energy surging as she knocked down several soldiers with a burst of power.

"This is the only way to save her!" Noah's voice cracked with emotion, finally revealing his driving force. When he mentioned these words, Harriet paused her assault, her attention sharply focused on her son as Salesi, sensing an opportunity, telepathically commanded her soul army to halt. She wanted Harriet to hear Noah's explanation, hoping it would manipulate her into standing down. Of course, the story about Zariel holding Rowena Winston, Noah's elder sister and the Holy Maiden, hostage and demanding Michael's death for her release was a complete fabrication by Salesi.

"What?.." Harriet's voice faltered, her grip on her swords loosening slightly in shock.

"He needs to die if we want to see Rowena again," Noah said, desperation coloring his tone.

For a moment, the battlefield stilled, the tension palpable. Noah, Harriet, and the soul army under Salesi's command all paused. Even Michael, upon hearing Noah's words, frowned. His rage momentarily subsided, allowing a sliver of rational thought to penetrate his fury. He knew the events unfolding were orchestrated by Salesi or possibly Andohr, but what infuriated him more was Noah's continued acceptance to manipulation. If Noah had been fooled once, Michael might have forgiven him, but Noah's steadfast belief that Michael needed to die to save Rowena made him a truly dangerous enemy.

"It's always someone else, isn't it? Don't you see? Salesi is manipulating you, controlling you like a puppet," Michael growled, his words slicing through the tension.

Noah, however, shook his head, refusing to let Michael's accusations penetrate his resolve.

"It doesn't matter who manipulates me. You are evil. You alone are responsible for so many deaths. A few good deeds don't make you a saint. If I'm being manipulated by others, you've been manipulated by your thirst for more power," Noah shot back.

"You could have stayed in the mortal realm as the most powerful being. You could have used your powers for good. But no, you wanted more. And Skyhall just became a convenient excuse for you," Noah's words struck Michael, causing him to frown. Despite his anger, a part of Michael's rational mind acknowledged the sliver of truth in Noah's accusations.

Michael could have indeed wiped out the Skyhall when he reached the Celestial stage and lived like a king in the mortal realm. But his relentless desire for more power, born from a belief that only power could protect him from vulnerability, had driven his actions.

"Have you ever considered that if you hadn't pulled Eve into your dark army and your quest for power, she might still be alive?" Noah's question hit Michael with the force of a freight train.

"We could have been a real family, but your thirst for power destroyed the lives of others, others who cared about you. Eve is dead because of you and her decision to follow you. Rowena is in dire danger because she tried to save you. The whole city of Icefair burns and lies in ruins because of the enemies you made," Noah continued, each word heavy with accusation and pain.