Wait, are you sure it’s dislike rather than fear?
Moli was lost in thought but did not slow down during the escape. In a matter of minutes, they had already reached the bank of the Klein River.
Indeed, the two of them were about to escape via the river again, following an old tradition. Otherwise, they could never outrun those soldiers on foot; only with the help of Moli’s underwater speed could Fisher hope to overtake them later.
Just as Fisher and Moli were preparing to enter the river, a troop of soldiers clad in golden armor hurried down from the lakeshore above Nali Lake. At the same time, several gold-crafted messengers also took flight, spreading out towards every corner of Saint Nali, obviously to notify all the city soldiers to capture Fisher.
Fisher glanced at the time, seven minutes and twenty seconds.
Yes, just as he had expected...
"Moli, please," he pleaded.
Moli nodded in the water, gently taking Fisher’s hand. Once they both submerged, Emhardt, floating on the surface, blinked.
"Wait, according to the agreem... Aaahhh!"
Emhardt was still worrying about being submerged, but before he could finish his thought, Fisher reached out and pulled him underwater. Moli flicked her tail lightly, shooting away from the spot like an arrow towards the downstream.
Although Xiayat had been taken away by Elizabeth, Fisher wasn’t worried about her harming Xiayat. She had Pandora, which could easily discern that Xiayat had no connection to herself.
The waters of the Klein River were as cool and swift as ever. However, Fisher had been unconscious while swimming with Moli last time. At that time, he felt that the Whale-man Species moved quite fast in the water, and now that insight was even more profound while he was awake.
The scenery of the small fish and water plants flitted by quickly, and the oncoming current stung Fisher’s face with its acidic chill. Although he could breathe underwater, he didn’t have the ability to survive there; if Moli knocked him out and dragged him to the sea floor, he could very likely be crushed by the water pressure.
Fisher squinted through the water, letting Moli lead the way forward. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the city district.
The water in the city district was shallower, but because of Anna’s progress, the surrounding tremor was very strong.
The next second, just as Fisher wanted to check the situation outside through the water, a giant deep-red Thunder Dragon Spear suddenly pierced the sky, darkening the entire heavens.
"The Dragon Slayer Spear... Has Teacher returned?"
Seeing the true form of that destructive magic, Fisher finally felt relieved. He no longer worried about the situation inside Saint Nali and focused solely on the critical task of escaping.
Following the previous escape route along the Klein River, they totally didn’t expect to encounter a blockage near Snake Head Street.
"Fisher, the river up ahead has been cut off!"
As previously mentioned, many of Saint Nali’s rivers discharged through Snake Head Street. To control the water flow, the Nali people had installed regulating sluices at Snake Head Street, which were now oddly closed—a sure sign that it was someone’s doing.
At this very moment, soldiers in golden armor were patrolling along both banks of the river. Clearly, Elizabeth had anticipated their river escape and had deployed troops in advance.
"Let’s go ashore, and enter through the main gate of Snake Head Street!"
Fisher gently tapped Moli’s fishtail, and the Fluid Sword once again extended in his hand. As Moli nodded in agreement, he leaped out of the water, coming face to face with the soldiers on the shore.
"It’s Fisher Benavides, quick, go inform the princess!"
"Capture him! Only him!"
Mid-air, Fisher’s Mercury Blade suddenly solidified, forming a massive hammer shape. He didn’t smash it towards the soldiers but onto the open ground between them.
"Get out of the way!"
The soldiers scattered out of the way, but as Fisher’s attack met the ground, a series of fine cracks spread out until the roads along the bank collapsed. The soldiers standing nearby could not dodge in time and fell towards the river.
Due to frequent conflicts, the New Party had taken on the task of repairing the roads nearby, but the quality left much to be desired.
And the remaining soldiers quickly raised their long spears, ready to capture Fisher with Thunder Chains, but Moli also came ashore at this moment. Her large tail swept the weapons from the soldiers’ hands,
"Don’t stop; we need to get moving quickly."
Fisher had no desire to linger in battle. Seeing an opening in the encirclement, he rushed with Moli towards Snake Head Street. There was still a distance to Snake Head Street, and they needed to run an entire street’s length.
"Quick, catch them. We’ve found Fisher Benavides!"
However, back at the street where the soldiers had come to assist, many received orders to move in this direction. In an instant, soldiers clad in golden armor could be seen on every path in every direction.
Fisher and Moli continued to dash forward, with soldiers pushing in from behind and a crowd led by New Party officials at the mouth of Snake Head Street, attempting to evacuate the area,
"Stop! Follow my command! Walk slower! Hey, I know... Those with children, keep your children close!"
There, amidst the crowd, Fisher immediately noticed the man at the front, who was gesturing and shouting instructions, currently dressed in a white shirt, with a face that was usually weak but now covered in sweat.