’Is she in Ascendancy?’ The thought flashed through Ryuk’s mind as his gaze remained locked on the woman before him. He recalled another individual—one who had once posed a great challenge to him, a person who had exposed the limitations of his nullification ability.
That person, Drishti Devereaux, had made him realize that his power, being aligned with stamina and endurance, was not absolute.
And now, as he observed this woman, a familiar sensation crept into his mind.
The sheer presence of strength, the overwhelming energy that rippled off her, it all pointed to one undeniable conclusion—she was in the sa realm.
[ Yes, Target is in the sa realm as Drishti Devereaux. ]
’....’
"Do you understand now, Ryuk?, I am invincible." Morana’s voice was laced with a sharp amusent as she narrowed her gaze, her sharp eyes fixed on his hand—the one gripping her wrist with unrelenting force.
And yet… sothing was off.
Her expression shifted subtly as realization struck. A vast amount of energy within her had just vanished, consud in an instant.
Her surprise was evident, though her composure remained intact.
Her butler’s words had already confird what she had suspected—it was him.
Still, her curiosity was piqued. Why did she feel a fluctuation in his strength? He looked composed on the surface, but a closer look revealed sothing else—exhaustion.
A re stretch of his fingers, a slight twitch in his muscles, and there it was—a montary weakness. A chink in the armor of his seemingly invincible nullification ability.
Fascinating.
He had failed to completely suppress her strength.
And, in a more amusing turn of events, Morana’s body—one she had carefully chosen for its natural ability to observe and adapt to surrounding energy—had already begun recovering.
She could feel it, the internal reserves slowly realigning, the power returning.
A slow smirk ford on her lips as she saw him remain silent and unmoving, as if surprised. Though sohow, he seed composed to her; maybe she just wasn’t able to see his complete face to see that shock.
"Let’s remove the mask first." Her voice carried an air of casual authority as she raised her free hand, fingers gliding towards his face.
The mont her forefinger pressed against the edge of his mask, the deep amber eyes glaring at her seed to darken—just for a split second.
But before she could fully peel it away—
"Regina." Ryuk’s voice was cold, sharp, and in the instant the na left his lips, a blade cut through the air.
A silver streak, moving with blinding speed.
It sliced past his neck, grazing over his shoulder, its edge aid directly for Morana’s face.
The sheer force behind the strike carried a gust of wind, sharp enough to sting against her skin.
Clank!
With even greater speed, Morana reacted.
A sword materialized in her free hand—its green hilt adorned with intricate floral embroidery, delicate yet lethal.
With a flick of her wrist, she brought it forward, intercepting the incoming blade before it could graze her skin.
Sparks erupted upon impact, the tallic ring of colliding steel reverberating in the air.
In the reflection of her blade, Morana’s gaze locked onto the attacker.
Her eyes t a masked visage—half-concealed by white porcelain, glinting with a sword intent so sharp, it felt as if the very air between them was being split apart.
A small chuckle escaped Morana’s lips as her eyes widened and relaxed, identifying the only woman possessing this much dense sword intent with those amber eyes—a sign of the Devereaux family.
"Heh… So, you’re that renowned Sword Valley disciple, Regina Devereaux."
Her head tilted slightly as she observed the woman before her, analyzing every detail.
Regina’s posture was unwavering, her blade steady, her presence carrying the undeniable aura of a seasoned warrior.
The force behind her sword—it was growing with each passing second as she had initially avoided to go all out for sake of others wwithin the room.
Morana exhaled, a slow breath slipping past her lips, before a smile—one far more ominous than before—spread across her face.
"I suppose…" Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword. "I’ll just kill everyone here today—except for this naive husband of mine."
Morana’s words dripped with amusent, but the intent behind them was sharp as a blade.
Then—BOOM!
A surge of energy exploded outward from her, invisible yet forceful enough to reduce the ground beneath her into dust. The cracked earth splintered apart, debris scattering like shattered glass. But the mont she attempted to pull her hand free—
’!?!’
Her eyes widened.
Her right wrist, gripped by Ryuk, remained locked in place.
She had expected resistance, but not this.
A dense athyst glow pulsed from his chest, radiating outward, converging near his hand like liquid steel hardening in an instant. His grip was stronger—far stronger than before.
’What…?’
She couldn’t break free.
Her left hand, still clutching her sword, was locked in a deadlock against Regina’s blade, which was pressing forward with increasing force.
The weight of the situation dawned on her—she was pinned.
Then Regina moved.
"Sword Stance, First Move. Final swing."
Regina exhaled, her breath turning into a thin mist.
Her eyes fluttered shut, and suddenly, her sword glowed—a strange, pulsating light engulfing its edges.
Without warning, she twisted her body, breaking the deadlock with a seamless motion. The blade, now unhindered, shot towards Morana’s back with deadly precision.
’!’
Morana was thrown back, her body skidding across the broken ground. She barely managed to twist mid-air, bracing herself, but her left hand, still gripping her sword, was montarily displaced.
The force sent a tremor through the battlefield, small cracks webbing beneath her feet upon impact.
But Ryuk had also been pulled forward slightly, caught in the recoil of her movent.
Morana’s sharp eyes snapped to Regina, who had blurred from sight for a split second—only to reappear, her sword already swinging down toward Morana’s neck.
Clank!
At the last mont, Morana raised her left arm, catching the attack on the flat of her blade. Sparks erupted as steel clashed against steel.
The force, however, was greater this ti—she felt her feet slide back, Ryuk still holding onto her wrist, forcing her into a defensive stance she could not afford.
Her glare sharpened, frustration seeping into her voice.
"Let go."
But Ryuk remained unfazed, his expression unreadable as he pressed his ether into the ground, anchoring himself.
He knew the rule—Morana had declared she wouldn’t harm him, but that didn’t an he couldn’t use that against her.
"You won’t attack , will you?" His voice was low, controlled.
Morana’s grip tightened. He was using her own restraint against her. He knew she had given her word not to hurt him—so he was exploiting the very rcy she had offered.
Her expression darkened. "Using my own rcy against ? It seems you need—"
Before she could finish, sothing flashed behind her.
Whoosh—!
A fireball.
Her senses scread as she twisted, catching the attack just in ti. Her internal energy surged, reinforcing her back as a blade wreathed in fla made contact. The impact was far weaker than Ryuk’s or Regina’s, but it was enough—enough to force her focus elsewhere.
’Who—?’
Her gaze snapped to the attacker. A woman, clad in light blue robe, stood at a distance, her sword burning with intense fla strucked at Morana’s back
’So, she is Empress of Jade Dominion.’ Yao Lian had hesitated at first, clearly uncertain, but now, faced with the battlefield shifting before her, she had chosen a side.
Her grip tightened around her sword, flas licking the air as she declared, her voice firm yet asured—
"I don’t care who you are, but you shouldn’t go around claiming anyone as your husband."
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