Hovering above the wreckage, Aurianna chuckled to herself, her eyes gleaming. "Ah, the strength of the White Dragon—so cool."
"Well, my sister is cool, so it’s obvious!" she added with pride, gazing down at the destruction below.
’She’s stronger—way stronger! Since when did she beco a Grand Human?!’ Athena thought, scrambling out of the crater as she panted heavily. She glared up at Aurianna, who floated above, smirking down at her with a cold gaze.
"This is getting boring. I’m sure Peter and the others are long gone by now. If not, Avriel will handle it. You heard that, right, Avriel?" Aurianna called.
A faint laugh echoed through the air. "Of course, they’re all with ! Even Hadina," Avriel confird.
"Perfect! Now, get those slaves teleported to the next location—imdiately!" Aurianna shouted before she released a powerful wave of aura that shook the ground and sent cracks snaking across the frozen land caused by Athena’s attacks.
Athena stared in horror as she t Aurianna’s cold, gaze. ’If I don’t do sothing now... I’ll actually die here. Like hell I’m letting that happen!’ She gritted her teeth, clasping her hands together.
"Screw the laws! If she doesn’t follow them, why should I?!" Athena roared. The ground beneath her frosted over as sheets of ice spread like a deadly plague, freezing everything in her vicinity. Unlucky souls caught in its path were entombed instantly, turned to grotesque ice statues.
"Cold Zero," she whispered, her breath crystallizing in the frigid air. Aurianna charged toward her, unbothered by the ice spreading across the land, her eyes focused on Athena. Athena braced herself, parrying Aurianna’s fierce kicks and countering with swift slashes, managing to sever Aurianna’s limbs repeatedly. But each wound was fleeting; Aurianna’s body regenerated almost instantly.
Aurianna summoned two revolvers in her hand, firing shot after shot at Athena, who darted away, her form vanishing and reappearing as icy mirages to evade the barrage of bullets.
"How is she keeping up with that monster? That woman is clearly a Grand Human!" Nae whispered, her voice trembling as she watched the battle from afar.
"Because she’s a Grand Human herself," Peter replied, his face calm.
"Aurianna... a Grand Human?" Elena gasped, struggling to believe it. "Then, that’s why she was so confident..."
"You realize we’re supposed to step in if she starts losing, right?" Jugi muttered, glancing at Jade with a hint of worry.
Jade folded his arms, his eyes fixed on Aurianna with an almost curious intensity. "She won’t need it. But if she does... we’ll be ready."
"Master can handle it. If she’s truly pushed to her limit, the other side will co out—and that one’s even more powerful," Zagan said calmly.
"Oh, you an the crazy one." Avriel sighed, shaking her head. "That would an we’d have to restrain her afterward. Not exactly a fun task."
’Who are these people to speak with such confidence?’ Batholem wondered, his unease growing. The longer he stayed with them, the more he beca afraid. There was just sothing unsettling about them.
Zeche nudged him with a frown. "Batholem, your friend... Are you certain she’s just a princess from a Highland?"
"I... I’m not sure myself," Batholem admitted, his mind racing.
"Co on, Juvin," Zeche said turning around. "Let’s go find Princess Penelope."
"On it," Juvin replied, and the two walked away as the rest watched.
___
"Ice Cage!" Athena shouted, raising her hands as an icy prison ford around Aurianna, sealing her in a ice prison.
But inside the ice, a blinding white light began to pulse, and the prison shattered as Aurianna broke free. Without hesitation, Athena launched a relentless barrage of ice shards and explosive water blasts. Yet Aurianna seed to heal faster than the attacks could harm her, her body knitting back together with ease. In one attack, she closed in on Athena, slashing her from the waist up.
’Impossible! How is this possible?!’ Athena’s mind raced as she stumbled back, putting several kiloters between herself and Aurianna. She could barely catch her breath, her confidence slipping as she realized she was outmatched.
"JuastizeI, I need your help!" Athena cried, desperation in her voice.
Aurianna darted forward to deliver a finishing blow, but her strike was intercepted by a towering figure who blocked her attack and aid a massive cannon in her direction. A devastating explosion tore through the battlefield, creating a smoldering crater as dust and debris filled the air.
Standing before Athena was a stoic, chanized man—a cha with a half-robotic body clad in trousers, his face expressionless as he scanned the land.
"We’ve co to assist, Lady Athena," he said. Behind him, twelve Flokong Organization mbers joined the fray—five Grand Humans and fifty Arc Humans.
’So, the rest must be protecting the guests,’ Aurianna thought, her eyes narrowing as she gauged their numbers, noting they were fewer than Eva had predicted.
JuastizeI’s gaze settled on her, his expression darkening as he assessed her power. "Her mana levels... they’re insane. Just observing them, they keep increasing. I’ve never seen any kind of booster capable of this kind of anomaly," he muttered, perplexed by the waves of mana surging around Aurianna.
Aurianna glared at him coldly, her eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you? I don’t have any beef with you, so step aside."
"I can’t let you kill Athena," JuastizeI said, his voice calm. "She’s my co-worker, after all."
Aurianna laughed, a wicked gleam in her eye. "Oh, so you’re all in this together? Doesn’t change a thing. I’ll still kill both of you—and everyone standing behind you." She pointed her saber at them with an evil smirk.
JuastizeI’s expression hardened, his aura intensifying as it flared up around him, unmistakably that of a Grand Human. "You’re awfully confident."
"Of course I am. Chi, chi, chi," Aurianna chuckled.
"Everyone, attack her at once!" Athena commanded, her voice tense. "Don’t give her a mont to rest. She’s faster than you can imagine, and she heals almost instantly. Avoid close contact battles if you value your lives," she warned, wincing as she held her wound.
"Before we attack each other, I want to ask her sothing," JuastizeI said, his gaze fixed on Aurianna.
Aurianna tilted her head, an eyebrow raised. "Go on."
"Why are you attacking our organization?" JuastizeI asked, his voice unyielding.
"That’s sothing Athena over there knows well." Aurianna’s said, her tone icy. "I’m soone who holds a grudge."
Athena’s face paled as she spoke up, nervously glancing at her ally. "Back at our sea base... she was about to be sold."
Aurianna’s eyes flashed with rage. "You all thought I was just so weak little princess, didn’t you? Kidnapped, powerless, ready to be auctioned off to so noble. Well, I hold a massive grudge."
JuastizeI nodded slowly, absorbing her words. "I see. But I believe there’s no need for unnecessary bloodshed. Perhaps we can make a deal to avoid more violence?"
Aurianna shook her head, her smile cold. "No deal. She shot an arrow through my heart—if I weren’t immortal, I’d be dead. I don’t like losing, so this ti, I’m going to win. I’ll take her head as my prize, and I’ll kill the rest of you while I’m at it. I despise your entire organization."
Reviews
All reviews (0)