The air stilled.
A suffocating silence fell across the battlefield.
Then—
It ca.
A wave of sheer, suffocating pressure erupted from Lilliana.
The ground shattered beneath her feet, spiderweb cracks splintering outward in every direction. The atmosphere distorted, warping like a mirage under a blazing sun.
The decaying ruins surrounding the battlefield groaned under the weight of the energy, ancient stone walls crumbling as if crushed by invisible hands.
Leo's breath caught in his throat. He tried to force himself to breath but all her could was gasp for breath. It felt like he was drowning in an ocean with no one to save him.
It felt like the sky itself had fallen.
His knees buckled instantly.
"What… is this?"
The force bore down on him from all sides, a crushing weight threatening to flatten him into the earth. His legs trembled. His bones creaked under the unbearable pressure. His vision blurred.
"I… can't… breathe."
Every cell in his body scread.
He had known there would be a gap. But this—
This was sothing else entirely.
Exalted Rank.
The gap wasn't just a difference in levels. It was a chasm. A canyon so wide it felt insurmountable.
Lilliana hadn't moved. She hadn't attacked.
All she had done was just stand there—and the battlefield had begun to collapse under her re presence.
"Do you understand now?"
Her voice echoed like a whisper in his mind, dripping with disdain.
"This is what separates you from ."
Her violet eyes glead with cruel satisfaction as she stepped forward. The simple movent caused another shockwave, sending dust and debris flying. The ground cracked further, jagged fissures tearing through the earth.
Leo fell to one knee.
"Move. Get up."
But his body refused to listen. His arms felt like lead, his chest crushed by an invisible force.
This was just her pressure.
And yet, it felt like death itself lood over him.
"You're trembling. Good."
Lilliana's voice was soft, almost gentle, but every word pierced him like a blade.
"You will now understand how pathetically weak a mortal Awakened is compared to an Exalted."
She raised her hand lazily and the wind howled wildly.
The ground beneath Leo's feet shattered entirely, and he plumted a few feet before landing hard on jagged rock.
The gap between Awakened Rank and Exalted Rank wasn't just power. It wasn't just speed.
It was dominion.
Lilliana wasn't just stronger.
She owned the battlefield.
Her re presence bent reality around her, forcing it to heed her will.
Leo tried to push himself up, gasping.
"No. Not yet."
But the pressure only intensified.
Then—
A faint glow.
Golden-purple light flickered faintly around Leo's form.
Lilliana's eyes narrowed.
"What is this?"
The pressure on Leo lessened—only slightly—but enough for him to lift his head.
He blinked.
"The sun? No."
A purple-golden sun hovered faintly above him, its light washing over his battered form. It wasn't fully ford—translucent, almost like a mory not real—but its re presence was enough to keep Lilliana's pressure at bay.
The light coiled around Leo like a protective barrier, shielding him from the crushing force.
Lilliana stepped back, her eyes narrowing further.
"This… shouldn't be possible."
Her voice held a rare note of disbelief.
Tatiana, watching from the distance with folded arms, allowed a small smile to curl her lips.
"So," she whispered, "it showed itself after all."
Back on the battlefield, Leo's breathing steadied.
The sun's glow faded as quickly as it appeared, but the relief it provided remained.
He staggered back to his feet.
"That… was close," he muttered.
Lilliana's gaze sharpened.
"What was that?" She asked curiously, with a feeling of uneasiness.
Leo didn't answer as he wasn't sure himself. He had no idea as to the reason why the enigmatic sun would want to protect him.
But whatever it was—it gave him a chance.
Just a chance.
The pressure returned—this ti focused. Sharper.
Lilliana's smile returned, cold and cruel.
"Let's see if that thing can protect you from this."
She vanished.
Leo's eyes widened.
"So fast—"
A fist slamd into his side.
He barely registered the movent.
Pain exploded through his ribs, sending him skidding across the ground. The impact carved a deep trench through the earth before he crashed into a broken wall.
Too fast. Too strong.
The damage wasn't superficial. He could feel that his ribs had shattered and turned to dust with that blow. And even with [Regeneration] dulling the worst of it the impact, it was still very serious.
Lilliana stood where he had been a mont ago, dusting off her hands as if brushing away dirt.
"Disappointing."
Leo coughed, spitting blood.
"Get up."
His fingers tightened around Nightshade.
"Move."
"One opening. I just need one opening."
Lilliana blurred forward again.
Leo raised Nightshade instinctively—
Her foot slamd into his raised sword, sending him flying once more.
The impact rattled his bones.
His vision blurred at the edges.
I can't keep up…
Lilliana didn't chase imdiately. She stood tall, expression cold.
"Do you realize it yet?"
Her voice echoed across the broken battlefield.
"The difference between us."
Leo gasped for breath, forcing his trembling legs to hold his weight.
"Not yet. I'm not done yet."
Nightshade's blade glead faintly as he tightened his grip.
Just one chance.
Lilliana raised her hand slowly.
The air shattered.
Leo's instincts scread—
Move or die.
A sphere of condensed blood ford above her palm, swirling violently.
Blood compression attack.
Tatiana's eyes narrowed in the distance.
"She's serious now."
Leo pushed everything into his legs—
The sphere launched.
Too fast—
He ducked—barely—feeling the heat sear past his face. The sphere detonated behind him with a deafening explosion.
The shockwave obliterated the ruins behind him.
Debris rained down as Leo coughed, stumbling forward.
Lilliana appeared in front of him instantly, her hand glowing with crimson energy.
"Goodbye."
Her palm shot forward.
Leo swung Nightshade with everything he had.
The blade and palm t—
BOOM!
The resulting shockwave shattered the earth beneath them.
Leo felt his arms shatter under the impact.
The world blurred—
"No. I can't. Not now."
Nightshade's blade glead with the sunlight hitting it.
Leo's eyes burned with determination. He wasn't going to lose the opportunity that Tatiana has given him.
Today is the last day before the tournant begins and if he doesn't win this fight, then he's going to be in for a world of hurts.
It's only with sufficient strength can he be confident about being able to protect himself and those around him.
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