Chapter 163:
The wind flowed through the forest, carrying with it the scent of blood of her friends and more importantly her Hakashi, along with venom on the monster that killed kaito, and scorched burned earth.
iyo's breath ca in fast, ragged, uneven gasps, her body trembling from both exhaustion and raw, unfiltered rage of seeing her boyfriend dead.
Her hands clenched into fists so tight that blood dripped between her fingers from the omni energy made sky hawk claws. The Sky Hawk's power surged violently through her veins, primal and chaotic, barely within her control.
Celestia stood before her, completely unbothered. Her golden armor glead under the flickering remnants of battle's dying light, her blade still slick with the blood of her victims. There wasn't a single scratch on her. Not a single mark of exhaustion.
She looked as if she had just taken a casual stroll through the battlefield, rather than singlehandedly slaughtering half of the Phoenix Vanguard. After all these are the children of the people who killed her people, trapped Noboru-Sama and had raped her people the elves for centuries.
Celestia's golden eyes watched iyo with amusent, her smirk growing sharper as she tapped her blade against her shoulder. "Are you really planning to fight , little bird?" Her voice dripped with condescension, smooth and lazy, like she was scolding a child for throwing a tantrum.
"I'll admit, that scream of yours was impressive. You finally stopped looking like a terrified brat and actually awakened that power of yours. But do you honestly think it'll make a difference?" She chuckled, stepping forward, her boots crushing the blood-soaked ground beneath her.
"Kaito thought the sa thing. So did Duck. So did Aka and so did your precious Hakashi." Her lips curled. "And look where they are now."
iyo's breath hitched. The nas sent a sharp, searing pain through her chest especially Hakashi's, but she refused to break. Not now. Not here.
She moved.
So fast that even the instantaneous would be a down statent, the wind roared in response to her command as she vanished in a blur, reappearing directly above Celestia. Her blade which was her claws, ford entirely of condensed Omni Energy and wind sharper than reality itself, slashed downward, aiming to sever Celestia's head from her body in one clean strike.
Celestia barely moved.
With a bored expression, she tilted her head slightly to the side, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly past her throat. The sheer force of iyo's swing split the air behind Celestia, carving through the remains of the battlefield like a guillotine. The shockwave sent debris flying in every direction. The ground beneath them trembled.
And yet—Celestia simply sighed.
"Predictable."
Before iyo could react, Celestia's palm slamd into her stomach.
The world blurred.
iyo barely registered the impact before she was sent hurtling backward, the force of the blow cracking the very air itself. Her body crashed into the ground, carving a deep trench into the battlefield. Her ribs scread in agony, the Sky Hawk's power barely keeping her from blacking out from the sheer force alone. She gasped, forcing herself to breathe, forcing herself to stand.
She barely had ti to process the pain before Celestia was already there.
A golden blur.
A glint of steel.
iyo's instincts scread.
She twisted, barely managing to block the incoming strike with her blade, but the sheer force behind Celestia's attack sent her skidding backward once again. The ground cracked beneath her feet. The wind scread in protest.
Celestia didn't even budge.
iyo's grip tightened around her sword. Her mind raced. She needed a plan. She needed an opening. But there was none.
Celestia was toying with her.
"You're so slow." Celestia's voice was laced with mockery as she watched iyo struggle to steady herself. "So predictable. So... weak." She sighed dramatically, resting her sword on her shoulder again. "I don't know why I expected more. You're nothing but a failure pretending to be a warrior. A daughter of sinners pretending to be soone she is not."
iyo's teeth clenched. "Shut. Up."
Celestia smirked. "Why? Does it hurt?"
iyo vanished again, this ti reappearing at Celestia's flank, blade flashing. She swung with everything she had, every ounce of her fury, every bit of power the Sky Hawk granted her. The wind howled in tandem with her movents, razor-sharp slashes tearing through the air—each one faster than the last, each one aid for a vital point.
Celestia dodged effortlessly.
Her movents were precise, almost lazy, as she weaved through each attack like a dancer in a deadly waltz. Every single one of iyo's slashes missed by re inches, but Celestia never even looked concerned.
Then
iyo had overextended herself.
In an instant, Celestia capitalized.
A sharp, blinding pain exploded through iyo's side as Celestia's blade carved a deep cut into her ribs. The force of the slash sent her spiraling, crashing into the ground once more. Blood splattered onto the dirt.
iyo coughed violently, her body wracked with pain.
Celestia sighed, shaking her head. "This is embarrassing." She stepped closer, golden eyes gleaming. "You're supposed to be the Princess of the Phoenix Kingdom. A prodigy. A warrior. and the Child of destiny the future ruler according to the dumbass from the Danzo clan. And yet, here you are, struggling to land a single hit." Her smirk widened. "How did your parents ever think you could surpass Noboru?"
iyo's blood ran cold.
Celestia's grin sharpened. "Oh? Struck a nerve?" She leaned down slightly, tilting her head. "Let's be honest. You and your brother have always been second place, haven't you? Always chasing after him. Always living in his shadow. Always pretending you were better, that you were superior."
iyo's breathing grew heavy.
Celestia's eyes darkened. "But deep down... you knew, didn't you?"
iyo's fingers twitched.
Celestia's voice was a whisper.
"He was always stronger than you. Better than you. So you bulled him. Let your boyfriend and Kouki's girlfriend abuse him."
iyo scread.
A storm erupted.
The wind howled, the ground cracked, the very air around her seed to shatter under the sheer force of her unleashed power. The Sky Hawk's energy burned brighter than ever, raw, untad, violent. Her golden-blue eyes blazed with fury as she surged forward, faster than she had ever moved before.
She swung.
Celestia blocked.
Clang.
The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
iyo twisted, slashing again. Celestia parried with ease.
Strike. Parry. Strike. Parry.
Blades clashed at speeds that defied logic, each collision sending sparks flying through the air. The battlefield trembled beneath the weight of their battle.
But Celestia was still smiling.
Still mocking.
Still playing.
And then—Celestia saw an opening.
In a blur of motion, she slipped past iyo's guard.
iyo barely had ti to react before a searing pain exploded through her stomach.
Celestia's blade was buried deep.
iyo choked on her own breath.
Celestia leaned in, her voice a whisper in iyo's ear. "You are no Noboru. You never were. You never will be"
Then, she twisted the blade.
iyo scread.
Her body collapsed onto the ground, blood pooling beneath her.
She was still alive after Celestia wanted her alive because Noboru will be the one to get revenge.
Celestia sighed, standing over her fallen form. "Well. That was disappointing."
She turned—her golden eyes locking onto Akari.
Akari, still weak, still trembling, still barely holding herself together.
Celestia smiled. "Guess it's your turn, little princess."
She raised her blade.
Akari's eyes widened in horror.
And then—
A barrier.
A powerful energy barrier erupted between them, blocking Celestia's attack.
The force of the impact sent a deafening shockwave through the battlefield.
Celestia's eyes widened.
This energy—
She knew it.
She recognized it.
Yin and Yang Omni Energy.
Her grip tightened around her sword.
Then, barely above a whisper—
She spoke a na she hadn't uttered in years.
"...Noboru? NO YOU HOW DO YOU HAVE THIS POWER! YOU ARE NOT HIM!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)