Smoke and dust choked the air, swirling around the shattered ruins and deep craters that marred the ground.
The earth itself seemed to groan from the sheer destruction wrought by the battle.
Leo stood, swaying like a leaf in the wind. His chest heaved and his entire body screaming in agony. Blood dripped from countless wounds.
His right arm holding Nightshade, trembled continuously. And his legs felt like they could give out at any second. But all this was only possible because of the purple-golden light still enveloping, or he would had already been deader than dead on the floor.
Lilliana stood opposite him, her silver hair slightly disheveled, her violet eyes gleaming with cold fury.
The air around her shimmered with power, blood-red spears and swords forming and dissolving in the air around her as her rage boiled over.
"You’re still standing?" Lilliana’s voice was sharp, unsteady. "You should be dead!"
Leo didn’t answer. He was only hanging on by a thread—a thin, fragile thread that could snap at any moment.
His [Regeneration] skill coupled by the purple-golden light were the only reason he was still alive, but even it couldn’t keep up.
His vision blurred at the edges, and every breath sent a fresh wave of pain through his ribs.
Lilliana lifted her hand, and the air distorted again.
Dozens of crimson spears materialized around her, their tips gleaming wickedly.
"You should have stayed down. Now, I will make you regret it."
Leo laughed weakly when he heard what she said.
"You know for someone who is royalty of a major race in the Multiverse, you talk too much."
Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with rage.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
She hadn’t expected this.
A mere Awakened Rank mortal pushing her this far.
Lilliana’s pride burned. She had toyed with him for too long.
Now, she would end it.
With a scream of fury, the spears shot forward.
They came from every direction, each one carrying enough power to turn Leo into a human sieve.
Leo’s mind raced.
Move.
Move!
He couldn’t block them all. He couldn’t dodge them all. His body was too slow, too broken.
But he could move forward.
Straight at her.
With a roar, Leo forced his legs to move. He used the strength the purple-golden light was giving him, taking advantage of it to oust himself forward.
The spears closed in.
One grazed his shoulder, tearing flesh. Another slashed across his side.
Blood sprayed, but he kept moving.
Closer.
A spear aimed for his throat. He ducked, nearly missing it, and feeling the wind of its passing.
Closer!
Two more came from above—he rolled forward, pain flaring in every limb.
He was almost there.
Now!
Lilliana’s eyes widened.
He was too close.
Panicking, she formed a sword of condensed blood in her hand and slashed downward.
Leo raised Nightshade with both hands.
The blades met.
The impact sent another shockwave across the field.
But this time, Leo held his ground.
Out of nowhere, the purple-golden light enveloped Nightshade, and it intensified, allowing the blade cutting through the crimson energy.
Lilliana snarled, raising her other hand to summon more weapons—
Now!
Leo shifted his grip, ducked low, and surged forward.
His knee struck her stomach.
The breath left Lilliana’s lungs in a harsh gasp.
Her concentration broke. The crimson weapons dissolved into mist.
Leo didn’t stop.
With a final, desperate cry, he pushed forward, slamming Lilliana to the ground.
Dust exploded around them.
When it settled—
Leo was on top of her, his knees pinning her arms to the ground.
Nightshade’s blade pressed firmly against her chest, its tip resting just above her heart.
Lilliana stared up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Her own crimson blades hovered in the air around them, poised to strike—ready to tear him apart.
One wrong move, and they would both die. Or so they both thought.
The battlefield fell silent.
They stared at each other—neither moving, neither blinking.
The slightest twitch would mean death.
Leo’s grip on Nightshade tightened.
"This is it," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Drop your weapons."
Lilliana’s eyes narrowed. "You wouldn’t dare."
"Try me," Leo growled.
The crimson blades inched closer, shimmering dangerously.
Lilliana’s lips curled into a cold smile.
"Let’s see who’s faster then."
Leo didn’t flinch.
"You sure about that?" His voice was low but steady. "You really want to gamble with your life? Because I promise you—"
He pressed the blade, still covered with the light, down and just enough, shockingly, draw a thin line of blood.
Lilliana’s breath caught.
"—I’ll win." Leo completed his sentence.
She glared up at him, her pride screaming at her to fight back.
But Leo wasn’t finished.
"You think I’m bluffing? Let me paint a picture for you."
He leaned in closer, his eyes cold and hard.
"If I die here, Tatiana will tear you and your little group apart. She’ll crush every single one of you without breaking a sweat. And she’ll enjoy it."
Lilliana’s eyes flickered. She didn’t believe it but she also didn’t want to take her chances. Also, she knew that she can’t kill Leo or she will be disqualified, and that is enough for her to even attempt suicide.
"You know I’m right," Leo continued. "And if by some miracle she doesn’t destroy them? My team will be right behind her. They’ll hunt down the rest of your group. Injured. Weakened. Easy targets."
He smirked, blood dripping from his lip.
"Tell me, Lilliana. How does that sound?"
Lilliana’s hands twitched beneath him.
Frustration burned in her eyes.
She had power. She had rank.
But in this moment—
She had lost.
Leo pressed the blade down further.
"Drop. Your. Weapons."
The crimson blades trembled.
Lilliana’s breath came in ragged gasps.
For a long, agonizing moment, the battlefield remained still.
Then—
With a soft hiss, the crimson blades dissolved into mist.
Lilliana turned her head away, her teeth gritted.
"I concede."
Leo exhaled.
His arms gave out.
But before either of them could move—
A blur of motion.
Tatiana appeared in an instant, and without a word, she grabbed Leo by the arm.
Lilliana’s eyes widened.
"Wait—"
But before she could react—
Tatiana vanished with Leo, disappearing from the battlefield.
Silence returned.
Lilliana remained on the ground, staring at the empty space where they had been.
Her fists clenched.
"I… lost?"
The wind blew softly across the ruined battlefield, carrying away the last remnants of the fight.
And far away—
Leo collapsed into unconsciousness in Tatiana’s arms, the faint glow of the purple-golden sun flickering briefly before fading.