The Demon Beneath the Frozen Sky
In the sky, Selena looked at the massive black serpent swimming above the battlefield and smiled faintly.
"So... the so-called genius’s strongest Sacred Art is only Earth-grade..."
Her voice was soft.
There was no ridicule in it.
No arrogance either.
Only realization.
The cold wind swept across the sky, causing her silver-white hair to dance behind her while her blue eyes quietly reflected the enormous serpent twisting through the clouds above.
And for so reason—
Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Back to Athyst Summit Division.
Back to those endless nights beneath the silent moon.
The mountain winds had always been cold there.
Cold enough to sting the skin.
Yet sohow, she had never hated them.
Because every ti she trained beneath that moonlit sky... there had always been soone standing beside her.
Leon.
Dressed in his usual midnight robes embroidered with faint athyst patterns, one hand behind his back while calmly watching her swing her sword thousands of tis without complaint.
Patient.
Steady.
Unmoving like a mountain.
His voice suddenly echoed inside her mind again, so clearly that it almost felt real.
"A sword isn’t ant to look beautiful."
"It exists to cut through everything standing before you."
"And rember..."
"If one path fails..."
"Create another."
Selena’s grip around the Athyst Mist Sword tightened unconsciously.
Only now did she truly understand what kind of person her teacher actually was.
At first, she never compared him to others.
There was no reason to.
Leon was Leon.
That alone had been enough.
But after leaving the division...
After seeing how other elders taught their disciples...
How they guarded techniques like starving dragons protecting treasure...
How they hid knowledge even from their own students out of fear of being surpassed...
She finally realized sothing terrifying.
Her teacher was abnormal.
Completely abnormal.
Others treated Earth-grade techniques like family heirlooms.
But Leon?
He casually tossed Heaven-grade Sacred Arts toward her like they were ordinary books picked up from the roadside.
No hesitation.
No greed.
No hidden conditions.
He taught her patiently even when she failed.
Protected her without asking for repaynt.
Trusted her more than she trusted herself.
Who in this world would do sothing like that?
Selena lowered her eyes slightly.
A strange warmth spread quietly through her chest.
How could she allow soone like that to lose face?
As Leon’s head student...
She represented Athyst Summit Division.
But more than that—
She simply didn’t want anyone looking down on him.
Not because he demanded loyalty.
Not because he forced respect.
But because sowhere along the way...
She genuinely started believing there was no greater teacher in this world than him.
And anyone who mocked him...
Deserved to be cut down.
The wind suddenly intensified.
Above the battlefield, the enormous black serpent let out a deafening hiss that shook the sky itself.
anwhile, far below—
Harry stared upward with wide eyes while feeling goosebumps slowly crawl across his arms.
"...Why do I suddenly feel Senior Sister’s silence is way too terrifying...?" he muttered nervously.
Beside him, several disciples silently swallowed.
Because Selena was smiling.
And sohow—
That felt far scarier than if she looked angry.
Rias clenched her hands tightly.
"Senior Sister..."
Even Rex Vine raised an eyebrow.
The playful expression on his face slowly faded.
Sothing felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Because at this mont—
The Athyst Mist Sword in Selena’s hand suddenly rotated.
A strange silence descended.
The wind stopped.
The clouds stopped moving.
Even the black serpent in the sky seed to freeze for a brief mont.
Selena slowly raised her sword.
Her eyes beca calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
Then—
BOOM!
An overwhelming murderous aura exploded outward like a tsunami.
"This..."
Everyone froze.
The entire sky suddenly darkened.
Endless crimson light slowly spread across the heavens.
Behind Selena—
A gigantic Demon phantom slowly erged from the endless darkness.
Its eyes glowed scarlet.
Its body towered above the clouds.
Countless chains wrapped around its body while endless killing intent poured from its form.
The mont it appeared—
The previous murderous aura released by Lavish instantly beca insignificant.
Like candlelight before a blazing sun.
Behind Lavish, an elder’s expression instantly changed.
"Heaven-grade Sword Art!!! How can she know a Heaven-grade Sacred Art?!"
His voice trembled.
His eyes widened with disbelief.
Above the sky—
The gigantic Demon lowered its head.
Then slowly looked toward the black serpent below.
ROAR!!!
The terrifying roar shook heaven and earth.
The black serpent phantom violently trembled.
At this mont—
The black serpent no longer looked mighty.
It looked like prey.
Like a weak creature standing before a true predator.
Lavish’s face instantly turned pale.
"No... this is impossible."
His pupils shook violently.
"How can she know a Heaven-grade Sacred Art?!"
The arrogance on his face disappeared.
The confidence vanished.
Fear silently crawled into his heart.
Because he could clearly feel it.
The murderous aura within this technique...
Was dozens—
No—
Hundreds of tis stronger than his own.
His hands unconsciously trembled.
For the first ti since the battle began—
He panicked.
Selena’s Hell Maw Strike gradually completed its gathering.
The endless blood-red light gathered around her sword.
She looked toward Lavish with icy eyes and said,
"Didn’t you want to see how capable I am? Now... I’ll fulfill your wish."
Cold.
Dominating.
Without another word—
She swung down.
BOOM!
The sky instantly darkened.
A crimson moon seed to appear above the battlefield.
The gigantic Demon roared and opened its bloody mouth before charging toward the black serpent.
Lavish roared angrily.
"No!"
Mana erupted from his body.
He unleashed every ounce of power within him.
The Shadow Serpent Heaven Cleaver instantly erupted.
The black serpent let out a furious roar as it rushed forward.
But—
The difference was simply too great.
The Demon swallowed the black serpent whole.
Crack!
The black serpent phantom shattered instantly.
Its body exploded into countless fragnts of light.
Lavish stared blankly.
His strongest move...
Destroyed.
Just like that.
Then—
The gigantic sword strike descended.
At that mont—
Lavish’s face turned deathly pale.
His hands slowly dropped.
His eyes lost focus.
His heart felt like dead ashes.
Boom...
The collision between sword and saber finally ended beneath the crushing might of Hell Maw Strike with a deafening explosion.
"Pfft..."
Unsurprisingly, Lavish was heavily injured by a single strike and sent flying hundreds of ters away.
Blood sprayed through the air.
His body crashed violently against the ground.
His internal organs trembled violently as sharp pain spread throughout his body.
He had lost.
He had lost completely.
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