"...How have you been?" Delwyn asked coldly, staring into my eyes. "Azariah."
I felt a throbbing pain in my forehead as I focused on them.
Ruby quietly walked in front of Ethan as if shielding him, while Delwyn stood at the forefront.
"Delwyn," I mumbled as I stepped forward, gazing around the place.
It wasn't raining here. The sky was clear with a gentle light illuminating the area, but there was no sun.
Old, broken stone pillars were sprawled across the place, with five huge angelic statues spread out at different corners, their faces blurred.
"What are you doing, Azariah!?" My gaze shifted back to Ruby, who yelled at .
I felt my blood boiling as I looked at that girl.
I have never—
And would never—forget how Aaliyah died in my hands.
Even though I will always bla myself for her death.
All of this might not have happened if she had just not been close to .
Oliver might still be alive if not for her being taken as a hostage.
I slowly raised my ice blade, pointing at her. Staring into her eyes, I ordered, "...Stay right there. I will kill you along with your lover."
Ethan stepped forward with his sword, now shielding her, glaring at .
The runes on my entire body glowed in a silverish hue as I tried to gather mana.
'....Iksna.' The mana in my body depleted by half as an invisible half-sphere started to erge around .
It took a mont to complete as the mana in the area slowly started to enter my body.
'I need so ti.'
"Do you know why you are here?" My gaze shifted back to Delwyn as he spoke, clasping his hands behind his back. "...Who sent you here?"
"Does it matter?" I asked, tilting my head and pointing at Ethan. "I get to kill him without any interference. That's enough for ."
"You are naive—."
"I don't want to hear that from you," I cut off his words as I stepped closer. "Instead, tell —has Edel gone senile?"
He looked at , confused.
"Why did he ask the Principalities for help?" I asked, voicing the doubt that had been bugging .
"...Or is your fucking leader going back on his promise?"
"What?" he asked, taking so ti to comprehend. "How do you know—?"
"Tell the reason," I ordered, standing just a few feet away from them.
"Did your mother—?"
"Reason, Delwyn."
"Isn't that hilarious," Delwyn chuckled dryly. "How that woman destroys others' families but cares about her own—."
"Don't," I cut him off, glaring at him. "You are no better than her. You destroyed families as well."
He took a mont to stare at before he solemnly replied, "...I did what was best for humanity—."
"Don't give that crap," I scoffed at his absurd words.
"You don't understand—."
'This isn't going anywhere.' I thought, ignoring his words.
I can't waste more ti arguing with him, and even though it might be difficult, I need to take him down as quickly as possible.
I need him to attack recklessly to create an opening.
"You know what? I am glad your children died," I said with a smile, cutting off his words.
"At least they didn't have to grow up under a pathetic father like you."
The little reasoning in his eyes died out as his gaze turned sharp.
'El.' [Don't lose yourself, Az.]
My wings fluttered, propelling backward as he charged at .
He raised his hand, and a crystal vortex burst, sending dozens of sharp, broken blades at .
"Emperor's Ti." I mumbled, and in an instant, my heartbeat rose.
The world around beca clearer. I could even see the small mana particles like dust in the air.
I crossed my arms across my face as the barrage of crystal blades plunged into .
But in the next heartbeat, my body returned to normal.
I landed back on my feet, leaning forward while conjuring a blade of ice.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ethan rushing toward .
A spike of crystal rose from the ground, forcing to propel back.
In the next instant, Ethan's sword ca down, clad in Elohim's divinity.
I folded my wings, twisting my body to let the sword rush past .
"Urgh!"
An overhead kick made Ethan groan as he crashed to the ground.
I landed once again, reaching out to grab him by his neck.
But I raised my arm, blocking the kick aid at my side.
My body flew through the air from the force, but I unfolded my wings to balance myself mid-air.
I blinked. Tens of crystal pillars charged at .
I flew to my side, ducked, or straight-up kicked the pillars away as I rushed back toward Delwyn.
Through the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan standing back up.
'Sundisk.'
A golden sundisk materialized behind as I glided away from a spike thrown at .
Delwyn raised his hand, conjuring a magic circle. An explosive lightning bolt rushed at .
The sundisk moved forward, the lightning bolt hitting it before being engulfed completely.
It flipped upside-down, and a golden bolt of lightning rushed toward Delwyn.
He rushed to his side, dodging the lightning bolt that burned the ground to a crisp.
I landed on my feet and rushed at him. Just as I arrived close, I swung my blade at his ribs.
But in an instant, mana condensed around him. A layer of crystal erged, blocking my strike.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue in frustration as I dissolved my sword away.
I curled up my fist as I swung a powerful right.
He t halfway and lashed out with his own right, his hand covered in crystal.
My hand moved faster as I punched him in the face.
Blood gushed out of his mouth, but he didn't flinch.
His arm moved in a blur as he lunged at .
I sidestepped, letting his hand rush past before grabbing it with both my hands.
Using my body as a lever, I twisted his body, throwing him away with full force.
Boom!!!
His body rolled in the air a few tis before slamming into a broken stone pillar.
My legs turned into those of an angel as I reached him before he could stand back up.
Covering my hand with ice, I launched two long swings at his head.
The stone pillar beneath him cracked as his head slamd into it.
But my nape tingled, and I instantly flew back.
Spikes of crystal rose where I had just stood.
Delwyn stood up, his breath wheezing, eyes glaring at .
"I've had enough," he groaned as he raised both his hands.
Hundreds of crystal spikes conjured in the air, high above my head.
They slowly started to cover the entire sky, casting a shadow over .
I braced myself as they began to fall.
One after another, the spikes impaled themselves into the ground around , while I barely dodged them.
A few of them pierced my body, but they vanished in the next heartbeat.
The assault ended while I remained unhard.
"...Monster," Delwyn groaned as he glared at .
"Huff... Huff..." I drew in deep breaths as I walked toward him.
Mana moved as I conjured another blade of ice in my hand. The skin on my legs burned, glowing in a silverish hue.
My body blurred, and I appeared beside Delwyn.
I aid my sword at the side of his neck, which he quickly covered with crystal—just as I thought.
"First form: Naqsal." Half of the blade dissolved, turning into a dagger, while his body froze in place.
Without thinking, I dug my dagger into his forearm, slicing it open.
"Urghh!!"
Delwyn scread as blood gushed from his arm, dampening the floor.
A round kick to his ribs sent him flying, crashing into an angelic statue.
His body hurtled down, cracking the statue as I landed beside him.
"You're weaker than Sypha," I mumbled as I touched his throat with the tip of the blade.
[You don't have much ti.]
'I know.' I raised my sword to slit his throat.
"Ahh!!"
But before I could, a scream ca from behind.
I conjured another blade of ice in my left hand as I turned around.
CLANG!!! A shockwave cleared the debris around as my blade collided with Ethan's sword.
He glared at furiously, his muscles bulging as he tried to exert more force.
I twisted my body, aligning my blade so the hilt was above the tip.
His sword slid down with the montum, throwing him to my side, while I kicked Delwyn in the chest, whose hand was covered in crystal.
The statue behind him cracked as his body flew even further back.
I shifted my focus back to Ethan.
He tried to stand up but swung his sword recklessly.
I sidestepped and crashed my elbow, covered in flas, into his ribs while ducking under his attack.
Crack! "Argh!"
His ribs cracked, and I grabbed him by his hair, dragging him away.
My body moved in an instant as I touched two opposite pillars lying on the ground.
A sun and moon marking engraved themselves on it before they extended to a ter's width.
"Arghh!!"
I threw his body into the middle.
I had gone easy on Ashlyn while using it, but not now.
His body hovered mid-air as waves of gravitational force hit him from both ends, compressing the space along with his body.
He scread in pain as the sound of his bones cracking echoed.
Blood dripped from his eyes, nose, and mouth, and that made grin.
But before I could enjoy it more, I felt the hair on my neck stand up.
Instinctively, my body twisted, and my hand moved in a blur.
"Gughh!"
Ruby groaned as I grabbed her neck.
The dagger in her hand fell to the ground as she tried to break free from my grip.
Another gust of wind rushed past , and before I could stop him, Delwyn quickly grabbed Ethan, forcing him out of the cylindrical purple light.
"Le...ave him," Ruby choked out as I looked at Delwyn running away, holding onto Ethan.
"Co back, Ethan!!!" I yelled as I lowered my hand, forcing her to her knees.
Ethan struggled to get away from Delwyn's hold.
"Co back, or she will die!!" I announced, making him force Delwyn to stop.
He stumbled back to his feet, one arm hanging limply at his side.
He slowly walked back, glaring at , while Delwyn could do nothing but stare.
"...Leave... her alone," he groaned, his voice pleading.
I smiled at his words, squeezing her neck even tighter.
"Leave her!" he yelled as he rushed toward .
My lips parted as I whispered,
"Muspelh."
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