Seven elemental pillars of light pierced through heaven and earth, like seven spears of Judgment cast down by the Gods, completely swallowing Astreia’s figure.
The terrifying energy did not erupt immediately. Instead, it collapsed violently inward, ultimately condensing at the spot where Astreia had stood into a massive Chaos Sphere covered in Gray Thunder.
“Sizzle… sizzle…”
The sphere resembled a deformed heart. With every pulse, the surrounding space shattered into spiderweb-like black cracks that continuously spread outward, devouring light and matter.
A single glance was enough to make the Soul tremble in fear.
The three people suspended side by side in midair, wrapped in purple-black barriers, were completely dumbfounded.
Through the constantly warping and collapsing space, they could vaguely see her body drenched in blood. The Demon Flame Armor that had been so imposing just moments ago was now shattered and ruined. Her entire body hung limply in the center of the Chaos, her fate unknown.
“No… this can’t be…”
Wendy’s eyes were wide open, his mouth half agape, his entire body numb.
“Astreia… she was supposed to be the strongest… this shouldn’t be happening…”
He stared blankly at the gray sphere radiating a Doomsday Aura below, his mind completely blank, muttering to himself involuntarily.
Astreia was the top-tier boss of the Game, the Witch Queen! How could she have been taken down by Laxana’s Combo here? And taken down in a single move? How… how could she have been counter-killed?
Meanwhile, Layana and Aurelia beside Wendy had expressions even more dramatic than his.
The two top Academy Deans of the Continent, who had just been pulled back from the gates of death, had personally witnessed Astreia’s overwhelming power.
They had placed all their remaining hope on this Witch Queen who had broken free from her seal.
But now… all that hope was wrapped up inside a gray sphere of lightning.
Staring at the Chaos Sphere radiating destructive energy below, Aurelia’s entire body trembled.
“…She was invincible just a moment ago…”
Layana said nothing. Her lips quivered as she gazed with complex emotions at the figure below who, though staggering, ultimately remained standing.
It was her daughter.
Everything was over…
“Hehe… Hahahahaha—!!!”
A laugh suppressed to the extreme, then erupting into full frenzy, burst from the depths of Laxana’s throat.
She stood in the human-shaped crater her own body had carved into the ground, head tilted back, staring at the Chaos Sphere imprisoning Astreia, laughing like a madwoman.
But even as she laughed, tears rolled uncontrollably from her rainbow-colored Magic Eyes.
She laughed until she bent over, laughed until she ran out of breath, coughing violently until she coughed up bloody foam before finally stopping.
She raised her hand, wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth and the tears at the corners of her eyes, and murmured in a dreamlike tone laced with endless exhaustion and release:
“I’ve finally… surpassed you…”
In that moment, time seemed to stand still.
“Astreia…”
In Laxana’s mind, countless buried Fragments of Memory surged forth like a tidal wave.
She remembered how, when they were very young, Astreia always acted like an Elder Sister, taking her over walls to skip class and going outside the city to beat up those disobedient Nobles.
She remembered the two of them sneaking out of the Academy together to beat up those spoiled Noble brats who spoke ill of Wendy behind his back. Astreia was always the one charging in front, hitting harder than anyone.
She remembered hiding together in their Room, sharing the same risqué book with an alluring young man illustrated on the cover. When they reached the good parts, both would exchange blushing glances filled with racing Heartbeat, then giggle foolishly.
She remembered… on Wendy’s bed, how they conspired in unspoken understanding, using all sorts of shameful methods to tease and toy with that poor, adorable Prince together…
Scene after scene, as if it were yesterday.
There was a time when they were each other’s closest Comrade-in-arms, best friends who shared every secret.
When did everything start to change?
Was it when Wendy appeared?
Or did it start with that accursed Black Notebook?
Laxana’s expression shifted from confusion and reminiscence back to cold, focused determination.
No. Neither.
The one at fault was Astreia! She was always the one attracting Wendy’s attention!
The one at fault was Mother! She always favored Astreia!
Paranoia. How deep was his Love!
The one at fault was Wendy! He was disobedient! He didn’t understand her Love for him!
At this thought, Laxana’s face turned cruel and ferocious once more.
She lifted her head, swept her gaze across the man still standing dazed in midair, and flashed a sickly smile.
“It’s fine. Wendy is just being disobedient. A little lesson to show him who truly loves him, and that will be enough…”
“In the end… he will still be mine…”
A familiar voice, without any warning, sounded directly in Laxana’s ear.
“No. He will always be mine.”
The words were not loud, yet they were like a frigid current from the deepest abyss, instantly piercing into her very bones.
The smile on Laxana’s face froze abruptly.
Every hair on her body stood on end in that instant!
Who?!
This is impossible!
Before Laxana could turn her head in shock, a grating sound of fabric being torn apart rang out abruptly.
Rip—!!!
Laxana stiffly raised her head like a rusty puppet, mechanically gazing at the Chaos Sphere imprisoning Astreia.
The sight before her made her rainbow-colored Magic Eyes shrink to pinpricks!
“How… how is this possible?!”
A cry of disbelief squeezed out from her throat.
There, on the surface of the Chaos Sphere condensed from the power of seven elements—a sphere capable of tearing even space itself—a pair of slender, fair hands appeared.
Those hands simply pressed into the sphere’s barrier from the inside!
Then, under Laxana’s horrified gaze, those hands… suddenly wrenched apart in opposite directions!
Riiip—!
The impenetrable Chaos prison was torn open with bare hands… like a piece of fragile waste paper!
A tall, blood-soaked figure stepped leisurely out from the shattered gray lightning.
Barefoot, with the invincible bearing of one who rules the world, she walked step by step out from that expanse of destruction.
Though her armor was broken, the awe-inspiring authority that looked down upon all living things was more terrifying than ever before!
Astreia!
She was out!
Standing before Laxana once more with the invincible bearing of a sovereign descending upon the world!
But what made Laxana’s soul nearly flee in terror was that Astreia’s wounds were healing at a visible rate, and the shattered armor was being reforged under the scorching Demon Flame.
In just a few breaths.
She was already restored to perfect condition.
If not for the few pools of glaring blood remaining on the ground, it would seem that the world-destroying strike from moments ago had all been an illusion.
“Heh…”
The Witch Queen let out a low, soft laugh. Her figure flickered, and in an instant she appeared before Laxana, who stood frozen in place.
An ice-cold hand—so fast it was impossible to react—grabbed Laxana’s chin and forced her head up.
Their eyes met.
In Astreia’s Magic Eyes burning with purple flames, there was no trace of the previous anger. Only pure, cat-and-mouse mockery and contempt remained.
“You are far too weak, my dear friend…”
She leaned close to Laxana’s ear, her warm breath mixed with icy words drilling into her ear canal.
“You didn’t actually think that just because I was playing around with you… you could really defeat me, did you?”
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