"Bang!"
The clash between flames, lightning, and Sirin's overwhelming power lasted for about half a second before Kiana was sent flying away.
"Ahh!" Unable to suppress it, Kia let out a cry of pain.
The strain of controlling three Herrscher energies had reached its limit, nearly tearing her body apart.
Cracks emitting sparks and flames appeared across Kiana's limbs and torso. However, before any blood could flow out, it was annihilated by the terrifying force.
Suddenly, Kiana halted, wielding Heaven's Fire in one hand and Thousand Birds' lightning in the other as she charged once more at Sirin, who remained unmoved.
Sirin scoffed coldly, her expression unflinching.
"Go ahead and try! How can I let you die in despair without experiencing utter defeat first? Oh no, I won't grant you such an easy end!"
An indescribable resentment filled Sirin with pure malice towards Kiana standing before her.
Surrounded by boundless power, she transformed into a swirling orb of chaotic light and aggressively lunged at Kiana.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
With each collision, Kiana faced repeated defeats, edging closer to the brink of disintegration.
Yet on this battlefield, the word "surrender" had long been erased from Kiana's vocabulary.
The fire blazed fiercer, the thunder roared louder, and while the pain intensified for Kiana, her expression grew increasingly calm and composed.
"Bang!"
In yet another predictable clash, Kia's arms tore open, and as soon as the flesh separated from her body, it turned to ash.
Witnessing this, Sirin's murderous intent intensified further.
"That same stance—just like in the consciousness domain. Do you really think you stand a chance here?!"
Different types of energy poured forth wildly, relentlessly pursuing the falling Kiana. Sirin had but one objective now—to utterly annihilate this inexplicably persistent lunatic once and for all!
"Are...you afraid?"
Kiana's voice suddenly echoed behind Sirin.
Sirin swiftly turned her head, eyes widening at the sight of Kia's calm face mere inches away. Despite being riddled with wounds, even on her face, where could such unwavering determination originate from?
"Afraid? Ridiculous!" Sirin shattered the surrounding space, aiming to obliterate everything—including Kia—in her vicinity.
But Kia persevered. Though she sustained more injuries, her hands firmly swung the sword downward.
"Boom!!!"
Caught off guard, Sirin experienced for the first time being forced back by Kiana.
Though not injured and only retreating slightly, Sirin's expression darkened completely.
"Not afraid to die, huh? Then just go ahead and die! I'm done playing!" With boundless killing intent, Sirin raised her hands, causing the spatial dimensions of this world to contract.
However, Kiana reached Sirin even faster, her dual blades flashing like lightning, executing precise swordsmanship that left no room for evasion.
"Ah!"
Wounds appeared on Sirin's body, swiftly healing through her innate regenerative power combined with the Creation aspect of Death. Yet again, she felt the sensation she had endured within the consciousness domain.
Mad dog, lunatic, monster, indestructible maggot... In a brief span, Sirin could already compile a long list of words to describe Kiana. Regardless of how she characterized her, the feeling of being relentlessly pressured despite having superior strength was utterly disheartening.
Sirin lifted her hands, once more escalating the chaotic energy around her.
Kiana wouldn't give her time to gather her power? Very well, then it's time to crush her decisively until she can no longer maintain that infuriating demeanor!
Fine, then I'll just keep pounding her until she utterly fails—until that loathsome expression can never resurface again!
"BOOM!"
Another series of head-on clashes ensued, with Sirin still dominating as she repeatedly forced Kiana back, inflicting more wounds.
Yet, Sirin felt a chill creeping up inside her.
Despite Kiana's deteriorating condition, Sirin sensed no weakening in her opponent's strength. On the contrary, with each collision, Kiana seemed to grow even stronger.
"Just where are you drawing this power from?!"
Sirin unleashed waves of energy, enveloping the entire space and plunging Kiana into darkness.
Then, amidst the distant glow of fire and lightning, that relentless figure charged once more.
Eyes wide with fury, Sirin concentrated her power to repel Kiana forcefully, gritting her teeth: "You clearly should be unable to stand anymore!"
From the depths of darkness, Kiana's gaze remained unwavering. Gripping her dual blades tightly, surrounded by thunder and flames, she initiated another charge.
Sirin didn't notice that Kiana had stopped speaking altogether—not because she ran out of words, but her vocal cords were no longer functional, scorched away or burned to ash. Regardless, it was clear that at any moment, she could collapse and never rise again.
Their clashes continued relentlessly.
In this empty void, two figures collided fiercely across various locations, their surging energies nearly shaking the unbreakable boundaries of the world itself. Thankfully, this confrontation occurred within the Theater of Domination; otherwise, half the surface of Earth might have been leveled by now.
After repelling Kiana for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Sirin panted heavily—half from exhaustion, half from anger—and glared coldly in the direction where Kiana retreated.
Several seconds passed without Kiana charging forward again.
"...Is it over?" Sirin muttered incredulously.
She knew Kiana was on the brink of collapsing, but now? It made sense, yet...was this truly the end for that relentless girl?
"Chirp!"
Kiana heard the pleasant song of birds.
She was about to unleash her final resort. Her body had reached its limit; continuing like this wouldn't further exhaust Sirin any more than she already had. But just as Kiana was about to activate Divine Essence, she found herself within a consciousness domain.
Naturally, entering such a realm is one of the prerequisites for activating Divine Essence. The issue was—this wasn't her consciousness domain.
"What is this?"
Above her stretched serene blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds, and familiar mountain scenery lay before her eyes. Realizing where she was, Kiana turned around, and sure enough, there stood Fu Hua inside an elegant stone pavilion, playfully teasing a plump, peculiar bird.
Approaching, Kiana took a seat next to Fu Hua, gazing intently at her mentor.
"When did you enter my body, Fu Hua-sensei? I didn't even notice!"
"I joined you right before you entered the Theater of Domination. Without proper preparation, how could I ensure your safety?"
"Oh... Heh heh! Did I do well then? Didn't disappoint you, did I?"
"Your unwavering fighting spirit was impeccable. Your ability to continuously improve yourself amidst battle, striving for progress, also deserves praise. Apart from pushing yourself too hard, you truly were remarkable, Kiana."
Fu Hua smiled brightly, her cheerful expression matching the clear blue sky and radiant sun above, which made Kiana blush with shyness.
Scratching her head, she modestly replied, "Oh, it's nothing really. I just did what needed to be done."
Fu Hua gently patted Kiana on the head, then gradually grew serious as she asked,
"Are you sure you want to use this technique?"
"Yes! There's no other choice! Only Divine Essence can bridge the power gap and deliver a fatal blow. Plus, based on our earlier analysis, for the Herrscher of a Thousand People to revive using someone else, their consciousness must remain intact. If we severely damage or even shatter her mind, she won't have a chance to come back... In short, this is our only way to secure victory."
"You're correct about the situation, but you should also understand that none of us can guarantee if you'll succeed. Kiana, do you truly have confidence in yourself?"
"I...I can do this. Yes, I can." Kiana slowly responded, her radiant smile momentarily captivating Fu Hua.