Zhui's Flame Spirit Blast eradicated the Slardars around her, their bodies reduced to ash by the violet inferno. The remaining creatures hesitated, wary of the flames still swirling in her vicinity. But the effort drained her, and her knees buckled, forcing her to kneel. "That attack took too much energy," she gasped.
"Princess, even with the ring's power, your body can't handle releasing such intense energy so suddenly," Serphia warned, her voice echoing in Zhui's mind.
"I know, but I had no choice," Zhui replied, catching her breath.
A sudden surge of overwhelming energy snapped her attention behind her. "Impossible," she whispered. Juggernaut strode forward, his aura blazing, untouched by the flames that licked around him. Zhui's heart sank—she had hit him with her attack, yet no trace of damage marked his towering form.
"Princess, be careful. His presence is terrifyingly strong," Serphia urged.
Despite trembling hands, Zhui gripped Rabaikasyu tightly, summoning her energy. "Flame Slash!" she cried, unleashing a fiery arc. It struck Juggernaut's armor but dissipated harmlessly. Undeterred, she fired more slashes, each one absorbed by his impervious shield. Realizing the futility, she stopped, channeling her energy into her sword instead. Violet flames roared, forming a ten-inch blaze. "Fallen Dragon!"
Raising her sword, she swung downward, releasing a dragon-shaped flame that surged toward Juggernaut. He grinned, unfazed, and stomped the ground, the earth cracking under his force. With a single punch, he unleashed a shockwave that shattered her attack, the backlash hurling Zhui backward. She stabbed her sword into the ground to stop her slide, stunned. "Even my strongest attack was nothing to him," she muttered.
Serphia urged her to flee, warning that Juggernaut's natural energy barrier was triple her strength, immune to her flames. "You can't break it, no matter how hard you try."
"I can't run," Zhui insisted. "Sei trusts me to fight beside her." Serphia acknowledged her loyalty but stressed the vast gap in power—Sei's time manipulation could evade attacks, but it wouldn't defeat Juggernaut.
As Zhui strategized, Juggernaut charged, his steps shaking the earth. Fear gripped her, but she refused to retreat. Instead, she rushed forward, her body igniting like a fiery serpent. Dodging his fist, she closed the distance, slashing his arm in a whirlwind of strikes. Spinning mid-air, she aimed for his head. "Yahh!" Her sword struck, but it didn't pierce his armor.
Juggernaut laughed mockingly. "You call that an attack? Is tickling all you've got?" His aura surged, paralyzing Zhui's body with its intensity. Before she could react, he grabbed her leg, poised to slam her into the ground. But she vanished, reappearing behind him, and drove her sword into his neck with a cry. "Yahh!"
The impact sent flames cascading, but Juggernaut stood unscathed, his neck unmarked. "Impossible," Zhui gasped. "Stop your pathetic attacks!" he roared, swatting her with his massive hand. She blocked with her sword but was sent crashing into a boulder, embedding in it. As he charged again, she scrambled to her feet, barely dodging his relentless fists. Each blow forced her back, her blocks barely holding. "What's wrong? Is that all you've got?" he taunted.
Frustration boiled within Zhui. She lunged, slashing wildly, but Juggernaut caught her sword, gripping it tightly. Unable to pull it free, she felt like a child against his strength. "You're a boring opponent," he sneered, lifting the sword—and her—with it, then swatting her away like an insect. She tumbled across the ground, pain searing through her. Her right arm, shattered and mangled, hung uselessly. "Ahh!" she screamed, writhing.
"Princess, stay strong! You must escape!" Serphia pleaded.
"My arm—I can't move it!" Zhui cried, struggling to rise. A glowing magic circle appeared beneath her, and her pain vanished, her arm restored. She leaped back, distancing herself, awestruck. "I can move again. Did she do this?"
She glanced at Sei, now kneeling, clutching her own arm, bearing the pain Zhui had endured. Guilt washed over Zhui—Sei was sacrificing her body to protect her, yet she felt unworthy, unable to fulfill their agreement. Her repeated failures gnawed at her, making her question if she deserved Sei's trust, a trust that risked Sei's life.
"What do I do? This can't keep happening," she whispered, fear mounting as Juggernaut grinned, cloaked in a dark aura. "I can't beat him. He's a monster."
Juggernaut charged again, his presence overwhelming her resolve. Frozen with doubt, she couldn't think clearly. "I have to counter—no, I can't match him. I need to dodge," she muttered, panicking. Her trembling knees gave way, and she stumbled, collapsing. "I can't dodge. He's going to hit me," she thought, raising her arm defensively, like a helpless child.
Juggernaut's fist descended, but a sudden blur intercepted it. A punch struck his face, sending him crashing into distant rocks. Agane landed, wings flapping. "You?" Zhui gasped.
"What are you doing? Are you giving up?" Agane snapped, yanking Zhui's collar to pull her up. "The queen is taking your injuries, and if you falter, she'll keep suffering. Fight!"
"I know, but I can't beat him. I've tried everything, and my attacks don't work," Zhui protested.
Disgusted, Agane shoved her back. "If you're scared, you don't deserve to fight or stand by her. You've wasted her trust. I'll handle him—get out of here."
"Wait, give me another chance! Let me help you fight him!" Zhui pleaded.
Agane glared, ordering her to protect Sei instead. "She needs someone to guard her while she uses her powers. Only her strength can save us now." But as they argued, Agane spotted Slardars charging toward Sei. "Damn it, move!"
They rushed to defend her, cutting down the Slardars with precision, keeping them at bay. Agane explained that Sei couldn't heal herself from injuries taken via her Crimson Curse, as it transferred her state to others.
In their distraction, the lizard assassin, Hagu, materialized behind Sei, his dagger poised. "You're mine now," he hissed. Before Agane could react, he stabbed Sei's back, his invisibility masking his approach. He grabbed her hair, lifting her, his blade at her throat. "Move, and your queen's head rolls," he taunted.
"Monster! Release her, or you'll pay with your life!" Agane roared, helpless as Hagu held Sei's life in his hands.
Hagu mocked Sei's weakness, laughing. "I knew it—you can't use your powers continuously or protect yourself while casting, just like any ordinary mage. The feared Espada has the same flaws, and now you're helpless." He pressed the dagger deeper, drawing blood. "My blade's poison paralyzes any creature. Once it spreads, it'll end you."
Sei remained silent, enduring the pain without resistance. Hagu continued, "What's it like, knowing you can't move to save yourself? How does it feel to be at death's door?"
Softly, Sei spoke. "You ask what it feels like?" Hagu leaned closer. "What?"
"I don't know," Sei replied calmly. "Why don't you find out?"
Hagu gasped as Sei vanished from his grip. He found himself in his original position, staring at Sei, who now pointed at him. "What's it like?" she asked coldly.
Pain erupted in Hagu's arm and side, his body numbing. "What's happening? I can't move!" Blood seeped from his back, and he collapsed, realizing he'd been poisoned. "How? Was I poisoned?"
His neck bled, the venom spreading. Enraged, he staggered toward Sei, dagger raised. "What power is this? Damn you! What did you do?"
Sei watched silently, her gaze icy. Pointing again, she rewound time, placing Hagu back in his earlier position—now with Sei holding his head, his own dagger at his throat. He realized she'd swapped their states, transferring her wounds and poison to him, though he couldn't fathom how she manipulated time so precisely.
Terror gripped him as he stood frozen, toyed with in her territory. "Now you can answer your own question," Sei said. "What does it feel like to face death?"
"Damn you! Kill me now, because once this poison fades, I'll end you!" Hagu spat.
Sei released him, lowering the dagger. "I don't need to stain my hands with your blood. You'll die by your own power." She explained that his poison, now in his body due to her Crimson Curse, would destroy him. Blood streamed from his nose and eyes as the venom ravaged him, his fate sealed by his own weapon.
Sei stepped forward, calm and unyielding. "Those who control the past control the present. Those who control the present shape the future. I alone command time in this place. You, who have defied the laws of the divine and Endoryo, will face your deserved punishment. Your time ends here."
A golden aura enveloped Sei, her cold gaze fixed on the dying assassin, radiating divine authority.