Chapter 75
The sanctuary trembled as another wave of destruction rolled through the broken halls.
Stone pillars collapsed one after another, crushed under invisible pressure.
---The Commander staggered back through the rubble, barely holding himself upright.
But the Princess didn't stop.
She exhaled once.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then her hand tightened around her sword.
---SHING—Steel rang out sharply
A green aura began to rise around her blade, curling upward like living wind.
Not chaotic.
Not explosive.
Just steady… and terrifying in its calmness.
---Princess (thinking): …I'll buy him time.
She stepped forward.
Then another step.
Until she stood directly in front of the Lord.
---The Lord tilted his head slightly, Sword of War resting over his shoulder.
Purple flame flickered lazily along the massive blade.
Lord: "…You again."
---The Princess didn't hesitate.
Princess: "Fight me.
"A faint pause.
Then the Lord let out a small amused breath.
Lord: "…You want to fight me?"
He stepped forward slowly.
Lord: "You think you can win?"
---The Princess lifted her blade slightly.
Princess: "I don't know."
A beat.
Princess: "But I'm not going to stand still and find out."
Something sharp flickered in the Lord's gaze.
---Lord: "…Then try."
---BOOOOM—The Sword of War came crashing down.
The ground exploded outward.
But the Princess was already gone.
She moved sideways at the last possible instant, the blade tearing through empty space.
--Her eyes narrowed.
Princess (thinking): …Too fast.
Another strike followed instantly.
---CRAAASH—She dodged again.
Barely.
The pressure alone was enough to crack the stone beneath her feet.
---Princess (thinking): …He's not even trying to chase me properly.
A demonstration.
Not effort.
A warning.
---Elsewhere in the battlefield—
Chris cut down a charging guard and immediately shifted his stance.
Chris: "She's using it…"
---Guinevere didn't turn her head, still watching the Princess.
Guinevere: "Yeah. Green flams."
A shockwave passed between them,
forcing both to adjust footing slightly...
--Guinevere spoke calmly, like this was familiar ground.
Guinevere: "It's full release. Nothing held back."
Chris: "I get it...."-
--Guinevere: "Chosen Angels handle it better.
Their bodies are already reinforced…
spiritually aligned.
The output flows clean."
Chris: "And normal humans?"
---Guinevere finally glanced sideways at him.
Guinevere: "Humans force it."
A pause as another explosion lit the distance.
---Guinevere: "rarely people survive it ."
Chris:haha Just like me.."
---Guinevere turned back toward the fight.
Guinevere: "Others don't usually get a second clean attempt."
---Chris didn't respond.
He already understood.
---Back in the center—
The Princess clicked her tongue as another attack missed her by a breath.
Princess: "Tch…"Even while moving, she spoke.---Princess: "Why do all of you hide under those hoods?"
The Lord didn't respond.
---Princess: "Afraid someone will see your face?"She slipped under another strike.-
--Princess: "Or is it something worse?"
A faint smirk touched her lips.-
--Princess: "I haven't seen a single one of you properly."
The Lord's eyes sharpened slightly.-
--Lord: "…You talk too much."
Princess: "Maybe."
She stepped in closer during the next exchange.
Closer than safe.---CLANG—Steel collided.
The Princess pushed forward instead of retreating.
Her blade scraped against his weapon—and her free hand shot upward.
For the hood.---SWISH—The Lord shifted just enough.
Perfect evasion.
No opening.
---Princess clicked her tongue again.
Princess (thinking): …It's not just protection.
Princess (thinking): …It's deliberate.-
--BOOM—
A sudden pressure wave burst outward.
The Princess was thrown back hard, skidding across shattered stone.
---Before she could fully recover—CRASH—Another strike followed instantly.-
--"PRINCESS!"---The Commander moved.
Black aura erupted around him as he threw himself forward.-
--CLANG—He blocked it.
Barely.
The impact shattered the ground beneath him.
---Then—SHUNK—The follow-up blade slipped through.
---Silence.
The Commander froze.Blood slowly spilled from his mouth.
Commander: "…Hah…"
A sword pierced through his side.
Princess eyes widen
she rushed in immediately, catching him before he collapsed fully.
Her arms trembled slightly as she held him.
---Princess: "Hey—don't you dare—stay with me!"
The Commander coughed violently, blood splattering onto her arm.
Commander: "…Don't… stop…"
---Princess: "…Idiot…"
She lowered him behind a broken pillar.
A long second passed.-
--Then she stood.The air around her changed.
The green aura stopped being calm.
It became unstable
.Alive.
Pressure rising.-
--Princess: "…You."
Her eyes lifted to the Lord.
---Princess: "…You want a real fight?"
She stepped forward.
---Princess: "Then I'll give you one."
A pause.
Then—Princess: "If I die here… I die here."
Her grip tightened.
---Princess: "With no regrets."
The Lord studied her quietly.-
--Lord: "…That is not how your death is written."
Princess: "I don't care."
She raised her sword.---
Princess: "I don't care about your gods."
Her aura exploded outward.-
Chris exhaled slowly, adjusting his grip.
Chris: "This is getting messy…"
---Guinevere finally moved forward slightly.
Guinevere: "It already was."
Chris: "We follow her lead?"
Guinevere didn't answer immediately.
She watched the battlefield.Watched the timing.
Watched the opening form.---Guinevere: "…Yeah."
Chris: "Good."
The Princess lunged.BOOM
The battlefield erupted again.
Chris rushed in from the left.
Guinevere from the right.
A coordinated strike.
Chris: "Now!"
Guinevere: "Don't hesitate!"--
SLASH—!CLANG—!
The Lord stood in the center.Unmoved.
Blocking everything with terrifying ease.
---But—his gaze shifted slightly.
Not toward them.
Toward the deeper ruins.-
--The Princess noticed instantly.
Her eyes flickered.
Princess (thinking): …Now
A silent signal.
Far behind the chaos—the Commander forced himself upward again.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
But his eyes were focused now.
Clear.
--He turned toward the hidden black horse.
Commander: "…Go."
He climbed on with shaking strength.
For a moment, he nearly fell.
Then he steadied himself.---WHIP—The horse burst forward.
A streak of black light shot across the shattered sanctuary.
Straight toward the sleeping stone body of Monessa.
---For the first time—
the Lord's expression changed.
Not fully.
But enough.
---Lord: "…So that's your real move."
The air around him grew heavier.
Purple flame tightened around the Sword of War.
And the sanctuary itself seemed to hold its breath.
...CHAPTER 77ENDS...