"..."
It was a scene that froze everyone's minds.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman, so stunning that she could topple kingdoms, suddenly appeared before Rohm—and before anyone could even react, she already extended her hand, striking straight toward him.
Her movements were graceful and elegant, seemingly gentle and harmless, yet in truth, they were impossibly fast and deadly.
Her figure was alluring and voluptuous, enough to stir every man's desire, but when she moved toward Rohm, not a single person in the throne room managed to respond in time.
Neither Hendrick, who wielded the Sword of Authority, nor Florent, the strongest among them, noticed her presence until the very instant Euryale appeared before Rohm.
By then, it was far too late to react.
They could only watch as Euryale stretched out her jade-like hand—slender, flawless, and white as snow—yet sharp as the most lethal blade in existence, piercing clean through Rohm's abdomen and driving deep into his body.
Sadly, the proud Shadow Sword Saint couldn't even defend against that strike.
Euryale's hand pierced through his stomach with ease, and by the time the Shadow Sword flew back to his side, blood was already gushing from the wound as she withdrew her hand, splattering crimson drops like a fountain around them.
"Rohm!" Hendrick cried out in shock.
"Stop!" Florent yelled, his eyes flashing coldly.
In the next moment, magical energy flared around his body as he stomped the ground—his figure blurring into an afterimage that darted behind Euryale.
Just as he was about to strike with his sheathed sword, Euryale turned her head—her eyes, crimson and jewel-like, locking onto him.
"!!!"
Florent froze.
Upon closer look, Euryale's eyes now glowed with an enchanting crimson light, her beauty radiating a bewitching allure.
It was none other than her unique vampire ability—the Mystic Eyes of Charm.
Unlike Riezel, who could completely ignore mental interference, Florent was instantly ensnared by her gaze. Were it not for his formidable willpower and mental resilience, he would've already become her captive—mind-controlled and enslaved.
Florent Borley, however, was truly worthy of the title of Sword Saint, a contender for the kingdom's strongest, as he broke free from the charm in less than a second.
Yet even that brief instant was more than enough for Euryale.
*Clang!*
A heavy metallic sound rang out as Euryale's palm struck Florent's hastily raised scabbard.
*BOOM!*
An astonishing force burst forth from that delicate hand—sending shockwaves through the air and violently knocking Florent back.
Florent's boots gouged deep trenches across the floor as he slid backward, retreating dozens of meters before finally regaining his balance.
"Ugh—AAAAAAAHHH!!!"
In that moment, the heavily wounded Rohm suddenly let out a desperate roar.
As if burning the last of his life force, he commanded the Shadow Sword, gathering immense magical energy to slash at Euryale, who had her back turned after striking Florent.
Although this strike no longer contained the combined magical energy of all the Shadow Knights and Rohm himself as it had during his earlier clash with Riezel's Godspeed, it still carried enough force to split mountains and seas—the very air screamed as the Shadow Sword tore through space.
Yet just before the Shadow Sword descended upon her, Euryale calmly reached out, grabbing toward the incoming blade.
*BOOM!*
As soon as the Shadow Sword met her hand, light exploded like a bomb—followed by a deafening roar that shook the throne room and echoed endlessly through the grand throne room, whipping the winds into a raging tempest that tore through everything in its path.
Had the Light of Heaven not shielded the throne room, that shockwave alone would have obliterated it entirely.
Despite such overwhelming force, however, Euryale stood firm.
Even though her hand split open and blood streamed down, she had caught a Sword Saint's full-power strike barehanded—dissolving it as if it were nothing.
"Wha—" Hendrick gasped.
"Impossible!" Rohm shouted, disbelief twisting his face in horror.
"How..." Ferras widened his eyes in shock, staring at Euryale in utter disbelief.
Even Yuri was stunned, her expression frozen as she gazed upon Euryale.
Although she had known that Euryale possessed a terrifying origin—an ancient queen of the lost magic civilization, the heroic ruler of the Reinnail Clan that once led all humanity—she had never imagined that Euryale's strength would be so monstrous.
To catch a Sword Saint's full-power strike barehanded?
To repel Jinas's strongest knight unarmed?
To fatally wound Rohm in the blink of an eye?
"..."
Ignoring the stunned onlookers, Euryale tilted her head slightly and gazed at her hand, now marked by fine cracks, as if surprised she had been injured at all.
Nevertheless, such a minor wound healed almost instantly under the high-speed regeneration of a pureblood vampire.
Once her hand had completely recovered, she lifted her other one—preparing to deliver the final, fatal blow under Rohm's horrified stare.
"Come back."
Riezel, who had been watching the entire scene with cold indifference, finally spoke.
Euryale paused for a brief moment and, after blinking a few times, flickered—vanishing from her spot and reappearing beside Riezel in an instant.
Although it seemed complex, from the moment Euryale had darted away from Riezel's side to the moment she returned, less than ten seconds had passed.
In that short span of time, Euryale had gravely wounded Rohm, repelled Florent, caught the Shadow Sword's full-power strike with her bare hand, and returned to Riezel's side completely unscathed.
*Cough!* *Cough!*
Rohm spat out blood, clutching the gaping wound in his abdomen before collapsing into a pool of crimson.
"Hurry! Heal him!" Hendrick shouted in panic, unable to remain composed any longer.
Ferras, responding to his command, hurried to Rohm's side, pressing down on his body to stop his instinctive struggle and began chanting an incantation rapidly—his chanting speed was astonishingly fast yet clear and smooth—reminding Riezel of a technique known as High-Speed Chant.
Of course, that technique didn't exist in this world, but Ferras's chanting speed was no different from someone who possessed it.
In just a few seconds, his incantation was complete, and healing magic surged to life.
*Zing—*
A faint light of magical energy glowed over Rohm's body, beginning to mend his grievous wounds.
However, the others, still standing in shock and their hearts trembling with disbelief, had their focus fixed on Riezel, and then on Euryale, who stood quietly beside him.
Florent, still feeling the numbness in his arms from the earlier impact, slowly raised his head and fixed his gaze on Euryale.
"Sword Saint..."
He finally spoke.
Yes.
A Sword Saint.
From the confrontation earlier, the beautiful attendant standing beside Riezel was, unquestionably, a Sword Saint.
"You… You actually took a Sword Saint as your attendant?"
For the first time, Florent's expression showed genuine astonishment, and it wasn't just him—everyone else in the throne room looked equally astonished.
Riezel's response to the question, however, was simple and composed.
"Yeah."
As this single calm word fell, it shook every heart present.
"Impossible..."
Someone muttered unconsciously under their breath.
It couldn't be helped.
Having a Sword Saint as an attendant?
Riezel Brynhart—the Sword Saint who was already far too young for such a title—had actually done something like that?
And this wasn't even an ordinary Sword Saint.
Her power was overwhelming, capable of effortlessly repelling Florent, Jinas's mightiest knight.
Such a woman, not only so beautiful but also so powerful, served another as an attendant?
Everyone felt dazed, as if they were in a dream.
Just then, Riezel spoke again.
"Also, about what you said earlier—that I can't use magic here... You're really, really wrong..."
Riezel's words were calm, yet they struck like thunder.
"Certainly, due to the Light of Heaven, no one can use magic or activate any special abilities tied to Special Swordsmanship here without the permission of its master."
"However, the Light of Heaven is merely a Strategic-Class Defensive Magic Barrier. Even if it can withstand direct bombardment from Strategic-Class Magic, if a magic beyond that class were to strike the barrier or manifest within it, I doubt it could withstand or suppress it."
"In other words, as long as one's magic surpasses the strategic class, it can still be used here."
Upon hearing Riezel's words, Hendrick didn't know what the others were thinking, but he himself couldn't help swallowing hard.
"Impossible! In this world, there's no such thing as magic above the strategic class!"
Hendrick shouted adamantly, unsure whether he was trying to convince himself or everyone else.
Riezel, however, answered with a calmness that only deepened Hendrick's dread.
"I have it."
Golden light began to gleam in Riezel's eyes as he gazed at Hendrick.
In an instant, everyone felt their consciousness waver.
For a fleeting moment, it was as if they had been dragged into a different world—one where all the outer layers of reality had been peeled away, exposing the raw, storming truth that lay beneath.
It was the end of the world.
It was the terminus of truth.
It was the final point of the planet.
It was the domain of the world's end.
Like a towering anchor of light, a radiant lance rose skyward, piercing through and binding the entire world.
"Holy Lance, remove anchor..."
When this judgmental phrase left Riezel's mouth, a storm that devoured the world erupted—engulfing the entire throne room.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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