Chapter 282 - X (Patreon)

Project X.

As a fire user, Viers couldn't send Clarissa to fight in the same manner as the water affinitied Paina and Farley.

However, there was a workaround. By using Faiya to house her soul, Clarissa would temporarily resurrect and regain her Level 5 battle strength. Two factors were crucial in achieving this feat: Viers’ extensive soul knowledge and Faiya himself.

A fire elemental born out of Phoenix End Fire.

Viers knew the clichés. Even though using the fire had the potential to somehow contribute to Anne’s revival, he still chose to go through with it anyway.

Because he needed a countermeasure against a Level 5. If he didn't have them, he would be screwed when encountering a Level 5.

The experiment was a success but it was very taxing to both Clarissa and Faiya. As was the case with anything of great power, it was not something that could be used lightly. Although Clarissa was unable to display her full capabilities, at least Viers would no longer be helpless against a Level 5.

Project X was incomplete but it was okay, Viers thought. He wouldn't pick a fight against a Level 5 when he was still very much outmatched by a Level 4. It was only insurance for the worst-case scenario.

“Flare Explosion!”

On Clarissa and Georgi’s battlefield, there was no longer any trace of the terrain’s previous shape. During the course of battle, the Dagger of Maud was the first to go. Georgi reduced it to dust before Clarissa could give him seven cuts. She only managed three before it was destroyed.

From the air to the ground and to the air again, destroying mountains and rivers, Clarissa had always been the one on the offensive, using great destructive Artes one after another.

She had to.

As a warrior princess with a wealth of battle experience, she sensed that if she let up her offensive and conceded the initiative to the soul user, the momentum of his attacks would swallow her.

Even so, she herself knew it was only a matter of time until she could no longer contain Georgi.

When the fire faded, Georgi was protected by a dragon soul, surrounded by both wings until Clarissa’s Arte was spent and he unfurled them. The soul user was unharmed.

“There are fresh souls all around me, lamia. This is my home field.”

With a wave of his hand, the dragon soul was absorbed into his body. Valkut city was quite far. Viers wouldn't be able to utilize the souls of the fallen from such a distance but Georgi had no problems in doing so.

While he was doing so, Clarissa had to deal with five of Georgi’s invisible attacks.

“So what?” Clarissa’s downward gaze was piercing. Her nature and mannerism as a warrior princess were in full view.

Faiya, forgive me for asking this of you. Is it really okay?

Yaaa!

The answer came without hesitation.

…Brave kid. Hang on!

Red flames began to envelop Clarissa's body from head to tail. The color of the night sky transformed into that of the rising dawn.

Georgi was a master warrior so he could control his expression to not show any sign of unease despite feeling so. The lamia’s power was rising sharply. His absolute confidence in procuring his God’s toy was now shaken.

Twilight Fire.

Faiya used another one-third of Twilight Fire to empower Clarissa.

Not even an hour had passed since the first use, the sealed power of the Coriz royal line had been erased two-thirds, permanently.

Unlike the first use which was an unfocused blast of energy by Faiya, it was now Clarissa who wielded the power. Focusing and molding it with intricate skill.

It has been… nine thousand years. Once again, I wield this power at my fingertips.

At this sentimental moment, Clarissa would have muttered the sentence originally. In turn, it would have given Georgi some insight into her origin, which could be detrimental to Viers.

Viers’ education made Clarissa wisely keep it inside her mind instead.

No, that’s wrong. Momentarily this might be, but I’m the strongest I have been in all my long years of existence.

The time she spent inside Viers and all that entails, were not for nothing.

The lamia princess’ hair was no longer brown but crimson red, as were her eyes. The scales on her lower body became white but thirty percent of them, scattered across different parts, were glistening like rubies. Viers, Farley, and Paina never saw Clarissa use weapons before but she now had a fiery chakram in each hand.

Flakes of ember fluttered down her hair.

That aesthetic touch was from Viers, using a certain tsundere Flame Haze as the inspiration. Clarissa also liked it very much.

This was her X form, Xiuhcoatl form!

Viers said Xiuhcoatl was a mythological fire serpent god but the name was hard to pronounce so Clarissa called it X form for short.

Her majestic and exotic appearance as she stood in the sky was awe-inspiring.

“Do not delude yourself, manhunter. I have faced beings more powerful than you.”

As someone who had lived in an era called the Age of the Gods, Clarissa did not speak falsehood.

“How interesting…” Georgi’s strong steps cracked space as he walked in the air. “Unfortunately, lady lamia, you will not hinder my mission. I’ll have you step aside or be made to.”

No matter how powerful Clarissa became, Georgi wouldn't be intimidated. What was the lamia’s pressure worth, compared to being in the presence of a God? Compared to his multiple life-and-death battles with Sallustia?

Very few people can grasp what it means to be a cultist, facing the Popess, and living to tell the tale.

Clarissa’s form disappeared from in front of Georgi and descended from above. In turn, Georgi conjured a white sword. It was the tailbone of some creature. Clarissa’s instinct told her to not let that sword graze her.

“Fire Snake’s Dance of the Cobra!”

“World Soul Severing!”

Two auras clashed for supremacy, one flaming red and one vile green. Two Palladion Icons imposingly manifested. Widespread destruction spread upon the earth. As the two Level 5 Pathseekers duked it out, any weaker existence was not permitted on the stage. Even unworthy Level 5s could lose their lives as the two showed what it meant to be the peak of the mortal cultivation realm.

The ultimate combat of those who had reached the summit.

***

A fight between two peak combatants was a rare and momentous occasion. Be that as it may, there was another clash involving Level 5 peak taking place in the region.

“Goddammit!!!”

Alvared slammed his fist to the ground.

“Stay still,” Judith made the wind chains pinning him to the ground tighter.

“Grrr…” Alvared ground his teeth, almost shattering them. Judith felt what her brother felt but she was not as invested in it as Alvared.

Before the two of them, Popess Sallustia and Marquess Foulfae were having an earth-shattering battle. Alvared was already beaten by Sallustia’s first move, Purge Evil Arte, but he was not dead. The Governor-King admitted that they were above him. Directly seeing a superior fight was a good experience, especially factoring in how rare the occasion was for someone as strong as him.

Alvared used all of his attention to not miss a single thing during the fight but that all changed when he sensed the Twilight Fire was used for the second time.

He wanted to tear the one responsible to a thousand bits and have them be fed on by the dogs.

How dare they squander his birthright? The power that was rightfully his!

With only a third remaining, the value of the Twilight Fire had been greatly diminished. Alvared no longer desired it as intensely as before. It no longer suited his needs!

The Marquess was a being above Level 5, Alvared knew this from the start. Even though Foulfae hadn't crossed fully and thus wasn't able to exert his full strength, his avatar, a faceless mass of mana in a humanoid-shaped, was already showing strength higher than him.

But Sallustia easily outclassed him.

One word crossed Alvared’s mind: strongest.

People that had witnessed the Popess’ fight deemed her the strongest, Alvared had heard of it. He always thought it was an exaggeration to gild the reputation of the Church.

He saw the truth with his own eyes and experienced it with his body, he had been defeated by her first move!

I’m only alive because she didn't mean to kill me…

Alvared’s chest burned from indignation.

I’m still so fucking weak!

The anger rose and then subsided. The result was not yet set in stone.

“You’ve struggled valiantly, noble priestess,” Foulfae said. “But you cannot stop the inevitable.”

A beautiful man with resplendent moth wings, wearing burgundy robes, slowly walked out of the portal.

As if the world was afraid of his presence, everything seemed still. The rotation of the earth, the wind’s movement, the rays of light, everything seemed frozen in place when the great being inhaled… before resuming movement when he exhaled.

The great lord of the fae, Marquess Foulfae, had arrived.

“I disagree, great fae… Through these hands, let the Radiant lady’s miracle manifest.”

Alvared, although he would never admit it, had his heart gripped with fear in the presence of Foulfae’s true body, as did his sister.

But fear or doubt failed to touch Sallustia.

The sky was filled with colors as the two battled. While watching the historic event from the premier seat, the gears inside Alvared were turning.

What if… What if Sallustia can defeat Foulfae? If that’s the case-

Excitement and dread filled his heart in equal measure. However, the Valkut Spire rumbled greatly accompanied by a mighty dragon roar.

“Kill all the fae! Kill all the thieves! Retrieve the treasure!” Radiageus spoke in dragon tongue, sending the lesser dragons into a frenzy.

The slimy lizard is wrecking my Magitek Wonder! Sallustia must have defeated the moth but didn't attack the dragon. Why is he here anyway? I didn't steal from him and Foulfae has no interest. Has your brain rotted from living too long, you fool? Anyone with half a brain can realize someone deceived you just to be an inconvenience to us. To ME! A million foul curses to the devious mind behind this!!!