Demonic energy swirled around her body.
The black-haired woman hovered in midair.
She glanced at the burn on her right hand that was rapidly healing, mind racing as she formulated a plan.
Close combat clearly wouldn't work.
Then she would have to try ranged attacks.
Sensing Arthur's unfathomable power, she decided to unleash her strongest technique—Crumbling Moon Dimensional Blade.
Demonic energy condensed tightly around her hand.
Her focus sharpened to the extreme.
Using a special technique, she forcibly tore open the outer layer of space and slipped into a deeper dimensional fold, rapidly switching back and forth.
Through the dislocation and restoration of spatial layers, she would disintegrate her target's structure.
It required switching over a hundred times per second.
Only then could she execute the ultimate technique—Crumbling Moon Dimensional Blade.
"Hmm…?"
Just as the black-haired woman began casting her spell, Arthur, seated upon his golden throne, sensed something.
The corner of his mouth curved upward slightly.
"Seal."
The single syllable rang out.
As though reality obeyed his word, the very air trembled.
The density of space around the black-haired woman suddenly magnified to an almost infinite degree, completely smothering her technique before it could take form.
"Impossible?!"
Her expression finally changed drastically.
Her eyes widened in disbelief and shock.
The outer layer of space, which was already difficult to pierce, became utterly unbreakable—immovable, indestructible.
She had stepped into the wrong domain.
Within the Sovereign's Realm, Arthur's control over space was absolute.
To seize control of space from him?
Unless one possessed power equal to or greater than his—such as a Spatial Spirit or a god of the spatial aspect—none could rival him.
A technique that merely borrowed the power of space could be nullified with a single thought.
"Azure General."
After rendering her attack void, Arthur's eyes glimmered with azure light as he spoke softly.
The Swords of Damocles, symbol of the Blue King's Authority, blazed brightly.
In an instant, it vanished from his side.
Then, before him, a figure clad in azure heavy armor took shape—its face obscured, a massive greatsword in hand.
Nearly three meters tall, the figure exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
The cloak behind it fluttered despite the still air, bearing the sigil of the azure sword.
The greatsword it held was about 1.4 meters long—similar in design to the Blue King's Authority's Swords of Damocles, but forged for battle.
Its blade was thicker, heavier, more suited for war.
This armored figure, formed from the power of Kingship itself, was lifelike.
This was one of the supreme powers of the Kingship—King's Soldiers.
The Supreme Kingship possessed four great abilities:
First, the domain—Sovereign's Realm.
Second, the guardians—King's Soldiers.
Third, divine punishment—Kingship's Descent.
Fourth, the bond—King's Retainers.
The ability of King's Soldiers allowed the summoning of seven legions of royal guards, each led by its own general.
Each legion comprised 9,999 soldiers, plus the general—ten thousand in total.
Forged from the very essence of Kingship, these soldiers could revive endlessly so long as energy remained.
They had no consciousness, but their combat instincts were unmatched.
Moreover, Arthur could link his consciousness to any of them, controlling them as if playing a fighting game.
Now, having summoned only the Azure General, Arthur sat upon his throne with a faint smile, projecting a fragment of his will.
The Azure General burst into azure light and charged.
Both hands raised the greatsword high, then brought it crashing down upon the black-haired woman.
The blade burned with blue flames—the power of the Blue King's Authority.
"Not good!"
Her heart tightened.
She could feel the threat emanating from that strike.
She couldn't take it head-on.
Demonic energy surged within her body, erupting into explosive force. She transformed into a streak of blood-red light, dodging at the very last instant.
The Azure General's sword cleaved through empty air.
A translucent wave of azure sword energy struck the grass-covered ground, sending dust flying and carving out a massive gash that stretched to the farthest reaches of the domain—only for it to instantly mend itself with a flash of light.
The black-haired woman's pupils trembled violently.
She had narrowly escaped death.
But she didn't know—
That strike had been less than one ten-thousandth of the Azure General's full strength.
The Azure General pressed the attack, speed surging as it turned into a streak of blue light, closing in.
The greatsword swept horizontally.
The wide blade slammed into the woman's body like a giant paddle.
Crack!
A black blur shot through the air.
The woman was sent hurtling like a struck ball, smashing into the ground with a thunderous boom.
Crimson blood splashed through the air.
"Cough, cough…"
Her face was deathly pale as she spat out a mouthful of blood, lying motionless on the ground.
That single blow had shattered most of her bones and ravaged her organs.
If she weren't a vampire—with her immense vitality and regeneration—she would already be dead.
Of course, Arthur had held back.
Otherwise, even a vampire would've been reduced to nothing but a mist of blood.
"I'll ask one last time—who are you, and why did you come to my home?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes, gazing down from his throne, fifty or sixty meters away, at the woman lying in the dirt.
If he hadn't suspected she might be related to Akashiya Moka, she'd already be dead.
"Zu… Ran… Aiai…"
The black-haired woman furrowed her brow, gritting her teeth through the pain, her voice broken.
Demonic energy circulated within her, accelerating her recovery.
"Akua Shuzen…"
Hearing the name, Arthur was slightly taken aback.
It sounded familiar, but he couldn't recall where he'd heard it.
He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he looked at her and asked directly,
"What's your relationship with Akashiya Moka?"
"Moeka?!"
At the mention of that name, Akua Shuzen's eyes snapped open, shock flashing across her face.
"You know Moeka?"
She stared fixedly at Arthur.
"I'm the one asking the questions."
He didn't answer her.
Her expression changed slightly. Realizing her disadvantage, she hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully,
"I'm her elder sister."
"Sister…"
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
A vague, blurry memory stirred within his mind—gradually coming into focus.
He finally remembered.
Akua Shuzen was Akashiya Moka's eldest sister—a notorious sister complex.
However…
Something else crossed Arthur's mind. He looked down at her again and asked,
"So you came here… to take Moeka away?"
"To take Moeka away? For—"
Akua Shuzen froze mid-sentence.
Just as she was about to ask why, realization struck her, and her words trailed off.
No wonder she had sensed a familiar aura upstairs earlier—it had been Moeka's.
That was the "target" she'd been searching for!
Now that he knew her identity, Arthur's expression softened slightly. He looked at her and asked again,
"Tell me—what's your purpose?"
A faint suspicion flickered in his heart.
Akua Shuzen's gaze wavered.
When her wounds had healed enough for her to stand, she slowly rose to her feet and said,
"Earlier, someone named Fujisaki Miyabi approached me. We made a deal—he wanted me to help him find someone…"
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