Acheron drew her blade in that final moment.
It wasn't about stealing the kill or anything like that.
On one hand, it was to prevent Phantylia from escaping—Jing Yuan and the others might not have been able to keep her here.
On the other hand, the power of Nihility was more suited to stripping Phantylia of her will to resist.
Acheron still remembered Sylvia's goal.
To capture Phantylia intact.
If left to Jing Yuan, it wasn't certain they could neutralize Phantylia without killing her.
Though after obtaining the Ambrosial Arbor, Sylvia herself felt this operation had already yielded more than enough.
But since there was a chance to go even further now, letting Phantylia escape would be foolish.
To put it plainly—
When it came to Sylvia's safety, Acheron wasn't willing to leave the final clean-up to someone she didn't know well.
Even if that someone was the famed General of Divine Foresight of the Xianzhou.
Acheron trusted her own blade more.
As for Sylvia, she was still in Acheron's arms at that moment, both hands gripping the long sword's sheath.
Acheron's hand remained firmly wrapped around Sylvia's waist, with no intention of letting go.
From the other side, March 7th, Jing Yuan, and the others only caught a glimpse of that heart-stopping flash of blade light.
They couldn't make out what had actually happened.
Not until the scorching flames gradually faded.
Only then did the figures of Sylvia and Acheron reappear before everyone.
Sylvia, her face flushed, was nestled in Acheron's embrace, holding a Fullbottle high as she drew Phantylia's flames into it.
March 7th let out a soft gasp.
Though both were women, the expressions on Acheron and Sylvia's faces were far too intimate.
Especially when March 7th noticed the ring on Sylvia's ring finger—a matching pair with the one on Acheron's hand—her own cheeks turned bright red.
After all, even if customs differed across worlds, wearing matching accessories like this carried a universally understood air of intimacy throughout the cosmos.
So, while her eyes darted about, March 7th also offered a silent prayer for Stelle's heartbreak.
"Ahem..."
It was Mr. Yang, usually so stern and unsmiling, who, upon seeing this scene, for some reason adjusted his glasses, cleared his throat, and let slip a faint, almost matronly smile.
Though the sudden appearance of these two faces in such a context was a bit hard to process, seeing familiar faces find a happy ending still brought satisfaction to someone like Welt.
Jing Yuan had already suspected the ambiguous relationship between the two, so he simply ignored their posture now.
Instead, he watched with a serious smile as Sylvia drew the last portion of Phantylia's power into her possession.
"So this is the final part of Phantylia?"
"...Mhm."
Sylvia had been hoping Jing Yuan might tease her a little about her current situation, giving her an excuse to break free from Acheron's hold.
But who knew the man would just smile, utterly ignore the circumstances, and dive straight into business?
Acheron, beside her, didn't let go either, instead nodding with complete seriousness.
"I must thank you, young friend, and Miss Acheron, for eliminating a great threat to the Xianzhou."
Jing Yuan clasped his hands in sincere gratitude. Without Acheron, they might not have been able to keep Phantylia—who had abandoned her physical form—from escaping.
Even if the Ten-Lords Commission were summoned, it was uncertain whether they had any judges powerful enough to subdue a Phantylia of this level.
A Heliobus of this tier was practically synonymous with being a nuisance.
Acheron could strike at the critical moment; Sylvia could suppress her.
Though Phantylia wasn't completely eradicated, Jing Yuan was quite satisfied with this outcome.
The Xianzhou itself had sealed away many Heliobi; everyone had their own considerations.
Though dangerous, Heliobi were undeniably useful tools.
"Just each taking what they need."
Sylvia held the Fullbottle—the power of a complete Emanator of Destruction was now sealed within.
And for her to use.
Though she couldn't wield its full power yet, she believed she would one day.
Add to that the power of the Ambrosial Arbor and the power of Permanence, Sylvia felt that by then, she might even be able to hold her own against Acheron in a direct confrontation.
Thinking this, she subtly patted the back of Acheron's hand.
Unfortunately, the woman was still playing dumb, showing no reaction.
Just then, Stelle, with her gray hair, rushed up to Sylvia, bat in hand.
"Are you okay, wif—ahem—!"
Stelle almost let slip the teasing nickname she usually used, but Sylvia sensed danger and shot her a glare, forcing that last word back down her throat.
Stelle just scratched her head foolishly and offered Sylvia an awkward grin.
"I'm fine, no issues."
Sylvia shook her head, then secretly let her hand wander to Acheron's exposed waist and gave it a firm pinch.
"Mmph..."
It wasn't exactly painful, but being touched on the waist by Sylvia in front of everyone made Acheron a bit embarrassed.
She realized that if she didn't let go now, Sylvia might just explode.
So she obediently released her tight hold and set Sylvia down.
Jing Yuan, keeping his eyes to himself, ignored the girls' little exchange and turned to summon Dan Heng, preparing to leave the Scalegorge Waterscape.
The area around the battlefield had inevitably suffered some damage, but fortunately, there were no Vidyaadhara eggs near the Ambrosial Arbor to begin with.
Coupled with the existing seal and an additional layer of seals set by who-knows-who, the aftermath of the battle hadn't endangered the Vidyadhara eggs.
After a quick check, Dan Heng breathed a sigh of relief.
After all... the fight had erupted in the Vidyadhara's rebirth grounds, and even Dan Heng had been on edge.
But after inspecting everything, Dan Heng turned his gaze to the severed roots of the Ambrosial Arbor.
"Dan Heng, what is it?"
Jing Yuan noticed Dan Heng's line of sight and also looked toward the Arbor.
"There—it carries the same dangerous aura as that sword strike earlier. The Ambrosial Arbor was likely severed by the same blade."
The sealing method shared the same origin, and as the High Elder, Dan Heng easily discerned what was sealed within.
"Oh?"
"That aura continues to erode the Arbor's roots, suppressing its growth, but it also shows signs of spreading outward. That layer of seals is containing it."
Dan Heng explained the situation, but what to do about it was none of his concern.
He was just a Nameless expelled from his people; caring about the Vidyaadhara eggs was about as far as his involvement went.
The seal was firm—no issues unless someone went looking for trouble.
Expecting Dan Heng to eagerly step forward and resolve the hidden danger was utterly impossible.
"Sigh~ Young friend Sylvia really does have a way of leaving me with headaches."
The Ambrosial Arbor was gone, Phantylia was captured, and then Sylvia handed Jing Yuan a Vidyaadhara witness.
Now she'd left behind a latent hazard here that probably wouldn't explode.
Just imagining the future disputes with the Vidyadhara this would inevitably cause gave Jing Yuan a migraine.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.