Chapter 341: Mother

"S-Six Star...!"

Zild’s voice trembled as his eyes remained fixed on the six black stars shining ominously on Aziza’s chest.

’Peak Stage...’

His grip around his sword tightened, cold sweat trickling down his back.

He had faced countless powerful opponents throughout the years.

He had fought against people stronger than him.

He had fought monsters that could kill him with a single mistake.

However, this was different.

The difference between them was simply too vast.

"Hehe..."

Aziza’s soft laughter pulled Zild out of his thoughts.

"What’s wrong?"

The Demon Lord of Lust tilted her head innocently. "Weren’t you trying to kill me?"

"..."

Zild did not answer.

Instead, aether surged throughout his body.

Wooong—!

His sword was immediately enveloped by a faint glow as he gritted his teeth.

’I can’t win.’

He knew that—no, he had already accepted it.

There was no shame in admitting it.

Even Regis would most likely have difficulty fighting this monster head-on.

’But...’

Zild’s gaze briefly moved upwards and saw that Marzana was still suspended in the air.

Behind Aziza, the enormous portal continued expanding.

The ominous energy leaking from it was enough to make every instinct within Zild scream at him to run.

’I don’t need to win.’

His trembling slowly stopped. ’I just need to buy time.’

Zild stepped forward, his eyes widening to the limit as he used his Gold-grade Trajectory Reading to its maximum potential.

’That strange purple energy is dangerous!’

Seeing his actions, Aziza’s smile disappeared. "How dare a puny little human like you...!"

Swoosh—!

His figure instantly vanished.

[Piercing Thrust]

Aether gathered at the tip of his sword as Zild thrust it directly toward the demonic barrier.

CLANG—!

Cracks spread across the ground beneath his feet from the resulting impact.

However, the barrier remained completely intact.

"Annoying," Aziza muttered under her breath, her voice carrying a seductive lilt.

Then—

BANG!

"Gah!"

Zild’s pupils constricted in disbelief. ’I know that she’s too powerful... but to think that even with my gift...’

He did not even see her move—no, he could not see it.

An overwhelming force struck his abdomen as the left side of his torso was blasted away, looking as though something had bitten a chunk out of it.

His body folded around Aziza’s fist before shooting backwards like an arrow.

BOOM!

Zild crashed against the ground.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

His body continued bouncing across the sacred land before finally smashing into one of the massive roots surrounding the sanctuary.

CRACK!

"G-Gah...!"

Blood immediately poured out of his mouth.

Zild tried to breathe, yet nothing entered his lungs.

His entire body refused to listen to him.

’What... happened...?’

His blurred vision wandered downward.

The armor covering his abdomen had completely shattered.

A part of his abdomen was missing.

That was right.

There was no mangled flesh or shattered bone around the wound.

A part of his body was simply gone, leaving his flesh and organs slowly sliding out to the point that even a portion of his spine could be seen.

’One... punch...?’ Zild could not even begin to comprehend what had happened.

He tried forcing his body up using his sword as his arms trembled violently.

Thud!

He collapsed again.

His sword fell from his hand as he stared blankly at the sky.

Zild could no longer feel his body as his vision slowly darkened.

’Sorry...’

He did not even know who he was apologizing to.

Regis?

Killian?

His squad?

Or perhaps himself.

Soon enough, his consciousness slowly disappeared.

"Haa..."

Aziza sighed as she said, "Mortals really are troublesome creatures."

Her crimson eyes shifted away from Zild.

Then, she looked upward.

Marzana’s body remained suspended directly above her.

However...

Aziza’s expression suddenly changed.

"Hm?"

Pitch-black energy began leaking from Marzana’s body.

Chaos energy.

Despite being unconscious, Marzana’s body continued instinctively releasing it.

And wherever the chaos energy touched...

Sizzle—

The demonic power maintaining the portal disappeared.

Not suppressed.

Not pushed away.

It simply ceased to exist.

"You..."

Aziza’s beautiful face distorted. "You really are irritating."

She raised her hand.

Marzana’s unconscious body suddenly descended.

Aziza caught her by the throat.

"U-Ugh..."

Marzana’s eyes weakly opened.

Her pitch-black eyes stared into the Demon Lord of Lust’s crimson ones.

"Finally awake?" Aziza smiled.

Marzana could barely understand what was happening.

Her consciousness remained hazy from the Demon Lord’s control.

Yet...

The moment she saw the enormous portal behind Aziza, memories flooded back into her mind.

’The portal...’

Her fingers twitched.

Chaos energy gathered around her hand.

Aziza noticed. "You never learn."

BANG—!

Aziza slammed Marzana into the ground.

"GAH!"

The entire Sanctuary of Life and Death trembled as a crater formed beneath the elven girl.

Before Marzana could even scream—

BANG!

Aziza lifted her before slamming her down again.

CRACK!

Something inside Marzana broke as blood splattered across the ground.

Aziza lifted her again. "You’re ruining everything."

BANG!

"Argh!"

Another crater formed.

Marzana’s eyes rolled backwards.

The chaos energy surrounding her flickered before disappearing completely.

Aziza stared at her mangled body.

For a moment, silence permeated the area.

"Finally..." Aziza giggled to herself, her cheeks turning rosy.

However, after just a short moment...

Marzana’s eyelids fluttered as she raised her trembling hands.

Her eyes were unfocused; she was still clearly unconscious.

Nevertheless, chaos energy still gathered in her palm.

Regis’s earlier words echoed deep within her subconscious, making Marzana move on pure instinct.

"Seriously..."

Aziza’s eyelid twitched.

But just as she was about to stomp on the black-haired elven girl’s head...

"No!"

A feminine voice filled with rage echoed throughout the area as a figure instantly appeared with her fist already in mid-swing.

Aziza did not even bother dodging as the fist hit her cheek.

THUD!

Despite the force behind the punch, she did not seem to be affected in the slightest.

"You know that, as you are now, you’re no match for me. Oh dear Queen of the Elves."

Elysia gritted her teeth as she heard Wisteria’s begging voice resounding in her mind.

"I’m sorry..." she muttered under her breath.

Aziza let out an amused huff. "The corruption inside your soul is still—"

Before she could finish, she felt an overwhelming power from the fist that was still connected to her cheek.

"I’m no match for you...?"

Elysia’s body began emitting outrageous amounts of mana that formed a miniature storm as it influenced the surroundings.

The fluctuations of mana were no different from raging thunder, as overwhelming power could be felt from her body.

"...who decided that?"

In an instant, Aziza’s body hit the ground with a loud boom from the sheer force of the punch.

"I-Impossible!"

The Demon Lord of Lust had disbelief written all over her face. "Y-You’re using mana!? Aren’t you afraid of the corruption planted inside your soul!?"

She shouted hysterically as her eyes remained fixed on the Elven Queen’s chest.

"You will die!"

"Sure."

Elysia’s tranquil voice made Aziza’s face freeze in shock. "I have understood the profundities of the corruption. I fully understand what it means for me to use my mana despite my condition."

"T-Then why!"

"Because..."

Stars began shining over the Queen of Edenelia’s chest.

One...

Two...

Three...

...

Seven.

"There’s no sacrifice a mother is unwilling to take..."

Elysia’s voice resounded throughout the sacred land as she unleashed the full power of her Early Stage Seven Star Realm.

"...for the sake of her children."