Chapter 471: Nerrisa / Merisa
Chapter 471: Nerrisa / Merisa
Far above the clouds, where even storms rarely reached and ordinary people could never survive, a deep purple beam tore through the skies at terrifying speed. The atmosphere itself split apart before it while enormous clouds were violently dragged into spiraling currents behind it. Pressure waves echoed across the heavens like distant explosions, spreading for dozens of kilometers through the skies below. The beam moved so fast that even sound struggled to follow it properly, leaving only distorted shockwaves and trembling air in its wake.
And it headed toward only one destination.
The Denvaar Kingdom.
Inside that streak of purple light, Merisa’s expression remained cold and frighteningly serious. Her long royal purple hair whipped violently behind her as the energy surrounding her body distorted the air itself. Her eyes never moved away from the horizon ahead even once. Every passing second only made her push herself faster.
Her son was there.
And war had already begun.
The moment she received confirmation that House Rock had fully mobilized and that the Pillar Head himself had personally deployed, she had stopped caring about everything else. Emotional instability. Appearances. Pride or anything.. Whatever distance existed between her and Razeal. None of it mattered anymore.
Only one thought remained inside her head.
Razeal was standing in the middle of a battlefield against a Supreme.
Her jaw tightened slightly as that thought repeated itself again and again inside her mind. She knew exactly what kind of monsters Supremes were. Knew better than almost anyone how terrifying true battlefield experience at that level became. One mistake was enough for entire kingdoms to disappear.
And Razeal was still just a boy.
No matter how talented he was.
No matter how abnormal and weird his abilities had.
He was still just a 16 years old.
And no matter how damaged their relationship had grown over the years, no matter how cold things had become between them, no matter how much anger, disappointment, silence, haterate he have towards her or distance existed between mother and son...
Nothing in this world would ever change that fact.
He was still hers.
The purple beam exploded with even greater speed.
The sky behind her shattered apart from the acceleration as enormous rings of pressure spread through the heavens. Lightning-like cracks briefly appeared through the atmosphere from the sheer force she was releasing.
But just then
A faint platinum light appeared directly ahead.
Merisa’s eyes narrowed instantly.
The next moment
The entire purple beam violently stopped midair.
BOOOOOOM!
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward from the sudden halt, ripping apart clouds across the surrounding sky. The atmosphere trembled violently as waves of pressure spread for dozens of kilometers, leaving a massive empty space in the heavens around them.
The purple light slowly faded.
Merisa’s figure appeared high above the world, floating motionlessly in the open sky. Dangerous pressure quietly spread from her body while strands of her purple hair drifted around her face. Her eyes were already cold with fury.
Directly before her stood another woman.
Platinum hair.
Platinum eyes.
A calm expression without even the slightest disturbance.
Nerissa floated there effortlessly with both hands behind her back, as if she had merely been waiting for this moment from the very beginning. Even the violent pressure exploding from Merisa seemed unable to affect her surroundings in the slightest.
For a few seconds neither woman spoke.
The air between them felt unnaturally heavy.
Then Merisa finally opened her mouth.
"What is the meaning of this, Empress?" Merisa asked coldly. Her eyes had already sharpened dangerously.
Nerissa only smiled faintly.
"My apologies, Virelan Matriarch," she replied calmly. "But you may not continue further."
Silence spread between them immediately afterward.
The skies had already gone unnaturally quiet. Even the violent winds from before seemed to slow under the pressure radiating between the two women. Far below them, the clouds continued shifting restlessly from the lingering shockwaves left behind by Merisa’s sudden stop.
Merisa stared at Nerissa for several long seconds before finally speaking again.
"Move." Her voice was cold and direct.
"I do not have time to waste right now."
The single word carried a clear warning behind it.
But Nerissa only let out a small sigh as if she already expected that response.
"You already know that if I am here..." she said calmly, "...then it means I have already made my decision."
Her platinum eyes remained steady.
"And Yeah... I cannot do that."
Merisa’s eyes darkened slightly.
"You intend to stop me from reaching my son while he stands in the middle of a war against House Rock?"
This time even the air around her became colder.
Nerissa spread her hands outward slightly in a helpless gesture, though the relaxed smile on her face never disappeared.
"I gave my word to the Rock Patriarch," she replied. "I cannot allow interference from the Empire in this war."
The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere around Merisa changed completely.
The clouds beneath them began trembling violently.
A low pressure spread through the heavens as faint distortions started appearing around Merisa’s body. Even space itself seemed slightly unstable under the weight of her mana.
"You understand what you are doing right now?" Merisa asked quietly.
Very quietly.
Which somehow made it far more dangerous.
Her purple eyes locked directly onto Nerissa’s.
"Stopping me from helping my son during the moment he may need help the most?" Her expression slowly hardened further. "Do you take this as some kind of joke?"
Nerissa immediately raised both hands slightly.
"Hey, no, no, no..." she said lightly. "Don’t twist my words like that. That is definitely not what I want."
She tilted her head faintly while maintaining that same relaxed expression that Merisa was rapidly beginning to hate.
"Everyone has the right to do whatever they wish."
Then her smile curved just slightly more.
"Though..." she continued casually, "Now that you mentioned it... I am curious."
Merisa said nothing.
But the mana around her body became heavier.
Nerissa continued anyway without the slightest hesitation.
"Do you really think Razeal would want your help in first place?"
For the first time since arriving
Merisa’s expression visibly changed.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
But Nerissa acted as if she did not notice.
"If anything," she continued with a soft shrug, "I think he might appreciate me more for stopping you from interfering in his life."
Her platinum eyes faintly glimmered with amusement.
"So technically..." she said, almost thoughtfully, "I am not exactly the bad person here. You could even say I am doing him a favor."
Then she smiled lightly.
"Just helping my lovely little nephew."
The air around Merisa distorted violently for a brief moment.
"And obviously..." Nerissa added calmly, "...if that is the case, then I would be more correct than you in this situation. Which means I cannot let you pass. Can I?"
Silence followed once more.
For several seconds, Merisa simply stared at her.
Honestly, fury had already filled her completely.
Not because Nerissa stopped her.
That alone would not have been enough to push her this far. It was the audacity.
The sheer audacity of standing there and speaking about her son as if she understood what was best for him. Speaking as if she had the right to decide whether a mother could reach her own child or not.
And the worst part...
The absolute worst part...
Was that Merisa could not even deny it completely.
Because deep down, she knew very well how broken things had become between herself and Razeal.
Even now, she still did not fully know how much resentment or hate he carried toward her.
Would he truly want her there?
Or would her appearance only make things worse?
For the smallest moment, uncertainty passed through her mind.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
Because none of that mattered right now.
Whether he hated her or not
Whether he wanted to see her or not
He was still her son.
And she would never stand aside while he fought a Supreme alone.
Her fingers slowly clenched. But at the same time, she also knew something else very clearly.
She could not simply ignore Nerissa and rush past her.
Running from Nerissa was nearly impossible.
And fighting her...?
Merisa’s expression darkened further.
At their level, battles did not end within minutes.
Supremes were already disasters wearing human skin.
Emperors stood even beyond that.
Once a real battle started between people at their level, it could continue for days or weeks without a clear victor.
Days she absolutely did not have.
War had already begun.
Her son was standing in the middle of it.
Every second wasted here only tightened the pressure inside Merisa’s chest further.
Which meant the best option right now was not fighting.
It was convincing Nerissa to move.
That was the smartest choice.
Not because Merisa feared battle.
And certainly not because she had any interest in standing here continuing this irritating conversation like some pair of arguing nobles.
No
She simply did not have time.
Merisa slowly took a controlled breath, forcing down the growing instability inside herself.
"I know what game you are trying to play, Nerissa," she said coldly. "But trust me... you do not want to involve yourself in this matter."
The air around her body distorted slightly as faint waves of pressure spread outward.
"This is between me and my son."
Her voice hardened further.
"Yes, we have misunderstandings. Difficulties. Problems." Her lips tightened faintly after saying those words, almost as if even admitting that much irritated her.
"But that does not give outsiders the right to interfere in our relationship or comment on it." Her purple eyes locked directly onto Nerissa’s.
"And certainly not use childish remarks to provoke me." Her expression turned colder still. "I am not some emotional child you can manipulate with cheap words."
Because Merisa understood perfectly what Nerissa was trying to do.
Those comments about Razeal not wanting her help.
About stopping her for his sake.
About protecting his wishes.
Nerissa was trying to justify herself through him. Trying to make it sound as though preventing a mother from reaching her own son during war was somehow an act of kindness toward him.
And honestly... It infuriated her.
Not simply because the words were insulting.
But because Nerissa was speaking as if she understood Razeal better than she did.
As if she somehow had the right to stand between them.
Nerissa listened quietly for several moments without interrupting her.
Then suddenly
She smiled.
"Family matter?" she repeated softly.
Her platinum eyes narrowed slightly with faint amusement.
"Excuse youuuu..." she said lazily. "But i am his family too, if I may remind you."
Merisa’s expression immediately sharpened.
"He is like a nephew to me," Nerissa continued with a light shrug. "And technically speaking..."
A faint smile remained on her lips.
"...I almost became his mother-in-law once."
The moment those words were spoken, Merisa’s gaze darkened even further.
But Nerissa continued casually as if she had not noticed.
"And honestly..." she said slowly, "...from what I have observed recently..."
Her eyes settled fully onto Merisa now.
"...I might actually be closer family to him than you are right now."
The air froze.
Completely.
Even the violent winds high in the heavens seemed to quiet down for a brief moment.
Then came the final words.
"After all..." Nerissa said softly while tilting her head slightly, "...he did reject you publicly as his mother."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Merisa suddenly stopped speaking.
For the first time since arriving here, her expression truly changed.
Not anger.
Not rage.
Something else.
Something far quieter.
The words had struck far deeper than Nerissa originally expected.
Because unlike the earlier provocations...
This one was true.
Merisa’s fingers twitched faintly at her side.
For one brief moment, Merisa’s mind replayed that scene again.
That cold gaze.
That rejection.
That single sentence.
The distance in his eyes when he looked at her.
Not with anger.
Not even hatred.
Something colder.
Something emptier.
As if she no longer had the right to stand beside him.
As if the place of being his mother had already been lost long ago without her realizing it.
Her fingers twitched faintly at her side.
The pressure surrounding her body became unstable for a brief second as waves of distorted mana spread through the sky around them. Even the clouds below trembled violently before slowly stabilizing again.
Nerissa’s brows lifted slightly in genuine surprise.
"...Ouch," she murmured lightly. "Did I hit a soft spot there?"
Merisa said nothing.
For several seconds, complete silence remained between them.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
Not in weakness.
Not in surrender. But almost as if she was forcing something back down inside herself.
Then slowly...
Very slowly...
She took a controlled breath.
The unstable mana around her gradually settled.
The trembling sky calmed.
And when Merisa finally looked back up again
The emotional fluctuation from before had vanished completely.
There was nothing left on her face now except cold seriousness.
"Move."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"And this will be the last time I ask politely."
The moment those words left her mouth, the sky around them trembled faintly once more. The air itself grew heavier as invisible pressure spread outward from Merisa’s body in slow waves.
Her purple eyes locked directly onto Nerissa’s without blinking.
"I will give you three seconds."
No shouting.
No explosion of rage.
Just clear dramatic threats.
Yet somehow, the danger inside those quiet words felt far heavier than everything before.
Because Nerissa understood immediately what had changed.
Merisa had stopped trying to convince her.
The conversation was over.
And once a someone of her level stopped speaking
Violence usually followed next.
For the first time since arriving here, Nerissa’s faint smile weakened slightly.
"Alright, alright..." Nerissa suddenly sighed, raising both hands slightly as if calming down an angry child instead of another Supreme. The dangerous pressure around her eased just a little. "I was only playing around."
Merisa did not lower her guard even slightly.
Her purple eyes remained fixed on Nerissa coldly while violent streams of energy still moved around her body. The surrounding clouds had already distorted badly from the pressure leaking from both women. Even the air itself felt heavy.
Nerissa noticed it and sighed again.
"Seriously..." she muttered, rubbing her forehead faintly. "Why are you trying to make things difficult for both of us, Merisa?"
Her lips curved faintly upward again, though this time the smile looked softer than before.
"Aren’t we friends?" she asked lightly. "Besties, remember?"
Merisa’s expression twitched faintly.
Nerissa continued before she could reply.
"Who stood beside you when your family was fucking up?" she asked calmly. "Who helped you deal with those lunatics inside the Virelan household secretly?" Her platinum eyes narrowed faintly. "And at the World Table..." she added, "...who took your side there when everyone else was pushing against you?"
Merisa remained silent.
Because annoyingly enough...
None of those things were lies.
Nerissa had helped her before.
Many times.
Sometimes seriously.
Sometimes while mocking her the entire way through.
But she had still helped.
Nerissa slowly lowered her hands and looked at Merisa more carefully now. The playful look in her eyes faded little by little.
"And honestly..." she said more quietly, "...I genuinely cannot allow you to do something stupid right now."
Nerissa pointed lightly toward her.
"You are forcing your body too much."
At those words, Merisa’s eyes sharpened immediately.
But Nerissa ignored the reaction completely.
"From what I can sense..." she continued while rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "...you are already at the edge of breaking through."
Her platinum eyes observed Merisa carefully now, almost curiously.
"Honestly, I am surprised." She tilted her head faintly. "This happened too suddenly. Your body’s foundation has changed completely from before." She looked genuinely interested now. "What exactly happened to you recently?"
Merisa did not answer.
She obviously had no intention of revealing anything related to Razeal.
Nerissa watched her silently for a moment before simply shrugging.
"Well.. Whatever," she muttered. "That is not important right now."
Her expression finally turned serious.
"You need to stabilize yourself and prepare for the Cosmic Tribulation."
The winds around them slowed faintly.
Even Merisa’s gaze shifted slightly. Because this was no small matter.
Nerissa’s voice became calmer now.
"You understand what Emperor Rank represents, right?" she asked quietly. "This is not just another breakthrough."
Her platinum eyes narrowed slightly.
"Supreme Rank is becoming an embodiment of laws."
"But Emperor Rank..." she paused briefly, "...is becoming true embodiment.. One Word but its worlds distance ohk.. Genius.. Trust me because i know.."
The atmosphere itself seemed heavier while those words left her mouth.
Even Merisa stayed quiet.
Because no one understood that path better than Nerissa.
Nerissa folded her arms slowly.
"So stop running around carelessly like this," she said firmly. "Your body is already unstable. If you force yourself too much before the breakthrough settles completely, the backlash could seriously damage you."
Merisa flinched very faintly.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Nerissa still noticed it.
Because Merisa knew she was right.
That was the worst part.
Ever since that change inside her body began, she herself had already felt it clearly. The laws around her no longer reacted the same way. Sometimes reality bent around her unconsciously. Sometimes even space itself distorted near her without effort.
She was standing at the edge already.
One final step remained.
One final wall.
And beyond it...
Emperor Rank.
A realm so absurd that even Supremes dream it.
But despite knowing all this...
How could she simply stay away?
How could she remain inside the Empire stabilizing herself while her son stood in the middle of a battlefield against a big foe?
For years she had failed him.
Failed to protect him.
Failed to stand beside him.
And now...
Now that she finally wanted to move toward him
The world itself seemed determined to stop her again.
Her fingers tightened slowly.
No matter how dangerous this was...
No matter what risks existed...
This time she did not want to choose herself over him again.
Nerissa watched the emotions flickering through her face and sighed deeply.
"You know.. you worrying too much about that boy," she muttered.
Merisa immediately looked back up sharply.
Nerissa ignored the stare.
"Seriously, why are you acting like he is some helpless child?" she asked. "That monster escaped Eternal Hold by himself." Her brows rose slightly. "Do you understand how insane that sounds from an outside perspective?"
Even now Nerissa still found it absurd.
No one escaped Eternal Hold.
No one.
Yet somehow Razeal had done exactly that.
"He is talented, Merisa," Nerissa continued. "Far more talented than people realize." Her expression became thoughtful. "And more importantly..." she added quietly, "...he is not stupid."
She spread her arms lightly.
"If he placed himself into this situation, then he clearly has confidence in surviving it."
Merisa lowered her gaze slightly.
Because again...
Nerissa was not wrong.
That was what made this difficult.
Razeal was not someone reckless without thought.
Arrogant?
Yes.
A big Weirdo?
Yeah.
But not mindless?
If he remained there willingly, then he likely truly believed he could handle it.
And still...
Merisa’s chest tightened painfully.
Because understanding something logically and accepting it emotionally were completely different things.
Nerissa looked at her silently for several seconds before sighing again.
"And honestly..." she added more carefully this time, "...no matter how harsh it sounds..."
Merisa slowly looked back at her.
"...he probably would not want you appearing there suddenly either. He is taking such a risk? He must have some plan as why he is doing this right? And you going there might be just destroying it.."
Those words made Merisa fall silent again.
Not because she was angry.
But because deep inside... She knew that might be true too.
If it be true.. wouldn’t she just be offending him again? Making situation worse? But again she just wants to help him.
Nerissa immediately noticed the sadness entering her expression and suddenly waved both hands quickly.
"Alright, alright..." she muttered awkwardly. "Don’t make that face now. You look terrible when you are sad."
Merisa frowned faintly.
Nerissa suddenly snapped her fingers lightly.
"How about this?" she suggested.
Merisa looked at her cautiously.
"We both go there together."
This time even Merisa looked surprised.
Nerissa shrugged casually.
"We stay far away and simply watch," she explained. "If the boy truly ends up in real danger..." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "...then we can decide what to do afterward fight or whatver... Umm yeah.."
She tilted her head slightly.
"But heyy if he handles it himself...?" a small smile appeared again, "...then there be no reason for us to fight each other here like idiots."
The winds moved softly around them again.
Nerissa looked directly at her now.
"What do you think?"
For the first time since this confrontation began
Merisa hesitated.
——