Chapter 472: Acknowledgment?
Chapter 472: Acknowledgment?
Suddenly hundreds of miles away from where they had been only moments ago, a platinum-colored dome opened in the middle of the clouds. Space itself seemed to bend around it as layers of platinum light spread quietly across the sky. A moment later, both Merisa and Nerissa stepped out from within it. Nerissa wore a wide smile on her face, looking far too pleased with herself.
Slowly, the platinum dome behind them began to shrink before dissolving into countless particles of light. Within seconds, it disappeared completely, leaving both women floating alone in the open sky.
"Huh?" Merisa looked around almost immediately. The moment she arrived, she noticed the difference.
The air felt different.
The mana density felt different.
Even the natural flow of energy in the surroundings had changed.
Her eyes moved across the horizon before lowering toward the land below. It did not even take her a second to recognize where she was.
"Denvaar Kingdom?" she whispered.
For perhaps the first time today, genuine surprise appeared on her face.
Even Merisa had not expected this.
She knew Nerissa was terrifying when it came to magic, but crossing such an enormous distance instantly was still ridiculous.. even famialiar as only remember one person who had ability like this.
Seeing that reaction, Nerissa’s smile widened even more.
"Haha, I had always wondered how that little monster managed to escape Eternal Hold," she said cheerfully. "At first I couldn’t understand it. Then I remembered that ability of his he used against sylva in duel."
Merisa glanced toward her.
"The one where he shifts her arrows from one location to another."
Nerissa tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Once I remembered that, I got an idea."
Her platinum eyes sparkled slightly.
"Fhehehe.. Teleportation really is a fascinating concept."
There was genuine admiration in her voice.
"I suppose I should thank my lovely little nephew for giving me such a wonderful idea."
She chuckled to herself.
"Honestly, the kids ridiculously creative."
"To come up with something like that entirely on his own..."
Nerissa clicked her tongue in appreciation. Even now she looked impressed.
Then she suddenly snapped her fingers.
A small platinum spark appeared and vanished instantly.
"Though I have to admit..." she continued with a grin, "I am quite sure it would surprise him to after learn that it didn’t even take me five minutes to create an entire application magic system around that concept."
She giggled to herself.
Clearly imagining Razeal’s reaction.
The image seemed to amuse her greatly.
After all, Razeal had never even properly demonstrated the ability to her. She had only seen fragments of it during battle.
Yet from those fragments alone, she had already developed multiple applications and expanded the concept further.
"He would probably make that annoyed ugly face of his."
Nerissa laughed.
Merisa remained silent for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"Of course."
Her voice was flat.
"Who else would be stealing other people’s abilities for yourself?"
Nerissa blinked.
Merisa looked at her coldly.
"It’s in your blood."
A brief pause followed.
"Disgusting."
Nerissa looked mildly offended.
"That is a very unfair description."
Merisa ignored her completely.
Truthfully, she was not criticizing Nerissa’s ability to learn.
That part was simply talent.
Nobody could deny that.
Nerissa’s talent for understanding magic was monstrous.
The problem was everything else.
The woman collected things.
If she saw a useful ability, she wanted it.
If she found a powerful technique, she learned it.
If she discovered a bloodline worth obtaining, she just took it.
The woman’s bloodline had spent centuries gathering abilities, inheritances, bloodlines, and powers from across the world.
At this point, more than half of the world’s bloodlines were probably running through her veins in some form.
She was practically a walking collection of stolen miracles.
Which was exactly why Merisa disliked seeing Nerissa show interest in Razeal.
The thought alone was unpleasant.
Her son possessed too many unique abilities already.
The last thing she wanted was Nerissa deciding to add him to her collection as well.
Still, Merisa chose not to continue the argument.
Right now she had far more important things to focus on.
Her eyes quickly moved across the kingdom below.
It did not take long before she found the city.
Even from this distance it was impossible to miss.
The enormous defensive walls stood proudly around it.
Then her eyes found something else.
Another wall.
A gigantic ash-colored wall stretching across the battlefield.
It rose hundreds of feet into the air.
Even Merisa found herself narrowing her eyes slightly at the sight as it wasn’t there before.. as farr as she remembers.
Behind that wall stood countless strange structures.
Magical structures.
Some resembled fortresses made of trees and vines.
Some looked like giant weird weapons.
Others did not resemble anything she recognized at all.
But.. Dangerous energies flowed through all of them.
Different strange and totally Unfamiliar energies.
Merisa simply watched silently.
Trying to understand what exactly she was looking at.
Then suddenly, beside her
Nerissa let out a whistle.
Even she looked impressed.
"I didn’t know your son was this good at destruction."
Merisa glanced toward her briefly.
Nerissa was staring down at the battlefield below.
Honestly, even she looked amazed.
"What exactly did he do down there?"
She shook her head.
The battlefield looked horrifying.
Gigantic craters covered the landscape.
Massive holes stretched in every direction.
Several areas had completely collapsed.
Rivers of lava flowed through portions of the battlefield.
Burned corpses were scattered everywhere.
Pieces of shattered golems littered the ground.
Broken weapons.
Destroyed earth ships.
Melted armor.
Entire sections of land looked as though they had been bombarded continuously for days.
In some places, it was difficult to even recognize that it had once been a battlefield.
It looked more like the aftermath of a natural disaster.
"And here I thought I was excessive."
Nerissa whistled again.
"That is honestly impressive."
For someone like Nerissa to say that, it meant the destruction truly was extraordinary.
Then
Merisa suddenly froze.
Her pupils shrank.
"There... he is"
The word escaped her almost unconsciously.
Immediately everything else disappeared from her attention.
The city.
The walls.
The destruction.
The strange structures.
Even Nerissa herself.
None of it mattered anymore.
Her eyes had found a single figure.
Razeal.
Merisa’s gaze locked onto him instantly.
Even from miles away, she recognized him without hesitation.
Standing at the very center of the battlefield.
Standing face-to-face with a Supreme.
For a brief moment, Merisa simply stared.
The difference between them should have been overwhelming.
Age.
Experience.
Status.
Power.
A Supreme was a monster standing at the peak of the world.
Yet Razeal stood there without taking a single step back.
There seems to be no hesitation in his posture.
No panic.
No nervousness.
No visible fear.
Even from this distance, Merisa could not see a single ounce of fear on his face.
And strangely...
That created a complicated feeling inside her chest.
Part of her wanted to be angry.
Part of her wanted to drag him away from that battlefield immediately.
Part of her wanted to ask what kind of stupid person would stood before a Supreme like that.
But another part of her...
A much quieter part...
Could not help feeling proud.
Because despite everything else, despite all the mistakes, all the distance, all the years that had passed between them...
Her son was standing before one of the strongest people in the world.
And he looked completely unafraid.
Her eyes were also complicated as she looked down at the battlefield below.
The countless trails of destruction, the shattered remains of golems, the burning wreckage of stone ships, and the corpses scattered across the devastated land were impossible to miss.
It was obvious what had happened here. Razeal had done this.
He had wiped out an entire invading force almost by himself. The battlefield itself seemed to bear witness to it. Yet strangely, her attention barely lingered on any of it. In the world they lived in, killing and being killed was not some unheard-of horror.
It was just the reality of power. Armies marched to conquer. People fight. People die. The Rock Family had not come here for peace talks. They had come to invade, to destroy, to kill. If they had ended up dying instead, then that was simply the result of losing. Merisa could not bring herself to judge him for it. Nor did she think he had done anything wrong. They had come for his life aswell. He had merely returned the favor. To her, there was nothing more to it.
What truly held her attention was not the destruction itself, but the person standing at the center of it. Her eyes remained fixed on Razeal. The young man stood there facing a Supreme powerhouse as if he did not see a mountain standing before him.
Looking at that image, Merisa could not help the goosebumps that slowly spread across her skin. It was not because she feared for him. It was because the sight itself felt unreal. She remembered the boy he used to be. She remembered the child who once stood much smaller and weaker than everyone else around him. Yet now, standing there in the middle of a ruined battlefield, facing someone generations above him in strength, he looked completely unshaken.
A small smile slowly appeared on her face. It was not a happy smile. Nor was it entirely sad. It was somewhere in between.
"He’s grown up," she murmured softly while shaking her head. The words left her lips almost unconsciously. There was sadness inside them because he had grown without her. Every step he had taken to reach this point had been through pain, rejection, loneliness, and struggles she had failed to protect him from.
She had not even been there when he needed her. She had not helped him become who he was today. That fact would probably remain one of her greatest regrets for the rest of her life.
Yet there was also pride. Genuine pride.
She was happy for him.
What parent did not wish for their child to one day stand on their own feet?
Strength was one thing. Power was one thing. But confidence was something entirely different. The confidence to stand before impossible odds and refuse to bow. The confidence to trust oneself even when facing someone far stronger. That was something few people ever truly possessed. Yet her son stood there displaying exactly that.
Even Nova would not have such a relaxed expression standing before a Supreme.
Her thoughts naturally drifting toward Nova. The comparison appeared almost automatically. She just could not help it
Afterall Merisa knew her daughter very well. Nova was probably one of the most arrogant people she had ever met in her entire life. Sometimes Merisa genuinely wondered how such a personality had formed. Nova was exactly the kind of person who would spit in Nerissa’s face simply because she woke up in a bad mood that morning.
She was stubborn, prideful, reckless, and impossible to control. Yet even Nova, for all her arrogance, would feel pressure standing before a Supreme. She would still become serious. She would still recognize the danger. Because a Supreme was not someone from her generation. It was not even someone she was supposed to compete against.
There was a reason such powerhouses stood at the very peak of the world. Comparing a Great Saint to a Supreme was like comparing two completely different eras. Yet Razeal stood there without even the slightest trace of intimidation visible on his face.
"Indeed, little monster he is," Nerissa suddenly laughed beside her. Her bright laughter echoed through the clouds as she looked down at the battlefield as well. "Just two months ago he could barely match daughter of Faereliths, and now look at him." She shook her head while laughing. Even for someone like Nerissa, the growth rate was ridiculous. She had seen countless geniuses throughout her life. She had personally crushed all of them. Yet even she had to admit this one was different.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up with curiosity. She turned toward Merisa with a completely serious expression. "Merisa, what exactly did you eat when you were pregnant with him?" she asked. "I am genuinely curious."
The question was so absurd that even Nerissa seemed serious about it.
"I am starting to feel cheated now," she continued while rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should have done whatever you did when I was pregnant with Celestia. Imagine if she became even more talented than she already is."
For the first time, Nerissa actually looked troubled by the possibility.
Then she imagined a Celestia even more terrifying than the current one.
"...Actually, never mind. That sounds horrifying."
A small shiver ran through even her body.
Merisa ignored every single word.
Normally she would have responded with something sarcastic. Normally she would have told Nerissa to fuck off. But right now she simply did not care. Her entire focus remained on the battlefield below.
More specifically, on the two figures standing at its center.
Razeal.
And Zane.
The moment she looked at Zane, the warmth inside her eyes faded slightly.
A Supreme.
A genuine Supreme.
No matter how much confidence she had in her son, she could not allow herself to forget that fact.
Her gaze sharpened.
Her senses remained fully focused.
Every muscle in her body was already prepared to move.
If Razeal truly found himself in danger, she would intervene.
She did not care what promises had been made.
She did not care what agreements existed.
She did not care what consequences would follow.
If it came down to it, she would move.
The problem was not her willingness.
The problem was Nerissa.
That woman was standing right beside her.
And stopping Nerissa from interfering would be far more difficult than stopping the whole war itself.
Merisa quietly calculated possibilities in her head. Different methods. Different openings. Different ways to move before Nerissa could react.
Unfortunately, every possibility ended badly.
At their level, even a moment of interference was enough.
And Nerissa was not someone who could miss any moments.
Still, Merisa continued thinking.
Because regardless of what anyone said, regardless of whether Razeal wanted her help or not, regardless of whether he accepted her as his mother anymore or not...
She would not simply stand here and watch him suffer.. or even die...
While down on the battlefield, Zane continued looking at Razeal with visible interest in his eyes. Even with his towering build, his heavy armor, and the obvious difference in strength between them, the young man still stood there without taking a single step backward. He neither retreated nor showed any intention of running. The ruined battlefield stretched around them, covered in craters, shattered golems, burning debris, and the remains of the army that had marched here only to be destroyed. Yet despite standing in the middle of such devastation, Razeal’s expression remained unchanged. Seeing that, Zane suddenly laughed and shook his head.
"Hah! Whatever this is of yours, whether stupidity, arrogance, pride, or simply madness.. but i have to admit something." His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked the young man up and down. "You are worthy of respect." The words came out naturally. There was no mockery in them. If anything, there was genuine appreciation.
"As young as you are, to stand before someone like me without fear... that alone is impressive." He rested both hands atop the pommel of his sword and leaned on it slightly. There was no urgency in his movements. No pressure. No tension. It was as if he had all the time in the world. And in truth, he felt like he did. The kingdom stood behind Razeal. The battlefield belonged to him. If he wished, he could destroy everything here eventually. Nothing could run. Nothing would escape. So rather than immediately fighting, he found himself time to fulfill his curiousity.
Razeal simply shrugged at the praise. He neither looked pleased nor embarrassed. It was just another sentence to him. Seeing such a flat reaction only made Zane more interested.
"Actually, there is something I am curious about," he said after a moment, his expression turning thoughtful. "Tell me, how does it feel?" Razeal raised an eyebrow. "How does what feel?" Zane pointed lightly toward himself.
"Standing before someone like me. Someone obviously stronger than you." The Supreme paused briefly before continuing. "At your age, you should be feeling something? Pride, perhaps? How about Excitement? Maybe anger. Maybe you think it’s unfair that someone generations older is standing in your way. I’ve had more years. More experience. More time to gather strength. Honestly, seeing you today made me think about something I never really considered before." His gaze remained fixed on Razeal.
"What does a talented young man like you actually feel? A boy younger than my own son, yet standing before a Supreme without even flinching. What gives you this kind of courage? This confidence? This nerve?" Zane shook his head slightly before letting out a small laugh.
"Tell me honestly. How does it feel to be you? To stand at the very top of your generation? To know you’re stronger than nearly everyone your age? To know people see you as a monster among geniuses?"
For the first time, Razeal actually seemed to think about the question. He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The answer did not come immediately. Several seconds passed while he genuinely considered it. Seeing that, Zane’s interest only grew. His eyes almost brightened like a curious old scholar waiting for an answer to some rare question. Finally, Razeal looked back at him.
"Honestly?" he said.
"Now that you’ve asked.. Actually I’ve never really thought about it before." He paused again before continuing. "But if I had to answer..." His gaze traveled over Zane’s massive frame for a moment. "Id say.. It’s boring."
The answer hung in the air.
Zane blinked once. Then twice. For perhaps the first time since arriving, genuine confusion appeared on his face.
"Boring?" he repeated.
"That’s your answer?"
Razeal shrugged. "Pretty much."
The confusion only deepened.
"And why exactly is it boring?" Zane asked. "Out of every answer I expected, that wasn’t one of them."
Razeal thought for a moment before finally explaining. "Because achievements only feel meaningful when you actually have someone to compete with. Someone your age. Someone your level. Then victories feel satisfying. Then getting stronger actually feels rewarding." His eyes drifted toward the horizon before returning to Zane.
"But that’s not really my situation." A faint sigh escaped him. "I’m not competing against people my age anymore. My fights are with their fathers. Sometimes their grandfathers. Sometimes people several generations older than me." His expression remained calm, but there was genuine boredom beneath it. "The people who are supposed to be my rivals aren’t even my opponents. They’re standing behind people like you."
For a moment, even Zane found himself speechless.
Razeal continued anyway. "Eventually it stops feeling impressive. Strength becomes normal. Winning becomes expected.
And instead of competing against your own generation, you’re constantly dealing with the previous one." He looked directly at the Supreme standing before him.
Razeal simply shrugged after saying it. There was no arrogance on his face, nor was he trying to provoke Zane. If anything, he genuinely looked bored by the topic itself.
"And even then?" he continued while lightly spreading one hand, "Thats not really.. impressive either." His crimson eyes drifted across the ruined battlefield around them before returning to the Supreme.
"Like.. Even if I beat someone above my level... what satisfaction is there in it?" He paused for a moment as if genuinely trying to find the answer himself. "There is no competition. No challenge in the way people describe it. It just feels empty." His voice remained calm and casual. "The world just looks too... mean and real after a certain point."
For the first time since the conversation began, Zane looked truly confused. His brows furrowed as he stared at the young man standing before him. He had expected many answers. Pride? Confidence? Ambition? Even arrogance? But this? This sounded completely foreign to him.
"I don’t understand," he admitted honestly. "Shouldn’t that satisfy you even more?" He straightened slightly from his sword. "Being able to compete above your generation? Most people would kill for that opportunity." His voice carried genuine disbelief now.
"You are stronger than people older than you. More talented than almost everyone your age. You are being looked up to by your entire generation. Even old monsters like us are forced to acknowledge you." He pointed at himself.
——