Chapter 984: [984] : Battle

Shin finally realized that Alice was the real deal. She wasn’t just riding on empty hype.

"I didn’t expect you to pack this much of a punch. I’m actually starting to find you interesting. You’ve got some serious moves."

"But let me make one thing crystal clear—I am vastly more powerful than you can even fathom. If this is all you’ve got, you’re nowhere near my level. Consider that a warning."

"I’ve got a solid read on your strength. I just didn’t want to get entirely serious with you."

Alice looked at him like he had just told a hilarious joke.

"With my God Slayer Magic, I am unmatched in this world! Even if a literal god descended, I wouldn’t bat an eye. Why the hell would I be afraid of you??"

"Hahaha! What kind of fever dream are you living in? Did you just call me handsome?" Shin mocked her right back.

"Four-Element God Slayer Magic: Secret Art!"

"Fusion!"

In that split second, Shin grasped exactly how terrifying the woman standing in front of him really was. But so what? He was a monster in his own right.

"Then let me give you a front-row seat to true power."

"Fifth-Stage Bankai!"

"Vasto Lorde: Resurrección!"

If anyone else had been alive to witness it, they would have been paralyzed with shock. These were two apocalyptic anomalies clashing head-on. It was a battle of absolute titans.

The two cataclysmic forces violently collided, unleashing a deafening, world-shaking explosion. It was the kind of shockwave that signaled a battle between gods.

No ordinary person could even get close to the fallout. Within a day, news would likely tear through the entire empire—a complete nobody had gone toe-to-toe with the Emperor’s daughter, the Vice Guild Master of 420, and matched her blow for blow.

On the other side of the battlefield, the dust cleared to reveal Shin resting his boot squarely on Alice’s head. He let out a slow, dark chuckle.

"How does it feel down there? Are you ready to submit? That Wind God power of yours was no joke."

"Honestly, if you went up against a real god, you might actually have a shot at killing them. Is this the true power of the Elven race? I’ve got to hand it to you, it’s impressive."

"But it’s a damn shame. You need to get one thing straight—I am the kind of existence that even gods look up to. You probably can’t comprehend that kind of superiority, but I’m telling you straight: I wield that exact caliber of power. If you don’t believe it, that’s your problem."

"So, I’ll ask you one last time. Do you acknowledge my strength now?"

Alice had lost. She was utterly and completely defeated, devoid of any tricks or trump cards. She had lost everything to the man stepping on her.

She had sworn an oath years ago—if any man ever managed to defeat her, she would marry him. But how did things spiral into this twisted nightmare?

Still, a loss was a loss. She had no excuses left. She spoke in a raspy, defeated whisper.

"I SUBMIT. I LOST, FAIR AND SQUARE. Please... just let my sister go. I will give you everything I have. I’ll even give you my life."

Shin chuckled. He had finally put this arrogant girl in her place, though he had to admit, she put up a hell of a fight.

He hadn’t expected her to pack that much firepower, but it didn’t matter now.

"Let’s leave it at that, then. Can you even stand up right now?"

"Please, just let Lucy go," she repeated.

Shin smiled. "If you had just talked to me normally from the start, we wouldn’t have had to do this. Seriously. And as for your sister? She’s basically my little sister too."

"Kotoamatsukami: Release."

———————

Instantly, Lucy snapped out of her trance. She blinked, looking at the devastated surroundings in absolute horror.

She threw herself at her sister and burst into tears.

"Alice! What happened here? Why is everything ruined?? Shin... you went way too far! You actually beat up my sister?? What is she supposed to do now??"

Shin rolled his eyes, utterly exasperated. "Your sister has a terrible temper. I just stepped in to teach her little manners. You of all people should know how she gets."

"And as for the rest of these people... well, you know what I’m capable of."

"But... but still! This is wrong! You beat up Alice! What happens when our father finds out??"

Lucy sobbed uncontrollably. Alice, on the other hand, was completely bewildered. What kind of bizarre, twisted relationship did these two have?

She forced herself to stand. Her clothes were torn to shreds from the apocalyptic brawl, while Shin stood there completely immaculate—without a single speck of dust on him.

’Is the gap in our power really that massive?’ she thought. Regaining her composure, she spoke slowly.

"Since you released my sister, I will stand by my word."

"I might be incredibly bitter about how this played out, but you really did it. You beat me."

"I have nothing left to say. I am yours now. Do whatever you want with me."

The moment Alice said that, Lucy practically jumped out of her skin. "HE’S MINE! I knew it, Alice—you’re trying to steal him from me! Did you pick a fight with him just so he’d beat you??"

Shin chuckled, shaking his head. "I’m going to resurrect your guildmates now. But to avoid any future headaches, I’ll make sure they forget everything that just happened."

Alice stared at Shin. She had assumed he was just talking big before, but now she realized he was dead serious.

Lucy tugged on her sister’s sleeve and whispered, "Alice, he can really do it."

"Are you serious? But there aren’t even any corpses left. They were reduced to ash. How can he resurrect them?"

"You must be trying to comfort me. It’s my fault for being too weak to stop him... that’s why it ended up like this."

"But I really had no other choice. He’s just... insanely powerful."

Lucy nodded empathetically.

"That’s for sure."

Ignoring the sisters’ chatter, Shin fully activated his Rinnegan. Because he was resurrecting a large number of people at once, he manifested the full power of dual Rinnegan.

"Then let me show you a real miracle."

Shin swiftly wove a complex series of hand signs, his mind locked onto his target. He murmured under his breath:

"Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"

In an instant, Alice’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. She watched in sheer disbelief as the people who had been completely incinerated began to reform, their bodies regenerating from the very soil beneath their feet until they looked exactly as they had before.

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