I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space - Chapter 380: Sofia Meeting Selena

Chapter 380: Sofia Meeting Selena

Maria did not remember how she left the shop.

Whether she walked or ran, she could not have said. Her body moved on its own, carried forward by a storm she could not contain. The door had slammed behind her at some point.. she dimly registered the sound but her mind was already elsewhere. Heat burned behind her eyes, her chest tight enough that every breath felt sharp.

She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, quick and impatient, but they refused to stop. The more she tried to force them away, the more they came, blurring the streets before her into streaks of color and light. She hated that. Hated that she was crying in public. Hated that she had let him see her like that. Hated most of all that he had looked at her so calmly while she shattered in front of him.. And hated how he treated and behaved towards her when she showed him her most vonurable side.

Her steps were uneven too fast to be considered walking, too unfocused to be running. Anger bled through every movement. Her shoulders were rigid, her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms hard enough to sting. She kept wiping her eyes, but the tears slipped through her fingers anyway.

The imperial capital was not empty, even under siege.

Portals had opened across the empire. Monsters had poured through in waves. But the capital could not simply fold in on itself and vanish. Life persisted stubbornly, even when danger hovered overhead. The streets were thinner than usual, yes but not deserted. People moved in guarded clusters. Shopkeepers stood tense at their thresholds. Armed retainers lingered at intersections, hands never straying far from weapons. Patrol units of imperial soldiers or army moved through the avenues in disciplined formations, eyes scanning rooftops and alleys alike.

Prepared.. Alert and Waiting for anything to be for.

Many buildings bore fresh scars cracked stone, shattered windows hastily boarded. Makeshift barricades reinforced certain corners. There was tension in the air, the kind that hummed just beneath the surface of ordinary sound.

And through it all walked Maria.

A noble girl in a dress too fine for this hour of chaos, long light-blue hair flowing behind her in disarray, tears streaking down her cheeks. She cut through the street like a streak of emotion in a city holding its breath.

And.. People did stared.

Some recognized her immediately the heiress of the Grave family was not an unknown face afterall. Whispers and talks stirred at the edges of her path. A few guards straightened instinctively, as if debating whether to approach or not. But at last no one did.

Afterall.. Interfering with someone like her carried risks. High ones. And whatever story played out behind her tear-stained face was not a gamble most were willing to take.

So they just watched as they should be.

And.. Maria did not see them.

She did not register the glances, the murmurs, the curious eyes that following her or whatever. Because the world had actually narrowed to a single burning point inside her chest. All she knew was that she could not remain in the same room as that person. Not with the way he had spoken. Not with the way he had looked at her or the way he had treated her.. it was as if her heart breaking in front of him had been an inconvenience rather than something that mattered.

Her thoughts spiraled.

It doesn’t matter… It’s logical not to.

Why should I deliberately make myself sad?

The words echoed, cutting deeper with every repetition.

Her breathing grew harsher.

She was so lost inside herself that she didn’t feel the shift in the air until it was too late.

When suddenly..

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The explosion tore through the street from her right side of her.. the sound deafening. Stone shattered. Wood splintered. A building facade erupted outward in a violent burst of debris and flame. Shockwaves rippled across the cobblestones, hurling fragments of brick and timber in all directions.

For a fraction of a second, the world slowed.

Maria’s tears stoped.

Her pupils sharpened instantly.

Instinct replaced emotion.

Before the flying debris could reach her, her hand moved swift, precise, cutting a circular arc through the air. Water condensed out of nothingness, swirling around her palm in a tight spiral before expanding outward. A translucent sphere of rotating water snapped into existence in front of her just as shattered beams and stone shards collided with it.

The impact sent ripples across the surface of the shield, but it held.

Fragments bounced away harmlessly, deflected by the spinning current.

Around her, chaos erupted. Civilians screamed. Some were thrown off their feet by the blast. Others dove for cover. Some shouted, Some took out there weapons already, forming defensive lines almost instantly or whatever. A few were injured by falling debris; others moved quickly to pull them to safety. Panic tried to take hold but they wrestled it back… Somehow atleast as no one was too injured or died.. Maybe also could be because explosion wasn’t that big. But still it was good reaction as not Many.got injured.. Definitely thanks to all being on their guard all this time.

Maria lowered her hand slowly as the immediate wave of destruction subsided. The water shield dissolved into droplets that splashed harmlessly against the ground.

Smoke drifted through the street.

She exhaled once.

And then the anger surged.

All the fury she had been swallowing the humiliation, the rejection, The sadness, The pain, the accusation found something else to attach itself to. The explosion had interrupted her storm, but it had not extinguished it. If anything, it redirected it.

As her jaw tightened.

Whoever had caused this had chosen the wrong moment.

It was like striking at a wounded lion.

Without hesitation, Maria’s body moved. Water coiled faintly around her ankles as she launched upward, clearing the street in a fluid motion and landing atop the nearest rooftop. Tiles cracked under the force of her takeoff. Her hair snapped behind her like a banner in wind.

Her expression had changed completely.

Gone was the tearful girl. In her place stood something far colder. Her eyes burned with a ferocity that made the air around her feel charged. Her hands clenched, knuckles whitening, veins faintly visible beneath pale skin. A dense killing intent radiated from her unconsciously, pressing outward like invisible pressure.

She did not care what had caused the explosion.

She did not care who was responsible.

All she knew was that something had dared to explode within her vicinity while she was already at her breaking point.

Even the guards below felt the sudden killing intent.. as making them pause their middle step and looking up.

She slowly sprinted across the rooftops toward the source of the blast, every step controlled but fueled by fury. She did not slow or hesitate.

Leap after leap from one rooft to another carried her to the very edge of a building overlooking the site of destruction.

And just as she did..

She froze.

The killing intent suddenly vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.

In its place, confusion crept across her face followed by a grim uncertainty. What she was seeing… was not what she had expected.

Because.. In the center of the smoking debris, framed by shattered stone and splintered beams, stood two figures facing one another.

Sofia.

And

Selena…?

The sight hit her harder than the explosion had.

“What is happening here…?” Maria murmured under her breath, the words slipping out before she could stop them. A grave expression taking over her face covering her other emotions: sadness, anger, heartbreak. Those emotions weren’t disappearing; they were simply being overshadowed by a serious solemnity.

This was bad.

This was the worst possible collision of circumstances.

Because she knew… a meeting between these two women at this time might be the worst thing that could happen.

Because… Sofia had just learned the truth or at least the version of it she had accepted. She believed Razeal had been falsely accused. And standing in front of her now was the woman who had made that accusation.

Selena. Saintess of the empire. Daughter of a ducal house.

And Sofia daughter of Atlantis.

Maria did not know exactly how strong Sofia was. Not truly. But she knew enough to understand that this was no ordinary noble confrontation. If either of them was injured here, the consequences would not remain confined to this street.

Selena. The Saintess of strongest religion in the World? Daughter of a ducal house? Taken care by Virelans househo? Friend of Imperial Pricess? Like literally the Backing of like whole empire?

And Sofia daughter of Atlantis.

If Selena was harmed, the empire would move.

And.. If Sofia was harmed… Atlantis would.. That be bad idea

Not to say.. Razeal might make a move roo?

And if Razeal moved, he would get dragged into something far larger than a personal grievance.. he might get hurt.

Maria’s fingers clenched hard.

While.. Down below, the dust began to settle.

Selena stood amidst the rubble of what had once been a small house, golden light still faintly flickering along her skin. Her arms were lowered now, but the memory of impact lingered in her muscles. Moments earlier she had been running towards Razeal direction where she had sensed him.. with her heart pounding, breath shallow and like every every thought consumed by one direction.

His.

She had finally gotten permission from Marcella. Finally been allowed to leave. She had felt him. Close. Closer than he had been in months. The sensation of his presence had been like a pulse beneath her skin, guiding her forward.

And then suddenly out of nowhere

Impact.

A strike came from nowhere.

She had sensed it barely in time as she crossed her arms instinctively in front of her body. Even so, the force behind it had been immense. She had been thrown backward like a leaf caught in a gale, crashing through a building wall and into its interior.

Wood had splintered. Stone had cracked.

But again.. she had just walked out of it without a scratch.

Obiously her holy constitution took the damage almost mockingly. It was nothing for her.. Anyways dust clung to her clothes as she stepped back into the street, brushing debris from her sleeve with deliberate calm.

Her eyes were not calm.

They were sharp. Confused and utterly Angry.

As she looked across from her.. As she saw a woman she did not recognize.

Tall. Composed. Royal blue hair cascading behind her in a controlled, wind-touched flow. Her features were striking almost regal. There was something about her bearing that made the surrounding chaos feel smaller by comparison. Nobility clung to her without effort.

And her killing intent? That was unmistakably Obious.

It radiated outward like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath.

Amd a sharp smirk curved her lips as she regarded Selena, as though this encounter had unfolded exactly as she wished.

Selena narrowed her eyes slightly.

She did not know this woman.

But just from one look, she could tell this wasn’t a random person.

The woman’s beauty was on par with her own, yet carried a different charm… as if she were the princess of some kingdom. Nobility practically radiated from her face.

And yet, there was no time to unravel it.

Razeal’s presence pulsed faintly in her senses. Close. Not far at all.

As her heart thudded painfully in her chest every second.

“I don’t know who you are,” Selena said, her voice steady despite the anger tightening beneath it. “Or why you attacked me.”

She held the woman’s gaze directly.

“But I’ll let it go. For now… As am going to meet someone. So step away..” Her tone suddenly sharpened.

But anyways she did not wait for any acknowledgment.

As.. Golden light directly flared around her body in a sudden surge, gathering at her feet and shoulders as she launched upward into the air, angling toward the direction where she felt him. The distance was small. She could reach him within moments.

Her heart pounded harder as she accelerated.

Just a little further.

Just a little..

But just as she was…

“Where are you going?” The voice cut through the air.

Cold and amused.

And at same time.. Selena’s pupils tightened.

And.. Before she could adjust her trajectory, a blur of blue intercepted her path.

Sofia appeared directly in front of her faster than Selena had anticipated, faster than she herself had moved. There was no wasted motion or hesitation.

As Sofia’s leg directly swung downward in a clean, brutal arc.

The strike was precise.. Controlled and Powerful.

It came straight for Selena’s face.

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