Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 699: Astrelya’s Lust

As Astrelya finished her sentence, a gale surged between them, scattering the tables and chairs into the air.

Motes of fragmented light began to fall done from above as the realm began to cry out in pain.

Alice's pupil constricted.

She knew that something felt off but now that Astrelya has decided to initiate combat, her senses were screaming at her to run away!

To get out of the location immediately.

Fractured Form!

Summoning her personal artifact, Alice wanted to dispel this realm so that Astrelya wouldn't get an advantage.

To even the playing field as much as she could.

But Astrelya only raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A single Sigil lit up on the back of her hand, pulsing with stellar radiance.

"Do not worry." She reassured with a tone as sweet as candy. "This realm offers me no benefits that a Second Resonance would provide. It is simply a manifestation of my power. A natural phenomenon if you will. So don't overwork that cute lil' head of yours." She chuckled with a slight wink.

Above Alice, a star spun violently with gravity suddenly being inverted for her. She felt her body being dragged into the air and gritted her teeth.

Resonance!

Creating a garden of spider lilies to displace some of the current realm, Alice conjured a singularity above her to combat the sudden shift in gravity.

Behind Astrelya, her halo pulsed with an ethereal light. The celestial canvas above her shimmered with countless stars. Blinking before raining down in a downpour of stellar radiance.

Revealing a gentle smile like that of a mother, Astrelya gathered all the stars into a single mote between her hands.

A miniature cosmos held within the boundary of her palms. She gave it a gentle breath as it floated towards Alice. Slow at first but it began to pick up speed, leaving behind a trail of spectral lights, not unlike a comet burning up the midnight sky.

Alice's senses flared, alarm bells screaming in her mind. There was no escape from this attack.

Even if she used Void Steps, even if she tore through a passage into the Void itself, the space around her was already being destabilized. Her entry would not be permitted.

'I should've expected it. If she could create a barrier that prevents my teleportation, why can't she use it at will?' Alice bit her lip. 'Is it a Sigil power or natural phenomenon?'

Creasing her brows, Alice created a blade of blood and metal.

With Astrelya being the Abyss Lord of Stars, there were a lot of unknown factors about her power.

But what did matter was the fact that she was simply testing Alice right now. Otherwise, it would be a simple case for her to unleash the power of every single Sigil, hoping to end the fight early. But that wasn't what Astrelya desired.

She has already told her desires to Alice. A battle of wills that sets their entire being aflame. A battle of souls.

What Astrelya wants to do right now was to test whether or not she was going to be worth that wait. Whether or not she is worth the time that Astrelya was willing to invest.

If Alice could help it, she wanted to conceal her Sigil swapping and the ability to temporarily become a Lord. If she exposes everything, Astrelya might refuse the desire to wait and go for the battle immediately.

Alice needed to trick Astrelya into thinking that she had the potential to give her the fight that she wants. And that potential needed time.

To reach the threshold and convince Astrelya to drop the fight. That's what Alice needed to achieve!

She needed to fight with what she has on hand right now!

Artificial Resonance!

Recalling her artifact and using it to unleash the false Resonance, a singularity replaced the spider lily pattern in her eye.

Void Flux – Cleave!

Rather than the original method of slashing apart everything in her way, she used the powers of the Void instead. A collapsing rift formed at the centre of her slash, drawing everything into the infinite abyss!

The moment the stars touched the edge of Alice's slash, light began to warp and the essence of Astrelya's attack was dragged towards oblivion.

"If you simply react to what I throw at you, you'll never give me the battle I desire, the battle that will ignite this heart of mine. So please, come at me with the intent to kill. Face me with your fiery passion and set my world ablaze." Astrelya called out as she held out her arms in reverent prayer.

From within the slash, an arc of light broke through as Alice's Void Flux – Cleave was broken apart!

"!!!" Widening her eye, Alyss hijacked the controls and took over!

*BANG!!!

Taking a step forward, Alyss twisted her body as a mixture of energy crackled around her blade.

Destruction point!

Erasing all colour of the world in her sight, she identified the streaks of weakness within Astrelya's attack. The single point where she should gather her strength and pierce through!

*RUMBLE!!!

Creating a gap within the attack, Alyss dashed forward, weaving through the chaotic eruption of light without a single wound.

Seeing the shift in Alice, turning into someone. . . 'Different', the energy that now surrounded her body, Astrelya paused. Her gaze lingering on Alyss as the blush on her face began to deepen.

She wrapped her hands around her own arms as she couldn't control the smile on her face.

This burning fire in her heart, this raging passion!

Biting her finger, Astrelya forced herself to calm down. To not get carried away by one moment of joy.

"What are you giggling at to yourself!?" Alyss shouted with a frown. Pivoting on her right foot, she unleashed a horizontal sweep towards Astrelya, swallowing all light in its path.

"Aah! It's a little embarrassing, please don't look at me~!" She hid her face with a laugh as a trail of stars slammed down from above, destroying Alyss's strike.

As the fragments floated in the air, Alice took over and flicked her finger, turning them all into spears that stabbed towards Astrelya.

On her shoulder, a Sigil lit up looking similar to a constellation that hung in the sky. Around her, stars began to orbit, transforming into a radiant shield that sought to block Alice's attack.

*CRACK!!!

"Eh?" Blinking her eyes, Astrelya saw the cracks ripple across her barrier. After the second spear, it shattered apart!

*Badum!

Astrelya felt her heart pound.

Clenching her chest, she couldn't hold back her laugh as a third Sigil lit up on her neck.

*BANG!!!

The space in front of her collapse into a star, swallowing all the spears that Alice at sent her way.

"Tsk, that's three now." Alice clicked her tongue seeing three Sigils light up on Astrelya's body.

She thought that her spears would be able to take Astrelya by surprise to some extent but her reaction was much faster than she had thought.

The moment Astrelya felt something was off, she erased the space in front of her.

It was a similar method to Feris yet at the same time, very different.

Before Alice could get a chance to organise a new attack plan, stars shimmered around her.

"!!!"

Slamming her hand down, she created a rotational field of crimson, swallowing what it could and diverting what it couldn't cancel/consume.

A curtain of darkness blanketed the battlefield. Not a simple absence of light but rather a suffocating, unnatural darkness.

But Alice wasn't unaccustomed to fighting without sight. All she needed to do was focus her attention on other senses instead!

Absolute Zone!

Compressing her boundary for greater efficiency, Alice sensed countless attacks trained on her body!

Activating her third Sigil, Alice created a grid of defences. She'll slash away at the attacks that she could block and anything that exploits the gap in her movements or blind spots will be swallowed by the grid!

Astrelya watched with her vision dyed in the hue of blooming roses. Each slash, each counter that Alice performed was a cupid's arrow to her heart.

Abyss Lords, exalted existences above that of normal Hunters. Some may never reach this level no matter how much they try, no matter how desperate they become. The Abyss is biased.

Yet. . .

How many could make a Lord wonder if they were truly the chosen one?

Astrelya watched Alice break her barrier, shatter her defences and even defend against an onslaught of attacks despite the lack of sight.

The goosebumps on her skin, this pounding excitement. She felt her heart skip a beat.

However. . .

Despite all of this. . .

Alice's attention still wasn't fully focused on her!

There was something else she was worried about, something else that stole away her attention.

She couldn't find the euphoria she wanted here.

But even if that was the case. . .

Even if Alice wouldn't give Astrelya her full attention right now. . .

Astrelya would never forgive herself if she stopped here.

She wanted an extra push, just a taste of the main meal. To satisfy herself even if it's just for a moment, to catch a glimpse of the climax that she wanted. To indulge in this moment of lust.

An infatuated look filled Astrelya's eyes as she clasped her hands together.

She prayed, oh she vehemently prayed that Alice would survive this. That she'd endure what is to come and show the depths of her potential.

And if she does. . .

Astrelya will give Alice her heart.

Her love, her passion, everything.

If she can reach her Elysium, if she can reach the promised the battle, the scorching of their souls, she was willing to give everything.

There was one thing that Astrelya was completely honest towards.

That would be her desires. Her desire carried her through this world, her desires made up the core of her being.

A selfish, violent love that sought to burn every last ember in the blazing heat of passion.

Finally! Finally she felt the pulse of life beat through her heart!

And for that, Alice had her undying gratitude and love.

Energy converged around Astrelya's body, overlaying her in a sheet of radiant gold.

Resonance!