The battlefield came to a standstill just for a few moments. Ava couldn’t believe that he possessed a tool that could achieve something which even modern technology couldn’t.

Suppression of Genesis caused her muscles to twitch and a sensation akin to vertigo assaulted her.

Her body instantly went to safety, regulating Genesis just enough to prevent any internal damage.

But Kyle did not give her time to recover. He knew the effect of the arrow would not last long.

He rushed in, both hands thrust forward, aiming to strike her face with his fingers.

Ava caught his wrist just in time and twisted it, forcing him to lean forward.

His eyes widened as he saw the knife arcing upward toward his face.

’How could she recover this soon?’

Panic surged. He used his core strength to pull back, the blade grazing her own forearm instead.

"Damn you!" she growled, lunging forward again. Her weight shifted smoothly, her dominant leg snapping upward.

DHAK

He could not retreat in time. The kick struck his chin, his bones rattling from the impact.

Still, he did not let her press the advantage. He caught her follow-up strike mid-motion.

"Not so fast now, are you?" Kyle said, pushing against her wrist, the tip of her blade hovering inches from his face.

She snickered. "Still fast enough to take you down."

She released the knife mid-air, catching it with her other hand near his torso.

SWISH

Kyle leaped back just in time, but the blade sliced through his shirt, carving a thin line across his flesh.

She was fast. And precise.

He watched as she licked the droplet of blood from her blade, smiling as she said, "I love that you didn’t give in right away. At least that makes you better than the runt."

Kyle’s gaze sharpened at those words.

Crossing her left arm over her chest, she continued, "You know, whenever I scored even a little less than perfect, I used to strangle her with a pillow or tie a rope around her neck and drag her across the garden until I felt satisfied. She never protested, and that was the best part~"

Blank.

For a moment, Kyle’s mind went completely blank.

As her words sank in, he began to imagine what Layena must have gone through.

Being tortured by her own sister. Being cornered by her family, with no one to stand by her side.

Crying alone in some hidden corner, forcing herself to endure, hoping that one day things would change.

In that instant, he lived through it all.

His fists clenched. Anger surged through his chest. He was not someone who let emotions take control, but this struck far too close to home.

Ava grinned. She could feel Genesis returning to her body.

Whatever technique he had used was fading, and she had no intention of letting him use it again.

Then, suddenly, a shift.

Her senses flared. She turned sharply to her left, thrusting her knife forward.

SQUELCH

The blade pierced into his chest.

But he did not stop.

"Ah-ghhh!" she choked as Kyle’s hand clamped around her throat with brutal force. Every fiber of his being went into that grip as he lifted her off the ground and slammed her down.

DOOOOOM

Ava’s vision went dark for a split second, but her instincts kicked in. She wrapped her legs around his neck, tightening the hold as she forced his grip off her throat.

Despite his rage, Kyle could not overpower the strength of a magically enhanced special-grade opponent. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Her legs constricted around his neck, cutting off his air. His shirt was soaked in blood, his consciousness beginning to slip.

Damn it... this was not the last face he wanted to see.

"Gah!" With the last of his strength, he threw her off and staggered back to his feet.

Ava rose as well, completely unscathed, though her breathing carried a faint discomfort.

"Wow... you’ve got a strong grip," she said, almost impressed, as she touched her neck.

Kyle’s breathing had turned ragged and uneven. Each inhale burned his lungs, each exhale came out heavier than the last.

The knife had already been pulled out by her, leaving behind a deep wound in his chest that continued to bleed without restraint.

Warm blood soaked through his shirt, clinging to his skin, dripping steadily onto the ground beneath him.

His vision wavered. The world around him felt distant, like it was slipping out of reach.

He could feel it clearly now, his consciousness was fading. Against her, in this condition, he would not last another minute.

He needed to act.

He needed to survive somehow.

’System... unlock the gift...’

[Unlocking the Lantern of Light.]

Ava’s expression shifted instantly as she noticed the sudden change. Above Kyle, an object began to materialize, forming out of thin air. It was shaped like a lamp, glowing faintly in shades of green and gold, its surface shimmering with an otherworldly sheen.

A dense, overwhelming surge of Genesis poured out from it, so thick it distorted the air around it. Streams of golden energy flowed downward, wrapping around Kyle’s body and seeping into him like threads of light.

Ava’s instincts screamed at her. Every fiber of her being warned her of the danger.

She could not let this continue.

Without hesitation, she tightened her grip around her knife and surged forward, her body cutting through the air with lethal intent.

But in the very next moment, something changed.

Her instincts shifted violently.

Not attack.

Run.

Her pupils shrank as her body reacted on its own. She barely had the time to push herself away, her muscles screaming as she forced a retreat. Yet even then, she was too late to fully escape the impact.

A terrifying force erupted outward.

The sheer pressure alone sent her hurtling through the air like a ragdoll, her body slamming violently into a cargo container behind her.

BOOM

The metal dented under the impact.

Ava coughed harshly as she slid down, blood spilling from her lips and splattering onto the ground. Her chest tightened as she forced herself to breathe, pain radiating through her body.

Frowning, she lifted her head and looked forward.

And then she saw her.

A silver-haired figure stood firmly in front of Kyle, unmoving, yet exuding a presence that made the air itself feel heavy.

Her eyes burned with a deep crimson glow, filled with raw, unfiltered anger. Every muscle in her body was coiled tight, like a drawn bowstring ready to snap at the slightest movement.

Genesis wrapped around her like a second skin, flowing and shifting, as if it were alive.

Ava’s lips slowly curled into a grin despite the situation.

"So you finally showed your true colors, huh, Veronica?"

The silver-haired woman lowered her stance slightly, her gaze locked onto Ava with chilling intent. The energy around her intensified, pressing down like an invisible weight.

"There will be no investigation," she muttered, her voice cold and devoid of hesitation.

"No judgment."

A faint pause lingered in the air, before she stated,

"You are going to die today."

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, drop a comment or maybe a review.