Chapter 757: Outbreak
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 757: Outbreak
Flames commanded by Divine Authority surged outward, relentlessly consuming the air that had been solidified by Ancient Magic.
The searing currents and blazing light formed a perfect barrier, briefly creating a sealed vacuum.
It was a desperate measure. What was once essential for human survival had been forcibly transformed by the bizarre and powerful Ancient Magic into a lethal "poison." Even Ariel’s formidable physique was not immune; after only a few breaths, her lungs burned with unbearable pain, and she began coughing up blood.
Thus, she had no choice but to force a near-vacuum environment into existence.
Within this void, Ariel herself could not breathe.
However, once the terrifying pressure—which felt like being submerged in the deep sea—vanished, her movements were completely liberated.
Without a moment's hesitation, she closed the distance and swung her blade at the Static Figure—a decisive slash!
Flames and sword intent erupted once more from the crimson-gold greatsword!
Heavenly Fire—Judgment!
A silent cry echoed in Ariel’s heart, and in an instant, the holy light flared brilliantly!
This move was fiercer and more intense than Heavenly Fire Draw. If Heavenly Fire Draw was the instantaneous release of accumulated power, then Heavenly Fire Judgment was the act of pushing her own strength to its absolute limit, followed by a reckless, overwhelming crush!
If her Fighting Spirit was insufficient, she would squeeze more from her weakened body.
If her Mana was lacking, she would substitute it with the power of Divine Blessing, fueled by her own spiritual energy.
Driven by this dual surge, Ariel’s power briefly reached its zenith. This strike was the pinnacle of her strength!
【Martial artist, source of chaos—Die!!】
The Static Figure also let out a roar, seemingly sensing the threat posed by Ariel’s strike.
The massive Mana brewing around him began to surge again. The sheer volume of magical energy was so staggering that even the static obscuring his face began to distort.
【Solidify】
It was that same Ancient Magic again.
But to Ariel’s surprise, the Static Figure did not use the spell for defense or to create distance.
Instead, as Ariel swung her greatsword toward him, he took a sudden step forward, clenched his withered, shriveled hand, and... smashed!
What he had solidified was his own fist!
His hand was encased in a layer of dense, transparent crystal that looked like a beautiful diamond.
Yet the killing intent it radiated was bone-chilling.
BOOM!
In an instant, fist and sword collided, erupting in a terrifying roar that sounded like the world itself was splitting apart!
"Are you... kidding me..."
Ariel’s vision went dark, and the thick, metallic taste of blood surged in the back of her throat.
She staggered backward. A massive recoil traveled up the hilt of her sword; she felt as though the bones in her hands had fractured, and she nearly lost her grip on the weapon.
"So strong..." Ariel’s eyelids twitched.
You keep shouting about how martial artists deserve to die, but you... for a mage, you're more brutal than any martial artist, you bastard!
However, Ariel hadn't failed to wound him. As the sword light dissipated, a hideous, bloody gash nearly tore his entire arm open. A foul-smelling, pitch-black blood—resembling rot—flowed from the wound.
The damage wasn't negligible, but... that was as far as it went.
The Static Figure did not retreat. His form flickered, moving with incredible speed. In a flash, he caught up to the retreating Ariel. He reached out with his other intact hand, grasping at the air as if seizing something solidified and invisible, and then...
Thuck.
The agonizing pain of her abdomen being torn open was vivid, even for a body so scarred and weakened that its senses had begun to dull.
Ariel’s cheek twitched, her expression momentarily dazed.
The solidified air had turned into a cold spear, impaling her through the torso. Under normal circumstances, this wound would not have been fatal for her.
But now...
She was too weak. She was so frail that even an external injury like this was enough to shake the very foundations of her life.
Squeltch.
The air spear was heartlessly ripped out. Blood began to pour from the wound, and Ariel no longer had the strength left to even staunch the bleeding.
Her vision began to dim, the world spun, and meaningless buzzing filled her ears.
As her blood flowed out, what little strength Ariel had left drained away rapidly, to the point where even standing became a struggle...
"Ariel!"
But amidst the cacophony of her collapsing world, a familiar, desperately anxious voice suddenly rang out, cutting through everything else.
Ariel’s pupils, which had begun to lose focus, snapped back into clarity. she slammed her foot against the ground to steady herself and forced her back to straighten once more.
"Don't stop!"
Ariel shouted, stopping Muen, who was about to abandon his nearly finished decryption work to come to her aid.
"I haven't... fallen yet!"
It was just a small wound, just a bit of weakness, just a hole through her gut.
Compared to the small courtyard that had buried her everything, compared to the void deep within her soul that remained unfilled to this day... what did this amount to?
"It's just putting my life on the line. That's something... I'm very good at!"
Whether by coincidence or fate, Ariel spoke almost the exact same words Muen had once said.
Then, she opened her eyes.
In those eyes, there was no longer a distinction between pupil and sclera. There was only pure black and pure white.
One eye was pitch black; the other was stark white.
Between the black and the white lay what seemed like the greatest distance in the world, yet also the most formidable power—a force that could separate heaven from earth.
Ariel raised her hands. In the center of her palms, the same pure black and pure white manifested, swirling like twin vortices.
Divine Blessing · Light.
Divine Blessing · Darkness.
Ariel brought her hands together... slowly bringing the light and the darkness toward each other.
And so, the world's greatest distance and its most powerful forces... collided!!
【Martial artist—DIE!】
The Static Figure let out another roar of hatred and rage, but before the sound could echo, it was annihilated by an infinite, deathly silence.
Just like his chest, which had been hollowed out as if erased from existence.
It was sudden and swift.
There was no world-shaking explosion, yet the terrifying result had already come to pass.
"The one dying is you, you bastard monster."
Ariel bared her blood-stained teeth. Her strength failed her completely, and she collapsed toward the ground.
Fortunately, a pair of strong, steady arms caught her just in time.
At that moment, the long-awaited spatial fluctuations finally surfaced, swallowing the two figures as they held each other.
*
Sunlight spilled into the small courtyard.
Ariel looked up, watching the woman sitting not far away. The woman’s life had been pitiful, tragic, and lamentable, yet she had never once spoken of emptiness or regret.
The woman rested her chin on her hand, wearing a reserved, gentle smile that was the polar opposite of Ariel’s own.
"Ariel, have you found your happiness?"
"I..."