Just as she thought, Vexion heard the new female dark elf's voice as she proudly drove the bladed end of her spear into the rooftop.
"My name is Sheva, Grand Protector of the Josten Empire. I serve as the Grand General and close attendant of the noble royal family of the Josten Empire. Who are you?"
Vexion chuckled as she realized her master had been spot on. If she was the Grand General, then that meant those two she had been keeping suppressed under her skill were quite weak in terms of the empire's true strength. She chuckled and replied,
"If I'm hiding everything about myself, why would I reveal who I am or tell you anything true about myself yet?"
Sheva frowned as she picked up her spear. She had only one thought in mind.
'It seems I ought to teach her the consequences of dishonouring a warrior's goodwill and pride.'
Then...
She blurred.
Vexion, who had been prepared for this, immediately swapped places with a mirage that appeared below on ground level. Yet just as she materialized, a spear thrust toward her with terrifying speed and finality.
A slight look of surprise appeared on Vexion's face.
She used "Pull" to drag herself out of the spear's range while using "Push" to drive back Sheva, who was knocked away by the powerful force.
As the first exchange ended, Dante watched the battle with his hands in his pockets while sitting within the folds of the second and third layers of space.
He chuckled as he nodded to himself and spoke to the system, which had provided him with a brief appraisal of Sheva's skills.
"So, who do you think will win?" he asked while staring at the shortened information, as if the system already knew he wouldn't care much about the finer details.
[Name: Sheva
...Skill: Umbral Tyranny
Legendary Tier Level 9
Abilities:
Warrior Physique: Grants fast movement and rapid acceleration, increasing physical attributes enough to withstand sudden directional changes and high-speed movement without injury. Warrior's Instinct: The user can locate and track targets with heightened instinctive awareness, allowing them to pursue enemies even if they possess great speed or illusion-based abilities. Reforged Mind: Grants resistance against mental and physical debuff skills, reducing their effectiveness. Tyranny: At the cost of large amounts of mana and energy, the user experiences a significant increase in physical prowess, doubling instinct, speed, and stamina. The body's durability and recovery rate are greatly enhanced, making sustained damage difficult.]
[Vexion will win, Master. Her combat ability alone is simply too great. She can match opponents ten to thirteen levels above her if she goes all out.
She can reliably fight opponents ten levels higher than herself. Beyond that, it depends on whether their skills counter hers and how many skills they possess.
Against opponents twelve to thirteen levels above her, she would eventually be unable to win. However, she would still be capable of standing her ground for a time before being forced to retreat.
Like Master, Vexion can deduce attack patterns, weaknesses, and abilities while fighting without exposing her trump cards.
The opponent possesses a higher level, but Vexion's combat ability and skill strength are far beyond what her level suggests.]
Dante grinned inwardly with pride as he agreed.
Vexion had grown incredibly fast and stronger in ways he still struggled to understand.
During their first training session, she had quickly realized what she needed to improve regarding skill usage, stamina, and mana control.
Now, she possessed an exceptional understanding of combat as a whole.
So much so that Dante could no longer defeat her as casually as before. He actually had to devote serious attention during their spars.
Even so, her physique was superior.
If Dante relied solely on Martial Apex and nothing else, he would often find himself struggling.
He would need to use skills such as Spatial Body or Mental Domination to strengthen his physical capabilities without activating their main abilities outright in order to regain dominance during training.
She even managed to force him to fight seriously from time to time of course she was still far from his level, but constant improvement was the goal.
Dante casually watched the battle as he looked into the distance.
'That guy seems to be coming is it Josten seems he has noticed the coming enemy.'
........
Vexion let out a sigh of annoyance before, yet again, a spear descended upon her with tyrannical strength.
She activated her skill, causing dozens of mirages to appear.
Some directed "Pull" toward Sheva while others directed it toward the surrounding buildings.
Having missed her attack once more and driven her spear into the ground, was about to pull it free when she was violently dragged toward several nearby buildings.
The structures began collapsing toward her.
She bellowed and immediately tightened her grip on her spear. A powerful aura spread from her body and weapon. The spear became noticeably heavier as she surged forward and thrust it into the falling structure.
The collision shattered the building into countless fragments. Large chunks of rock and debris scattered throughout the area. Vexion, who had long since swapped places among her many mirages, stood beside the bodies of Kai and Lee while watching Sheva struggle against the illusions.
She smiled.
"I would like to turn you into dark, grotesque masterpieces, but I need to leave you recognizable for that little wretch."
Kai and Lee, who were struggling just to breathe as their bones continued breaking beneath the lingering pressure, were confused. The woman before them seemed to possess endless reserves of mana and energy. She had fought them, continuously used skills, and caused widespread destruction, yet she did not appear tired in the slightest.
Lee attempted to speak. Then he felt his head being stepped on. The view beneath her combat robes was partially visible, clear supple thighs that even he would desire but it was far from enticing In the moment. He was dying, and even though he felt like he could see her thighs, he couldn't identify the figure at all.
'Why can I see this but not her face??'
She was stepping directly on his shoulder. Two opposing forces acted upon him simultaneously. Her foot served as the catalyst for "Push" while another force beneath him pushed upward. The result was a pain unlike anything he had ever experienced.
It felt as though the entire right side of his body was being crushed. He tried to scream, but blood blocked his airway. Lee coughed violently as blood poured from his mouth. Eventually, his shoulder and the entire right side of his body were crushed into a mangled mess. Vexion, who normally enjoyed killing in cruel and horrific ways, was displeased.
This fool had dared to look beneath her robe. She was wearing underwear, but the fact that he had looked at all—and possibly seen her "thick thighs," as her master liked to call them—angered her. Still, she restrained herself.
After all, every organ from his right shoulder downward had already been pulverized. Kai fared no better. The overwhelming aura crushed him against the rooftop floor, forcing him into a kneeling position as the structure beneath him continued to crack.
He tried to speak, but only blood emerged.
Vexion smiled inwardly.
'Master is amazing. I never thought my skills could be used like this. Hehehe. I suppose it does fit his style of dominating others without lifting a finger.'
Vexion was about to turn her full attention toward Kai when a powerful aura rushed toward her.
She merely chuckled as she turned around and looked at the spear aimed directly at her head.
Sheva, who had been struggling against the countless mirages that constantly pulled and pushed her into buildings, was furious.
Her enemy didn't seem to consider her a threat at all.
She bellowed and unleashed the full power of her skill. A devastating aura erupted from her body while her senses sharpened dramatically. She could now identify the real Vexion—or at least her silhouette—with far greater accuracy. She still couldn't sense Vexion perfectly and was relying heavily on intuition.
Using explosive speed, she pushed off the ground. The resulting shockwave was powerful enough to disrupt the mirages and the forces they were producing while she simultaneously charged toward her target. Gripping her spear tightly, she attacked with overwhelming ferocity.
That ferocity only intensified when she saw the lifeless body of her comrade and the grotesque state of the other. His bones appeared to be grinding against each other. His body was completely broken.
He was a mess.