Chapter 508 Winner and Loser - V
"Such a pure girl, it is impossible to harbor any hostility towards her."
Ravenna continued to chat idly, seemingly unconcerned about the outcome of the battle, unlike her usual self, unless...
Unless the outcome was already decided, and indeed, it was.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Now, Ravenna was incredibly solid, with no emptiness or illusion, as if she might dissipate at any moment.
The ring on her middle finger symbolized the Head of Abyss among Hydra's nine heads.
As the creature closest to the abyss, Hydra possessed immense power and numerous essences, with a soul strong enough to withstand more abyssal erosion, thus able to command more world laws and essences.
The role of the Head of Abyss was to coordinate, organize, and integrate all the essences and world laws Hydra understood, allowing it to better control its chaotic and vast power.
Therefore, it was the most eroded by the abyss, second only to the Head of Soul.
When Ravenna donned this ring and became the Head of Abyss, she no longer needed to risk using her unstable soul, carried by Nidhoggur, to delve into the abyssal currents, risking complete soul disintegration to absorb the world's essence.
With Hydra's vast essences and Ansel's favor as the Abyssal Sermon, becoming the Head of Abyss to coordinate all of Hydra's essences, the God from the Machine, an armament of "Phantasm" was now complete!
At this moment, everyone in the imperial capital, the villages, and the territories outside the capital, on the land uprooted by the empress, saw the iron demon wielding the giant blade.
It looked up at the falling fire rain, such violent extermination, and suddenly… a pair of gray iron wings spread from its back!
"The Moonfall System is activated."
Countless iron-gray particles emanated from the iron wings, covering the falling fire rain like a giant net. The everything-devouring Flamefeast fire, after burning these particles, astonishingly shrank to the size of a small fireball.
Numerous autonomous floating cannons continuously fired at the shrinking fireball, needing several shots to extinguish it completely.
"... Just a fireball, and it takes so much effort to eliminate."
Ravenna looked up at the fire curtain spreading to the horizon and sighed, "This is... a divine species, even suppressed, mad, and now completely dazed."
Because Ephesande had lost her mind from Seraphina's punch, the fire curtain did not fall directly but descended irregularly like a meteor shower. Ravenna used the Moonfall System and floating cannons to minimize the damage to the land, suffering this undeserved misfortune.
While resisting the fire rain, the giant sword in the hand of the God from the Machine began to emit a black glow. When the sword touched the Flamefeast fire, surprisingly, it was not completely disintegrated.
"The Annihilation System is activated."
Ravenna held Ansel's hand and whispered, "Dragging this out is not a solution, it's time to end her, Ansel."
The thrusters slowly pushed forward, and the giant blade in the god's hand hummed. The towering iron demon seemed insignificant under the giant sword, and the sword was even more insignificant compared to the vast fire curtain.
Yet, the sky the sword pointed at, covered by the Flamefeast fire… cracked open!
No… it was the Flamefeast fire… being annihilated under the sword that pierced the sky!
Ephesande remained dazed.
She was stunned that Flamelle had not appeared, yet she still couldn't defeat Ansel.
She was stunned by her daughter's complete betrayal, having the power to briefly resist her despite not reaching the sixth stage.
She was stunned that… her dignity and status as a divine species were repeatedly, and repeatedly trampled, and that punch, though harmless, completely destroyed her sanity.
Of course, all this was based on a crucial premise—Ephesande was already nearly insane.
When she tried to use Ansel's sermon to glimpse the path to the seventh stage, she was secretly struck by fate, suffering unknown trauma.
With all these factors combined, what remained of Ephesande's "self" was…running out, like a candle swaying in the wind.
Gazing down at the motionless Ephesande, Ansel's eyes held neither sarcastic pity nor pure hostility.
He did not pity her because, in truth, he was not much different from Ephesande before; he did not harbor hostility because he never considered such a being as his opponent.
His adversaries resided in higher, unfathomable realms.
"Venna, I told you earlier that you are not the one I trust the most, right?"
"What's the matter?" Ravenna tilted her head slightly. "Are you trying to make me jealous? I don't have such superfluous emotions."
"No, I just wanted to tell you... I trusted Seri even less back then."
The thrusters pushed forward again, and the sky-piercing giant blade transformed once more. Its edge extended from the middle to both sides, creating a massive groove in the center.
It resembled a... cannon barrel.
Buzz!!
A white light pierced through the blood flames, shooting skyward from the cannon-like groove! If the endless iron-gray particles sought mutual destruction with the Flamefeast fire, then this blazing heavenly light truly overwhelmed the Flamefeast fire!
"I didn't trust her enough to make her my pact head the first time."
Ravenna pondered for a moment, then confidently said, "That must have been your problem."
"Indeed, it was my problem," Ansel couldn't help but laugh. "Looking back now, it was a somewhat absurd, somewhat... childish issue."
"Hmm... so?"
"So, I want to tell you, I am also growing."
Ansel looked at Ravenna, and Ravenna looked back at him, at the sea-blue color she loved the most.
She had never felt... this sea-blue so bright.
"So now, I trust you completely."
"If you didn't trust me after all I've done, I'd strangle you first."
Ravenna said lightly, but her hand did pinch Ansel's hand.
The overwhelming iron-gray particles and floating cannons dealt with the falling fire rain, while the iron demon, holding the giant sword aloft, gathered its final strength.
"But you still say that I fall short compared to Seraphina, that I am not the 'most'.' So... where do I fall short?"
"The old me might not have realized this, but thanks to you... I have."
Ansel gazed at Ravenna's calm face and softly said:
"Venna, have you ever truly lived for yourself?"
"Of course, I—"
Ravenna opened her mouth but couldn't say the rest.
Truly live... for herself?
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