Star

The battle in the void entered a new phase.

Lilith had finally given up on long-range attacks entirely.

She realized that against a monster of Orosius's caliber, long-range strikes were of limited effectiveness.

While the spells were immensely powerful, they were too easily evaded or simply tanked.

Melee combat was where her true advantage lay.

It was an absolute advantage: she could hit Orosius, but he couldn't touch her.

Mana Shield, a high-level spell that might seem trivial to an ordinary mage, had become an insurmountable defense when fueled by Lilith's near-infinite mana. As long as the shield held, every one of Orosius's attacks would amount to nothing.

And that was precisely why Lilith could afford to be so reckless in her assault.

With that thought, Lilith no longer hesitated.

Her figure blurred, appearing instantly before Orosius as mana coalesced in her hand to form a longsword.

She lunged.

The blade aimed straight for Orosius's heart.

Orosius’s pupils constricted. He didn't try to block it; instead, he twisted his body to dodge.

The tip of the sword grazed his chest, leaving a shallow trail of blood.

Her initial strike having missed, Lilith flicked her wrist, and the longsword swept back in a savage horizontal arc.

Squelch.

Orosius’s right arm was severed clean at the shoulder. Blood erupted, drifting and scattering into the void.

Lilith didn't stop. Seizing the opening, she thrust the longsword forward again, this time aiming for his throat.

But this time, Orosius didn't dodge.

He raised his left hand and caught the blade.

Crack.

The sword shattered, dissolving into motes of mana.

However, Lilith had already achieved her goal.

She noticed it: Orosius’s regenerative ability was faltering.

If it had been before, that wound from her previous strike would have healed instantly.

Now, although the severed arm was regenerating, the speed was significantly slower, and the new limb was visibly more fragile than the original.

“It seems your recovery speed has dropped quite a bit,” Lilith remarked, her voice laced with mockery.

“What’s the matter? Running low on mana?”

She tilted her head, a mischievous glint flashing in her red pupils.

“Do you need me to share some with you?”

Orosius let out a cold snort. “I have no need for that. All you need to do is make sure you don't die just yet.”

He clenched his left hand into a fist and drove it toward Lilith’s face.

But the fist stopped three inches short, halted by the invisible Mana Shield.

Bang!

A ripple spread across the shield, but it remained perfectly still.

Orosius withdrew his fist and struck again.

Every punch carried destructive force; every punch made the shield vibrate violently.

Yet, the shield never broke.

Lilith stood within the barrier, watching him quietly. Her face was devoid of expression, as if she were watching a tedious performance.

This scene caused Veen, watching from a distance, to feel a chill in his heart.

“What’s going on?” he muttered to himself, a hint of doubt crossing his golden eyes. “Orosius is being suppressed this easily?”

The Mana Shield was indeed an absolute defense, but there were many ways to break it...

Given Orosius’s strength and experience, it was impossible for him not to have a countermeasure against such a defense.

Yet now, he was relying solely on brute force, seemingly at a loss for how to respond.

“Something’s not right...” Veen’s brow furrowed.

He turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

By now, the tide of battle had shifted entirely in Lilith’s favor.

Orosius was covered in wounds: three piercing injuries to his chest, a severed right arm, a hole through his left shoulder, and another bloody puncture in his abdomen.

Furthermore, his self-healing had essentially failed.

Wounds no longer closed instantly; they regenerated sluggishly.

Even his severed arm was taking a long time to recover, let alone the other injuries.

In contrast, Lilith grew more excited as the fight progressed.

Thanks to the Mana Shield, she hadn't suffered a single injury since the battle began.

Every attack was blocked by the shield; every danger was kept at bay.

She could attack with total abandon, unleashing her full potential.

Moreover, despite Lilith’s small stature, her physical strength—having inherited the power and authority of the former Demon King—was far superior to Orosius’s.

This fact was being demonstrated vividly in their close-quarters struggle.

Orosius lashed out with a vicious kick aimed at Lilith’s waist.

Lilith simply pivoted slightly, evading the kick with ease.

Then, seizing the moment, her right hand shot out and seized Orosius’s newly regenerated right arm.

Accompanied by the sound of splintering bone, Lilith gave a violent yank.

She actually tore Orosius’s right arm straight from the shoulder by brute force.

Blood sprayed, and the severed limb drifted into the vacuum.

Orosius grunted, staggering back, a flash of agony visible in his dark gold vertical pupils.

Seeing his pathetic state, the tension Lilith had felt before the battle began to dissipate.

She looked down at Orosius coldly.

“Your self-healing has reached its limit, hasn't it?” she asked softly, her voice echoing through the vacuum.

Orosius only let out a burst of mad laughter, offering no answer.

Lilith didn't care.

In a flash, she was in front of Orosius, her hand clamping around his throat.

Then, she threw him with all her might.

Boom!!!

Orosius’s body was sent hurtling back, shattering every meteorite in his path before slamming violently into a minor planet.

The minor planet exploded, disintegrating into countless fragments.

Lilith pursued him instantly. Raising her right hand toward Orosius, she made a light slashing motion.

Countless slashes manifested out of thin air, falling like a torrential rain to shred Orosius’s body.

The strikes landed on Orosius, leaving him covered in a dense network of wounds.

Blood sprayed; his flesh was a mangled mess.

But Lilith noticed that these wounds were not closing.

The slashes had cut through his skin, yet the injuries refused to heal.

It was as if Orosius’s self-healing ability had completely failed.

“As I thought...” Lilith realized. “His regeneration has hit its limit.”

Yet, she didn't lower her guard.

She had noticed something else: these slashes couldn't cut through Orosius’s bones.

Where the strikes hit bone, they left only faint white marks, unable to actually sever them.

“His physical toughness is still that high...” Lilith thought. “But this is enough.”

She raised her foot and delivered a powerful kick to Orosius’s chest.

Bang!!!

Orosius was sent flying once more. This time, his trajectory was aimed toward a distant star.

A massive, burning star.

Lilith stood where she was, watching silently.

She watched as Orosius plunged into the star like a falling meteor, watched a massive flower of flame erupt across its surface, and watched as the fire swallowed him whole.

...

On the other side.

Veen watched this unfold with a grim expression.

Had Lilith won?

Orosius had been kicked into the star.

But Veen couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

It had been too smooth. Could Orosius really have lost just like that?

“Has Her Majesty won?” Veen whispered to himself. “Or rather...”

He looked at the sword in his hand.

He had been prepared to use this sword to slay Orosius if Lilith failed.

But now, it seemed it wouldn't be necessary.

“The situation looks optimistic,” Veen said softly, but his brow remained furrowed. “Her Majesty has won.”

He sheathed his sword, preparing to leave.