Pitch-black Greatsword

Veen sheathed his sword, but just as he was about to turn and leave...

The image in the water mirror suddenly changed.

On the surface of the star, that massive flower of flame suddenly began to shrink.

Veen’s pupils constricted. He spun around and stared at the water mirror.

...

In the center of the battlefield, Lilith stood in the void, her red pupils fixed intently on the burning star.

The flower of flame had dissipated, and the star's surface had returned to a semblance of calm, save for the occasional solar prominence dancing in the vacuum like the tentacles of a giant beast.

Orosius had been kicked into the heart of the star.

Or so Lilith believed; given the temperatures within a star, no matter how strong Orosius’s body was, he shouldn't have been able to survive.

She watched the star for a full ten seconds.

“He’s dead, then,” Lilith thought, turning to leave.

But the moment she turned...

“Hahahaha...”

A low laugh drifted from the direction of the star.

Lilith’s body stiffened, and she whipped her head back around.

The surface of the star began to swirl, forming a massive vortex before the star itself suddenly went dark.

A beam of sword qi shot out from the extinguished star, followed by a violent explosion. Lilith raised her hand to block the shockwave, then watched in shock as Orosius’s figure slowly rose from the blast.

He hovered in mid-air, his injuries completely healed.

But in his hand, he now held a sword.

It was a pitch-black sword, and the aura emanating from its blade made Lilith feel a sense of unease.

Orosius looked up at Lilith, the crimson light in his dark gold vertical pupils almost overflowing.

“The warm-up is about over.”

He paused, his lips curling into a cruel arc.

“If this is all you’re capable of, then you’d best start thinking about picking out a suitable graveyard for yourself.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he appeared before Lilith, brandishing the greatsword.

This strike was too fast.

Looking at the blade before her, Lilith’s instinct told her not to try and block it.

Her Mana Shield was still active; as long as it held, no attack could harm her.

But...

That sword felt dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

As the thought flashed through her mind, Lilith instinctively retreated.

But it was too late.

The blade fell, slashing against the Mana Shield.

The Mana Shield—an absolute defense said to be impossible to breach from the outside as long as the user’s mana held—was sliced through as easily as paper by the pitch-black greatsword.

The blade continued its descent, aiming for Lilith’s arm.

Lilith’s pupils shrank. Without time to think, she threw up her right arm to shield herself.

The blade bit into her arm.

Lilith felt a surge of agonizing pain instantly.

Looking down, she saw a wound so deep it reached the bone, blood gushing from the gash in her right arm.

Hissing in pain, Lilith scrambled back, pressing her left hand against the wound as she cast a low-level healing spell.

Gentle mana surged, coating the injury.

The wound healed at a visible rate, but it was far slower than usual, as if something were interfering with the magic’s efficacy.

“It bypassed my Mana Shield?” Lilith thought in shock. “This is bad.”

She glanced at the partially closed wound, feeling a slight sense of relief.

While the healing was slower, it still worked. Moreover, her physical resilience was immense; although the strike had cut her arm, it hadn't damaged the bone, leaving only a flesh wound.

This was her innate self-healing ability. While it couldn't compare to Orosius’s freakish regeneration, her high physical stats made up for it.

Orosius hovered in the distance, his dark gold vertical pupils fixed on Lilith, a trace of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

He had expected that single strike to sever her arm completely.

He hadn't anticipated her physical toughness being so high.

“It seems,” Orosius began, his voice low, “that the power and authority of the former Demon King have indeed granted you a powerful body and a terrifying amount of mana.”

He paused, a cold sneer forming on his face.

“However, you haven't even mastered any high-output spells. All that mana is truly a waste on you.”

With that, he let go of his sword.

The pitch-black greatsword hovered before him, its blade vibrating slightly with a low hum.

Orosius pressed his palms together in front of his chest, and a mass of black mana began to coalesce between them.

Dark red patterns spiraled across the surface of the magical sphere, and within it, countless figures struggled and shrieked.

These were the resentful spirits of those Orosius had slain.

Now, these spirits were being released from the sword and drawn into the magic ball in Orosius’s hands. They let out agonized howls, but were quickly swallowed by the sphere, becoming part of its mass.

The sphere grew darker and more condensed, its aura becoming increasingly terrifying.

Lilith could feel that the energy contained within that sphere far exceeded the power of her own sneak attacks.

“Make sure you catch this.” Orosius grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth.

The magic sphere began to expand rapidly.

It grew at an astonishing speed.

Everywhere it passed, space shattered inch by inch.

The shrieks of the resentful spirits echoed through the air, enough to make one's skin crawl.

Lilith’s pupils constricted.

The range was too large; there was no way to dodge.

She had no choice but to tank it.

A terrifying force exploded all around her.

In that instant, Lilith’s body began to disintegrate.

Blood erupted from her form, drenching her until she was covered in crimson.

Yet, as Lilith’s mana surged, her wounds began to close and her crumbling body started to reform.

Lilith gritted her teeth, pushing her healing spell to its maximum output. Though it was a low-level spell, it was sufficient for now.

The seconds ticked by.

The black magic sphere slowly dissipated, and the shrieks of the spirits gradually faded.

As the last trace of black energy vanished, Lilith’s figure reappeared in the void.

She was covered in blood, her white hair stained red and her uniform in tatters, revealing skin riddled with injuries.

She knelt on one knee in the void, her right hand supporting her on the invisible ground while her left hand pressed against her chest, gasping for breath.

“Heh...” Orosius sneered at her wretched state. “Still able to stand? Not bad at all.”

He raised his hand, and the pitch-black greatsword flew back into his grasp.

“But how much longer can you hold out?”

He raised the sword, pointing the tip at Lilith.

“With the next strike, I will take your head.”

Lilith looked up at Orosius.

“Then come and see if you’re actually capable of it.”

She stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.