LIGHTNOVELONLINE Case 87: Sword Empress.
One by one, the pitch-black scales of Cosmos broke down as Kierra's flame went out.
After all of it, what remained was a truly lifeless, nothingness of a plain. Digging her feet through the airy ashes of the place, Kierra grudgingly walked back to the base.
Following a refreshing exercise, whether in or out of bed, Kierra always loved to seek the stars. So, whilst leisurely moving her body, she turned to the starry sky above.
'Those guys will be impressed by this.'
This was only the second time the archwizard had cast a ten-star spell in the Central Divine Realm. Magic of such caliber was exceptionally rare, but it wasn't the best Kierra could do.
It was widely considered that the moment she first cast an eleven-star spell, which threatened to sink the whole continent into the ocean, she had cemented her place as the most powerful wizard in the world.
A twelve-star spell? It was theoretically possible for her, but... the cost might be significant, even for Kierra. With only ten mana circles, eleven-star was already pushing it.
'Should I aim to create another circle?'
It was well-established in general magic theory that beyond the tenth circle, constructing anything of the kind would be virtually impossible to achieve. Even Kierra had to risk her life for her tenth one.
If so... how about qi?
With the help of qi, Kierra thought she might be able to substitute a part of the energy needed for conjuring a twelve-star spell. If she could realize the perfect formula to harvest the energy when qi and mana collide...
Unknowingly, a smile bloomed on her face.
When the archwizard eventually returned to the base, she was greeted by a whole harem of women surrounding her, praising and hugging her to oblivion.
Kierra: This is what a harem is all about!
┓(´∀`)┏
With one front taken care of, Kierra's group gradually moved to other places where their allies' forces were struggling. Most of the time, it was a breeze with their prowess, and even after wiping out field after field of fiends, their morale and stamina were still decent.
However, there was one front where things seemed particularly bad. Since it wasn't somewhere near a vital point and since the forces were spread too thinly, it was neglected for a while. Thanks to that, an entirely new species of these aliens had evolved.
''Those look quite... bad.''
Someone muttered. As Kierra and her crew looked forward, they could see a multitude—entire groups of giants roaming around aimlessly, destroying the already battered terrain with their sheer statue. Not only that, but upon first-glance measurement, the dark power embedded deep within their bodies was dozens of times more than that of ordinary fiends.
Not even Kierra knew what this energy was, but she knew it was something an orthodox creature should not possess. Something this malevolent was unseen back in Kierra's universe.
'Is it related to why we didn't have a god?'
Kierra pondered.
As an expert on energies herself, she could decipher that perhaps... this type of energy had something to do with divine energy. It was just a guess, and she decided to leave it at that.
''In any case, let me burn them down for once.''
As Kierra prepared to take off, someone grabbed her hand. August gently took off the archwizard's hat and stroked her head, combing through the long hair that had caught a bit of dust. The whole time, it felt to August like she was touching a cat!
''You've worked hard today. Rest. I'll clean it up for you.'' The Sword Empress said reassuringly.
''...Okay.''
Kierra wasn't some stubborn prick whose obsession was heroism, nor was she trying to claim the most credit. When faced with this rather considerate side of her lover, she knew to step back... and actually rely on her partner.
In the past, she was overly relying on August, and August was overly obsessed with her, but now, she believed—no, through a year of being together again, she knew it was different.
It was more comfortable this way.
Posing a killer smile that melted not only Kierra's heart but those of some others, August drew her sword and dashed into the battlefield. With her slender blade glowing a faint yet mesmerizing golden, she gracefully landed in front of a group.
At the border, Yu Chen and Kang Shuren intently followed the Sword Empress's silhouette, and even Wen Zhuwei, a lofty Immortal Empress, was forced to pay attention.
Being the two who had been taught by August, Yu Chen and Kang Shuren had received a glimpse into the Sword Empress's unfathomable skillset and expertise she brought. However... no one in the Central Divine Realm had seen her fight properly yet.
'''' !!! ''''
So, the moment they felt a deep, instinctual incongruity within their psyche, their eyes widened. A sensation as though the very reality was being ripped apart, allowing something terrible, terrible to descend. Next thing they knew, their view of the monsters was... cracking.
Like a piece of glass crumbling, the fabric of reality, piece by piece, fell off into nothingness, opening up a long streak that slashed through all of the fiends' bodies.
CRACK—!!
Sucked in—no, they collapsed into the depth of the abyss.
Some unknowingly stepped back in fear of being dragged into the rift, one that opened up with a casual swing of a lone swordswoman. Only... Kierra stood still.
'You've, once again, improved.'
Smiling to herself, the archwizard secretly admired her lover's strength. If Kierra had something she could pay tribute to, something that helped to tone her actual ego down... it would be the existence of August.
August was so exceptionally talented that even Kierra had to worry about being surpassed.
'No, why am I defaulting that?'
August was always improving. There was no guarantee the archwizard could win if they clashed. If so... she just needed to train further. August had ultimately denied the path of cultivation, fearing it would affect her singular style of cosmic sword arts, but Kierra could expand her repertoire anytime.
For now, she could only watch on as her lover roamed the battlefield, clad in that brilliant aura that was akin to a single ray of light in darkness. With every elegant slash, hundreds of fiends were wiped away easily, and the more they jumped in, the more they got obliterated.
In a moment of reminiscing, Kierra saw the image of the young empress marching to the frontline, cleaving her enemies away as she led her army. That majestic hue... was what made her so enviable yet so desirable. To be able to monopolize such a person's love was the biggest honor one could receive.
Kierra's eyes always followed August, both in the past and in the present.
''...!''
And, the moment she realized something truly dangerous was approaching her, Kierra dashed forward. Unfolding her wings of mana, the archwizard transcended time and space, bursting toward her love in the blink of an eye.