Chapter 1172: Coolest Sister

*RUMBLE!!!

Deep in the Abyss, flickers of lights rippled across the sky as distortions ripped the skies apart.

A woman could be seen skating through the fabrics of space as a single blade was held by her waist.

She kept her right eye closed while her left scanned the battlefield.

Three ’beasts’.

One that seemed to flicker through time, another seemingly an amalgamation of flesh who could recover from any form of damage. And the last, a manipulator of space like herself.

Exhaling softly, her heels slid along an invisible line.

*Shhhhhik

Slowly pulling her sword free, her fingers twitched slightly.

Barely perceptible and yet...

*BANG!!!

A line split the realm in half as it stretched from one side to another.

The flesh like beast felt her body split in half as blood burst from her gut. Intestines poured out only to be sucked back into her body as if time was rewound on her body.

"Tch..." Clicking her tongue, the woman dove down as she began to calculate the fight in her mind.

That slash should’ve been able to bypass a majority of the regeneration yet the first ’beast’ rewound the damage done.

The three of them when put into one team, formed the perfect counter to her.

"The Zenia family were certainly prepared. To think they could create beasts like you three solely for the sake of killing me. Can you afford such luxuries?" She stabbed her blade into the ground, creating a wall of slashes that prevented the enemy from approaching her.

Before her, three ’beasts’ landed one by one.

The first beast, one whom manipulated time, was a black haired woman with a dripping halo of black ink. Long black hair reached the lower half of her back where two small black wings hovered.

She wore a white dress where the skirt looked like it was crafted from white feathers.

A pair of silver earrings dangled from her ears while black ink dyed her arms up to the elbows.

A Lord level hybrid with the power of time.

Her hair flared outward, transforming into wings as eyes snapped onto the woman’s location.

Yet even now, new slashes were being added with each second.

There was no way for her to reverse the time so that the ’barrier’ disappeared.

The second was the beast that could shrug off most damage.

Short red hair with the side bangs reaching to her chest. Elongated ears and dragon like horns that sat just above.

A pair of crimson eyes barely hidden by the shadow cast by her hair while chains jingled from the collar around her neck.

A black dress with the edges burned while draconic scales peered through the gaps of her dress.

She reached out to touch the barrier only to watch as her arm was shredded into tiny strands. Pulling back, she had the first beast heal her while the third watched from above.

The beast that could control space.

She had shiny golden hair and a pair of golden eyes. A black and white suit with golden highlights and a jacket hanging from her shoulders, almost looking like a cape.

The woman didn’t know when the third beast had managed to copy her powers of space but this wasn’t the case at the start of this battle.

However, right now, she couldn’t deny that her power had been usurped to some degree.

"Let’s see... One that controls time, one that controls flesh and one that copies." The woman raised three fingers before letting out a small chuckle.

"Even with three of you, you can barely catch up to Alice. In fact, I don’t even think you represent 10% of her capabilities. Though the Zenia family have invested such resources into recreating her power, is this truly the best they can do?"

She usually wouldn’t talk this much in battle.

She would let her blade do the talking.

But...

Even she had to admit that she was being forced into a corner.

"The family had great expectations for you Eryn. It’s why they had the three of us chase after you. Though I must ask, where is the young master? I don’t supposed you would be as stupid as to leave the young master on his own. Especially after being tainted by the Nightmare in Extalia." The third beast spoke as she slowly walked down a set of invisible steps.

Her heels clacking against the air with each step that she took.

Eryn, Albert Zenia’s bodyguard and the same woman who helped bail Alice out from her meeting with the Doctor back when they were in the north.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

She hadn’t expected the corruption Albert would suffer from the Nightmare. Though unknown, the Nightmare’s strength surged.

Their moment of desperation was a weakness that the Zenia family latched onto immediately.

Swarms and swarms of experimental creatures rushed after them until the Zenia finally chose to end this farce.

Three Lord level Hybrids created just for her.

’Is this where I die?’ Eryn thought to herself as it felt as though electricity was piercing her skin.

There was strange numbness to it. One that reduced her fear of death.

Did she fear death? Yes, very much so. She had to hold her brother as he drew his last breath. Death was something she hated. Especially when seeing it with her own eyes.

Not that the others knew. This was an internal dilemma that she made sure not to expose.

And now that she was facing it herself, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

Fear was not a worry.

She welcomed it in fact. It simply meant she could return to her brother’s side.

However...

###

"Big sis... don’t you dare come to my side quickly. I want to watch you thrive from above. Because seeing sis fight, seeing sis at your happiest is what makes me happy."

###

’Yeah... Sis will show you the best smile you will ever see. I will show you the desperation and the will power to fight against death.’

Her brother had incredible tenacity and will. For Eryn, even when he was facing death, her brother didn’t seem sad.

If anything, it was simply regretful that he couldn’t stay by her side.

That kind of willpower... she couldn’t copy. But she could only hope that she could match even a fragment of it.

*BANG!!!

Snapping her eyes open, energy erupted around her.

A single word.

"Rend."

*RUMBLE!!!

The first beast immediately slammed her hand down as time was frozen momentarily around them.

Three slashes were held in the air. Three flickering figures of Eryn that had been held to a standstill.

A speed so fast that not even stopping time could accurately determine her exact location.

Was it her mind failing to comprehend? Her eyes not understanding what she was seeing?

Either way, this ends here!

Two needles of ink appeared in her hand as she lunged forward.

Stab into the centre of the head, against the neck, the heart then dragged through every vital organ.

It was a lot that had to be done yet not a lot at the same time.

In this frozen world, she critically injured all three manifestations so that no matter where Eryn was, she would be exposed to danger.

Opening her hand, she started her count down.

"Five..."

Time slowly resumed.

"Four..." One finger went down.

"Three..."

Two fingers went down.

But... Despite time slowly resuming, why was there no blood?

The true body should’ve been hit at least once. So why was there nothing?

"Two..."

Where was she?! Where!?

Where was the main body!?!?

The beast’s eyes darted around in a panic.

She couldn’t stop the flow of time anymore.

There was a cooldown that must be applied. A give and take.

"One..." With four fingers down, her index finger slowly bent as her eyes finally saw the original body.

There she was, sword held to her waist still in its sheath. Her hand placed just above the handle, Eryn’s cold eyes locked onto her own.

Ah... she was waiting for this moment...

"This is a duel. A sacred rite. I have found my target and you have found me." Eryn curved the corner of her lips into a wide grin.

The conditions were fulfilled!

No one can interfere with their battle now!

"Zero...!!!" The beast tried to stop the curving of her fingers as much as she could. Her eyes betrayed her as her emotions were exposed in their entirety.

Fear.

She sensed it instinctively.

Death was coming.

"This sword is my very life! My roaring blade! Unsheathe and Rend!"

A five layer spatial barrier burst to life between Eryn and the beast. The second tried to get in-between with her body but it was no use.

This attack did not register on a physical level.

This was a scared moment between the two of them.

An attack that reached the borders of Oblivion despite having yet to pierce the veil.

But in this moment, it was more than enough!

Eryn flashed forward. A series of after images trailed behind her.

Energy crackled along her blade and with a single flash of light that drowned out the world...

She stood alone with her blade fully swung.

Behind her, a headless corpse stood, not even realising it had been cut.

’Once again, I am just shy of piercing the veil.’ Eryn smiled bitterly but quickly hid her regret.

Sheathing her blade, she turned her head slowly and glanced at the other two beasts.

Now that she took care of the most annoying one, this battle had become slightly easier.

Just slightly...

The third beast summoned her own blade and rested it by her hip.

A bead of sweat rolled down Eryn’s face as she watched a distorted mirror reflect her own moves against her.

Regardless, she refused to fall here. She had to keep showing her brother how cool his sister was after all.

Wrapping her fingers around the handle, both swordswoman lunged at the same time.