Chapter 218: Equal Footing? - I

"Still, what I am concerned about right now is the energy he has. That unknown substance and his Spirit Energy have completely merged without any resistance, unlike before. That energy is more terrifying than the ability he has gained." Zaakrax pointed toward Azarion’s figure, making everyone turn toward him just as Velmira and Azarion finally moved from their positions.

Before either of them could make a move, Velmira suddenly raised her left hand and held the locket - Semekrus between her fingers. She looked toward Azarion for a brief moment before speaking in a calm voice, "Semekrus—Forced Teleportation."

The moment those words left her mouth, something completely different from ordinary Space shifting occured. Azarion, Velmira, every ruler, and even the Ancient floating around the palace vanished without leaving behind the slightest trace.

Every ruler immediately felt a force acting upon them. It was not merely their bodies being moved, because the force reached into their minds and even their souls, preventing them from resisting the transfer before they could properly understand what was happening. Even Zaakrax and Sylvaris were unable to interfere with it, and within the next instant, the entire group had been forcefully transported away from the Human Continent’s palace.

At the balcony where Azarion had been standing six days ago, Liora remained frozen in place. Her fingers tightly clutched the fabric of her dress as she stared toward the empty space where her husband had disappeared, her face having already turned pale.

Cassandra, her personal maid, stood behind her and immediately noticed the painful expression spreading across Liora’s face, "T-That was Azarion, right?" Liora’s voice trembled as she struggled to speak. "His Spirit Energy signature... I can’t be wrong. It was him. But why did he look like a Monster?!"

Tears immediately began falling from her eyes, and her legs nearly gave out beneath her. Cassandra quickly caught her before she could fall, holding her firmly as Liora finally broke down. She did not cry loudly like a child, nor did she try to suppress the sound because she was embarrassed by her emotions.

It was simply the painful cry of someone who had just watched the person they loved become something they could no longer recognize.

Cassandra held her tightly and allowed Liora to rest her head against her while she continued crying. After a few moments, Cassandra looked toward the empty space where Azarion had disappeared, her expression becoming colder as a single thought crossed her mind, ’I hope the World teaches you a lesson this time. You made the only woman cry who cared about you even when every person in the entire Continent hated you.’

She said nothing aloud. Instead, Cassandra slowly lifted Liora into a princess carry and carried her back inside the palace.

...

..

Meanwhile, every ruler appeared in a completely different location, hundreds if not thousands of kilometers away from the Human Continent’s palace. They had been transported to the same region where the SSS-rank Monsters and the other individuals had previously been left behind, all of whom had been preparing to move toward the location of the beam before Veyron suddenly ordered them not to.

The moment the rulers appeared, Zaakrax and Sylvaris immediately narrowed their eyes. Neither of them had expected to be moved against their will, especially since they had reached a level where even the Laws of the World could be bent to some extent through their strength. Yet whatever had transported them had completely ignored their resistance.

What they did not know was that Semekrus, the same locket that normally merged with Marvilas, Velmira’s sword, and usually allowed her to communicate with it, was anything but just a weapon. It contained a connection to the Will of Eliomor itself.

The force that had teleported them had therefore not been Velmira’s own ability, nor had it been the power of an ordinary Relic or Artifact. Velmira had simply activated a function through Semekrus that allowed the Will of the World to intervene directly.

There were certain conditions required for that function to activate, but the situation had fulfilled all of them. The first condition was that the people of the Human Continent could not be allowed to suffer because of the battle, which aligned with Eliomor’s own interests. The second condition was that activating the function would consume only a small portion of Velmira’s Soul Force.

Velmira did not care about sacrificing that small amount of Soul Force. Protecting innocent people from the consequences of a battle between beings like herself and Azarion was worth far more than what she would lose by activating Semekrus. With the battlefield now relocated far away from the palace and the populated regions, everyone focused on the two figures hovering in the distance.

Velmira slowly reached toward the hilt of Marvilas. But instead of drawing it, she pushed the sword back into its sheath. With that She raised her eyes toward Azarion, "Let’s see what your new appearance can handle, Azarion. Or..." Her expression remained calm as she slightly raised her chin. "Should I call you a Monster?"

Azarion gave no response.

His black figure simply remained suspended in the air, his golden eyes fixed on Velmira without the slightest change in expression. The organic extensions behind his body moved slowly as though they were floating in an invisible current, and for a brief moment neither of them moved.

The next moment Velmira disappeared from her position...without warning, and the next instant she appeared directly in front of Azarion with her fist already moving toward his face.

BOOOOOOM!

Azarion raised his arm at the exact moment and parried the punch with his forearm. The force behind Velmira’s attack passed around his body and struck the mountains behind him, causing several peaks in the distance to explode into countless pieces of stone, she widened her eyes as immediately realization dawned on her, ’How is he able to even see my attack?...His transformation into a monster, it raised his strength this much?’

She was utterly baffled, just some hours ago, he as only an SSS-rank was getting beaten to a pulp, almost at the brink of death, that same person was now able to stand on equal footing with her a Special Ex-rank? Even if she was holding back a lot...it was simply impossible for an SSS-rank to do this and not to mention when coming out of that lab, she had her swinging sword at his neck yet somehow...the entire situation had changed.

With narrowed eyes in that seemingly slow motion, she thought, ’I need to take him seriously, He might cause chaos never seen in this world, it also seems he is not fully able to control his sudden strength, this could be enough of an opportunity.’

With that Velmira immediately followed with her other fist...