Novel Full Chapter 384: Sofia Vs Celestia
Chapter 384: Sofia Vs Celestia
With thousands of water spears screamed through the air, sharp and condensed to lethal density, each one carrying enough force to impale stone, let alone flesh. They converged toward a single point toward Selena, who remained on her knees amid fractured pavement and drifting dust. She did not look up. She did not sense them. Or perhaps she did, and simply did not care. Her shoulders trembled faintly, head bowed, tears slipping unchecked down her cheeks as her world imploded inward. Razeal married. The words echoed inside her skull like a curse she could not undo. It drowned out everything else danger, instinct, survival. The holy aura that once roared around her now flickered weakly, unstable and unfocused, responding more to emotional collapse than defensive will. The shock had consumed her completely. In her mind, she wasn’t in the capital anymore. She was standing alone before the ruins of her own future, watching it burn in silence.
In that same sliver of time, Sofia descended.
She appeared before Selena in a blur of motion, fist already chambered and driving forward with terrifying velocity. There was no hesitation in the strike only the cold precision of someone who had committed to killing. The force behind her punch compressed the air itself, the wind spiraling around her knuckles as she aimed directly for Selena’s face. Her eyes were sharp, predatory, no longer confused only certain. At the exact same instant, the water spears reached their final approach. They were mere centimeters from impact, the tips shimmering as they cut through the last veil of space between intention and execution.
But suddenly.. everything stopped.
Celestia’s eyes narrowed just slightly.
She did not shout. She did not move dramatically. She simply turned her wrist.
And with a subtle motion of her palm slicing through the air, a thin, nearly invisible platinum arc expanded outward from her hand. It looked delicate almost fragile. But the moment it spread, reality shifted around it.
Sofia’s fist never landed.
A force, precise and overwhelming, struck her mid-lunge and hurled her backward as if she had been swatted aside by a divine hand. Her body tore through the air, thrown several meters away before she could even comprehend what had happened.
At the same time, the expanding platinum wave touched the incoming spears.
There was no explosion. No dramatic shattering.
The spears simply dissolved.
Thousands of condensed water constructs evaporated in a single breath, turning instantly into white mist that dispersed harmlessly into the wind. One moment they were death. The next they were vapor.
And rhe street fell silent.
Celestia stepped forward, placing herself between Selena and the threat without even looking back. Her posture was upright, controlled, but her eyes were cold.
“Hmph,” she exhaled softly.
“Daring to attack her… and that too in front of me? You are taking yourself too seriously.”
Her voice carried quiet authority.. not anger screamed, but judgment delivered.
Behind her, Selena still remained kneeling, unmoving, still lost in her own collapse.
Celestia glanced over her shoulder briefly. She saw it immediately the emptiness in Selena’s gaze, the way her aura no longer responded to external stimuli. She already knew shouting at her would do nothing. Pulling her up would do nothing. The shock had burrowed too deep.
Pathetic, she thought, teeth grinding faintly. Pull yourself together.
But beneath that irritation was something else she refused to name.
Razeal married?
The idea did not sit right inside her chest either..
He had been her fiancé. She had made the decision. She had chosen strength over emotion. She had told herself it was necessary.
Yet the image of him placing a ring on another woman’s finger twisted something inside her that she did not want to examine.
It offended her also..
It bruised her pride.
It struck at her heart and her authority all at once.
“Tch.” The sound escaped her mouth without restraint.
Annoyance.
Jealousy.
And something sharper.
When she looked up, she saw Sofia stabilizing mid-air, deep blue hair streaming behind her as she corrected her balance. The surprise in Sofia’s eyes was real. She had not expected that. Not the effortless deflection. Not the total neutralization of her attack. Her guard went up instinctively now, shoulders angled, muscles coiled.
Celestia did not care about her confusion.
She was done observing.
A faint, bloodthirsty smile curved onto Celestia’s lips.
Fine, then.
If you insist on forcing this.
Her body vanished from the ground.
She launched upward like a bolt of platinum lightning, leaving behind a blurred afterimage where she had stood. The stone beneath her feet cracked from the force of her takeoff. She did not ascend gently she pierced the air with intent.
Her fist clenched mid-flight, aura condensing around it, not in chaotic display but in compressed, devastating focus. Her eyes locked onto Sofia’s chest the center of mass, the most efficient impact point.
You want to test yourself in front of me?
Let’s see how long that confidence lasts.
In less than a second, she was upon her.
Sofia saw the attack coming.. Very calmly too as she opened her palm to catch this first
Boom.
The sound was sharp and contained, like thunder wrapped in steel.
Her palm and celestias fistmet mid-air.
The shockwave rippled outward in a tight sphere, distorting the air around them. Nearby rooftops rattled. Windows cracked. A burst of wind blasted downward, kicking up dust and debris from the ruined street below.
“Hah… maybe you’re the one taking yourself too seriously.” Sofia’s grin appeared slow and deliberate, cutting across her face like the edge of a blade. Their fists were still locked mid-air, Celestia’s knuckles pressed into Sofia’s palm, Sofia’s fingers wrapped tight around the princess’s hand.
The collision had birthed a compressed shockwave that spiraled outward in a circular gust, snapping fabric and whipping long strands of hair violently behind both of them.
As the wind howled for a brief second before settling into a tense stillness. Despite the crushing force behind Celestia’s strike, Sofia did not budge an inch. Her boots carved invisible pressure lines in the air as she held her position. Muscles in her forearm tightened, veins standing faintly visible beneath smooth skin as she increased her grip.
The air between them trembled with raw physical power alone no visible mana from Sofia, no aura armor shielding her flesh just strength. She squeezed harder, testing, expecting to feel bones grind or joints strain beneath her crushing hold. But to her surprise, Celestia’s hand did not even quiver. No fracture. No tremor. No weakening. It was like gripping forged divine metal. Sofia’s eyes narrowed slightly. Interesting.
Celestia, for her part, felt the resistance instantly. She had thrown that punch with pure physical force not even layering it with mana or any reinforcement yet.. But still it was still her strength.. Her’s.. Celestia Gewn Valentine. The heir to the empire’s throne. Someone catching it so casually was not normal. Not even a dragon born could have stopped that bare-handed without shifting his stance.
Her eyes flickered with mild astonishment before smoothing back into aristocratic composure. “Hmm. Impressive,” she murmured, her voice cool despite the invisible tug-of-war raging between them.
She could feel Sofia’s grip tightening, testing the density of her bones, measuring her. Fine. Let her measure. Celestia’s lips curved ever so faintly not quite a smile, not quite a sneer. “So you are his wife.” The word felt wrong on her tongue, heavy and acidic. “Not bad.” Her gaze sharpened. “But did he ever tell you how much he loved me?” The statement was delivered smoothly, deliberately. A calculated strike. “You see… he was my ex-fiancé. I’m sure he must have told you about me.”
The tone lifted slightly, subtle superiority threading through her words. The implication was clear. Before you, there was me. Before your ring, there was my promise. The jealousy beneath it was thinly veiled she despised that it even existed, yet she couldn’t entirely suppress it. Razeal marrying someone else had offended something primal in her. Pridem Ego? Or maybe something deeper she refused to name.
Sofia’s eyes darkened dangerously at the word loved. Her grin did not fade, but it sharpened.
“Oh? Not really.” Her voice dropped, blunt and cutting. “When I asked, he had just said you were irrelevant.” The word was thrown back without hesitation. Irrelevant. She watched for the reaction. There it was a flicker in Celestia’s eyes, so brief most would miss it. Sofia felt a pulse of satisfaction. If you’re trying to claim superiority, princess, I can play that game too.
“Irrelevant?” Celestia’s brow twitched faintly. “I’m not so sure about that.” Her voice cooled further. “Lie to yourself as much as you like. Ask him again if he loves me still. I’m sure his answer will surprise you.” Her jaw tightened slightly. “It was bad fate between us… If not maybe…” She didn’t finsihed.. But there was something dangerously possessive in the way she said it. As if fate itself owed her correction. Abruptly, she withdrew her hand from Sofia’s grip with a sharp twist and pivoted in mid-air, launching a swift, high kick aimed at Sofia’s ribs.
Sofia reacted instantly, raising her forearm to block. The impact rang out with a heavy crack, sending another shockwave rippling across the sky. The wind pressure pushed clouds apart above them and rattled loose debris below. Celestia’s voice had risen despite her attempt at control; irritation bled through, subtle but undeniable.
Sofia smirked through the block. “Ohhh? And why are you attacking me again? Shouldn’t it be me attacking you?” Her tone dropped into something colder. “As after what you did to my husband?” The possessive emphasis was deliberate. “And what’s with this anger and the words you just said? What do you mean bad fate? And if not maybe?” She leaned closer mid-air, eyes narrowing. “It’s giving me some very wrong ideas.” The words were probing now, dissecting Celestia’s reactions. “I came here for revenge. I thought you both had ulterior motives… that you hated him as that why you did that.. But looking at you now…” her gaze flicked over Celestia’s expression, reading it like a map “the way you’re looking at me… with killing intent.” Her lips curled faintly. “I wonder why…”
She countered Celestia’s kick by driving a straight punch toward her face. It was fast faster than before air tearing around her knuckles. Celestia caught it one-handed, palm snapping shut around Sofia’s fist. The force compressed between them again, a miniature explosion of pressure bursting outward. Neither woman’s expression shifted this time. They were both fully engaged now.
“What are you talking about?” Celestia’s tone turned razor-cold. “Stop spouting nonsense.” Her eyes flashed dangerously. “Attacking you? Obviously I’m attacking you.” Her voice dropped lower. “You attacked Selena first. And you outright threatened to kill me.” Her platinum aura flickered briefly along her arm. “If I didn’t retaliate, I would be the fool.” The explanation was logical, precise but beneath it was something more volatile. Jealousy. Pride. Territorial fury. She would never admit it.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
They collided again and again mid-air, fists meeting elbows, kicks intercepted by palms, knees deflected by forearms. Every clash detonated a compressed thunderclap that shook the surrounding district. Shockwaves tore through the air, cracking already damaged walls and sending shards of stone raining downward. Roof tiles lifted and shattered. Windows burst. The ground below fractured further with each airborne impact. Civilians scrambled backward in panic, some knocked off their feet by stray pressure blasts. Dust clouds spiraled upward around the battlefield like a storm summoned by two clashing deities.
Sofia’s movements were raw and ferocious direct, brutal, physical dominance. Celestia’s were precise and calculated Imperial disciplined training layered over lethal power. Their styles contrasted sharply, yet neither gave ground. Every exchange carried enough force to demolish structures. Debris flew like shrapnel. The sky itself seemed to recoil from their blows.
And below them, amid the spreading cracks in the capital’s stone, the battle escalated no longer just about revenge, or pride, or protection but about something far more dangerous: possession.
They were moving too fast for the eye to follow. One moment Celestia was above, platinum haired women slicing the sky; the next Sofia had already met her mid-strike, water-laced force colliding against imperial precision. Their bodies blurred through the air, clashing again and again, each exchange sharper than the last. With every passing second, the violence escalated. What had begun as measured testing turned into relentless acceleration.
Blow met blow, fist to fist, shin to forearm, elbow to palm each collision birthing a concussive shockwave that rolled outward like thunder trapped in a cage. In the span of a single heartbeat they had struck each other dozens of times. In the next, it was hundreds. Neither yielded. Neither staggered. Each took the other’s power head-on and returned it without retreat. It was no longer a probing match; it was a contest of will wrapped in raw strength.
Their surprise deepened with each exchange. Sofia had not expected this level of resistance from someone so young. Celestia had not anticipated someone capable of matching her physically without visible mana or aura reinforcement. Her expressions sharpened not with fear, but with dawning recognition. This opponent is not ordinary.
Below them, the capital trembled. Dust spiraled up in violent bursts with every mid-air detonation. Roof tiles cracked and shattered, wooden beams groaned under pressure, and the ground fractured in spreading veins. Civilians scrambled to brace themselves, some thrown backward by the pressure waves that rippled downward like invisible tides. Guards struggled to maintain protective barriers, shouting orders that were drowned by the repeated booms exploding overhead.
But above, neither woman was listening.
Sofia’s eyes narrowed as she watched Celestia’s face between blows. The princess’ control was immaculate but there were cracks now, hairline fractures in that polished composure. Sofia could see it.
“Nah… this isn’t just because I attacked her or threatened you,” Sofia snapped mid-strike, her fist slamming against Celestia’s forearm with enough force to distort the air around it. “I’m not that naive you see.” She twisted her body and launched a knee upward, which Celestia deflected with a sharp pivot. “Look at that woman’s reaction!” Sofia shouted, voice rising with intensity. “And now look at yours!”
They collided again shoulder to shoulder, shockwave bursting outward like a compressed bomb.
“I’m sure of something now!” Sofia continued, eyes blazing. “She loves my husband!”
The word husband was deliberate.
“And I think you do too.. or at least something like that!”
Her next strike carried more force, anger feeding into strength. “I can see intent behind your attack.. You’re attacking me because I’m his wife!” she yelled, water vapor hissing around her fists as pressure built. “And you can’t take that fact! Is that what it is?!”
The accusation sliced clean.
For a fraction of a second, something flickered across Celestia’s face.
And then
Her expression went cold.
Utterly cold.
“Shut Up.”
The words tore out of her with controlled fury.
In the same instant, she drove her fist forward.
This was not a testing blow.
This was not restrained.
The power behind it dwarfed every previous strike combined. Platinum light condensed around her arm, compressing like a collapsing star before exploding outward with terrifying density. The air cracked audibly as her punch carved a straight path toward Sofia’s face.
Sofia’s eyes flickered opened.. not in fear, but in exhilaration.
“Seems like it’s fucking true!” she roared back, throwing her own punch with equal ferocity. Her muscles tightened, veins standing prominent along her arm as she poured more ounce of strength into the counter back.
The two fists met.
And the world split.
The explosion that followed was not just a shockwave it was a detonation. A massive concussive boom tore through the sky, sending a spiraling vortex of wind downward into the city. The ground below fractured violently. Entire sections of pavement shattered, buildings cracked along their foundations, and several bystanders were thrown off their feet despite being dozens of meters away. Windows burst inward. Wooden frames splintered. Dust clouds erupted like smoke from artillery impact.
The clash echoed across the capital.
For a moment, both women hung suspended in the air, locked in equal force, neither pushed back.
Then they separated just slightly.. creating distance between them.
Sofia hovered there, breathing harder now, confusion lacing her anger.
“This is confusing me even more!” she shouted, pointing at Celestia mid-air. “What the fuck is wrong with you two?!”
Her voice was raw not just rage, but genuine frustration.
“You both clearly care about him!” she demanded. “So why the fuck did you do that to him?!”
The words hit with more weight than any physical strike.
“I don’t fucking get it!” she continued, eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and disbelief. “Tell me the answer.. or I’ll beat it out of you myself!”
She backed off slightly, putting several meters between them. Not retreating repositioning. Guard up. Muscles coiled.
Celestia remained where she was, hovering effortlessly, platinum aura faint but steady.
She did not answer immediately.
Her face was composed cold, regal, unmoved.
But inside
Something churned.
She had been clashing with this woman relentlessly, and the truth was unavoidable.
This women was strong.
Very strong.
Talented.
Instinctive.
Genius-level potential.
And that realization irritated her more than anything else happening in this fight.
Why is this woman with him?
The thought burned.
She had left Razeal because he was weak. Because he would one day become her weakness. Because an empress could not afford a weak spouce. It had been the rational decision. The intelligent decision.
She had sacrificed him for the throne.
Yet now
The woman claiming to be his wife was someone capable of matching her in battle?
Capable of standing in the sky and trading blows without fear.
That contradiction gnawed at her pride.
If he found someone like this
Then what did that make her decision?
Her jaw tightened imperceptibly.
Why is she with him?
The thought repeated.
Celestia did not attack this time. She did not answer Sofia’s accusation either. Instead, she hovered there in the fractured sky, platinum aura humming faintly around her shoulders, and simply stared. The rage that had flared moments ago cooled into something far more unsettling genuine confusion. Her brows drew together slightly as she examined Sofia as if reassessing her entirely.
For several long seconds she said nothing, her gaze steady, almost analytical. Then, unable to contain it any longer, she spoke not with arrogance this time, but with something closer to disbelief. “I have a question.” The words came measured. “Why did you marry him?”
There was no mockery in her tone now only confusion layered with disbelief. “Someone such as yourself… marrying him? Isn’t that…?” She trailed off, studying Sofia’s posture, her strength, the way she carried herself with absolute confidence.
“I genuinely don’t understand.” Her expression was not hostile.. it was baffled. “The last time I saw him, he was strong… yes. But not that… I mean definitely not enough to stand beside someone like you.” Her voice lowered slightly, conflicted. “In any case.. your beauty, your talent, your strength… I cannot reconcile that with you accepting him as your husband. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
There it was. Raw honesty. Celestia was not taunting she was trying to understand something that disrupted her worldview. She was Obiously still confident in the choice she had made back then she chose the empire. A logical and best choice.
So seeing someone with her capabilities choosing him as a life partner… She couldn’t see it aligns.. She tilted her head in genuine confusion. What do she see in him? How could she be that stupid? Is this even possible to be this stupid while being this talented?.. She couldn’t beleive it
Sofia, who had been ready to launch another strike, froze mid-motion. “What do you mean?” she demanded, genuinely thrown off.
“Isn’t that what?” She stopped, her irritation momentarily overtaken by bewilderment.
Celestia pressed on, her tone firm but not aggressive. “You are clearly a person of extraordinary potential. A future that stretches far. Marrying him is that wise?” Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“I mean he is weak.” The word was spoken plainly, without cruelty simply as fact in her mind. “Wouldn’t he hold you back? Don’t you feel embarrassed? Aren’t you worried he would become your weakness? How does he deserve to stand beside you?” She searched Sofia’s face for contradiction. “Or was there another reason? A political one? A strategy?” Her confusion deepened. “Why would you marry a man with no mana, no aura, no physical foundation? Someone incapable of even awakening his family bloodline ability?” Her lips tightened faintly. “Just… why?”
For the first time since this fight began, Sofia looked truly stunned. “What are you talking about?” she demanded, her brows knitting sharply. “Weak? Razeal? I have never seen anyone as talented as him.” Her voice carried firm conviction. “He might not be stronger than me yet.. but he will surpass me one day. I am certain of it.” There was no hesitation in her tone. “And he can already fight me evenly. For a long time.. Also if this..” she gestured toward Celestia”is your full strength, he could defeat you easily.” The statement wasn’t boastful it was matter-of-fact.
“He defeated my brother. My brother was at the peak of Saint King.” Sofia’s eyes sharpened as she relived it. “He brought him down like it was nothing. At this age who else can do that?” Her voice held fierce pride now. “Are you sure we are even talking about the same person?” Obiously sofia doesn’t know about Razeal past nor failures he had.. So didn’t get what celestia was talking about
Celestia blinked.
“What?” The word burst out of her involuntarily. “Razeal defeated a Saint King?” Her composure cracked for a split second as surprise surged through her. But what followed wasn’t anger.
It was calculation.
Her eyes brightened.
Razeal… defeated a Saint King? At his age?? 16 year’s olddd??
Her mind raced rapidly, assembling possibilities. He disappeared for months. He returns stronger. Strong enough to attract someone like this. Strong enough to stand beside her. It fit. It aligned. The missing variable had been strength. If he had grown if he had transformed into someone formidable then this marriage suddenly made sense. A woman like Sofia would not marry weakness. So if she chose him… it meant he was no longer weak.
Suddenly.. Her lips curved slowly upward.
So that’s it.
He is no longer an embarrassment.
He has become… worthy.
Her eyes gleamed faintly with a new light interest rekindled, pride recalibrated. The narrative in her mind shifted instantly. She had not abandoned potential she had abandoned immaturity. And if he had grown beyond that… then..
Wait.
Sofia’s expression changed abruptly.
Her earlier confusion sharpened into realization.
She studied Celestia’s face closely now the subtle lift at the corner of her lips, the glint in her eyes, the shift in posture.
“Wait…” Sofia said slowly.
Understanding dawned like a blade sliding into place.
“Dont tell me you did that because he was…?”
The words trailed..
But her eyes suddenly widened as if some realisation.. hit her
The accusation did not bounce off Celestia the way Sofia expected it to. It did not trigger an immediate denial, nor did it provoke arrogance. Instead, it froze her mid-thought. The bright glint in her eyes dimmed slightly, and for the first time since the battle began, something softer.. almost fragile crossed her expression.
The sky was still fractured around them, dust drifting upward from broken rooftops, wind tugging at their hair and clothes, but Celestia stood there suspended in air as if suddenly pulled back into another time entirely. Memories surfaced uninvited. The day she made that decision. The cold logic she had clung to. The way she convinced herself it was necessary. The way she told herself that ruling an empire demanded sacrifice. And yes she had measured him then. Measured his strength. Found it lacking. Her jaw tightened faintly, and something close to regret flickered across her face. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t tearful. But it was there.
Sofia watched it happen.
Watched that pause.
Watched that memory pass through her.
Celestia slowly returned her gaze to Sofia’s, and in that look there was no longer mockery or challenge. There was recognition. She had been understood. Seen. Stripped of the polished reasoning she had constructed around her choice.
She could deny it.
She could twist it.
And she didn’t.
And for reasons she herself could not fully explain, she gave the smallest nod.
It wasn’t dramatic.
It wasn’t defensive.
Just a quiet acknowledgment.
Yes.
Sofia’s eyes widened sharply.
The confirmation hit harder than any punch exchanged moments ago. She had suspected it. She had deduced it. But hearing it was one thing.. seeing it admitted was another entirely.
Anger surged through her like a tidal wave.
“You..” Her breath caught in her throat for a second, disbelief mixing with fury. “You actually…”
The realization formed in her mind in brutal clarity. Celestia had discarded Razeal because he was weak. Because he didn’t meet her standards. Because he was inconvenient.
Sofia’s chest rose and fell faster now, her fists tightening at her sides. The air around her seemed to tense in response to her emotions. The earlier confusion evaporated, replaced by something far darker.
She fucking ruined him just because of that fucking shit?? Accused him just because she didn’t wanted to??.. This is fucking crazy?.. Obiously sofia knows about politics somewhat.. She could already guessed why she must’ve..
Already guessing it..
The thought rang loudly inside her head.
“Unbelievable…” she whispered under her breath.
She wasn’t naive. She understood politics. She understood cold choices. But there was something about hearing it so plainly that revolted her.
This level of toxicity?
Even as a woman who valued strength above most things, this..
This was beyond cruelty.
What kind of animal does that?
Celestia noticed the shift in Sofia’s expression. The fury wasn’t just possessive jealousy anymore. It was moral outrage.
Celestia inhaled slowly.
“I didn’t want what happened to Razeal to happen,” she said, voice quieter now. Not apologetic but measured. “It was a miscalculation.”
She forced herself to maintain composure, though something in her chest felt tight.
“It was mostly his family’s fault.”
That part she believed completely. The way things spiraled after she withdrew her support. The way rumors ignited. The way politics sharpened into cruelty.
“I still care for him,” she added, her tone firm.
There was truth in that too. She do care now and even back then.. Back then she had just simply prioritized differently.
She gradually retracted her aura. The platinum glow dimmed and folded inward until it barely traced her silhouette. The aggressive posture she had maintained moments ago softened slightly. Her shoulders relaxed just enough to signal a shift in intention.
The fight, in her mind, was no longer necessary.
She had moved past that.
Something else had begun forming in her thoughts.
If Razeal had indeed grown to the level Sofia described, and if she had chosen him willingly then perhaps what Celestia had once dismissed had evolved into something formidable.
Her eyes gained a different kind of light now not jealousy, not hostility.
She no longer wanted Sofia as an enemy.
The thoughts formed quietly in the back of her mind.. As for what exactly was going on in her head? No one except her knows that’s.. But here was different kind of glint in her eyes
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