Chapter 290 - 288 : Severance vs sloth

Chapter 290: Chapter 288 : Severance vs sloth

High above the island, an enormous construct stretched across the sky, its countless layers of translucent barriers overlapping to form a vast enclosed battlefield. Adrian had created it specifically to contain their battle, because even a single unrestricted clash between him and Ariala possessed enough destructive force to devastate everything beneath them.

Inside the construct, Adrian stood several dozen meters away from Ariala. His clothes were torn in several places, exposing numerous cuts and shallow scars across his body. Blood ran slowly down his chest and arms, yet his breathing remained steady. He didn’t look tired. He didn’t even appear weakened. His amber eyes remained cold and focused as he stared at the Demonic being before him, while the black sword in his hand radiated such dense killing intent that the air around its edge seemed to tremble.

Across from him, Ariala stood with her own sword lowered slightly. She wasn’t unharmed either. Several cuts marked her body, one running across her shoulder and another along her side, while a thin trail of blood descended from her cheek. Yet her expression remained composed. She was a Demon Lord, and her strength was still immense. Adrian knew better than to mistake those wounds for weakness.

Still, something had changed in Ariala’s expression.

She had been trying to kill this human for some time now.

And somehow...

he was still standing.

"How exhilarating..."

Ariala slowly raised her sword, her voice carrying genuine excitement, though a trace of caution had begun to mix with it.

"Are you sure you’re human, mister?"

Adrian simply looked at her.

"Yes."

Ariala studied his amber eyes for several seconds before speaking again.

"You’re only the second human I’ve encountered who’s this strong."

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze becoming more curious.

"And strangely enough... I feel like we’ve met before."

"I don’t remember meeting you."

Adrian’s gaze sharpened.

"Who is the other human you’re talking about?"

The faint smile on Ariala’s face disappeared. A small frown replaced it.

"He’s a dear friend of mine."

Adrian said nothing.

After a moment, Ariala smiled faintly again.

"Perhaps you’ll meet him someday."

"If he’s anything like you, I’ll remember him."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

"Perhaps."

The instant the word left her lips, Ariala’s body exploded into black smoke.

BOOM!

Darkness spread across the battlefield like an ocean, swallowing the space around Adrian. The atmosphere changed immediately. A tremendous pressure descended upon the construct, and Adrian’s expression hardened as the influence of Ariala’s Authority spread through every inch of the battlefield.

The Authority of Sloth.

The air became heavy.

Adrian’s movements immediately slowed. Every action required more effort, as though invisible chains had been wrapped around his body. His muscles felt heavier, his movements lost their momentum, and even his thoughts seemed to be moving through thick resistance. But Sloth wasn’t merely an ability that made someone slower. It attacked the very process of action itself, making movement increasingly difficult to initiate, dulling reflexes, slowing thoughts, and gradually weakening the will to act.

And the longer someone remained within Ariala’s Authority, the stronger its influence became.

It was an Authority designed to transform resistance into exhaustion and exhaustion into stillness.

Ariala’s voice echoed through the black smoke surrounding him.

"Why continue struggling?"

The pressure intensified.

"Every second you remain here..."

Her voice became quieter.

"...the harder it becomes to move."

Adrian slowly raised his sword and took another step forward.

The ground beneath his foot cracked under the pressure.

"I’m still moving."

The darkness suddenly shifted.

A sword emerged from the smoke beside Adrian’s neck.

SHING!

Adrian reacted instantly, raising his black sword to intercept it. Their blades collided with tremendous force, producing a shockwave that ripped through the surrounding darkness and tore the clouds apart above the construct. Ariala twisted her blade against his and immediately followed with another strike, then another, forcing Adrian to continuously adjust his position as their swords collided again and again. Every exchange was faster than the last, the two combatants appearing and disappearing through the black smoke as their blades flashed through the air.

Ariala suddenly dissolved into smoke.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

He looked upward just as her figure emerged above him, her sword descending with enough force to split the entire battlefield apart.

Adrian didn’t retreat.

His amber eyes flashed.

’Causality Reversal.’

At the precise moment Ariala’s sword should have struck him, Adrian interfered with the relationship between the attack and its result. The slash suddenly split into two separate trajectories, one passing harmlessly beside Adrian while the other was redirected into the construct itself.

KRAAAASH!

A massive section of the barrier shattered.

Ariala landed several meters away, her eyes widening as she stared at Adrian.

She had seen that ability before.

But even now, she found it difficult to believe.

Adrian wasn’t simply blocking her attacks.

He was affecting causality itself.

He could interfere with the relationship between cause and effect and change what an action ultimately produced.

"That talent..."

Ariala’s gaze remained fixed on him.

Adrian raised his sword.

"What about it?"

"You’re affecting cause and effect."

"Yes."

Ariala stared at him for several seconds.

"You’re human."

"Obviously."

"That’s what I find unbelievable."

Her fingers tightened around her sword.

"I’ve encountered countless powerful beings. But a human possessing a talent capable of interfering with causality..."

Her eyes narrowed.

"...is something I’ve never seen before."

Adrian gave no response.

Ariala disappeared once more.

The battlefield was immediately flooded by black smoke, and hundreds of sword strikes began forming within the darkness. Blades emerged from every direction, striking toward Adrian’s body with enough force to tear apart the surrounding space. Adrian moved through the storm with precise efficiency, blocking some attacks, deflecting others, and reversing the results of several more with Causality Reversal. Yet the sheer number of attacks eventually forced even him to make a mistake.

One sword grazed his shoulder.

Another slammed into the barrier behind him.

BOOM!

The construct shattered.

Adrian immediately released his mana, golden light spreading across the broken structure as the damaged barrier rebuilt itself almost instantly.

But Ariala was already there.

She emerged directly in front of him.

Their swords collided.

CLANG!

The impact split the clouds above them as both combatants pushed against each other. Ariala twisted her wrist and attempted to force Adrian backward, but Adrian suddenly shifted his footing and drove his blade forward. Their weapons separated, only to collide again moments later as the battle resumed.

They exchanged dozens of strikes in the span of several breaths.

Ariala attacked.

Adrian countered.

She changed her angle.

He adapted.

She vanished into smoke.

He followed her movement.

The black smoke repeatedly swallowed them before their swords erupted from within it, each collision sending another destructive wave through the construct.

Then Adrian’s sword finally caught Ariala’s blade at the correct angle.

The impact forced her backward.

Her feet dragged across the barrier floor as she struggled to regain her balance.

Ariala’s expression tightened.

He was overpowering her.

Not effortlessly.

Not overwhelmingly.

But enough that she could no longer treat him as an opponent she could simply overwhelm through raw power.

Her eyes narrowed.

The Authority of Sloth intensified.

The pressure became monstrous.

Adrian’s movements slowed even further. His muscles felt heavier, his thoughts dragged behind his actions, and every movement required an increasing amount of willpower. Yet instead of retreating, Adrian’s bloodline activated.

Thermal Authority.

The temperature around his body suddenly plummeted.

The surrounding air froze before rapidly heating again, causing violent fluctuations in temperature throughout the battlefield. Turbulent currents tore through Ariala’s smoke, disrupting its stability and forcing her to repeatedly reform her body.

Unlike Arthur’s Thermokinesis, Adrian could not directly manipulate thermal energy itself. His ability was limited to controlling the temperature of his surroundings. Yet even that limited control was enough to interfere with Ariala’s smoke form and destabilize the battlefield around them.

Ariala forced herself through the turbulent air.

She appeared behind Adrian.

Her sword thrust toward his heart.

Adrian turned at the last possible instant.

Their blades crossed.

SHING!

The collision shattered another section of the construct.

Golden light immediately repaired the damage as Adrian pushed Ariala away.

She attacked again.

He blocked.

She changed direction.

He countered.

Their swords became little more than flashes of black steel as they moved across the battlefield, appearing and disappearing through smoke, exchanging attacks so rapidly that the surrounding air couldn’t withstand the pressure.

CLANG!

BOOM!

Another shockwave tore through the construct.

A stray slash escaped the battlefield and descended toward the island below.

BOOOOM!

An enormous crater appeared.

Another missed strike carved through a mountainside, sending a massive cloud of dust into the sky.

Neither fighter stopped.

Ariala suddenly vanished into smoke again.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

The darkness gathered around him from every direction.

Then dozens of Ariala’s sword strikes descended simultaneously.

Adrian blocked several.

Dodged others.

And reversed the results of the rest.

But the sheer pressure eventually broke through his defenses.

One blade reached his arm.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Ariala immediately emerged from the smoke and attacked again.

Adrian stepped forward instead of retreating.

Their swords collided with enough force to shake the entire construct.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Neither moved.

Then Adrian suddenly pushed Ariala’s blade away.

She was forced backward.

Ariala’s expression changed.

He was adapting.

Becoming more precise.

More efficient.

More dangerous.

’This human...’

She couldn’t understand him.

Her Authority was active.

Her body was still capable of becoming smoke.

Her strength was still enough to destroy everything around them.

Yet Adrian continued forcing her backward.

Then Adrian lowered his sword.

Something about his posture changed.

Ariala immediately noticed.

The killing intent surrounding him became heavier.

The entire battlefield seemed to fall silent.

Adrian’s amber eyes became cold.

He raised the black sword.

"Annihilation Art."

Ariala’s expression hardened.

The sword began to hum.

Mana condensed around the blade, but unlike before, the power didn’t erupt outward. Instead, every trace of energy gathered inward, compressing into an impossibly thin edge.

Adrian spoke quietly.

"Sixth Form..."

The surrounding space seemed to tremble.

"Severance."

Ariala’s pupils contracted.

She felt the danger immediately.

This wasn’t merely a sword strike aimed at her.

The sword was aimed at everything in its path.

She could have transformed into smoke.

She could have attempted to evade.

Instead, Ariala tightened her grip around her sword and prepared to face it head-on.

"Then I’ll stop it."

Adrian swung.

There was no enormous explosion.

No brilliant flash.

Only a silent line.

Then—

everything split.

The air.

The clouds.

The barrier.

The space between them.

The destructive edge continued forward, annihilating everything it touched. The massive construct was cleaved apart from end to end, the clouds above were divided across the horizon, and the earth far below was carved open, leaving an enormous scar stretching across the landscape.

Ariala’s eyes widened.

She raised her sword.

But just before the attack reached her—

someone appeared behind her.

A brown-haired man wearing a mask suddenly materialized behind the Demon Lord. His hand seized Ariala’s shoulder as spatial energy erupted around them.

Ariala’s eyes widened.

"What—?"

FLASH!

They vanished.

But they hadn’t escaped completely.

The edge of Adrian’s Severance had already reached them.

Blood sprayed through the air.

Ariala’s left arm was severed cleanly from her shoulder.

The limb fell through the air.

For a moment, Ariala simply stared at it.

The masked man remained beside her, silent.

Behind them, Adrian’s attack continued forward, splitting apart what remained of the construct and tearing through the clouds above. Far below, the ground shook violently as the slash carved a colossal trench through the landscape.

Ariala slowly looked back toward Adrian.

Her regenerated arm had not yet begun to form.

Her expression was no longer playful.

For the first time during their battle, genuine fear and disbelief appeared in her eyes.

That single attack...

She had barely escaped it.

And even after being teleported away—

she had still lost an arm.

Adrian stood within the ruined construct, his black sword lowered at his side. His breathing remained steady, and his amber eyes remained fixed upon Ariala.

Neither of them spoke.

The masked man finally broke the silence.

Ariala slowly turned toward him, glancing once at the severed arm before looking back at the man who had just saved her.

"Raph... I could have handled it."

Her voice remained composed, though a trace of irritation lingered beneath it.

"You didn’t need to come."

The masked man immediately turned toward her.

"Shut up, Ariala."

His voice was unusually serious.

"Do you even understand what would’ve happened if I hadn’t arrived?"

Ariala’s expression hardened.

The masked man glanced toward the enormous scar Adrian’s Severance had carved through the battlefield.

"That wasn’t an ordinary sword strike."

His voice became colder.

"It would’ve cleaved straight through you."

He paused.

"Not just your body."

His eyes narrowed behind the mask.

"It would’ve severed your soul as well... and then that attack would’ve continued feeding on it, devouring everything it touched."

Ariala’s expression became slightly more serious.

She knew he wasn’t exaggerating.

The masked man looked toward Adrian.

"The person who taught him that sword art..."

A brief silence followed.

"...was as merciless as one could possibly get."

Adrian’s amber eyes narrowed.

His gaze settled on the masked man.

"You there."

The masked man looked toward him.

"You speak as if you know my mother."

Adrian tightened his grip around his sword.

"The Annihilation Art."

His voice became colder.

"Where did you learn about it?"

The sword art Adrian had just used wasn’t something he had learned from an ordinary master.

It had been taught to him by his mother—

Veronica Evan Imperius.

The technique was so difficult and destructively powerful that none of her children had been able to properly wield it.

Except Adrian.

Even he rarely used it.

Eventually, he had simply kept the sword art to himself, knowing that none of his siblings and children could properly learn it.

The masked man studied Adrian for several seconds.

Then he gave a quiet laugh.

"It was good to see you again, Adrian."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

’Again? ’

The masked man continued before Adrian could ask.

"But I’ve been rather busy these days."

His gaze briefly shifted toward Ariala.

"Mostly because of your son."

Adrian’s expression changed slightly.

"My son?"

The masked man stepped backward.

"We’ll talk another time."

A spatial distortion began forming around him and Ariala.

"When we meet again, we can talk as much as you want."

Adrian’s eyes sharpened.

"Wait—"

Before he could finish, the masked man looked around at the battlefield.

The enormous construct was riddled with cracks. Several sections had been destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly, while far below, the island was scarred by enormous craters. Clouds had been split apart across the horizon, and the remnants of Adrian’s Strike still lingered through the devastated landscape.

The masked man’s gaze returned to Adrian.

’He was fighting Ariala while repeatedly repairing this entire barrier and protecting the island at the same time.’

A faint smile appeared beneath his mask.

’This guy...’

His eyes narrowed slightly.

’...is still as monstrous as one can get.’

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

"What are you—"

CRACK!

Before he could finish, both Ariala and the masked man suddenly began breaking apart.

Their bodies shattered into countless golden fragments, the fragments scattering through the air like pieces of glass before disappearing completely.

Silence returned.

Adrian stood alone within the ruined construct.

He stared at the empty space where they had disappeared.

Then he clicked his tongue.

"Tch."

He lowered his sword.

"I was finally having some fun."

His gaze slowly moved across the devastated battlefield.

"And I was just starting to get a feel for my new strength."

Something suddenly caught his attention.

A severed arm lay several meters away.

Ariala’s arm.

Blood was still dripping from the wound.

Adrian walked over and picked it up, examining it for a moment before giving a faint smile.

"I guess..."

He looked toward the empty space where Ariala and the masked man had disappeared.

"...that’s enough for a trophy."

His amber eyes narrowed.

"Strange."

He remained silent for a moment.

"I feel like I knew those two."

Adrian shook his head.

"Whatever."

His grip tightened around his black sword.

"I’ll kill the two of them the next time I meet them."