The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2323: Meylin vs Atena

More and more wounds appeared across the body of the Enlightened One as the battle carried on. He had already abandoned the idea of escaping purely through speed; the woman was not only faster but stronger, so she could catch up to him and stop his advance with ease.

The only chance he had was to find a brief opening, wound her, and then flee before she recovered. Unfortunately, things were not going well.

His staff moved in irregular, unpredictable patterns—extending, enlarging, and twisting with each thought—but the woman’s arm had turned completely obsidian, allowing her to block the staff with nothing but her bare hand. Whenever she struck him in return, he suffered serious internal injuries.

Another palm strike landed against his chest, sending the Enlightened One crashing through several trees. He slammed into the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Answer my question, and I will show you mercy," the violet-eyed woman said. "I promise it in my name—Atena."

She paused her relentless assault to offer that sentence, but the Enlightened One forced himself upright, using his staff to stabilize his staggering body. He shot her a blood-tinged glare. His eyes held nothing but determination, fearlessness, and killing intent.

Atena sighed softly. "Fine, then."

She nodded once—an acknowledgment of his resolve—but the respect in her gaze did not translate into clemency. She flashed forward, her obsidian arm aiming to crush his internal organs in the next blow.

Yet just as their attacks were about to clash again, the killing intent of the Enlightened One suddenly acted like a gate. Starlight seemed to tear open the air, and a young woman with shimmering hair appeared. With both swords, the True Depravita unleashed a torrent of razor-sharp force that engulfed Atena and blasted her backward.

The Enlightened One allowed himself a brief smile at the sight of Meylin beside him, though he didn’t dare lower his guard.

Atena was thrown back violently, and though she managed to block most of the force with her obsidian arm, she had not regained full control before the Enlightened One channeled his remaining power. His staff elongated, glowing fiercely as he struck Atena directly in the stomach, blasting her through the ground and carving a deep crater into the volcanic earth.

After the blow, the staff shrank back to its natural size, and the Enlightened One immediately turned to Meylin.

"She can read thoughts."

Meylin’s eyes widened. As the True Depravita of Original Sin, she instantly sharpened her mind, sealing her thoughts tightly and allowing nothing but battle instinct to remain.

The two exchanged a silent nod and quickly shifted into a practiced formation. They had fought together several times during their months in the Fourth Realm. Their synergy was seamless, and their combined power far exceeded the sum of their individual strengths. They would need every bit of that now.

Atena rose from the crater in less than a few seconds.

The combined surprise attack—one of Meylin’s deadliest surprise ambushes paired with the Enlightened One’s overwhelming staff strike—had only caused her minor injuries.

It did not seem like the women’s kind had instant regeneration, but the durability of her body more than made up for it.

Atena wiped a thin trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth and fixed her gaze on Meylin.

"This is your one chance," she warned. "Tell me everything you know."

Though she kept her expression calm, the Enlightened One and Meylin could sense the coldness and controlled brutality simmering beneath her façade. Anyone able to keep such tight emotional control while burning with rage inside was monstrously dangerous.

Naturally, neither Meylin nor the Enlightened One was going to reveal anything that might endanger their group. Their stances hardened instead.

"Very well," Atena said softly.

A faint smile curved her lips as she drew a deep breath. Her heartbeat quickened—faster, faster—then erupted like a supernova.

"Asura Form."

Both Meylin and the Enlightened One flinched in visible shock. They recognized that power instantly. Even so, they kept their minds firmly locked on the battle, not allowing their thoughts to drift toward Cain, so they could avoid giving information to the women.

Atena did not seem to care. She vanished, reappearing in front of them with overwhelming speed.

The Enlightened One raised his staff just in time. Atena’s obsidian-infused kick struck the staff like a meteor. The weapon saved his skull, but the impact still launched him through the air, his arms trembling violently from the force.

Meylin attacked immediately, seizing the opening left by Atena’s kick. Her twin swords flashed toward Atena’s neck. But before the blades could land, Atena opened her palm, generating a spear of obsidian energy similar to the substance now covering her entire body. She released it point-blank. The blast exploded outward, sending the True Depravita hurtling into the distance.

Atena did not waste a heartbeat. She whirled toward the Enlightened One, extended her index and middle fingers, and condensed another beam of obsidian energy—this one narrower, faster, and far more concentrated.

The Enlightened One’s eyes widened as he perceived the beam. He knew he could not dodge in time. But he did not lose focus. He twisted his staff sharply, making it rotate before him in a circular arc. Then he clasped his hands together, channeling all his power—and the Light of the Flow—into the staff.

The weapon expanded into a massive golden gate.

The obsidian beam struck.

Shockwaves erupted in every direction, blasting volcanic ash and stone outward in a violent storm. The golden gate cracked under the pressure, groaning as fractures spread across its surface—but it held long enough to fully resist the beam before shattering into countless fragments of light. The staff shot back into the Enlightened One’s hands, smoking with residual energy.

Atena’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. She hadn’t expected that attack to kill him, but the fact that he had blocked it entirely was astonishing.

And her surprise only deepened when, in the next second, she sensed a sudden surge of power to her right, along with two cold words.

"Redemption Incarnation!"