Chapter 234: Kneel - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

With a sudden flash of crimson light, the enraged Ivest did not hesitate for a moment—she intended to obliterate the detestable woman who had stolen her beloved puppy right then and there. Even though the woman was a significant figure within the Silent Church, and her death could trigger a series of unpredictable consequences, Ivest did not concern herself with such details. For she suddenly recalled that her nature had always been reckless and headstrong, never caring for the aftermath of her actions. Perhaps her time spent with Lynn had led others to mistakenly believe her temperament had mellowed, but that was the biggest joke in the world. The hardest thing to change is one's core nature. Moreover, this involved the one thing she was most unwilling to let anyone touch—her reverse scale. Even if her future self decided to vie for the puppy’s ownership, Ivest would still flare up in fury, risking her life in a fight against anyone who dared challenge her. Everyone harbors desires—even the gods are no exception. And possessiveness is just a small part of those many desires. Ivest never thought there was anything wrong with herself. If there was, it was just a bit more possessiveness than the average person. She could forgo all other desires but refused to let go of Lynn. And when she thought of this woman, who pretended to be so pitiful to deceive men, perhaps getting up to god knows what with her precious puppy during those missing days, her desire to kill could no longer be concealed. Ivest unleashed her demigod aura without restraint, causing the stone walls of the underground cavern around them to crack, though even reducing the woman before her to dust would not erase her resentment. Her fingers tightened around the maiden's throat, the power of annihilation swirling around her, like the ruthless decree of death. Except for a god, perhaps none could escape from Ivest's grasp once she decided to attack. Yet, sometimes things don’t unfold as expected. Just as Ivest was about to crush the person before her to pieces, the girl suddenly opened her eyes. At that moment, a majestic power, as if crossing the rivers of time and space, descended from the heavens, infusing Titiah’s frail and delicate body. It was a silent yet cold power, symbolizing desolation and solitude, neither possessing the raw might of the Ruler of Ten Thousand Stars nor the gentle and melancholic grace of the Mother of Bountiful Harvests. It was more like the quiet moonlight, pointing the way forward during an eternal night. A soft “hum—” The power of moonlight dispersed silently, not overbearingly so, nor did it overpoweringly assert itself, yet it seamlessly dissolved the annihilation force that Ivest had unleashed. Simultaneously, the eyes of the two intertwined midair. At that moment, Titiah’s originally emerald green eyes began to shimmer with a touch of radiant white, lending her appearance an aura of frigidity, though her demeanor exuded warmth and kindness. A hint of frostiness flickered in Ivest's eyes. Though she did not know the reason, she was certain that within those few seconds, a different persona had taken over the frame of the once weeping girl. Contrary to the fragile little pretender from before, the current presence was the formidable one. Realizing this, Ivest maintained her impassive demeanor, showing no intention of releasing the grip on her throat. Instead, she squeezed even tighter. Perhaps, for anyone else, they would have noticed a subtle shift in the air. But as a demigod, and the most powerful of her kind, Ivest was acutely aware of the “divinity” and “dominion” that accompanied this temporal power's arrival. This was a sensation she had only ever encountered emanating from the Tyrant Overlord, the Primordial Demon, and that wretched woman confined within the Pantheon. She knew full well what this implied. Perhaps, now residing within this girl’s body, was an existence capable of rivaling those deities. Calling for backup when bested in a fight? Such a despicable tactic. Nonetheless, not an ounce of fear crossed Ivest's mind. Her fiery eyes unwaveringly scoped out the calm girl before her, remaining silently at standby, almost like she was waiting for her to make the first move. And the girl seemed to discern Ivest’s inner thoughts, a gentle smile creeping onto her lips. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Ivest.” Though her lips did not part, her voice resonated clearly within Ivest’s ears. “I understand you might be perplexed by the current circumstances, but worry not, I shall lay bare all the antecedents and consequences for you.” “But before we delve into that, could you kindly put me down?” The voice carried an audible warmth and compassion, free from any hostility. Yet, Ivest maintained her stance, uninterfered by such charm. “Who are you?” She coolly surveyed the woman before her, issuing her inquiry. The girl sighed softly in response. “I am Titiah Eurekist, coexisting in the very same space-time node as you ten millennia from now.” “Of course, some address me as the Goddess of the Resplendent Moon.” Damn it!!! Damn it!!! At the Rift of the Divine Moon, enclosed in ethereal moonlight, Beatrice hovered high above, panting heavily. The battleground beneath her, an ancient site of divine combat, had long been reduced to ruins by innumerable clashes, now shrouded in rolling dust. In the massive crater below, a torn figure lay supine, the inky dread mixture seemed alive, ceaselessly mending his form. How long had it been since? Struggling to suppress the corruption within, Beatrice was nearly at her wit's end, unable to utterly obliterate the rascal before her. Despite his frail power, despite not surviving even one move against her, despite his human flesh nearly devoured by that black ooze. Why… why couldn’t she kill him? In a bid for swift victory, Beatrice borrowed more power from her true form. And as punishment, the taint of those Fiendish entities also bled over to her fractional moonlit consciousness. Such sacrifices and compromises served one singular purpose. To finally annihilate this pest, who persisted standing before her despite countless defeats! Yet, ironically, she now found herself incapable of fulfilling her goal. Therefore, even as her divine essence surged, the hysteria hidden within Beatrice erupted. “Hey, hey, my dear, what’s wrong?” came the maddening voice again from the pit below, resounding throughout the sky, "Why so dismal? Did you forget our so intimate moment?" Lynn's tone was laced with flippancy, as if suggesting something indeed transpired between them. Naturally, it was nothing but a ploy. All was but a stratagem to disgust the goddess with an extreme aversion to men. To seize victory, any means were fair game, be it deplorable or not. Trash-talking was merely the tiniest component. As if, letting such a petty provocation disrupt them, those eons together as a god were a gross waste. Of course, how much was due to the Fiendish corruption, Lynn didn’t know. All he knew was his gleeful amusement at his enemy’s exasperation and powerlessness. “Shut up!!!” Beatrice clenched her silver teeth, enduring the urge to retch, swiftly extending her finger. A brilliant light beam once more rained from above, puncturing the young man’s slender form, yet the anticipated spectacle of gory splatters failed to materialize. At that instant of attack, the punctured part had morphed into the black mirk, spiriting away his body from the assault, before reemerging unharmed in midair. At the moment, Lynn seemingly disabled his demonic transformation, appearing simply as a harmless, handsome youth, starkly contrasting from his prior frenzied facade. But this wasn’t truly the case. Not long before, though he had donned a demonic veneer, a substantial portion of him remained human, imbued with fresh, living flesh. Yet now, should a knife pierce him, it would still draw blood and inflict pain, but his essence had been altered. During his conflict with Beatrice, despite her present power being merely a thousandth of her peak strength, she stood as an insurmountable mountain before him, unbeaten. Every attack from her opponent pierced through his body, inflicting pain as if each strike were a blade relentlessly carving into his flesh. To prevent the host from dying and to transform the person before him into a new Primordial Demon, the black mire incessantly absorbed and assimilated Lynn's body. Five percent, six percent, seven percent, eight percent, nine percent... ten percent. In other words, he was now more demon in essence than human. Or perhaps, at this precise moment, Lynn was the yet-to-fully-awaken Primordial Demon. Thus, with an uncanny comprehension and willpower beyond ordinary understanding, he gradually wielded some of the remaining authority of the Primordial Demon through his clash with Beatrice. These powers were insufficient for him to secure a victory but granted him a fragment of the black mire’s indestructibility. But who said he needed to win? The present situation can be likened to this: When a sharp dagger is wielded by a mighty warrior, he can pierce fierce beasts and slaughter many skilled adversaries. However, no matter how great his strength and combat skills, he cannot wound a puddle of mud with that dagger. Beatrice was the warrior armed with the dagger. And Lynn was the mud, impervious to injury. Furthermore, amidst the battle, the mud had "tainted" her body. Those minuscule wounds had long healed, yet his objective was achieved. Gazing at the seething Goddess of the Resplendent Moon before him, and reflecting on the madness his next move entailed, Lynn inhaled deeply. Just as he had previously surmised. He never aimed to win this confrontation. What he truly desired was mutual destruction. "Hey, darling." Even at that moment, Lynn didn’t forget to nauseate Beatrice with his antics, speaking with a playful tone, "Don’t you feel like something’s off?” The Goddess of the Resplendent Moon?! The voice falling upon Ivest's ears caused her crimson eyes to slightly narrow, as if touched by the news’ surprise. Yet, observing how the other still refused to release her hold, "Titiah" sighed gently. In the next moment, accompanied by a wave of invisible force, her body vanished from Ivest's grasp. Ivest suddenly felt the weight leave her hand, snapping back to reality, she soon saw the serene girl appear just a short distance away. It seemed she had no intention of fleeing but genuinely wished to sit down and talk. But Ivest was not swayed by such tactics. Once deemed an enemy, no mercy would be given—instead, the harshest means would be employed to erase them from existence. Realizing there seemed to be no room for negotiation, a faint sorrow reflected in "Titiah's" eyes. "Miss Ivest, at this moment, Lynn is battling Beatrice in the Rift of the Divine Moon. Although it’s a battle, the original timeline dictates that, no matter what, he cannot survive this confrontation." As these words left "Titiah's" lips, she witnessed with lucid clarity the strong impact on the woman before her—those red, beautiful eyes slightly contracted, as if struck by an immense shock, a trace of panic and turmoil surfacing on her face. Seeing this, she took a deep breath, opening her lips calmly. "He will die." "And I do not wish for him to die." "So, with the help of a certain witch, I broke through the barriers of time and space to come here." "Just to reverse it all." Words filled with incredible impact reverberated gently in Ivest's ears. Her eyes widened slightly, heart pounding wildly, an unprecedented sense of absurdity surged within. He... will die? Her adorable yet disobedient puppy might perish in this battle? Ivest's breathing grew disorderly, memories from that past incident at the border once again flooding her mind. "No..." Her crimson lips trembled involuntarily, murmuring unconsciously. Thankfully, she had grown a lot since then, and after a brief moment of chaos, Ivest regained her composure, cold eyes fixing on the woman before her. "What is your relationship with him?" She glared intently, demanding an answer. Hearing this, "Titiah" hesitated momentarily before softly pursing her lips with a gentle expression: "Though it may be unfair to you, yet..." "I love him." "This love—despite transcending ten thousand years—has never diminished." "Boom—!!!" The next second, an incredibly fearsome aura of blood-red flame erupted from Ivest's body, with the silhouette of the blood cemetery gates faintly appearing behind her, the cries and wails of endless phantoms echoing within. "Shut up." Ivest’s eyes blazed red with terrifying intent, "I will save my own puppy myself." "But before that, I will kill you, this vile woman." Since childhood, besides Hillrina, Ivest had never shown such intense hatred and disgust towards anyone as the woman before her. She had become the second existence that Ivest would kill at all costs. In matters relating to Lynn, she refused any filthy interference. Enemy or god, makes no difference. "Is that so." Realizing that was Ivest’s final answer, "Titiah" looked at her with a touch of sorrow. After a pause, she whispered gently. "If that’s the case, then I shall win your approval my way." Hearing this, Ivest coldly replied, "You aren’t that woman, lacking her immense power and stature. Even if a god's consciousness descended across time, at most, you are but a demigod." "Do you think such power suffices to earn my recognition?" "Dream on!" The last time, when that wretched witch descended using Lynn’s body, Ivest fought her behind the blood gates. Although defeated, the margin was infinitesimal. This also subtly proved that within the demigod domain, none could rival her. The so-called Goddess of the Resplendent Moon here was no exception. She needed to swiftly determine the victor, then rush to Lynn’s side. Poor puppy, it must be terrified right now, right? With such thoughts, the crimson radiance turned into sharp edges, converging at Ivest’s fingertips. Yet the next second, the unexpected occurred. For reasons unknown, tears welled up in "Titiah's" eyes, reflecting profound sorrow. "After seeing Miss Ivest, I understood one thing profoundly." She began walking to her, tears streaming down along the way, "Your love for him is so profound and unwavering, leaving no room for any existence." "So profound that it evokes a sense of inferiority." "But even so, my feelings for him are by no means false." "This...is the one certainty in the long yet hollow life of Titiah Eurekist." At this moment, "Titiah" stood before Ivest, tears covering her face. "No one desires their love to be inferior, and on that, I fully understand your feelings," the girl sorrowfully said, gazing at her. "But if we fight to the death here, it’s Lynn who will surely feel troubled." "Honestly, I wish to prove my love for him is no less than yours, though I cannot bear to see him in pain because of it." "So, if it can quell the fury in Miss Ivest’s heart, I am willing to do whatever it takes for him." In the following moment, before Ivest’s astonished gaze, this great being, with divine stature, who shouldered such dignity and grandeur, knelt slowly before her. Then, deeply bowed with head lowered. Utterly humble. (Chapter End)