'I…will not die here!'
Elena's declaration wasn't one of false hope or desperation, but of pure willpower.
Regardless of what she faced here, she absolutely refused to die.
She summoned everything she had.
She started from the weakest Valhalla Souls, burning them and using their life force to constantly replenish herself, using an additional element of Light Healing to exponentially boost her regeneration speed.
The pain was excruciating. Not only did she burn, she almost collapsed internally from the violently rampaging mana.
"Haaaaa!!!"
She let out a hoarse war cry as she forced the mana to obey her orders. She combined light and life into one and purified all negative powers in her body, pushing them towards the center of her chest and gathering them into a solidifying gem of mana.
"Khhhh…!"
It was painful. Even more painful than the external injuries. Let alone the fact that she was allowing an object to crystallize within her body, just making the raging mana follow her command made her feel like her body was being torn into countless pieces.
However, she managed. She managed somehow and pushed on, digging into her own chest and digging the gem out.
It wasn't the best solution, but it was the fastest.
The gem quickly disappeared into her spatial ring, an instinctual action she took while focusing every bit of her attention on both defending against and mitigating the energy of the blast.
With the culmination of her effort, along with the shielding of several treasures that almost instantly broke one by one, Elena was able to somehow survive until the blast died down.
"A persistent one."
Lord Garvy's words didn't allow her a single moment of rest.
Right, the blow she'd just survived using her everything was just a casual flick from a Supreme.
If he decided to do more damage…
"Open her mind."
"Yes, Lord."
The female Executioner appeared behind Elena and restricted her movement.
"Be grateful. At least for now, you are able to keep your life," She transmitted into Elena's ear.
Elena smirked mockingly. "Funny way to be talking about your own lord."
The female Executioner's eyes hardened. "That…is not my Lord."
"Hm?"
Elena wanted to question the interesting thing she just heard, but before she could speak further, she felt something attach to her forehead.
'This is…!'
Elena's eyes rolled back into her head, her body suddenly convulsing.
Electric shocks tore through her nervous system, essentially attempting to fry her brain. The pain was far more intrinsic than what the explosion could produce, forcing Elena to experience a true hell.
'It will be over soon. Survive well.'
The female Executioner's silent prayer went unheard, overshadowed by the Supreme's domineering movements.
"It seems that human has the most expensive information, as she is the only one willing to take such actions to hide it. Therefore, the rest of you are no longer needed."
Lord Garvy raised his arm and flicked his hand forward.
A gust of black wind flew through the air, straight with no deviation for several thousand kilometers.
And everybody within that range died instantly.
"L-lord?! How could you?!"
"Lord Garvy, please stop!"
The Black Dragons cried in agony at his betrayal, but he didn't bat an eye.
"Girl, if you care for these people, reveal your truths."
It was horrible. The instant death and destruction was clearly displayed in Elena's eyes. Despite the torture she was undergoing, she was completely lucid and able to perceive the surroundings.
"Khhh…I…will…ne…ver…!!!"
Elena forced her words out of her mouth with mana alone, unable to utilize her vocal cords or bodily systems.
"Still tenacious…have the younger generation grown so much?"
Bang!
Elena's left leg was blown into meatpaste.
Her eyes widened in shock, but she didn't back down.
"More."
Bang!
Her right leg exploded as well.
"Drop her."
Upon receiving the order, the female Executioner stopped supporting Elena's body, allowing her to crash to the ground several tens of meters below.
"Pathetic ant, do not disobey me any longer."
Lord Garvy walked up to her and smashed his foot into her face, crushing her into the soil.
Poof!
Something spurted blood, but in Elena's current state, it was impossible to know where that blood came from.
Bang!
A foot came down.
"Where is your struggle?"
Bang!
A foot came down.
"Where is your hope?"
Bang!
A foot came down.
"Filthy lower existence with the gall to challenge a Supreme, where is your courage?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Elena's head was turned into a bloody mess, but her lifeforce still weakly hung on.
Her thoughts were hazy. The only thing she could understand was that she was in pain.
And…
'I will…die…'
She was indignant that she was put down before putting up any fight at all. She was unresigned at this horrifying difference in power!
She weakly tried to move, but she was still connected to that strange device. She was still unable to control her body at all.
She didn't have legs to move with, she couldn't even access her mana to try anything.
Against a Supreme…was she truly just an ant?
'I…refuse.'
She couldn't accept it.
'I…will not…stay…weak.'
No, she wouldn't accept it.
This reality, she wouldn't allow it to bloom.
If Fate wished for her death, then she would cut down Fate. If the universe itself desired her fall, then she could only collapse the universe itself!
Voom!
"Something" appeared within Elena's soul.
A pitch-black seed wrapped in strings of white and sunny yellow, mysterious and ethereal.
A "Symbol of Union" that had hidden itself until she found herself in a situation where it was impossible for her to survive.
And along with this symbol came something that represented it far more definitively.
A "Title" manifested itself in Elena's status.
[Daughter of the Void]
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
"Who dares?!"
A sudden explosion rocked the land, pushing everyone back, but mysteriously enough, killing only one.
The Supreme glanced down and noticed that the woman under his foot was no longer present.
His gaze turned up, looking at the two men before him.
A man with long blonde hair and fierce draconic golden eyes stood with his spear ready, the body of the female Executioner impaled on its blade.
The other man had long black hair and swirling ethereal purple eyes, striking a severe contrast with the first. He stood with the woman from before in his arms, a beautiful white light covering her body.
And flanking them was the imperious Golden Dragon Army, armed with several tens of million troops, including 7th and 8th revolution masters.
Bzzt!
The device on Elena's forehead shattered. Her eyes slightly opened as she tried to assess the situation, but fatigue didn't allow her to do so.
A sense of warmth and comfort overcame her, lulling her to sleep.
Nevertheless, it didn't matter, since even when she opened her eyes, she was hallucinating.
Because, there was absolutely no way, right…? There was no way the person who saved her was actually—
"Damien Void," Lord Garvy muttered as Elena's consciousness slipped away, a strange tri-colored cocoon enveloping her body.
He gazed at the grand accompaniment that had arrived to strike him down and smiled, his attention returning to Damien.
His smile widened. His eyes narrowed eerily as he opened his mouth and said:
"I've been waiting so long to meet you."
