Lilith clutched her arms in agony and tumbled to the ground, her breath ragged and strained.
"You… You… How dare you!" she screamed, her voice dripping with fury as her eyes locked onto Ginro. But when she met his gaze, her words died in her throat, replaced by a sudden, chilling fear. Ginro's expression was cold, devoid of any emotion, his crimson eyes gleaming with a dark intensity.
Without warning, Ginro lunged forward, seizing Lilith by the neck. His grip was merciless, lifting her off the ground with ease. Lilith's legs kicked wildly, her hands clawing at Ginro's arm, desperate to free herself.
"I-I can't breathe!" she thought frantically, her mind racing as her vision began to blur.
Ginro's fingers tightened, the pressure on her windpipe unbearable. "I… can't… budge! His grip! I—I'm going to die!" Panic overtook her, her strength draining as her vision darkened. The edges of her consciousness faded, and Lilith teetered on the edge of oblivion.
Then, out of nowhere, a flash of steel cut through the air. Diana's sword sliced cleanly through Ginro's arm, severing it in one fluid motion. Ginro's grip loosened, and Lilith dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
"Cough... Cough..." Lilith wheezed, clutching her throat, her chest heaving with each painful breath.
"Are you okay, Lilith?" Diana asked, her voice filled with concern as she approached.
Lilith recoiled at her touch, slapping her hand away. "Don't touch me! I don't need your help!"
Diana frowned but said nothing, her gaze shifting back to Ginro. To their shock, Ginro was silently reattaching his severed arm, the flesh knitting itself back together as if nothing had happened.
"!?" Lilith and Diana stared in disbelief.
"Impossible!" Diana muttered, her sword still glistening with Ginro's blood. "I sliced him cleanly…"
"It's impossible," Lilith added, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and frustration. "He didn't even flinch after losing his hand."
Both women stood frozen, watching in astonishment as Ginro flexed his newly regenerated fingers. His expression remained impassive, as if the injury had been a mere inconvenience.
"What an incredible regenerative ability!" Diana exclaimed.
Lilith's lips curled into a grin, though there was no joy in it. "Oh my, oh my~ How on earth did you come across someone like him, Diana?"
Diana shook her head. "I didn't know him at all."
Determined to end this, the two warriors launched another attack. Lilith conjured her bind magic, glowing chains of energy wrapping themselves around Ginro, immobilizing him. Diana followed with a powerful swing of her sword, aiming to sever his head. But something was wrong—her blade cut through nothing but air.
"Behind you!" Lilith cried out, her voice shrill with alarm.
Diana spun around just in time, raising her sword to block Ginro's kick. The impact sent her flying backward, crashing into the ground near Lilith.
"Ngh!" Diana groaned, pushing herself up.
Lilith stared in disbelief. "This can't be! How is he moving? My magic should have rendered him helpless!"
Diana gritted her teeth, her mind racing. "I'm sure I hit him! But why does it feel like I swung my sword through thin air?"
Ginro stood tall, dusting off his clothes casually, as if the battle was little more than a minor inconvenience. Then, he began to laugh. It started as a low chuckle, but it quickly escalated into a full-blown, maniacal cackle that echoed across the battlefield.
"Ha ha ha hahaha HAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A wave of immense, oppressive power radiated from Ginro, causing both Lilith and Diana to stagger back, nearly fainting under its sheer weight.
Lilith's heart raced as she gazed at Ginro, her voice trembling as the words escaped her lips. "This power… It can't be! Are you a demon?"
Ginro's eyes glowed crimson as he met her gaze. Without a word, he vanished, reappearing in front of Lilith in an instant. His shadowy blade pierced through her chest, straight into her heart. Lilith gasped, her mouth filling with blood as it poured from her lips.
Lilith clutched her arms in agony and tumbled to the ground, her breath ragged and strained.
"You… You… How dare you!" she screamed, her voice dripping with fury as her eyes locked onto Ginro. But when she met his gaze, her words died in her throat, replaced by a sudden, chilling fear. Ginro's expression was cold, devoid of any emotion, his crimson eyes gleaming with a dark intensity.
Without warning, Ginro lunged forward, seizing Lilith by the neck. His grip was merciless, lifting her off the ground with ease. Lilith's legs kicked wildly, her hands clawing at Ginro's arm, desperate to free herself.
"I-I can't breathe!" she thought frantically, her mind racing as her vision began to blur.
Ginro's fingers tightened, the pressure on her windpipe unbearable. "I… can't… budge! His grip! I—I'm going to die!" Panic overtook her, her strength draining as her vision darkened. The edges of her consciousness faded, and Lilith teetered on the edge of oblivion.
Then, out of nowhere, a flash of steel cut through the air. Diana's sword sliced cleanly through Ginro's arm, severing it in one fluid motion. Ginro's grip loosened, and Lilith dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
"Cough... Cough..." Lilith wheezed, clutching her throat, her chest heaving with each painful breath.
"Are you okay, Lilith?" Diana asked, her voice filled with concern as she approached.
Lilith recoiled at her touch, slapping her hand away. "Don't touch me! I don't need your help!"
Diana frowned but said nothing, her gaze shifting back to Ginro. To their shock, Ginro was silently reattaching his severed arm, the flesh knitting itself back together as if nothing had happened.
"!?" Lilith and Diana stared in disbelief.
"Impossible!" Diana muttered, her sword still glistening with Ginro's blood. "I sliced him cleanly…"
"It's impossible," Lilith added, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and frustration. "He didn't even flinch after losing his hand."
Both women stood frozen, watching in astonishment as Ginro flexed his newly regenerated fingers. His expression remained impassive, as if the injury had been a mere inconvenience.
"What an incredible regenerative ability!" Diana exclaimed.
Lilith's lips curled into a grin, though there was no joy in it. "Oh my, oh my~ How on earth did you come across someone like him, Diana?"
Diana shook her head. "I didn't know him at all."
Determined to end this, the two warriors launched another attack. Lilith conjured her bind magic, glowing chains of energy wrapping themselves around Ginro, immobilizing him. Diana followed with a powerful swing of her sword, aiming to sever his head. But something was wrong—her blade cut through nothing but air.
"Behind you!" Lilith cried out, her voice shrill with alarm.
Diana spun around just in time, raising her sword to block Ginro's kick. The impact sent her flying backward, crashing into the ground near Lilith.
"Ngh!" Diana groaned, pushing herself up.
Lilith stared in disbelief. "This can't be! How is he moving? My magic should have rendered him helpless!"
Diana gritted her teeth, her mind racing. "I'm sure I hit him! But why does it feel like I swung my sword through thin air?"
Ginro stood tall, dusting off his clothes casually, as if the battle was little more than a minor inconvenience. Then, he began to laugh. It started as a low chuckle, but it quickly escalated into a full-blown, maniacal cackle that echoed across the battlefield.
"Ha ha ha hahaha HAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A wave of immense, oppressive power radiated from Ginro, causing both Lilith and Diana to stagger back, nearly fainting under its sheer weight.
Lilith's heart raced as she gazed at Ginro, her voice trembling as the words escaped her lips. "This power… It can't be! Are you a demon?"
Ginro's eyes glowed crimson as he met her gaze. Without a word, he vanished, reappearing in front of Lilith in an instant. His shadowy blade pierced through her chest, straight into her heart. Lilith gasped, her mouth filling with blood as it poured from her lips.
"Lilith!" Diana screamed, horror etched across her face.
Overwhelmed with fury, Diana unleashed her full strength. "Blessing: World Supreme!"
A brilliant golden aura enveloped Diana, her body shining with divine energy as she tapped into her ultimate power. Ginro withdrew his blade from Lilith, but the radiant aura surrounding Diana hindered Lilith's demonic regeneration, preventing her from healing.
"The World Supreme..." Lilith thought, barely conscious. "The power of the Hero Diana... It's said to enhance her abilities in battle, but I didn't know it could cleanse the impurities in her surroundings too…"
Ginro felt his power weakening under the light of Diana's aura. His shadowy weapon began to dissolve, its darkness no match for the brilliance of Diana's World Supreme.
"Stand down!" Diana commanded, pointing her sword at Ginro. "You cannot withstand this power, even if you are a demon!"
As Diana's gaze briefly flickered to Lilith, she noticed something alarming. Lilith, though severely wounded, was still alive—and regenerating, but slowly.
Diana's eyes widened. "Even with her heart pierced and her hand severed, she's still regenerating… using demonic power."
Distracted by Lilith's condition, Diana failed to notice Ginro's rapid approach.
"Diana!!" Lilith shouted, trying to warn her.
"What—!?" Diana turned, but too late. Ginro's hand struck her across the face with immense force, sending her crashing into the nearby rocks.
Lilith, now fully recovered, rushed to Diana's side, her eyes blazing with fury. The clash between them and Ginro resumed, the force of their blows sending shockwaves through the cave, each strike echoing loudly until a particularly powerful attack from Diana shattered the cave walls.
The cave collapsed around them, but the battle raged on.
Both women stood, panting, their bodies battered and bruised. Ginro, however, stood unscathed, his face unreadable.
The silence that followed was broken only by the faint chirping of birds and the rustle of the wind. Then, Ginro spoke in a low, chilling whisper.
"Burial: The Punishment."
Lilith and Diana's eyes widened in shock.
"It can't be…" they whispered in unison.
Without warning, the entire area was plunged into impenetrable darkness, leaving them blind and helpless once more.