Viola crossed the blades in front of her, ready for the next phase of the fight. The change was palpable, and the once-confident Tabatha's expression shifted slightly.
"I see that you've found my weakness, Viola," Tabatha said aloud, her voice carrying an odd mixture of admiration and disappointment. "I may have underestimated you. I didn't know you were someone capable of using SARVA ADHIGARAM."
The old woman's gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing. "I should've killed you when I had the chance," she sighed, but her tone was not one of fear—it was a regretful acknowledgment.
Viola, still radiating dark energy, didn't break her focus. She knew that Tabatha had something in reserve, something she hadn't yet revealed, but now she was more powerful than ever, with the authority of the retainer to a Demon Night Warden at her disposal.
In this world, SARVA ADHIGARAM was a rare and incredibly dangerous power. To invoke it meant borrowing energy from another dimension, one that could only be accessed by passing through a series of arduous trials. A mere invitation to this alternate realm was considered a miraculous event in itself. But Viola—despite the trials—had managed to become a retainer to the Demon Night Warden, an incredibly difficult feat, one that granted her immense power.
Tabatha watched her carefully, a sense of grim realization settling in. She had miscalculated. Viola was no mere assassin; she was a threat with power that rivaled some of the strong warriors of this world. Despite her advanced age, Tabatha wasn't intimidated. However, she knew she was now fighting a far more dangerous foe than she had originally anticipated.
Viola's eyes narrowed as she crossed her blades in front of her, her form darkening like a storm about to break.
"I'm not going to make the same mistake," she said, her voice colder than ever.
"Time to end this, old hag."
And with that, she charged, every step radiating the weight of the otherworldly power she had summoned.
Viola's newfound power as the Demon Warden's retainer began to manifest its deadly potential. She moved with supernatural speed and precision, landing a series of strikes that, while shallow, wore down Tabatha's defenses. Her blade flashed in arcs of shadow, swift enough to make the old woman struggle to parry them.
"That's good-quality robes you've got there," Viola sneered, her voice laced with satisfaction as she landed another well-placed slice along Tabatha's sleeve.
Tabatha glanced at the cuts on her robes and smirked, feigning calm. "Well, if you have the money, I suppose everything is buyable."
Viola's eyes narrowed. "It's going to be useless from now on," she said coldly, sinking into an even deadlier stance. "Night Cloak Disguise."
In an instant, she vanished into the shadows, only to reappear behind Tabatha, her blade arcing toward a vital point. The speed of her reappearance was so sudden that even Tabatha, with her years of experience, could barely react. She whirled, blocking the lethal strike at the last moment, her blade clashing against Viola's with a loud metallic ring.
But Viola's attacks didn't stop. Within a split second, she vanished again, reappearing in front of Tabatha with her blade aimed low. This time, her blade found its mark, slicing across Tabatha's calf. A sharp sting bloomed along Tabatha's leg, and her face contorted with surprise. Blood trickled down her skin, staining the hem of her robes.
Ignoring her small victory, Viola disappeared again, moving seamlessly through the darkness, reappearing above Tabatha, her blade poised to strike from above. Tabatha deflected with a quick pivot of her blade, but her opponent was relentless. Viola's moves were eerily silent, each strike coming with terrifying precision and grace. Her fluidity was disorienting, each blow like a whisper of death against Tabatha's skin.
Tabatha's breathing grew heavier as she felt the strain from the shallow but accumulating wounds. She was beginning to tire, and her opponent seemed only to grow stronger with each passing moment. Viola's silent yet brutal assault was forcing her to dig deeper, testing her resilience and skill in a way she hadn't experienced in years.
"You're getting slower, old hag," Viola taunted, appearing briefly before vanishing again.
Tabatha clenched her jaw, ignoring the pain. She could feel herself weakening, her movements growing sluggish.
The clash of blades was reaching a fever pitch, each strike so fast it was nearly invisible to the eye. Viola moved with the speed and ferocity of a demon, her obsidian armor a blur as she closed in on Tabatha. Then, in the midst of the chaos, she spotted an opening—a small lapse in Tabatha's guard. Without hesitation, she lunged, ready to deliver the final blow.
Clang!
Her strike halted abruptly, her momentum cut short by an unanticipated resistance. Viola looked down, her eyes widening in surprise. Around her left ankle was a gleaming golden shackle, materialized out of thin air and anchored firmly to the ground. She tugged, but the shackle wouldn't budge.
"AMARA AVADHARAM: Heaven Born!" Tabatha's voice rang out with authority, filled with a power Viola hadn't heard before. "Divine Shackles!" The two words seemed to vibrate with a celestial resonance, ancient and commanding.
Viola watched as Tabatha's form changed subtly. A faint golden and silver aura enveloped her, casting a soft glow across her body. Her face retained its age, but her skin took on a flawless radiance, her eyes now burning with a depth of light that seemed almost otherworldly. The transformation wasn't flashy, but it exuded an undeniable power—a purity that felt like it came from the heavens themselves.
A mocking grin spread across Viola's face. "You think you've trapped me with this pitiful spell?" she sneered, feigning nonchalance. "Even my second-in-line subordinates can manage an AMARA AVADHARAM. Is this all you've got?"
Viola wasn't entirely wrong. AMARA AVADHARAM—a celestial manifestation—was a powerful spell, but it was typically considered a lesser skill compared to the sheer force of SARVA ADHIGARAM that Viola had wielded. While Tabatha had merely summoned the aura of a celestial inhabitant, Viola held a rare title and wielded authority as the Demon Warden's retainer. This put Viola on a level akin to a trained warrior with high-ranking connections, while Tabatha's manifestation was, in comparison, like that of a citizen drawing on standard celestial energy.
Yet Tabatha's eyes held steady, her expression calm and unreadable.
"Underestimating your opponent has always been your weakness, Viola," she said softly. "The Divine Shackles aren't designed to contain just any demon—only one who's foolish enough to think herself unstoppable."
Viola sneered and raised her obsidian blades, ready to strike the chains with all her might. But as she swung down, a brilliant flash of light erupted from the shackle. The moment her demonic blades made contact, they recoiled as if struck by a force far greater, vibrating with a painful energy that made her hands tremble.