Time seemed to drag with a ponderous weight, each moment crawling forward with excruciating slowness, plunging everyone into a cascading state of shock and awe .
At last, the shadow solidified, taking on the form of a human figure—a young man in the prime of his youth, with silver hair and clad in military garb. His face, shrouded in mystery, swayed gently in the air, his arms outstretched, his legs descending softly to touch the platform with an eerie grace.
His bandaged visage was recognizable to a select few, yet unfamiliar to the majority. The sight of his Irisian uniform nearly sent the representatives of the Iris family into cardiac arrest, capturing the gaze of every onlooker.
As he neared the platform with remarkable lightness, he brought his hands forward and clapped them together with formidable force. The resultant sound reverberated through the space, shattering the oppressive silence and jolting everyone from their stupor.
His feet landed on the platform simultaneously, heralding the arrival of another uninvited guest.
Unlike the rest, the Dominator Maxim did not remain rooted in place, spellbound by the unexpected and captivating apparition. Like a bolt of lightning, Maxim launched himself from his position towards the unknown intruder, his sword drawn, his speed enhanced by the power of his curse.
In an instant, Maxim was beside the intruder, his blade aimed with precision. But as the sword neared the intruder's body by mere inches, the figure vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, only to reemerge a short distance away on the other side of the platform.
Maxim's disbelief was palpable. He was confident in his unparalleled speed, surpassed only by a few dominators. The intruder's ability to evade the strike seemed beyond the realm of possibility.
Upon spotting the intruder again, Maxim surged forward with even greater speed, resolute in his determination to capture him this time. His speed was such that none could follow his movements with the naked eye, save for Amelia.
Closing in for another powerful strike, Maxim approached the intruder, his blade poised for impact. Yet, once again, the same phenomenon occurred—the intruder vanished, as if he had never been there at all.
Not far off, the intruder materialized once more, directly in front of Victor and his family who were frozen there. At this juncture, Maxim comprehended the magnitude of the imminent peril and opted for caution over the reckless pursuit of another blind attack.
Until the mystery of the intruder's teleportation ability was unraveled, charging headlong into battle could inadvertently place the ruling family in grave danger.
A few minutes ago...
Aya lingered on the outskirts of Lenine, hidden amidst dense foliage. Her frustration grew with each passing moment as she tapped her shoulder with her pinky finger, irritated by Nosil's delay. "Are you done yet? Time is running out."
Nosil's voice echoed from behind the bushes, "Almost done…". Dissatisfied with his response, Aya shouted, "If you don't come out now, I'll send you to face victor naked."
Nosil emerged, a smile playing on his lips. "Funny... this military outfit is more comfortable than regular clothes."
Aya scrutinized him. "Yes, it suits you... but you ruined it in your last battle." Nosil examined the holes in his uniform, poking his fingers through them as he inspected the damage.
"Alright, are you ready?" Aya asked, her eyes filled with concern. Nosil met her gaze, his voice calm and steady, "Of course, I am."
"Let's do this..." Aya extended her fist towards Nosil, who responded by bumping his fist against hers. She took a deep breath. "You know the technique I'm going to use requires Lerna's presence to be most effective... without her, I won't be much help to you on the ground there." Nosil's smile reflected the confidence in his heart, "I know... don't worry about me."
"Still... Rest assured, I'll make you the strongest there... you'll be untouchable," Aya reassured him, boosting his confidence further.
"I trust you," Nosil replied quietly as Aya
turned, spreading her arms wide and focusing intently. She clapped her hands together with a powerful force, activating her curse.
"Curse release..." An immense surge of energy and blood flowed into Aya's eyes, and in a blink, she vanished, ascending high above the clouds. There, she clasped her fingers tightly and declared, "Total Control... All seeing eye."
An invisible field radiated from Aya's eyes in a circular motion, swiftly reaching the outskirts of Lenine City.
After the activation was complete, Aya closed her eyes, beginning to absorb and perceive everything within that field simultaneously.
Nosil took a deep breath, readying himself for Aya's teleportation. Suddenly, mysterious white roots burst through the ground beneath him in a enormous speed, wrapping around his leg, piercing his skin, and connecting to his nerves.
Nosil struggled to pull them off, but a message from Maya infiltrated his mind through the roots. Maya, as usual, had been observing everything from her hidden underground vantage point, refraining from interfering with the events above ground.
This time, however, she intended to send a message through Nosil to everyone, a second step toward her larger goal.
The message caused the reassurance in Nosil's heart to vanish, replaced by a seething anger, and the old feelings of hatred for everything surged back, consuming him once again.
Nosil, too, invoked his curse, slamming his hands together with resolute force.
"Curse release..." he intoned, feeling the rush of his blood surging through his veins, heating his body with an almost palpable intensity.
High above, Aya pinpointed the location of the palace courtyard, her focus unwavering as she concentrated on Nosil. In a heartbeat, she teleported Nosil to the heart of the courtyard.
Back to the present:
As Maxim came to a sudden halt, Amelia comprehended that this adversary was no simple foe for Maxim to handle alone. Ensuring the family's security necessitated her intervention. She drew her slender sword, holding it vertically beside her face.
"Curse release..." she declared. The sword quivered, droplets of blue liquid materializing on its blade, coalescing and trickling down to her hands. Poised in an attack stance, Amelia locked eyes with Maxim, ready to synchronize their assaults.
Upon seeing Amelia prepared, Maxim gestured for her to hold her position with a subtle nod. Anxiety etched his features as his mind churned with various perilous scenarios.
Should he take the risk?, how formidable is his opponent?, how did he move so effortlessly?, who's this figure?, why had he come?, who's more deserving of protection—Victor or the heir? What of the guests?. A torrent of questions flooded his thoughts, paralyzing him from making a decisive move.
Philip, on his knees, recognized the intruder, his disbelief palpable. He stammered, "It's you... I remember you, Nosil."
He motioned for Maxim to stay calm. From their previous discussions, Philip believed he could resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue.
Victor, however, was consumed with fury at the disruption of the ceremony, though a sliver of fear crept in as he witnessed Nosil's eerie ability to vanish and reappear at will.
Sophy rose, incredulous at the sight before her. Nosil stood once more before her, yet he seemed profoundly changed.
His eyes, more lifeless than before, resembled those of a corpse—devoid of light, with drooping lids pulsing with a sinister darkness. The sight left her speechless.
The utterance of Nosil's name triggered a realization in Amelia's mind. "So this is Nosil... more creeper than I thought... does he grasp the gravity of his actions... he has condemned himself to a certain death."
Nosil slowly lifted his head, his eyes still cast downward, his lips moved with deliberate slowness, even as the sound of dozens of guards entering surrounded the platform on all sides.
Ignoring all the commotion around him, Nosil declared loudly,
"You are not the ones... get out of my sight".