The giant sword in Rose's hand slashed down towards Eloise.
Although this strike exceeded Eloise's imagination, her instincts kicked in, and she instinctively used her most familiar wind magic.
In that moment, her body felt as light as a leaf, evading the overwhelming force of Rose's strike.
Eloise's figure recoiled sharply, her face ashen.
Only by facing that devastating blow could she understand how terrifying that sword truly was.
At this point, she had completely lost the will to fight; all she wanted was to escape.
She needed to get away from this place!
If it weren't for her instincts and her use of magic, she was certain that she would have been cleaved in two by that terrifying strike.
The girl named Rose from Crossbridge Academy... was not human!
How could a human possess such terrifying power?
Even if she were at the peak of tier-silver, Eloise doubted she could survive facing that sword head-on.
The only reason she was alive was due to her stronger-than-average talent and hard work.
She had practiced wind-related magic tirelessly, embedding those spells deep within her instincts.
Generally, she didn't draw much attention, and even those in House Windwhisper were hardly familiar with her.
This was the first time Eloise had shown her true strength.
But she hadn't expected that Crossbridge Academy would harbor such monstrous strength!
It was insurmountable! All Eloise wanted now was to flee—to find a place to hide until this secret realm exploration was over.
What did treasure or exploration matter compared to her life?
Only by surviving could she have everything.
Eloise hurriedly tried to escape.
But what she didn't anticipate was that Rose's sword strike was not the end!
As the massive blade struck the ground, it did not create much destruction.
Rose exerted force with both hands, using the sword's tip to propel herself upwards in the direction of Eloise!
But that wasn't all!
The sky was clear, the sun shining equally on every part of the realm.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning fell from the clear sky, targeting Rose, who was leaping into the air with her sword!
The lightning struck Rose… No!
It should be said that she absorbed it! Golden arcs of electricity spread across the sword's surface, swirling and flowing.
Rose was now directly above Eloise, ready to strike down hard!
In that moment, Eloise felt a deep sense of helplessness.
From a young age, she had been a genius—an unprecedented prodigy in her family.
Some even claimed she would be the hope of House Windwhisper.
When her magic pattern began to manifest, she was hidden away.
Almost no one had heard of Eloise in House Windwhisper.
She had always studied magic, continually practicing, with her family's elders supporting her.
At first, they guided her, but eventually, no elder could instruct her as her learning ability outstripped their own.
So, she turned to self-study.
A prodigy who possessed both talent and diligence, she practiced magic tirelessly.
Yet now, before this sword, she realized all her efforts were meaningless!
She wanted to unleash magic, to fight for her final chance at survival. But…
Before the sword even arrived, the thunder came first!
The electrical energy from the sword had rendered Eloise unable to manipulate her magic pattern, leaving her mana in a dormant state.
She didn't know what to do or what she could do.
She felt frozen in place, her gaze fixed on the descending sword.
A single sword strike fell.
No sound.
No explosion.
Not even a shockwave.
Nina, standing at a distance, felt the terrible aura too.
Initially, she had worried about what might happen if they let that woman go; she could wreak havoc with her tier-silver powers.
However, Rose's subsequent maneuvers were beyond Nina's imagination.
Using the blade's tip to jump, she quickly caught up with Eloise. The most crucial element was the lightning bolt that struck Rose.
Nina couldn't decipher whether that was magic Rose had unleashed herself, but she sensed an overwhelmingly terrifying aura from that lightning. It was a feeling of imminent death.
As Rose's sword descended, Nina felt that sense of danger once more. Perhaps… this was merely magic that Rose had learned herself? Just sensing that aura was enough to send chills down her spine.
Though she was worried about Rose's safety, she hesitated to use her own magic to teleport closer. After Rose delivered her second strike, everything was still, as if that blow had simply vanished. Yet the air remained thick with danger.
Only when Rose appeared, carrying her sword, did Nina finally relax. "Rose, are you okay? I was really worried about you, but... I was so scared that I didn't dare to come over."
In response to Nina's concern, Rose smiled. "I'm fine. I just felt a bit exhausted after that last move."
"Oh, I see! Let me help you get some rest! Hold on to me." Nina took Rose's hand and placed it on her shoulder. The two vanished together.
The other students from Crossbridge Academy had set up a temporary camp nearby, providing a place for weary explorers to rest.
After returning to the camp, Rose laid down her giant sword and fell into a deep sleep.
Seeing Rose so fatigued, Nina found some large leaves to cover her like a blanket. Once she was done, Nina pondered and quietly returned to the previous spot.
She was genuinely curious about the outcome of Rose's final strike—what could have caused her to be so drained that she fell asleep immediately after?
In fact, it was remarkable that Rose could hold on until then. The moment Nina spotted Rose walking towards her, she could tell Rose was utterly exhausted. Thus, Nina took it upon herself to help Rose back to camp.
But Rose's final strike lingered in Nina's mind like a tickle that wouldn't go away. After ensuring Rose was settled, she made her way back.
The final blow hadn't caused any commotion.
Nina hadn't even heard a sound. If she hadn't seen Rose execute that strike with her own eyes, she might have doubted it even happened.
Recalling her memory, Nina approached the spot where Rose had last swung her sword. When she reached a nearby tree, she instinctively stopped.
For some reason, she felt an overwhelming desire to turn back. It was a strange, instinctual aversion.
Overcoming that feeling, Nina pressed on. As she passed the tree, she found an open area before her.
Indeed, it was an area devoid of anything—nothing at all. No corpses, no grass, no trees… just emptiness.
"How strange… Did Rose really kill her here?" Nina muttered to herself before leaving.