Chapter 31: Rank No. 7847

Liam emerged from the warehouse, walking slowly into the night with Yaela gently cradled in his arms.

A translucent notification screen flickered briefly into view

[Nega-Fusion Active —> Soul Absorption Complete]

The message dissolved into the darkness as quickly as it had appeared. Beside him, the bloodied axe floated with its golden patterns now stained crimson, the weapon that had delivered Ray’s final moments.

The memory flashed unbidden through Liam’s mind: the clean arc of the blade and the separation of Ray’s head from his neck. Yaela stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. Despite everything, Liam managed a reassuring smile. “Sit tight, Yae,” he murmured softly. “We’re going home.”

BOOM!

The ground erupted in a thunderous crash as a figure plummeted from the sky like a living missile, striking the earth mere meters ahead of them. Dust and debris billowed outward in all directions, obscuring Liam’s view.

As the dust settled, a woman emerged from the crater. Her long black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of shadow, framing a face marked by piercing red eyes that burned with barely contained fury. A sharp black suit jacket hung loosely over her shoulders, revealing a crisp white shirt beneath, complemented by tailored black pants.

Yaela tensed in Liam’s arms, her small body trembling. “Run away once I drop you, okay?” Liam’s voice was calm, but urgent. She nodded wordlessly, understanding the gravity of the moment. The instant her feet touched the ground, she darted sideways, desperate to escape the inevitable confrontation that was about to unfold.

Serafina’s eyes locked onto Liam with some form of intensity, and then she recognized him immediately, the same face from the USOV facility earlier today. “You…” Her voice cut through the night air like a blade. “Where is Ray?”

Her gaze shifted to the floating axe, and recognition dawned. The weapon’s golden patterns, now obscured by dried blood, were unmistakably Ray’s.

Her fury intensified, the air around her beginning to shimmer with barely controlled energy. “Boy, I won’t ask again,” she said, walking slowly towards him. “Where is Ray?”

Liam met her approach with unwavering composure, his eyes steady and fearless. “I killed the cunt.”

The words hit Serafina like a blow. Her magical energy erupted outward in a violent surge, the purple aura crackling with raw power. The force scattered debris across the abandoned factory grounds, broken glass, twisted metal rods, even the moss-covered vehicles were pushed aside by the sheer magnitude of her rage.

The ground beneath her feet spider-webbed with deep cracks, and her red eyes blazed with supernatural light. Liam braced himself, recognizing the danger. Serafina’s reputation as a ranked visor wasn’t built on empty threats.

…

Meanwhile, at USOV Headquarters Red alert indicators flashed across multiple monitoring screens throughout the command center. Unlike the blaring sirens that accompanied security breaches, these warnings appeared silently and reserved for detecting high-level magical energy signatures within their surveillance network.

The Director appeared at the monitoring station with his expression growing grave as he studied the energy readings displayed on the screens. The numbers were staggering. “That’s ranked visor activity,” he announced grimly to Kent, who had appeared at his shoulder. “Get me my gear, quickly!” the Director commanded.

Kent nodded sharply and departed without hesitation.

…

“Then you will pay with your life,” Serafina declared, her voice carrying this weight of absolute certainty as a massive purple magic circle materialized beneath her feet and from its depths, a weapon began to emerge; a scythe that dwarfed its wielder in both size and menace.

The massive crimson blade radiated alot of energy, while what appeared to be a demonic skull was fused into the weapon’s head. Hollow eye sockets glowed sinisterly, and twisted horns jutted from its cranium. Crimson energy particles drifted continuously from the blade’s edge. Little Demon—that was the weapon’s name.

Liam quickly assessed the situation. The sheer magical energy radiating from the scythe placed it firmly in S-class territory and Serafina herself was not Rank No. 7847 for nothing. This wasn’t going to be like his fight with Ray, If that could even be called a fight.

“I guess I’ll have to respond appropriately then,” Liam said, his own magical energy surging upward in response. He extended his right hand, and Storm Bringer materialized in his palm, already crackling with electric blue energy. In his left grip, he held the mini axe he’d claimed from Ray, its golden patterns now serving a new wielder. Lightning began to course through his body in preparation to face the faction leader.

Serafina’s lips curved into a devious smirk as she raised Little Demon, then swung the massive scythe diagonally, releasing a purple arc of energy that cut through the air towards Liam. The attack’s sheer scale was overwhelming.

Even as Liam blitzed sideways, moving faster than human eyes could follow, the energy arc continued its destructive path, cleaving through the warehouse behind them as if the structure were made of paper, and upon impact, the entire building erupted in a massive explosion.

One direct hit from that weapon would be fatal, Liam realized grimly. However, before he could formulate a counter-attack, Serafina was already upon him. Her speed was breathtaking, especially as her suit jacket was still floating in mid-air where she’d been standing initially.

She brought Little Demon down in a devastating two-handed strike, with the demonic skull on its head grinning with so much malice. Reacting on pure instinct, Liam raised both weapons above his head in a desperate parry. He planted his right foot back and his left slightly forward, bracing for impact against the concrete ground.

When Little Demon met his crossed weapons, the force drove him downward, his feet creating crater-sized impressions in the asphalt. The struggle was fierce, weapons grinding against each other as both fighters poured their strength into this contest.

Liam however, could feel himself beginning to lose ground as Serafina’s raw power was simply overwhelming. Just as his defense was about to crumble, Liam’s eyes blazed with electric blue light, his body becoming a conduit for pure lightning energy and releasing an omnidirectional wave that erupted outward in all directions. At such close range, even Serafina couldn’t dodge in time.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep