‎”So you were born from her essence as well, what an interesting one you are,” Rullein said, staring down at Aris with its draconic eyes. “I don’t like seeing her essence in someone else’s body, especially toward an arrogant race like you, Orthias,” she added.

‎Aris smirked as she crossed her arms, finding the Dark Spirit’s hypocrisy hilarious. She had been around Rasmus for so long that she had learned self-control. If it was herself from before meeting Rasmus, she would have raised her sword and tried to kill the Dark Spirit.

‎”Why do you think I’m here? Don’t you find the pattern to be similar to my predecessor?” Aris asked with her brows raised, staring back at the Dark Spirit. “Look at me thoroughly, and tell me what do you see,” she challenged the Dark Spirit as she dispersed the Mana around her body.

‎Rullein stared into Aris’s eyes and found out that Aris showed feelings and emotions. It was a raw moment for Aris to be seen through by someone else other than Rasmus. She had learned that emotions and feelings weren’t a hindrance if used correctly just like how Rasmus did it.

‎”Tell me, do I look like those Orthias?” Aris asked with her eyes still on Rullein’s eyes.

‎”No, you’re different from them. You’re similar to your predecessor, but different in a way,” Rullein answered, however, she still found Aris’s bloodline to be arrogant and didn’t like her at all.

‎”Let’s see, you’re calling me arrogant but you’re acting like one as well, such hypocrisy. Why don’t we settle this in a spar?” Aris said as she arched her brows, challenging Rullein for the first time.

‎Rullein’s eyes widened when Aris finally took the bait on purpose. Her gaze was enough to bring turmoil into the whole forest as the wind blew the trees and created havoc on the peaceful night. Yur was screeching in fear as Yur hid behind Aris’s back, already hating it to be near those two.

‎”Rullein…” Rasmus called in a soft voice.

‎The tension and the heavy atmosphere suddenly dispersed in an instant. Rullein slowly turned around when her given name was spoken. It had been a while since someone called the name that Aristoria gave her, and the way Rasmus called her name was similar to how Aristoria used to call her.

Rullein suddenly absorbed the oozing dark purple smoke around her, and slowly molted herself into a dark orb that was as big as a basketball. It was how big her spirit form was, and compared to lesser spirits that weren’t bigger than glitter, it was enough to tell how powerful she was. Yur was shocked by Rullein’s size because Yur was barely bigger than a tennis ball, and Yur realized the gap in power was too extreme.

The Rullein’s ball of spirit suddenly expanded and exploded, releasing a gentle breeze of wind with a unique scent that no words could describe. Rasmus, Aris, and Yur finally saw Rullein’s human form, a pale woman as white as snow with her long straight jet-black hair. Her bang covered her forehead and almost covered her eyebrows. Her eyes were bright orange, enough to tell that she wasn’t a human by anyone who saw those eyes.

Rullein coated her body with the black smoke, sticking into her skin and turning into a slim and see-through black dress. She stared at her long white nails before she raised her right hand, pulling out her black dragon wings from her back ribs. She then created two long black swords from the smoke that came out from the gap in her nails.

“That face…” Rasmus said with his eyes narrowed. “That was my mother’s face,” he pointed out.

Rullein looked at Rasmus, staring into his eyes with that bright and friendly face of his mother, unlike Aris’s face who seemed cold and expressionless. She then carefully placed her fingers on her cheeks as if she didn’t want to ruin the face of the woman who raised and took care of her.

“Yes, it gives me peace when I look at her face from the water’s reflection. I know this would disturb you, but she’s the only face that I want to put on mine,” Rullein responded, her voice deep and yet soft, similar to Aristoria’s voice.

“You can wear her face, I don’t mind it at all,” Rasmus said as he shook his head. “What are you going to do with that sword?” He glanced at the black swords in Rullein’s hands.

“I want to have fun with her,” Rullein answered without showing any hesitation.

Rasmus raised his brows, glancing at Rullein and Aris, back and forth. He realized that he had found another battle crazy person. He didn’t know if he should stop her or not, but he knew it wasn’t his place to stop them from doing whatever they wanted.

“Can you do it somewhere so it won’t disturb my people who’s resting in your forest?” Rasmus asked with his brows raised.

“Of course. We won’t be fighting here,” Rullein answered as she redirected the dome of black smoke toward her right hand where she was pointed behind Rasmus.

The black smoke became an oval shape as it moved in circles that made it look like a portal. It surprised both Aris and Rasmus when they saw that Rullein could create a spatial space with her will.

“Well then, have fun, you two,” Rasmus said as he stared at both of them. “Yur, you can come with me,” he glanced at Yur as he nodded.

Yur nodded and hurriedly flew toward Rasmus and hid behind his back. Rasmus then pulled out his sword and Aris’s sword from the spatial ring. He tossed the swords at Aris, and she caught them without having her look at the swords. She had been wanting to find someone that she could go all out again since it had been a while.

“Have fun, Lady Aris…” Yur said quietly.

Aris nodded and then she walked toward the portal with Rullein walking in the front. Rasmus and Yur watched those two disappear into the portal like they were being devoured by it. The portal suddenly dispersed, and it made Yur panic because Yur was afraid that Aris wouldn’t come back. However, Rasmus assured Yur that those two wouldn’t kill each other.

“Let’s go back to the village,” Rasmus said as he looked at the peaceful night sky above him.

“Yes…” Yur nodded and turned back into an owl, resting on his shoulder.

When Aris entered the spatial space, she was taken aback that the inside of the spatial space was exactly the same as the Trivula Forest. She looked around at how spacious it was, and the only difference was that there was no sky, only pitch black that seemed to have no end.

“Tell me, what’s your intention with him?” Rullein asked as she disappeared and reappeared in the distance. “You who have been following him, using him, and helping him. What’s exactly that you’re after?” She asked, her voice echoed throughout the forest.

“That’s none of your business,” Aris answered as she swung her swords, warming up her wrists. “You’re asking as if you have the obligation to take care of him,” she stared at Rullein in the far distance, floating right above the island on the lake.

“I do, Aristoria entrusted him to me. I’m going to be his guardian, and I will follow him when the time comes. All she wanted was to let her son to grow up into someone that he wanted, not someone who got stirred by someone else, like you,” Rullein responded as she pointed her sword at Aris. “Now tell me. What’s your intention?” She asked again, this time with a cold expression.

“I’ll answer your question if you win against me,” Aris smirked as she readied her stance, coating her body with the immense Aura and bright blue energy of Orthais. “Prove yourself worth of standing by his side,” she said as she dashed forward and flew toward Rullein beyond the speed of sound.

Rullein spread her wings as she swung her swords at Aris with all her might. The moment they clashed with their swords, the spatial space immediately cracked by the shockwave. Rullein expected that to happen, and it only made her even thrilled as she reinforced the spatial space.

“Be careful… I was taught by the best…” Rullein said as her eyes began to glow with trails of dark orange energy around her eyes.

“You were taught by her. I was reborn from her…” Aris’s eyes glowed bright blue, leaving trails of bright blue energy around her eyes.

The moment they both released their energies, the spatial space cracked once again. Neither could overpower the other, shocked by each other’s strength. One who was believed to be the best warrior of Orthias, and the other believed to be the only being that was born from the strongest being in the world. Both were still buds, and yet they both showed power that no humans could stop.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep