Chapter 1258: Ambush [9]

Personal Reality.

Surprisingly, Iris realized one of the strongest abilities of Creation from the start. Though it was incomplete, it could be considered a testament to her ten thousand years of comprehension.

A formless energy wave spread from her body and encapsulated the space inhabited by all but the Marionette Lord, superimposing a different form of reality onto what already existed.

This ability, by all intents and purposes, was for creation. It was meant to make something similar to Damien's Sanctuary, which could be used however the creator pleased.

However, wasn't this best for Iris?

After all, once she made her incomplete Personal Reality, she was once again put in contact with a force that was nigh absent from the Ancient Battlefield.

Universal Law.

WHOOOOOOOSH!

Iris suddenly regained a portion of the power she held in the lower universe, the power that made her feared.

Without waiting a single instant, she flashed forward, closing the distance between her and Acian as she pushed her hands together to form a seal.

'Bind.'

Acian tried to move, creating a blood wave to push Iris away, but before he could complete his movements, his body was bound as if a rope was tied around him.

'Seal.'

In the same instant, Iris gave another command and sealed his mana.

He couldn't prevent her approach at all, and as he watched with widened eyes, she appeared right before him.

"Die."

She swept her arm through the air, a move to cleanly decapitate him.

However, he wasn't alone.

Clang!

Treya appeared from the void and used a dagger to deflect Iris' arm while swinging the other one at her neck.

Iris glanced over coldly and flicked her finger.

'Expand.'

Space stretched to infinity. Despite her movement speed remaining the same, Treya couldn't even begin to close the distance between them.

"Poison, as expected of an assassin."

The reason Iris couldn't take the hit directly was precisely because of the poison that was already corroding the skin on her arm.

Demigod poisons were far more terrifying than regular ones. If it had the capability to harm a Divine Vessel, it had the potential to infiltrate the soul.

These poisons absolutely couldn't be contracted if one could help it, and if they were, they had to be expelled immediately.

Luckily for Iris, she was currently the overlord of this space.

She flicked her finger again, and the poison collecting in her skin appeared in the air as a globular floating ball.

Glancing back at Treya, she smiled lightly and moved again, stealing the poison coating the daggers as well.

"Just in time."

BANG!

A terrifying arc of lightning approached from the back. A spear shot towards her back with untold speed, but Iris wouldn't allow it to reach her.

'Lightning.'

The best way to fight the combative element was with a stronger variation of itself.

From the sky above, a bolt of pure Heavenly Lightning struck down, evaporating Helen's spear and traveling into her body.

"Khhh...!"

She hissed in pain as her mana collided with the stronger lightning.

She moved to cleanse it, but in that moment, a substance entered her body through her pores.

"Enjoy."

Iris smiled.

The poison was properly redistributed.

Now, it was time to get back to what she was originally doing.

She looked over at the bound Acian, who was practically trembling in fear.

"Have you returned to your senses somewhat? I'm sure the Marionette Lord isn't making you cower," she said scornfully.

"That's good. Since you are mentally present, fully understand the consequences of betraying your homeland."

She shoved her palm onto his face.

"Heavenly Flames."

The Heavenly Flames, one of the strongest flames on the Heavenly Flame Index and its namesake. It came as an envoy of Universal Law and barely appeared in the universe, but it only had one purpose.

To burn a target to the extent of its sins.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!"

Acian screamed out in agony. A massive blaze consumed his body, but instead of killing him directly, it burned through his vessel and soul, slowing down time so he could experience thousands and thousands of years of torture every second.

'Transmit.'

Iris didn't miss the chance to cause greater damage.

She found the source of his connection with the Marionette Lord in his soul and forced it open for the flames to traverse.

The Marionette Lord would definitely cut it off before experiencing anything noteworthy, but the humiliation was all Iris wanted to give them.

In just a few seconds after opening a Personal Reality, Iris had taken complete control over the situation.

The amount of poison in Helen's body was overwhelming. Her body and soul would be melted into sludge with time, and the pain she was in wouldn't allow her to participate in the battle.

Acian's state didn't need to be mentioned either. Just like his co-puppet, he would only die after enduring soul-rending torture.

Now, Treya and the Insect Lord.

The Insect Lord was one matter. He had yet to make any serious moves after freeing himself from the space prison, but he hadn't taken much damage from the Divine Energy explosions either.

'Judging by his expression, he must've lost a considerable number of bugs to protect himself. If I just rile him up a bit more...'

The Insect Loed was a coward. He never fought on the frontlines because of the fear he held for his life, and when he did, he would always make sure he was in an absolutely advantageous position.

Losses like the one he faced against Prismatic Sun Holy Land only served to make him more cowardly, and the chances of him bringing out the truly deadly skills in his arsenal, those he wouldn't be able to use again once he let them loose, was nil.

Therefore, Iris had to push him.

Iris was well-known, so he definitely knew her affiliation. His rage and hatred due to that was likely the reason he chose to participate in this battle at all.

Iris also worked to exacerbate this feeling by humiliating him instead of making any serious moves against him, and above all, the torture of these Demigod Puppets would've reflected in his eyes as his future if he continued to stay still.

It was only a matter of time before Iris received what she wanted from him, so until then, she had to take care of the less worthy prey.

Treya, the last Demigod Puppet controlled by the Marionette Lord, was still furiously trying to find an opening in Iris' stance,

She was drifting through the void like a lone asteroid unseen by all, charging an attack that would surely kill the enemy without offering a chance for resistance.

Or at least, that's what she thought.

Iris shoved her arm out and clenched space between her fingers.

Crash!

Space itself shattered, revealing Treya's position instantly.

Her eyes widened in panic as she rapidly tried to retreat, but it was already too late.

Iris was upon her, and she'd already understood the best torture to use against a dweller of the darkness like her.

Wasn't it simple?

'Purification.'

Any and all things would be purified and become one with the mana of the world.

However, if those things were harmful to the ecosystem, they'd have to be burned by light until they could become beneficial.

More than anyone else, Iris was astonished by her abilities.

The enemies she was struggling against were now toys for her to play with.

This was her true power.

This was the power she was blocked from by the actions of others.

She relished in that feeling.

In the second she had before she had to return to battle, she felt it in all its glory, basking in its radiance.

Her body felt light, and her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest from all her excitement.

And now, there were only two enemies left.

Iris grinned to herself, confidence filling every corner of her vessel and soul.

It was time to end this fight...

...and make her debut on a grander stage!