Chapter 2612: Stead

Aina suffered the first strike, blocking with a swing of her ax. But the strength was so great that it blew her hands up, almost knocking the weapon out of her hands entirely.

The second came even faster, slashing against an opening in her stomach.

Battle Ax Force bloomed and spiraled, forming a protective barrier. But that just sapped at more of Aina's stores, both her Force and her mind and focus.

Even then, it didn't work well.

The barrier shattered, slashing against her abs and leaving her military garb tattered and almost torn through entirely.

Her body flew out and she landed heavily on the ground, barely managing to resist falling to a knee as the third strike came.

"You can always give up, lady," a laughter echoed with an eerie coldness, "so long as you're willing to take the risk, that is."

If Aina lost a match, she would have to win the others in dominant fashion to have a chance. If she dragged out the battles like this, she would just have points deducted instead. By then, even if she managed to eke out nine total victories, there was no way the Stele would judge her as being worthy of the Finals.

Nothing outside of this arena would be taken into account. As far as Orion and everyone else was concerned...

This was over.

The third strike landed, and blood pooled at the edge of Aina's lip. Even with the arena entirely cracked, she could feel her heels reaching the very edge of it.

Suddenly, somehow standing in the air, Orion appeared before her.

"Haha, you didn't think I would just let you fall out, right?"

Orion's whip lashed out, and in that instant, Aina's aura flared.

She turned around like she was wrapped in lightning, reaching out with a hand and grabbing the whip out of the air.

Before Orion could react, Aina pulled down forcefully.

Whatever technique Orion was using to stay in the air shattered under her pure strength, and he was driven into the ground with such force that he was buried up to his hips.

Leonel's, or rather Orion's, eyes blinked in surprise, not quite understanding what just happened. How had her strength suddenly exploded?

Looking at Aina, still heaving for breath, her body radiating with murderous intent, Orion felt like he understood.

It wasn't that she was so tired that she couldn't display more strength; it was rather that her weakness was a form of rejuvenation. She was trying to use less strength than her body could recover, and he had slipped up.

A bit annoyed, Orion sneered. "You've already exposed yourself; the next person won't make the same mistake as I did."

Aina didn't seem to hear him.

"For what you've done today, you've already signed your death writ."

Despite her heavy breathing, those words rang loud and clear. A cold shiver ran up Orion's spine, however he hid it with an even deeper sneer.

"Survive first, then think about issuing threats."

Aina had already disappeared. Whether she even heard his words or not was unknown.

...

Aina appeared again amidst a mountain of corpses. It felt like she was staring at a field of treasure and yet she was unable to touch even a single hint of it.

She could feel a familiar rage pooling up inside her, a furious rage that came from her Berserk God Lineage Factor.

It had been a long time since she lost her mind in battle. In fact, the last time was the Joan Zone. It was something that she had gotten under control quite easily due to her Clairvoyance.

However, these people were really pushing her buttons. The fact she didn't get a chance to kill Orion was really pissing her off.

Her blood rumbled, and she felt something pulling inside of her.

There were multiple things that Aina could do to recover without using Blood Force. Well, at the very least, they would help her not be so tired.

There was Leonel's comprehension of Vital Star Force, for one. It would synergize with her as well.

But she also couldn't perform too well. If she looked like she was having an easy time, who knew what else they would pull out?

She had to force herself to toe the line, and not allow her emotions to dictate her actions.

A lot like Leonel, she had her own battles with the tug Forces put on her. Right now, she was stewing in that rage.

It was hard to tell exactly where her coercion abilities came from. Her Ability Index and Lineage Factors synergized too well. From an outsider's perspective, it was hard to tell what was what.

But she knew well.

Her coercion didn't come from her Ability Index, nor was it her Soul Clairvoyance or Blood Sovereignty, though both were a huge amplifier of it.

The root of the ability came from the Berserk War God Lineage Factor. That was why it had appeared only after she fully got rid of her curse, a curse that specifically targeted this Lineage Factor of hers to begin with, did she finally unleash it.

The coercion of Berserk War God was a display of mental superiority. However, with that came its own drawbacks.

It was rooted in an endless desire for battle, a fiendish pursuit of blood and carnage, a will forged through iron and war that affected not only those around you...

But yourself as well.

That was why Brazingers had many mental issues. Their coercion ate away at not only those around them, but themselves as well.

Aina had kept her coercion suppressed for all this time because she was well aware of this. But now that she had become a God Childe, she thought that she was in a better position to use it.

She didn't expect, though, that it would be strong enough to influence even her Clairvoyance.

However, as she felt this feeling... she realized that it wasn't entirely negative either.

She looked up, finding the skies had already long since filled with Force-fueled attacks.

'He could do it if he was in my place...' Aina thought to herself, her golden irises flashing with red that quickly blinked in and out of existence. '... I will do it in his stead.'