Chapter 2616: Growl

The world was split in two. The small, seemingly insignificant dagger couldn't seem to be stopped, slicing through everything it came in contact with. A long tail of split space and void fluctuated in its wake, the split in reality so clean and real that it couldn't seem to immediately mend itself. No, it was more like the dagger itself had imposed its reality onto the world, leaving echoes of "cut" in its path that bent and twisted the laws of physics.

Large swaths of the surrounding army died. They thought themselves to have just gained some reprieve from Aina, only to be thrown toward another hellish nightmare.

Fear and inferiority colored their hearts as they rushed to get out of the way, until...

BANG!

The dagger collided with one of the pillars of the Council, its tail wagging so hard that it seemed like it might break it as well.

A clash of epic proportions was unveiled. Space and time seemed to fissure like glass, rippling outside like strikes of dispersing lightning.

The dagger seemed truly about to pierce even through this pillar until its body gave way beneath the pressure, shattering and falling to the wayside.

The Council Members in the distance watched on with constricted pupils.

They had seen it for themselves. As much as Silvan loved to be overprotective of his tail was just about as strong as it was. That thing was wrapped in so many layers of space that if you were too weak, just trying to grab it would probably kill you.

And yet, it was severed as though it wasn't even there, sliced apart and strewn onto the ground as though it was any other useless, hacked off limb.

But what shocked them even more than that was the clash of the pillars.

The Gathering of Kingdoms had many facilities that hadn't been tended to by the God Beasts of Creation in countless generations. They were all too young to even know the number of Gatherings that had taken place since the last God Beast died.

Due to this, the various treasures and facilities in this region had long since fallen from their pinnacle standards, and many had fallen even below Demi-God standards as well.

However, among these treasures, the pillars happened to one of the few that were in relatively good condition. Aside from the Gathering Stele that was still firmly on a level all its own, the pillars were undoubtedly the strongest remaining, having a level that was infinitesimally close to the standards of a Demi-God Life Grade treasure.

And yet, just now, it had almost been pierced by that casually thrown dagger.

They had no idea how Aina even had such a weapon on hand. Wasn't it said that the Vast Dream Pavilion had already been gutted of anything of value?

If Aina had been in a life or death situation, it would have almost been more acceptable. At the very least, it would have felt like a last ditch effort. But Aina hadn't quite been there either, and the clash could have gone either way.

Did that mean she had more of those weapons?

"This is already her ninth battle," Orion said somberly. "If she wins one more time, they will survive."

Silence fell. Had they already waited for too long? Should they risk their lives in a final attempt to take her down?

Aina's red gaze met Silvan's similarly furious gaze. He kept looking back toward the stump that was now his tail, cracked waves of space and spurting blood flying out from the wound.

ROAR!

He lost his rationality entirely, rushing toward Aina like a maddened beast. He had no idea that this was Leonel's doing, all he knew was that the dagger had come from Aina. And even if he did know, it would change nothing.

He wanted to make them pay, make them bleed.

How dare they profane his tail?!

The White Spectral Tiger appeared before Aina in a blur. This race of beasts was too well known for their speed and attack power. He was like a whirlwind of space, cutting through like a drilling bit and cutting across the large distance as though it was nothing more than a single step.

Aina swung her ax to meet the wild charge and her arms trembled the moment they did. Her blade couldn't reach the creature and her swing was stopped by a formless air.

She used the momentum to glide back, but the tiger suddenly accelerated again the moment her feet left the ground, closing in with such speed that she could hardly react as it bit down on her leg.

Aina should have screamed out in pain and horror, but she didn't seem to feel the jaws around her thigh at all. Her gaze was filled with a blood thirsty light as the spatial storm began twisting and raging through her defenses, trying to break free of the final lines of Force she had up on her body.

The teeth tore into her leg, making it down to the bone. The beast gnawed and twisted its head, and tried to rip it off in one go.

Aina choked up on her Battle Ax, the savage light in her eyes growing as she began to madly punch it down. Her hands alternated, one driving down a fist and another the blade of her ax.

CRACK!

She made it through the layer of space protecting the beasts, her fist, wrists and forearm shredding to pieces.

But she didn't seem to feel it at all.

Her flesh nearly fell off the bone as she attacked again and again.

Silvan should have just driven her off the stage, he should have just tossed her out and claimed the victory if he could. But he was too consumed by fury.

He wanted her leg, he wanted to make her suffer the same fate he had, to lose a limb that was no different from life and death to her.

A guttural growl came from his throat as he bit into bone, wrenching to the side.