Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 277 - 263: Fighting Aurianna 4

Athena gritted her teeth as she struggled to hold back Aurianna’s blade. Sparks flew as their weapons locked, but Aurianna’s strength was overwhelming, pushing Athena back step by step.

"Mother!" a loud voice called from nearby. It was a young girl wearing a luxurious dress who bore a striking resemblance to Athena, but looked more innocent. Her brown skin glowed under the moonlight, and her long black hair framed her face, followed by her piercing blue eyes.

"Hitoria!" Athena yelled in a panicked voice, her eyes trembling as her focus shattered.

"Oh, so a heartless woman like you—who profits from the slave trade—has children," Aurianna said with an evil grin. The grin alone sent shivers down Athena’s spine.

"Shit!" Athena cursed under her breath, her composure crumbling before she managed to distance herself from Aurianna. "Get her away from here, quickly. Do you want to foolishly die?!" she bellowed at the two bodyguards standing near Hitoria.

Without hesitation, the guards grabbed the protesting girl and started pulling her away. Hitoria struggled fiercely, her voice ringing with desperation. "Let me go! I need to see my mother!"

Athena’s anger flared, but her fear overpowered it. She knew why Hitoria had come—she had likely disobeyed orders and demanded to be brought to the their fight despite the danger. Now, the consequences of her presence were dire. Athena’s heart sank. Because at the moment she couldn’t get distracted if not she’ll die. .

Meanwhile, Hitoria’s thrashing continued as she was carried off. "If you don’t let me go I’ll have your heads once we get home!" Her screams echoed in the distance, though the guards remained resolute, sprinting as fast as they could.

Aurianna watched, tilting her head as if amused. "And what do you think would happen if I killed them?" she asked, her voice cold and her gaze fixed on Athena.

"Don’t you dare!" Athena roared, dashing forward and clashing blades with Aurianna once more and using her ice to freeze parts of Aurianna’s body.

"My, how touching," Aurianna said mockingly, easily parrying Athena’s strikes. And breaking the ice of her. "Such tender love makes my stomach churn with disgust. You’re nothing but human filth."

Aurianna’s blade whirled in an arc, slashing through Athena’s ice armour defense. Athena grunted, stumbling back as blood dripped from a fresh wound.

---

In the distance, Hitoria continued her struggle in a carriage pulled by droles, her sobs filling the confined space. "Mother is in trouble! Let me go! I need to see her!" she wailed, thrashing against the firm grip of the guard seated beside her.

"I’m sorry, Lady Hitoria, but we can’t let you go back," the guard said grimly.

Beside her, her older brother Lersit sat silently, his head lowered. His dark brown eyes reflected worry and fear. Hitoria turned her teary gaze toward him.

"Who was that woman attacking my mother? How dare they?!" she cried, her voice breaking with anger.

Lersit hesitated, his small hands clenched tightly in his lap. "I... I don’t know," he finally admitted, his voice trembling.

"Mother will come back home alive, right, Lersit?" Hitoria asked.

Lersit looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "I’m praying," he said softly, his palms pressed together.

Hitoria’s sobs grew louder, her small fists pounding against the cushioned walls of the carriage.

_____

Athena was nearing her limits. Blood dripped from numerous cuts on her body, her breathing labored as she struggled to hold her ground. Despite her best efforts, Aurianna’s relentless assault pushed her further and further back.

"You’re slipping," Aurianna taunted, twirling her blade with a casual grace. "What’s the matter, Athena? Worrying about that precious daughter of yours? I wonder if she’d scream like you if I got my hands on her."

"Don’t you dare speak about her!" Athena roared, lunging forward. Her ice blades shimmered brightly, frost trailing in the air as she swung them in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand.

Aurianna smirked, stepping aside with inhuman speed, her blade slicing towards her. Athena gasped as Aurianna’s saber grazed her shoulder, leaving a deep gash. She staggered back, clutching her wound, her vision blurring.

’I can’t die. I can’t die yet!’ Athena thought desperately, her breaths ragged as her body ached from the battle. Two grueling hours had passed, and her group was battered and bloodied. Meanwhile, Aurianna seemed to grow more dangerous, her attacks becoming sharper, faster, and more deadly.

’I never knew there would be a day I a Grand Human is fearing for my life,’ Athena chuckled nervously.

"Wait... she stopped," Dominid muttered, his voice tinged with both relief and suspicion as he noticed Aurianna standing still for the first time in a while.

Aurianna’s gaze drifted downward as she chuckled softly, "Chi, chi, chi... lalalalalala!" Her laughter grew louder, unsettling the air around her. Her hand moved to her neck, scratching at it almost absentmindedly. Something was clearly wrong.

"This feeling... Damn it." Her laughter abruptly stopped, replaced by a frustrated growl. "I knew this would eventually happen!" she hissed, pulling her hand away to reveal a glowing pink rose mark on her neck. Her eyes now bore two vivid pink crosses.

"Wait, you’re a Saintess?" Athena blurted out in shock, her composure cracking.

"And so what? That shouldn’t distract you," Aurianna snapped.

"But we’re from the same church!" Athena cried out, her hands trembling as she hesitated. She pulled off her mask, revealing the same glowing pink crosses in her eyes.

Aurianna cocked her head, her expression unimpressed. "And what of it? Did you think, because I’m the Saintess of Beauty, I’d suddenly be on your side?" she asked mockingly, her lips curling into a cruel smirk. "How naive."

In the distance, Avriel sat cross-legged, arms crossed in irritation. "Why is that woman still alive? I’m sick of sitting here," she complained.

Jade let out an exasperated sigh. "Aurianna’s not being serious. When she fought me, she never missed a shot—not once. But now? Look at this farce. She’s deliberately holding back. Those fools aren’t dodging her attacks because they’re skilled; it’s because she’s toying with them. What a waste of time."

"Aurianna, stop messing around and finish this already!" Jade yelled.

Jugi raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "You think she’ll hear you from here?"

"Oh, she’ll hear me," Jade replied confidently. "Her senses are sharp."

Sure enough, Aurianna’s voice echoed in his mind, a mix of amusement and defiance. "Jade, you’re such a bore. You don’t know how to enjoy yourself."

"I believe in efficiency," Jade retorted coldly.

"Whatever," Aurianna shrugged telepathically, before turning back to her opponents. Her gaze sharpened, her grin widening.

"I’m sorry for not taking you all seriously before," she declared, her voice ringing out across the battlefield. "But now, I’ll show you the full extent of my power!"

"You weren’t using your full strength?" Haruno stammered, his face pale with dread.

Aurianna’s smile grew sinister. "Oh, you poor thing. I’ve barely been trying. Now... let’s play for real."

"Chaos Realm," Aurianna said coldly.

The sky above fractured, the serene dark blue night sky replaced by an entirely different space made of different colors. It was as though they were between the real world and a parallel one.

Rainbow streaks shimmered across Aurianna’s body like living veins. Her crown, which was hiding now shone.

"Singing Parade," she whispered and from the rainbow sky, figures began to descend—strange beings with ugly forms. Ten of them held their buttons swinging it as new mini versions were born from Aurianna’s space moving strangely but yet at the same time there were organized.

"Chaos Angels... my Archeons," Aurianna continued and the ground beneath her seemed to melt, forming pools of viscous, black mud. From these grotesque pits emerged towering monsters, their misshapen angel forms forged from the nightmares of those slain by Aurianna’s hand. Their gaping maws snapped open, releasing roars so thunderous they shook the Chaos Realm.

"Her aura increased,.....this is insane," Getha stammered, her entire body trembling as she instinctively stepped back.

Hadina’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "So beautiful! Master had grown so much! One day, she’ll even surpass Vivian’s Chaos Realm!"

"What are those things?" Batholem finally managed to ask, his voice trembling but he managed to sound calm. He had been standing there watching silently not knowing how to feel about all of this. However he couldn’t deny his curiosity.

Zagan, grooming his fur answered. "Archeons. Master’s creations. They’re simply born from the bodies of the countless beings she’s killed."

"That many huh," Batholem blurted out nervously rubbing his hand. Peter’s words resounded in his mind once more. "You’ll need to choose which side you’re on. The side of a hopeful future or the side of maniacs. But following the righteous path you’ll definitely die."

____

Aurianna ignored their reactions, raising her blade high. "I summon the Round Table Knights: Queen Ipha the Berserker, Florence the Puppeteer, Nia the Knight, and Ruigo the Mage!"

With that, she something they didn’t expect. She severed her own arms, and replaced them with crystal versions instantly. She hurled the severed limbs into two of the portals that materialized behind her.

Without pausing, she severed her lower legs, replacing them with crystalline prosthetics before tossing them into two more portals. Finally, she reached up, gouging out one of her glowing eyes and threw it into the last but massive portal and massive mouths appeared biting them in one gulp before they disappeared into the darkness of the portal.

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the depths of the portals, forcing Athena and the others to clutch their ears. It wasn’t a sound of pain but one of raw, unrestrained power.