The nobles standing at a distance listened to her every word, and it affected them like magic. They felt like trash, a foul taste rising in their mouths, and powerless in the situation. There were a few who actually liked the situation—but not the prince. In everyone's eyes, he had become trash.
Prince Belactus thought, 'Huh, this is too much, and I am sure my brother will not stand after this.' Prince Belactus also stood back at a distance. Why? Because there is a difference between bravery and foolishness.
The room shook with the power and abilities of Darkness. She stood against seven people and created seven copies of herself. These were seven different forms, all wearing orange loose clothes made from Astrum. However, the difference was in the formations inscribed on the clothes.
These were the seven powers of Darkness, representing: Control, Enchantment, Absorption, Transformation, Combination, Will, and Clearance.
These seven powers combined made Darkness unbeatable, but to face them she split them apart while maintaining her basic power.
She attacked them all. They looked identical, but their powers created the difference.
The first one attacked with precise movement. Lord Zeldard felt nearly no fluctuations of energy, as if she was not even present there. She moved and struck at Lord Zeldard. He blocked it but felt the control in her strike—it pushed him back with sheer power. He had never seen such control from anyone.
'It's like she can control every part of her body as she wants… even the soul feels as if it is hers.'
Amazed, he still retaliated and pushed Darkness back. She controlled her movement perfectly and landed on her feet.
"Good, you are a good opponent to test this ability of mine. I actually never used it before," she said and moved, clashing sword against sword. They attacked with powers but also dodged at precise timings before the strikes could connect.
The second one used enhanced power. Her movements looked normal, but the speed and strength were overwhelming. Her attacks were so strong they pressured the Royal Warrior Chief.
"{Focus Battle Aura} {Mountain Shatter Strike}!" the Chief roared, ready to end it instantly.
However, Darkness silently enhanced her own power using her ability and countered.
"{Auto Block} {Instant Counter}!"
She didn't give him even a second to observe. The Royal Warrior Chief was forced back several feet, a dent left on his special enchanted armor—one mixed with Bromus and other magic metals.
The Royal Mage fought against the Darkness with absorption ability—a nightmare match. He attacked with spells, only to see them absorbed.
"Today you'll see true power! [Greater Elemental Ray]!" he shouted.
A ray of five colors burst forth, representing the five elements: Earth, Water, Thunder, Fire, and Air. It was a basic 8th-rank combined spell, powerful enough to greatly harm any living being. It could even resonate with nature, strengthening itself by absorbing attacks of the same nature as it passed through weaker elemental resistances.
"Huh, child's play," Darkness said as a circle appeared, covering her whole body. The attack struck her, but she absorbed it completely—shocking everyone.
"Your attack is powerful, but you don't even understand the spell you used, so it is not effective against me."
Her words stunned the audience, but soon they understood.
"[Greater Elemental Ray]!" she cast, but this time a gray light emerged. It was the same attack, but the difference was like heaven and hell. The Royal Mage tried to stop it, but his defenses shattered.
"Impossible! You absorbed my attack and used it with your own power!" he cried, throwing up [Greater Elemental Shield] to block the onslaught. But his power was lower.
The barrier held for only a few seconds before breaking. The attack struck him.
"Haa… the elements fused, creating a perfect combo that can only be stopped by [Absolute Elemental Defense]. You are not strong enough," she said, making him realize his mistake.
"[Damage Transfer]!" the Royal Mage shouted, sacrificing mana instead of blood to save himself from physical damage.
Another form of Darkness fought with unique moves—glowing feet, fists covered in aura, slashing claws of light. She transformed her aura like a beast, enhancing her strength. The royal knight facing her couldn't keep up and was struggling.
"{Heavy Body Push}!" he shouted, using his shoulder to push her—but only he was pushed back.
'Let's enjoy it,' she thought with amusement. Moving at extreme speed, she appeared behind him and shoved him with a giant aura-made hand to increase the impact. The humiliation was unbearable, but the warrior stood again—only to be shoved down once more as she transformed the floor beneath him into a slippery surface.
Another Darkness, using Combination power, burst with energy as mana and physical strength fused, overwhelming her opponent. She crushed the royal knight.
Another one bent the world itself with her Will. The floor turned to mud, then hardened into something stronger than steel—just by her thought. The mage fighting her was helpless. He tried [Transform Earth] and [Energy Blast], but his spells shattered, unable to manifest.
"You can't fight me with something I have mastered," Darkness said. She pinned him down, forcing him to remain trapped while she calmly sat, watching the others fight.
The last Darkness fought with her Clearance power—seeing all movements, spell circles, illusions, and hidden tricks. A concealed weapon thrown by the mage was easily detected and dodged.
"Hmph, so what if you have good reflexes? [Sense Disturb]! [Illusion Arrow]! [Thunder Web]!" he chanted, attacking to disrupt her senses, blind her with illusions, and then trap her.
But Darkness was unaffected. Her ability negated the simple sensory magic, and she not only dodged but also cut through the illusion arrow and the lightning web.
The battle created shockwaves and energy blasts that shook the hall. The nobles watched in awe, frozen, not daring to move.
"Darkness, you are going against the royal family! On my authority, I declare you a criminal!" First Prince Belactus shouted.
Everyone felt an awkward wave of dread. They knew this would not help—it would only make things worse. Some even considered fleeing.
News spread quickly as others from outside arrived, witnessing the chaos.
The second prince was healed by a mage but remained unconscious by the prince's order.
All seven forms of Darkness smiled and said:
"Do you think I care? If he does not apologize, I will kill him for his actions."
It was an absolute declaration. Everyone—including the princes—felt a chill crawl up their spine.
'Prince Ametrine, what have you done…' most of them thought.
Darkness was known for her righteous stubbornness. Once, years ago, she had fought an enemy commander and a small army for hours—alone with only a handful of guards—holding out until reinforcements came. Many remembered that tale.
"Huh? What…? Chains? Divine magic? Dragon magic? I can't break it… It's a perfect-rank spell at least! It's a bounding law magic!"
Everyone saw it—the light of divine bindings, shocking the entire room. Silence fell, for they knew things could turn bloody here.
"How insolent, Darkness. Why do you fight here?"
A voice filled with authority rang out. Everyone turned to see a man with golden hair and purple eyes enter, carrying the unmistakable symbol and power of the royal family.