Ella's voice rang out so loudly that even the Witch of calamity, the thirteen guardians, and countless powerhouses turned their attention toward her, stunned.
They could hardly believe what they had just heard, thinking she must have lost her mind.
But Ella had already sensed their presence. She ignored them completely.
Nothing else mattered. All that consumed her was the need to kill the one standing before her.
She remained steady, waiting for the authority skill to take hold.
The Dark Emperor tilted his head slightly, the crimson slits in his helm narrowing.
He said nothing at first, simply staring at the girl whose body trembled, veins aglow, bones cracked, yet who still stood defiantly.
Then he laughed, the sound slow and cold.
"Hah... Hahahaha… You, you amuse me, brat."
He looked at her as though she'd gone mad, mocking her desperation in the face of death.
Then he spoke again, his voice like ice grinding against steel.
"You're interesting. No one has dared speak to me like that in a thousand years… except for one."
As he spoke, a dark aura shimmered to life around him, glowing with a sinister light. A memory stirred. From his back, a shadow emerged: a hollow ring of void circling like a scythe behind a god of death.
Countless divine senses locked onto the scene, shocked by the depth of his power. Even across vast distances, beings trembled.
Ella's eyes widened, but her worry wasn't his aura. It was the silence within. The system hadn't responded.
"What's going on?" she called out with her thoughts."System, why are you delaying?"
Ding
[Due to the host utilizing a Perfect Clone with active conscious control, the Authority Skill: Kneeling is currently bypassing high-order laws to enable temporary transference of its effect. Synchronization in progress—please wait a few seconds.]
Ella heard it and clenched her fists, her expression twisting with frustration.
She hadn't expected to face a moment where she was completely helpless, where her strength amounted to nothing.
"Damnit."
Blood stained her lips as she grit her teeth, her thoughts spiraling inward.
She hated this version of herself, the one too weak to execute her ultimate technique, the one who could only stand and watch as the situation slipped beyond her control.
Her gaze drifted into the empty space before her.
She began to reflect.
On her recklessness.
On her pride.
On the times she had underestimated her enemies and overestimated herself.
She thought of how she should have tested her opponent, how she should have been more cautious, more aware.
She saw it all clearly now.
Every mistake.
Every overlooked warning.
From those thoughts, a resolve began to form—not just to grow stronger, but to become wiser.
For herself.
For Olivia.
So that next time, they would be prepared for their future, no longer driven by arrogance, and never become like her clone, who had been toyed with and suppressed.
She reflected, vowing that something like this would never happen again.
After that deep reflection, she suddenly felt her soul refreshed.
Her pupils gleamed with newfound clarity, as if enlightenment had just dawned.
"Hmm… before this clone vanishes, I won't let him go so easily without gaining something first."
Meanwhile, on Mary's side, she stood beside her grandmother, confused. The battle was too far, and as a mortal, she couldn't see a thing.
She turned to her grandmother and said, "Grandma, I can't see anything. You said you'd let me watch it myself."
She pouted cutely.
The Witch of Calamity glanced down at her granddaughter. Seeing her puffed cheeks, she smiled gently and stroked her hair. "Alright. Grandma will let you see what I see. It might help you understand a few things."
Mary's eyes lit up with excitement, but before she could respond, her grandmother extended her hand.
A soft light glowed at her fingertips as she touched Mary's forehead, sharing her divine sense and allowing her to witness the battle through her eyes.
"Woah, this is amazing. My vision is so clear." Mary kept her eyes shut, sharing her grandmother's sight.
She knew opening them would break the connection, but excitement got the better of her.
Peeking at her grandmother, she smiled brightly. "Thanks, Grandma!" she giggled, then quickly closed her eyes again to continue watching.
Her vision shifted.
A dark figure emerged, cloaked in a shadowy aura that wrapped around his armor like a living storm.
The presence was ominous, regal, and overwhelming. Mary tilted her head.
"So this is the legendary deity, the Dark Emperor? Wow, he's so sinister and cool," she whispered in awe.
Beside her, the Witch of Calamity glanced down, shaking her head with a helpless smile. She loved this child too much, had spoiled her more than she realized.
Though she had meant for Mary to learn from watching, she hadn't expected curiosity to bloom like this.
Still, she said nothing, her hand gently resting atop Mary's head as they both observed.
Then Mary's focus shifted again, this time to the Dark Emperor's opponent.
She gasped.
There stood a girl in a crimson dress. Slightly taller than her. Beautiful despite the blood staining her lips.
Fierce, defiant eyes filled with rage and unyielding will. Even at a glance, she radiated pride and danger.
"Wow… so this is the girl who said those arrogant words? 'Kneel,' huh? She's quite the dominant type. I like it. Hahaha, this world really is just like a cultivation novel," Mary whispered, stars sparkling in her eyes.
Without hesitation, she opened her eyes again and tugged her grandmother's sleeve. "Grandma, can I hear them too? Please?"
The Witch of Calamity smiled and nodded. With a soft glow of her finger, Mary's senses deepened.
Now she could hear and see it all, as if she were truly there, watching events unfold with vivid, lifelike clarity.
"Amazing… it's so refreshing. I want to reach this kind of strength someday," she whispered, eyes full of wonder as she continued to watch.
Suddenly, a low, sinister laugh echoed through the shared vision. Mary shifted her gaze, locking onto the Dark Emperor.
She listened to his words, then watched in awe as a black hollow formed behind him, a circle of darkness so profound it made her mind reel.
For a moment, she felt as though she was witnessing something forbidden.
"This… this is so mystical. No wonder that fierce girl was beaten. She's actually fighting a god," Mary murmured, utterly captivated.
The dark aura rolling off the Dark Emperor was suffocating, heavy with authority.
Mary instinctively felt the urge to kneel, but her grandmother, the Witch of Calamity, noticed and gently stopped her.
So Mary held her ground, mesmerized by the divine spectacle unfolding before her.
Not only Mary, but every being who watched felt the same overwhelming urge.
Some fell to their knees without resistance, while others remained trapped in a daze, eyes wide with disbelief, questioning whether they were witnessing reality or a hallucination.
Mary heard a wave of murmurs ripple through the crowd.
She couldn't hide her amazement. Even figures her grandmother had once described as mighty and unshakable knelt in a stupor, powerless beneath the weight of the Dark Emperor's presence.
A small laugh almost escape her lips, but a sudden voice shattered the stillness.
"Recalling something? Don't mess with me, old coot. You're so pretentious."
A girl's voice, laced with mockery.
Mary's attention snapped toward the source, and there she was—Ella. Proud, fierce, her expression arrogant and unyielding.
Excitement bloomed on Mary's face.
"Whoa… are they going to fight?" she whispered, eyes locked on Ella.
Then came the Dark Emperor's response.
"Your spirit recovered already? Impressive. You're strange for a dying little brat."
He eyed Ella coldly. One of his hands remained behind his back, while his right hand extended. His voice dipped into a dark murmur.
"Allow me to demonstrate. Watch closely… as I erase you, a minor god."
Mary leaned forward, heart racing. She shifted her gaze back to Ella, hungry to see her response. Ella's eyes suddenly turned to ice. Without hesitation, she lifted a single finger and pointed it downward.
"Kneel."
The word fell like a divine command.
The Dark Emperor's fury ignited, but before he could react, invisible chains erupted around his limbs. They weren't forged of steel, but of something far more ancient and oppressive, raw formless force laced with scorn older than time.
The air thickened, twisted, and turned hostile, as if existence itself sought to expel him.
"Ugh…"
He struggled, but the strange force invade his body. His spine arched. His form trembled.
Then—
SWISH.
His body was hurled downward, smashing into the rubble below. A deep crater split the earth, and his forehead struck the ground.
Silence followed.
Mary's eyes widened, breath caught in her throat. Her grandmother stood frozen. The spectators, once mighty and now awestruck, could only stare in silent disbelief.
No one could comprehend what they had just seen.