Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1613 Fleeting Caress

Starellʼs eyes widened. Even she didnʼt know why Nosphaleen had suddenly decided to do this. She hadnʼt participated or interfered in the battle at all—not even secretly.

All things considered, there was absolutely no reason for her to take this sort of action.

In fact, Starell had even been standing outside the range of Nosphaleenʼs field of falling blossoms.

Despite this, the flap of Nosphaleenʼs wings pushed her speed to yet another level. At this point, it wasnʼt just like teleportation-it was teleportation, reality itself folding in on itself to facilitate Nosphaleenʼs movements.

Though taken off guard, Starellʼs reaction was fast. She tapped a foot and slid back, her toes curling in a peculiar way that seemed to only accelerate her faster.

Her eyes watched the swing of the trident pass right before her nose.

”I have ”

She tried to speak, but then a spike of shocking pain ripped through her chest. Her robes sheared apart, her flesh compressing as her bone nearly shattered on impact.

[Sinuous Grace].

Starellʼs perception of distance was completely distorted, her pupils dilating and pulsing in odd waves. She had been trapped in a twisting illusion that felt so very much like reality.

Because it was exactly that.

Nosphaleenʼs trident spun in her hands and she took a strong step forward, the trident thrusting out thrice in quick succession. Rolling waves of space and gravity bent onto its body, the earth beneath their feet rippling as though the moon had begun to affect it just as easily as it did the shores of the ocean.

Starell tried to dodge three times and failed all three times.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Her body curved, blood spurting out of her mouth as she was sent flying back like a meteor.

This didnʼt last for long.

[Veil of Effervesce].

She smashed against an invisible boundary, her body reflecting back at Nosphaleen just as fast as it had been sent flying.

Nosphaleen raised her trident high above her head, moving it with such force that its polearm bent in the opposite direction, curling above her head like a pair of god hands had grabbed it from either end, bending it into obedience.

She stomped a foot onto the ground, her wings spreading out with such force that harsh winds kicked up and forests for dozens of meters were wiped out in erratically shredded bits and pieces of blackened wood.

Starellʼs pupils constricted and she realized the situation was bad.

The wings on her ankles flared out as she crossed her arms over her chest. However, just as she was about to act BANG.

-

Leia appeared between the two, her palm reaching up and catching the length of the trident before it could slash down.

The world fell into silence for the briefest of instances before violent winds erupted. The ground beneath the two cratered, but both hung in the air, their telekinesis fighting against the sway of the winds.

Leiaʼs smile was gone, her gaze entirely deadpan. It carried a weight to it that could have forced the sun to dim and the moon to crumble.

[Fleeting Caress].

Nosphaleen shattered her oppressive presence, activating yet another Gene Beast Form.

The spike of pain shook Leia to her core. It felt like lava was pouring through her nerves, blades twisting through her intestines as needles erupted with every beat of her heart.

And yet, she didnʼt want to let go of the trident. As though addicted to the feeling of pain, her eyes flickered between lust and pain, desire and fury.

BANG!

Nosphaleen kicked out with full force, her power erupting like a once-slumbering volcano.

Leiaʼs senses were completely frozen, her body unable to do anything but focus on the pain and hardship, yet she almost floated closer toward Nosphaleen as though to present her head for death.

Just as Nosphaleenʼs attack was about to land, though, her eyes snapped back into focus, her Lion Warlord Armor erupting to life.

Except it was no Warlord Armor at all.

A radiant gold pooled out of her in waves, her hair dancing in strands of ambrosia as the mane of an Emperor Lion formed over her head like a helm.

Pauldrons of roaring beasts formed over her shoulders, her small stature being wrapped in shingles and illusory plates of radiant steel.

She slapped down a palm, and Nosphaleenʼs pupils shook as pain erupted through her. Fractures ran down her shins as her heel was violently slammed back toward the ground.

She collapsed into the crater beneath them, nearly falling to a knee. But as she caught herself, trying to rise, Leia was already upon her, striking down with a fist.

BOOM.

Nosphaleenʼs body was pressed into the ground.

”I really liked that mount!” Leia growled.

She reached down, picking Nosphaleen up by her neck. Launching the latter into the air, she leapt and drove a heel right up Nosphaleenʼs chin, her legs splitting in a perfect line.

Nosphaleen felt her jaw rattle, her teeth cracking beneath the pressure, her Whale Warlord Armor unable to withstand the might of it all.

But she hadnʼt even soared into the air for long before Leia appeared high above her, smashing down with both fists tightly bound in a hammering motion.

BOOM.

The earth reacted as though the waters of the ocean. First, there was nothing more than a single dot-a hole so deep it was as though Nosphaleen had fallen through the world entirely. And then came the aftershock, ripples of black and soil jetting out in all directions.

Leia didnʼt seem finished, pile-driving a heavy stone she grabbed out of the air before it could fly very far. She pierced into the earth, shattering what felt like every bone in Nosphaleenʼs body as she landed on top of the stone.

It must have been at least three meters across in diameter, and only Nosphaleenʼs head seemed to have survived the damage for no other reason than the fact Leia wasnʼt satisfied just yet.

She had no desire for Nosphaleen to die so easily.