MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1097: Scythe Intent

As Anthony stood in silence with his sword sheathed, the Blood Queen immediately moved in a burst of motion, seemingly appearing from nowhere, her claws tearing for Anthony’s nape, but sneak attacks were useless against Anthony. With remarkable speed, he turned, his left hand streaking as he caught her by the wrist, and with a booming force, his right fist collapsed against her gut.

With a storming speed, she blitzed backwards due to inertia, her body slamming through asteroids as she crashed upon a moon before coming to a stop, the surrounding debris scattering in every direction as though fleeing from her overwhelming momentum.

Anthony floated in silence as he stared at her with a smile as he spoke, ”I wonder what the Vampires of the Vampire Domain will say when they see their queen performing a sneak attack,” Anthony joked, his tone laced with mockery and amusement.

With a resounding boom, the moon the Blood Queen was lodged in shattered with force into countless lunar fragments, her presence peaking with each passing moment as the void itself seemed to hum in response to her growing rage, as though reality could barely withstand the pressure of her existence.

”As you can see, your useless tricks of trying to drain me and observe my battle style were meaningless, but I will commend you for your efforts,” Anthony added, speaking as though he wasn’t the very cause of everything that was unfolding at that moment.

The Blood Queen didn’t speak; the time for words was over, and silence now carried more weight than any declaration. She simply raised a hand, and a blood-red long scythe appeared within her grasp, emitting a dangerously oppressive presence that seemed to warp the surrounding space. Anthony merely arched an eyebrow as he unsheathed his own sword with calm, effortless ease, his demeanor betraying no hint of tension.

The next moment, Sword Intent and Scythe Intent boomed outwards from Anthony and Elara respectively, expanding like unseen storms as they stared at each other, one with exhilaration and thrill, the other with seething hatred and unrestrained fury.

In the next instant, they both vanished from their respective positions, space shattering under the sheer speed of their motion, and with world-bursting might, their weapons collided against each other like the dying embers of a collapsing sun. The moment their blades met, they vanished once more from where they stood, their bodies flickering through the vacuum of space without pause, as though distance itself had lost all meaning.

They didn’t slow. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t speak.

Attack met defence.

Speed met speed.

Blade met blade.

Strength met strength.

Technique met technique.

Intent met Intent.

In a blur, they appeared atop a star, and with a phantasmal speed, they ran across its blazing surface as they clashed endlessly, their movements defying logic and comprehension. Anthony had a smile on his face as he moved, his katana blurring in perfect tandem with his hands as he met every attack the Blood Queen unleashed with calm ease and precision.

The Blood Queen’s face was twisted in pure anger, her attacks lethally precise as she moved to draw blood, her scythe moving like the Grim Reaper’s own instrument, as though the entity itself was guiding her hand.

Anthony’s katana descended with shredding Sword Intent, the Blood Queen not hesitating in the slightest as she dodged, her movement fluid and refined as she sidestepped with perfect timing. The moment she evaded, Anthony’s katana cleaved the star cleanly in half, the stellar energy instantly becoming unstable before erupting in incandescent brilliance that flooded the surrounding void.

But both of them were already gone, their bodies flickering into existence upon a distant moon. The moment they appeared, the Blood Queen’s scythe came crashing down upon Anthony’s head, threatening to cleave it in perfect half with merciless precision.

Anthony’s katana sang upwards as he met the attack head-on, a titanic burst of cosmic wind exploding outward from the collision. The moon beneath their feet trembled violently, quaking as though it were on the verge of collapse, yet it somehow endured under the insane force.

The Blood Queen was far from done; her scythe spun within her hands with practiced dexterity as she immediately thrust the butt of the shaft toward Anthony’s chest. Seeing the incoming blunt force attack, Anthony reacted instantly, taking a step back as his body flowed backward like a calm river, effortlessly moving beyond the reach of the strike with elegant precision.

The Blood Queen’s scythe lashed out once more in a crimson blur as billions of scythe-blade-shaped manifestations of Scythe Intent erupted outward, converging around Anthony from every direction like an inescapable storm.

Anthony didn’t panic; his sky-blue eyes shone brilliantly as he observed the incoming assault with a delighted expression, as though this was the most exhilarating experience he had had in ages. His katana flashed, and in response, over a billion silver sword lines formed from pure Sword Intent surged upward toward the heavens to meet the Blood Queen’s devastating attack.

The moment both forces collided, space itself seemed to halt, then swell unnaturally, before violently exploding outward as shredding energy and chaotic madness erupted in all directions. The moon they stood upon was immediately consumed, reduced to nothing more than rubble and scattered remnants of its former existence.

Anthony leaped from one of the moon’s fragments as he streaked toward the Blood Queen, his katana already positioned in a precise thrusting motion. The Blood Queen’s reaction was instantaneous; she didn’t think, she simply moved, her body responding on instinct as she brought her scythe up to block.

But just as their blades were about to collide, Anthony’s hand shifted position, his grip subtly changing, his blade altering its balance and trajectory as he transitioned seamlessly from a thrust into a devastating slash.

The Blood Queen’s eyes flashed with surprise as she attempted to adapt to the sudden change in attack, but it was futile. Anthony’s speed was fast, too fast to fully react to, and in a silver blur, steel and Sword Intent tore through the Scythe Intent that coated her body, carving through her flesh along her ribs as crimson blood splattered into the surrounding void.

The moment she was injured, she vanished from where she stood, retreating as she felt Anthony’s Sword Intent invade her body, immediately tearing through her internal organs and essence alike with merciless efficiency. She swiftly summoned her own Scythe Intent in an attempt to purge the invading force, but before she could fully execute it, Anthony had already crossed the distance between them, his katana once again in motion for another decisive thrust.

’Another feint?’ The Blood Queen thought to herself, her mind racing as she assessed the situation. She could usually see through feints with ease; after all, her battle experience was vast and honed over countless conflicts.

This time, she chose a safer approach. Instantly, her Scythe Intent intensified, flaring with a dangerous crimson brilliance, and in the next moment, it erupted outward in a consuming, ravaging, and devouring wave of energy that tore through space and void alike as though they were nothing more than fragile illusions.

The energy slammed point-blank into Anthony, but he did not dodge, no, he simply watched the overwhelming force approach him, his attack continuing without the slightest delay. Even as he endured the full brunt of the Intent explosion, his katana surged forward without hesitation, piercing into the Blood Queen’s heart with a sickening sound, tearing through her flesh as though it were no more resistant than a sheet of paper.