A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

What are battles between high-level extraordinary beings truly like? This question defies a definitive answer.

Under the Empress's absolute dominion, unrestrained frontal clashes between high-level extraordinary beings are rare. Consequently, most high-level extraordinary beings lack proficiency in such combat. Only those who have fought their way up from lower stages through bloodshed, or those who have received extensive training in this field, possess substantial combat experience.

The process of becoming extraordinary instills in these beings a relentless desire for ascension and transformation, and the powers they extract from the world's myriad elements largely serve this purpose.

From the transformative violence brought about by Ravenna's ether firearms, one can discern that the empire, under the Empress's supreme will for millennia, remains mostly stable.

A fifth-stage extraordinary being who has mastered elements geared towards destruction can obliterate a massive city with a single, well-prepared strike.

However, how this translates in actual combat is another matter.

Thus, even in a confrontation between a third-stage and a fifth-stage, Ansel harbors no concern for Seraphina's safety. This is not only because the entity observing the battle is merely a fragile spiritual projection of the Duke of Azuregold but also because…

Seraphina Marlowe is destined to rise to the pinnacle through devouring others.

Boom!

The platform where the Duke of Azuregold sat was instantly destroyed by the wolf's shadow behind Seraphina. With continuous cracking sounds, massive fissures spread downward, and the entire arena wall collapsed amidst the spectators' horrified screams!

"...Escape?"

The wolf, standing in mid-air, slowly turned its head towards the slightly frowning Duke of Azuregold and sneered disdainfully.

"A fifth-stage extraordinary being, and you won't even take this hit?"

The Duke of Azuregold indeed dared not, for he sensed that if struck by the massive claws of the demonic wolf behind Seraphina, this relatively weak spiritual projection… would be shattered on the spot.

Something is amiss with this Fenrir...

As an indescribable gravity weighed on the Duke's mind, the menacing demonic figure once again charged at him.

"Then continue to... escape!"

Seraphina's wild laughter echoed through the sky, and the crimson-black demonic wolf behind her raised a paw, unleashing a violent storm. If not for the protective barriers around the stands, the spectators below would have been unable to keep their eyes open.

The Duke of Azuregold's initial reaction was still to escape.

His form instantly dissolved into nothingness, perfectly sidestepping the brutal onslaught. However, before he could mount a counterattack, the Duke's thoughts abruptly froze.

His ethereal body, which had already become incorporeal, was forcibly wrenched back into tangibility, materializing once more. A delicate, slender fist of exquisite beauty, trailing a wake of air warped and shrieking from its immense speed and power, hurtled towards the Duke of Azuregold's skull.

Boom!

A thunderous boom resounded!

The arena's atmosphere erupted into a maelstrom of energy, with the unleashed force radiating outwards, battering the protective barriers surrounding the stands. The shields flickered ominously, spreading alarming fissures across their surface.

Nevertheless, the Duke of Azuregold remained rooted to his position, his countenance now devoid of expression. Seraphina, who had delivered the punch, was sent flying backwards, her feet grazing the barrier she had nearly shattered.

"So you can withstand that, don't you?"

Seraphina, regaining her hovering stance, massaged her shoulder and grinned widely. "Now this is getting interesting."

As she spoke, she concealed the hand she had used to strike behind her back, revealing it only once the raw, bleeding knuckles had regenerated to their original pristine state.

Once engaged in combat, Seraphina typically unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, never pausing for idle banter until one combatant fell. However, her recent strike had given her pause—while her extraordinary healing abilities could be explained, the ability to become completely immune to damage after regenerating was a power unique to her alone in the entire empire.

Although seemingly reckless in her conduct, Seraphina had always been cautious about concealing her true identity. In the West teeming with warriors, she felt at home, but at higher echelons, Seraphina had achieved feats beyond anyone's imagination.

— The scarlet-black mist slowly exhaled from her back, resembling a demonic wolf panting like a beast, was her masterpiece.

However, her previous opponents had rarely pushed her to unleash her full potential, and over time, Seraphina had almost forgotten just how extraordinary her spiritual essence truly was.

Given these conditions, I can't get injured…. If my true identity were to be revealed, it should at least be during my combat with Anse. This guy... is unworthy.

Seraphina's eyes narrowed as she paused to reconsider her strategy. The crimson-black wolf shadow behind her grew increasingly vivid, its dark red eyes trailing an unsettling bloody radiance as its massive form undulated slightly.

If I can't even overcome such a weekillusion, what right do I have to challenge Ansel?!

She wasn't so battle-crazed as to believe her third-stage abilities could match a fifth-stage opponent; the disparity in their mastery of the transcendental element was vast. Her audacity stemmed from having sensed that the Duke of Azuregold wasn't personally present, emboldening her to issue this challenge.

Our wolf-girl was indeed a clever lass!

Now, for her next move...

The demonic wolf behind her suddenly threw back its head in a long howl. Previously manifesting as a half-formed image at Seraphina's back, it now dispersed into countless crimson-black streams of energy. As it dissolved behind her, it instantly reformed before her.

The young girl, arms crossed, remained motionless, exuding contempt. "You seem rather weak. Perhaps we should change our way of this duel."

The massive werewolf, now detached from Seraphina, whipped up enormous waves of scarlet-black energy. This sinister tide threatened to engulf the sky, and more astonishingly, even the slightest contact with the invisible barriers protecting the audience caused them to instantly fracture, eliciting screams and panic from the spectators.

"...Severing, termination, no... devouring?"

The Duke of Azuregold observed the approaching crimson-black tempest, resembling a ravenous wolf pack, and reached a conclusion.

The earlier interruption of his ethereal transformation stemmed from this power.

This Fenrir possessed the ability to 'devour' aetheric vibrations!

Spellcasting, in essence, involves outputting aether in specific patterns. These patterns and the resulting aetheric vibrations are typically fleeting and nearly imperceptible; otherwise, warriors would have long since dominated sorcerers.

Leaving aside the difficulty of capturing these vibrations, the act of forcibly tearing them apart was nothing but akin to swallowing a handful of explosives… How on earth did she manage this feat?

Moreover, it was common knowledge that warriors relied solely on their physical bodies for mobility. The levitation spell, mastered by sorcerers at the second stage, was only attainable for warriors at the fourth or even fifth stage.

Yet this Fenrir not only flew but also seemed to control what appeared to be a summoned entity—something warriors shouldn't be capable of conjuring or manipulating.

Warriors, who construct aetheric circulation within their bodies, cannot easily manipulate atmospheric aether like sorcerers. Attempting to master both typically results in one of two outcomes: fatal internal aetheric imbalance or loss of control over external aether manipulation.

How could she, at merely the third stage… achieve this so flawlessly?

Was it not excessively extravagant to use someone of such prodigious talent as mere bait? Or perhaps...

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